Music scenes need someone to do the heavy lifting. That “someone” are first fans and musicians, second venue owners and promoters, a collaborative group handling the team effort to make said music scenes active and strong.
It’s what Kyle Dalton and Scott DeForest have been doing with organizing Durango Rockfest, the biennial loud rock event that showcases the region’s heavier bands.
If you go
WHAT: Rockfest featuring Crimson Kiss, Morbid Justice, KNFRMST, Acid Wrench and more.
WHEN: 1 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Buckley Park, 1250 Main Ave.
TICKETS: Free admission.
MORE INFORMATION: Email crimsonkissrocks@gmail.com
This year, Durango Harley-Davidson has gotten behind the event as a major sponsor, with Durango Rockfest happening Saturday in Buckley Park. A fundraiser/benefit as well as a festival, this year’s beneficiary is Durango BMX.
It’s all about giving musicians a place to have their music heard: While there are some DIY venues in Durango in Cold Storage and The Hive, along with Anarchy Brewing, not all venues are booking hard rock on the regular. Dalton and DeForest’s Rockfest was simply an effort to give these bands a place to play.
“We knew a lot of bands that we wanted to showcase, but there wasn’t really anywhere doing that. We named it Durango Rockfest to keep it broad, because we try to put in a little bit of everything, as we’ve also had bluegrass, hip-hop, EDM, everything,” Dalton said. “It’s mainly rock and metal, but we try to dash a little bit of everything in there. It’s just any bands around here that wanted a venue or place to play, that’s why we started it.”
Rockfest organizers and promoters Dalton and DeForest are lifers when it comes to a love of hard rock and heavy metal. The two have played together in different bands for years, currently playing in hard-rock band Crimson Kiss, in which Dalton plays lead guitar with DeForest plays bass. The band also features Kittie Voorhees on vocals, Rachel Dalton on rhythm guitar, and Jak “the ripper” on drums.
For Rockfest, Dalton is pulling triple-band duty, appearing onstage not only in Crimson Kiss, but also with event headliner Morbid Justice, and Anarchy Hammer. The day’s lineup also features Leviathan Axe, local punk/rock trio KNFRMST, Farmington instrumental fusion band Cinematica, Animas, SHU, Decapitation of a New Day, Better off Dead, hardcore punk band Acid Wrench and more. It’s all happening on two stages, so there’s little dead air throughout the day.
Concerts don’t fall from the sky, and when you go to a show or festival, there’s been one or many doing the work to make the event happen, which is everything from stage set up to venue procurement, among other necessary tasks. It’s such a project for a two-person team that they have the event every two years, which is a more realistic pace when you’re a DIY effort.
“Why we do it every other year is because it’s just too much to do consistently, as we do all this ourselves,” Dalton said. “Organizing vendors, getting the stage and getting the bands together, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it to give all these bands a place to play. And it gives us a stage to play on as well.”
The loud rock scene of this region is a tight-knit community that stretches from Durango to Farmington and beyond. It’s a community of bands that are into making music at whatever level they can, a dedication to a musical craft that would exist whether those bands sell 50 records or 50,000. A festival like Rockfest strengthens the musical community while letting local fans know you don’t need to travel to larger cities for a hard-rock fix.
“It’s a Four Corners rock and metal family that we have here, and this is our way of getting the music out there, and also helping out the community with the benefit,” Dalton said. “We’re just trying to have fun with it.”
Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager. Reach him at liggett_b@fortlewis.edu.
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