Steinkrug. You are probably wondering what this word means. While – translated from German language – it technically is a mug made of stone, Steinkrug is much more than just that. It is a rock band that moved its sounds and rhythm to Asunción, while keeping its Chaco soul alive.
The group is composed of lead singer and bassist Rafael and his brother Andy Thielmann on drums, with Victor Alejandro and Matias Aguilera on the guitar. Their music is highly influenced by Dire Straits, Creedence, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Zeppelin, and Aerosmith, to name just a few.
In 2011, only two years after the band’s founding, Steinkrug opened for Aerosmith, and later one of their songs appeared in a Netflix show. This Friday, June 27, you can see them live in Sacramento Brewing Co. in Asunción.
The roots of Steinkrug
Steinkrug was founded in 2009 in Asunción, with members coming from the Chaco. That is where the essence of their music is coming from. “Having grown up in the Chaco region of Paraguay, a quite isolated place back in our youth, me and my brother always had been exposed to a lot of music given that my dad was already a musician,” says Rafael Thielmann, leader of the group. “Dad tried his hands at a rock ’n’ roll band in the 1980s.”
The important place their father had, impacted Rafael and Andy in their musical career. It led them to where they are today. After moving to Asunción, it took only a matter of time before they found others with a similar interest. While the rock scene in the Chaco might not be that big, in Paraguay’s capital that is a different story. It is bigger, and has a space for everyone.
Opening for Aerosmith
The band started as a school project, rather than friends’ meetings in their parents’ garage or basement. And it did not take long before they got noticed. “After working our way up into bars and festivals, we had the incredible opportunity to open for Aerosmith in 2011,” Rafael says. “From there on, we knew full well who and what we wanted to be: a hard rock band, influenced by the musicians we had been listening to as teenagers.”
In their career, Steinkrug also shared the stage with Scorpions, Rata Blanca, Almafuerte, Korn, Fear Factory, Grim Reaper, amongst many others.
From albums and eps to Netflix
In 2012, Steinkrug released an EP (extended play, micro album), titled Bombshells of Rock And Roll, published on Spotify. In 2015, the band released the studio album Meat, and in 2022 came their last EP titled Arrogance. This contains the songs Earthshaker, Father, and Arrogance.
Steinkrug had the honor of having their song Warm Beer selected to be part of the soundtrack of the Netflix series Club de Cuervos. Meaning “Club of the Crows,” the show starred Luis Gerardo Méndez, Mariana Treviño, and Daniel Giménez Cacho. But how did this come about?
“For us, it was quite a silly development. We actually got contacted over Facebook, of all places, and at first thought it was a joke,” Rafael remembers. “However, as we soon found out, it was quite serious and we stumbled heads over feet at the opportunity.”
To the band’s knowledge, Steinkrug is the first Paraguayan band to have a soundtrack used for a series abroad. “We are really proud of the distinction It helped bringing our music to a whole different market, which may otherwise never heard of us.”
The journey from Meat to now
The road has been meaningful for the group over the last ten years. “Back in 2015, when finishing the Meat album, we were going through quite a turbulent process of members leaving, identities being reforged and just us finding our musical path. Looking back on it, personally, I am just really proud of what we managed to achieve and how, in a way, ‘Meat’ was the point of no-return so to speak.”
Celebrating 10 years of Meat with everyone!
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Meat, Steinkrug is going to play at Sacramento Brewing Co. in Asunción on Friday, June 27. They cannot be more excited to perform.
“Revisiting the records and preparing a lot of the songs that we have not played live in years, just made us grow appreciative of all the effort that went into it. And we are really anxious and excited to celebrate this anniversary with everybody at the show.”
Rock ‘n’ roll in the Chaco
Steinkrug will play with The Krauts, another band with roots back in the Chaco. “It is certainly a very isolated and tough community for a rock ’n’ roll band to make a living,” Rafael feels. “Not even considering the sociocultural difficulties the genre still faces here in Paraguay. The past few years, a lot of bands have sprung up from around the Chaco which has shown great promises and exceptional talent. The Krauts is one of them.”
With The Krauts, the members of Steinkrug formed an immediate friendship over the shared musical style, and experiences facing difficulties of being a rock ’n’ roll band in a place like the Chaco. “We felt they needed to be part of this special night so as to also have more people know about our roots and what kind of musicians comes from a place like that.”
Be ready for an incredible night of hard rock! The musicians are awaiting you at the concert. Rock On!
Where: Sacramento Brewing Co.
When: June 27 at 9 PM (The Krauts) and 10 PM (Steinkrug).
Entry: Free.
Reservation: +595 971 405 014.
For more information on the band check out Steinkrug on Instagram. For more info on events, follow Sacramento Brewing Co. on Instagram.
