In 1984 I was a teenager playing music in Albuquerque. Never needed JB. Radio Station KWXL 94 ROCK sponsored our show at the Sports Center. We sold tickets, had our own PA system, stage & lighting. Sold our band logo on t-shirts and jerseys. Even sold alcohol with an ID. We were also on the cover of Southwest Entertainment in 1984.
The music scene is great here. Everyone saying it sucks now probably hasn't been to a show in the last 10 years. Launchpad, moonlight lounge, insideout, sawmill, any brewery in town has great bands.
Apparently, our definition of a great music scene are somewhat different. Back in the late 70s through the late 80s, you could go out any night of the week and hear killer, well-rehearsed bands with full lights and sound. Some bands, like the Muttz, were playing all original music and packing venues. These days, most venues, typically breweries, just stick the band in a corner in the dark and the band does their own sound from stage using a couple of speakers on sticks for vocals. They're also generally covering other people's material, playing classic rock, or blues. The acoustics in most (not all) venues are terrible for music because of the concrete floors and glass.
"Your gonna see less and less live bands, it's going to video". Thanks so much for posting this. I think this video explains 100% why Albuquerque never had a real music scene since I've been around.
+Chuck Landreth - Albuquerque did have a thriving, live music scene from the mid-60s to the early 90s. Many bands were playing original music, although virtually none of them were Bufalino bands.
When I left Albuquerque, and arrived in California, I thought the scene was going to be a lot more like The Sunset Strip. As it turned out, Albuquerque was one of the few places where most of the venues had an actual stage, as opposed to a few tables they moved for the band. Almost no venue in CA has professional lighting. We were very fortunate to have Confetti, The Bird, Senor Buckets, The Hungry Bear, and The Friars Pub. Not to mention places like the Fat Chance, The Sunshine and the Ki-Mo! Contrary to popular belief, we had it good! I had to leave Albuquerque to see it!
There was a huge rock band scene in Albuquerque during the time this report came out with talent like Dead Ahead, Ritual, Mad Dog, John Street Rockets, Off the Wall, and other great rock bands who avoided the bar scene. Real rock music lovers thrived in an underground music scene that was like no other. Albuquerque used to be one heck of a music town, but not anymore. Sad.
There were plenty of bands that worked constantly that were not under Buffalino's thumb. I was in two of them (Trouble, and 505). The SOX, Ol' Scratch, Magnetics, and the list goes on. This is pretty funny in retrospect. At least back then there were some signs of life in ABQ.
Albuquerque has had a thriving music scene since I was a kid, but people trying to make it the traditional ways, by relying on club owners, will eventually fail. Hell, I've never heard of any of these bands. But I can name a couple bands, and bands friends of mine were in that made it huge, like the Shins. Mostly the only real bands making anything of themselves were all DIY punk bands and most of them are still around or helping newer bands.
So many great Albuquerque rock bands like Dead Ahead and others avoided The bar scene Bufalino created and a lot of great original music never got heard because of that guy. A real shame.
I had three very popular bands playing the bar scene, the Planets, the Sox, and the Muttz. Bufalino never got his hooks into them, it's not that Bufalino didn't try, I would just never let him do it. We were doing really well without him.
@John Cline ...Hi John. Three great bands there. Great music days in Albuquerque. Congrats for navigating around Bufalino. I remember your bands getting a lot of work. Met your brother Jeff one time at 32nd St. Remember Mitch Kenison? Knew him as well. Cheers.
So true...But it got better. I was in a band called The Choclate Hippies in the mid 90's ...and by then it was all original music and Buff was a non factor
So in the '80's Albuquerque was "America's Liverpool??" 😂 Please give some big news-show-interview props to the one, the only, the legend, the fabulously talented and the incredibly missed Steve D'Coda. He got his start when Albuquerque actually had it's first real music scene. In the middle-late '60's and then into the very early '70's. There were at least 20 or 30 bands in Albuquerque. And some of them were really REALLY good. There were bands that had players and singers of every kind and color. And that came from every part of the city. No one SUGGESTED to them, THREATENED them, or FORCED them to be diverse. Diversity was not a thing that even was thought about. Diversity? No person in any band in Albuquerque seemed to have an advantage, a disadvantage, or a privilege (imaginary or otherwise) that depended on what their last name was, what color their skin was, or what part of town they were from. Either your band was good, or it wasn't, Either you were popular, or not that much. And either the individuals either had some kind of "something," or they didn't. Those seemed to be the only distinctions. That is just the way I remember it anyway. The way that it was in Albuquerque....back THEN. Not in the '80's. That news segment made things look pretty grim there. RIP Steve
This guy about top 40 was just plain wrong. In this year without radio Iron Maiden sold out everywhere in the United States. 4 nights a row in the Long Beach arena
Albuquerque had a decent live music scene in the '70s. Planets would usually be at Ned's, and other bars like Alfalfa's on Lomas and Okie's by UNM would bring in good bands from out of town. Albuquerque produced the Wumblies, who had a great drummer (Randy Castillo) who went on to play with Ozzie. The Buffalino scene (1984) they're describing in this video sounds plastic / dull. ... and "America's Liverpool?" =D LOL
it's called write your own music in LA make a hit and Sassy Jones would promote it for you.....lol just ask Journey! .....lol wanna bee's never made it just like Joe didnt!...lol
In 1984 I was a teenager playing music in Albuquerque. Never needed JB. Radio Station KWXL 94 ROCK sponsored our show at the Sports Center. We sold tickets, had our own PA system, stage & lighting. Sold our band logo on t-shirts and jerseys. Even sold alcohol with an ID. We were also on the cover of Southwest Entertainment in 1984.
Excellent! What was your band's name?
The music scene is great here. Everyone saying it sucks now probably hasn't been to a show in the last 10 years. Launchpad, moonlight lounge, insideout, sawmill, any brewery in town has great bands.
Apparently, our definition of a great music scene are somewhat different. Back in the late 70s through the late 80s, you could go out any night of the week and hear killer, well-rehearsed bands with full lights and sound. Some bands, like the Muttz, were playing all original music and packing venues. These days, most venues, typically breweries, just stick the band in a corner in the dark and the band does their own sound from stage using a couple of speakers on sticks for vocals. They're also generally covering other people's material, playing classic rock, or blues. The acoustics in most (not all) venues are terrible for music because of the concrete floors and glass.
"Your gonna see less and less live bands, it's going to video". Thanks so much for posting this. I think this video explains 100% why Albuquerque never had a real music scene since I've been around.
+Chuck Landreth - Albuquerque did have a thriving, live music scene from the mid-60s to the early 90s. Many bands were playing original music, although virtually none of them were Bufalino bands.
When I left Albuquerque, and arrived in California, I thought the scene was going to be a lot more like The Sunset Strip. As it turned out, Albuquerque was one of the few places where most of the venues had an actual stage, as opposed to a few tables they moved for the band. Almost no venue in CA has professional lighting. We were very fortunate to have Confetti, The Bird, Senor Buckets, The Hungry Bear, and The Friars Pub. Not to mention places like the Fat Chance, The Sunshine and the Ki-Mo! Contrary to popular belief, we had it good! I had to leave Albuquerque to see it!
Seems like The Shins did pretty well for themselves. Ditto for Beirut.
See? Albuquerque was a cool place at once. This is the town I remember....
Bufalino suppressed a lot of good music, and nearly wrecked the music scene in Albuquerque in the 80's.
There was a huge rock band scene in Albuquerque during the time this report came out with talent like Dead Ahead, Ritual, Mad Dog, John Street Rockets, Off the Wall, and other great rock bands who avoided the bar scene. Real rock music lovers thrived in an underground music scene that was like no other. Albuquerque used to be one heck of a music town, but not anymore. Sad.
Yes, so true! Dunno what happened to the music scene here. Guess it had a good run, but now it's over.. sad indeed!
There were plenty of bands that worked constantly that were not under Buffalino's thumb. I was in two of them (Trouble, and 505). The SOX, Ol' Scratch, Magnetics, and the list goes on. This is pretty funny in retrospect. At least back then there were some signs of life in ABQ.
We hired the Shakers for our wedding reception. LOVED them.
Thanks for sharing brother!
Albuquerque has had a thriving music scene since I was a kid, but people trying to make it the traditional ways, by relying on club owners, will eventually fail. Hell, I've never heard of any of these bands. But I can name a couple bands, and bands friends of mine were in that made it huge, like the Shins. Mostly the only real bands making anything of themselves were all DIY punk bands and most of them are still around or helping newer bands.
So many great Albuquerque rock bands like Dead Ahead and others avoided The bar scene Bufalino created and a lot of great original music never got heard because of that guy. A real shame.
I had three very popular bands playing the bar scene, the Planets, the Sox, and the Muttz. Bufalino never got his hooks into them, it's not that Bufalino didn't try, I would just never let him do it. We were doing really well without him.
@John Cline ...Hi John. Three great bands there. Great music days in Albuquerque. Congrats for navigating around Bufalino. I remember your bands getting a lot of work. Met your brother Jeff one time at 32nd St. Remember Mitch Kenison? Knew him as well. Cheers.
So true...But it got better. I was in a band called The Choclate Hippies in the mid 90's ...and by then it was all original music and Buff was a non factor
Great to see all these bands just before they hit the big time.
OMG! That's Jane Wells the reporter from CNBC! Holy shit!
So in the '80's Albuquerque was "America's Liverpool??" 😂
Please give some big news-show-interview props to the one, the only, the legend, the fabulously talented and the incredibly missed Steve D'Coda. He got his start when Albuquerque actually had it's first real music scene. In the middle-late '60's and then into the very early '70's. There were at least 20 or 30 bands in Albuquerque. And some of them were really REALLY good. There were bands that had players and singers of every kind and color. And that came from every part of the city.
No one SUGGESTED to them, THREATENED them, or FORCED them to be diverse. Diversity was not a thing that even was thought about. Diversity?
No person in any band in Albuquerque seemed to have an advantage, a disadvantage, or a privilege (imaginary or otherwise) that depended on what their last name was, what color their skin was, or what part of town they were from. Either your band was good, or it wasn't, Either you were popular, or not that much. And either the individuals either had some kind of "something," or they didn't. Those seemed to be the only distinctions.
That is just the way I remember it anyway. The way that it was in Albuquerque....back THEN.
Not in the '80's. That news segment made things look pretty grim there.
RIP Steve
Steve was a sweetheart :(
This guy about top 40 was just plain wrong. In this year without radio Iron Maiden sold out everywhere in the United States. 4 nights a row in the Long Beach arena
"Blow-Job-A-Lino" that's what people used to call him. Some still do.
Lmao
Albuquerque had a decent live music scene in the '70s. Planets would usually be at Ned's, and other bars like Alfalfa's on Lomas and Okie's by UNM would bring in good bands from out of town. Albuquerque produced the Wumblies, who had a great drummer (Randy Castillo) who went on to play with Ozzie. The Buffalino scene (1984) they're describing in this video sounds plastic / dull.
... and "America's Liverpool?" =D LOL
Its a whole different scene, and cluture....maybe things will change..there is a lot of great musicians here,but where to play?
Haha wow what a flashback!
We all quit the music scene just because of this....mafia and hit men running the shows!!!!
Jet Jaguar the rondelles smashed hands
Wow you could get a full time job playing clubs back in the day?
Yes, you could make a pretty decent living playing music full time in Albuquerque from the mid-70s to the early 90s.
Nothing ever changes lol
Oh, the music scene in Albuquerque has changed quite a bit since then, and not for the better.
If Albuquerque is America's Liverpool, that does that make Joe Bufalino America's Brian Epstein?
......ROBERT PINETTE ,ABADDON!!!!!!
it's called write your own music in LA make a hit and Sassy Jones would promote it for you.....lol just ask Journey! .....lol wanna bee's never made it just like Joe didnt!...lol
O so that's why the music scene has sucked my entire life! smfh