Story & Photographs by Diane Fleischman
Returning to the Musikfest Café, Coco Montoya, highlighted the Arts and Music Fest.  Out on the road supporting his new CD, “Hard Truth”, Montoya delivered a dynamic performance, to a full Café audience. 

The show opened with “Hey Senorita”, and followed by “Truth Be Told”, from the new release.  While almost half of the set list contained songs from “Hard Truth”, there were plenty of favorites in store like “Can’t Get My Ass in Gear”, “’Bout to Make Me Leave Home”, and “Love Jail”.    

Montoya’s roots run deep in Blues Rock music.  He started as a drummer in his teen years in California, and later picked up the guitar as a secondary instrument.  He had a chance meeting with Albert Collins, the “Master of the Telecaster”, and was asked to join his band, and later played with John Mayall, “The Godfather of the Blues.”  Under these influences, Montoya has become a world-renowned guitarist and vocalist.   

In concert, Montoya continues to amaze new and old fans.   The strength of his vocals runs the spectrum from passionately fluid to gut wrenching, while he intensely and masterfully made his guitar sing and weep, and took us to new levels we never knew existed.