I’ll clarify at the beginning of this review: I am a super, mega, ultra fan of Spoon, Band Of Horses, and Santigold. So when I saw Spoon’s Instagram post saying they would be a part of something called “Sunset Fest,” I knew I had to get over there by any means necessary. What started as a date plan for two of those aforementioned mega fans became a full-on event review job for myself and my plus one (my also Spoon-loving boyfriend), who was forced to try (key word “try”) to follow me as I dashed around with a camera AND put up with my constant geeking. Now, since this is a complete and fancy event review, you’ll hear about all the acts that went up across 15 hours of incredible music. I won’t bother you with the lengths of getting from Dallas to San Antonio as a broke college student. It was the power of love (for music), but I’m writing this with shaky—very shaky—hands on the bus back to Dallas. This was the first-ever Sunset Fest, and I’m excited to share the experience with you. Let’s get into it.
Day One
As I walked through the gates, I was immediately met with a spunky guitar chord that resonated throughout. The man responsible was Cody Jasper, an upcoming rock artist from Amarillo, Texas. Playing brash and spunky songs with an electric flare—all while rocking fashionable sunglasses—this man was the pinnacle of rockstar. After his set, I had the chance to speak with him about his journey and upcoming music. Jasper, who started playing at just 16 years old, told me how lucky he felt to have music become his job so early on. “It was awesome for a 16 year old, just playing the blues, got a gig, and then I didn’t have to get a job because that turned into teh job for a while.” His influences range from the classics- Led Zeppelin and Hendrix- to more modern acts like Radiohead. “Now I just listen to everything. If it makes my head nod, it’s an influence, mykonos?” he said. On stage, he teased a new album, and he confirmed in our interview that it’s called “Rock is Dead.” The first single, Medicine Man, drops four weeks from March 7th—so depending on when you’re reading this, it might already be out. “I just got the mix back today,” he added, clearly excited about what’s to come. Before wrapping up, his drummer Greg briefly joined us, and Jasper made sure to let fans know where to follow him: Instagram, TikTok, Spotify—“Tinder, Grindr… No, I’m just kidding,” he laughed. With his infectious stage presence and a promising album on the horizon, Cody Jasper is definitely an artist to keep an eye on.
Up next was Buttercup, the San Antonio band who’s been making music formed in 2000. They started with some covers, what they announced to be “The Yellow Song” and “Let’s Lynch the Land Lord Man.” The band played the ladder to quote “protest to landholders.” They then moved on to play some originals. Taking an open, unscripted turn, the group ended with a song they’d been developing. The lyrics utilized some crowd work—and sounded a lot like Bob Dylan, in the fashion of speaking more than singing over the music. It didn’t take an actual title to understand what the song was about, only the lyrics. The singer, Erik Sanden, asked the crowd, “Can I wear nail polish?” and, “Can I like pink or purple?” To follow with a very strong, from-the-heart “YES.” This beautiful and meaningful finish to their set had the whole crowd united, chanting to the band as it rebelled against entirely outdated (yet still existent) gender stereotypes. I researched the band’s material to find that the song is currently called “Buttercup In A Can,” aka “The Can.” The band refers to the song as the title for their more abstract shows, describing it came to be from “their most queer performance yet,” back in 2024. Truly a memorable experience that, both figuratively and literally, you had to be there to experience.
Following was Tanner Legg & The Heaters, the country band from Katy, Texas. They gave nothing short of a country rockabilly treat, finishing with an original, “One Track Mind.”
They were followed up by the alternative, dream pop-adjacent group Elnuh, and then at long last, it was time to transition to the main stage. The Droptines kicked off the second half of the evening with their rock country blend. If you need to know how country the band is, one of their opening songs featured the lead singer Conner Arthur playing with a harmonica attached to the guitar during a solo.
Up next was Aly & AJ—after they announced that this was the kickoff to their tour—they also teased that they’ll be playing some new songs. In one of these, titled “What It Feels Like,” Aly and AJ explain how, as women, it is hard to embrace the change that happens when we get older. How we should “look like, feel like, be like.” The sister duo offered a folksy blend of guitars and vocals—a great show.
Up next was Band of Horses. That night was their first show back in the States after their time in Australia. They, of course, kicked off with “Laredo,” a classic about being in Texas—always fitting being IN Texas. Overall, they had a great vibe. . There were plenty of wholesome interactions between the crowd and themselves. They also played a lot from their first two albums, Everything All the Time and Cease to Begin including some of their greatest hits, “No One’s Gonna Love You,” as well as my personal favorite, “Our Swords,” during which lead vocalist Ben Bridwell pulled out a bass, and bassist Matt Gentling joked, “Now you’re the second worst bassist in the band.” They added that they very rarely play “Our Swords” (maybe because of Bridwell’s bass skills lol)—which only made it an even greater treat. They finished with Bridwell’s favorite song, “The Funeral.”
Finally, at long LONG last, came Spoon. Dare I compare Britt Daniel to a god? Holy hell—looking at him through the camera lens as he stood right there, in the middle of ALL of it, was possibly being the most immersed you could have been at that point (especially with no earplugs). That was a moment seared into my brain and will probably be played back in my final moments. After kicking off with “Feels Alright” and “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” Daniel announced they’d had some recent complaints about not playing enough from their first album (I can admit a good contribution of those complaints came from me). They went on to play “Me and the Bean,” “The Fitted Shirt,” as well as other unforgettable hits from other albums (at least one from each): “The Underdog,” “I Turn My Camera On,” “Inside Out,” “My Babe”, and “Small Stakes”. I of course noted their entire setlist—just, know it was an AMAZING lineup. With amazing drum solos by Jim Eno and the crazy energy both on keys and guitar we know and love from Alex Fischel, this was a truly wicked performance. They finished off with “I Summon You,” only to grace us with an encore, consisting of some more fan favorites, “The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine,” “The Way We Get By,” and “Rent I Pay”. A fantastic, 10000/10 performance, and the perfect ending to the first day.
Day Two
Walking into the second day was much more peaceful than the first. I had learned some lessons and was ready and knew more of what to expect (besides greatness). On day one, one of the photographers I had gotten to know gave me a pair of earplugs, as we had joked about him being shocked I didn’t have any the day before. I was beyond embarrassed, but I was much more grateful later that night.
The day started with San Antonio local, Baldemar (not to be mistaken for Baltimore). They started with some of their originals: “Some People,” “Situations,” “Bug,” and “Vampire Thoughts.” Accompanying Baldemar Esquievel III (the lead vocalist who the band is named after), was Brittany Sky on guitar, Dill Has on the keys, and Adrian Martinez on bass. They gave elements similar to surf style as well as a slower, older 80s/70s vibe, from guitar lines to lyrics. They also featured some multicultural delights, with their song “Alter Ego”, an entirely Spanish song. Their last song was called “Depressed Jim Carrey.” I had thought of the movie it could be based on and later checked their Spotify to find it was called “Depressed Jim Carrey (Clementine)”, confirming my suspicions the song was based on the film Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (I cried to that movie btw. Fun fact). They were smooth and effortlessly calm throughout their performance, delivering some serious nostalgia-inducing sounds.
After Baldemar was Los Juanos, a band that Baldemar has several collaboration tracks with. Also with a member named Baldemar, Los Juanos combines indie rock with Mexican folk music and some electronic elements with synth. They teased a new song, “Ultra Latta,” released on March 10th. When asked what Los Juanos means, they simply repeated the question before going into another song—I believe it meant what the music meant to them was what Los Juanos is. The two songs they followed with, in their words, described being scared of not having enough time to do achieve their goals. They finished off by teasing a new EP that would be released soon.
Up next was the Daisy Killers. Starting off with a song called “I Digress,” lead singer Aaron Frizzell was very open about the importance of mental health, joking about literally having an anxiety attack and wanting to go home. Most songs came off of their album The Year of Fear—including “Phobic Mentality,” a song about accepting death and not wanting to live forever, and “Hard to Digest.” They also gave a sample of an unreleased song. The band closed with “Letting the World Die,” a song about Frizzell being with his wife and not wanting to leave her.
As it got later, the winds picked up HARD. Flags were blowing, a fan lost a hat to a fountain, and many gathered to watch it sit in the middle of a large fountain for half an hour. Despite the weather, Lilyisthatyou came next, as the last show on the smaller stage. She was seen walking around the venue after the show—many lining up to take pictures with her—and she was rocking a head-to-toe glitter bomb of an outfit.
Following her at the main stage was Allen Stone—who brought the ENERGY—and had the crowd going wild the moment he ran on stage. Besides having significant crowd interactions, he had his unique sound: a blend of funk, gospel, rock, and soul. Playing tracks such as “This Love” and slowing things down with “Consider Me,” combined with an explosive finish, Allen Stone brought an excellent display to the evening.
So, I mentioned that I was less embarrassed and more grateful for those earplugs I got. I certainly was when I had my ear against the speakers on the stage for Warren G. He played some song off Doggystyle, as he’s on a song with Snoop (who, unfortunately, did not make a physical cameo). He had the crowd singing to him, “Are you high yet?” as he lit a joint on stage and downed three cans of Modelo. Lots of “vine boom” sound effects from the DJ he had playing for him to rap over. He brought on some guests but didn’t introduce them. He sang some songs “for the real ones” and also played “Smoke Weed Everyday,” which of course had the crowd chanting. He closed out with some more chants and a few more vine boom sound effects, a playful end to his set.
Taking us home and finishing the first ever Sunset Fest was none other than Santigold. Starting with “Les Artistes,” she and her dancers—also known as “SG1″—consisted of Monica Josette and Desi Raines. Santi invited fans in the crowd to join her on stage in a dance competition to keep up with Raines and Josette while she played “Unstoppable”—super fun to watch, and it was a unique and engaging crowd interaction for those who participated, as they basically got to meet her! This was also Santi’s first time in San Antonio—perfectly fitting with Sunset Fest’s first time ever existing! She played over half of her self-titled album, including “Shove It,” “Say Aha,” “You’ll Find a Way,” and “Starstruck.” She also played more popular hits, such as “Disparate Youth” and “Run the Road,” and pulled tracks from her most recent album, Spirituals, with songs like “My Horror.” Temperatures dropped to the 50s with very high winds, yet the energy had everyone staying warm with all the dancing, an overall fantastic end to the night.
The first-ever Sunset Fest was a whirlwind of music, energy, and unforgettable performances. From the raw rock ‘n’ roll of Cody Jasper to the genre-bending sets from acts like Los Juanos and Lilyisthatyou, every artist brought something unique to the stage. Day one delivered powerful moments, with Band of Horses bringing nostalgia and Spoon leaving the crowd electrified. Day two kept the momentum going, blending indie, rock, and funk before closing out with the legendary Santigold, proving that this festival wasn’t just about music—it was about movement, community, and artistic expression. Despite the long hours and unpredictable weather, Sunset Fest was worth every second. If this was only the first year, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next.
