The sports den, Great American Taxi and Survival Revival

Great American Taxi

by Chris Aaland

January is heaven for a sports fan like me. The college bowl season was a nice jump-start to the New Year, even for those of us holding out hopes that we’ll live long enough to see a real college football playoff. The NBA and NHL seasons are in full swing with the Nuggets and Avalanche flirting with enough success to keep me glued to the tube most nights. And, believe it or not, spring training is a month away.

Oh, and then there’s the NFL playoffs. The year 2008 has been a treat thus far: upsets, nail-biters, the culmination of an unprecedented perfect season by the New England Patriots, and a late-thirtysomething warrior leading the Green Bay Packers back to glory. There’s something special about watching someone my age act like he’s a kid on the playground with a bunch of his friends during recess.

The best part? From the comfort of my sports den, I can lounge on the couch, crank the wood-burning stove and stumble to the beer fridge, where there’s never a wait and pints are cheap.

My sports den is hallowed ground. The walls are decorated with sports memorabilia of Colorado teams from the past four decades. Bobble head dolls and autographed hockey cards collect dust on the shelves. A few years ago, my sister-in-law and her husband gave us their enormous big screen TV when they upgraded to HD. I wired the giant idiot box to my old-school Yamaha stereo system with a pair of big-ass speakers that I had back in college in the ’80s. Surround sound? Hardly. This is in-your-face kind of noise.

During pregame, halftime and after the fat lady sings, I can dig through vinyl records and cassettes and pull out some long-lost treasures to crank up on the old stereo … ’80s hair metal nuggets, scratchy Tom T. Hall records my grandpa left me, ’70s country-rock LPs I stole from my mom, and mix tapes. Some of these 90-minute Maxell gems were made for old girlfriends, some for Friday night parties in the Centennial Apartments at FLC, others for jamming around the campfire.

My favorite mix tapes blended rock, country, blues, soul, bluegrass and tracks by regional bands that played Farquahrts way back when. I remember turning out-of-town friends on to Leftover Salmon in 1991 and telling them about this unique musical stew of bluegrass, Cajun and rock and a certain crazy, washboard-playing redneck hippie.

That same wild man highlights a busy few days of live music in Durango this week. Vince Herman brings his new outfit, Great American Taxi, to the Abbey Theatre for an all-ages show at 10 p.m. on Friday night. Like his old band Leftover Salmon, Taxi is tough to categorize. At times they sound like an alt-country outfit, at other times they’re folksy, but their music is pure Vince. He’s joined by multi-instrumentalist Jefferson Hamer (formerly of the Single Malt Band) and a host of talented Front Range musicians.

Friday night also finds Sand Sheff returning for his fourth “try-annual” Survival Revival at 7 p.m. at the Henry Strater Theatre. The onetime Durango resident-cum Moabite rides into town on the strength of a trio of CD releases last year (“Dust,: “Cowboyin’” and the alt-gospel “Lion on a White Horse”). Sand reminds all to “party in the face of madness,” and his revival features the Catch it Quick jugglers, belly dancing with the Gypsy Sisters, and emcee Rev. Monty Risenhoover.

So you prefer your own dancing to belly dancing? The Abbey welcomes Mama’s Cookin’ at 10 p.m. on Thursday for a 21-and-over affair. Hip-hop beats and conscious lyrics meld with rock and delta blues to create a truly unique, modern sound.

The Summit hosts the long-anticipated Aftergrass CD release party at 10 p.m. on Saturday. Buy a CD, support one of Durango’s most progressive bands and get in for free. Sand Sheff told Top Shelf that he plans to stick around town to celebrate with the boys.

Aftergrass isn’t the only local act honing its craft this week. Jack Ellis & Larry Carver bring their high-altitude blend of blues, folk and rock to the 8th Avenue Tavern at 8 p.m. Friday. •

Beth Warren is the executive director for KSUT Public Radio and hosts the Monday afternoon Music Blend from 1-4 p.m. KSUT can be found at 90.1 FM and 89.5 FM and www.ksut.org.

“In my 15 years at KSUT, I have had the honor to host many of these MLK blends,” she says. “I always flash back to the day he was assassinated. We lived in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and our neighbor Joan Rich was very active in the Civil Rights movement. She came running into our kitchen in complete hysterics with the news. I was 8 years old.”

Beth Warren’s Top 10 songs to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day In no particular order:

• “Freedom Ride” from the “Largo” CD – Taj Mahal joins Largo bandleader Rob Hyman on this out-of-print CD.

• “Don’t Call Me Buckwheat” Garland Jeffries – Title track – the name says it all.

• “Look Away” Kate Campbell – Storyville. One of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard.

• “It’s a Hard Life Wherever You Go/Abraham, Martin and John” - Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers at the Ryman. A perfect medley of the Nanci Griffith song, with the classic by Richard Holler

• “Homeless” Ladysmith Black Mambazo with Sarah McLachlan – “Long Walk to Freedom.” McLachlan’s voice blends perfectly with this composition by bandleader Joseph Shabalala and Paul Simon.

• “Up to the Mountain” Patty Griffin – “Children Running Through.” I was amazed the first time and brought to tears when she played it in concert last summer at a KSUT event.

• “Sister Rosa” Neville Brothers – “Yellow Moon.” If you don’t know why, you’re not paying attention.

• “How Many Miles Must We March” Ben Harper – “Welcome to the Cruel World.” This CD also has the song “Like a King.” I’m sure I’ll play both Monday.

• “99 and 1/2” Mavis Staples – “We’ll Never Turn Back.” The entire CD, produced by Ry Cooder, is amazing. This song really pumps out the message and the beat over the radio.

• “Why Am I Treated So Bad?” Pops Staples – “Father, Father.” Martin Luther King personally asked Pops to perform this song shortly before King was assassinated.

Ever feel the amber current flowing from your mind? E-mail chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.