Aztec Summer Concert Series Open for the Season 

Aztec swings into summer with the Aztec Museum and Pioneer Village Summer Music series. You’re watching the Local News Network, brought to you by Sunray Park and Casino and Durango Motor Company. I’m Connor Shrieve, Aztec Museum executive director. Joan Moner says, the music at the museum summer concert series features a variety of heritage style genres.

It’s a way of people connecting to the past through music, which of course is one of the oldest things humans have done is play music together. And certainly, you know, the pioneering families that came out here were, were, were creating music, you know, even if it was a lone fiddler by a covered wagon, right? Native American is full of these different kind of musical experiences. And so yeah, that’s what we do out here.

Music at the museum started five years ago as a way to make the museum a place to gather.

Music is one of the best ways to experience history, frankly. And so we definitely came up with this concept that it takes you more of a travel through history. With our concerts, we have bluegrass, we have rag time, we have all different kinds of genres that we do.

The concerts take place on the second Friday of each month at 7:00 PM

For our June we 13th concert, we have a double billing of the Zia Chicks who are a favorite local band out of Farmington, a duo as well as the duo Black Velvet out of Durango. And so for me, it’s time traveling into my childhood. They’re playing Fleetwood Mac Eagles covers, as well as more contemporary songs in their own music. So for a lot of folks, that’s going to be a great experience.

Badly Bent, brings bluegrass to the museum in July, followed by the Jeff Solan Swing and big band in August.

It’s just a a way to step back in time into these different eras. Our final concert is September 12th, and that’s going to be the village band. And in, in a lot of ways, our music concerts were founded around the village band with Hoyle Osborne is the band leader. Some of the best musicians in the area come and play. Ragtime again, deeply rooted in American heritage.

Moer says six years into the summer music series, it remains true to its original social vision.

The intermissions are a really special time. ’cause again, we have our regular to come. We have people who are visiting the area, you know, they’re coming out to Aztec ruins and museums and things, and so they’ll come again. People from all over the country, all over the world that show up as well as our regulars and, and our San Juan County and and Southern Colorado folks come and it’s just a joyful, fun way to be together.

The museum does have 165 covered seats, but guests can also bring their own. Learn more about this story and others online at Farmington Local News. Thanks for watching this edition of The Local News Network. I’m Connor Shrieve.