Piñata Protest, Bombasta, and Mexstep at Stable Hall
As the French poet Victor Hugo once said, “music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to silence” and Friday night at the newly renovated Stable Hall concert venue was anything but silent. Performances by Dr. Marco Cervantes—who goes by the stage name Mexstep—and the band Bombasta rocked the house with infused music genres that magically blended the tunes of funk, hip hop, reggae, Tejano, and rock that had the crowd electrified before the headliners, Piñata Protest, took the stage to literally rock the house.
When Mexstep is not blazing the stage with proverbial rhetoric that inspires the masses, he’s actively engaging his students at the University of Texas San Antonio (GO RUNNERS!) as Professor Dr. Marcos Cervantes, who holds a Ph.D. in English Literature. Cervantes pays homage to the lyricists of Black artists such as Big Daddy Kane and KRS,1 but also digs deep from his childhood listening to Tejano and Cumbia that his parents would play.
Bombasta held true to the definition of their name; Forceful and powerful, the 8-member band took to the stage and blew the roof off of Stable Hall. Roberto Livar, lead vocalist and founder of the band, states that their message has always revolved around community. Not only have they played with music legends such as ZZ Top, they’ve also participated in local activism around the state to support those in need. Their weapon of music offers the ability to reach a wide audience, leaving an impact of strength and a command to action.
The final act was none other than the Latin punk-rock band Piñata Protest. Shirts off and ferocious would be an understatement as rockers in the crowd started to mosh in the middle of the floor. The scene itself was a protest to the established order as the band denounced the actions of the state. Lead vocalist Alvaro Del Norte, who knows all too well the perils that many immigrants face coming to the US, found solace in his music, as it helped him reflect on his past and who he is now. Del Norte said that he rarely saw punk rockers who looked and sounded like him growing up, so to be in this position where he can experiment with the sounds of his Latin roots and infuse them with his love for punk rock is truly a blessing.
Editor & Photographer: Torry Sledge
