February 2010

There is an Indian with tears in his eyes after seeing what his fellow man has done to the Pueblo music scene. That Indian is Gabe Martinez, drummer for One Fifty One, owner of Nine Till Two Productions, and the reason Dirty Rotten Imbeciles graced our town with their dirty, rotten presence. It goes without saying that Gabe is one of the hardest working gentlemen around town.

“I put up the money and seek out the venues, I want to bring some big names to Pueblo,” he says. Gabe is not new to any of this. “Nobody ever mentions the roots of the Pueblo scene,” he says. “We all used to have a great time together…we didn’t even enjoy each other’s music but it wasn’t about that.”

These days it’s not so easy, he says. “The so-called punk scene was nonexistent at the Agent Orange show.” Gabe admits. The unity of the Pueblo scene is gone, leaving shard-like cliques scattered across our sidewalks, shows attended simply by friends and family, and a talent show feel replacing what once was a living organism full of hardened grit, momentum, and energy.

With the unity of Pueblo’s already-dismal scene collapsing in on itself, there soon may be nothing left but isolated, ego-driven musical orgies with more leaders than members and more sound systems than actual musicians. Say hello to a Pueblo where there are more record labels than records; but this isn’t a Pueblo Gabe is willing to accept.

Gabe hopes that a diverse lineup will bring a diverse crowd. “I’m looking for unity. When I set up local shows I try to set up a mix of punk, ska, metal—a little of everything,” he explains, adding, “I would like to see different people, new people.”

Gabe shares my feelings regarding both Pueblo’s scene and the long-term damage of allowing inbred families to procreate. If something isn’t done about this, we’re bound to end up with a handful of eleven-toed folk singers and nothing better to do than actually go to their shows.

“When deciding who is going to open for these shows (Agent Orange, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) I look for the people I see at shows, people supporting the scene,” Gabe says. “I’m looking for progress, not miracles.”

Gabe Martinez’s efforts would not be possible without the enormous support of Shock the Rock Productions, led by Christina Melgar who, by the time this column reaches you, will be Gabe’s wife. Her production company can be reached at myspace.com/zhiba.

Additionally, on February 6^th, Bleached, Murderhat, One Fifty One, and The Bad Beat will play the Downtown Bar. Show starts at 9 PM, is 21+, and three dollars gets you in the door.

Keep your ear to the streets.

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