When you think of Los Angeles and the legends it has raised, many examples come to mind — from our revered Dodger players to the iconic artists who have graced our venues throughout history. Among these, one band takes the spotlight not only in our city but now across the global stage: Chicano Batman.
Born out of L.A., Chicano Batman’s music simultaneously blends and transcends genres, with each passionate word and eclectic sound resonating deeply with folks worldwide. Composed of members Bardo Martinez, Eduardo Arenas, and Carlos Arévalo, the band began their journey together in 2008 at beloved local venues like La Cita to The Satellite. Over the years, they have achieved significant milestones, including selling out The Shrine Auditorium two nights in 2021.
Their influential journey continues with the release of their fifth album Notebook Fantasy, which not only sets the stage for them to headline a show at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles on June 29, 2024 — but also marks their first-ever tour in the UK and Europe.
I had the privilege of sitting down with Chicano Batman on behalf of Secret LA to delve into their deep-rooted connection to the city, reflections on their journey, and where their fans can catch them next.
What does Los Angeles mean to you/Chicano Batman?
Carlos: I’m from L.A. I was born in Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital and my dad migrated from El Salvador and went to Hollywood High. My mom is from Compton. She’s Chicana, and grew up in Boyle Heights. [Los Angeles] reminds me of my roots. Even though I grew up in the desert in Rialto, the inland Empire, I still have deep ties to the city. It always reminds me of my family and all of my ancestors that have passed away. I drive the streets and memories come and enter my mind – and I think of good times from the past.
Bardo: For me, it means the grass. It means the hills. It means the mountains, the rivers, the ocean. L.A. is such a beautiful place. It’s infinite. Chicano Batman means poetry. It means self-expression and freedom and really breaking the mold. And it also means, to me, really pushing for the underdog, pushing for anybody who doesn’t feel accepted by the mainstream. Everybody that creates their own weird self-identity.
Eduardo: I was born in General Hospital and raised in Boyle Heights. Did a lot of gang sh*t in the ’90s. I watched my friends get stabbed in middle school – and I did a lot of drugs. Just kidding! I didn’t do any of that sh*t. I was gifted, so I stayed in good classes. And then I went to college, and then I was the only Latino there in the whole f*cking school of USA. I felt really lonely. So I joined MEChA* and did social justice. And then now we’re at the f*cking Kia Forum. And I just look back, and it just makes me think that there’s so many boxes everywhere around the city that you get stuck in. You’re born into a motherfucking box. To me, personally, I’m just a flower in the city, man. And there’s so many flowers. If we take time to just stop and breathe it in, we just understand there’s so much beauty in the city and so many stories and so much triumph. And I think to me, that’s what Chicano Batman is — it comes out of L.A. — but it’s a world thing. It’s peace and love for everybody. It just so happens it comes from the city.
*MEChA is a Chicano Student Movement based in the U.S.
Speaking of boxes — there’s a line in the song Notebook Fantasy that says, “They jumped into the boxes they made for them and you’re doodling inside your notebook, let your fantasies run away.” I really resonated with that, and would love to hear your perspective on that line.
Bardo: I grew up not being accepted by my peers. You know what I mean? Just in school — my mom’s super vibrant and out there — and I had that energy. Kids were like, “Oh, that’s weird.” [Since] the beginning, I felt like it’s always been hard for me to just mesh with other people or society in general, you could say. Your typical outcast. That’s what that song is about, because that’s my experience, not fitting in and trying to figure out. My way of connecting with other people was through art. “Hey, look, I could draw lowriders. Hey, check it out. You want to buy one? I’ll sell you my drawing for five bucks a piece.” In middle school, I would do that. That’s how I connected with other kids. That’s how I started vibin’ just with the art and then eventually music.
And for me, to be honest, I’m in the same process of literally just proclaiming my own self-worth as a person. In the midst of everything, in the midst of society, politics, all that stuff is just a constant. It’s about breaking the mold or the barrier and just letting it flow however I feel like it.
Going back to the past, Chicano Batman was born out of L.A. and when you think of the beginning to now — from playing La Cita to The Kia Forum — was this always part of the vision or did it happen to unfold that way?
Carlos: I played music because I had to. That’s just what my soul needed to feel good, and I just needed to express myself. I was going to do it, whether I was playing to five people in a bar, which I’ve done for many years — or to thousands of people in theaters and amphitheaters. That was always my way of just being. I didn’t know anything more. To answer your question, playing in a place like the Forum is just like a cherry on top. I didn’t think it would ever happen. I’m happy that it’s happening, and I’m grateful for where we got. I’m very thrilled to be putting our stamp on that monumental venue for the city of Los Angeles, for sure.
Bardo: I was never like, “Oh, I’m going to play here.” or “I’m aiming to achieve this professional goal.” – It was more like you learn about them as you go along. The guys and I have had more of a, “Okay, well, this venue is dope.” So you start to learn what the ropes are and what the physical reality means. But it’s also, it’s always just been about pouring out. I feel like it’s been coming towards me because of the passion that I have for it, the will to do it because you have to work hard. You have to. It’s very introspective. It comes from a very inward place.
Eduardo: I think for me, I had a lot of rage when I was a kid. I’m growing up in the East Side, I’m without a father – and with gang violence – we grew up in projects, drive-bys, people getting shot, little kids getting killed. Don’t go outside. That whole thing, it gives you this thick ass layer. There’s not enough space in the music to get all rage out. So I forfeited the rage to really let my emotion and my sensitive side really come out. And then the rage is the work you got to put in to really put those emotions and that vulnerability on that next platform – and really tighten up and let that breathe. Because without that breathing, that rage is going to make you sick and make you resent and then just be hard. And we’re not supposed to be hard. We grew up in an environment that kept us hard. But we’re supposed to thaw.
That’s where music comes in, because now this is the most vulnerable art form that I can possibly partake in. And it’s taken a lot of therapy. It’s taken a lot of conversations. It’s taken a lot of reflection, a lot of sacrifice, giving up these careers that we got primed up to do in our master’s programs and our bachelor’s programs that our parents wanted us to do — taking care of our first generation in college. Did that, but the emotional side is still greater. The creative side is still greater than all of these achievements on paper. So I think, to me, music and Chicano Batman is all about exploring that — protecting that art form and that emotion.
Where can L.A. catch Chicano Batman next?
Chicano Batman: 16 years in the making, Chicano Batman returns to their first headlining show since the 2021 two back to back sold out nights at The Shrine. We will be at The Kia Forum on June 29 — be there or be square.
You can find Chicano Batman’s full tour schedule and grab tickets here. You can listen to “Notebook Fantasy” on every streaming platform, find yours here.
Thank you for your time with us, Chicano Batman!