The sixth edition of Paraguay’s major music festival saw Steinkrug’s debut into the Asunciónico lights. The Paraguayan hard rock band, with origins in the Chaco region, performed on the festival’s opening day. For Steinkrug, playing at Asunciónico represented recognition of years hard work. It also offered an opportunity to connect with fans while preparing a new album.
With a career spanning more than 16 years, Steinkrug is far from a new name in Paraguay’s music scene. However, the band continues to pursue perfection in every performance. The Asunción Times speaks with lead singer and bassist Rafael “Rafa” Thielmann to discuss their Asunciónico debut and what lies ahead.
A new field
The band has opened for Aerosmith, toured with Argentine heavyweights Rata Blanca and shared stages with Scorpions, among others. Yet this marked their first appearance at the Asunciónico. “Our jump was very quick in the beginning. From playing in schools, we had two very big festivals. And then came Aerosmith, Scorpions and Rata Blanca. Many big bands, but Steinkrug never participated in Asunciónico”, Rafa starts.
“I think that in these festivals there is a lack of the hard rock genre. Not only in these festivals, but in the Paraguayan musical landscape too. I think this edition really gave national hard music a stage. For example, Kuazar and NÖD, who are national references. And us, which I think we are one of the longest-standing references of the classical hard rock band that never stopped”.
Special meaning
Despite all of their other experience, the invitation carried special meaning. “For us, it was an opportunity to enter a new field, a field that we had never played in. Steinkrug at Asunciónico was a respite, with the band having some difficult changes since December. We were trying new candidates and now Toño Riveros plays with us, a friend of the house.”
“You feel pride and joy when your work is being recognised. Being put on a platform like that is a vindication of much effort. We are a band that travels a lot, but the culmination of every venue makes you feel that the effort has been worth it. Obviously, in rock and roll and music, this is not the end. After every show, you must put your feet back on the ground, whether it is a small or big stage. But the joy of that vindication, for me at least, is very big”.
Steinkrug in the Asunciónico
The logistics at the Olympic Committee grounds, where the Asunciónico festival was held, presented challenges for the band. Distances between dressing rooms and stages, combined with weather disruptions, made the experience particularly demanding.
“For me, it was a very interesting experience. We needed to arrive early to prepare everything. That Tuesday was messy because of the weather. Monday was even messier during the soundcheck. We always try to arrive earlier than agreed. Then we were informed that, because of the weather, everything was going to start earlier”.
No moment for reflection
“Thankfully, everyone arrived early. But we were running from one place to another”, Rafa says. “We did not have a moment to process anything. We arrived, prepared the stage, played and it turned out great. But I did not have that time of peace to reflect”.
Unexpected issues added to the experience. “I was loading our stuff and then I realised my tyre was punctured right behind the stage”, Rafa says while laughing. “My jack was sinking into the mud. Thankfully, the production team helped me out.” A Steinkrug show where something does not break does not exist. We played with Scorpions twice and one was cancelled because of a storm. The stories we have are really crazy. Tuesday was just another one for the collection”.
A strong connection with the audience
Rafa highlights the presence of younger fans as one of the most valuable aspects of the performance. “For me, it was very valuable to see so many young people, even in the front row. People say that rock is dead, but when you see that you are playing on a Tuesday at 4:00 AM and young people are singing, cheering and jumping, that breaks that concept.”
“I even jumped with the fans. Then, the separation between stage and audience breaks, and what we do becomes a way of representing the public cathartically. I felt that at Asunciónico”.
“Between jokes, I like to mention that we are the greatest Paraguayan band that no one knows”, Rafa laughs. “We are a band that has its name in German, sings in English in Paraguay, and maybe we did not take the best decisions market-wise. But sharing a stage like that is a very proud and joyful moment”.
Steinkrug in the Asunciónico, the first of the year
Asunciónico was their first show of 2026. “Our show is sacred and the commitment to the fans is too. Going improvised was not in our plans. Asunciónico was a test for us, with time to rehearse and prepare for it. Now we are preparing a new album, since last year. We want to give top priority to the album”.
The band has upcoming concerts scheduled in the Chaco and in Asunción. “We want to sharpen this new formation. Playing live is our way of expression as a band, so we want to sharpen that as well. But we want to give more attention to the album because it has been pending for some time”.
“If you sit there and sleep after a show like that, you are in the wrong business. After the show, everyone was happy. But we were already talking about moving forward and how we are going to do that. The real work of a rock musician is to not give up, to keep running. In rock, you can never stop running. Asunciónico was a test and we want to keep sharpening ourselves”, Rafa concludes.
