March 2010
Music and Comedy Menu of this month's listings, stories and columns
Hanks Jazz Festival — The festival runs all day March 4-6, in the Hanks High School auditorium, 2100 Lee Trevino Regional middle and high school students will perform throughout the festival, with a final performance at 7 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free and open to the public Information: 434-9700 or hanksband.com.
This year’s guest clinicians are Dr. Willie Hill, a leading jazz educator; saxophonist Chris Vadala; and trumpet player Brad Goode. Special guests this year include the Eklektic Jazz Ensemble.
Bill and Kate Isles — The Minnesota-based singer-songwriter duo performs 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 11, at the Community Center, 316 Eleanor, in Hillsboro, N.M. The duo have won many awards and accolades, including the Minnesota Folk Festival New Folk Songwriting Contest. They are getting increasing national attention for their “perfect blend of two voices” as well as their romantic and sensual lyrics. Admission: $5 donation. Information: or (575) 895-5797 or billisles.com.
Broken Water and Buckeye — The three-piece band from Olympia, Wash. performs its “swirling, shoe-gazing, punk rock” at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, at the Hideaway Lounge, 1012 Raynor. Tentative admission: $5. Information: (360) 878-5260 or myspace.com/brokenagua.
Ardovino’s St. Patrick’s Day — Ardovino’s Desert Crossing’s Sunset Hall, One Ardovino’s Drive in Sunland Park, will host its annual St. Patrick’s Day event featuring live music by San Patricios and a Celtic buffet Wednesday, March 17. Doors open at 5 p.m.; buffet starts at 6 p.m. Information: (575) 589-0653.
Mariachi Los Toritos — Mariachi Los Toritos perform a concert of traditional Mexican mariachi music at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 20-21, at the Chamizal National Memorial Theater, 800 S. San Marcial. Tickets: $12. Information: 532-7273 or 731-2454.
J. Wagner and Alexa Woodward — The folk musicians perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. Admission: $10. Information/reservations: (575) 523-1223 or no-strings.org.
Wagner’s songs have been recorded by Victoria Williams, Calexico, 3 Penny Acre, Brandi Carlile and countless others. He was a two time Regional finalist in the Kerrville New Folk Songwriter Competition.
Woodward’s haunting banjo songs are rooted in the hills of Virginia and were refined in the roots music scene in New York city.
The Vibe — Ardovino’s Desert Crossing, One Ardovino Drive in Sunland Park, presents the musical group at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27. The El Paso-based band combines soul, R&B and pop with its original touches. No cover charge. Information: (575) 589-0653, ext. 3.
Marcello’s and Music Tuesdays — Marcello’s Ristorante Italiano (west), 5380 N. Mesa, will host free live music at 7 p.m. every Tuesday. Information: 833-7800 or marcelloselpaso.com.
• March 2, 16 and 30 — Jazz Over Easy
• March 9 — April Ticket
• March 23 — To be announced.
Reggae Thursdays — Zen Meister Bar, 1160 Airway, hosts local, regional, national and international reggae acts 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Thursdays. Admission: $8. Information: 778-1089 or 433-5614.
West Side Bohemians — The El Paso music trio performs at 7 to p.m. every Thursday at Travel Mug Coffee, 4070 Mesa, Suite F (next to Albertson’s). The trio, consisting of “The Skipper,” “Professor” and “MaryAnne” on 12-string, cello and vocals, perform in English and Portuguese and describe their sound as “sultry, jazzy, elegant and haunting.” Admission is free with food purchase. Information: 202-1775 or WSideBohemians@aol.com.
Travel Mug Open Mike Night — The Travel Mug, 7040 N. Mesa (in Colony Cove), presents open mic performance 7 to 10 p.m. every Thursday, hosted by Robert Arroyo and Sam Barlow Band. Performers are welcome to come sign up before 6 p.m. Thursdays. Admission is free. Information: Vanessa, 238-2229.
Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino — Live music is offered 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sundays in the Franklins Lounge. No cover. Information: (575) 874-5200.
Disco with local DJs is 6:30 to 10 p.m. Sundays. Karaoke offered with Antonio B 8 p.m. to midnight every Thursday. Weekly winners receive gift bag with prizes.
• Saturday, Feb. 27 — Sonny Powell
• Sunday, Feb. 28 — Mariachi Tapatio
• Friday, March 5 – Last Minute
• Saturday, March 6 – Little Mike & the Blue Kings
• Sunday, March 7 – Mariachi Alegre
• Friday, March 12 – Sobredosis del Sabor
• Saturday, March 13 – Little Mike and the Blue Kings
• Sunday, March 14 – Mariachi Son de Mexico
• Friday, March 19 – Rhapsody
• Saturday, March 20 – Bosse
• Sunday, March 21 – Mariachi Flores Mexicanas
• Friday, March 26 – Asi
• Saturday, March 27 – Inolvidable
• Sunday, March 28 – Mariachi Raices de America
‘Every Other Tuesday’ at the Rio Grande Theatre — Doña Ana Arts Council hosts a variety of musical performances 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every other Tuesday at the historic Rio Grande Theatre, 211 Downtown Mall, Las Cruces. Admission is free. Information: (575) 523-6403 or riograndetheatre.com.
• March 9 — NMSU Vocalists
• March 23 — NO EOT!
Folk Fury — KTEP, 88.5 FM, features three hours of acoustic and folk music — with an emphasis on recordings by local musicians and occasional live appearances by them — from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturdays. Hosts are Dan Alloway and Gregg Carthy. Requests: 747-5153.
Comedy
‘Keeping It Riehl’ Comedy Troupe — The troupe, featuring some of the Southwest’s hottest amateur stand-up comics, performs at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at Black Box Theatre, 430 N Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. May contain adult language. Tickets: $10 ($9 seniors, students and military with valid ID). Information/reservations: Alan Riehl at (575) 312-8760 or alanriehl@hotmail.com.
El Paso Comic Strip — 1201 Airway. Shows are at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8:30 and 10:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Military admitted free Wednesdays and Thursdays. Tickets: $6 Wednesday through Thursday; $12 Friday and Saturday, $8 Sunday, unless listed otherwise. Reserved tickets at ticketweb.com. Information/reservations: 779-LAFF (5233) or laff2nite.com.
• March 3-7 — BT. BT has appeared on such shows as Sci-Fi’s “Black Scorpions” HBO’s “Suckers.” Feature act is Gretchen Hess.
• March 10-14 — Co-Headliners DJ Cooch and Eric Blake. Cooch, who has been performing as a comic for four years, already shared the stage with such comedic heavyweights as Carlos Mencia, Anjelah Johnson, Tommy Chong and others.
Blake is a regular on BET’s “Comic View” and has been selected for “The Best of Comic View” for four consecutive years.
• March 17-21 — Ian Edwards. Edwards performs weekly at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. His writing credits include work for “Saturday Night Live.” Feature act is Bill Dawes.
• March 24-28 — Ruben Paul. Paul was chosen as one of the “Best of the Fest Comics” at HBO’s prestigious U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colo. Paul was recently selected as a cast member on BET’s new hidden camera show “S.O.B. (Socially Offensive Behavior).” Feature act is Carlos Loma.
Comedy nights — Sun City Comedy hosts weekly shows with local comics at 9:30 p.m. Sundays at the New Old Plantation, 301 Ochoa. Ages 18 and older welcome. Admission: $3.
Monthly comedy nights are also planned at Maverick’s Bar and Grill, 6999 Montana.
For other local comedy events, go to suncitycomedy.com.
Bill Maher — The ‘politically incorrect’ comic performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 3, at The Plaza Theatre. Tickets: $45.50-$75.50, plus service charge. sold through Ticketmaster.
Gabriel Iglesias — One of the area’s favorite comics performs at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 6, at Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino in Mescalero, N.M. Tickets: $25-$75, plus service charge. Ages 21 and older admitted. (Ticketmaster).
Border Beats
Recently added to the El Paso playlist:
‘Blood and Candle Smoke’ by Tom Russell (Shout Factory). Russell is another example of El Paso extreme talent, but in this case El Paso can’t take credit for his birth. It took Russell about 50 years to find his way here, making the Upper Valley his home base while touring around the world. Russell is a folk/country singer-songwriter best known for ballads such as “Outbound Plane” and “Gallo del Cielo” that were made into hits by other singers . His El Paso years have been particularly productive — his critically acclaimed folk cycle CD, “The Man from God Knows Where” came out in 1999 and his latest, “Blood and Candle Smoke” is the 10th album during the past 10 years. In this CD, his first set of original songs under the Shout label, Russell draws from some of his early years growing up in the turbulent 1960s “East of Woodstock, West of Viet Nam,” studying criminology and teaching in Africa, as well as the influences of living on the border. Russell fans can catch some of these songs in person Nov. 6 and 7, when he performs in Silver City and Las Cruces.
— Randy Limbird
“Kivvunin,” Larry Bach. El Paso Rabbi Larry Bach’s new CD, translated as “directions” or “intentions,” is aptly named, as it carries a definite directive motive. The two most notable songs book-end the CD, including the bilingual, folksy opening track “Ki Eshm’ra Shabbat,” that leads off with Bach’s Dylan-inspired harmonica and lyrics reflecting the importance of the Shabbat (Sabbath). Most of the songs that follow have a consistent, easy-sounding rhythm, serving as mini-sermons based on Hebrew text and common sense values that could we well-heed by persons of all faiths, especially Jewish listeners and Christians who haven’t forgotten the importance of the Old Testament teachings.
One of the catchier songs is “Lullaby,” an English arrangement by Bach of a Hebrew-language song. The repetitive nature-inspired lyrics and flowing beat make it a nice sing-a-long for both youth and adults.
He saves his most personal work, however, for last in “Bob Dylan Came to Town.” In Bach’s reimagining of “The Night Hank Williams Came to Town,” his long-time music idol performs in concert a short distance from his home...on Erev Pesach, a sacred time that ushers in the Passover. Bach’s kind voice and clean guitar complements each other, and if this CD’s “intention” was to give to give the listener a sense of calm, it certainly did the trick.
-- Lisa Kay Tate
“Songs of Ascent,” Ellen M. Wilson. Wilson’s collection of Hebrew and English language songs, many inspired by verses from the Psalms and other books, sounds as home in the Southwest as it would in the mountainous Middle East. The easy-going instrumentals range from solemn piano and flute to jazzier saxophone, all accompanied by Wilson’s clear, silky voice (with accompaniment by guest vocalist Cantor Robbie Sherwin) to give an ethereal appeal. It would be hard not to sit though flowing melodies such as “Shir Chadash (A New Song)” or the closer “Oseah Shalom (Grant Peace)” and not feel at peace. It would be too easy to compare Wilson’s sound to that of the Celtic-based vocalists such as Enya or Loreena McKennitt, but Wilson adds a touch of the desert and her own, rich Jewish heritage to the mix giving “Songs of Ascent” both regional and global appeal.
-- “Thank You,” George Arriola. (Vyking Recordings). This local award-winning singer and composer has been celebrated for instrumental, vocal and writing capability. He new vocal CD is a precursor to his soon-to-be-released progressive instrumental rock CD “All I Wanna Do.” This laidback (albeit brief) EP reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s soft rock stylings. “For Love” in particular flows like a romantic walk on the beach. None of the songs struck me as stand-outs, but considering what we are listening to is all George, the musical ability is pretty darn impressive.
-- Glenn Leffler, “Acoustic Journey,” Adventures in Solo Guitar.” Leffler’s thoughtful nature and faith are evident selections from the flowing opener, “Pandora’s Box” to the slightly perkier “Pop’s Rag.” The songs are consistent and clean throughout. There are no surprises on this album, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, making this a good choice for the office or early morning back porch lounging.
-- La Guitarra presents Mario Otero, “Down at the Pass.” Otero has a great way of combining the gritty edge of the border with the disciplined sound of classical guitar. The clever narrative at throughout is a suitable tribute to Robert Rodriguez’s “El Mariachi” Trilogy, followed by a series of regionally inspired tunes like the grito-infused “Bandito Concierto” and the heart-breaking bilingual lament of “The Children of Juarez.” Although, honestly, I prefer the instrumentals on this offering, especially the brief “La Vienta” reunion featuring Otero and Stefan Schyga.
-- Stefan Schyga -- “A Winter Romance.” It has been far too long since Schyga has released a solo CD, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Packed with 15 instrumental flamenco-inspired tracks, standouts include the jazzy, mystical “Niko” (joined by Otero) the snaky rhythms of “Bossamenco” and the exotic, percussion-fused “Streets of Marrakech.”
-- Lisa Kay Tate
El Paso Scene MONTHLY
This month's listings,
stories and columnsFeature story
Copyright 2010 by Cristo Rey Communications.
Roundup
Music
Dance
Here's the Ticket
Program Notes
On Stage
Sports
Southwest Art Scene
At the Museum
History Lessons
Nature
Film Scene
Keep on Bookin'
Becoming Bicultural
Liner Notes
Stage Talk
Gallery Talk
Better Parenting