Second Street gets a taste of Austin

 

story and photos by Linda Kaufenberg

The “second” grand opening performance of the new Second Street Live! center in downtown Fort Smith featured Del Castillo who took the stage Thursday night (March 25). The Austin, Texas-based band was all it was advertised and more. A near-capacity crowd was thrilled with the amazing guitarists and the lead vocalist who also entertained with fancy footwork.

The band, Rick and Mark del Castillo, guitarists; Alex Ruiz, lead vocalist; Albert Zeoli, drums, and Albert Besteiro, bass, put their hearts and souls into their performance that won the approval of the Fort Smith audience. With pulsing percussion leading the way, soulful and rhythmic jams unfold. Songs delicately wove around one another as the band passionately carved out a spot in the heart of music lovers.

In a recent review of Del Castillo for The City Wire, Peter Lewis wrote this about the band: “Del Castillo is not quite soul, it’s not quite Tejano and it’s not quite rock. Quite simply, Del Castillo is a Venn diagram, they never truly exist in one realm or another. This is not a hindrance, instead it allows the band to easily pass through borders, picking up fans to take along for the ride. They don’t honor borders, they simply exist to move the audience, to create a melting pot of emotion and joy in those that hear their music.”

And many of those who heard the music Thursday night probably would agree with Lewis’ assessment.