Most of the bands are chosen for the Tijuana scene but Enrique mentioned that they are starting to market the shows to San Diego residents that are now going more often to concerts, bars and other events south of the border. El Centro (as Tijuana's downtown is known to locals) is going through a resurgence and Black Box is an important part of it. If you are coming from San Diego the venue is less than a ten minute taxi ride from the border which should not cost you more than five bucks. Peter Hook, bassist for New Order and Joy Division, and Crystal Castles are a couple of bands that have played there recently that brought in many fans from San Diego. In fact Peter Hook's only concert in our region was in Tijuana because he wanted to see what all the fuss was about. He even gave a shout out to Chef Javier Plascencia and his Mision 19 Restaurant during the show.

I have been to quite a few shows there and I can say that every spot in the house is a good spot to see and hear the bands. The farthest you will be from the stage is around one hundred feet and this leads to a great communal experience. One of my highlights is when Tijuana's own Bostich and Fussible from the Nortec Collective kicked off their world tour with a sold out show. During Tijuana Sound Machine the place went wild and you could feel the whole building moving. People in the restaurant downstairs thought an earthquake was happening. El Gran Silencio also had the whole place dancing to their "Chuntaro Style" along with Tijuana ska bands Revolución Zebra and Koñorteño.

Black Box definitely is a great place experience concerts from the bands you like and to get to know new bands from the Tijuana-San Diego region. The bands they showcase range from alternative rock to ska and reggae to electronic bands and dj's. You can check their upcoming shows on www.blackboxtj.com, www.facebook.com/blackboxtijuana and follow them at twitter.com/BlackBoxTj. Enrique the owner is there at almost every show to ensure that everything runs smoothly and people from both sides of the border enjoy their time at Black Box, Tijuana's premier live music venue.

genarovalladolid@hotmail.com

video by Gerarno Cornejo