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

Onslaught's brutal mix of horror, action, comedy can't find its footing

Photo courtesy of A24

Adria Arjona in Onslaught.

The most important thing for any movie to establish early on is its tone. No matter the genre, a film needs to make its audience understand how they should feel as the story unfolds so that they’re willing to go along with whatever transpires on screen. A film that doesn't do that, such as the new Onslaught, runs the risk of failing to connect with viewers even if it has some interesting or fun elements to offer.

One of the biggest issues for the movie is that it fails to fully invest in its main character, Celeste (Adriana Arjona). She’s a military veteran who now lives in and manages a desert trailer park, which is filled with a motley crew of offbeat people. She also has a contentious relationship with her ex, who unexpectedly drops off their daughter, Daisy (Blake Kennedy), soon after the film begins.

Celeste has a stash of high-powered weapons, showing she hasn’t left her former career fully behind. Her expertise comes in handy when something goes wrong at a nearby military contractor facility run by Hans Kemmler (Dan Stevens), and a trio of super soldiers escapes into the wild. Trained to kill everyone in their path, it’s not long before they set their glowing eyes on the trailer park.

Directed by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett, the film has elements of horror, action, and comedy, but the filmmakers struggle in finding the right combination of the three. Wingard and Barrett divide the film’s focus between the trailer park and the military facility for a long time at the beginning of the film, and the quirkiness of people at the former mixed with the bold weirdness of the people at the latter keep viewers off balance in a bad way.

Once they finally settle into the main part of the story where the super soldiers go on a rampage, the filmmakers overpromise and underdeliver. The showdown between a seemingly unstoppable group and an angry woman and her band of misfits seems destined to be highly entertaining, but comes off as underwhelming. The sequence is filled with brutality with no meaning and heroics that feel more accidental than purposeful.

The ham-fisted way in which the story plays out is disappointing since the film has a bunch of characters who could have been great if used properly. The trauma of Celeste’s military career and personal life are hinted at, but don’t come into play as much as expected. Hans and his wife Hanna (Rebecca Hall) are completely off-the-wall, but their eccentricities seem to be apropos of nothing. The super soldiers are initially intimidating, but the climactic sequence undercuts them significantly.

Arjona has yet to fully break out despite some good roles in Hit Man and the Disney+ show Andor. She makes for a good lead here, embodying the toughness of a military veteran while still being relatable. Stevens and Hall go all in with their bonkers characters, but the story doesn’t serve them well. Comic relief comes in the form of Reginald VelJohnson and Eric Wareheim, and they do a great job in smaller roles.

A movie like Onslaught is typically one where the audience just turns off their brains and enjoys the carnage. But Wingard and Barrett try a little too hard by throwing in oddball characters that don’t add much to the story, forgetting to pay enough attention to the mechanics of the plot in the process.

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Onslaught opens in theaters on September 4.

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