Folkadelphia Session: Mitch Esparza

Maybe Mitch Esparza is a scrapbooker. I always called him a musical chameleon because in my mind what was so compelling and admirable about his performances and albums, from his ensemble The Love Club to his psych solo project (((taco))) (or is it M.E.?), to music under his own name, and even more than I can recall, was that he could adapt. Throw him in a new situation, change up the genre, give him a new instrument or toy to play with, or start a new band with brand new people, he would adapt and thrive, always able to present interesting sound, music, and art. I would like to take this opportunity to adjust my mental image of Mitch Esparza. Maybe Mitch Esparza is a scrapbooker, building a cosmic sonic dreamboard, rifling through a universe of waveforms and artforms, pilfering what he enjoys and putting aside the rest, weaving a “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” patchwork. I like this image more because a musical chameleon, while inventive, is perhaps without a unique style or vision. A scrapbooker not only has style, but a strong, distinctive vision for his art, which totally describes Mitch. Long may he dream and weave.

We invited Mitch to the WXPN studio to do his thing and we don’t always know what that is until he is doing it or sometimes until he is done. He presented us with improvisations and new music, possibly to be released as a new The Love Club album in the future. Mitch Esparza will be supporting the legendary Os Mutantes this Sunday, February 26th at the Trocadero.