Rodrigo y Gabriela - BottleRock 2016

Festival Plan: This duo is high on my priority list.

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Relevant Links:
Rodrigo y Gabriela at BottleRock 2016 (setlist.fm)*
Rodrigo y Gabriela Website
Rodrigo y Gabriela (Wikipedia.org)
*Added the songs below on 20160610.

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Pre-Festival Thoughts:
With an appreciation for acoustic guitar, I knew Rodrigo y Gabriela would be high on my priority of performances to see when I first heard them.

Excellent: Diablo Rojo {2};
Above Average: The Soundmaker; Stairway to Heaven [great cover]; Hora Zero [occasionally has a Middle Eastern sound to it]; Fram [feels more like conversation]; Santo Domino; Tamacun [I like the high notes]; Somnium;
Slightly Above Average: Orion [Has a boring start, but picks up towards the middle and finishes strong; parts of the songs feel disjointed]; Savitri; Gabriela Solo [Parts are good, but like Orion, can feel disjointed];

Slightly Above Average cont'd: Rodrigo Solo [I like the small addition of the "Seven Nation Army" riff, but again, disjointed]; Hanuman; The Russian Messenger; Torito [possibly Above Average]; Vikingman;
On the Fence: Nature's Way (with Oystein Greni) [perhaps since all the other songs lack vocals, this song feels out of place]

Overall, Rodrigo y Gabriela have a great sound and I would highly recommend them to any guitarist, and would further extend a recommendation to anyone who appreciates intricate musical pieces.

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Setlist:
1) The Soundmaker [AA]
-- it's fun watching Gabriela's technique (a slapping/rhythm technique)
2) Hanuman
3) Diablo Rojo
-- Gabriela informs that they just played Soundmaker, Hanuman, and then Diablo Rojo.

-- they invite The Helmets* on stage for the next song, but not to play music, just to run and dance around, haha
4) Savitri --- matches a short snippet I recorded
5) The Russian Messenger --- matches a short snippet I recorded
6) Hora Zero --- I noted a song here with a Middle Eastern sound plus some other indicators; definite match
-- Rodrigo talks about the band's metal background and they will play some songs as tribute to that

Special Guest: Robert Trujillo

7) Holy Wars... The Punishment Due (Megadeth cover)
-- welcomes Robert Trujillo** to the stage
8) Orion (Metallica cover) (with Robert Trujillo)
-- Trujillo continues with Rodrigo and Gabriela into the next song:
9) Battery (Metallica cover) (with Robert Trujillo)
-- we're told that they just played Orion and Battery.
10) Waiting to Be Free

Special Guests: The Helmets

11) Gabriela Solo --- I noted use of a pedal for a wah wah and funk sort of sound; definite match
-- last one:
12) Tamacún --- I noted the primary melody; definite match

*I didn't realize at the time that the kids were The Helmets.
**I learned today (20160609) that Robert Trujillo is the bassist for Metallica and his son Tye Trujillo is the bassist The Helmets (they played at BottleRock).

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Post-Festival Thoughts:
I'm not sure when I made the decision, but there existed a point during the planning process where I was certain I would stay and watch all of Rodrigo y Gabriela's set before heading over and seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform.*

In any case, I'm glad I was able to catch the entirety of Rodrigo y Gabrielo's set when I initially thought I would miss their first song (Rodrigo y Gabriela were set to start at the same time The Lumineers were set to end).

Excellent: Hora Zero {2}; Fram {2};
Above Average: The Soundmaker; Savitri; The Russian Messenger; Orion (Metallica cover); Gabriela Solo ((Live in Japan)); Tamacun; Waiting to Be Free;
Slightly Above Average: Hanuman; Diablo Rojo; Somos de Arena;

*20191224: While I watched all of Rodrigo y Gabriela's set, I only listened to a fraction of a Red Hot Chili Peppers song. My memory is hazy, but I recall opting to just leave early (since I would have to drive from the festival back home).