By Audrey Hertel
June 7, 2019

Last year, Aramara Quintos Tapia, the bassist and vocalist of Lincoln garage punk band Histrionic, organized the first Latino Lives festival to showcase Latinx artists in the community.

During that time, Quintos Tapia said she hoped Latino Lives would become an annual event. And after months of finding sponsors, booking performers, designing posters and finding vendors, the 19-year-old has made her wish into a reality.

This Friday and Saturday, the Bay will be filled with music lovers of all ages for the second annual Latino Lives.

When compared to its predecessor, the festival has grown in many ways. Latino Lives is now two days, has a 16-act lineup and includes regional bands.

The lineup features four regional acts — Oftener from Minnesota, Free Truman from North Dakota, and Illinois bands Los Gold Fires and Division Point.

The rest of the bill is filled with local acts like Mad Dog and the 20/20s, Jocko, Verse and the Vices, The Credentials and more.

Quintos Tapia said that people can expect the second Latino Lives to be an inclusive environment that highlights the Latinx community, and it will be a chance for people to listen to great regional and local bands.

“People should go, not only because it’s a festival meant to celebrate the Latinx community which is a huge part of Nebraska, but also all the bands that are on [the lineup] are amazing and deserve a good number of people coming through,” she said.

Quintos Tapia said she is looking forward to the second year of Latino Lives and is glad other people are too.

“It means a lot that people are showing their support and are liking it and are excited for the next one,” she said.

Although the event grew this year, it is just the beginning, according to Quintos Tapia. She said she wants to continue making each Latino Lives better than the last and hopes that it will eventually draw in people from outside of Nebraska.

“I want it to be a [festival] that people in the midwest to be like, ‘Oh Latino Lives is happening again this year, I want to go,’” she said. “My goal is to take this and make it become a [reality].”

Tickets to Latino Lives show are $7 for one night and $10 for both. For more information regarding Latino Lives, visit the event’s Facebook Page.

Audrey Hertel is a multimedia intern with KZUM.