LOCAL

Utopians to perform for AHS 50-year reunion

Tara Melton
Alamogordo Daily News
The Utopians, a popular rock 'n' roll band with roots in Alamogordo, will be performing Saturday evening during the 50th reunion of the AHS Class of 1967.

ALAMOGORDO — The Utopians, a popular rock 'n' roll band of the mid-60s, will perform Saturday night for the 50th reunion of the Alamogordo High School Class of 1967.

"We started this band about 53 years ago," said Tony Gallegos, Lead Guitarist and Synthesizer. "We worked pretty hard at getting good. By the time we graduated, with the classes of '66 and '67, we were pretty popular and traveling all over the southwest."

Gallegos said at that time there were many bands in the region because of Holloman Air Force Base. 

"There must've been 20 bands in Alamogordo at that time," Gallegos said. "That particular era was pretty blessed to have a ton of good bands in town even though we were a small town." 

The Utopians went onto win numerous "Battle of the Bands" throughout the Southwest and West Coast and appeared on several radio and television shows. The Utopians recorded master tapes that were scheduled to be released nationally but after two band members were drafted because of the Vietnam War, everything came to a halt.

The Utopian original members include Gallegos, Ken Rogers and Bill Hill.

"(Originally) there were five guys but over the course of playing five years, some of the members went off to Vietnam and so people were replaced," Gallegos said. "We still have the three original but all the other people that will be playing during Saturday's reunion are former members of the band, who maybe played in the band back in the 60s or more recently." 

The group recorded master tapes and planned to release them nationally but their plans were derailed after two members of the band were drafted to the Vietnam War.

Gallegos said preparing for Saturday's show has not been easy. 

"We have members scattered throughout the country so you can imagine the logistics needed just to rehearse," Gallegos said. "If it wasn't for the internet and modern technology, the task would be impossible." 

The Utopians are slated to perform at 8:30 p.m. at the Sgt. Willie Estrada Civic Center, 800 E. First St., during the dinner and dance portion of the three-day reunion.

At 8 p.m., the civic center will open to the general public who wish to watch the Utopians perform. The band members are donating their services and have absorbed all costs in exchange for opening the doors to the public, therefore nominal donations will be taken at the door and the money raised will go back to the reunion committee for future reunions. 

"This is as close as you can come to jumping in a time machine," Gallegos said. "It's the original band members, performing for the same classmates, in the same town – only 50 years later. We hope our classmates from that era will show up and relive a wonderful time gone by." 

For more information and reservations for reunion activities, contact Rhonda Fribley Bailey or visit alamogordohs1967.com.