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A robust crowd was on hand at Hemisfair Park for the first night of La Semana Alegre, a two-day music festival now an official Fiesta event.
Nine bands entertained crowds on two stages while arts, crafts, and food vendors kept things humming across the park’s footprint, bordered by Market and Nueva streets.
Local trio King Pelican opened the Plaza Mexico stage, featuring local and regional acts, at 5:30 p.m. with blazing surf rock and calls for “Viva Fiesta!” At one point, the band paused so guitarist Ernest Hernandez could adjust his instrument. “This guitar’s older than I am!” he explained.
The Civic Park stage was headlined by nationally known artists, and Tommy Tutone’s Nashville-inspired rock sound got fans applauding even the songs that weren’t “867-5309.”
“The guitar’s named Jenny,” singer Tommy Heath joked at one point, referencing his biggest hit. “You can get your picture taken with her at the merch table.”
Joe 'King' Carrasco brought his signature Tex-Mex rock back to the Plaza Mexico stage, and Men Without Hats had everybody doing “The Safety Dance.”
After sunset on the Plaza Mexico stage, Chesca Umeno of Mypilotis donned a bike helmet before leaping into the crowd, while her smiling bandmates looked on and the audience cheered the joyful noise.
Local heroes Girl in a Coma thundered through a one-hour set that made up for lost time in 2025 at La Semana Alegre, when a storm canceled their appearance. The fierce performance included favorites like “Static Mind” and the band’s cover of Selena’s “Si Una Vez.”
Singer Nina Diaz dedicated at least a half-dozen tunes to her big sister Phanie, who chuckled “aw shucks” each time before pounding out driving rhythms on her drum kit. Bass player Jenn Alva delivered bass and harmony vocals, and Nina Diaz remains a master of a singular voice, somewhere between Björk and Lydia Mendoza, with an Elvis-perfect lip curl.
As the night ended, the synth-pop sounds of A Flock of Seagulls filled Hemisfair, closing out more than five hours of live music across the festival grounds.
La Semana Alegre continues with a second day of music Saturday evening, opening with Bexarbrass at 5:00 p.m. and headlined by Ghostland Observatory at 9:45 p.m.
