Pink to Black, the new concert series made possible by a partnership between Thunder River Theatre Company (TRTC) and El Dorado, is gearing up for two more acts — a perfect kick-off to the changing seasons. Denver-based reggae group Tatanka will grace the black box on March 22 with groovy, island-inspired sounds. Local opener Beep Bop Boop will warm the audience up and the space will be activated with lush jungle decorations to transport audiences somewhere far from winter.
Pink Fuzz, a Boulder-based desert rock punk band consisting of brother and sister Lulu and John Demitro and drummer Alec Doniger, follows on April 5. Expect to see people moving and shaking as summer creeps around the corner. Good For Now, a local punk band based in Rifle, will open for Pink Fuzz. For the layout of this show, the team has a vision of pure unbridled grunge.
“We’re really excited to be part of the series,” John Demitro expressed. “We’re looking forward to getting out and playing in Carbondale. I’ve been through there a few times but haven’t been able to play a show there yet. We’re excited to bring some original music to the theater.”
When he spoke with The Sopris Sun, Demitro shared how he and his sister have been bringing their drummer, who joined the band roughly three weeks ago, up to speed and how he has been non-stop integrating with the band’s memorable harmonies, vocal melodies and heavy sound.
Discussing what he hopes audiences will take away from their performance at TRTC, he said, “We’re high energy, so it’ll be a rocking time. There is usually a mosh pit at our shows, although I don’t know if that will happen in the theater, but we take a lot of pride in our live performances and want everyone to have a good time.”
After hearing feedback from the inaugural Pink to Black showcase, TRTC Executive Artistic Director Missy Moore and El Dorado’s Chris Rullet returned to work with their creative team to reimagine ways to best utilize the space. The partnership’s goal is to bring a new element to the live music scene of the Roaring Fork Valley.
“In the feedback I received after the first show, the community was really thrilled,” Rullet stated. “We also heard some things that we have to grow with, but we’re not gonna know everything the first time out of the box.”
He continued, “After Triptides sold out, we had to see if it was going to work. This new phase of planning is where we’re at. The community responded and we wanted to evolve and we will always evolve.”
His sentiments were echoed by Moore, who said she is committed to growing the concert series and finding out what does and does not work. An example she provided of what did not work with the inaugural concert was the lighting design of the floor, which quickly became full of patrons who could not see the designs explicitly curated for the Triptides show.
“It’s been a big learning curve,” she admitted. “If you had asked me around this time last year if I would be producing concerts, I would have said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ It was a learning experience from Triptides, and we will continue learning, growing and figuring out what works and doesn’t work for this series.”
One of the series’ new trials involves implementing set pieces left over from theatric showcases. For the upcoming performance of Tatanka, the set of Junie B. Jones will be converted into the series’ newest feature: a VIP lounge featuring a private cocktail and charcuterie service. The lounge will seat roughly 24 people at cabaret-style tables elevated above the dance floor.
For more information, to purchase tickets or volunteer, visit www.thunderrivertheatre.com