Giving BACK
Drew Herig has a vision for an Albuquerque music festival.
Although that dream will come to fruition in September, Herig and the managing partners of Drive Out Doubt LLC will host the organization’s first benefit event on Saturday, May 19, at Sandbar Brewery & Grill.
Drive Out Doubt LLC formed in October 2017 and is an organization aiming to give back to the community through music events.
“We realize there are a couple pain points in our city: crime and education,” Herig says. “Now a music festival isn’t really going to solve these, but we want to try and give back where we can in the space we can.”
Herig, Kaelin Brennan and Mike Mares have been working for months on creating the event.
“Albuquerque is a drivethrough city,” Herig says. “Usually bands pass us over for Denver or El Paso. We want to make a festival here that also highlights the local talent in addition to some national headliners.”
Herig and crew teamed up with Sandbar, which is hosting its cops-vs.-firefighters volleyball tournament. This is the second year that Sandbar is hosting the event, and Drive Out Doubt LLC will be the second organization to benefit from the proceeds.
“Some of the proceeds from Sandbar will be given to Drive Out Doubt,” he says. “Then we’ve partnered with Albuquerque Public Schools’ fine arts program. The proceeds will go to donate money to implement guitar classes at the Manzano feeder schools.”
In addition to eventgoers being able to watch the volleyball tournament, there will also be a local musical lineup headlined by Albuquerque band The Noms.
Also performing will be The Riddims and Sadé Munirah.
Herig wanted to have a lineup to showcase the local talent.
“This is what the show will be about,” he says. “We want to showcase everything Albuquerque has as far as local music. The festival in September will be all types of genres. It’s more a music festival where people can have fun listening to music all day.”
Herig says the Saturday event is kid-friendly until 4 p.m.