This week, KLAQ dug into its archives and pulled out a greatest-hits reel from the old Downtown Street Fest, the long-running summer blowout that once packed thousands into downtown El Paso. The memories are not exactly gentle. Staff recalled soaking thunderstorms that stalled sets, a brief soundboard sabotage during a Rob Zombie show, and last-minute stage repairs that somehow held together. There was even what they called a mini-hurricane at a soundcheck that toppled amps. KLAQ figures crowds could hit around 15,000 people, which helps explain why the festival still looms large in El Paso’s summer lore.
Lightning, soaked fans and a crowd that stuck around
According to KLAQ, lightning rolling over downtown occasionally forced brief holds on the outdoor main stage while crews and safety officials waited for storms to slide past. Once they got the all clear, the show cranked back up, and many performers pushed to go on despite the weather. KLAQ’s Dubba G recalled weekends when turnout across the festival footprint hit roughly 15,000 people. UTEP’s student paper, The Prospector, caught a similar vibe in 2017, describing heavy wind and rain as Alice Cooper closed out that year’s festival.
Soundboard sabotage tested crews
KLAQ also revisited a more chaotic moment during a Rob Zombie set. A woman climbed over the barrier around the soundboard and started yanking cables, which killed the amps and sent the lights across the stage dark. As the station recounted it, the crew eventually sorted out the mess of wires, and Rob Zombie jumped back in where he had left off. Staff and security removed the person from the area, and a quick technical rescue kept the show going for the thousands pressed up to the stage.
When soundchecks become weather shows
Longtime staffers also talk about a Theory Of A Deadman soundcheck that turned into an impromptu weather demo. A sudden whirlwind kicked up, knocking over amps and shifting a stage support tower before crews wrestled everything back into position in time for the main set. The band is scheduled to return to El Paso later this year for a Sept. 15 co-bill with Sevendust at the Abraham Chavez Theatre, according to venue operator El Paso Live. Ticket listings for the Sept. 15 date also appear on Ticketmaster and Live Nation.
Why Street Fest memories still resonate
KLAQ’s old event pages and writeups help show why the station keeps trying to channel that downtown energy: big-name rock acts, unpredictable West Texas skies, and fans who will stand in a downpour so the show can go on. The commercial push to revive that feel with new events like KLAQ Rocks the Park at Southwest University Park was outlined in an April announcement reported by OurSportsCentral. For many downtown concertgoers, the storms, the quick fixes, and those near-miss disasters are now part of what made Street Fest feel El Paso distinctly.
