Who are these Antioquia kids and where did they come from?

Birthed in Colombia and bred in the San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland-based Antioquia makes music that inspires raucous dancing and deep listening.  With influences ranging from Mahavishnu Orchestra to Primus, Antioquia’s primary mission is to unite humans in the healing act of dance through a genre that they have dubbed, “Afro-Colombian Psychedelic Lovefunk.” Their earnest let-it-all-hang-out stage presence encourages the same from the audience, creating a feedback loop that builds momentum as standers-by are sucked into the dance floor.

Antioquia’s debut album Gringolandia, released in 2008, was called “a wild ride to the center of the earth and the depths of the soul.” (Brian Echon, West Coast Performer Magazine).  Their second full length album, My Piano Ate the Front Page of the San Francisco Chronicle was released in early 2010 to critical acclaim including Jambase Albums of the Week, March 5-11 and one of DirtyImpound.com’s Albums of the Year.  Dennis Cook writes “SF’s Antioquia possess a distinct socio-political bent but shimmy about like kids on Pixie sticks and Kool-Aid as they prod and peel away at entrenched infrastructures. Echoes of Fela, Pere Ubu and Talking Heads ping around in their sound, but none so much to overshadow the original voice rising in this young band.”

Since their formation in 2004, Antioquia has toured extensively throughout the U.S. quickly becoming a festival favorite.  They have appeared at Floydfest, Groovefest, Lovefest, and several other established festivals.  Their highly anticipated third studio album is set to be released on April 20th, 2012.
Peppered with fits of improvisation, bouts of silliness and fiery percussion pieces performed amidst the crowd, an Antioquia set is high energy, captivating, and anything but predictable.  You can count on each show to bring the audience closer to the stage and closer together.