Built for the Barrio: Talón Fest 2024
Jaime’s Place on the West side of San Antonio held an intimate, exciting celebration of music and culture on Saturday, March 2nd, called Talón Fest.
I grew up on the Northwest side of San Antonio. It was a largely suburban, middle-class part of town, and pretty diverse; but honestly, generally devoid of culture. Around the age of sixteen when I got my driver’s license, all I needed was a taste of the culture this city had to offer to know I had something special at my fingertips. I’d been missing out on so much beauty for so many years, and it was all only a few miles from my childhood home. When I arrived at Jaime’s place on Saturday night, I was instantly taken back to my first experiences of puro San Antonio.
As I parked my car in front of the brightly-painted buildings, I immediately caught the scent of home-made Mexican food from the Mi Tierra pop-up, and knew the first thing I’d be doing would be getting some street corn and a carne guisada taco. As I walked into the backyard-style venue space, I saw a blend of families and couples from the local neighborhood, and several punk rockers around my age who were wearing Pinata Protest t-shirts under their patch-covered denim vests. Jaime’s place was celebrating their brand new liquor license, so I stood in line for a Modelo Especial to take in my surroundings before I ordered my food.
It was about this time they officially kicked off Talón Fest 2024. To my surprise, several groups of traditional Talón performers, including Grupo Tan Tan, Panfilo’s Guera, Santiago Jiminez, jr., and others came out onto the patio area and played from table to table! The amazing display of traditional Latin American culture quickly brought a smile to a face, and a tear to my eye. The crowd became noticeably vibrant, and somehow all the colors, rhythms, and melodies all blended into one unifying display of community and joy. I had never seen anything like it, and somehow I felt right at home. It turns out, this is exactly what the owner of Jaime’s place was going for when he built it.
I got a chance to speak with the proprietor himself, Jaime Macias, about his personal mission for the venue. “Jaime’s place is built for the barrio, and beyond,” Macias proudly stated as he explained to me his background of being the son of two immigrant parents from Mexico. He described the harsh reality of redlining and gentrification. Macias’ family has owned the space that Jaime’s place sits on now for decades. “This is my home!” Macias told me passionately. “Jaime’s place was built because I saw gentrification coming down the pipeline,” pointing to the custom mural he had painted that reads, “Chelas y Cultura Por Vida” He told me it means Beers and Culture for Life. His goal is to make Chicano culture accessible to anyone who wants to come experience it, while letting the powers that be know he does not plan on going anywhere any time soon.
This is exactly what he did with Talón Fest alongside event organizer and lead singer of Pinata Protest and Groupo Tan Tan, Alvaro del Norte. “This festival is to put Talón back in the lime-light and reintroduce it to a younger generation.” del Norte stated, and it accomplished just that. The Hoke family drove all the way from Midland Texas just for Talón fest. Two punk fans from the 90’s and their nine brought twelve year old sons mainly to see Pinata Protest, but also because they love exposing their kids to other cultures. “We go to shows as a family. It’s just what we do!” said Hoke with pride. Alvaro del Norte aimed to represent as many styles of Latin music as possible. As the bands began to take the stage, the party really hit a new level.
Everyone, young and old, San Antonio natives and punks from all over, approached the stage and started dancing to the rich and flavorful sounds of cumbia, tejano, hip-hop, punk and so much more. Jaime’s Place really provided a cultural experience to be rivaled by none. Talón Fest was a true reflection of the San Antonio I fell in love with as a teenager, and I’m proud to see the traditions of this city being carried on by others who love it as much as I do. If you're ever looking to make some weekend plans and want a true taste of puro San Antonio Cultura, do yourself a favor and make your way over to Jaime’s place.
Editor & Photographer: Zach Jewell
