Lightning Strikes, Music Prevails: Astropical Conquers The Espee

It’s not often that a Latin supergroup lands in the Alamo City. Forged by songstress Li Saumet and guitarist/keyboardist José Castillo of Bomba Estéreo, along with Beto Montenegro and drummer Fofo Story from Rawayana, the group combined forces to create Astropical, a fusion of Afrobeats, electronic music, and a swirl of tropical sounds. Performing some of the best Latin fusion in recent years in San Antonio, Astropical lit up The Espee.

The show, however, didn’t kick off as planned.

Severe thunderstorms rolled in as hundreds of fans lined up outside the gates of The Espee. As the weather worsened, the crowd retreated to nearby buildings and vehicles, hopeful the storm would pass in time for the performance. Unfortunately, lightning strikes nearby triggered local safety regulations, forcing the show to shut down for the night. The venue held off as long as possible, long past the original show start time, but with no end to the storm in sight, the call to cancel had to be made.

Thankfully, since Astropical's next stop wasn’t until September 3rd in Phoenix, the group managed to postpone the show to the following evening.

The rescheduled concert opened with Dominican-Italian pop sensation YEИDRY, who delivered a fierce, unapologetic set celebrating femme empowerment, independence, and cultural roots. Accompanied by a montage of nostalgic visuals, her performance was both powerful and fluid — from gliding across the stage to whipping her long braid in sync with increasingly intense rhythms.

As the humidity from the previous night’s storm lingered in the air, it became the perfect backdrop for what followed: Astropical took the stage and turned the heat up even more.

Touring their self-titled debut album released in March, the band took the crowd on a journey through the zodiac, with each song named after an astrological sign. Opening with “Brinca (Acuario)” and “Corazón Adentro (Escorpio),” the already hot and sweaty crowd erupted in dance. The group mixed in tracks from their respective catalogues, the songs that first catapulted them to prominence in the Latin Music scene.

Hits like “Fuego” and “Ojitos Lindos” from Bomba Estéreo, as well as “Feriado” and “Veneka” by Rawayana, kept the energy. The group also paid tribute to the greats, performing Proyecto Uno’s “Tiburón,” C+C Music Factory’s “Boriqua Anthem,” and even a brief, heartfelt cover of Selena’s iconic “Como La Flor”, a perfect nod to the San Anto crowd.

By the time they closed with their top hit “Me Pasa (Piscis),” it was clear the audience had forgiven the storm for stealing their night before. Under clear skies and pulsing lights, Astropical gave San Antonio a performance that was well worth the wait.

Check out the gallery below!