KARLA HELD | 210SA contributor

THEY ARE: Piñata Protest

THE SOUND: Bilingual accordion-powered punk rock — think Tex-Mex Flogging Molly. The band sings about everything from drinking and fighting in bars (“Cantina”) to the hardships experienced by field workers (“Campesino”).

THE MEMBERS: Alvaro Salas, accordion and vocals; Elliott Ramirez, bass; Manuel Garcia, guitar; Victor Luna, drums

THE ALBUM: A seven-song EP, Piñata Protest (2007)

THEIR WORDS: Frontman Salas grew up listening to the Tejano and norteño music his parents loved. “I used to hate it so much,” he said, but “somehow that stuff gets embedded in your head, and you learn to love it.” Later, Salas played guitar in punk, rock and Tejano bands, but he became frustrated by their lack of originality. “I noticed that everything that we did was just a rip-off, a copy of what the current bands were doing. We were always trying to be someone else,” he said. “I wanted to do something different, and the only thing I could think of was to combine the music I grew up with with punk rock.”

WHERE TO SEE THEM: The band plays at Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary's St., on Friday, Aug. 24.

THE WEB: myspace.com/pinataprotest

THE 210 TAKE: Salas was right when he figured combining punk with norteño would create a unique sound — Piñata Protest may be the only band of its kind in San Antonio, and the local music scene is better for it. Most of the band's fans are the same age as the players — between 20 and 25 — but you'll also find older people who grew up with Tejano and norteño music at the shows. “They really appreciate what we're doing because we're still mixing up the old and the new, not having forgotten where we came from,” Salas said. But more than anything, what is appealing about Piñata Protest is the high energy and sheer fun of their music. “It seems to get everybody dancing,” Salas said.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor