Setting the Tone
Musician Alex Simon bids farewell to his Tone Ranger residency at The Mystic
“The shows have been a way where I can consistently make an hour-and-a-half to two hours of music to perform each month to Santa Fe,” musician Alex Simon says of his soon-to-close residency at boutique hotel The Mystic. Simon’s signature blend of indie/rock/electronica/chill-out/country/classical guitar tunes certainly have a home here in town, but more
often, lately, he’s been taking them on the road.
“I just haven’t done local shows in a really long time,” he says. “In a sense, yes, I’m making [this music] for a show—the soonest upcoming thing on my calendar; and since live music is where so much of my material crystalizes…it’s a way to get ideas through that I wouldn’t get through otherwise.”
The ongoing residency has included plenty of collaborations with acts like Melas Leukos, Vecinoz, Chiefo Sanchez and Evelyn Drach. The biggest
surprise, however, according to Simon, is how pumped up the crowds became over time.
“I think I assumed it would be quieter—that we’d play some dance music and do some improvising, but maybe as background to whatever was going on; sort of halfway between wallpaper and a social atmosphere,” he explains. “I didn’t anticipate that need to dance. I found people are eager to dance and meet up with people, and it’s so cool to be part of that in a time like the winter when we don’t get to do a whole ton of that.”
To wrap things up this weekend, Simon welcomes a cavalcade of guest musicians. Just know this will be your last chance to catch this particular show as we know it. Of course, Tone Ranger will still call Santa Fe home, so who knows what the future holds? (Alex De Vore)
Valentine’s Day Day at The Mystic w/Tone Ranger & Guests: 9 pm Saturday, Feb. 14, $10-$15. The Mystic, 2810 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-7663
Belt it Out, Jo
Courtesy Tri-M Productions
Let’s face it, Jo March was destined for the stage. Isn’t it obvious from her charismatic attic performances? In the musical rendition of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel Little Women, Jo and her sisters Amy, Beth and Meg navigate the ups and downs of sisterhood, a father at war and falling in love, all with an added lyrical prose and melodic drive. And don’t worry, as Marmee and Laurie are sure to make an appearance. Originally developed for Broadway and written by Allan Knee, the Tri-Millennial Music Makers bring the show to New Mexico Actors Lab to remind us of the timeless classic and a heroine that will never die. (Adam Ferguson)
Little Women: The Musical: Opening Night, 7 pm Thursday, Feb. 13. $34-$56. New Mexico Actors Lab, 1213 Parkway Drive, (505) 395-6576
Naked As We Come
Courtesy Erin Currier
Not only is Santa Fe’s Erin Currier a super-talented painter, illustrator and collage-maker, she’s also an avid world traveler. Currier’s travels serve as a major source of inspiration behind her work and her perspective on the human experience, much of which we’ll see in her upcoming figurative nudes exhibit, Sin Ropa II. In the show, Currier uses markers, brown paper and stripped-down drawings she created at home and abroad to explore the fundamental elements of the human form. “I’m always struck by how much we all have in common,” Currier tells SFR, “and these drawings are an extension of that universal shared experience of being alive.” (Adam Ferguson)
Erin Currier: Sin Ropa II: Valentine’s Day Show: (Soft Opening Reception): 4 pm Friday, Feb. 14. Free. Blue Rain Gallery, 544 S Guadalupe St., (505) 954-9902
Getting to Know the Community
Provided
During a story-circle event run by Santa Feans Kim Fowler, Linda Jones and Shirley Edmondson, 20 locals shared their first-hand experiences and the realities of what it’s like to be Black in Santa Fe. Those stories were subsequently transformed into the script that became the hybrid play/documentary directed by Dani Reddick, Black in Santa Fe: Seen and Unseen. “I think people in Santa Fe don’t have a lot of interaction with Black folks and this is basically a snapshot of what the reality is for Black people in the community,” writer Fowler tells SFR. Fowler and company present the doc at a special screening in conjunction with local nonprofit Vital Spaces this weekend. (AF)
Black in Santa Fe: Seen and Unseen Screening: 3 pm Saturday, Feb. 15. $10 suggested donation (kids under 10 free; no one turned away). Center for Progress and Justice, 1420 Cerrillos Road, (575) 556-4390
