Querétaro Act III

This my third time in Querétaro; I first came here in November 2018 to meet in person a woman I had matched with on Tinder. After staying an extended weekend, I came back in December 2018 and remained until early January 2019 before heading to Lima.

A Key Place in Black Sea Storm History

Querétaro has its importance in the Black Sea Storm history because it’s on Christmas eve of last year that I purchased the Chinese acoustic guitar I am currently playing the shows with. More importantly, this is where I planned the integration of touring with Black Sea Storm to my nomadic lifestyle. Until that time, I had no clue how I could perform live shows with Black Sea Storm alone. Today I am pleased to see that what I had planned at the end of last year here in Querétaro has become a reality. On my third visit here, I am to play full-on shows with Black Sea Storm.

When your Airbnb hosts turn themselves into beeing your booking agent

Both times I visited the city before this last visit, I stayed at an Airbnb. My host Lillian, a wonderful woman, married to a man named Lalo. Both very much involved with the art scene in Querétaro. I soon found out that Lalo had purchased a building in downtown and transformed it into a cultural center called El Árbol. The place is like a beehive for cultural activities. It also acts like a café and a place to grab a bite to eat. In Querétaro, space does not seem to be a big problem as it can often be in other urban areas. All the places I stayed in were reasonably spacious. In the case of El Árbol is no exception. The actual building provides plenty of space to host various types of activities.

Living at The Venue

Around the Christmas New Year period last year, Lillian apartment was booked by some short-term staying tourists who probably wanted to pass the New Year’s Eve in Querétaro. I needed to find a place to stay in the meantime before moving back to her apartment again. Lillian and Lalo offered me to stay at El Árbol. The only problem for them was that there was no hot water to shower. This cold water situation was not a real problem for me since I intentionally take cold showers even when hot water is available. I stayed about a week at the cultural center. Which coincided with the purchase of the acoustic guitar and my project of adapting the Black Sea Storm songs to the acoustic guitar.

It was perfect timing and almost like a blessing for me to be staying at the cultural center. Not being in a home environment to play my guitar made me feel like I was staying at a venue that was hosting me after a show I had played there while touring. Besides, the acoustics of the place favored my playing and coming up with new ideas and adapting existing songs to the acoustic guitar. Playing on stage, at a rehearsal room, at a venue, or on the streets makes me feel like a rock warrior. Playing at home, on the other hand, tends to make me feel like a domesticated music teacher who has given up on the rock n’ roll dream. I usually don’t find it all that romantic to play in the environment I live in. Though with the nomadic lifestyle, my perception has changed quite a bit. Being able to record in hostels, Airbnb apartments, or when I rent a room form local families has its own particular romantic appeal. At times it so challenging to find quietness to record that each releasable take becomes like a hunted treasure for my project.

Express Booking

On this second visit to Mexico with touring in mind, I called Lalo and asked him if I could play El Árbol. In 15 seconds, he booked the show for me. Which was awesome of him. As I mentioned in previous posts, as much as the booking has been challenging with venues that I would cold call, booking through friends or friends referring me to people in charge of booking shows has been very smooth and easy so far in Mexico. El Árbol show was no exception in that regard.

The show

With all the Instagram and Facebook advertisements I put online, I was able to draw a total of three people to the show. The good news was that they seemed to had come to see Black Sea Storm specifically. In addition to the small attentive audience, there were a dozen of people celebrating a birthday party. I first thought that I would annoy them with my music more than anything, but they welcomed me being a part of their event as well. At the end of each song, there was a strong supportive response from the birthday and the non-birthday crowd. I enjoyed playing the show. At this ninth Mexican Black Sea Storm concert, I can say that I am feeling more and more comfortable on stage as a solo act. The three people who had come to specifically see Black Sea Storm stayed until the end of the concert, and all took one of the Black Sea Storm business cards with them before leaving the venue.

The After Party

I soon found out that the birthday party hosted by the owners of one of the businesses inside El Árbol. It was Mariel’s birthday. The co-owner of Mi Tierra, a business selling boutique designed local artisanal products. She first wanted to take a picture with me at her store, and then invited me to have a piece of her birthday cake. I initially accepted the cake invitation to be polite and participate socially to the event since I try to reduced my processed sugar intake to a minimum. To my surprise, the chocolate birthday cake was not too sweet and was made with high-quality ingredients. The cake was a creation of Mariel’s partner Mayerlyn. After complimenting her cake, saying that it was right on to my taste in terms of sweetness, I told her that the cake had a professional level and had the potential to be easily sold to the public. Mayerlyn responded saying to me that she had a cake and coffee business that she was doing besides Mi Tierra. Mayelicatesses and Café Arles, respectively.

More Shows Coming Up in Mexico

A bit more than a week after the Black Sea Storm show at El Árbol, Mi Tierra hired me to play for their event on The Day of the Deaths on November the 2nd. To be in that kind of situation is one of my favorite ones as far as booking goes. The task of booking shows probably is the part I enjoy the less with Black Sea Storm as a project. When I can book a show while playing instead of passing a considerable portion of my time on the phone or WhatsApp, it’s always a great feeling. When a show allows me to play a second one, it really feels good. It usually allows me and the host to build upon the first show. In November, I will be playing two shows at places I recently played. As I mentioned above, November the 2nd, I will be at El Árbol with Mi Tierra to celebrate the Day of the Deaths and on the 8th at Teatro Tadeco in Mexico City. It’s a great feeling to think that I am approaching the two-digit number of shows in Mexico. I can’t wait to play other countries in Latin America then come back to Mexico again, hopefully, sooner than later to see if anyone remembers Black Sea Storm and if I’d be able to build upon the first tour in this beautiful country.

Black Sea Storm on Spotify
Black Sea Storm on Apple Music
Black Sea Storm on YouTube (blackseastorm11)
Black Sea Storm on Instagram (blackseastorm6161)
Black Sea Storm on Facebook (blackseastorm11)
Black Sea Storm on Twitter