

The mariachi competition served as the opener for the night, with Mariachi Mariposas from Mission, Texas winning the annual battle of the bands. Calibre 50 certainly made the best of their solo night, filling the stadium with loud music and Mexican pride. This night on the calendar for RodeoHouston normally included two artists or bands, with an intermission in between. This was the first Go Tejano Day that featured only one headliner. Its a very macho song, but one that embraces the beauty of a woman and the way love keeps life worth living. My favorite track of the night was a song called "El Ausente" which was made popular by mariachi singer Antonio Aguilar. "Why? Because tonight is a night for all Latinos!" "This night is going to be memorable" said the lead singer in the middle of the set.

They owned the crowd last night, shifting from party tracks to love songs and back with expertise, and making the arena feel like an intimate club for most of the night. The band made great use of the large stage, singing and playing on all of the star-like extentions with vigor. It continues to amazing me the sound of a bajo sexto and a tuba can elevate my mood and just get me pumped for the day. But many like myself find it fascinating and especially joyous. Many people look down on this type of banda music as something less sophisticated. The opening track was "Las Ultras", an homage to the beer Michelob ULTRA, because the modern Mexican man needs to party hard and while avoiding that beer belly.
CALIBRE 50 SONGS JUANITO FULL
The four piece Norteño band from Sinaloa makes supremely energetic music that is perfect for a night of fajitas on the grill, cruising down the boulevard with the radio on full blast, or cracking open a cold one with the boys. It will always amaze me how perfectly music can be both our entertainment and our therapy. Most of those fans know exactly how it feels to live in this manner, or have family who also live a similar existence. North of 75,000 fans crowded into NRG Stadium yesterday evening, a record for RodeoHouston. And then there's the PTSD he suffers from the thousands of crosses he saw in the desert on his journey into this country. The song recalls the experience of a hard working Mexican immigrant who loves and misses his family, works long back-breaking hours to survive, and lives in constant fear of deportation. There's a lyric section of the track "Corrido De Juanito" by Calibe 50 that just gets me every time.
