近距离内射合集

Taos-born singer-songwriter Max Gomez and Tuscon鈥檚 Howe Gelb are trekking through New Mexico this month as part of their 鈥淒esert Companion Tour.鈥�

Backed by an improvisational trio, Slant Can, the two alt-country troubadours will play Whiskey Creek Zocalo on Friday, Aug. 21, with additional stops in Truth or Consequences, Los Alamos and Santa Fe, before their final appearance in the state at the historic San Ysidro Church in Corrales on Aug. 26.

鈥淲e鈥檙e playing all our favorite desert towns that have inspired us over the years. 鈥� Mostly we鈥檙e playing unique, off-the-beaten-path, interesting venues like San Ysidro Church and like El Cortez Theater in Truth or Consequences,鈥� Gomez said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e playing Tumbleroot in Santa Fe, which is kind of a full-blown concert hall these days but still has, in the grand scheme of things, small-town rock 鈥檔鈥� roll charm and Southwestern woodwork vibes.鈥�

New Mexico has always been a core part of Gomez鈥檚 musical identity, he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 completely rooted there,鈥� Gomez said. 鈥淢y art and inspirations are all rooted there.鈥�

He spoke with special fondness for his early years in Taos.

鈥淚鈥檓 the youngest of four boys, growing up in Taos, and looking back on it, we were probably raised more by the community than we were our parents, because we were pretty wild and loose and free,鈥� Gomez said. 鈥淵ou might be 7 years old and ride your bike into town with your buddies. That鈥檚 that old freedom that kids had.鈥�

One of Gomez鈥檚 earliest musical influences was Johnny Cash.

鈥淚t was actually Johnny Cash who gave me the confidence to try to sing in front of a crowd,鈥� Gomez said. 鈥淏ecause I didn鈥檛 think I could sing, and I didn鈥檛 think Johnny Cash could either. I thought, 鈥楳an, it sounds like he鈥檚 talking.鈥� It didn鈥檛 sound like he was singing in the performance sense, not like Celine Dion or a blues singer or something. He鈥檚 just up there, commanding a story and speaking with this big voice and rhythm and time. And I thought, 鈥榃ell, I could probably try to do that.鈥欌��

When he did start performing in Taos, Gomez said the community embraced him.

鈥淭he arts community there was extremely supportive. The whole town seemed to band together and support me as a budding musician performing around town at bars and restaurants when I was a teenager, all the way till today,鈥� Gomez said.

Gomez released his latest solo album, 鈥淢emory Mountain,鈥� last year, and it reached No. 1 on the Alt-Country Radio Chart.

鈥淚t鈥檚 super cool,鈥� Gomez said. 鈥溾�� I never paid attention to any radio charts, but in my hometown, KTAO was a great superstation that we all idolized when I was a kid. 鈥� It鈥檚 a radio airplay chart, not a sales chart, but still very happy about it.鈥�

Many of Gomez鈥檚 influences, from Johnny Cash to John Prine to Neil Young, are known for their simple, no-frills songs 鈥� a style he has tried to emulate over the years.

鈥淚鈥檝e had it on my list of things to do for years now, to write a two-chord song. A lot of my favorite songs have only two chords in them,鈥� Gomez said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of old cliches. You know, 鈥楾hree chords and the truth, that鈥檚 all you need.鈥� Country music kind of thrives on that. 鈥� As far as how does one get there to play a simple and heartfelt song, I don鈥檛 know that there鈥檚 a roadmap, but studying the ghosts that haunt you 鈥� and when your heart鈥檚 about to burst, or is bursting, grab a pen and a guitar.鈥�

Gomez met Prine in person and even got to jam with him one night in his hotel suite in Albuquerque when the folk-country icon was touring through town.

鈥淚t was a total joy. 鈥� I was just thinking, 鈥楬ow cool!鈥� Like, 鈥榩inch me鈥� kind of stuff,鈥� Gomez said.

Prine died from complications relating to COVID-19 in 2020, and in 2022, his family organized a tribute concert in Nashville called 鈥淵ou Got Gold,鈥� which is now an annual event. Gomez was invited to perform at the festival last year.

鈥淚t was pretty special,鈥� Gomez said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檝e become friends with a number of his family and bandmates.鈥�

Being connected, through them, to a musician he grew up idolizing is something he鈥檚 still trying to wrap his head around.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 like to stop and think about it too much, 鈥檆ause it鈥檚 too weird,鈥� Gomez said.

For the current tour, the band will be performing a mix of Gomez鈥檚 and Gelb鈥檚 songs, as well as a few covers of what Gomez called 鈥渙ld desert songs.鈥�

鈥淥ne of them is called 鈥楧esert Rat,鈥� which is an old Michael Martin Murphey song that I think a lot of New Mexicans would know, because it was on a big hit album of his in the 鈥�70s,鈥� Gomez said.

Gomez said he loves playing historic venues, such as the San Ysidro Church, where he previously performed a solo acoustic concert.

鈥淚t鈥檚 such a legacy venue,鈥� Gomez said. 鈥溾�� I feel like we鈥檙e lucky to go there and partake and be a small part of that history.鈥�

Gomez will also play a solo engagement in his hometown of Taos on Monday, Aug. 31. 

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the 近距离内射合集. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at .