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by Mike Sheahan
 Opening
day of the baseball season is here, and it has always been my
single favorite day of the sporting year. It’s about the
promise of a fresh start, the smell of hot dogs and freshly
mown grass, and the sounds of fantasy league owners bickering
over petty statistical details. The familiar faces of the athletes
are excited at the possibility that any of them, if they work
hard enough, might still be playing in late October. Except,
of course, the players for the Kansas City Royals or Milwaukee
Brewers. They just dream of free agency and trade rumors. Because
of all this, I literally had to sabotage my TV set so I would
be forced to do other things, such as compose this little weekly
entertainment heads-up we call “The Goods.”
Durango is known for being quite keen on the “benefit
night,” and this week is no exception. The fun begins
tonight, April 3, at Storyville with a benefit for the Fort
Lewis College Environmental Center. The cover charge (the price
varies based on whether or not you are a college student and
when you buy a ticket) gets one access to a silent auction and
live music from local songster Greg Oldson, Oregon-based folkie
Alice DiMicele and Colorado jam band Single Malt Band.
The Environmental Center hosts annual Earth Week festivities
as well as a variety of clubs and programs all year, all of
which makes it a worthy cause. The event begins at 5:30 p.m.
with the silent auction. Oldson kicks off the music at 6 p.m.
The very next night, Friday, April 4, community radio station
KDUR is hosting its second annual Furniture as Art auction.
Several weeks ago local artists were given old, discarded pieces
of furniture to have their way with. The artists then created
functional works of art from what was once rubbish, and these
pieces are available to the highest bidder at the Durango Arts
Center starting at 7 p.m. You can check out the artwork by visiting
www.kdur.org, or you can just take my word when I say that I
have seen all the art, and there will be some really cool work
up for grabs. Tickets cost $10, but that includes a couple of
adult beverages and live entertainment. If last year’s
auction is any indication, this is the place to be whether you
are a patron of the arts or a patron of complimentary adult
beverages.
If you are looking for action after the auction, you can scoot
over to Cuckoo’s and help them celebrate their fourth
anniversary with the Lawn Chair Kings. Not exactly known as
a live music venue, Cuckoo’s provides an intimate setting
for enjoying music and your beverage. In honor of its birthday,
Cuckoo’s is planning food and drink deals, and don’t
worry, the band promises no cover charge or pyrotechnics.
Anyone who thinks punk rock doesn’t exist anymore needs
to be at the Summit on Saturday night for the experience that
is The Thirteens. You will be proven wrong. These young lads
are keeping punk alive and well, right here in Durango. Offstage,
The Thirteens are unassuming regular guys, but when they hit
the stage they’re possessed, loud and, as punk should
be, a little dangerous. Not for the faint of heart, The Thirteens
are for everyone else. The show should start around 9:30 p.m.
Speaking of KDUR, the ever-popular radio station-sponsored
“tribute night” is returning to Storyville on Saturday,
April 19. Past tributees have included Madonna, Prince and Michael
Jackson and have been both incredibly fun and funny. April 19
is “Rolling Stones Night,” and I mention this to
you now as a call of arms to local musicians to bone up on their
favorite Stones’ songs and come wow the crowd.A0These
tribute nights are the best when there is a wide variety of
acts, so if you are known in Durango as a classical jazz pianist,
work up your best version of “When the Whip Comes Down”
– the crowd will love it.
As a quick note, rock ’n’ roll cliche’s Bon
Jovi will be on a tour of our little part of the country soon,
so if you can, stay out of the major metropolitan areas.
This Week’s Sign the End is Near: I recently heard about
a radio station in the Midwest that arranged a CD and album
smashing after the Dixie Chicks made some pro-peace statement.
I don’t know which is scarier: that people care enough
about some dumb pop star’s politics or that the result
of their anger is to destroy that person’s “art.”
I remember when the same thing happened to the Beatles almost
40 YEARS AGO! We’ve come a long way, baby.
This Week’s Album to Try: If it hasn’t yet, the
new album by The White Stripes should hit store shelves soon.
On “Elephant” the duo of Jack and Meg White pick
up where they left off with “White Blood Cells”
of a couple of years ago. The hard mix of punk and 70s arena
rock and nerdy ballads are both represented, but the band has
expanded its sound. A bass guitar, piano and even extra background
singers help flesh out a sound that was, especially for a duo,
already quite dense. The big surprise comes when drummer Meg
takes a turn on vocals. Not entirely successful – her
voice is somewhat thin and lacks range – it does add another
interesting element to the group. That’s really the deal
with the White Stripes: They may not be the best musicians or
singers, but what they do is so damn cool you have to like it.
You too can be written about here. mpsheahan@yahoo.com
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