The third annual Durango Rockfest will be going all afternoon and into the night Saturday at Buckley Park, and the guys from the band Of Broken Dreams want to see you there.
With 13 bands mostly from around the Four Corners and spanning a variety of genres, there’s something for pretty much every musical taste.
“The lineup is from bluegrass all the way to hardcore,” says Of Broken Dreams’ bassist Scott DeForest. “It really kind of encompasses everything.”
The band Of Broken Dreams, which is made up of Phillip Roberson on guitar, Kyle Dalton on guitar, Jak Tha Ripper on vocals, DeForest on bass and Jim Barry on drums, has been working to bring this whole thing together.
“Really what we’re doing here is we don’t have a place to play metal, so we make our own events, and what better place to do it than in the park,” Dalton says.
Durango Rockfest is presented this year by XRock and the Rusty Shovel Saloon and a host of sponsors.
If watching bands isn’t enough for you, take the stage yourself during Rockfest’s guitar competition. You can bring your own guitar – or use one provided by the fest (“No amp necessary,” Dalton says.) – and then it’s on. You’ll have a minute or two to try to blow the audience away with your shredding and maybe walk away with a first-, second- or third-place prize.
Dalton said that in order to compete, you have to sign up about 45 minutes before the contest.
“There’s no stipulation; you just get up there and play guitar,” Dalton says. “It’s for everyone to enjoy.”
There’s also going to be a custom-painted guitar giveaway, and food vendors will be on hand to keep you fed. Admission is free, and it’s an all-ages show.
As with Rockfests before it, this year’s also picks a nonprofit to help. This year, it’s Durango Friends of the Arts. Donations to the nonprofit will be accepted at the fest, and when you donate, you’ll be entered for a chance to win prizes.
And with about 10 hours of wall-to-wall music bouncing between two stages, it’s going to be a jam-packed Saturday at Buckley.
“Basically, why we do it is to bring music to the people,” DeForest says. “We’re passionate about it.”
It’s also a good way to show off the town for the visiting bands.
“We wanted a place for these awesome Four Corners bands to come into Durango, our hometown where we live, and not only enjoy how beautiful it is here, but get to play,” Dalton says.
katie@durangoherald.com
If you go
What: Third annual Durango Rockfest.
When: Noon Saturday.
Where: Buckley Park, 1250 Main Ave.
Tickets: Rockfest is a free, all-ages event.
More information: http://bit.ly/2wxsR4a.
WHO’S PLAYING
American Grim, Of Broken Dreams, Blinddryve, Morbid Justice, INCIDE, Assassinate A King, Shadow Remain, Six Minute Suicide, 1000 Rogues, In My Distress, Said The Liar, Superhex, Mountain Top Pickers.
