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by Mike Sheahan
T here is a definite "good news, bad
news" scenario brewing in Durango this week. You say you want the
good news first? Very well. The good news is, now that Snowdown and
Super Bowl Sunday are quickly becoming vague memories, our little
burg is beginning to return to normal. You may never have to see
another neighbor dressed in leopard-print pajamas or tiger-striped
car seat covers again. And unless, like me, you are an insomniac
and cannot fall asleep until you've seen two hours of Cartoon
Network programming, you will surely go a long time before you hear
the words "yabba dabba do" again.
The bad news happens to
be the same as the good. Durango will soon be the sleepy little
town alluded to above, and after a few weeks of Snoozeville, USA,
we may all be wistfully hoping for some wildly over-served mother
of three with a bone in her hair to interrupt our lives. Instead of
being force-fed a steady diet of superficial and sometimes bawdy
fun, we are again left to our own devices. That is where "The
Goods" comes in. I have been working tirelessly to help you cut
through the fatuous to find the fabulous.
Friday, Feb. 6, offers the widest ranging and most compelling possibilities
for a fun night out this week starting at the Community Concert
Hall at Fort Lewis. Bluegrass aficionados and purists will love
a visit by modern legend Rhonda Vincent . This
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| Rhonda Vincent |
accomplished mandolin and fiddle player has won many awards
for her work and represents the dwindling group of modern bluegrass
traditionalists. Bluegrass runs in Vincent's family (she began
performing in her family band at 3), and her music shows it.
The ticket price is a relative bargain as well.
If you prefer your live
music entertainment with a few more teeth, then Friday should find
you at Storyville for a night with Amazing Larry , Burial and Jean Jacket . If the live music roster alone isn't
enough to get you off the couch, it should be known that the night
is a benefit for Tex from Durango's first band of punk, The
Thirteens. It seems the young man was injured in a kite boarding
accident right after Christmas. All sorts of donated things will be
auctioned during the night. Durango loves a benefit, and
Tex-apalooza should be no exception.
Let's say the rock
stylings of the above bands still don't satisfy your thirst for
sheer volume and power chords. In that case, Saturday night, Feb.6,
the Abbey Theatre will feature the heaviest, most bone crushing
music to be found in Durango. Satyrica, the band formerly known as
Sacred Sun, Prima Facia and Dying Tribe will perform in what is
being called Metal
Mania night. Sure, a
night of constant metal can be trying with its atonal growling and
relentless barrage of power chords, but anything is better than yet
another night of watching some kid noodle out scales on his Paul
Reed Smith.
Attention all musicians:
Another KDUR theme night is quickly approaching. The theme this
time is "One-Hit
Wonders." Instead of
being restricted to a single artist, you now have the freedom to
learn any one-hit wonder song and surprise everyone in what will
surely be a packed house at Storyville. The show is March 20, so
now is the time to dust off your version of "Come on Eileen" and
"Ice, Ice Baby" and be ready to have a blast.
Website of the Week: If you think this column is cynical
and angry at the world, then a quick visit to www.maddox.xmission.com is in order. The site is a
collection of rants written by some guy named Maddox about how he
hates the world and everyone in it. From the cartoon cat Garfield
to the art work of small children, nothing is safe. The site's
author has quite the potty mouth, so it is not really safe for
family consumption or for those who don't understand irony. Those
with skin thick enough to get the joke, though, are in for a few
good laughs.
Album of the Week: The Mekons are a band that a lot of people seem
to have heard of, but not many have heard. Formed in England in the
mid-70s, The Mekons flirted with success playing punk rock before
it was called punk rock. Eventually, the group's releases became
fewer and farther between, and the members moved on to other
endeavors. In fact, several Mekons went on to form the alternative
pioneer band, the Waco Brothers.
It can't be called a
reunion since there never was a dissolution, but The Mekons are
back with a new album titled, simply, "Punk Rock." The album
features 15 songs written in the late '70s but recorded last year.
The resulting sound is an interesting combination of old and new,
youth and maturity. The songs on "Punk Rock" are full of the
frustration and anger so prevalent in some of the music written 25
years ago.
The ability of the
musicians has obviously progressed over the years, giving the album
a more organized, less wildly reckless, feel. The punk angst is
still there, but the sloppy playing and production so often
associated with that genre are gone, making this the perfect
introduction to The Mekons.
Tell me all about it.
mpsheahan@yahoo.com
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