Guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela was joined by over 30 members of the Austin Symphony Orchestra for an “Austin City Limits” broadcast. It was the symphony’s first appearance in the show’s 49-year history. Photo: KLRU-TV.
In Sunday’s (7/9) Austin American-Statesman, Deborah Sengupta Stith writes, “The guitar artistry of Rodrigo Y Gabriela … expands the mind, explodes it and then, with intricate finger patterns that weave magic and mystery, reconstructs it…. The Mexico City natives closed out the North American leg of their current tour with an ‘Austin City Limits’ taping on Friday night. Joined by an ensemble of over 30 players from the Austin Symphony Orchestra, they led a rapt audience on an exhilarating thrill ride … It was Austin Symphony Orchestra’s first appearance on the television show, which has been bringing the sound of Austin to the world for 49 years…. Rodrigo Y Gabriela are known for their acoustic guitar mastery. In a striking departure, Rodrigo plays electric on much of the duo’s new album … The symphony, under the direction of Peter Bay, joined the fray with a cinematic swell. Rodrigo Y Gabriela … span the worlds of classical and heavy metal. As [a] song built to a climax of ferocious guitar and frenzied bow work, it provided one of many reminders throughout the night that the two genres are closer than many people realize…. The symphony has likely never sounded as hardcore.”
