Short Bio:
Cactus Tractor is a 2-14 person Bohemian Pop Folk Disco band based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With three songwriters and a host of instruments (guitar, charango, ukulele, bass, drums, horn secotion, harmonicas and more!) Cactus Tractor delivers rich harmonies singing with a vibrant mix of heart and humor.
Extensive Bio:
Cactus Tractor is a 2-14 person Bohemian Pop Folk Disco (beau-pop-faux-disc) band based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with three songwriters, toothsome harmonies, and a multitude of fun stringed and unstrung instruments. These include, but are not limited to, the hula horn (invented by Christy), the musical saw (which is dangerous), the violin (which is also dangerous if you’re standing just to the left), the accordion (which is heavy), the charango (which attracts a lot of attention despite its small stature—much like its player, Stef!), buckets-and-buckets-full of harmonicas (which often fall on the ground and cause great consternation), frogs (which croak when struck with a stick—try it out!), and tea towels (which, laid artfully over a snare drum, make for a proper English quiet-funky kit sound). We love playing farmers’ markets, house shows, cafes, beer gardens, petting zoos, clothing swaps, nursing homes, and just about anyplace we will find teenagers uncomfortable to be with their parents. As of late, teens have reluctantly toe-tapped to our tunes at the BAMM music festival, the Truth or Consequences Hot Spring Festival, the New Mexico Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (showcased band), the Albuquerque Folk Festival*, the Tricklock Theater Company’s Reptilian Lounge (house band), Road to Rich’s Tie Dye Festival, the Albuquerque BioPark (botanic gardens and petting zoo), the Downtown Growers’ Market, a Skarsgard Farms “Folk Circus,” the Albuquerque Mennonite Church, the Regency Nursing Home in Springfield, IL, the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, and countless coffee shops, restaurants, and—for those peeking in the window—bars. Formed in 2012 to perform a concert of songs written by adult artists with developmental disabilities (co-written by Stef), Cactus Tractor is committed to fostering musical community in Albuquerque not only through performing but also through outreach and education. Recently Cactus Tractor had a brush with almost-fame when our Tiny Desk Concert Submission (See: Jelly Donut) was highlighted on the NPR website! Both our first album—Cactus Tractor—and our second album—Lydian Water Songs—were funded by successful Kickstarter Campaigns and are available on CD Baby and iTunes.
*Not exactly true. The concert tent blew away in a wind storm and the festival was canceled before we had a chance to play.
EditWith an eclectic sound that swings easily from folky blues-rock to bluegrass and country, and a live show consisting of seven members and 14 different instruments, Cactus Tractor is a serious band that doesn’t take itself too seriously. – Jonathan Baca