Las Nubes Shred a Love Letter to the City at the Miami Beach Bandshell

Last night, Las Nubes arrived home after a European tour to play at the Miami Beach Bandshell. For the show, the local band performed their recent album, Tormentas Malsanas, in its entirety. Las Nubes is known for its multilingual indie-rock, shoegaze, and dream-pop sounds, an ambiance that left the crowd vibing to their intricate guitar riffs.

Opening act Suave Cello Quartet brought in a range of different sounds, from the dramatic Jaws theme song to a calming, slow rendition of the Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight."

The crowd slowly made their way to the front of the stage as band members Ale Campos (guitar/vocals), Emile Milgrim (drums), Cuci Amador (bass/vocals), and Steph Taylor (guitar) appeared.

Campos calls the latest record a love letter to Miami, not just lyrically or thematically, but musically. "I started going to shows when I was around 15, listening to more punk and hardcore music, like doom metal," Campos reminisces. "Miami is known for its hardcore and metal scene. Many of the guitar riffs we write are inspired by bands like Cavity and Torch, heavy-hitter bands I grew up listening to at Churchill's Pub and the International Noise Conference. Working at a record store for so many years, and being exposed to so many bands, throwing our own shows at lots of local places, and getting to meet other bands from other parts of Florida has also shaped our sound."

During their performance, Las Nubes really shines whenever the guitar comes into play. The way they play cuts through the noise — raw, urgent, and unmistakably theirs. The audience followed along to the members' headbanging, and the part of the crowd even simulated a playful mosh pit. Toward the end, the call for an encore incited a chant of "Las Nubes!"

"It was our first time in Europe. We sold out in Madrid, in Barcelona, a small town near Barcelona, and Glasglow, Scotland, where the audience was cheering for us before we even got on stage," Campos tells New Times of the recent European tour. "People were so nice and stoked to be there compared to the U.S. The people were genuinely happy to be there."

Regarding the music scene, Campos says, "I don't think Miami gets the national recognition it deserves. It's a shame because there are so many amazing bands that continue to deserve the spotlight and recognition. The music scene is such a hard industry to break through. It still feels like a drop in the bucket in terms of how we can be more successful; I don't mean becoming famous, I more mean being able to come on tour and not come back broke."

When it comes to the representation of Latinx artists in indie spaces, Campos recognizes, "There are a lot more bands coming out these days that sing in Spanish. I want to see more bands singing in Spanglish, switching back and forth between the two languages like Helado Negro does."