'Bands' wraps production

A crew from Elkhorn Entertainment tore down sets and camera setups Saturday at Tucumcari's historic railroad depot after wrapping production on eight episodes of the forthcoming "Bands of Enchantment" music television series.

After heading back to their respective locations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit, Elkhorn would begin editing the footage from the depot and other locations in Tucumcari so it could air the performances this summer.

"It's looking toward June, but it's in review with PBS and the Cowboy Channel," show creator Ken Peterson said when asked when the series would be broadcast. "We'll know more soon in terms of air dates."

Elkhorn, which envisions the series as a New Mexico version of PBS-TV's long-running "Austin City Limits," also wants to stream episodes on Amazon Prime. Altogether, that would mean a potential audience of tens of millions.

Elkhorn received $60,000 in city lodgers tax funds in October, then another $60,000 allotment on March 19, to help cover costs of the production. Music acts Max Gomez, Lilly Hiatt, Junior Mesa, Southern Avenue, Lydia Loveless, Brett Dennen, The Texas Gentlemen and Making Movies performed in front of cameras on the depot's main stage. New Mexico-based Carlos Medina, Micah Thunder, Levi Platero and Sara Marie Rorie performed at the Tucumcari Zia Club stage.

Peterson said said the week-and-a-half production in Tucumcari "went great, without a hitch" except for the California-based Dennen and his band west of town getting caught in a midweek snowstorm after their performance.

"One of our guys got stuck on the 40 taking the band back to the airport," Peterson said. "I think they were on there for four hours without movement. But the band was able to change its flight, and they got out of there by evening."

Peterson observed the music acts' enthusiasm for the Tucumcari production was boosted by many playing their first gigs in months due to COVID-19 restrictions.

"I think everybody had a great time," he said. "Every band was incredibly excited to be here; they hadn't played in a year and had a blast, based on the posts we saw on Instagram from Tucumcari. They're still posting about their experience here.

"I think the Texas Gentlemen said it best: 'There's something happening down in Tucumcari.'"

Several acts who performed for "Bands of Enchantment" expressed similar views when contacted by the Quay County Sun.

"I had a great time in Tucumcari," Medina wrote. "The Tucumcari Zia Club is amazing. The video shoot was fun. The Band of Enchantment crew and producers were top notch.

"Tucumcari is a fun little town. I look forward to coming back soon and sharing the charm of this hidden gem with all my friends."

Medina returned to Tucumcari on Saturday for the Zia Club's first public opening.

Hiatt wrote when she first arrived in Tucumcari, she first saw "a royal blue comet" when stepping out of her van.

"This set a tone for me, and we had a magical time in the town," she wrote.

"It was a great day, full of new faces, and red vine licorice," Hiatt added. "I got to play through a Marshall stack, which was a blast, and we loved being by the train tracks. The band had a good time together, and being able to play was a dream!"

Gomez praised the hospitality of Motel Safari and Blue Swallow Motel owners.

"It was great to see Tucumcari up close," Gomez wrote. "My band and I all thought Tucumcari was a diamond in the rough. I'd love to come back and play a show some time.

"As far as the taping goes, we try to focus on just the music, which can be a little hard with cameras rolling. Ultimately, it was a great time performing. Excited for everyone to watch."

One establishment that might see fringe benefits from "Bands of Enchantment" is the Zia Club.

Jerry Lopez, president of the club, watched the previous week's taping at his club firsthand.

"It was a really good experience," he said. "I'd never been in a production like that. They were very professional. They ran a tight operation there, especially the COVID-19 screening.

"I just wish the four bands actually playing there in the Zia Club had gotten in the main stage where they're broadcast on TV. But they still have the opportunity to spread it faster and further on social media."

Peterson said the performances at the Zia Club and other sites around town likely would air digitally in June, about the time the main episodes are projected to air.

In the meantime, Lopez expressed hope those performances would put the Zia Club on the radar for more music acts.

"I hope it opens some doors for us and that we get a lot of good PR out of it," he said. "We're open to anything that's going to promote Tucumcari, and we want to promote New Mexico music, too."