Old times in the air

Old-time rock 'n' roll music filled the air of Tucumcari over the weekend, and the people who attended the inaugural Rockin' Route 66 festival filled the town's motels and restaurants.

Rockin' Route 66, which replaced Rockabilly on the Route after a one-year hiatus, brought in more than 15 musical acts to various venues in Tucumcari, mostly at the convention center, from Thursday through Saturday.

Brian Whitcomb, promoter of Rockin' Route 66 and president of Garage 71 Radio and Grease Inc. magazine, said Sunday during a festival-ending pool party at the Elks Lodge the festival had sold out at least six Tucumcari motels and sold more than 500 tickets for the headlining acts of Rhythm Shakers, Kitty Rose and the Rattlers, Slim and the Gems, Willie Heath Neal, Phil Rocker and Danny B. Harvey and Annie Marie Lewis (niece of rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis). Cars filled the parking lots of restaurants on or near the city's Route 66 corridor.

In all, Whitcomb estimated nearly 4,000 people attended the festival's events.

"It was absolutely great," Whitcomb said, summing up Rockin' Route 66. "We got our feet dug into the dirt, reset in the sands of New Mexico. It's on."

In a gesture showing confidence in its future, the festival announced Sunday morning on Facebook the next edition of Rockin' Route 66 will be June 25-28, 2020.

Jem Crossland of Charlotte, North Carolina, a Rockabilly on the Route veteran who performed five shows over the weekend, including at two restaurants and a motel, said Whitcomb's organizational skills will be a big plus in the long run.

"As soon as I got here, he let me know where I had to be, whether it be a radio interview or in the green room signing autographs," Crossland said. "He's very much into the detail of everything, and that will benefit the whole thing."

Crossland, who said crowds were smaller than two years ago, acknowledged part of his role was goodwill ambassador.

"People were a bit tougher because they were a bit skeptical because there was a year missing," he said. "They have to understand this isn't Rockabilly on the Route; this is something different. It may not look like a success this year, but it's a stepping stone to next year."

In addition to having to start a music festival over essentially from scratch, one factor that may have depressed attendance was Rockin' Route 66 conflicted with the Clovis Dragging Main Music Festival over the weekend.

Jenny Kuller of Phoenix, who ran the Redhead Sadie Vintage jewelry and clothing stand, said her sales probably were down from when she was at Rockabilly on the Route two years ago, but she also saw a lot of promise.

"I will say this show has been so incredibly professionally run," she said. "As a vendor who has to rely on other people to make sure everything is in the right place, it's really nice to have people who know what to do and when to do it."

Kuller said she appreciated vendors being kept in the same convention-center room as the stage. Two years ago, a large partition kept them separated, which she said was awkward and "gave it a claustrophobic feeling."

"There also was a really good balance to appealing to families and appealing to people who want to party," she added.

Several performing acts expressed their appreciation for Tucumcari. Neal complimented the town's friendliness. DK and the Affordables gushed over the VFW Post 2528, where they performed late Friday. And Kitty Rose admitted she'd taken note of the high school team's nickname, the Rattlers, and renamed her band after them after a performance in Tucumcari two years ago.

Many festivalgoers were happy to play the role of tourists. One was Lauren "Leggy" LaFleur of Ball Ground, Georgia, who also was a Ms. Rockin' Route 66 pinup contestant over the weekend.

"The town is really friendly; we were greeted with smiles, and it felt really good," she said. "I'm in love with green chile everything."

Dora Meroney, a Route 66 enthusiast from Amarillo, said Friday she wished for more Route 66-related activities, such as global-positioning coordinates to Five Mile Park and other sites.

"If Tucumcari can incorporate more Route 66 things to do, it'd be great," she said.

Krista Cooper of Clovis, getting a matching tattoo with her husband at the Wolf's Head Tattoo stand Friday, said she was a bit disappointed more classic cars weren't at the festival but understood Rockin' Route 66 was a rebuilding effort.

"It looks promising," she said of the festival, "and it's a big boost to the town."

Saturday morning, about 60 classic cars, rat rods and lowriders were parked at the convention center, along with at least two dozen motorcycles of all types and vintages.

One of the classic cars was a red and white 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air owned by Joe Dominguez of Tucumcari, who found the rusty vehicle in a Portales front yard and had it restored five years ago.

Dominquez said he liked the fact a rock festival returned to Tucumcari.

"It brings people into town, and it's good for the economy," he said.

Another Tucumcari resident who brought out his restored car was Danny Ellis, who drove his 1940 Chevrolet to the special Saturday screening of "American Graffiti" at the Odeon Theatre, built in 1936.

Ellis indicated he still would have gone to the Odeon even without his vintage car.

"It's my favorite movie," he said.

Parked near the theater were two 1940s pickup trucks, two old Ford Mustangs and a late 1990s Plymouth Prowler.

About two dozen trophies were awarded to car and motorcycle show participants Saturday, including several from Tucumcari. Dave Shine won Best Motor for his 1933 Ford five-window, Albert Andrade won Best Mustang for his 1966 convertible, John Preciado won Best LoLo with his 1985 Chevrolet Stepside, and Connie Quintana won Best Custom Truck for his 1968 Chevrolet.

Jaime "Ozzie" Osbaldo of El Paso, Texas, won the People's Choice award for his 1953 Plymouth.

Two Tucumcari residents essentially shared first prize for the Mommy and Me pinup contest because there were only two entrants. The Tucumcari entry was more of an Aunt and Me - a 1950s dolled-up Rebekah Mericle and her niece, Maleah, in a sailor outfit.

Sixteen women entered the Ms. Rockin' Route 66 pinup contest. Meghi Missfit of Estes Park, Colorado, bearing a resemblance to a tattooed Marilyn Monroe, won the top prize. First runner-up was Lilly Manna of Albuquerque, and second runner-up was Marissa Montez of Clovis.

Whitcomb said next year he wants to beef up the car and motorcycle contests, bring in a stunt-rider show and possibly a sideshow that would include sword swallowers and fire breathing.

Over the weekend, Whitcomb expressed his appreciation for Tucumcari city commissioner Robert Lumpkin, who helped shepherd Rockin' Route 66 into existence before his death in July 2018. Christopher Arias is serving the remainder of Lumpkin's term in District 4.

"Robert was always about his community," Whitcomb said. "That's what the festival was designed for - to benefit Tucumcari. He reached out and supported us on that level, reached out to businesses when we weren't in town. We always left politics out of it; I was honest with him, and he was honest with me."