A Sharp

I knew that DJ culture is important to Santa Fe, but this is nuts. Out of 130 shows in one week, 25 are DJ events. They run the gamut, from house and techno to rock and punk. You hate instruments, Santa Fe. The city has a multitude of talented local DJs but, at the same time, I find myself longing for a time when people wrote songs and practiced guitar in their rooms until their fingers bled. Either that, or I suck at dancing and girls don’t like me. Yeah, it’s probably the latter. If you’re looking for a good place to get into DJ culture, find any show that operates under the Team Everything banner, and you’ll be set.

Though there are technically far fewer Americana/folk events than DJ events, the genre is a close second in terms of weekly music options. Before I say anything else, I want to assure everyone that I do love the music. I just find myself overwhelmed by how many people are performing it locally and internationally. Suddenly, any asshole with an acoustic guitar who claims he’s always loved Woody Guthrie is worth our attention? I admit that Santa Fe has some of the finest Americana musicians I’ve seen anywhere; I just hope we don’t wind up sick of it for lack of other options. That said, Ben & Friends at Second Street Brewery’s Railyard location is a great chance to see amazing local Americana talent. 

According to a recent Rolling Stone article, 2010 didn’t have a single hit rock song. This scares the shit out of me. I don’t care what anyone says, rock ’n’ roll, in its many incarnations, always has the best live shows, coolest album art and most-inspirational jams. Santa Fe seems to be following the national trend, as rock shows in a given week are few and far between. What are the kids going to do when all they have left is hip-hop? We’ll have a world full of jerks who go on and on about how they’re the best at everything and how shooting people for drugs is cool. I’m joking, so don’t write letters. I’m just saying that rock is the coolest, and I wish there were more options. For rock, I suggest saving the booze for later and checking Warehouse 21’s schedule. The shows are all-ages and you’d be surprised at the great rock the teen center brings to town.

That Latin music makes up a good chunk of local music events is no surprise. After all, America’s general idea of Santa Fe is a lawless desert town full of nothing but brown people. Whatever slightly racist picture the world has of our fair city, the folks behind these events consistently prove to have a deep reverence for the many Latin styles they play. From the hot-and-sweaty salsa events to the elitist and snobby world of tango, Santa Fe has no shortage of chances for women to dress up and dudes to creep on them. If this sounds like your thing, Café Mambo at The Ore House at Milagro is an oft-packed weekly party, and DJ Sofrito knows what he’s doing.

I don’t think I’ve met more than a handful of Santa Feans who don’t flip over reggae. Personally, I hate it. That is why the sparse offerings don’t bother me one bit. Sorry, everybody else. Maybe y’all should get into DJs. Actually, The Reggae Party at Corazón kills two birds with one stone, as DJs Dynamite Sol and Joe Ray Sandoval play the reggae you want to hear.