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I've seen Calexico twice, both times at SXSW, and they are, without a doubt, a great live band. They do not put on an especially flashy show -- there's no jumping around, no windmills, no costumes, not much banter. They're just really good musicians, playing really good songs that draw from a whole range of musical traditions -- jazz, rock, country, mariachi and folk. That solid core, captured in a live performance at London's Barbican in 2003, is what makes World Drifts In so enjoyable.
The main portion of the DVD documents that live show, drawing heavily from 2003's wonderful Feast of Wire. The concert hits the record's highlights, with renditions of "Sunken Waltz", "Woven Birds", "Not Even Stevie Nicks", "Across the Wire", "Quattro" and the dark and spine-tingling "Black Heart". Your view is, naturally, much better than it would be at most crowded concert venues, and the generous, team-highlighting camera-work provides insight not just into marquee players Burns and Convertino but the entire ensemble. There are enlightening close-ups of Paul Niehaus on pedal steel, the bass plucking-excellence of Volker Zander, and Jacob Valenzuela on vibes, trumpet and keyboard. The DVD also makes it clear that Calexico's "bigger in Europe" tag is no joke -- crowd pans show a packed house in the large and very elegant Barbican.
About mid-way through the show, Calexico expands its already pretty extensive palette of sounds by inviting guests -- French singer Françoiz Breut and the Tucson-based Mariachi Luz de Luna -- to join in. Breut, who is working the sexy French chanteuse vibe hard, lends her voice to "Ballad of Cable Hogue" and her own "Si Tu Disais" (which Calexico covered on this year's Convict Pool EP). Then the eight-piece mariachi band kicks in and the whole show becomes a party, complete with violins, trumpets, guitars and the distinctive guitarrone (a boxy bass guitar) and vihuela (a round-backed guitar). Says band leader Ruben Moreno, in a documentary later in the disc, without these traditional instruments, "It's not mariachi. It's just people singing in Spanish." This vast orchestra -- Calexico, plus Mariachi Luz de Luna, plus Breut, plus trombonist Matt Dowse -- romps through traditional and modern songs, putting the same enthusiasm behind "Cancion del Mariachi" that they bring to the Minutemen's "Corona". One highlight comes when the sole female member of Mariachi Luz de Luna, Lulu Olivares, takes the mike and sings the lovely "Aires del Mayab". She is so contained and ladylike in her high-necked mariachi costume, yet she sings with unbridled passion and color.
The DVD's extras are almost as interesting as the footage itself. "Border Horse", a documentary by Bill Carter, follows Burns and Convertino around Tuscon, providing additional commentary and information on songs like "Not Even Stevie Nicks" (Burns grew up playing in car-wreck-filled tidal pools in Calfornia and became fascinated with the idea of driving "into the blue"), "Quattro" (we see the instrument the song is named for), and "Black Heart" (and yes, finally, someone confirms the Led Zeppelin connection that I had always suspected and was too embarrassed to ask about). A shorter documentary called "The Soul of Mariachi" is also quite fascinating, providing a glimpse into the history, current state and future of this art form. Footage of the Mariachi Luz de Luna members going into a Tuscon high school to teach mariachi is particularly interesting.
The tour film "Shot and Mounted" contains the usual shots of band members mugging for the camera against a variety of exotic backdrops. There's also a series of interviews with Calexico musicians -- other than Convertino -- and crew, which is entertaining enough once, but I wouldn't watch it twice. There's a cartoon video for "El Kabong Rides Again" (also on Convict Pool), and a three videos. I found my attention flagging somewhat during this portion of the DVD, particularly during the tour film and the very literal and hokey video for "Ballad of Cable Hogue".
What kept dragging me back, though, was the music playing behind the scenes. Calexico's music is exceptional, haunting, beautiful; the visuals are just serviceable. Still, what's the purpose of a music DVD if not to make you want to hear the music again? World Drifts In does that job superbly -- I can tell because I've had Feast of Wire on ever since I watched it.
-- Jennifer Kelly
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