ENMU Professors Play the Blues

By Stefan Kiesbye

In the spring of 2012, Eastern professors Travis Erwin, Jonathan Barr, and Roger Davis Gatchet discovered that they shared a love for blues, and started rehearsing on campus. “We hit it off, had some good chemistry together (musically and personally), and after a handful of rehearsals, Travis booked our first gig at Mark’s Grill here in town,” Gatchet remembers. “We just wanted to play together, play good music, and share that with the local community while trying to inject a bit of energy into the music scene here.”

In late summer, two new members joined the band – professors Edward Avila and Neil Rutland -- and the Blackwater Draw Boys started to play regularly at venues in Portales and Clovis. Since then, they have become a fixture of the local music scene and always draw an enthusiastic crowd.

The Blackwater Draw Boys performing from left to right: Jonathan Barr, Neil Ruthland, Roger Gatchet, Edward Avila, Travis Erwin.

Photo by Katherine Moore

The Blackwater Draw Boys come from four different departments (Communication, English, Music, and Digital Filmmaking) and enjoyed very different forms of training and musical experience.

The mixture of talent accounts for the band’s unique repertoire. Gatchet says that, “although I like to think that we’re based in the blues, our live shows feature an eclectic array of styles, including country, folk, ragtime, jazz, even steel drum tunes.”

The band has plans to record their first album next year. And although it’s in the early planning stages, fans of the band can look forward to a mix of originals and a few choice covers, something that captures the excitement of their live performances.