On March 2, the Mancos Creative District will host its inaugural Mixed in Mancos, which will feature local bands at the Mancos Opera House.

The event, which will feature “three hard-working bands from Southwest Colorado that are beloved for their original songwriting and rock ’n’ roll energy,” The Crags, Farmington Hill and Little Wilderness, will record the concert and will have CDs and vinyl records for purchase.

The doors of the Mancos Opera House will open at 5 p.m. March 2.

Organizer Erik Nordstrom said each band will perform for about 70 minutes, with the concert wrapping up about 10:30 p.m.

Nordstrom, who is a member of Farmington Hill band, said he came up with the idea for the event after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022 and had to leave his teaching job.

He grew up in Kansas and knew of an event called Loaded in Lawrence which had a similar premise to Mixed in Mancos. At Loaded in Lawrence, four bands each play one of four nights, and their original songs were recorded and combined into a 16-song CD.

Nordstrom joined the Mancos Creative District and began working to make Mixed in Mancos a reality. The CD and vinyl will be produced by a team of people that includes Shannon Rierson from Flak Records.

Bands are welcome to do covers of songs, but only originals can make it onto the CD or vinyl. CDs and vinyls can be preordered online, but Nordstrom said it could take two to four months to finish production.

Local refreshments will be provided by Mancos Brewing, Fenceline Cider and Mancos Liquors. DeWayne Jackson, brewer of Mancos Brewing, will craft a special beer for Mixed in Mancos, Nordstrom said.

All ages are welcome to attend, but those who want to consume alcohol must present an ID at the venue. Limited seating will also be available, as all participants are encouraged to have fun and dance.

The Crags will perform at 6 p.m. According a the news release, members of The Crags were born and raised in Durango and established their band in 2010.

Their music is inspired by living in the desert Southwest, and they call their genre “psych-a-desert rock.”

“Take three parts dreamy/psych/shoegaze, two parts heavy/grungy/fuzzed-out rock, and add a healthy dose of surf DNA,” the news release said. “These indie songs sound like what you’d get if a ‘palm tree and a cactus had a baby.’”

Tracy Ford, singer and guitarist, does the majority of the songwriting, and Tim Lillyquist is lead guitarist. John Ford plays the drums and contributes vocals, while Dan Leek plays the bass.

“Never predictable, sometimes rowdy, there’s always a good time to be had at a Crags show,” they said.

Farmington Hill will perform at 7:30 p.m. Their music is described as “spirited, country-fried indie rock” since 2006.

The band started after Paul Iudice approached Nordstrom about collaborating on some country and folk songs, and soon they formed Farmington Hill.

Iudice plays the acoustic guitar and Nordstrom is on the Telecaster, as well as both writing songs and contributing to vocals.

Kelly Rogers plays lap steel, Jim Belcher plays bass and Dave Sachs is on drums. Both Rogers and Belcher also have a part in the vocals.

“This is music suitable for both a raucous Saturday night and the accompanying Sunday hangover,” they said.

Little Wilderness, to play at 9 p.m., is known as “homegrown rock ’n’ roll that pays tribute to the environment around the Four Corners.”

The band was established in 2011 and has become a “staple of the Durango musical community.”

Paul Henderson writes songs, sings and plays the guitar. He is joined by Dan Szabo on the guitar, bassist Juan Lopez and drummer David Sachs.

They released their album “Big Tent” with Flak Records in 2019.

“Little Wilderness takes pride in their craft, striving to be true to their roots and to inspire their listeners and counterparts to do the same. Rock ’n’ roll will never die,” the press release said.

Nordstrom said he hopes the inaugural Mixed in Mancos is a fun experience for all who attend.

“I really hope it’s a unique and memorable experience and fun for everybody,” he said. “People are encouraged to dance and participate with the bands as they can. I also hope it’s an inspiration to other musicians and bands in the area moving forward. I hope it’s really going to promote original music and songwriting.”

Admission is $20. Pre-sale tickets are available, as well as pre-order copies of the live album (CD or vinyl). If you purchase a pre-order album, you will receive a copy of the album once it is made. Delivery details will be emailed.

For tickets and pre-order live albums, visit https://bit.ly/42jXMjX.

For more information, contact music@mancoscreativedistrict.com