Vail, Colo., Sept. 2, 2021 — It’s mesmerizing what Rodrigo y Gabriela can do on a stage with their dueling guitars. The Grammy Award winners with over 1.5 million albums sold worldwide out of Mexico City make their much-anticipated return to the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail on Friday, Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m. The duo performed as part of The Amp’s 30th anniversary celebration in 2017.
Tickets for Friday night’s performance start at $45 and are available at grfavail.com/rodrigo-y-gabriela.
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If you go …
Who: Rodrigo y Gabriela
When: Friday, Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Cost: Tickets start at $45
More information: Visit grfavail.com/rodrigo-y-gabriela
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Here’s a look at 5 popular films and TV shows where Rodrigo y Gabriela’s music has been featured, from the first episode of “Breaking Bad” to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” soundtrack:
- ‘Breaking Bad’
In the first-ever episode of “Breaking Bad,” Rodrigo y Gabriela’s “Tamacun” song can be heard in the scene where Walt is doing a ride-along with his law-enforcement brother-in-law Hank. Walt’s new acquaintance Jesse is busy escaping Hank, while Walt sits in the back seat of Hank’s car watching it all go down. “Tamacun” was released in 2006 in Ireland, where it debuted at No. 1 on the Irish Albums Chart. The playful, upbeat tune pairs perfectly with the chaotic antics of “Breaking Bad” and will forever be a part of the cult series’ beginning.
- ‘Entourage’
In Season 7 of “Entourage” in 2010, Rodrigo y Gabriela’s “Savitri” song is featured. The episode, titled “Tequila Sunrise,” features a disastrous meeting with John Stamos and Drama asking for advice from Bob Saget to fix the situation. “Savitri” was released in 2009.
- ‘Puss in Boots’
In 2011’s “Puss in Boots,” a family-adventure film based off one of the characters in “Shrek” starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Billy Bob Thornton, among others, Rodrigo y Gabriela’s “Hanuman” and “Diablo Rojo” songs are featured. In the action-packed “dance fight” scene between felines, Rodrigo y Gabriela provide the soundtrack for an epic scene in the film – a fast-paced, comical back-and-forth between characters that just might be the best scene in the movie.
- ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’
The soundtrack for 2011’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” features a guitar arrangement by Rodrigo y Gabriela, containing statements of “He’s a Pirate!” While the track is exclusive to the album and doesn’t appear in the film, a four-minute video with highlights from the film paired with the dueling guitar play has amassed nearly 1 million views. Their song, “The Pirate That Should Not Be,” complements Captain Jack Sparrow’s shenanigans nicely.
- ‘Dancing with the Stars’
It’s nearly impossible to sit still when Rodrigo y Gabriela are on stage, which is why their music was selected for multiple episodes of “Dancing with the Stars,” including the 2013 semifinals when Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough performed flamenco to “The Pirate Who Should Not Be.” Whether your tapping, clapping or full on dancing along, the sounds of Rodrigo y Gabriela are contagious.
For fans of the late-night scene, Rodrigo Y Gabriela have performed more than 10 times on late-night shows with Jimmy Kimmel, David Letterman and Jay Leno, among others.
More about Rodrigo y Gabriela
For two decades, Rodrigo y Gabriela have been taking their acoustic-rock dueling guitar performances across the globe, undoubtedly establishing themselves as the planet’s preeminent acoustic guitar duo. They’ve earned international acclaim and a fervent following with their awe-inspiring mastery of their instruments as well as a truly distinctive approach to melody, energy and rhythm.
Tickets to Rodrigo y Gabriela at The Amp on Sept. 3 start at $45. Proof of vaccination is now required at all performances at The Amp. For more information and tickets, visit grfavail.com/Rodrigo-y-gabriela.
Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have been playing together since the mid-1990s, when they were members of Mexican thrash-metal band Terra Acida. Both were raised on the music of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, among others, but their eureka moment came when they first heard Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.”
When Terra Acida split, Rodrigo and Gabriela decided to go traveling, with just a suitcase and two acoustic guitars for company. They arrived in Ireland, “a good place for musicians” they had heard, around 2000. Speaking no English, they soon ran out of money and took to busking on Dublin’s Grafton Street to make ends meet. Here, they met Damien Rice, who invited them to open at one of his key early headline shows.
From this humble beginning, their reputation as killer musicians started to spread across the country – Rodrigo with his faster-than-lightning lead guitar and Gabriela with her unique, rhythmic, strumming-and-drumming style. After hitting No. 1 on the Irish national charts in 2006, the duo started to spread their magic across the rest of the world.
Throughout their career, Rodrigo y Gabriela have established themselves as an in-demand live act, particularly in America and the Vail Valley. They have sold out multiple nights at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Le Zenith in Paris and Radio City Music Hall in New York, as well as venues in Australia, Japan and Europe.
In 2010, President Barack Obama invited the duo to perform at a reception he hosted for the president and first lady of Mexico. In 2011, they contributed to the musical soundtracks of “Puss in Boots” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”
More recently, they released their fifth studio album in 2019, “Mettavolution.” Three years in the making the album embraces the duo’s passionate interest in Buddhism, the history of human evolution and the liberation of the potential we have as a species – all expressed through the medium of two acoustic guitars.
Audience involvement is always encouraged at Rodrigo y Gabriela shows, usually in the form of clapping along to the guitar virtuoso’s jam-packed melodies. The duo have made it to the pinnacle of the guitar world, and their performance at The Amp in Vail will be nothing short of spectacular.
About the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Each summer, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail plays host to an array of cultural and entertainment offerings, ranging from headliner music and comedy, to internationally renowned dance and classical music presentations, courtesy of the Vail Dance Festival and the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, to the free weekly concerts of the Hot Summer Nights series. In addition, local chorale and theater presentations annually grace the Amphitheater stage. The venue, named after President Gerald R. Ford and family, opened in 1987, and is operated by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation.
About the Vail Valley Foundation
The Vail Valley Foundation is a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit corporation with a mission to enhance the quality of life in the Vail Valley and showcase our community to a global audience through arts, athletics and education.
The organization’s work in education is through YouthPower365, a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit corporation with a mission to provide year-round extended learning opportunities that empower and educate the youth and families of Eagle County from cradle-to-career readiness. The Vail Valley Foundation also provides the Vail Valley with several of its most treasured annual events, such as the GoPro Mountain Games, the Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup races, the Vail Dance Festival, and the Hot Summer Nights and ShowDown Town free concert series. The Vail Valley Foundation also manages and operates two performing arts centers, the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek Village and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, providing more than 100 Broadway, dance, comedy, classical, rock, pop, jazz, community and family events per year.
Vail Valley Foundation activities and events are in part made possible by cornerstone partners: the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek Resort Company, GMC, and TIAA Bank.
To learn more about the Vail Valley Foundation visit www.vvf.org