Chicano Batman brings funk-driven crusade to Petaluma’s Mystic Theatre

Holy Chicano, Batman! This L.A. band defies categories, winning scores of fans|

Let’s talk about that band name: Chicano Batman.

It’s strange, outrageous even, until you give it some thought.

And 35-year-old Chicano Batman guitarist Carlos Arévalo has given it a lot of thought.

“Naming the band after the caped crusader was just the idea of taking a white heterosexual superhero and flipping it into something else. A Latino superhero? That didn’t exist,” says Arévalo, during a phone call from his home in Los Angeles. “We were protesting the fact that society gave Latinos limited opportunity to show that we also are artists and creatives. If the status quo wasn’t going to represent us, then we needed to create our own representation. We decided to take a pop culture reference and flip it, so the name is a social critique on that.”

Since the release of 2017’s critically acclaimed “Freedom Is Free” (Ato), the music world has caught up with Chicano Batman. Music critic Mark Demin, writing in the “All Music Guide,” opined: “Chicano Batman … give their music a vibe that’s powerful and sensual all at once, merging their influences in a way that doesn’t cancel out any of the elements. And like Funkadelic, Chicano Batman’s lysergic investigations of inner space are rooted in a reality that doesn’t negate optimism, but speaks of an awareness too strong to give up.”

These days, the band is working on a new album, which Arévalo promises will have a few surprises.

“We didn’t want to make an album that is a repeat of the last record,” he says. “I was concerned that people think they have us figured out musically. That’s fine, in terms of the quality of the music, but in terms of style and songwriting, we wanted it to be a progression of the last record-a step forward-that doesn’t repeat ourselves.

“We want to keep it fresh.”

One thing is certain, the new album will be grounded in the band’s Latino roots: Arévalo is half Chicano, half Salvadoran, bassist and vocalist Eduardo Arenas is a Chicano from East LA, lead vocalist and keyboardist Bardo Martinez is half Chicano, half Colombian, and drummer Gabriel Villa is Colombian.

“Our Latino identity is a big piece of who we are,” Arévalo says. “But we don’t want to create any racial or historical division. We want to show people that, no matter who you are, you can express yourself and the music can transcend your background, because the music is good.”

The band’s lyrics, for the most part, aren’t overtly political. One exception is the title track “Freedom Is Free,” a spoof on the conservative slogan “Freedom is not free.”

“It’s hard not to be political when there is an administration [in the White House] that’s openly hostile to people that look like us,” Arévalo says. “We write timely songs and right now there’s a lot of anti-immigrant sentiment, a lot of scapegoating. We’re not going to be silent, we’re not going to roll over and we will speak out when it’s needed. Our goal is to spread our message of unity in these divisive times. Like George Clinton said, ‘One nation under a groove.’”

Arévalo believes people should be proud of where they’re from and who they are.

“Don’t let any politician tell you it’s wrong to be gay, African-American, transgender or Latino,” he says. “Be yourself. Live your life and be happy.”

To get that message out, Arévalo - who joined Chicano Batman in 2011 - has helped his bandmates set their sights on a broader audience.

“When I joined, I realized this was a good band,” he says. “I told them we could do more than play backyard barbecues and gigs at the local bars. And everyone got on board.”

The band’s big break came in 2014 when rock star Jack White hired Chicano Batman as the opening act on his solo “Lazaretto” tour. The following year, the band appeared in the Coachella festival lineup. That high-profile concert appearance focused attention on a setting in which the band really shines - the concert stage

For Arévalo, the concert experience is transformational.

“It’s a cosmic feeling,” he says. “The first time I ever played with a drummer, I was 17 years old. I knew right then and there that I had to do that for the rest of my life. It was a feeling I could not get enough of. There was a sense of elation and positive energy. I still get that feeling when I play with these guys. We create a racket that can only be created between the four of us.”

He goes on to explain that in concert, part of the band’s set is devoted to exploration and improvisation, which keeps it interesting for the band members and also positively challenges the audience.

“We have a lot of respect for artists like Miles Davis and Frank Zappa, and the ability to create something on the spot that can never be replicated because it’s in the moment, it’s there and then it’s gone,” Arévalo says. “You just experience it in the room. It’s something that’s really magical.”

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