It turns out that hipsters really love them some El Guincho—I do as well, so does this make me a member of the guilty party? Perhaps, I don’t know—but I do know that last evening’s set at the Empty Bottle brought out the cool kid brigade in packs. I haven’t seen so many tight jeans and black square frame glasses since Pitchfork—where coincidentally, this duo was expected to front this past July but had to pull out last minute.

While it may have been a frigid, 20-something degree night on the streets of Chicago, the confined space at the Bottle was anything but—the heat was on blast with the eager, dancing packed bodies in the crowd, swaying and shaking to the exotic pop beats of Barcelona based Pablo Diaz-Reixa. El Guincho took Chicagoans on a secret getaway to the islands of ambient folk, eclectic dance, distorted afro beat funk and everything else in between. The vibrant medley of keys, chants, marimba synth and mad percussion was totally upbeat, transporting the crowd onto some super hip, imaginary cruise line journey into the land of awesomeness. The tropical infused rhythms, combined with the body heat of the audience is probably the closest I’m going to get to an exotic island getaway this winter, that’s for sure.

Diaz-Reixa and his partner in crime had a later start that I’m accustomed to for a Tuesday night (11:50 pmish), but the duo busted out an hour’s worth of tracks, with Alegranza! showcased in full effect. Perched on stage in the midst of twinkling strewn Christmas lights, El Guincho made one hell of a mark as they bobbed and shimmied in unison behind the two drum kits, keyboard and various noise makin’ machines. The loops and samples, atop the universal language of rhythm flowed effortlessly between tracks with the marimba like keys and worldly experimental beats.

Along with Alegranza!, there were a few new numbers as well—and believe me the new tracks were just as guiltlessly delectable as those on the record—sped up beats infused with xylophone madness and lots of claps. While here may have been a few minor language barriers, the banter between the crowd and Diaz-Reixa was still completely gratuitous and positive. El Guincho wanted to make sure all were having a good time and kept upping the bass level with the soundman until the floors of the Bottle literally pulsated and throbbed. I felt like I should have been sipping on a Piña Colada vs. the $3 Shiner Bocks, but I had to return to reality of Chicago winter at some point anyway, which I sadly did around the show’s final number around the 1:00 AM time mark. While I think El Guincho would have been amazing at Pitchfork, I’m glad my first time catching them was in November, the experience surely gave me something to be thankful of this holiday week.

Did anyone catch the earlier 6:30 PM set at the Museum of Contemporary Art? How did that set compare to the Bottle’s?

Myspace: El Guincho