By: Simrah Qasim
CHICAGO — On Saturday, April 12, the Los Angeles-based ensemble League of Musicians (LA LOM) brought their vibrant, genre-blending sound to Chicago’s Vic Theatre in Lincoln Park, captivating a lively crowd of local music lovers.
LA LOM is composed of three LA natives, Zac Sokolow (Guitar), Jake Faulkner (Bass), and Nicholas Baker (Drums/Percussion). Their music consists of a blend of Afro-Cuban Jazz and Cumbia, as well as sounds from Mexico and Cuba.
The three first began playing together in 2019 when performing covers of 1950s and ’60s soulful ballads they heard on an “oldies station”, K-EARTH 101, in their hometown.
The trio performed five nights a week in a hotel lobby on Hollywood Boulevard. From there, they started experimenting with a myriad of different genres.
Sokolow, Faulkner, and Baker quietly made their way onto the brightly lit stage of the Vic theatre. Sokolow looked to his bandmates before playing the first few notes to “Cafe Tropical.”
Baker nodded his head with each tap of the congas, adding a touch of Afro-Cuban influence to the otherwise cumbia sonidera sound.
Cumbia Sonidera refers to a style of music that originated in Mexico City through the vibrant street music scene involving live performances, DJS (sonideros), and sound systems. La LOM is heavily influenced by this genre and often incorporates it into their music.
There were so many aspects to this experience which set it apart from concerts I have attended in the past. What stood out to me the most was the way the members of LA LOM interacted with their music and each other. The band was able to create an environment in which the audience could focus solely on the music and how it makes them feel, rather than the artists who are performing it.
Watching Sokolow strum the guitar, I saw his body language display a love for music that I have rarely seen. The three musicians swayed and danced with every note they played, feeling the rhythm, as though they were one with the audience.
Under the bright neon lights, La LOM performed more of their instrumental renditions, showcasing their carefully crafted repertoire. Weaving together a multitude of cultures—many of which shape the city of LA—the trio incorporated an assortment of instruments, including the congas, bass, violin, and drums.
The beauty of La LOM isn’t just their ability to successfully blend together different sounds, cultures, and styles, but also the emotion they are able to invoke. For many, La LOM’s music exists as a symbol for romanticism and nostalgia.
Though the culture of Chicago and LA might differ, the emotional resonance of the music remains the same. When La LOM left the stage, the energy in the room remained quiet but palpable. For that brief time, they’d bridged the gap between cities, blending influences and stories to create something both unique and familiar.
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