Report from the Bunker
The Thursday night concert, September 25, sponsored by the Town of Taos and its Solar Fest allies, drew about 2000 folks to Taos Plaza, according to Fire Chief and Commissioner-elect Jim Fambro. Lt. Maggio of the Town police said everything went off without a hitch. The crowd gathered in the central park but didn’t fill it. The Plaza, viewed from the perspective of “feet on the ground” is capacious and could easily accommodate four thousand spectators in the central park.
Both Mayor Barrone and Manager Bellis were seen throughout the day, checking on the set-up for the event. As part of the new spirit in Town, initiated a week ago by the Harwood “Orale” event, the Town and Fall Arts program seem far more cross-cultural and multigenerational in scope. In other words we in the community have a rare administration in the new council and mayor: a mayor and council interested in the historic role of arts and culture in the community.
The Hail Creek Band, drummers from Taos Pueblo, stilt-walkers all added to the mix of the Thursday night celebration, a celebration fostered by the Taos Chamber of Commerce’s “Taos Live” events. I’m not sure what to make of the Kongos, whose “beat” seemed like the best part of the music. The sound seems manufactured, slightly techno and soulless but safely entertaining, foot moving though ultimately conceived for radio and studio audiences. Indeed, the traditional sound of the Taos Pueblo drummers, the deep voice of the earth calling out, as Lawrence described it, reassured listeners that the event had a Taos focus.
The only criticism of the concert, I heard, concerned the Town’s decision to close the Plaza all day Thursday for a sound and light set-up. Pedestrians basically deserted the Plaza Thursday and nary a sale was made. No doubt the executive team will be hearing from the “Millicent” Malanga of the Plaza. The equipment, trucks and vans, in reality, take up very little space. Frequently, extremely long beer trucks double-park and deliver their goods despite the congestion of cars and traffic. There is something about the Taoseno and the Tourist that doesn’t like to leave his or her car behind.
But citizens and critics should give the Mayor and his team a chance to experiment and learn. By most accounts, the Town of Taos has succeeded wildly in terms of moving the Farmer’s Market to the Plaza on Saturdays. Traditionally Taos, as a community, lurches along by means of experiment and adventure, responding to the trends while Waiting for Godot.
On the Plaza itself it appears that Taos Mountain Outfitter in its new location at the old El Mercado, is thriving, as is the Chocolate Factory. At the Old County Courthouse (OCC), the shops sell this and that now and then, much like the larger and more established tourist-oriented stores on the Plaza, which seem to be falling behind in terms of retail trends. But what trends? There is no silver bullet.
Many shops in Taos would not exist if not for the kindness of landlords or pensions due to retirement or income from other sources or the ability to live in abject circumstances. Though the demographics, age and income of the tourist, might be changing somewhat, we still have an older crowd, who populate the restaurants and hotels. But as one couple from Maine, on tour in the Mural Room of the OCC, told me yesterday, “we have too much stuff, we’re trying to downsize.” The couple appeared to be fit and athletic, salt and pepper hair, and very interested in the cultural highlights of the community: Taos Pueblo, the geography, the art and culture.
Typically, these tourists view the sights today, whether actual or representative, through their cell phones and take home visual souvenirs in digital form. While sales associated with the handmade visual representations of Taos decline, the interest in cultural tourism and experience, however, seems to be on the rise. Outdoor enthusiasts, whether due to the Monument, TSV, or the general physical attractions, appear to be increasing in number, as are the travelers, who find themselves interested in the historico-cultural paradigm here in Taos. Magistrate Judge Jeff Shannon, who frequently officiates at gay marriages, points toward this trend as one more arrow in the quiver that should be emphasized by the Town’s public relations people.
The biggest chunk of visitors to the OCC is from the I-80 corridor in Colorado: Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver and Fort Collins. Many of our visitors come up from Santa Fe for the day. Regardless of age, they seem interested in the outdoors and the cultural aspects of the community. Taos offers an exotic and low-key alternative for the more modest visitor, the visitor who prefers a laid-back and interesting experience in comparison to say, the high-priced status seeker who feels compelled to spend and compete for attention in Aspen or even Santa Fe.
While the typical visitor seems to participate in the vitality of restaurants, B&Bs, and hotels, he or she does not spend much money in the retail sector. Of course there are exceptions duly noted or imagined: some galleries and jewelry dealers, the vendors at the Gorge, Ed Sandoval, etc. Overall, it seems as if will take much patience to endure the changes being wrought by the social force of capitalism in this 21st Century.
Like the entrepreneur, we are participating as a community in a grand experiment, in an experience that will determine whether we abhor or enjoy time and change. Whether one is involved in business, art, or politics, one of the features of local life in this poly-cultural and perverse community is “unpredictability.” Hence we can argue about whether airports or art festivals are important or necessary, whether you are a “real Taoseno” or just a newcomer or a native newcomer or even a native but not a local. Public participation is very personal in Taos. T’was always thus.