AutMus Fest set for 10th anniversary celebration

The TAMIU campus will go through a transformation on October 4 for AutMus Fest, as stages filled with amplifiers and speakers galore will spring up to host a variety of musical acts for the the Laredo public to enjoy.

This year’s iteration will be the 10th anniversary of the festival that originally started in in 2004. The TAMIU Alumni Association created AutMus fest not only to entertain Laredoans, but also bring in money, with the proceeds for the festival going directly back into TAMIU itself.

“We bring money back straight to the students,” Yelitza Howard, TAMIU Director of Alumni Relations, said. “Our main intention is helping out students with scholarships.”

The festival has seen great success with an annual turnout of over 10,000 people.

Past headliners have included Steve Augeri, P.O.D. and the Chris Perez Project.  As a way to celebrate their 10th year in operation, the group behind the festival has scheduled two co-headliners, both with world-renowned resumes.

3BallMTY (pronounced “Tribal Monterrey”) is new on the music scene but has taken the ears of young people by storm. The DJ trio mixes house, electro and techno music and with rhythms taken from traditional cumbia to create a new style of music they call tribal-guarachero. “Inténtalo”, one of the group’s most popular songs, made it to the top of the Billboard Latin Songs charts and led to recognition at the Latin Grammys, with the group taking home the Best New Artist accolade.

Also headlining are A.B. Quintanilla’s Kumbia Kings All Starz. Quintanilla, brother of the late tejano queen Selena, first got his start in the music industry producing and writing many of the songs that made his sister into tejano royalty. After her tragic murder, Quintanilla took a hiatus from music but came back in 1999 with a bilingual group that combined cumbia and hip-hop, A.B. Quintanilla y los Kumbia Kings.

The band went on to win a Latin Grammy for Artist of the Year and have a huge collection of number one singles, almost too numerous to count. The group eventually disbanded due to creative differences, with the members of the group going two separate ways. Quintanilla formed the Kumbia Kings All Starz and co-founder Cruz Martinez created Los Super Reyes.

The All Starz have become almost as popular as the original Kumbia Kings, with their debut album reaching the top of the Latin Pop Album charts and a number of charting singles since.

Other notable acts include Hysteria, a Def Leppard cover band, Immortal Guardian, a heavy metal band from Houston with face-melting guitars, and Stitched Up Heart, an alternative rock band with a powerful female lead singer in the vein of Paramore and Flyleaf.

“We have an eclectic music fest with a wide variety of music,” Howard said. “There will be something for everyone there.”

Local acts will also get a chance to shine on the AutMus Fest stage, with the multiple winners of a talent competition, “AutMus Got Talent”, getting a chance to open for the more well-known bands.

Music won’t be the only spectacle to entertain the crowd, though. The Laredo Wrestling Alliance will provide a wrestling ring and run various bouts featuring luchadors and local wrestling stars from 5-8 p.m. A paintball arena is also set for the festival.

Craft vendors will also have their own separate space for attendees looking for hand-crafted accessories and various other goods. Food vendors will also be plentiful, selling local favorites such as corn in a cup. A specially made Budweiser guitar will also be raffled off to attendees who give a $5 donation to the Alumni Association.

“This is one of the longest standing traditions in TAMIU’s history,” Howard said. “You’ll have a great time for a great purpose and create lasting memories.”

AutMus Fest is scheduled for October 4. It will start 5 p.m. and run past midnight and be held on campus grounds. Presale tIckets can be purchased online for $15 at www.autmusfest.com and in person at Casa Raul Western Wear (North and South), Sames KIA, tDK at Mall Del Norte, San Ramon Music Shop and Guerra Communications. The price for admission will rise to $25 at the door. More information about the festival can be found on the festival’s website at www.autmusfest.com.