‘Bands of Enchantment’: Brothers create music series based in ABQ

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — “Bands of Enchantment” is a national music television show based in Albuquerque. The brothers behind the show, Ken C. Peterson and Vince Chavez, came up with the idea a few years ago.

Each season of the show features film-level performances of bands from all over the world, as well as a few from New Mexico.

The brothers said it’s giving all the performers a bigger platform, but also giving the rest of the country a new way of looking at Albuquerque.

“We traveled around and it was always desert, Breaking Bad, you know?” said Peterson. “And we’re like, no, no, this is the epicenter of arts, culture, food, amazing people, the best music.”

Peterson said the first season, which was filmed in Tucumcari, has already aired in nearly two dozen major cities. New York’s PBS season aired it four times.

“It starts there, and then it spread across the country,” Peterson said.

The brothers are hoping all that hype will one day convince fans to travel to Albuquerque for a festival.

“It will be that, you know, way to activate people to bring people here, to bring people to Albuquerque,” Chavez said. “Bring people to New Mexico, and sharing all of this love and music, fun, excitement, all the things that you want from the festival. So that’s what the vision is, and we’re on our way.”

Season two of “Bands of Enchantment” will begin airing on PBS stations in January.