On a makeshift backyard stage in midtown Tucson built from salvaged wood and powered by DIY amps, a local jam band is quietly helping redefine how Tucson’s music scene grows, one show at a time.

The Infinite Conversation is a psychedelic blues jam band made up of Noah Rakestraw and Jack Sanders on guitar, Elwyn Harger on bass and Carter Kraft on drums. The members met years ago while growing up in Tucson.

The group’s first songs were written by Rakestraw, Sanders and Harger long before Kraft joined the band on drums in 2019, officially bringing The Infinite Conversation to the stage.

These days, the group lives together in a midtown house that includes a jam room, recording studio and a backyard stage, with Sanders describing the backyard as an “amalgamation.”

“I only paid for the screws really, all the rest is wood I found on the side of the road,” he said.

The stage is accompanied by a pit area decorated with tapestries hanging from a wooden frame. On either side of the pit are a garden pergola and a campfire ring for colder nights, all built by the band as DIY projects.

When it is not in use, the space is littered with power equipment and weights, but once the amps are turned on, the floor fills with people dancing to the jams. Between sets, the garden hosts a more intimate space reserved for solo acoustic artists. The stage is open to anyone who wants to play.

This kind of supportive atmosphere helped The Infinite Conversation build its fan base. One of the most impactful relationships has been the band’s residency at Cafe Passe.

Cafe Passe, located on North Fourth Avenue, operates as a restaurant during the day and a bar and live music venue at night. Owner Jenny Rice has been expanding operations since reopening the business in 2023.

As part of this development, Rice’s partner took over booking shows for Cafe Passe in 2024. As shows became more frequent and the booking role more defined, Calvin Kramkowski, who was working in the kitchen during daytime operations at the time, offered to take over the position.

Kramkowski plays in a band called Boyos, which had performed a handful of times on Passe’s stage. But Kramkowski was looking for a way to further engage with the music scene.

“Maybe a little selfishly, I really enjoy live music and I have my favorite bands,” said Kramkowski. “I would try to get them in as often as possible.”

The Infinite Conversation is one of Kramkowski’s favorite local bands, and the two bands had previously played many shows together at other venues. As a result, The Infinite Conversation now has a solid relationship with a venue willing to book them as often as they would like.

The relationship goes both ways. In exchange for consistent bookings at Cafe Passe, Boyos is welcome to use The Infinite Conversation’s stage whenever they want a spot on one of the shows.

These kinds of connections are essential to sustaining Tucson’s local music scene, providing comfortable spaces for musicians to test new material and encouraging regulars to attend events across town.

The Infinite Conversation hopes to build on this idea, focusing on cultivating the local music scene. Their house shows offer a place for musicians to showcase their work, but in the future they intend to expand their reach to artists of all mediums, including painters, photographers and comedians.

“I think Tucson has a good music scene,” Harger said. “It's up to us to take it further.”

The Infinite Conversation is set to release its debut album this summer. In the meantime, the band will continue performing at Cafe Passe, Sunset Glass Gallery and their house.

The group is not focused on playing music meant to astound, although they certainly know how to make a crowd dance. Instead, the music contributes to something greater.

“To have it in your heart as you care about the music,” Kraft said, “And not to care as much what comes from it.”

Ian Davis is a Pima Community College student and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact him at imdavis52023@gmail.com.

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