La Trastienda: an icon of music in Buenos Aires

Located in the historic heart of Buenos Aires, La Trastienda is an iconic venue in the city's music scene. Since 1993, it has maintained a strong ability to attract audiences, thanks to a diverse program that includes local and international artists from a wide range of genres, from rock to folklore, jazz, reggae, children's shows, and urban music, among others, in addition to theatrical and performance art events.

The Genesis of La Trastienda

An undisputed classic of the Buenos Aires music circuit, La Trastienda’s origins date back to September 1979, when it first opened its doors at the Palermo corner of Thames and Gorriti, with performances by Saloma and Ollantay. This marked the beginning of a period during which La Trastienda became a cultural oasis resisting the oppression of the last military dictatorship, which lasted until late 1984.

Nearly a decade later, in its current location at Balcarce 460 in San Telmo, the second chapter of its story began. The venue, which was once a general store at the end of the 19th century, now boasts state-of-the-art sound and lighting, excellent climate control, and a generous bar. It can accommodate between 450 and 700 spectators and offers a varied selection of beers and culinary options from Temple Brewery at its street-level location.

Artists Who Have Performed, Are Performing, and Will Perform at La Trastienda

A turning point for emerging bands and solo artists, as well as the host of unforgettable concerts by established artists, La Trastienda has seen performances by Living Colour, Jaime Roos, Café Tacuba, Fito Páez, The Wailers, Peteco Carabajal, David Lebón, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Vicentico, Ratones Paranoicos, and Catupecu Machu, among many others.

“All the greats passed through La Trastienda first; from No Te Va Gustar to Emilia Mernes, Trueno, or Lali, among the more recent ones. Tan Biónica started at La Trastienda... When you arrive at La Trastienda, it’s like when you used to go to Obras, but in a smaller space. You start to be seen in a different light,” says Marcelo Costa, who has been managing the venue since the late '90s.

“All the greats passed through La Trastienda first; from No Te Va Gustar to Emilia Mernes, Trueno,” says Ricardo Costa

Over the years, Costa has been both a part of and a witness to the arrival of international stars at the San Telmo venue, including George Clinton, Gustavo Cerati, Los Van Van, Die Toten Hosen, Cultura Profética, the legendary Juan D’Arienzo, and Charly García, whose series of eight concerts in 2007 started well but ended up being "a torture." But nothing that couldn't be overcome.

A couple of decades after his initial involvement and having weathered the crises of 2001, the tragedy of Cromañón, and the pandemic – the worst period – Costa admits that La Trastienda is a venue that not only attracts the public but also the artists, who “fall in love because they sound great, their bandmates are close by, and they like having the audience nearby.”

“The layout is ideal for drawing attention to the show. It’s intimate, but not minimal; it’s close, but allows you to dance and move with the same visual and sound quality everywhere,” says Ricardo Tapia, lead singer of La Mississippi, a band that has made La Trastienda its “home in Buenos Aires.”

“It’s intimate, but not minimal; it’s close, but allows you to dance and move with the same visual and sound quality everywhere,” says Ricardo Tapia

“We’ve presented 80% of our albums there, held a poster and photo exhibition of the band, and shared shows with guests like Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, and I’ll never forget seeing that in his bag, he had a humble... mate!” adds Tapia, who teases that their next show at La Trastienda, scheduled for February 15, will be their 112th.

In a similar vein, Víctor Rafo, guitarist of Los Cafres, who admits to having lost count of how many times he has performed at La Trastienda, highlights the interaction the venue allows between artists and the audience, thanks to its close proximity, as well as its "strategic" location.

“This allows people from all over CABA and the metropolitan area to attend the shows. Because, to paraphrase a very old expression, we could say that all roads lead to La Trastienda,” concludes the musician, who, together with his bandmates, will close the year there on December 18 and 19 at 9 p.m.

Alejandro Lerner Celebrated His Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at La Trastienda

On December 16, Alejandro Lerner also bid farewell to 2024 at La Trastienda, returning to the San Telmo stage for the eighth time that year. The author of "Todo a pulmón" recounts that earlier in the year, during a gathering at the venue, the Latin Grammy officials informed him that he would be awarded the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of more than four decades of musical excellence.

“At that moment, I started crying. I thought of my grandmother, my dad, Juan Alberto Badía, and the people who taught me the art of lending a hand. I shared the news with my wife and decided to celebrate it at La Trastienda with a single show that turned into eight,” says the artist, who was also part of the early days of the venue when “there was no globalization, vitality, or social media, and careers were built from the ground up.”

“The first La Trastienda was – I remember – where I performed with Solopororo, when I thought my destiny was to play jazz-rock. I didn’t sing yet and would hang out with my musician friends to show my pianist side. It had a bohemian atmosphere that I recently rediscovered during several concerts I did in small theaters in Tel Aviv and various cities in Spain, reconnecting me with the Lerner of the '80s, and I don’t want to lose that again.”

Unlike the creator of hits like "Cuatro estrofas" and "Volver a empezar," Sandra Mihanovich considers herself “relatively new” to La Trastienda, a venue she describes as “eclectic.” She quickly admits that since she began performing there, she realized “it’s a place where people feel comfortable, and it’s also very comfortable for the musicians.”

“La Trastienda is a place where people feel comfortable, and it’s also very comfortable for the musicians,” says Sandra Mihanovich

Like Los Cafres and Lerner, the performer will return to the stage on Friday the 13th at 8:30 p.m., with her show “Soy lo que soy.” “We’ve been closing the year at La Trastienda for several years now. It’s like the cherry on top. One time we did a jazz concert to celebrate the New Year, and last year it was ‘Hagamos el amor’ after performing it at the Ópera,” says Mihanovich, who will perform in jazz style at Albur (Av. Callao 435) on December 27.

For Sebastián Schachtel, however, La Trastienda is the place in Buenos Aires where he claims to have played the most. First with La Portuaria and then with Las Pelotas, it’s a mandatory stop that happens several times a year and had its final cycle on December 11 and 12.

“But more important than playing there is being part of amazing shows like Jarvis Cocker, Emir Kusturika with the No Smoking Orchestra, which was epic, or Jane Birkin and Parliament Funkadelic... It’s a place that’s become legendary because of what happens there. You’re sort of on the stage as part of the audience, and as a musician, it’s the inverse equivalent. It’s like you’re playing among the people,” he explains.

“It’s a place that’s become legendary because of what happens there,” says Sebastián Schachtel

In addition, the keyboardist notes that with Las Pelotas, they’ve premiered songs there, taken press photos and videos, had barbecues on the terrace, and even composed a song in the dressing room. He also mentions that the intimacy of the space allows them to experiment with songs they don’t normally play or change the setlist on the fly at the audience’s request.

Diego Frenkel shares a similar sentiment. “La Trastienda has always been an important place for me, since its beginnings. I have a very strong experience with La Portuaria. We presented the album 'Río' there and played a huge number of times, to the point where it became our musical home,” he says.

He continues, “A very important memory is the presentation of that album, in 2010, with David Byrne as a guest. It was a wonderful occasion that surpassed anything I could have imagined. So coming back to play there is always a delight.”

Surrounded by old walls and cobbled streets that hold much of the city’s history, La Trastienda also holds special significance for Kevin Johansen. “I played one of my first concerts there when I returned to Argentina in December 2001, just before the corralito crisis. It was my first La Trastienda, incredible. It was shortly before my mother passed away, so it holds a very strong personal meaning.”

“I played one of my first concerts there when I returned to Argentina, in December 2001,” says Kevin Johansen

“I think the venue, with its balconies, tables or no tables, always has a special warmth, and the acoustics are designed so you can hear well,” says Johansen, who recalls seeing performances by Kusturika, George Clinton, Jane Birkin, and Calexico there, among others.

“Perhaps because of the height of the stage, La Trastienda is one of my favorite places in Buenos Aires to perform. We recorded part of Pez’s first live album there, and during that time and on that stage, we shared songs with great artists like (Litto) Nebbia, (Emilio) Del Guercio, (Claudio) Marciello, and (Ricardo) Mollo,” says Ariel Minimal, lead singer of Pez.

"La Trastienda is one of my favorite places in Buenos Aires to perform", Ariel Minimal

The same feeling is described by Sebastián Bereciartúa, nephew of the legendary Vitico, with whom he shared the stage numerous times at La Trastienda as a member of Viticus. “Playing there is always a pleasure and an honor because it’s a legendary venue on the Buenos Aires music scene,” he says, adding: “It’s the same when producing shows for other artists, knowing that the staff works in an incredibly professional manner and the venue has everything a quality place needs to deliver a great show. La Trastienda always reminds me of the incredible nights I’ve experienced as a musician, manager, and producer (with Viticus, Blues Motel, and so many others), and I always look forward to coming back.”

As with many artists, Lula Bertoldi recalls Eruca Sativa’s arrival at La Trastienda in 2011 as a huge milestone. “It’s a venue with a big reputation. We were playing at Roxy, and all of a sudden, we thought, ‘Let’s do La Trastienda.’ And it was like, ‘Wow!’ A defining moment in that phase of our career. It was incredibly powerful for us to play there.”

Lula shares that by then they were already aware of the mythical shows that had taken place at the San Telmo venue. “I, as someone from the provinces, a girl from the countryside, knew about the place because of what I read in Rolling Stone. I’d read about Charly playing there, about all the things that happened there... In my mind, it was a very important place, and suddenly seeing myself on the stage that the magazine had talked about just a short time before was thrilling.”

For her part, Bruja Salguero brought her folk proposal to La Trastienda in the midst of the pandemic, a genre that holds an important spot in the venue’s programming. “In August 2021, surrounded by the gloom of the time, singing there for a special broadcast of the Gardel Awards, invited by Lito Vitale, brought us the joy of feeling alive again and sharing our art,” she recalls.

“La Trastienda is part of the musical history of our country. Being on its stage is very important. For some time now, folk music and poetry have carved out a place among the audience in the capital, and being part of La Trastienda’s lineup is like opening a window to new perspectives on enjoying the culture of the provinces,” concludes the artist from La Rioja, who presented her latest album, Mujer de albahaca, there.

“La Trastienda is part of the musical history of our country", Bruja Salguero

Where: Balcarce 460, San Telmo.