Screens projected a live, 360-degree view of three brothers stepping onstage, and lyrics showed in bright bold letters, aiding non-Spanish speakers in singing along.
Mixing R&B, EDM, pop and reggaeton, Latin Mafia took the Miller Light Stage on Saturday at Austin City Limits Music Festival, performing with lively and incomparable energy despite the direct sunlight. The de la Rosa brothers, Mike, Emilio and Milton, traveled from Mexico City, highlighting their origins throughout the performance.
Opening with “Siento que merezco más,” fans clapped along to the beat before Milton belted out lyrics to “Me estoy cayendo” alongside his twin and frontman, Emilio. The emotional songs continued with “pero me estoy acabando,” a track about anxiety and missing a loved one.
“We might be the coolest thing here,” eldest brother Mike yelled to the crowd. “Are you guys going to be jumping around today? But this is not the time because we are singing like slow songs.”
Changing the vibe of their stage from telenovela to coming of age with “Continuo Atardecer,” or “Continuous Sunset,” they performed with high energy despite technical issues. The stage visuals cut out when they transitioned into “No digas nada” and popular song “Julieta” while the entire crowd sang along.
Starting a mosh pit during “Julietota,” Emilio went into the center of the crowd, despite being a self-proclaimed “short king,” to meet his supporters face-to-face while Milton and Mike took pictures on fans’ phones. Heading back on stage, Milton kicked an empty can before twerking in front of the camera in his twin brother’s hand.
While they played their favorite song of the night, Latin Mafia sat together on stage for “nunca he sido honesto.” The audience got louder at the end of the song, as Texas football had just beaten OU. The band started playing their most well-known song, “2:12 AM,” a collaboration with popular Latin musician Rauw Alejandro. Prancing around on stage, the band matched the upbeat and lively energy from the crowd, striking fun poses and hitting funky dance moves.
As their set came to an end, the brothers hugged during “Yo siempre contesto.” They took a picture with the crowd, letting them into their family through the emotional moment and finishing on an upbeat and more reggaeton-like song, “Perlas.”
“We are Latin Mafia, and we are so excited to be here,” Milton said. “¡Viva Mexico puta madres!”
