by Donte Kirby
Juana Molina, Latin American acting and musical sensation, comes to Boot & Saddle on the U.S leg of an international tour for her album WED21.
After a five year hiatus Juana Molina released WED21 in October of last year, much to the delight of longtime fans that may have thought she had retired after the release of her last album, Un Dia, in 2008.
“I don’t have many reasons, I just lived,” Molina explains about the long interval between albums. “I don’t know things, I didn’t even realize it had been so long.”
Fans can expect most of the songs from Molina’s set to be from her most recent release, but she wants to reassure old fans that there will be a few songs from the old set, what she calls “the important hits.”
Getting back on the musical horse hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Molina. “It seems so simple now. It took three weeks to figure out how to play [the album] live.” The album was recorded with a bigger ensemble and Molina had to break it down into a three piece, “need to recreate something you’ve done in a live way.” Along with that logistical hurdle, it took a show or two to get back into the swing of things.
“200 people waiting and cheering for you, it’s like a wormhole. That energy was infectious,” says Molina as she reminisces about a show in Japan. There was a maelstrom of energy mixing and interacting between her and the crowd, culminating in one of the best shows she’s ever performed. “I wonder if it was the way I behave on stage, maybe I’ve become more confident. I don’t know.”
What Molina does know is that she hopes for the same energy at her upcoming show at the Boot & Saddle. Having never seen the venue, Molina hopes there’s standing room so people can dance. Catch her this Thursday night at Boot & Saddle on 1131 S Broad Street where there is plenty of room for dancing.
