The Middle

Back to E9 for the Southwest Trio, which offered up Spanish-style acoustic strumming with sparse, trance-like melodies added on electric guitar - great think music for digesting all that had gone on in that venue earlier in the afternoon.

In the meantime, El Paso band Egon took the main stage over at Club 101 to a crowd appreciative of their progressive and Goth-toned guitar rock, while Border Roots - first up for the evening on E9's outdoor stage - held a sizeable and thoroughly excited crowd with a great set of what could only be called Chicano reggae. No place better to deliver such a merging of culture and creativity than on the El Paso border!

Inside E9, things took a quieter tone with Hanna Red, a Japanese duo from Las Cruces, New Mexico, laid down quirky yet earnest melodies on guitar with a drummer laying down low-key accompaniment behind their plaintive vocals.

In the thick of things, MUJER co-organizer Bobbie Welch whizzed by on her way from one venue to another. Asking for her assessment of things so far, the grin on her face could have said it all but she added, "It's been a labor of love and we're so happy!"

Female-fronted Mafalda from Chihuahua, Mexico, drew a large and curious crowd; interest paid off when the punk quartet drove heavy yet melodic guitar-driven tunes graced with powerful vocals. The singer addressed the audience in Spanish and English - "Somos Mafalda de Chihuahua…and we're ready to rock!" - as did almost every other act performing, each one aware of the melding of cultures, traditions and languages going on before their eyes. Their set barreled on with thrashing chords and pounding, metalesque drums.

Taking another break from the heat, we ducked inside the green room - where homemade vegetarian food was being served along with loads of bottled water to stave off dehydration in the 100-degree heat - and sat down with Tony Hajjar of Sparta, who was spending the afternoon bouncing from band to band and just as happy to hear other people play as he was to be playing with Sparta later that nights.

Tony was completely laid-back and the evidence of feeling comfortable at home came across even as his band was one of the day's biggest attractions. On our way back out into the sunshine, Tony stopped to talk in earnest with a young fan - a 10 or 12-year-old boy with the biggest grin on his face - and it was obvious he was as happy to be here as at any stadium Sparta had been playing on their summer tour with Weezer.

Maybe ten or twelve drops of rain teased the crowd - now hundreds of bodies thick - as the sun finally began to give up and go down around 7:30. It was perfect timing for El Paso act Fuga to take the big open-air stage outside E9, and they wasted no time kicking the night into full swing. The octet combined a wide assortment of instruments - percussion, guitar, accordion, keys - and the smooth-as-silk vocals of Tania Rodriguez, who traded time on the mic with other band mates. Their tunes thick with irresistible rhythm, Fuga very quickly had the outdoor area packed and dancing. The great music didn't distract from the band's strong political stance; mid-set, Rodriguez spoke urgently about the meaning of this day and the gravity of the situation in Juarez, blaming the all-mighty dollar but reiterating that every one of us had it within our power to effect positive change. Spirited clapping and gritos from the audience urged the band on as they then delivered a tribute to Ozomatli (very much their sibling in style) - "the only band we know that makes an effort to do what they believe in, because this is all about communication! They're militant and they're strong about it and they're responsible for their words…. This is for all the artists out there doing something they believe in and who are to make things better!" As for their own feelings about the day's cause, Rodriguez commented, "The murders in Juarez are not caused by any specific group or any specific individuals. They are caused by an economic system that has specifically devalued women's bodies and women's ideals and everything about women. It's important for us to recognize that it's an entire structure that's supporting murders like these." Amid cheers from the sizeable crowd, she continued, "With this concert we are saying that women represent resistance by being proud of who you are, by being proud of being women and fighting for women's rights. We are the hope for a new world!"

Across the way onstage inside Club 101, Ultra Tolidos Sonicos (UTS) were giving away power punk pop like candy to hordes of head-bobbing kids thrilled with the Juarez quartet. This is a band made for MTV not in quality - they're actually really good - but in sheer charm and allure; they're practically bursting with the ability to make every teenage girl swoon. The music came across as nu-metal tinged with the sweet yet powerful vocals of Luis Cortes, who's got a voice (not to mention looks) radio, magazines and fans the world over would scream for. Operating like seasoned pop stars pulling all the strings, the guys dedicated song after song to "all the girls" and turned the crowd into a soup of happy hormones. But they did not forget to reiterate the important message of the day. "The only reason that we're here is because of the killings that are happening in Juarez - it's completely out of hand," Cortes said mid-set. "We're having a good time and all but we gotta remember that and every time you guys go to Juarez, respect the women there and everywhere you go. We come from women. Just keep that in mind."

An interesting note to this whole event: It could be considered insane in this day and age that there was no security at the door whatsoever - no bag searches or pat-downs - and only minimal security within the complex. Artists were left free to walk around and enjoy performances like the general public in attendance - gravitating to each other's sets and taking it all in with the rest of the crowd…which just goes to show that when you give people what they want, something they can appreciate and be proud of, they will take care of it.