Terrassa is a city with a very active musical scene and a consolidated Jazz Festival. This is were we had the chance to attend to a very special gig last May, in one of the city’s innumerable small venues: Boogie Dreams, the revelation of 2002’s Minorisa Prog Rock Festival. It had to be special because Boogie Dreams’ music is really special: an stimulant, fresh, funny and free mixture of rock, funk, jazz, psychedelic pop and even a latin touch. Considering their work as “fusion” might be a little bit confusing if taken in an strict jazz-rock sense, but it is quite pertinent literally (in the vein of the work of bands like Hysteriofunk, as Jordi Costa points out, or evenMushroom).
Boogie Dreams are Nasi Casanovas (guitars and lead vocals), Ignasi Llovet (drums), Lluís Coll(keyboards), Marc Torregrosa (bass) & Oriol “Txic” Travé (percussion). They are a very young band, they have recorded a fairly good debut CD (see the review in progVisions) and they come full of ideas, enthusiasm and attention to detail. That’s why they succeed in floating naturally – as a Gong’s cup of tea- between different –although not opposite- styles. The stylistic choices of the band show clearly that Boogie Dreams are fond of recreating the spirit of rock music in transition between the sixties and the seventies, unashamedly “retro” (just as an example, the first song of the night was for me quite reminiscent of The Doors).
It was special as the culmination of the efforts of Ramon Sellarés, who fought fiercely to make the gig a reality (and luckily, the beginning of a stable cycle of prog concerts). Those of you who have tried to promote a minority cultural event know what this mean: looking restlessly for institutional help, fighting with misunderstanding and skepticism. We need people with bombproof enthusiasm like Ramon and I want to thank him for being there. It was very nice of the band beginning the concert acknowledging the support of progVisions (… “What have they said?” “What?” “Netvisions?”, one could hear among the audience. Well, step by step).
The venue was also special in itself. A minuscule room with the most curious audience: from the regular attendants (who watched the show with a mixture of strangeness and stoicism) to fans and enthusiasts, who helped to create a feel-good atmosphere (I still remember a girl who started to do backing vocals and to improvise vocal arrangements from her seat).
On stage, Boogie Dreams offered a very dynamic and eclectic, mostly instrumental, set. They played really well and showed good composition skills (the vocals are well intentioned but not too strong, even if they fit well in the more floydian and psychedelic songs). The addition of a percussionist to the classical rock band line-up was also very significant. And what’s more, they love to play and they know how to transmit this feeling. The keyboardist, a show in itself, had a great time jumping up and down during the whole show and frequently visiting the toilets. It was a night of good music and good beer at either side of the stage.
I personally believe that Boogie Dreams feel more comfortable while playing in the jazz, funk, latin and retro-pop vein than when they concentrate in their electric rock side. Anyway, they have reached an enviable level of maturity being so young (it is as funny as frustrating finding this young lads talking about songs “written a very long time ago”). That makes me think that if they can keep this level of creativity and enthusiasm can be a very good chance for the precarious world of intelligent music in Spain.
So, as Ramon says, let’s hope that our friends and colleagues bring them next year at the Tiana Prog Festival!! We’ll definitely wait for news on the Boogie Dreams field, as also on progressive rock in Terrassa. Thank you all.