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Summer in the City Different: Concerts and movies bring free entertainment to the Santa Fe Railyard
Jamie Lenfestey has been around the Santa Fe music scene for well over 30 years.
The promoter’s goal has always been to build and sustain a community that supports live music and entertainment.
With his move to Lensic 360 along with Tim Franke, the pair have continued to build relationships in supporting live music.
For the second year, Lensic 360 is behind the free Summer Series in Santa Fe.
The events kicked off in early June and run through Aug. 29, at various locations around Santa Fe.
“The whole history is that I started the Railyard Series about 13 years ago doing free concerts,” Lenfestey said.
In 2021, Lenfestey and Neal Copperman of AMP Concerts took on the Plaza Concert Series.
Last year, with the formation of Lensic 360, Lenfestey and Franke put the two series under one umbrella.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and it’s paid off,” Lenfestey said. “I’ve grown my connections over 30 years. I’m dedicated to New Mexico and keeping it going.”
The free concert series will see the likes of Digable Planets, Hirie, Junior Brown, Alejandro Escovedo, Bombino, La Dame Blanche, Las Cafeteras, Lyla June, DeVotchKa, The Watson Twins and many more.
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Lenfestey has been amazed at the growth of the Santa Fe music scene over the course of three decades.
“We’ve risen to meet the demands of the state,” he said. “Decades ago, we wouldn’t have been able to have competing concerts on the same night. Today, it’s like New Mexico is a place for musicians and entertainment. The market has grown to meet the demand.”
Lensic 360 is looking to expand throughout the state providing concerts and series.
“In Santa Fe, we have name recognition,” he said. “We know that in Albuquerque, we’re never going to have that. We also never want to step on the toes of longtime promoters in Albuquerque like Joe Anderson. We’re looking for ways to collaborate with the existing structure.”
One of those spots will be a fall music series at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. There are also plans to start a music series in Taos.
“We have those three markets right now and are looking to expand,” Lenfestey said. “You can’t get much more accessible than free.”
The team behind Lensic 360 is constantly working on fundraising and getting sponsorships to secure that Summer Scene remains free.
“Tim and I have a great deal of civic pride in this,” Lenfestey said. “Summer Scene shows are on par with some of the bigger cities. We have more top-notch free shows and the community is seeing the quality of that.”
Less than 10% of their budget comes from the City of Santa Fe.
“We’re grateful that we continue to build these relationships,” he said. “Bringing people together and sharing a positive experience is what it’s all about. It’s the opportunity to share experiences with loved ones.”
