Photo and article by: Mikey Kennedy
On Tuesday, February 10, El Vaquero, a beloved Mexican restaurant located on Short Vine, transformed into a live music venue for the third Taco Tuesday. The event, hosted in collaboration with Bearcast Media and the University of Cincinnati’s (UC) Music Club, featured performances from Limelight and the recently-debuted Juno Harlot.
Upon walking in, it was clear that El Vaquero could be so much more than a place for students to gather to throw back margarita towers and eat delicious food. The tables along the back wall of the restaurant had been rearranged to make room for drum kits, speakers, mic stands, and pedalboards. The usually warm yellow lighting in the restaurant had been dimmed, and soft green and purple lighting filled the space.
Shortly after 7 p.m., Limelight took the stage, or rather, their spot at the back of the restaurant. Though their set was short, roughly 40 mins, they delivered a killer performance full of raw emotion, melodic tunes and even a few jokes from frontwoman Ellie Light. It was energetic and loud, perfect for this kind of live show.
After Limelight came Juno Harlot who, despite only having made their public debut less than a month before the show, commanded the room like they’d been performing together their entire lives.
The energy in the restaurant was electric the entire night. Each seat was full and people continued to trickle in, lining up along the walls to enjoy the performance between baskets of chips and salsa and trips to the bar. In between songs, El Vaquero was filled with lively conversation and anticipation for what came next.
Event coordinator Laney Walden says this was the goal of Taco Tuesday, to bring live events back to Bearcast Media and to foster community amongst UC students and other Clifton residents.
If live music and a good time aren’t enough of an incentive to get you at the next one, El Vaquero offers $3 tacos, $2 Millers and coolers, and $1 lemon drops at every Taco Tuesday event. El Vaquero also offers $6.99 jumbo margaritas every Monday if you can’t make it out on a Tuesday.
Keep an eye out for the next show on Instagram (@bearcastmedia or @music4uc). You won’t want to miss it.