All Eyes on Angelica Garcia

I walked into Angelica Garcia’s set on the second night of Treefort Music Fest with zero expectations—just a coworker’s enthusiastic recommendation. By the end, I found myself echoing the girl beside me whom I overheard exclaiming, “How is she so cool?”

At age 52, Garcia stole the crowd the minute she stepped out on stage. Although Garcia and her drummer were the only ones on stage, they didn’t need a full band to fill the space. From the moment she began—curled up in a ball center stage—no one could look away. Her performance ranged from emotional to angry to sassy. She had complete control over the audience; one moment, she would have everyone having fun as she danced across the stage, and the next, she would have them holding their breath as she belted out a solo. 

As for the music itself, it was a sort of electric-Latin-pop blend that I probably wouldn’t listen to on my own but made for a great show. Not that the music was bad at all. She could have been playing any type of music, and it would have still been fun because her performance skills and vocal abilities were just that good. 

Beyond her talent, as the girl next to me put it, Garcia was simply just cool. She rocked a short bob with bangs, dark eyeliner, a painted button-up shirt, a lace-up corset, a mini skirt and knee-high boots that had me wishing I could be her. Her confidence in dancing alone across the stage knowing that all eyes were on her just added to her appearance. 

For me, the highlight of her performance was when she sang a cover of “Cama de Piedra,” an old ranchero song that she reimagined in her own style. At this part of the set, she explained that her mother was a mariachi singer, and that is where Garcia learned to sing. Her heartfelt performance of the song captivated everyone in the room. In the moments between phrases, where she paused to take a breath you could’ve heard a pin drop.

I might not be adding Garcia’’s music to all my playlists, but I will definitely be watching for her name on bills to see her in concert again. She’s a great live performer, and I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to catch her shows. One thing I can promise you is that all eyes will be on Angelica Garcia. 

Garcia is no stranger to the music festival rotation. If you missed her at Treefort, be sure to check out her music here and stay up to date on her next moves at all of her socials.