SOCORRO, N.M. – New Mexico Tech is moving forward with both the Fourth of July concert series and fireworks display this year, albeit with a number of significant changes in place to comply with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s COVID-19 related executive orders.

The NMT campus will be blocked off to traffic. Further, pedestrians will not be allowed to congregate on the golf course for the fireworks show. To accommodate this change, the fireworks display will originate on ‘M’ Mountain, so local residents can enjoy the event from the comfort of their own homes throughout the Rio Grande Valley in the Socorro area.

The pandemic has not stopped the music in Socorro: It’s happening online. Like any meeting or social occasion that has not been canceled, musicians are going virtual to connect with their fans.

The traditional lineup of great New Mexico musicians will still be performing – except the performances will be broadcast online from previously recorded sessions. The music will include many of Socorro’s favorite acts:

Roon (Folk), The Murillos (Variety), Doug Figgs Trio (Cowboy-Country) Rob Lopez and the Infidels (Rock), Mine Country Drifters (Roots Americana), and Suavecito (Spanish, Variety),

All six band performances will be rebroadcast online July 4^th on Facebook and Youtube.

In order to ensure everyone can see the fireworks display while practicing proper social distancing in accordance with New Mexico’s COVID-19 guidelines, the fireworks display is taking place near the top of M Mountain.

This allows the Socorro community to see the fireworks from all over the valley. While a number of our community usually watches the display from the New Mexico Tech Golf Course, please note: the course will not be available for spectators this year. The roads leading to the golf course will be restricted and patrolled. To be clear -- in order to protect the health and wellbeing of the Socorro community, NMT's main campus is closed for the fireworks display.

The annual Fourth of July outdoor celebration at Macey Center has been canceled, but we will still be able to enjoy a full spectrum of music.

“We have had to make some significant adjustments this year,” Performing Arts Series presenter Ronna Kalish said. “But we will still have great music available online. And everyone in Socorro can enjoy our great fireworks show from the comfort of their backyards.”

The concerts are being live-streamed with professional lights and sound, and they are also recorded to form "Socorro's Social Distance July 4th Celebration Concert" with all your local favorites.

Live streamed concerts will be Sundays at 4 p.m. and accessible through facebook.com/NMTPAS and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUFjO6rM3bZIV9XsBG4VxRw.

 

Tori Murillo: the Young Singer Fronting The Murillos

The first time Victoria Murillo sang in front of people other than family, she was seven years old, when she was entreated to take the stage at the San Miguel Fiestas. “I sang along with the song ‘Mi Vida Loca’ by Pam Tellis,” said Murillo. “I was terrified.”

That’s no longer the case. Murillo – who goes by the nickname, Tori – has been performing for audiences for some 18 years now, ever since she joined her father’s band. 

For the full article, click here

Doug Figgs Trio

Doug Figgs is a horseshoer, a day working cowboy, and a Western music singer/songwriter.

In the last few years he has turned his attention to his love of music with the emphasis on Western themes. His fourth album, “A Cowboy Like Me” received the Rural Roots Commission’s 2016 “Traditional Western” CD of the year award.

As a member of the Western Music Association he was named 2018 Male Performer of the year, 2015 WMA songwriter of the year, and his song “Socios” was named 2015 WMA song of the year.

He received the Academy of Western Artists “Will Rogers Award” for 2015 Western Male Performer of the Year. His song “Socios” also won the Academy of Western Artists “Will Rogers Award” 2014 best Western son. He has toured the Southwest extensively and continues to turn out his own variety of Western music, from hard driving songs with a tinge of southern rock, to beautiful ballads and everything in between.

 

Click here for the full article

Rob Lopez and the Infidels

Rob Lopez started playing the guitar in 1974.  His mom gave him a $75 Les Paul copy for his birthday.  Rob played alone for 24 years and then started Wrecking Crew with Mark Howes, Ernie Dominguez and Rob.  Then Rob met Pete Goering around 1999. Pete hadn’t played the bass for years.  But Rob got the Buzzard radio gig, talked Pete into it and played live on the morning show every day.

Rob and Pete  (pictured at left)  have been playing ever since with many people in and out and “lucky we found Jose Salcido,” states Rob, and “we all get along so well that we practice once before every gig, because I rarely book anymore.”  Jose plays with 67 Seconds as well and is an incredible drummer.  Pete has played with some notable talents before Rob met him but since 1999 they have stuck through thick and thin.

Click here for the full article

Mine Country Drifters

Composed of New Mexico Tech professors, students and researchers, Mine Country Drifters plays an eclectic mix of roots Americana, folk, country and bluegrass. The original MCD members started playing together in the New Mexico Tech music program with Gaby Benalil and have since spun off into a proud, Socorro-based band.

 

(Pictured at left are Steve Simpson and Hilary Kelly.)

They owe their textured sound to Hilary Kelly’s rich and resonant vocals, Wes McHaley’s nimble mandolin and fiddle, Dave Thomas’ bass extraordinaire (ala NMT’s famous alumni band, The Vigilantes), and Steve Simpson’s guitar, vocals and folk music repertoire. Together, they represent five different academic departments (Humanities, Psychology, Earth Sciences, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science).

 

Suavecito

Suavecito is a variety six-piece band from Socorro, performing New Mexico Spanish, country, oldies, funk, R & B, Top 40 and rock. They typically are the final band performing for Socorro’s annual Fourth of July Celebration along with well-known performers such as Darren Cordova, Al Hurricane & Al Hurricane Jr., and El Gringo, and tour throughout New Mexico.

But this year, they will close the Socorro Sessions Social Distance Concert Series, just a few days prior to the 4^th of July Celebration that will be celebrated at home this year, in honor of Corona Virus. 

Suavecito performs for weddings, retirement parties, Christmas parties, graduations, church fiestas, local events for the City of Albuquerque and Matanzas. Suavecito performs at the Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque and the Sky City Casino in Acoma. One of their highest honors was playing for the Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan at the re-dedication of the Catholic Church in Isleta.

For the full article and a video, click here

 

 

– NMT –