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by Mike Sheahan
Three years ago when baseball player
Alex Rodriguez became a free agent, he was quoted as saying
that he wasn't looking for a team that would pay him the most
money, rather he was interested in the team most likely to win
a World Series. He then left a first place team, the Seattle
Mariners, for the Texas Rangers, that same division's last-place
team. With his trade to the Yankees last week, it seems that
A-Rod actually meant to say that he intended to sign with any
team that would give him his famous record-shattering contract,
then jump ship at first chance for the only team that stands
to vie for a ring every year. It's the most despicable, disgusting
and damnable deal ever made. Is it enough to make me give up
on baseball? The strike of 1994 wasn't enough so this probably
isn't either, but be sure George Steinbrenner and the Damn Yankees
have given us all a reason to hate again, and hate we surely
will.
Baseball season is still
six weeks away though, and there are more pressing items at hand.
Like digging through the enormous pile of entertainment options at
hand this week.
The fun starts tonight,
Thursday, Feb. 19 at the Diamond Circle Theatre with an evening
called "The Night of
the Troubadours." Local singer-songwriters Sand Sheff, a
personal favorite, Terry Rickard, and a good friend, Tim Guidotti,
will provide the entertainment. The cover is a mere five snaps and
this should be a great evening of talented local musicians. The
music starts at 7 p.m.
One could entertain oneself for two straight nights without leaving the Abbey
Theatre this weekend. First, Friday, Feb. 20, the Abbey plays
host to one of our town's biggest local live draws and tireless
promotion machines, Freewill Recovery. We should all know by
now, but Freewill is a fun band that very comfortably sits on
the fence that divides rock •roll from jam band. In less
capable hands, this is often a disastrous mix, but these guys
manage to pull it off. The cover for the night is a mere 3 bucks,
and between 9-10 p.m., well drinks are a glorious 2 bucks. Five
bucks and you're in the door with your first cocktail? Sounds
just right.
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| Steep Canyon Rangers |
If that's not enough, Saturday, Feb. 21 brings an evening of
authentic bluegrass featuring Steep Canyon Rangers . The Rangers
hail from Asheville, N.C., where bluegrass is king. They are
a great example of the new wave of real-deal bluegrass bands.
In 2002, Steep Canyon Rangers won the Rockygrass band contest
for new bands and did so on the strength of butter-melting harmonies
and expert playing that, thankfully, never goes over the top.
Local bluegrass traditionalists the Stoney Creek Ramblers will
open the show, which gets out of the gates at 9 p.m. Whether
you are already into bluegrass or you think Nickel Creek is
an example of the real thing, this show is just for you.
Fat Tuesday is a holiday that coincides with the beginning of the Catholic
holiday called Lent. When Lent starts, one is supposed give
something up for the holiday's duration, which ends with Easter.
Some people do crazy things like giving up beer, a thing I heartily
discourage. The good news is, you don't have to be Catholic
to enjoy deprivation. Anyone can join the self-flagellating
fun. Durango favorite Tim O'Brien will bring his trio to the
Concert Hall at Fort Lewis on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 24, for fun
while you try to decide what to give up for a month. The mandolin
playing O'Brien will be joined on stage by John Doyle on guitar
and Casey Driessen on fiddle. The result will be another course
of spectacular, old-time music in a town that often starves
for it. What you pick for Lent is up to you, but make sure it's
not bluegrass music, the Durango Meltdown is right around the
corner, and God does not like a turncoat.
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Website of the Week: The Universal
Life Church in Phoenix wants you to become an ordained minister.
In fact, the church is so eager that you can, with five minutes
of work online, set yourself up to be performing weddings next
week. This columnist became ordained a few hours ago and already
I feel like St. Bartholomew after the cleansing of the Phoenicians
or something like that. Don't forget kiddies, the ordained are
exempt from a government draft should our military become entrenched
in the three other wars that seem to be lurking around the corner.
Simply visit www.ulc.org
to become a man or woman of the cloth. Free wedding anyone?
Album of the Week:
Heavy metal is an acquired
taste. It takes years of training to fully enjoy it, and most
people never get it. I am one of those people, and the Foo
Fighters' Dave
Grohl recently made
me admit that. His latest project, "Probot," features Grohl, one of
the brightest minds making music, teaming up, on each song, with
one of his childhood metal heroes to create what is sometimes a
spectacular vanity project.
Metal is hard to "get"
because, what with all its cartoonish posturing, ridiculous
costumes and over the top rock star-ism, it's hard not to think
everyone is just having a good laugh at themselves. But then you
talk to the musicians and their fans and you realize the style is
almost a religion. Metal fans are the most rabid and seriously
dedicated there are. Grohl, who wrote all the music and plays most
instruments (his collaborators wrote the lyrics and sing), has
released an album that is at its best a loving tribute to his
hardest rocking influences. His teaming with Lemmy from Motorhead,
"Shake Your Blood," is an instant classic that should have been a
bonafide hit for Motorhead 20 years ago. Other songs, however,
meander into noisefests that should only appeal to angry pothead
teen-agers, exactly the Dave Grohl who is paying homage
here.
Rock critics everywhere
are going crazy about this "Probot" album, and I partially
attribute this to a Dave Grohl as King Midas mentality (how could
anyone really enjoy some guy growling the words "big sky" for three
minutes), but as I said, I just don't get it.
Cherbot is on tour
again. mpsheahan@yahoo.com
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