Sabin Gabra
Staff Writer
The Glass House hosted a sold out show welcoming Mexican–American singer Cuco on his international tour Tuesday night in Pomona. Doors opened at 7 p.m. and more than 200 fans were wrapped around the venue waiting to get inside.
Once the doors opened, fans were excited and repeatedly chanted, “Cuco!” They were most excited to hear him perform their favorite songs.
His fans, who call themselves “Cuco Puffs,” were hoping to get a place on the front rail or catch a peek of Cuco when he came in for a soundcheck.
“My favorite song is ‘Lava Lamp.’ It’s a song about being far away from someone you love,” Andrea Lopez, resident of Ontario, said. “When my sister moved to Spain, it reminded me of her.”
Cuco’s latest album, “Fantasy Gateway,” was inspired by the thought of fleeing to another planet. The record, his second after his debut “Para Mi”’ in 2019, enhances all the qualities fans have grown to love about Cuco – dreamy soundscapes, deeply-rooted Latin influences, and a free-for-all attitude of cooperation with artists and producers spanning musical genres and cultures.
“This album is something I am not really used to. It has a very different vibe from his other albums,” Kathy Granados, resident of Pomona, said. “It gives a very galactic feeling when I listen to it.”
Granados came with a friend who did not know much about his music, but she was still enjoying it. The song “Caution” that he performed is about trying to open up about insecurities, keeping it bottled up to avoid hurting other people.
“With every song I listen to, I can always relate,” Sophia Natividad, resident of Fontana, said. “I am so happy I was able to make it here tonight and hopefully listen to him perform his new song live.”
The room filled quickly, with phones up in the air recording. Right when Cuco walked in, flashes of purple stage lights shined on his band’s equipment.
“I have seen Cuco here before when he was just starting off,” Andrea Lopez said. “It was more intimate because there were not a lot of people.”
Cuco kept the crowd entertained while playing his electric guitar. He performed his songs “Bossa no Śe” and “Sweet Dissociation,” which were two different vibes.
“This sound he created over the years is a bit similar,” Salma Lopez, resident of Ontario, said. “It is still new and a lot more innovative.”
Cuco performed his Spanish song “Piel Canela,” which many of his fans felt more connected to because of his Mexican roots.
“As a Chicana, I identify a lot with what he stands for,” Natividad said.
Toward the end of the show, he thanked his fans for coming out and showing appreciation to him while on tour.
The crowd quickly scooted to the front of the stage to get autographs.
The crowd was in no rush to leave the venue because they wanted to get enough time to be around Cuco before he left the stage.
“I have looked up to him since he was a fresh artist,” Salma Lopez said. “Seeing how much his fans have progressed shows he is really awesome.”
Sabin Gabra can be reached at sabin.gabra@laverne.edu.
Sabin Gabra, a freshman communications major with a public relations concentration, is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
