Dead Pioneers: Live at 606 Studio

Dead Pioneers, emerged as a dynamic extension of his performance art, seamlessly blending music with critical cultural commentary. Rooted in the same themes of identity and resistance that define his visual work, the band’s sound acts as a powerful platform for addressing the complexities of Indigenous experience. Deal harnesses the raw energy of punk and alternative influences to challenge prevailing narratives, using lyrics that provoke thought and evoke emotion. Just as his performance art confronts the legacies of colonization and systemic marginalization, Dead Pioneers - completed by co-writers and bandmates Josh Rivera and Abe Brennan on guitars, bassist Lee Tesche (Algiers) and drummer Shane Zweygardt - engages audiences in a visceral dialogue about survival, resilience, and reclamation of voice. This musical endeavor not only amplifies his artistic vision but also creates a space for collective expression and solidarity, inviting listeners to reflect on the intersections of culture, history, and identity in a contemporary context. Through Dead Pioneers, Deal continues to assert that art, in all its forms, can be a powerful vehicle for activism and change.

Exhibiting artist Gregg Deal takes the hard-hitting, truth-telling themes of his nationallyrenowned
visual art to the stage as frontman for Dead Pioneers—a visceral fusion of
spoken word and punk born from his performance art piece, The Punk Pan-Indian
Romantic Comedy. The band is comprised of guitarists Josh Rivera and Abe Brennan,
drummer Shane Zweygardtk, and bassist Lee Tesche. The project is rooted in creating
and performing a sound heavily influenced by the punk aesthetic with an edge built
on a First Peoples perspective, and as seen in Deal’s body of work, not afraid to
tackle hard-pressing political and social issues. Self-proclaiming an allegiance with
Indigenous, Black, Brown, Asian, Gay, Trans, and Workers rights—Deal’s foray into punk
musicianship is a natural and invigorating expansion of the confrontational methodology
of his artistic practice, and the topics addressed in his powerful installation for The Other
Side of the Tracks. Featuring local support acts, don't miss the first Dead Pioneers performence in New Mexico.

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