Singer-songwriter Bo DePeña is on an epic tour that will take him to 34 cities over the next few months, including a stop here on Sunday where he will play at the Balcony.
I caught up with DePeña on Wednesday, and we talked about spending time alone on the road and the resurgence in popularity of American roots music.
Q: Your summer tour looks pretty intense – you’re doing a bunch of shows in a few months. What’s it like being on the road that long?
A: It’s actually kind of therapeutic. I get a lot of alone time, a lot of time with my thoughts … especially because I travel by myself. I do like every once in a while when I travel with another musician, that obviously gives me some company, but there’s something I enjoy about the road. I’ve always had an affinity for travel and exploring new places.
Q: Do you have any favorite stories from the road?
A: The whole thing is kind of a story in and of itself. It’s really just a story itself on a macro level: It’s hard for me to point to any one specific incident that stands out in my head. The ability to be able to go to play a show across the river from Glacier National Park in Montana is among some of the most incredible memories. Being that I’m not only a musician but a big outdoorsman, being able to appreciate these places for their natural beauty and being able to go hiking, fly-fishing in all these areas, that’s something that I will always be grateful for.
Q: As an American roots musician, do you see your audience growing?
A: I do, and it’s not so much that the audience may be growing among millennials or younger individuals, although I think that is the case, too. I think that as they slowly grow older, they start to instead of waiting for new music, some of them decide to just start going backwards in time and seeing this massive catalog of great American music throughout the years. I think there’s an element of that demographic growing older and becoming wiser to some of this more traditional music. But then also on another level, there’s always been that kind of crowd that wants to hang out and enjoy beer or a burger on a porch somewhere on a Saturday or Sunday.
katie@durangoherald.com
If you go
What: Singer-songwriter Bo DePeña.
When: 4 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Balcony Bar & Grill, 600 Main Ave.
More information: Check out www.bodepenamusic.com.
