One of the hottest acts in music today spend back to back nights in our fair city with two sold out shows. The 19 year old phenom known simply as Khalid has been skyrocketing up the charts within the last year on the heels of his debut album American Teen. The 19 year old from El Paso, Texas has been busy with his current our as well as guest appearances on tracks with Calvin Harris, Marshmello, Goldlink and more. A fresh face on the R&B scene Khalid delivers with a unique voice and amazing energy on stage. It was only a few months ago he was playing to a packed Larimer Lounge to this weeks sold out shows at The Ogden and Fillmore. The kid is on his way.
At The Drive Make Their Triumphant Return To Denver
Cedric Bixler-Zavala of ATDI (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
Growing up in El Paso, Texas I had a chance to witness At The Drive In play many intimate shows, some in basements of houses, others in small clubs. Most recently I had a chance to see them this past year at SXSW were they popped into a surprise guest slot at The House of Vans. Over the years the band has seen many iterations of change from breakups to new groups to even a new album which dropped recently. From The Mars Volta to Sparta to today's original lineup (minus Jim Ward) the band has always been a staple of their specific genre for almost two decades now.
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
Their return the Mile High City was as expected, the same At The Drive In we saw many years ago still carry over the same energy today that they did back then. A prime example is when twenty minutes into their set they managed to destroy the soundboard in good old ATDI fashion. After a small break things got back up and running as the band tore through a majority of their new album in•ter a*li*a. They did manage to play a few of their classics including "Pattern Against User", "Invalid Litter Dept.", "Arcarsenal" and "One Armed Scissor". What holds the future for the El Paso five piece? Only time will tell, one thing is for certain the band is still doing what they love today just as they did 17 years ago. The band is currently on tour with a few festival appearances thrown in for the rest of the year. Make sure to pick up their new album available everywhere.
Words and Images: Robert Castro
Neon Desert
Neon Desert Music Festival is the first festival of its kind offered in El Paso. On April 30th 2011, local heroes and international stars will electrify the desert with their musical styling. Located in historic Downtown El Paso, NDMF will feature a musically eclectic lineup across 4 stages directly in the heart of our city. This incredible sonic experience will be accompanied by many popular, local food vendors, artists and merchants.
Festival attendees can sip beers, and soak up the sun in two of El Paso’s downtown parks while listening to the rockin’ jams.
We are working towards establishing the city of El Paso as a destination location for concert events in the southwest.
The success of Neon Desert Music Festival will benefit two non-profit organizations. We have aligned ourselves with Amor Por Juarez and Creative Kids and both organizations will receive a portion of our profits to help continue their work in El Paso and our Sister City. Splendid Sun Productions looks forward to giving back to the community that has given us a rich bi-cultural foundation.
Be sure to continue checking our website for festival updates. We look forward to seeing you at Neon Desert Music Festival. We’re sure you’ll leave with an unforgettable experience. Peace, Love & Rock N Roll!