From grease-stained, alt.country superheroes like Breaker 1-9 to the grungy atmospherics of the Oktober People to the orgasmic tribal percussion of Concepto Tambor, Albuquerque is bursting at the seams with musical talent. If you’ve spent the last 10 years sitting on your lazy butt at home, reading about all of our town’s blistering musical happenings in the Alibi without ever witnessing anything firsthand, it’s time for a lifestyle change. There’s no easier way to do this than getting in on the 2005 Spring Crawl. Plenty of bands working the local clubs here in Albuquerque have the talent to make it big in the outside world. Ten years from now you don’t want to be wallowing in a toxic vat of self-loathing because you passed up a chance to see the Mindy Set, simple. or Unit 7 Drain in some tiny little Downtown club, standing two feet from the stage, the sonic force of overcooked tube amps blasting straight into your ecstatic face. Who knows? A decade from now the best of our local musical talent could be touring stadiums in front of tens of thousands of people, separated from their audience by a security fence and a row of bodyguards. How much sweeter would it be to catch them now?
The Alibi Spring Crawl this Saturday, April 23, is the crown jewel of musical showcases here in Albuquerque. With approximately 100 bands playing on 20-odd stages around Downtown, it’s the single best way to sample the breadth and depth of our city’s music scene. From blues to punk to bluegrass to folk to ska to straight up good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll just like your mama used to make, there’s something here for just about everybody.
Here’s the way it works. Buy a wristband in advance for only $10 online at www.alibi.com, or at Natural Sound in Nob Hill (3422 Central SE, 255-8295), the Alibi offices (413 Central NW, 346-0660) or any Ticketmaster outlet. If you aren’t savvy enough to buy one ahead of time, you can purchase a wristband on the day of the Crawl for $15. Pre-sales will stop online at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, and at 4 p.m. at Natural Sound and Ticketmaster outlets.
On the day of the event, you can begin buying your wristbands at the Information Booth just outside the Alibi offices at 2 p.m., and at 5 p.m. at the entrance to the Fifth Street outdoor stage. Beginning at 7 p.m., you will also be able to purchase tickets at the Sunshine Theater and El Rey Theater.
Please note that you won’t be able to buy wristbands at any other location the evening of the Crawl. Let’s cut to the chase here. If you buy your wristbands in advance, you’ll save yourself some cash. You’ll also save yourself and everyone else a lot of hassle by keeping the sales lines down the night of the Crawl.
As always, safety is our single biggest priority. The Alibi has shelled out for Emergency Medical Services, Albuquerque Police Department officers and Albuquerque Fire Department officials along with a First Aid Station and plenty of private security officers. Because we’ve always emphasized security, the Crawls have been safe events from the beginning.
Our handy pullout locator map shows locations of police and fire department command posts, Emergency Medical Services, the First Aid Station, the Info Booth, the taxi stand, parking and toilets. Our handy schedule indicates the venues and band roster. Note that the Sunshine Theater, Windchime Champagne Gallery and Gold Street Caffé are our three all-ages venues this year.
We will happily answer any additional questions you might have at our Info Booth. Remember to be respectful of the bands and your fellow Crawlers. Drink responsibly, and take precautions to not get behind the wheel if you’re under the influence. The best way to do this is to book a room at a Downtown hotel, assign one of your posse to not touch an alcoholic beverage the entire evening, or arrange to take a cab home (Albuquerque Cab: 883-4888, Checker Cab: 243-7777, Yellow Cab: 247-8888, Giant Cab: 293-4222).
