Top Billing

Country stalwart Bill Hearne celebrates his 75th with string of shows and unearthed recording

Santa Fe country/honky-tonk legend Bill Hearne was out on the road playing shows last year, as he’s known to do, when Lanny Fiel, a one-time radio DJ from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, approached him in Waring, Texas. Turns out Fiel had been holding onto a recording from a 1991 radio broadcast that featured Hearne and his late wife Bonnie and during which the pair performed some 12 songs and answered various interview questions.

“I’d totally forgotten about it,” Hearne tells SFR. “I mean, this was May in ‘91 and Bonnie and I were on our way to play the Kerrville Folk Festival. But now, these songs…Lannie cleaned them up, mixed them a little better, and it turned out great!”

Hearne will release the songs and interview audio as Together Forever, a combination retrospective featuring covers and originals—some of which he still performs—as well as a tribute to his wife, who died in 2017; and as a celebration of his 75th birthday on Feb. 11.

“It was really strange hearing it…a couple of those were Bonnie songs, and it was good to hear those again, a good flashback for sure,” he explains. “And it will be thumbdrive-only—there’s no point making CDs anymore.”

As part of the celebrations, Hearne has scheduled three shows at various venues around town and promises special guests at each one. He won’t play on his actual birthday, he says, “because Bill wants to watch the Super Bowl on his birthday.”

This year marks Hearne’s 32nd year in Santa Fe, he says, and he plans to keep performing.

“Just gotta keep kicking and moving forward,” he advises. “Have someone to hold onto, take care of your health, keep the faith.” (Alex De Vore)

Bill Hearne:

4-6 pm Thursday, Feb. 8. Free. Cowgirl, 219 S Guadalupe St., (505) 982-2565

6 pm Saturday, Feb. 10. Free. Legal Tender Saloon & Eating House, 151 Old Lamy Trail, (505) 466-4650

6:30 pm Monday, Feb. 12. Free. La Fonda on the Plaza, 100 E San Francisco St., (505) 982-5511

Pride is Right

Though no city ever gains immunity from the bullshit of phobias, Santa Fe boasts a robust queer community that is always out there meeting up and doing cool stuff. This week, that stuff comes in the form of Pride After 5 at new-ish boutique hotel, bar and restaurant The Mystic. A gathering organized by the New Mexico Out Business Alliance in partnership with the Human Rights Alliance of Santa Fe, the event aims to help queer Santa Feans meet, network and get in on discussions surrounding local LGBTQ+ goings-on. Want to meet advocates or learn how to get in on that yourself? Find that, plus a pretty solid menu and drink. The idea is to get active and stay active with our queer leaders, so whether you’re an old hand or looking to start doing more (or even just making friends), this is a great place to start. (ADV)

Pride After 5: 5-7 pm Thursday, Feb. 8. Free. The Mystic, 2819 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-7663

Tiki Forever

As Above, So Below Distillery’s founder and master distiller Caley Shoemaker knows this particular stretch of winter feels rough. But rather than whine through the doldrums, Shoemaker is getting proactive with her ongoing Forbidden Ritual event, which finds the Railyard watering hole transforming itself into a tiki haven through March 2. “One thing I love about tiki is it’s so tied to cocktail history in a way that I think is elevated, but also really fun and approachable,” she tells SFR. “When you talk about craft cocktails, you can’t separate that from tiki.” Thus, the interior has gone full-on tiki for the coming weeks, and chef Joel Coleman will offer up Hawaiian dishes on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5-8 pm with DJs coming in on the regular. Shoemaker and company have also put together numerous creative cocktails that show off the best spirits from As Above, So Below. “We’re basically a tiki bar ‘til March 2,” Shoemaker says. “Our plan is to do this every February moving forward.” (ADV)

Forbidden Ritual: Through Saturday, March 2. Free (but pay for food and drink, duh). As Above, So Below Distillery, 545 Camino de la Familia, (505) 916-8596

Brass Tacks

If you’ve ever seen a roaming brass band wending its way down the street in Santa Fe and wondered what just happened, you might like to know that’s the Partizani Brass Band doing its thing. With roughly 10 years in the game, the ever-evolving project aims to recreate some of the magic of America’s brass band heyday (it was a thing, look it up), while adding a healthy dash of funk and groove to the proceedings. And it’s perfect for the upcoming Mardi Gras party at downtown’s CHOMP food hall on Feb. 13. “It’s a daunting task,” says member and tuba player Alan Kapulski, “but we have a lot of dedication.” Kapulski cites acts such as Allen Touissant and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band as inspirations, though does note Partizani has made a name for itself at shows and festivals around the country. “We’re the most famous brass band you’ve never heard of,” he says with a laugh. “And after 10 years, we have an exhaustive catalog.” (ADV)

Partizani Brass Band Mardi Gras Blowout and 10th Anniversary Show: 7 pm Tuesday, Feb. 13. CHOMP, 505 Cerrillos Road, (505) 772-0946