Courtesy Bill Palmer
Palmeranian
Bill Palmer returns from his travels with some stories to tell about sweet surrender
Singer-songwriter Bill Palmer was still in South America when he left the message:
“Sorry I missed your call, I’m actually in Santiago, Chile,” he told SFR via voicemail. “I’ll be back in Santa Fe tomorrow.”
Palmer’s South American sojourn with his longtime partner, Stephanie Hatfield, came immediately after a two-week stint in the Netherlands that found the singer-songwriter playing with his fellow Santa Fe musician, Bard Edrington. Before that, he was hard at work producing a record with his songwriting contemporary, Wayne Sutton. They wrote and recorded the record at Palmer’s off-grid cabin in Terlingua, Texas, from where they enlisted the help of drummer Matthew Tobias and keyboardist Bruce Phillips via email. The whole thing took about a week in the sweltering Texas heat, and Palmer says they’re waiting to time a release for maximum impact, maybe at the beginning of the summer. He’s got a more solo-focused record waiting in the wings, too, with a similar release trajectory, and he’s back in Santa Fe for now. Palmer takes to the Mine Shaft Tavern in Madrid this Friday for a solo outing. The thing is, Palmer says, he’s grown.
“I have a lot of material, but this upcoming show is something I started back during the whole COVID thing,” he explains. “When everything was locked down and there was nowhere to play, down in Terlingua, where my place is...those folks never even knew there was a pandemic—the bars were open, everything was normal; so I’d set up on the stage and play solo. That kept me sane, and I learned a lot.”
Much of that learning comes in the form of Palmer’s new self-appointed place in the musical pantheon.
“I’ve learned to be more of an elder statesman of songwriting,” he says. “I’m an old guy now, my beard’s gone white and I’m viewing my role in this world of singer-songwriters a little differently.”
While he’ll stay true to his alt.country-ish roots, Palmer says he’s added a storytelling component to his live shows. This gives audiences a little background into the tales behind the songs, and it also helps Palmer connect with the listener more than ever.
“As musicians, we’re always trying to stick our toes in different waters,” he says. “Now, I’m an old guy with some songs and some stories to tell.”
Bill Palmer: 5 pm Friday, April 7. Free. Mine Shaft Tavern, 2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid, (505) 473-0743
Sonya Luz
Fly By Night
Stalwart Taos-based indie act Art of Flying is back with a new record and an upcoming show to boot. The project of musicians David Costanza and Anne Speroni—plus any number of rotating guest artists—Art of Flying has long proven to have a knack for post-rock weirdness, but with their soon-to-release “Escort Mission,” the dynamic duo is reaching new heights of vulnerable and introspective songwriting. Think the more emo-core side of bands like Guided by Voices or Yo La Tengo, and you start to get a better idea of the new jams. Of course, Art of Flying still has a distinctive sound. Brilliant in their imperfections and spellbinding in presentation, Costanza and Speroni are really onto something here. Is this maturation or was there was always an enticing bit of raw emotionalism at the core of Art of Flying? Maybe both, but it’s also about poetry and prettiness. Find the band performing alongside punk royalty Gregg Turner and burgeoning rockers Luminatrix this week at DIY space Ghost.
Art of Flying: 8 pm Saturday, April 8. $10-15. Ghost 2889 Trades West Road, facebook.com/ggghhhooosssttt
Courtesy Couleur / Pixabay.com
For the Kids
While it’s kind of hard to say how a holiday about Jesus transformed into an event wherein a rabbit hides colorful eggs from children who must then unearth said eggs and collect them for their chocolate-laden baskets (ask the Pagans, maybe?), people who’ve reproduced are likely wondering how to best get in on the egg/chocolate game this Easter. Enter the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, an organization that just so happens to love doing stuff for families. At the garden this Sunday, Clover the Easter Bunny (did the Easter Bunny always have a name?) does the honors. You won’t have to paint anything, you’ll keep the kids busy for a few hours and everyone will agree that plants are cool and gardens are more interesting than they seem at first blush. Too long, didn’t read? There’s a rabbit coming to hide eggs and your kids are the only ones who can stop them. Pre-registration in required for the event, which is free for kids under 6 and members; $5 for youths ages 7 to 17.
Easter Egg Hunt in the Garden: 11 am-1 pm Sunday, April 9. Free-$12. Santa Fe Botanical Garden, 715 Camino Lejo, (505) 471-9103, santafebotanicalgarden.org/event
Courtesy Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing
Tutti-Frutti
Have you seen that meme about how James Brown changed music a bunch of times but we all still have to hear about the Beatles every other minute? It’s funny, true, but it also hints at a deeper subtext: Black people have done more for modern music than just about anyone, but white folks seem to get almost all the credit. Case in point? Little Richard. Arguably, the man created rock ’n’ roll—and he looked damn good doing it. With blazing piano skills, a keen eye for fashion, that haunting caterwaul and even a couple of Full House appearances, the late Richard Penniman did so much for culture itself, in fact, that we are (or should be) still celebrating him today. At an upcoming screening of the Lisa Cortés documentary, I Am Everything, learn why Little Richard’s contributions to the great musical lexicon cannot be denied. We hear John Waters is in this thing, too, so chalk another one up for queer excellence all-around.
Little Richard: I Am Everything Screening: 6:30 pm Tuesday, April 11. $13-$15. Violet Crown Cinema, 1606 Alcaldesa St., (505) 216-5678
