Well, the 2018 Sabroso festival has come to it’s conclusion, closing out in Portland, OR. RockRevolt Magazine was on-hand in Auburn, WA, and we’re here to share why you should be holding your breath for Sabroso in 2019.
Sabroso, the namesake of this festival which translates to “Tasty” in English, is used to clue us all in to the multi-faceted, multi-cultural event we all committed to on this fine spring afternoon. Not only did the festival bring a punk music soundtrack in the form of bands Los Kung Fu Monkeys, Unwritten Law, Lit, Against Me!, Pennywise, and The Offspring, it also brought entertainment in the form of Luche Libre wrestling, a “man vs. food” style taco pounding challenge, and a smorgasboard of food and drink.
The place to be was at White River Amphitheater, just East of Auburn, WA. The weather brought a heat-stroke inducing 78 degrees (Laugh if you want. That’s uncomfortable for us Vitamin D deficient northwesterners). Arriving shortly after the lunch hour, lines were well under control, whisking ticketed guests into the venue quickly and efficiently.
On the main amphitheater stage, each band took turns being angsty, delivering passionate sets and keeping the crowd engaged throughout. Between sets, like herds of migrating sheep, the crowd funneled to the outer festival area partake in the craft beers, tacos, and to witness first-hand the thrill of Lucha Libre wrestling. Each match brought different personalities, and the crowd gathered around the makeshift ring cheered for every throw and gasped at every choreographed take down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3YmHZ9HMPs
On my way to the festival, I had visions of mountains of tacos. Tacos at every turn; more tacos than any sane person should have license to consume. Sadly, such was not the case. By 5:00, several of the vendors in attendance had already shut their “doors”. By 7:00 water was scarce and the two remaining taco vendors had 30+ minute lines. Many of the other vendors had limited supplies and my taco fantasies were quickly dashed.
I’m not alleging that there were no tacos to be had, however. Several guests that managed to get in line early got their share of tacos. And just before The Offspring took the stage, world competitive eating champion Takeru Kobayashi put down 38 soft tacos (5 at a time) in just under 60 seconds. I guess the moral of the story is “If you want tacos, you have to be fast”.
On stage, Lit performed several songs from their 2017 release These Are The Days, showing a bit more musical diversity with their recently evolved “country rock” sound, closing their set with their hit anthem “My Own Worst Enemy”. The following band, Against Me!, continued that theme of diversity opening their set with “True Trans Soul Rebel”. Vocalist Laura Jane Grace channeled an otherworldly energy, feeding that passion to every attendee in the amphitheater and most likely felt by many throughout the rest of the venue. Unwritten Law with their bass heavy sound pounded the stage prepping the crowd for the double dose punk pair Pennywise and The Offspring.
The 2018 Sabroso Festival, sponsored by Bandito Gringo was an incredible event, the only thing I would request for 2019 would be More Tacos.
All Writing & Photography: Terry L. White
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