• Shows at Brew Lab 101 will be held third Fridays of every month
  • Next show is July 15 at 7 p.m.
  • Two music fests also on tap — one at Haynes Park Oct. 8

 

Muzzle Guitars Music Shop continues its push to turn Rio Rancho into a live-performance hub for aspiring artists.

The store, at 701 Unser Blvd., is contracting with Brew Lab 101 to have live shows on the third Friday of every month. The Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce and Sawtooth Music Instruments are among those sponsoring Muzzle Guitars to host concerts at Brew Lab 101, at 3301 Southern Blvd. The next show, free to the public, is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 15.

A couple music festivals are also in the works.

The Rockin Balloon Music Festival will be held Oct. 8 at Haynes Park, with the goal of making it an annual two-day festival. The International Guitar Festival will make its way to the Rio Rancho-Albuquerque area in March of 2023.

Muzzle Guitars Music Shop owner Eddie Cantu. (Matt Hollinshead/Observer)

“It’s just personal gratification that I can give back to a community I’m now living in,” Muzzle Guitars owner Eddie Cantu said. “Unfortunately, throughout the country, music suffers in schools and whatnot. I just want to bring that back as much as I possibly can.”

It’s all part of the store’s mission to bolster Rio Rancho’s music scene.

Muzzle Guitars recreated the New Mexico Rock Coalition to work with local musicians and venues. That way, whenever someone wants to set up a future concert, Muzzle Guitars can arrange for artists to perform live.

The store will also provide band instruments for artists to rent during live shows, starting July 1. The store will also have a full drumline by then.

“I am super stoked and excited. Since Day 1, it’s just been full-steam ahead,” Cantu said. “Either we’re going to be hugely successful, or we’re going to go down in flames.”