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Ongoing Upcoming


Purgatory hosts Summer Ska Blowout

Abbey screens ‘Considering Democracy’
Taj  Mahal returns to the Concert Hall

Submit items for On the Town to: 556 Main Ave., Durango, CO, 81301; fax: ( 970) 259-0448; e-mail: telegraph@durangotelegraph.com ; or fill out this form

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The Home Energy Makeover Workshop & Expo meets from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Fort Lewis College (CUB) Ballroom. In addition to trade show exhibits, the event includes 25 brief presentations covering a wide range of topics. www.homeenergymakeover.com/fourcorners/ for details.

Habitat for Humanity of La Plata County hosts a Women Build work day at the duplexes in Fox Farm Village in Bayfield. Women 16 and older are needed and no experience is necessary. 382-2215 for details.

The Southwest Colorado Chapter of the American Red Cross, 1911 Main Ave., Suite 282, offers an Adult, Child, Infant CPR/AED and First Aid from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 259-5383 to pre-register.

A free demonstration on the Ten Essential Advanced Flyfishing Casts meets at Santa Rita Park from 8:30-10 a.m. www.proflyfishers.com or 385-9048 to register. Donations appreciated.

Durango Parks and Recreation hosts the Iron Kid’s Triathlon at 9 a.m. Children will swim, bike and run age-appropriate triathlon courses, which begin and end at the Durango Community Recreation Center. 375-7300 for details.

The Arts & Crafts Market of Durango meets at Buckley Park from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Robin Davis will be this week’s featured performer. Partial proceeds from the market benefit the San Juan Symphony. www.acmdurango.org for details.

The San Juan Mountains Association hosts “Hike, Lunch and Wine with a Llama” from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Durango Mountain Resort. Llamas carry lunches, wine and cheese on this interpretive hike. 385-1256 to register.

The San Juan Mountains Association offers a guided nature walk at Durango Mountain Resort from 10 a.m.-noon. The walks are free and participants should meet outside Guest Services at DMR. 385-1256 for details.

The Humane Society holds an adoptathon from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the D&SNG Depot in honor of National Homeless Animals Day. Humane Society homeless pets will be on hand and available for adoption at reduced fees. 259-2847.

The Durango Discovery Museum at the Powerhouse, 1333 Camino del Rio, offers Powerhouse Playdays from noon-3 p.m., featuring free electric shows, tours, music, food and pedal-powered Wi-Fi.

The Durango Arts Center, 802 E. Second Ave., offers the Paint Bar in the Garage Art Studio from noon-4 p.m. 259-2606 for details.

The Dean Murphy Duo plays El Patio, 600 Main Ave., from 5-9 p.m.

Singer-songwriter David Earl Pfeiffer plays swing and blues from 5-9 p.m. at the Quaking Aspen Cafe and Gallery in Bayfield. 884-2002 for details.

Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave., presents dancing on the patio from 9 p.m.-close. 259-9018 for details.

Kirtan, participatory singing from India, meets from 5:30-7: 30 p.m. in the Smiley Building’s Blue Heron Yoga Studio, 1309 E. Third Ave. The family-friendly event includes an optional 30-minute meditation. 259-2110 for details.

Singer-songwriters Nina Sasaki & Lisa Blue play a 6-9 p.m. show at Christina’s Grill and Bar, 21382 U.S. Hwy 160 W.

Tom MacCluskey performs on piano at the Mahogany Grille, 699 Main Ave., from 6-9 p.m. 247-4433 for details.

Durango Nature Studies offers Hiking the Full Corn Moon from 7-9 p.m. at Andrews Lake. DNS staff will teach about cool moon facts and nighttime lore. 382-9244 ext 3 to register.

Singer-songwriter Cyle Talley plays his unique acoustic “indie pop” with special guests at Durango Joe’s, 730 College, from 7-9 p.m.

Mancos State Park, located 5 miles north of Mancos, presents Slim McWilliams performing Cowboy Songs at 7:30 p.m. at the amphitheater.

The Durango Discovery Museum at the Powerhouse, 1333 Camino del Rio, kicks off its free open–air movie nights at 8 p.m. with a screening of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Participants are asked to leave the car at home. The free screenings continue on Saturdays through Sept. 13.

The 8^th Ave. Tavern, 509 E. 8^th Ave., offers karaoke from 8 p.m. to close. 259-8801 for details.

Freeplay plays classic rock and originals at The Legends (formerly the Ballpark), in the Centennial Center next to Office Depot. The show starts at 9 p.m.

The Hot Strings bring their bluegrass and folk to the Summit, 600 Main Ave., at 9:30 p.m. 247-2324 for details.

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The Durango chapter of Food Not Bombs serves free vegetarian/vegan food starting at 1 p.m. at Riverfront Park in conjunction with a drum circle. Volunteers, donations and potluck dishes are welcome at the weekly event. durangofoodnotbombs@gmail.com for details.

Durango BMX hosts racing just south of Gateway Park with sign-ups from 1-2 p.m. and racing to follow. 799-1780 or www.durangobmx.com for details.

Pete Giuliani, guitarist and songwriter, appears at Trimble Hot Springs from 1-4 p.m.

Singer-songwriter Gigi Love returns for a 5-9 p.m. show at El Patio, 600 Main Ave.

A free Introduction to Fly Fishing meets from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Santa Rita Park. Visit www.proflyfishers.com or call 385-9048 to register. Donations appreciated.

The Blue Moon Ramblers play their weekly gig at the Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The 8^th Ave. Tavern, 509 E. 8^th Ave., offers karaoke from 8 p.m. to close. 259-8801 for details.

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Durango BMX hosts practices from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the track just south of Gateway Park. 799-1780 or www.durangobmx.com for details.

Ultimate Frisbee takes place at Miller Middle School at 5:30 p.m. and is open to all comers.

Pony Up Month, a benefit for the Spring Creek Wild Horse herd of Disappointment Valley, culminates with a 6 p.m. reception/silent auction at the Durango Arts Center, 802 E. Second Ave. Noted photographer Claude Steelman will present a slide show from his latest book. www.sjma.org for details.

The Jeff Solon Jazz Group, along with vocalist Alison Dance, plays the Cyprus Café, 725 E. Second Ave., from 6-9 p.m. 385-6884 for details.

The Durango Community Recreation Center offers Open Kayak Night from 7-8:45 p.m. 375-7300 for details.

The Summit, 600 Main Ave., presents open mic night from 7 p.m.-midnight. Bands and DJs are welcome. 247-2324 for details.

Acoustic folk/pop/indie troubadours Annie Brooks and Cyle Talley split a set of originals at the Durango Coffee Co., 730 Main Ave., from 7-9 p.m.

The Billy Goat Saloon, located on Highway 160 in Gem Village, hosts karaoke with Crazy Charlie starting at 7:30 p.m. 884-9155 for details.

Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave., hosts Eric Kiefer, best known for his work with Aftergrass, plays a 4

solo, acoustic set on the patio from 8:30-10:30 p.m.-close. 259-9018 for details.  

Dave Mensch, of Formula 151, performs solo at Joel’s,119 W. 8th St., at 8 p.m. 385-0430 for details.

The Columbine Bar, located on Grand Ave. in Mancos, hosts its Tuesday Night Jam beginning at 8 p.m. The session is open to all musicians.

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Durango BMX hosts its Wednesday night races just south of Gateway Park with sign-ups from 5:30-6:30 p.m. with racing to follow. 799-1780 or www.durangobmx.com for details.

An open bluegrass jam meets from 6-8 p.m. at the Durango Brewing Co., 3000 Main Ave. The circle gathers every Wednesday. 247-1264 for details.

The Jeff Solon Jazz Duo plays the Cyprus Café, 725 E. Second Ave., from 6-9 p.m. 385-6884 for details.

The Southwest Colorado Chapter of the American Red Cross, 1911 Main Ave., Suite 282, offers a Standard First Aid class from 6-10 p.m. 259-5383 to pre-register.

The Durango Chess Club gathers for its weekly meeting at Durango Joe’s, 732 E. College, at 6:30 p.m.

A free class on mysticism and meditation meets from 7-8 p.m. at Chiropractic Durango, 555 Rivergate Lane, Suite B1-108. The ongoing class is hosted by the Center of Light. 882-4920 for details.

Victoria FittsMilgrim of True Life Coaching, hosts a free, interactive talk, “Women’s Retreats: A Powerful Tool for a Balanced Life,” from 7-9 p.m. at the Asante Center, 801 Florida Rd. #11. 259-9040 to register.

Dave Mensch, of Formula 151, performs solo at Joel’s starting at 8 p.m.

An open-level East Coast Swing Party takes place at 8:30 p.m. at the Durango Recreation Center. No partner necessary. 903-9402 for details.

Moe’s Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave., hosts DJs spinning dance music on the patio from 9 p.m.-close. 259-9018 for details.  

Reggae legends the Mighty Diamonds play a 9:30 p.m., all-ages show at the Abbey Theatre, 128 E. College. 385-1711 for details.

The Summit, 600 Main Ave., hosts hip hop from Brooklyn’s Louis Logic at 9:30 p.m. 247-2324 for details.

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The Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum hosts a living, cultural treasures exhibit. Ten Ute women and the baskets they weave are the focus of the show, which features 40 pieces accompanied by video of the White Mesa, Utah artisans. www.southernutemuseum.org for details.

The Open Shutter Gallery, 735 Main Ave., exhibits “Shadow, Light and Form” black-and-whites from two local photographers, Lou Swenson and Joel White, alongside the work of internationally known photographer Kim Weston. The exhibit highlights traditional darkroom silver gelatin images. 382-8355 or www.openshuttergallery.com for details.

The Durango Arts Center, 802 E. Second Ave., hosts the new exhibits, “High Drama,” a show by visual artists delivering their interpretation of drama; the Regional Invitational Book Arts Show; and Play Posters and Wood Sculptures by Cindy Coleman and Dave Sipe. The three shows run throughout August. 259-2606 for details.

The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College hosts “Connections: Earth + Art = A Tribute Art Show in Resistance to Desert Rock” through Sept. 28. The Center is also exhibiting “Transitions,” a Navajo textile show, “100 Contemporary Works” by native artists from the Hensler Collection, and selections of the jewelry of Ben Nighthorse. Visit http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu or call 970-247-7456 for more information.

Ragtime pianist Hoyle Osborne plays ragtime piano at The Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., through Saturday, Aug. 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. and 8 to 10:30 p.m.

The nature photography of Durangoan Howard Rachlin is on display through August at the Ignacio Community Library. 375-7877 for details.

The Diamond Circle Melodrama continues its 47th season in the newly renovated Durango Arts Center Theatre, 802 E. Second Ave. “The Spoilers” and “Whoop-Ti-Ay!” show nightly (except Mondays) at 8 p.m. The performances continue through Aug. 31. www.diamondcirclemelodrama.com for details.

The Animas Museum, 3065 W. Second Ave., host the exhibit “Eskimo Artifacts from Arctic Alaska.” This show features clothing, masks, hunting and fishing tools, dolls, toys, fetishes and other items. The museum is also hosting “Boots & Saddles: Historic Foot Gear and Horse Gear from Southwestern Colorado.” 259-2402 for details.

Professional Business Builders, a chapter of Business Networking International, meets every Thursday from 7-8:30 a.m. at the Unitarian Church in Durango. BNI Referral Matrix meets every Thursday from 7-8:30 a.m. at the Wells Group. The BNI Referral Market meets from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Prudential. BNI Business Connections meets every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Durango Rec. Center. BNI is the largest business networking organization in the world. Call 422-2032 or e-mail servinglife@hotmail.com for details.

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Healthy Lifestyle La Plata will host a Worksite Wellness Mentor Training workshop for all local businesses and their employees on Aug. 21. www.healthylifestylelaplata.org for details.

The DurangoTangs for Obama will host a volunteer participation kick-off party on Aug. 22 at the Rochester Hotel.

Slim Cessna’s Auto Club will play The Summit on Aug. 22.

Open Shutter Gallery opens an exhibit on the vanishing art of Polaroid Film from Aug. 22-Sept. 5.

Purgatory’s 10^th annual San Juan Brewfest comes downtown on Aug. 23.

The Durango Iron Horse Chef Competition, with local chefs using local ingredients, meets at the Durango Farmers Market on Aug. 23.

FLC Men’s and Women’s Soccer hosts Durango Youth Soccer Day on Aug. 23 at Dirk’s Field. Events will include women’s and men’s team alumni games.

Local chiropractor James Forleo will read from and sign copies of his new book, Health is Simple: Disease is Complicated, on Aug. 25 at Maria’s Bookshop.

The Tibetan Monks of Gaden Shartse visit Durango on Aug. 27-29 and will present a variety of events and lectures. 749-0739 for details.

Cult songwriter Cory Branan and local favorite, Drag the River, play an Aug. 31 show at the Summit.

The Early Childhood Council of La Plata County is requesting applications from people who are interested in becoming Licensed Family Home Child Care Providers through Sept. 2. 247-5960 x25 for details.

The traditional Mexican dance group, Ballet Folklorico de Durango, is now registering 6-18 year old boys and girls for the 2008-09 season. Practice begins Sept. 3. 382-9693 for details.

Durango favorite Sand Sheff and Thomas Sneed of the Reeltime Travelers play a Sept. 12 show at the Henry Strater Theater.

The third annual Reel Rock Film Tour, an international climbing film festival, plays the Abbey Theatre on Sept. 16 & 17.

International Peace Day will be celebrated on Sept. 21 at Rotary Park.

Michael Franti & Spearhead play a Sept. 24 benefit show at Cottonwood Park in Mancos.

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Purgatory hosts Summer Ska Blowout What: A summer music festival featuring Warsaw and Oatie Paste Where: Durango Mountain Resort When: Saturday, Aug. 16. Doors open at 5 p.m. A favorite of Durangoans everywhere is stepping on stage at Purgatory this Saturday. Warsaw, the ska-punk phenomenon from Arizona, blows back into town on Aug. 16 to play Durango Mountain Resort’s Summer Ska Blowout. A punk/ska/Celtic crossover band, Warsaw Poland Bros. formed in Flagstaff, Ariz., in 1990. Since that time, the band has “played everywhere with everyone in most of North America and Hawaii.” Named for the capital of Poland, Warsaw has released four nationally distributed CDs and created their own label, Invisible Mass Records. Their love for live performance and touring has also kept them on the road for more than 10 years and made for more than a handful of Durango stopovers. As for the band’s sound, the group claims to specialize in “short-attention-span theatrics,” slipping from punk and ska to Celtic, jazz and hip hop – “Think a weed-happy, dub-lovin’ They Might Be Giants without the nerdy afterglow.” Local band Oatie Paste will open the show and get the blowout under-way. In addition, Durango suds will be on tap throughout the event. Doors for the all ages show open at 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.durangomountainresort.com or call 385-2168.

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Abbey screens ‘Considering Democracy’ What: A one-night only showing of the new documentary   Where: The Abbey Theater, 128 E. College When: Tues., Aug. 19. Doors open at 6 p.m. One of Durango’s native daughters is bringing her work to the local silver screen. Fort Lewis graduate Keya Horiuchi will screen her new film, “Considering Democracy,” on Aug. 19 for one night only at the Abbey Theatre. “Considering Democracy” probes global perceptions of the United States and was filmed in 10 different countries over a 4-month span. The film begins with a relatively benign topic – vacation time – and compares the U.S. with other industrial democracies. Horiuchi then goes onto the issues of healthcare, the media, foreign policy, foreign aid, campaign finance, lobbying and the revolving door. The goal of the film was to get people talking about important issues that impact their everyday lives and to get people to be active participants in democracy as a result. Horiuchi also set out to answer the question – What does the rest of the world think of U.S. domestic and foreign policy?  Doors to the Aug. 19 screening open at 6 p.m. for a reception with the filmmaker. The film screens at 6:30 p.m. and a Q&A with Horiuchi will follow. A $5 donation is requested. For more information, contact the Abbey at 385-1711.

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Taj  Mahal returns to the Concert Hall What: A show from the Taj Mahal Trio Where: The Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College When: Thursday, Aug. 14. Doors open at 7 p.m. A man who needs no introduction returns to Durango’s biggest stage this week. Blues legend Taj Mahal and his trio play the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College on. Aug. 14. For 40 years, Taj Mahal has been playing his own distinctive brand of music, layering Caribbean, Hawaiian, African, Latin and Cuban sounds and rhythms with folk, jazz, zydeco, gospel, rock, pop, soul and R&B – all on top of a solid country blues foundation. A self-taught musician, Mahal plays more than 20 instruments and received the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album for 1997’s “Señor Blues” and again for 2000’s “Shoutin’ in Key.” Though he began his career with larger ensembles, Majal has turned to smaller group performances and has been touring for more than 30 years with The Taj Mahal Trio – Mahal (guitar, piano and banjo), Bill Rich (bass) and Kester Smith (drums). “The Trio allows the music between voice and guitar to happen with the smallest amount of accompaniment - bass and drums,” writes Mahal on his web site. “That leaves a lot of space to be filled. The guitar is not submerged but right up front in the music. It’s a challenging place to play.”  As a special plus, the Durango show comes on the eve of the Sept. 30 release of Taj Mahal’s first recording in five years – “Maestro” – which commemorates the 40th anniversary of his rich and diverse recording career. Showtime is 8 p.m., with doors to the Concert Hall and concessions opening at 7 p.m. Tickets for the show are available on the web at www.durangoconcerts.com, by calling 247-7657 or by visiting the Ticketing Services Offices on Main Ave. behind Magpies.

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