Slapshot, The Persuasions and Mardi Gras in Mancos
By Ted Holteen

It's a good thing for you people that it's a busy weekend, otherwise the next thousand or so words would be nothing but a paean to the glory that is the Philadelphia Eagles. They're in the Super Bowl on Sunday, you know. But events prevent me from boring all but a select few of you with such an elegy, and if for some unfathomable reason you are indifferent to the outcome or even the playing of the game, there's a full slate of really nonfootball type things to do.

Hockey's not football, so I'll start with that. Not hockey, actually, but perhaps the greatest movie about hockey ever made. And no, it's not "Miracle." In fact, that movie sucked. You've got just one night, and it's tonight, to see "Slapshot" at the Abbey Theatre, courtesy of the Durango Mug Club. The Mug Club drunks are onto something with this bringing in cult classic films from time to time, and what better way to fill the void of a hockeyless season than by resurrecting the Hansen brothers and seeing Paul Newman skating in a jock strap? Showtime is 8:30 p.m., and there will be beer and door prizes. Five bucks if you're not a registered lush, free for Mug Clubbers. A bargain at twice the price.

Then on Friday night at the Abbey, Nosotros is back for fiery Latin rhythms and more cologne than the Big City Nightclub in Farmington. Seriously, guys, this is Durango, Colorado - you can get by with less than a pint of Drakkar per night. It's a 10:30 p.m. start, but don't dawdle - these shows always fill up quickly, and you'll feel awkward at best if you get shut out and end up in the Wild Horse dressed like Gerardo.

Saturday night is Super Bowl Eve, and I, as much as anyone, need a diversion with less than 18 hours 'til kickoff. Mine will be the smooth, soulful sounds of a capella legends The Persuasions, who will be entertaining all of those with enough sense to be in attendance at the FLC Community Concert Hall. These guys are tremendous, and I can't think of a better building in which to see them. The place was built for this kind of music, and at the risk of sounding pompous, you would be an idiot to miss it. Further persuasion (sorry) comes in the form of complimentary eats from several local restaurants and a souvenir print of Dan Nichol's painting of the Concert Hall. (Author's note: You can hear a sampling of The Persuasions on Friday night at 8 p.m. on this really cool radio show on KSUT called "The Soul of the Blues." Just a thought.) But Saturday night presents one of those dilemmas in which you'll have to choose between two bona fide, first-rate evenings on the town.

If you're like me, when you think Mardi Gras, you think Mancos. And recently, when I think of Mancos, I think of the urban renewal that is slowly but surely restoring the historic Opera House to its former splendor. Toward that end, the city fathers and mothers will put on a hootenanny with a bayou buffet, live Cajun music from the Bayou Boys, and a DJ to fill in the rest. The restoration project is one of the more worthy in the area, and if you haven't seen the place yet, this is the perfect opportunity. Mancos being for the most part a lawless town of renegades and desperadoes, one can only expect the carnival to be a street brawl of epic proportions. Actually, I jest. It's a triple-headed monster of a party, going on at the Opera House, Community Center and the old La Boheme building at the same time. Tickets are on sale at Southwest Sound and the Opera House, and remember - it's a fund-raiser. Don't be a cheapskate. Directions? Go to Mancos, turn left and try not to hit anyone. The fun starts at 8 p.m.

Almost lost in all of this is a great show happening Friday night at Scoot 'n Blues. John Lee Hooker Jr., who coincidentally is the son of the late, great bluesman John Lee Hooker. John Lee Junior is only on his second CD, but as strange as it may sound, I actually enjoy his style a little bit more than his dad's. It's a bit edgier, with more of a blues/rock thing happening, and very upbeat. I imagine that no performer who is the offspring of an icon wants to live in the shadow of and be compared to the senior, but his name is John Lee Hooker Jr., which had to help with the record execs. But the son is more than holding his own and is a can't-miss option if you're in town Friday night.

And now for something completely different. It's more than a week away, but if you want to dazzle your Valentine on that Hallmark holiday, and let's face it, you have to, then get your tickets quickly for "A Crime of Passion" at the Diamond Circle Theatre next Saturday night, Feb. 12. This is the kind of thing I had in mind when I started writing this stupid column. It's one of those murder-mystery dinner theater things, with a three course dinner by 1887 Catering at the Strater (they make good food), which goes on amidst an interactive play put on by a professional bunch of actors from L.A. Someone gets killed, everyone gets involved in solving it, and then I win a bunch of prizes when I figure the whole thing out. The reason I'm telling you about this now is that today - yes, Thursday the 3rd - is the deadline to get your tickets, because they have to plan things according to the number of people. Also, it sold out last year and probably will again, so hurry. It's an ingenious benefit for the Women's Resource Center, so again, don't be a cheapskate. The WRC does good things, and I like women. I know you'll have to go out again on the actual Valentine's Day, but the points accumulated from an evening like this will go a long way toward the fulfillment of your obligations.

Finally, as many of you may have heard, Fox has eliminated any possibility of a repeat of last year's scandalous Super Bowl halftime show. Never again will our youth be subjected to the disgusting and amoral assault of Justin Timberlake. This year, it will be Sir Paul McCartney who publicly deflowers the chaste Janet Jackson before the eyes of billions worldwide. What many of you probably don't know is that there is a Durango connection to this spectacle. The brother of local society maven Kate Haspel, Brian Ray, will play bass in the brash young Liverpudlian's band as he has been doing for the past couple of years. Not bad, eh? I've never gotten up the gumption to ask Kate why Brian plays the instrument by which Paul himself became famous, but then Inever really understood the whole royalty thing anyway. Rock on, Kate.

I apologize in advance for my behavior this weekend. ted@ksut.org. One more time - Go Birds!