LA’s own Chicano Batman has been making waves ever since the release of their third studio album Freedom is Free, not only for its success in breaking out the band’s funky mix of rock, psychedelic soul, and tropicalia to a wider audience but also its decidedly poignant political undertones. As a band that swells with the Latin influences and cultural diversity of Los Angeles, the success of the blue suit brandishing four-piece has paved a path for other bands who’ve faced push-back in mainstream music and is a blow to the increasingly isolationist and nationalistic ideologies in this country.
Their titular song “Freedom is Free” is a sublime reiteration of the band’s ardent political and personal beliefs, set to Bardo Martinez’s gorgeously purred crooning, funky guitar lines, and a shimmering backup chorus. The video escalates the song’s already joyous exclamation into something strangely beautiful, transforming the visual of the band’s heads being dunked in a toilet into an emphatic note of stoic perseverance. Over and over Martinez sings variations of it, but the final shot of the toilet being knocked over, the perpetrators unconscious, and the band shredding away is the quintessential expression of their point: freedom is truly free.
“Freedom is a word that describes one of our best states of being,” says the band. “It’s a birthright, subject only to the infinite flow of the elements. When we fight abusive governing bodies or oppressive forces that try to control our freedom, we are actually fighting them to accept something which is universal in nature.”
Watch the music video for “Freedom is Free” below!
Chicano Batman will be going on a headlining tour beginning with three sold-out nights at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles September 21-23. Visit the band’s website and Facebook to stay updated on future releases and tour announcements.
Chicano Batman Tour Dates
Sep 21 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre **SOLD OUT**
Sep 22 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre **SOLD OUT**
Sep 23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre **SOLD OUT**
Sep 29 — Milwaukee, WI — Turner Hall Ballroom #
Sep 30 — Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall #
Oct 01 – Toronto, ON – The Mod Club #
Oct 03 – Columbus, OH – The A&R Music Bar #
Oct 04 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
Oct 05 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza #
Oct 06 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw #
Oct 07 – Boston, MA – Paradise #
Oct 08 — Philadelphia, PA — Theater of the Living Arts #
Oct 20 – Black Mountain, NC – Leaf Festival #
Oct 21 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre #
Oct 22 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West #
Oct 24 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger #
Oct 25 – Dallas, TX – Grenada Theater #
Oct 27-Oct 29 – New Orleans, LA – Voodoo Music + Arts Experience
Oct 28 – Austin, TX – Emo’s #
Oct 29 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live #
Oct 31 – Albuquerque, NM – El Rey Theatre #
Nov 01 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre #
Nov 02 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge #
Nov 03 – Las Vegas, NV – Fremont Country Club #
Nov 04 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren #
Nov 10 — Oakland, CA — Fox Theater #
Nov 11 — Long Beach, CA — Queen Mary Events Park #
Nov 12 – Reno, NV – Whitney Peak Hotel #
Nov 14 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theatre #
Nov 15 – Fresno, CA – Strummer’s #
Nov 16 – Arcata, CA – Van Duzer Theatre @ HSU #
Nov 17 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom #
Nov 18 — Seattle, WA — The Showbox #
# w/ Khruangbin & The Shacks
