Across the Frontier

Calexico Brings a Sense of Place to S.B.

by Brett Leigh Dicks

Having found a quiet place to sit and
talk in Tucson’s historic Hotel Congress, Calexico frontman Joey
Burns clasps a well-earned beer. Calexico has just returned from a
quick-paced tour of Europe and now faces the prospect of a few
weeks off. But, as a member of one of music’s hardest working
bands, it won’t be long before Burns is back on the road, with
Santa Barbara as one of Calexico’s fortunate stops. Burns has
fronted the border-straddling Calexico for more than 10 years; he
and his musical partner John Convertino have spent that time
residing in Tucson. As a result of living a stone’s throw from the
southern border, a melting pot of cultural and political ideology,
these themes have come to play a large part in flavoring the band’s
distinctive sound. It has also set a vivid stage from which to
work.

“This place has always been at a crossroads,” offered Burns.
“When you leave civilization and etiquette and all the rules, you
really see how people instinctively react to situations. We are
close to the border. There’s a tension there. There’s a lot of
violence. But it’s the same type of thing that’s been happening out
here for years and years.”