Interview with Robb Pierce of Dulce Rock Entertainment by Dave Wolff

Interview with Robb Pierce of Dulce Rock Entertainment by Dave Wolff

Who founded Dulce Rock Entertainment to support local musicians and artists? What has been the organization's growth since its inception? What services do you offer?

I, Robb Pierce, and Sterling Spahe founded Dulce Rock Entertainment. Since its inception Dulce Rock Entertainment has grown from local shows to regional shows in and around the four corners area: New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. What we offer is a stage to perform to any musical acts or solo acts learning and starting out. We provide sound, lights and a stage to perform on. We provide a stage for all ages to perform and a way in to the music scene for young performers. We don't discriminate music genres; everyone is welcome to perform.

What motivated you and Sterling Spahe to establish Dulce Rock Entertainment? Is there sufficient support in the area for smaller bands that you feel should be given more exposure?

My reason for starting Dulce Rock Entertainment was to have a place to perform. For years as a young musician there wasn’t any place to play in our small town, so as an adult we provided that to new and experienced musicians to play and perform. We wanted a music scene. We wanted musicians to get together and we wanted promoters to come together.

Please describe for the readers the first show held by Dulce Rock Entertainment.

It was December 8, 2009 at the Dulce Community Center in Dulce, New Mexico our first show. The show was called, “Dulce Rock the Arts”. We had about thirty people attend that show. We rented the building and there were three bands and one solo artist performing.

To promote your first concert, how did you advertise for bands and to reach out to concertgoers?

We were seeking local bands and we put out a public service announcement on the local radio station KCIE 90.5, and the biggest way was word of mouth.

At the time they were booked, had the artists you booked made a name for themselves in New Mexico? Were some of them newer artists who had not performed as frequently?

We had some bands or people who were part of bands go on to be in other bands and some artists who became promoters and booking agents. We also had people in bands that were just starting out and never been on stage.

For your first performance, which building did you rent? When you began promoting your shows, how many clubs were interested in booking them?

The name of the building was the Dulce Community Center. The DCC was a place where there was a basketball court, a swimming pool, bowling alley, and arcade.

How did the advertising and coverage of Dulce Rock The Arts contribute to the recording careers of the bands who played?

The Unknown, 6Bullet, Dead in 81, and Toxic Fox played that first show. The Unknown became Fatally Dying Within but have broken up. 6Bullet became Decapitation of a New Day and are recording to this day. Dead in 81 became Zachariah Julian and is recording their third album. Toxic Fox broke up but members are now promotors and booking agents.

Describe the bands that got involved with you and how you have contributed to the development of the Four Corners music scene.

Many hard rock, punk, and metal bands that are playing in the area have played with Dulce Rock Entertainment. Many bands have played out in these areas. There are so many bands I don’t want to list them all.

After booking your first performance, how long did it take you to find more well-known venues to book your bands?

Not very long. It was a lot of poking around calling venues, and crazy enough it was the well-known venues that hollered back first.

What were the most popular venues for booking shows in your local and regional area?

The Juggernaut (in Gallup New Mexico) the Jam Spot (In Albuquerque, New Mexico), the hive (Durango, Colorado) and recently Dino’s Hideaway (in Farmington, New Mexico) are the venues we frequently visit.

Do you work with publications to promote your agency and the bands you represent?

Being a nonprofit organization, independent bands work best especially when working nonprofit show bands representation.

Tell the readers about some of the shows that you hosted recently and their attendance?

Since the pandemic hit hard it’s been kinda hard to recover from that, But when we hit out outside shows we average about 50-100 people.

Are there any videos of your shows available on streaming sites? Is there a particular one that you would recommend?

We have a few videos on YouTube, and Facebook (Dulce Rock and Dulce Rock Entertainment). Various videos can be found on YouTube and Decapitation Of A New Day has a couple on their YouTube page.

In the future, do you intend to expand into other forms of entertainment?

Oh yes prior to the pandemic we did a few short film projects, and we’re currently working on a documentary.

Discuss the short film projects you worked on prior to Covid's arrival, as well as the documentary you are producing? Will the documentary be about your bands?

A short film project that was in the works pertaining to behind the scenes of what goes into making a show.

How soon is the documentary expected to be released, and who will film and produce it?

Unsure of the official release as of now but we are expecting to get back on it and released by spring of 2025.

-Dave Wolff

Sterling Spahe and Robb Pierce at the Whisky a Go Go, Wesy Hollywood, California, USA

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