Sportsmen's lodge may of had a face lift but the sound system (person) is pathetic. There is no excuse for having a half hour sound check @ 10:30pm (with 500+ people waiting to dance) when it could have easily been done 2 hours prior. The band was great but the sound was horrible. That being said....

Septeto Nacional opened with Echale Salsita, the Pineiro tune that's sometimes credited with giving salsa its name, and barreled on from there. Son is usually a suave thing, but this ensemble, the fourth generation of musicians for this band founded in 1927, played with exceptional precision and drive. This wasn't the turbo-charged overdrive of timba, but it was relentless enough: tres, guitar, stand-up bass, bongos (and cowbell), maracas, trumpet, and singer all beautifully locked in, the arrangements precisely calibrated, the rhythm section as regular as a drum machine. Danced my ass off!

Can't blame the band for the lousy sound that falls squarley on the shoulders of AT productions. AT in the future when you bring a world class band try to enhance it with a professional sound crew. I know the economy sucks but hiring the knuckle head who does the sound @ Floridita on Monday nights and works for arroz con pollo may not be the best choice on such a historical evening.

Peace