Photos: Dante Elephante and Yungatita at Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles

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Dante Elephante at Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles (Photo by Notes From Vivace)

Dante Elephante and Yungatita performed Friday night as part of Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles’ Free Summer Concerts series, which is in the middle of its 15th anniversary season. It marked another night in the series’ mission to bring broadly diverse entertainment to MacArthur Park — at the friendly price of free.

Lead singer Ruben Zarate of Dante Elephante settled in comfortably under the lights of the pavilion. As he entered the stage, he kicked off his Crocs. That move provided a setting that made it feel like the audience was peeking into the band’s living room. The crowd came up close to the stage and danced away during the near hour set. He entertained the crowd with his smooth vocals through songs such as “Find Somebody to Love” to “Call Me (On the Phone).” Finishing out the night, Zarate moved out into the audience and turned that living room into a house party. The crowd wouldn’t let the band exit the stage and so they belted out Smashmouth’s “All Star” as an encore.

Opening up for Dante Elephante was Yungatita. Lead singer Valentina Zapata made full use of the stage as the band’s sound had them jumping, leaping and showing high degrees of flexibility throughout. The stage performance provided the additional entertainment to the band’s high-speed sound. There was an amusing crowd moment to start off the set. As the set started, a handful of fans made their way to the front. At the top of the pavilion is a big screen that shows the video that is streaming for those watching online. Those handful of fans started noticing that their backs were being shown online and so they quickly moved out of the video feed range. As more people started to move closer to the stage, those self-conscious concerns drifted away.

The evening was hosted and DJ’d by Byron Gonzalez, program director of The Latin Alternative 88.5FM HD3.

The Levitt Pavilion’s Free Summer Concerts continue through the first week of September. Next Up: Meridian Brothers and Tropa Magica on Aug. 12.

Dante Elephante’s setlist: Find Somebody to Love, Jeni, Rare Attractions, E-Motion, Las Vegas, It Bothers Me, Birds of Paradise, 90 Days, Call Me (On the Phone). Encore: All Star (Smashmouth cover). (Set also included unreleased material that is not yet titled.)

Recap and photos by Notes From Vivace