Hermanos Gutiérrez at the Orpheum

Review – Hermanos Gutierrez at the Orpheum, Vancouver, Aug 8 2024

“Time goes and you become someone you didn’t think of”, shared Alejandro Gutiérrez, one-half of Hermanos Gutiérrez, before playing their encore set at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver. On stage with his brother, Estevan Gutiérrez, Alejandro recalled the beginning of their musical career. Born in Estevan’s basement, Hermanos Gutiérrez began as a way for the two brothers to reconnect. Nine years later, they are playing sold-out shows on their international, headlining tour.

Hermanos Gutiérrez’s 2024 summer tour, with stops in the US, Canada, England and Europe, supports their latest release, Sonido Cosmico—their sixth album and second collaboration with The Black Key’s Dan Auerbach. Their sound has evolved and the duo describe the music on Sonido Cosmico as a “cosmic sound” and a departure from the “Spaghetti-western” style of their previous release, 2022’s El Bueno y el Malo. 

Sitting centre stage on a raised platform, the two brothers performed a selection of their Latin-influenced instrumentals for the captivated crowd at the Orpheum. Alejandro alternated between electric guitar and the lap steel guitar, while Estevan played electric guitar and percussion. Amidst intricate fingerpicking, Estevan would pick up a pair of bongo drums to record percussive beats to loop along with their guitar playing.

The audience was quiet as the sometimes haunting sounds filled the historic theatre, conjuring images of warm summer nights in a far-off locale. In 2022’s “Tres Hermanos,” they took listeners on a journey through the desert. In 2024’s Las Navegantes, the duo imagine they are exploring the cosmos. 

The brothers each took a turn to thank the other for sharing the stage with them. The crowd rose to a standing ovation as their set finished, and continued clapping and cheering until the duo returned. Screams erupted as they returned to the stage for a two-song encore, beginning with 2018’s “El Camino De Mi Alma”. Estevan asked the crowd to hold up their phone flashlights to make thousands of tiny stars, and as they played the intricate melody of their final song, ‘las estrellas’ lit up the night.

Contributors

Julie Rankin

Julie Rankin is a writer and a designer and developer of digital experiences. She currently operates her own holistic creative studio that aims to push the boundaries of what we can build together on the web. Julie is passionate about digital sustainability, accessibility and user experience. In addition to serving as editor and writer at Bright Noise, Julie also writes fiction. She can often be found cycling, walking along the Vancouver seawall, or enjoying some live music.

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