Sunset: The Festival at The Espee in San Antonio, held on March 7-8, 2025, delivered an eclectic mix of genres and artists, creating a vibrant atmosphere that resonated with attendees from all over! The festival offered an eclectic lineup, seamlessly blending genres of all sorts.
On day one, Sunset: The Festival commenced with Elnuh’s indie-pop melodies, setting a mellow tone that gradually intensified with performances by artists like Cody Jasper, Buttercup’s art-rock set, and followed by Tanner Legg and the Heaters. The main stage later featured Aly & AJ, Band of Horses, and Spoon closing out the night.
Day Two of Sunset: The Festival – An Onsite Review
On day two, which we were fortunate enough to be onsite to cover for, included local talents like Baldemar and Los Juanos, who energized the crowd early on, with Los Juanos’ fusion of rock and Tejano elements prompting widespread dancing from the crowd early on a beautiful day. Lilyisthatyou’s pop set kicked things off on the main stage.
Allen Stone was next on the main stage and the moment he stepped on stage it was as if he had a whole glowing aura behind him. What happened the the next 30 minutes was something I was not expecting. As the teenagers say, “I was not familiar with your game.” Allen Stone commanded the crowd and from the moment he stepped on stage, Stone’s soaring vocals, raw emotion, and undeniable stage presence had the crowd, myself included, completely locked in and groovin’. For a moment during one song, I forgot to take photos, which was what I was there to do in the first place. His setlist seamlessly blended fan favorites with some new material as well.
Next up, was California’s own, Warren G. The west coast icon, opened with a series of classic tracks, instantly transporting the audience back to the golden era of G-funk. The moment the horns for the intro of “This DJ” started playing, the crowd went nuts and he hadn’t even stepped foot on stage yet. It wouldn’t be a Warren G show without him lighting a joint on stage mid-performance. He performed numerous of his greatest hits, as well as tracks from Snoop Dogg and the late and great Nate Dogg.
Finally, Santigold’s genre-defying closing act, complete with dynamic visuals and audience interaction, provided a spectacular finale to the festival. Santigold is always a delight to see live. This has to be my fourth time seeing her. It’s a show that is often difficult to describe. She has this unique sound that dabbles into R&B, then electronic pop, to punk, it’s pretty remarkable to see live. She was a solid choice to close the first annual Sunset: The Festival event!
As far as the lineup goes, it was quite diverse. From alt-rock and indie-pop a Hip hop, Tejano, and soul, Sunset: The Festival didn’t cater to just one demographic—it welcomed everyone. Seeing Allen Stone, hyping the crowd for Warren G was not on my bingo card but I’m all for it.
The venue itself is fairly new, smaller in size compared to the other cities’ popular venue, Aztec Theatre, and resides right in downtown San Antonio showcasing a beautiful view of the city in the background.
Overall, Sunset: The Festival at The Espee successfully showcased a diverse lineup, blending local and national acts across various genres, and left attendees eagerly anticipating future editions.
