The weather had the ability to dampen more than our umbrellas but that didn’t stop a large crowd gathering in the ‘quaint’ underground Transit Bar for Tijuana Cartel on Saturday just past.

You never know what to expect on St. Patrick’s Day. But on this occasion it was clear that every person in this bar were all experiencing the same thing.

The band took their place on stage, began to play, and what I saw was a large gathering of strangers possessing the same amount of joy. Enjoying what they were all hearing. Some danced close to the stage while others sat and watched from a far. But the mood was consistent, and everyone was enjoying the moment.

Describing Cartel’s music is no easy feat, especially for a man whos iPod contains mostly the workings of Adele and Michael Buble. What I can say is that I was pleasantly surprised. I wanted to dance. I wanted to get up and enjoy myself. Furthermore, I wanted to place them on my iPod playlist.

The band has a way of combining multiple styles into one seamless track, something Daniel Gonzalez, the band’s Percussionist, explains.

“We spent a considerable amount of time in the clubbing scene in the UK which has really influenced our beats. We travel for the experience but we also keep the music in mind, if someone turns up with an odd instrument we’ll try to capture it.”

Club music these days usually involves one man, a computer, and some speakers. Usually he’s stealing from others and is “creating” something that’s tedious to listen to. That being said, it was a welcomed change of pace to have a band that was cheered onto the stage.

You may have missed Tijuana Cartel but fear not Transit Bar always has new acts playing so just keep an eye out. Who knows you might discover another band you like one Saturday night like I did.

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