Chris Dracup :Funk of the West and Chill House Band featuring Hillary Smith

AMP is excited to collaborate with FUSION in launching an exciting new downtown outdoor performance space—The FUSION Meadow! The Meadow is an expansive outdoor venue on the FUSION arts campus, with a 1500 square foot covered stage overlooking an outdoor space with a capacity of 1200.  FUSION, home to the FUSION Theater Company, is a center for the arts and culture in Downtown Albuquerque with a multi-use venue, 35,000 square foot campus, three performance spaces, and indoor and outdoor event spaces.  It's located just south of 1st and Lomas NW, at the northern terminus of the future Rail Trail—a mixed use path that will follow the Railroad from the Railyards to the FUSION space.  

Albuquerque Summer Scene will take over this space every Sunday from June through August. FUSION will be organizing family-friendly afternoon activities from 2-4 PM that will lead into the early evening concerts. Each night will feature two performers, with the first one taking the stage at 5 PM.

We are so excited about this project that we are putting up a sneak peek so you can see how it is coming together.  

Check back for more details soon!

SPONSORS!

Big Thanks to Rick & Gail Thaler for being our first sponsors of Albuquerque Summer Scene. We are going to need A LOT more sponsors to pay for this. If you are an individual or local business eager to support a new art scene downtown, let us know!

Free! Make a reservation to get event updates and additional details.

Chris Dracup's latest musical project, :Funk of The West, is an energetic six-piece dance band that combines authentic American Blues and Funk music with African polyrhythms. The band features west Malian percussionist Male' Fainke' on Djimbe and talking drum.

Chris Dracup is a lifelong New Mexico musician who has been a singer, songwriter and lead guitarist with some of the state's most popular musical acts, including The Muttz, The Rattle Cats, The Chris Dracup Trio and Soul Kitchen. 

Known for his soulful electric and acoustic blues guitar, Chris' music draws on being comfortable in a wide range of musical styles. His acoustic slide guitar playing reflects the southern delta blues tradition. His original songwriting and regular performance schedule have garnered him critical and popular acclaim and won him an enduring Southwestern fan base.

The members of the Chill House Band bring years of experience performing professionally in New Mexico and Texas. The band provides an outstanding musical experience, including popular dance music, smooth/contemporary jazz, soul, R&B, and Blues.

With a deep soulfulness rooted in the Gospel-driven churches of her youth, a classically trained vocal instrument thats a natural wonder, and a God-given instinct for swinging a lyric, vocalist Hillary Smith has been electrifying audiences across the United States for more than 30 years. A native of Hobbs, New Mexico, Hill first made her mark in the 80s with gutsy performances of rockin' blues and funk, and she's fronted a number of popular bands in the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area over the years. Chief among the early groups was the multi-award-winning Strictly Taboo, whose debut album, Playing with Fire, got heavy rotation on local and international radio. Smith has performed with hONEyhoUSe, Chris Dracup and Soul Kitchen, Hill and the Brethren and the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra.