When the Music’s Over

The full band first lubricated the sold-out room with a half-hour miniset of "Arepa 3000," "Domingo Echao" and other loungeables, gently swinging morsels that singer Julio Briceño suggested might make "you wanna kiss her cheek." Once the six amigos returned for the booty-shakin' main event, it didn't take long for such sweetly romantic sentiments to be swept aside in a tidal surge of hormonal abandon. Los Hermanos de Caracas showed the sangre de salseros on "Calne" and "Llegaste Tarde" and got down with some neo-boogaloo on "Cuchi-Cuchi," but the disco-funk groove thang was the primary party favor. "La Vecina," "Amor" and new fave "Ease Your Mind" shined up the mirror ball, their straight-time thump-thump stoking the fires of boy-girl bump-bump. Ultimately, nothing more serious than having a real good time came to pass, but these invisible friends demonstrated that sometimes escapism in the pursuit of happiness is no vice. (Tom Cheyney)