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by Mike Sheahan
Entertainmentwise, it really seems
to be feast or famine in our lovely little town. A parched time
like last week is often followed by a flood of good times, like
this week. Hopefully, most of us live here for reasons other
than the night time entertainment, so a week like the last passes
by fairly unnoticed. Still, it is nice to have more options
than the same old DJ spinning the same old tracks. This week
brings just that, and no matter your taste, you should find
a pleasant diversion in the next seven days.
The excitement begins Thursday, Sept. 18, with the final night
of our annual visit from Circus Chimera. If you are a parent
and don’t take your kids to the circus, child protection
services should probably be called in to look for other signs
of neglect.  Sure
this isn’t the kind of circus with lion tamers or elephant
ballet, but, if memory serves, there is a sad French-like clown
(nothing says good times like sad and French) and those guys
who ride motorcycles ridiculously fast in a small, round cage.
Free tickets are available practically everywhere around town
for the kiddies and, even though they make that up by sticking
it to the parents, the look on your kid’s face will be
worth whatever you spent.
After the circus, deliver your kid to the sitter and head to
the Abbey Theatre for live hip hop. From the hip-hop Mecca that
is Lawrence, Kans., comes the Limited Liability Tour featuring
the acts Mac Lethal, Archetype and others. It’s not often
that you read about upcoming hip-hop shows in this column and
part of the reason for that is that those shows almost never
happen in Durango. So, whether you are a sideways-ball-cap-wearin’,
hip-hop-starved music fan or just someone who loves supporting
diversity in the local music scene, this is a show for you.
Doors open at 8:30 p.m.
Fans of improvisational, jammy bluegrass have reason to celebrate
as Colorado favorite Railroad Earth performs at the Fort Lewis
College Community Concert Hall on Friday, Sept. 19. Railroad
Earth is said to combine bluegrass, rock, jazz and Celtic themes
to forge a sound all its own. If that’s your style, the
show starts at 7 p.m.
Local rockers Freewill Recovery also will be performing an
all-acoustic show that same night at Haggard’s Black Dog
Tavern. Not only is it a special night since the band will be
playing all acoustic, but some of you may not know that Haggard’s
recently reacquired their liquor license. That’s right
– now you can go without having to remember to stop at
the package store for a 12-pack of Natural Light. The nonelectric
fun begins at 8 p.m.
Around this time last year, the Animas Conservancy and the
Friends of the Animas River hosted the Bluegrass for the Animas
festival at the Animas Meanders Ranch. It seems the day was
quite a success as this Saturday, Sept. 20, brings us the second
annual. Billed as a day to “protect, preserve and celebrate
the Animas River watershed,” Bluegrass for the Animas
will feature some of Durango’s best local acts as well
as some out-of-towners. Add plenty of beer and food to the mix,
and you’ve got yourself a day. The Animas Meanders ranch
is off of 32nd Street, near Holly Avenue. Call 259-0522 for
more information.
This week’s sign the end is near: Soon the brilliant
FOX network will begin showing a new sitcom called “The
Mullets.” In the show, two brothers adapt to life after
a conservative step-father moves in. Oh, and everyone has a
mullet, thus hilarity  ensues.
The show sounds terrible, even for FOX, but I fear it will help
usher in the post-modern age of the mullet. After this show,
it seems even the most clueless wearer of that hairstyle will
have to be aware that the mullet is a source of ridicule. Therefore
it will soon be impossible to know whether to laugh at a mullet
or applaud the wearer’s sense of retro style. The primer-
and Bondo-covered Trans Am always will be a dead giveaway, though.
This week’s record: In the early ’80s a musical
movement know as Do it Yourself (DIY) started all around the
country. The idea was for bands to do every part of the musical
job themselves. Songs were recorded in people’s bathrooms
on portable cassette players, shows were put on in dorm rooms,
and record labels were started by bandmates. The group Beat
Happening was at the forefront of this “movement”
and even garnered quite a bit of national attention. The band
received notice from Rolling Stone magazine and was able to
tour the states.
That was a long time ago, though, and much of the music that
received all the attention has been hard to come by. Until now,
that is. K records, owned by Beat Happening frontman Calvin
Johnson, recently released “Music to Climb the Apple Tree
By,” a collection of Beat Happening songs that span the
groups nearly 20-year career.
The songs are simple, and Johnson’s voice is an acquired
taste, but the record provides a glimpse into a time when the
process was simple and profit took a backseat to the sheer joy
of making music. You can check out Beat Happening and other
groups like them at www.kpunk.com
I’m thinking about growing a mullet. mpsheahan@yahoo.com
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