Grupo Frontera at the Adler Theatre -- October 21.
Saturday, October 21, 8 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
Touring in support of the August release of their studio-album debut El Comienzo, the gifted musicians of Grupo Frontera – an American ensemble who specialize in regional Mexican tunes – make their first-ever trip to the Quad Cities on October 21, the band's Adler Theatre engagement treating audiences to talents who have amassed seven U.S. Billboard chart-topping singles over the past two years alone.
Based in Edinburg, Texas, Grupo Frontera is composed of Adelaido "Payo" Solís III (vocals, bajo quinto), Juan Javier Cantú (vocals, accordion), Julian Peña Jr. (congas), Alberto "Beto" Acosta (bajo quinto), Carlos Guerrero (drums), and Carlos Zamora (bass guitar). The group began recording locally in 2019, releasing covers of Latin pop and norteño songs. One of these, a cover of Morat's "No Se Va," charted by the end of 2022 due to going viral on YouTube and TikTok. Meanwhile, in December of 2022, a collaboration with Fuerza Regida titled "Bebé Dame" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs charts and peaked at number 25 on Billboard Hot 100, becoming their first top 40 hit. By May of 2023, Grupo Frontera achieved its first top-five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with the Bad Bunny collaboration "Un x100to." In response to this, the ensemble announced a 23-date tour that began in mid-2023, and a subsequent article in Billboard magazine considered the band's success integral in the breakthrough of the regional Mexican genre. The group achieved escalated fame through their norteño cumbias, but upon the release of their full-length debut album El Comienzo, they proved they could delve into other regional Mexican styles, as well as outside the genre.
El Comienzo begins with its first track "No Se Va," the first major success that Grupo Frontera had achieved during 2022. The song itself is a norteño cumbia, whose sound continues on the second track "Un x100to" with Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, which was a major hit single in 2023. The third track "En Altavoz," a collaboration with urban sierreño artist Junior H, is a ranchera with accordion, bajo quinto, tololoche, and alto horns. On the fourth track "Cansado de Sufrir," Grupo Frontera returns to the sound of norteño cumbia. The fifth track "Las Flores," performed with the band Yahritza y su Esencia, is a grupero bolero, while the sixth track "De Lunes a Lunes," with the Colombian singer Manuel Turizo, is another norteño cumbia.
On the seventh track "Me Gustas," Grupo Frontera once again performs a ranchera with accordion, bajo quinto, tololoche, and alto horns. The eighth track "El Amor de Su Vida" features the band Grupo Firme, where they also return to the norteño cumbia genre. Grupo Frontera performs a country-style ballad with the ninth track on the album, "Cuídala," returning to norteño cumbia on the tenth track "Que Vuelvas" with Carín León. Eleventh track "Le Va Doler" was released in May of 2023 and is another norteño cumbia, with the twelfth and final track "Ojitos Rojos" featuring the Argentine ensemble Ke Personajes a villera cumbia.
Grupo Frontera brings their "El Comienzo Tour 2023" to Davenport on October 21, admission to the 8 p.m. concert event is $52.50-112.50, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting AdlerTheatre.com.
