Random Acts
Oktoberfiesta kicks off at The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing Co.; Winning the Future plays at the Adobe Rose Theatre; and The Routine rocks the Santa Fe Brewing Tasting Room
Not-so-strange bedfellows: The Routine
When Bryan Barbarin went from acting in small theaters around San Diego, California, to fronting The Routine, a five-member rock-soul-jam band he formed in 2013 with longtime friend and guitarist Russell Ramo, he found he could express his creative side better as a lead singer than on stage pretending to be someone else. Soon, The Routine was playing their hard-driving yet invariably upbeat music at The Boom Boom Room in San Francisco and The Roxy in Los Angeles. As a collective, The Routine is a melting pot of cultures and influences — black, white, European, Middle Eastern, and Latino — and they emphasize unity through diversity in their lyrics and overall approach to making music. The Routine plays at Santa Fe Brewing Tasting Room (35 Fire Place, 505-424-3333) from 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18; no cover. — Jennifer Levin
Suds and sounds: Oktoberfiesta
Santa Fe Brewing Company (35 Fire Place, 505-424-3333) holds its fifth annual Oktoberfiesta at its outdoor concert venue, the Bridge, on Saturday, Oct. 15, and Sunday, Oct. 16. Featuring bands, beer, and bratwurst, the first day kicks off at noon with Mariachi Diferencia, followed by local jam band Pigment at 1 p.m. and Siren Shipwreck at 3 p.m. There is a yodeling contest at 6:45 p.m. following a performance of gonzo roots music by Imperial Rooster at 5 p.m. Saturday ends with soulful reggae rock by Mondo Vibrations at 7 p.m. On Sunday, St. Range starts the show at noon; at 2 p.m. it is time for The Hill Stompers, a huge, funky marching band that performs popular favorites while wearing festive costumes. Oktoberfiesta’s final band is The Battlefield — a trio of folky Americana singer/songwriters from Los Angeles — at 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission to Oktoberfiesta is $10-$20; tickets are available at the door or at www.santafebrewing .com. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Adaptive Sports Program of New Mexico, the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society, and Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families. For a complete schedule, visit www. santafebrewing.com. — J.L.
My country ‘tis of three: Winning the Future
As we inch closer and closer to election day, emotions are running high. If you’d rather cheer yourself up with some chuckles than numb out with another night of televised campaign commercials, Santa Fe’s Up & Down Theatre Company is taking on the United States of America in Winning the Future, a satirical musical cabaret starring Kate Chavez and Lindsey Hope Pearlman, with jazz pianist Robin Holloway, opening at the Adobe Rose Theatre (1213-B Parkway Drive, 505-629-8688) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20. Chavez and Pearlman’s song “Make America Great Again” — about racism, sexism, ignorance of the dangers of tobacco, and other societal ills endemic to the bygone era for which some Americans claim to long — went viral on YouTube. Performances of Winning the Future continue at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and at 3 p.m. on Sundays through Nov. 6. Tickets, $20 ($10 for students with ID), are available at www. upanddowntheatre.com. — J.L.