By Jackson Melin
Tucson was recently host to the Taco Fest, the first of the three stops for the event, which describes itself as “1000’s of tacos, 101 tequila brands, and one big party.” The festival was held at Rillito Park on Saturday, April 26 from noon to 9:30 p.m.
The main attractions included Lucha Libre wrestling, vintage low-ride cars and the main concert itself. Headlining the event was T.I., followed by Lil Jon, Fat Joe, Chingy and Trick Daddy.
Local food trucks filled the festival grounds, lines wrapping around booths and tents. Waiting for the concert to begin, I sampled the three-taco platter from Phoenix-based Nali De Aqui Ni De Alla. The soft tortilla shell combined with the al pastor-flavored meat made the dish quite delectable.
The venue had many bars located on the east and west of the stage. The west bar was considered the “standard”, serving no specialty drinks, and the east was for the “premium” ticket holders, serving custom made beverages. I tried the Taco Fest special jello shot, which was served in a syringe.
Unfortunately, I did miss Young Joc, Paul Wall, Bubba Sparxxx and DJ Luwiss Lux’s performances. However, I saw a spirited performance from Chingy, rousing the crowd with his hit song “Right Thurr”.
Fat Joe was up next with his set. Highlights included “What’s Luv?” and “New York”.
Around this point, the size of the crowd increased as Lil Jon took center stage. He performed in prime form “Get Low”, “Turn Down for What” and “Yeah”. There was much crowd participation during his set.
Keeping that flow, Trick Daddy followed up with his hit songs, like “I’m So Hood” and “I’m a Thug”.
Throughout the show, the onstage emcee kept the crowd energy up by giving away backstage passes and other merch prizes.
The crowd was at full capacity waiting for T.I, and when he hit the stage the crowd erupted. When “Whatever You Like” and “Bring Em Out” blasted out of the speakers, cheers filled the night sky.
Overall, this concert was a very fun and informative experience.