La Tocada Super Estrella was a Spanish rocker’s dream, from the beginning to the end. The event took place on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Orange County Observatory in Santa Ana.
What made this music and art festival memorable, besides the headliners, was the age gap between the different crowds. Since the event was all ages, there were kids with punk rock outfits and older couples sharing a beer and memories together. It was incredible to see the Latino rockero community come together from all over Los Angeles and Orange County.
In between the sets, the cameras were directed to the masked wrestlers (the luchadores). The audience mimicked the wrestlers themselves with masks they bought in the venue, creating a playful atmosphere and entertainment for attendees near as they waited for the next music act.
Another attraction that La Tocada featured was an art exhibit curated by Ernesto Yerena, Lymari Millot, Stephanie Cecilia Cervantes, Luis Favela (he was tattooing at the venue!), and Yeyo. Millot made quite the impression with her beautiful body painting with such vibrant colors and precision.
Food trucks were lined up serving a variety of foods. You could buy grilled cheese, carne asada tacos, carne asada fries, burgers or even churros. People not in the crowd dancing or eating in the tables were most likely at the VIP beer garden conveniently located stage right next to the main stage.
Stage B and Stage C were inside what is the regular Constellation Room and Observatory venue. Inside the indoor venues, Stage B carried a club-like vibe with dark lights and Stage C delivered an indie vibe in a more intimate setting. If you didn’t have a VIP bracelet, you’d most likely be inside drinking a beer as you couldn’t drink outside the Stage B & C.
The headliners played outside the OC Observatory, where the parking lot was transformed to Stage A. The Stage A scene was pretty wild and crowded from beginning to end. Angeles Del Infierno and Rata Blanca switched set times, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind.
Although Panteon Rococo’s set was an earlier one, but that didn’t mean the crowd was unprepared for it. They started their set with their known hit “La Dosis Perfecta.” During their performance, they mentioned how they were happy to see ‘la raza’ together especially in times like these. La raza responded to their music by creating three circle pits (and mind you this was only in the right side!) where people happily danced and helped each other out if one fell.
Molotov’s signature Mexican flag colors appeared during their set, which created immediate pride throughout the crowd. This prepared the crowd for Maldita Vecindad’s pachuco switch up. No better way for Maldita Vecindad fans to celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary than dancing and singing with their idols.
During Mago de Oz’s closing set, the crowd was out of control. The crowd surfing was at its best during this performance up to the end where one of the fans jumped from one speaker to the stage. Although he failed to reach the talent on stage, he did manage to get escorted out immediately by security. This led to a shorter set from Mago de Oz in comparison to the other bands, and quite frankly – it was a good call due to the audience’s behavior.
Overall the festival was an eye-opener showing us that our community knows how to get together and celebrate our Latino pride! Big ups, Super Estrella!
All photography by Jeanette Hernandez / photo-jaye.
