Byegone places / La Última Carcajada de la Cumbancha, Memorable venue for “alternative” art /
Por Alejandro Pohlenz
Born in 1987 in San José Insurgentes, La Última Carcajada de la Cumbancha (LUCC) lasted only five years. Despite its brief existence (and its impressively long name), LUCC was a landmark. Wikipedia notes: “LUCC was the hub of Mexico’s emerging art and counterculture scene in the 1980s and early 1990s, hosting theater productions, auteur cinema screenings, performance art, and acts that later became key figures in Mexican rock.”
The best Spanish-language rock
Food Police has highlighted two other iconic 80s–90s venues in Mexico City: Rockotitlán (1985) and El Bulldog (1992). Alongside LUCC, they provided stages for essential performances by legendary Spanish-language rock bands: El Tri, Ritmo Peligroso, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Botellita de Jerez, Café Tacuba, Caifanes, Maldita Vecindad, Santa Sabina, and more.
Being in a residential area (San José Insurgentes), complaints poured in from neighbors on opening night. LUCC’s owners and authorities struck a deal in 1992: if they were allowed to operate that year, they would close voluntarily on December 31. Afterward, the venue became “El telón de asfalto.”
Juan Gabriel
Three more interesting points: first, “La Cumbancha” is a song by Agustín Lara. Second, in 2021 (during the pandemic), occasional LUCC events were announced, keeping its memory alive. Finally, rumor has it that when Maldita Vecindad was about to perform the song “Querida” at LUCC, Juan Gabriel himself appeared—astonishing the audience.
Permanent Closure:
4-L-2, San José Insurgentes, CDMX.
