World Music: The Metal Years

The music of guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela is only world in the sense that Rod & Gab have traipsed all over the globe. The music's not mariachi, either, though many try to plug it into that pigeonhole. No, R&G call themselves an acoustic-metal band. Both were Mexico City headbangers for years until they moved (for reasons murky even to them) to Ireland, where they went broke, took up busking, and were finally signed after releasing two basement-tape discs. In addition to traditional Latino sounds and European classical works, a typical R&G set also includes fret-frying translations of songs by Led Zep, Hendrix, and Metallica ("Orion"; pull up www.rodgab.com/media.htm and see for yourself).
Fri., Sept. 7, 6:30 p.m.