MIDLAND, TX — A local bar is facing backlash after allegedly telling a band to stop playing “Mexican music” during a live performance, despite playing for a crowd that was, according to the performers, predominantly Hispanic.

Sarah Melendez, frontwoman of a local band, shared her experience in a now-viral post after performing at Rooster’s Backyard in Midland on Friday. The group had played a three-hour set of country music before switching it up with a single cumbia at the request of an audience member.

“Chris and I look around and see that the bar was easily packed with 90% Hispanic folks,” Melendez wrote. “So, we switch it up and play a cumbia. The dance floor was packed for the first time all night, everyone was having a blast. Bar owner immediately tells us we can’t play Spanish music… I was actually in shock for a minute.”

Melendez says she confronted the owner, who told her, “I won’t have Mexican music in this bar and you don’t have to come back.” The band played one more song before ending their set early.

“From now on if I can’t play one Spanish song at every gig, I won’t play at all,” Melendez said. “For me, it’s just the principle. This is West Texas. It doesn’t matter if you’re Hispanic, Black, or white—everyone loves to dance cumbia.”

The post has drawn widespread attention online, where hundreds of community members expressed shock and support for the band.

Rooster’s Backyard released a statement Monday denying the allegations.

“The comments made about us are simply not accurate. We have and always will welcome people of every race and ethnicity,” the business said in a post on their Facebook page.

However, the statement did not address the specific details of the incident. As of publication, Rooster’s Backyard has not issued a further comment or clarification.

The incident has sparked questions about inclusivity and cultural erasure in a region where, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 60% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

Local residents took to social media to express frustration, pointing out that Spanish-language music—including cumbia, Tejano, and norteño—is not only beloved across cultural lines but deeply woven into West Texas nightlife.

Melendez, who performs throughout the Permian Basin, says the experience won’t deter her from playing the music her community loves.

“It’s about more than one song,” she said. “It’s about whether we’re welcome to show up as ourselves.”