TV show delays shooting

Producers of the forthcoming “Bands of Enchantment” music-television series have delayed the start of their Tucumcari shoot by one month so more people can be vaccinated for the coronavirus.

Vince T. “Tyson” Chavez, executive producer of the show and president and executive producer at Elkhorn Entertainment, said in a conference call Friday with show creator and executive producer Ken C. Peterson that filming in Tucumcari would begin March 16 through March 25, with a small crew arriving in early March for preproduction.

"Bands of Enchantment" in October received up to $60,000 in city lodgers' tax funds to produce four of eight 30-minute episodes for the series. Elkhorn will cover the rest of the cost through sponsorships. Its principals have envisioned the show as a New Mexico version of PBS' long-running "Austin City Limits” show.

The projected air time will be the spring on New Mexico PBS stations, RFD-TV's Cowboy Channel and the Amazon Prime online platform. New Mexico PBS stations reach 650,000 households weekly. RFD-TV's Cowboy Channel is in over 50 million homes on cable and satellite TV. Amazon Prime can reach nearly 100 million viewers.

Initial production of “Bands of Enchantment” originally was slated for mid-February, but they decided to delay it a month after talking to local officials and representatives of the prospective music artists who would be featured.

“They agree it was to our benefit to push it back a month and let the vaccinations take place,” Chavez said. “It’s just a month, and it’s to the good.”

Chavez said the delay would inflict “no damage” to the show’s production, other than having to adjust for broadcast times.

Elkhorn plans to use the historic railroad depot in downtown Tucumcari as a main stage for the music performances.

“Beyond that, we’ll be working with folks around town to have pop-up stages,” Chavez said.

Chavez said Elkhorn probably would announce the music acts coming to Tucumcari by sometime next week after it works out arrangements with record labels and rights managers.

“People will be really excited when they find out who we’ve got coming out,” he said.