Viaje!’s Summer Vinyl Series is taking place at Pearl drinkery Jue Let. Credit: Instagram / jueletbar
¡Viaje!’s Summer Vinyl Series has settled into its groove at Jue Let, the innovative Pearl cocktail bar opened by Best Quality Daughter’s Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin.
On Sunday, June 14, DJ Rambo Salinas and DJ Nandez took over the decks. The second night of the series brought a global sweep of sound, from cumbia to banda, reggae and Latin pop, all spun live by San Antonio’s finest.
Salinas, who operates world-music DJ night ¡Viaje! with DJ Sue Problema, said the pair plans to bring in new artists throughout the vinyl series. Each guest DJ arrives with a different crate and a new sonic experience. And diversity is part of the draw, he added.
“We’re sticking to the Viaje vibe, but that can turn into different things, depending on the guest, if they’re a collector in the realm of salsa, boogaloo or mambo,” Salinas said. “Internationally, it can always change, but our format stays the same. It’s all about the universal sound of everything.”
The Pearl is new territory for ¡Viaje!, which has already made a name for itself with West Side crowds at the Lighthouse Lounge. Despite the change of scenery, Salinas said its ethos has stayed the same.
“The Pearl’s a different audience, for sure. But this city is vast. The music that I like to play fits in everywhere. It’s universal,” Salinas said. “You definitely have to be mobile if you want to spread your sound, which is what we try to do.”
Jue Let opened last November and quickly emerged as a destination for high-concept cocktails with an Asian flair. Salinas said the bar’s curated atmosphere made it an easy match for the series.
“Jue Let’s a good fit for what we play. No one’s playing this kind of music in the Pearl area,” Salinas said. “We’re playing records you probably haven’t heard before, that aren’t in everyone’s playlist.”
Future installments this summer will continue to shift in tone depending on the crowd’s energy and, of course, the guest behind the turntables. Salinas said the throughline will be deep cuts, local emerging artists and vintage gems that still hit.
If you missed the first two vinyl nights, don’t worry. ¡Viaje! has plans all summer long. The Summer Vinyl Series will return to Jue Let on Sunday, July 5. It’s remaining installments are scheduled for July 19, August 2, August 16 and August 30, all Sundays.
Free, 6-10 p.m., Jue Let, 312 Pearl Parkway, Bldg. 2, Suite 2107, (210) 201-2672, instagram.com/viaje_satx.
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