Emotions flow at a wholesome night spent with Cuco and friends

“This place looks poppin’!” our Uber driver announced as she pulled up to a sketchy pool hall that was blasting Latin music and flashing disco lights from within. After checking the place out a bit, we came to a realization — we were definitely at the wrong venue. But that didn’t diminish our excitement for the night ahead, and we eagerly trekked to Gray Area, which was a grueling two blocks away in the freezing San Francisco winter wind. Despite being an hour late, the line was wrapped around the block, full of equally enthusiastic fans waiting to see Jasper Bones, August Eve, Still Woozy, and of course, Cuco. As we neared the entrance, we were greeted by the warm and friendly face of Cuco’s bassist, Esai, making small talk with the crowd as they filtered into the theater.

Upon escaping the icy cold, we entered a room of haze, laughter and cumbia just in time for Jasper Bones’s set. The 19-year-old from Pasadena sported a black turtleneck and denim jacket and appeared a little nervous as he walked on stage. Once the music started, however, the young heartthrob steadily relaxed and seduced the crowd with his smooth overs of Spanish love songs and his original wavy Chicano soul singles like “What’s Your Secret” and “Soulkeeper.”

Throwback R&B and soul hits from the iconic late 90s-early 2000s filled the air as the audience danced and bonded over mutual nostalgia triggered by the music between sets. Cuco’s crew even came out to entertain the audience, dancing on stage and passing out snacks while August Eve set up her gear. When her time finally came, Eve put on a soulful performance with songs of heartbreak and sorrow. Her ethereal vocals were filled with emotion as she produced her slow melodic sound, leaking some new material to the crowd outside of her four released songs. A lot of her new tracks incorporated more exploratory sounds with throwback synth and electronically produced beats that contrast with the raw acoustic vibes present in tracks like “Ghost” and “Franklin.”

August Eve by Solo Vibes Music

After Eve’s heartfelt set, Still Woozy initiated a pleasant transition into dreamy electronic pieces with melancholic undertones that created a warm and personal setting within the venue. While I was personally excited to see the Oakland-based artist, many crowd members were annoyed and even claimed they didn’t “get” his music. Despite some crowd hostility, Woozy put on an entertaining show filled with awkward dance moves and great offerings of life advice. As his set trickled to an end, a sea of cellphone flashlights illuminated the duo for Woozy’s country-esque “Angel of Death” until he finally ended with a soft cover of Mac DeMarco’s “Still Beating.”

Still Woozy at Noise Pop 2018 by Brandon Gong

After another throwback dance session between sets, Cuco and his crew finally arrived on stage after much anticipation. Initially, faulty settings and equipment created a rough start, as was visually observable by Cuco’s stressed manner. However, after fumbling with the chords a bit and finalizing the soundcheck, the band jumped into the usual hypnagogic lo-fi sound laden with synth and soft dream pop influences.

Cuco at Gray Area 2018 by Brandon Gong

Seeing them perform live was a whole new experience from just listening to Cuco’s studio tracks. The upbeat tempo with a live band contrasts with Cuco’s slow and methodical style. An unproduced, intimate sound was amplified as the audience sang along in heartache and nostalgia to songs about lost love and longing. When it was finally time to play “Lava Lamp,” Cuco apologized in advance “in case its bad” due to a lost piece of equipment. It was cool to see everyone work together in unison to support the artist when the crowd assured Cuco, “We’ll sing with you,” in order to alleviate the teen’s insecurity at performing a raw version of the song. This feeling of community carried on throughout the show and created a warm and accepting environment that I was lucky to be a part of. At the end of his performance, Cuco revealed that he had considered cancelling his set because he left a crucial piece of stage equipment at his last show and was also battling a vicious cold. However, he decided to perform because he did not want to let his fans down and hoped to ensure that they would witness a model of Chicanx representation in the music industry. As the show drew to a close, Cuco looked into the crowd and excitedly remarked “It’s cool to see so many brown kids,” as he observed the diverse Bay Area residents.