Bandstand Report

Check out these highlights from the upcoming free music series

By Alex De Vore

The 13th annual Santa Fe Bandstand runs Tuesday, July 7, through Thursday, Aug. 27, and features a lot to navigate. With eight full weeks of free concerts on the Plaza, how does one decide what to see? We didn’t entirely know ourselves, so we asked organizer Michael Dellheim what he considered to be the highlights of the upcoming season, and here’s what he had to say.

Humming House with the Room Outside
(Folk/Soul/Bluegrass)
6 pm Tuesday, July 14
"I was intrigued when I read, 'Put Humming House on your list of Must-See Acts of 2015' in the Huffington Post and was convinced they were the kind of act I wanted to see on the Bandstand. [The Room Outside] is an example of what's current and relevant in the current New Mexico music scene."

Lumbre Del Sol
(Rock/Traditional)
7:15 pm Friday, July 17
"You've got to give Chris Abeyta the respect he rightfully deserves. As the heart and soul of Santa Fe's longest-running band, he's earned his place in the pantheon of local music history. I dare anyone to listen to his anthems, 'Santa Fe, Nuevo Mexico' or 'Salsa Chicana,' and not conclude that after 43 years, he is the link of Santa Fe soul music. No one—absolutely no one—comes close to expressing the soul of Santa Fe more than Chris Abeyta."

Peter Rowan
(Bluegrass)
7:15 pm Wednesday, July 22
"He's a legend. From his work with bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, to his groundbreaking recording with Jerry Garcia and Old and in the Way, Peter is a living legend. He loves Santa Fe, and judging by his attendance at last year's Bandstand [2,016 people], Santa Fe loves him back."

Zongo Junction
(Afrobeat)
7:15 pm Tuesday, July 28
“Where else is Santa Fe going to see relevant music from the currently exploding Brooklyn Afrobeat scene? In an industry where it has become commonplace to watch bands perform with laptops and backing tracks instead of live musicians, Zongo Junction takes the stage 11 strong.”

Juice Newton
(Pop/Country)
7:15 pm Tuesday, Aug. 4
“OK, I get it. I’m gonna take shit for this one. The haters are gonna hate me for this choice, but the fact of the matter is, Juice Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categories (winning once in 1983), as well as an ACM Award for Top New Female Artist and two Billboard Female Album Artist of the Year awards (won consecutively). She paid her dues and has the hits to show for it. It’s a chance to see someone who’s sold millions of copies of recordings, gone triple-platinum and paid her dues, all for free on a beautiful summer’s night on the Bandstand.”

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