Making Movies blends pulsing Afro-Latino rhythms, psychedelic jams and rock ’n’ roll swagger into powerful live performances, full of theatrics and cathartic climaxes. Armed with the ambitious and politically charged 2017 release I Am Another You — “lyrically and sonically one of the best albums of the year,” NPR raved — and a companion EP, You Are Another Me, the Kansas City band punches out one high-energy song after another.
The foursome showcases their Latin American roots, with frontman Enrique Chi incorporating traditional instruments like the Panamanian mejorana alongside electric guitar, or the Chaurand brothers swapping drums and percussion for a dueling zapateado huasteco, a traditional form of dance from Veracruz, Mexico. The band's political idea is straightforward enough that they can express it in four words: “We are all immigrants.”