Come Along

Follow Houston's 'taco journalist' for a memorable night at Austin's Moody Center

On May 17, musician Pepe Aguilar performed his Jaripeo "Hasta Los Huesos" tour with family members Ángela Aguilar, Leonardo Aguilar, and Antonio Aguilar at Austin's Moody Center.

And Marco Torres was there for it. The Houston-based "taco journalist" known as @marcofromhouston on Instagram reflects below on his 24-hour stop in ATX enjoying food, music, and family.

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Growing up in Texas, a quick road trip to Austin was always full of excitement. From the live music to the fancy hotels, bustling nightlife, and amazing food, a night in Austin will forever be a remarkable experience.

After a long and stormy evening in Houston last week, I packed a bag and headed west. With my father as my co-pilot, we were off on yet another adventure. We made a mandatory pit stop at Buc-ee’s, and then it was time for lunch.

Truth BBQ in Brenham is one of the premier barbecue joints in the state, conveniently situated along Highway 290 en route to Austin. We ordered a two-meat plate of brisket and turkey, with tater-tot casserole and baked beans as our sides. What a perfect way to start this road trip!

The new Thompson Hotel in downtown Austin was our choice for a relaxing evening. This beautiful boutique hotel is right in the middle of the action, located on San Jacinto between 5th and 6th Streets. Our room was modern yet cozy, with friendly staff that made our check-in smooth and hassle-free. They even offered us a complimentary beer and wine during the lobby happy hour, which was delightful.

After a much-needed afternoon nap, we got ready for a night out at Moody Center, Austin’s newest and coolest music venue.

The entertainment that evening was Jaripeo Hasta Los Huesos presented by Pepe Aguilar and his talented family. The event is a mix of traditional Mexican music with a Las Vegas-style variety show.

My dad and I were really impressed by this new venue. We parked at the Manor Garage next to the event and were inside in a manner of minutes. We were fortunate to score seats within the Indeed Club level, which provided an excellent view and access to a large private lounge. After eating pulled pork nachos and drinking a couple of cocktails, we ventured to our seats.

A “jaripero” is a traditional form of bull riding in Mexico with origins in the state of Michoacan, and has evolved to include other spectacles such as music performances and carnival acts. For this show, the basketball court was filled with a base of sand, flanked by a large stage at the north end and a smaller stage at center court.

Each artist, starting with Leonardo Aguilar, made their appearance while riding a horse, which was trained to prance, side step, and trot along with the music. Leonardo’s horse was named El Rio Grande, and was gorgeous white color with black accents.

This evening was a special day, as it was Don Antonio Aguilar’s birthday. This legendary Mexican icon passed away in 2007, and his legacy lives on through his children and grandchildren. His son Antonio Aguilar-Hijo was next to perform, paying tribute to his father by singing classic Ranchera songs like “Gabino Barrera” and “Tristes Recuerdos.”

After a bull riding showcase, it was Ángela Aguilar’s turn. She rode onto the arena floor on an absolutely beautiful black horse while wearing a gown covered in Mexican marigold flowers. She sang an inspired rendition of “La Gata Bajo La Lluvia” by Rocio Dúrcal, along with many more of her hits.

The headliner of the show was Pepe Aguilar, who calls himself a “Zacatecas Texan” since he was born in San Antonio and raised in Mexico. His voice is robust and refined, almost operatic. His set included crowd favorites such as “Aca Entre Nos,” “Hermoso Cariño,” and “Por Mujeres Como Tu.”

Near the end of the show, he dedicated “Las Mañanitas” to his father, and was accompanied by the entire audience. It was a super emotional moment for him and the crowd alike. He sang looking up toward the heavens, and tears rolled down his cheeks. A special tribute to a true legend of Mexican music.

I leave Austin with my heart full once again, happy to have shared this quick trip with my father. We were welcomed as visitors and left as family. “Y’all come back now!”

Yes, we definitely will!

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See what's coming up at Moody Center here.

Photo courtesy of Moody Center

Pepe Aguilar performed May 17 at Moody Center.

concerts music vacations barbecue promoted

Movie Review

Rachel McAdams goes feral in Sam Raimi's gory new comedy Send Help

Photo by Brook Rushton

Rachel McAdams in Send Help.

Director Sam Raimi has gone through different phases as a filmmaker, including leading the first Spider-Man trilogy and joining the MCU with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But he first gained notice with the gory and funny Evil Dead movies, a sensibility he’s returning to with his latest film, Send Help.

Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is a meek and eccentric middle manager at a financial firm that’s just named Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien) as its new nepo CEO. Bradley’s dad had promised Linda a promotion to vice president, but she gets passed over in favor of one of Bradley’s frat buddies, sending her into a mild rage. Still, she gets invited along on a planned business trip to Thailand, during which she hopes to prove her worth.

Unfortunately for most of the passengers on the private plane, it crashes into the ocean, leaving only Linda and Bradley alive on a deserted island. Linda, who has privately developed survival skills, adapts quickly to the forbidding environment, while Bradley tries to revert to bossing her around. But Linda quickly understands the power dynamic has shifted, and she uses this knowledge to try to keep Bradley in line, turning their stranding into a battle of wills.

Directed by Raimi and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, the film is the classic “so bad it’s good” kind of experience. McAdams, inarguably an attractive and charming person, is given stringy hair, an antisocial personality, and quirks like eating tuna fish at her desk to make her as off-putting as possible. Bradley, along with almost everyone else at her office, is stereotyped just as hard in order to set up the twist of fate.

When the action shifts to the island, things get even more over the top. The audience has already been primed for Linda to demonstrate her survival expertise, but the film does way more than just show her making fire. Whether it’s flawlessly building a shelter or hunting a wild boar, everything Linda does is portrayed in a slightly off-kilter manner. Then they turn everything up to 11, indulging in gore that is so unnecessary that you can’t help but laugh.

The filmmakers prove they’re in on the joke the rest of the way, including a variety of preposterous but hilarious scenarios that would cause massive eyerolls if they were actually trying to take the film seriously. While they do a great job of showing Linda’s ability to handle herself in the wild, they also show that she is somehow the only person in the world who could get a glow up after a plane crash and weeks living in nature.

McAdams, an Oscar-nominated actor for Spotlight, is way too high class for a movie like this, which makes her presence here all the more interesting. She is all-in on whatever Raimi wants her to do, and she’s at her most fun when she goes the animalistic route. O’Brien, who was great in the recent Twinless, doesn’t get as much of an opportunity to show his range, but he still proves to be an interesting foil for her.

Were it released in any other month, Send Help might be looked at as bottom of the barrel material. But with the movie year just getting started, it’s easier to forgive its outrageous plot twists and just have fun, especially since Raimi and his team put the rest of the film together so well.

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Send Help opens in theaters on January 30.

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