In 2021, DannyLux, a Palm Springs-based Mexican-American singer-songwriter, was in the beginning phases of his career when he made his debut at Viva! Pomona during an early day set. This year, however, he topped the bill during the first night of the two-day festival, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022, at The Glass House in Pomona on Dec. 17.
“Seeing how much one can grow in such a short amount of time is beautiful,” he said during a quick chat before taking the stage on Saturday night.
Born Daniel Balderrama, the 18-year-old’s repertoire flips through eras of Mexican corrido love ballads, while blending a soft indie-rock feel. The young artist also recognizes that this year has been one of his most life changing so far. He opened up for British rockers Coldplay for eight evenings at concerts throughout Mexico, released a new album, “Perdido En Ti,” and collaborated with Los Angeles-based artist Cuco.
“I feel like every year I’m just evolving,” he shared. “My style is evolving, but I’m always sticking to my roots. The notes that I’m using and the chord progressions are growing. I like mixing and adding more styles than originally used with Regional Mexican, and it’s sick because it reaches more ears and fans that way. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, you can still listen and vibe to it.”
With a short North American tour and a festival circuit run that included a stop at Lollapalooza in Chicago behind him, he’s looking forward to returning home so new music can finally be released and possibly testing out new genres while he’s at it. With his set at Viva! Pomona, he wanted to keep it simple, with most of the material coming from his latest record, mixed with fan favorites that became popular via TikTok.
As the first evening of Viva! Pomona came to a close, DannyLux drew a decent sized crowd into The Glass House, where you could hear everyone from the balcony to the front of the stage chanting his name before the show began. As he emerged, the crowd went wild, delivering loud screams and cheers.
He donned a snazzy black and bedazzled blazer with black glittered shoes to match, switching it out from his casual jeans, sneakers and white puffer jacket he wore during the day. His bandmates were dressed to the nines in suits too, which you often see with Mexican corrido groups.
Fan favorites like “El Dueño De Tu Amor” and “Desamor” started his set with a lovey-dovey feel, with other tracks off the new album, such as “Como Tu Quieras” that had everyone raise their phones as the crowd swayed back and forth. The venue was mostly filled with young fans who were in the crowd just for DannyLux, which was evident by the number of T-shirts and other merchandise seen worn across the festival grounds.
What makes Viva! Pomona stand out from other festival events in Southern California is the accessibility for young teenagers who might not otherwise have the means financially to catch artists like DannyLux. The young crowd set the tone for the entire day with its palpable enthusiasm, making it clear that a festival like Viva! is a much needed experience in the area for the youth.
In celebrating its 10th anniversary, Viva! Pomona continued its tradition of bringing together the best of rising acts from Los Angeles, Mexico and beyond. With two stages spread out along 2nd Street, two food trucks and a small merch table in front of The Glass House, it stayed faithful to the DIY spirit.
At the outdoor Radical Stage, folks caught sets from Frosty + The 5000’s, which mixes R&B and rock music, and the Mexican-based group QUITAPENAS, who had everyone in the small, but lively crowd doing the bachata as they grooved to Afro-Latin sounds courtesy of a horn section and congas.
And if you were in the mood for indie-punk, over in the Diamond Plaza Los Angeles-based duo Primer was delivering that sound with a Bauhaus meets Kate Bush electric feel and a modern day twist.
However, inside The Glass House is where fans would find artists making their festival debuts. Rising Mexican-American artist Estevie impressed the crowd with her midday set that included cumbia and reggaeton music. Latin indie-rock darling Maye set the tone for a mellower turn with tracks like “Tu” and a stripped-down version of Bad Bunny and J Balvin’s track “La Canción.”
Though the 10th anniversary of Viva! Pomona felt similar to previous years, there was still very much an emphasis on the importance of accessibility for the youth and community as everyone came together to enjoy an event that celebrated rising talent from Los Angeles and surrounding areas. The festival has given a platform to so many new artists that have gone on to grace major festival stages including Omar Apollo, The Marías and The Linda Linda’s, who all played some of their first shows at Viva! Pomona.
The festival continues on Sunday, Dec. 18 with a headlining set by Enjoy and performances by Julie, Margaritas Podridas, Lealani, The High Curbs, Mexican Slum Rats, The Tissues, Fashion Club, La Texana, Lagrimas, Futura, Sept and a few others.
Viva! Pomona
When: Dec. 17-18
Where: The Glass House, 200 W. 2nd Street, Pomona
Tickets: $30 in advance; $35 at the door at theglasshouse.us.
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