In season, homecoming and Juba Juba

by Chris Aaland

Many friends think the name of this column is some reference to fancy booze. Not so. While I occasionally purchase liquor in a glass bottle, I frequently choose quantity over quality and settle for lesser brands packaged in plastic. But mostly, I like beer. You can’t get a brick on the wall for drinking 100 different shots.

No, “Top Shelf” is a reference to hockey. I wept as a child when the Rockies moved to New Jersey, relegating Denver to minor league status for more than a decade. Yet I endured. The Central Hockey League meant seeing future Hall of Famer defenseman Al MacInnis skate for the Colorado Flames for $5 a pop. The minor leagues were also a proving ground for countless goons and hacks willing to drop the gloves for no other reason than a dirty look. Imagine my glee when Les Nordiques relocated to Denver in 1995 and brought us a couple of Stanley Cups, the greatest rivalry the sport had seen in decades with the Red Wings/Avalanche wars from ’96 through the lockout, and guys like Sakic, Forsberg, Roy and Bourque.

With the drop of the puck last Thursday, the season was on. No matter that Colorado stumbled out of the gate to a 0-2 start with a goalie that turned into the human sieve with less than three minutes left in regulation in each game. Bad hockey is like missionary sex or cold pizza. It’s still pretty good.

Hockey fans share one very important thing with southern rockers, another group dear to my heart: the mullet. Durango longhairs can bask in a weekend that finds hockey on their TiVos and loud guitars in their ears.

Back in 1991, I had the pleasure of seeing Edgar Winter in concert at the Abbey Theatre. He returns, some 17 years later, for a 7:30 p.m. Sunday night gig at the Community Concert Hall. While best known for hits “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride” – classic rock staples, no doubt – Winter’s skilled saxophone, keyboard and percussion playing is often overlooked. His 1972 effort, “Roadwork,” is one of the best live albums of all time, effortlessly crisscrossing the musical map between southern boogie, R&B, blues, jazz and even gospel. Count Edgar Winter’s White Trash among the legendary, if somewhat underappreciated, southern rock acts like Barefoot Jerry, Wet Willie, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils and the Outlaws.

Kathy Mattea returns to the Community Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Monday. While the multi-Grammy award winner made her biggest splash in Top 40 country early in her career, more recently she’s made critical inroads through bluegrass and Appalachian yell singing, the precursor to the genre that Bill Monroe invented back in the ’40s. Her latest album, “Coal,” documents the trials and tribulations of coal miners and mining families. Mattea’s own family tree includes countless parents, grandparents, uncles and cousins who worked in mines and organized mining unions.

The Summit hosts the conscious hip-hop of Eastern Sunz on Wednesday. The Sunz shed light on environmental and political issues ignored by most rap acts. Formed in Oregon and currently living in Seattle, the group has released four albums and performed with Blackalicious and KRS-One, among others.

Fort Lewis College Homecoming takes center stage Friday and Saturday, with an assortment of events ranging from traditional (parade, bonfire and football game) to formal (the annual alumni awards banquet) to opportunities to get your drink on. FLC alumni (more than 4,500 of you live in La Plata County) are invited to a free reception at Steamworks from 5:30-10:30 p.m. on Friday (free appetizers) and a tailgate party adjacent to Whalen Gymnasium from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday (free beer and barbecue). Visit www.fortlewis.edu to view the complete schedule.

Mellow out after all that homecoming beer by checking out Juba Juba!, a Grateful Dead tribute band from Denver that takes its name from “Mr. Charlie.” Juba Juba! pays homage to all things Jerry at the Summit on Friday and Saturday night. Guitarist/vocalist Steve LaZar has shared the stage with the likes of Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Leftover Salmon and the Dark Star Orchestra.

The Dead also lives on KDUR, particularly from 8-10 p.m. Fridays for the “Fire on the Mountain” program. KDUR will save you from the shallow waters of the mainstream. Pledge your support during the KDUR fall membership drive, which runs from Oct. 17-24. If you like what you hear at 91.9 and 93.9 FM, then pledge your support by calling 247-7262 or visiting www.kdur.org.

Happy birthday to Moe’s Starlight Lounge, which celebrates its two-year anniversary on Tuesday. The party gets started at 9 p.m. with $2 drinks and appetizers and live music by Dave Mensch of Formula 151.

Jack Ellis & Larry Carver blend blues, folk and rock at 8 p.m. Friday at the 8th Ave. Tavern. If you head east to Pagosa Springs this weekend, you can also check them out at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Pagosa Brew Pub and at 6 p.m. Sunday at JJ’s Riverwalk Restaurant & Pub.

In honor of KDUR’s eight-day fall fund drive, here are eight reasons I tune in to 91.9 and 93.9:

“Go Pogo,” 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Chap blends pit bull rock and country into a righteous hangover cure.

“Pacifica Radio’s Democracy Now,” noon-1 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Host Amy Goodman’s hero status was confirmed when GOP goons roughed her up at the Republican convention in Minnesota.

“Sweet By and By,” 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Longtime host David Smith may be on hiatus, but Tommy and Doug keep the bluegrass fires burnin’ in his absence.

“Your Music Lesson,” 5:30-6 p.m. Fridays. From the Beach Boys to The Gourds to local heroes, Liggett asks the tough questions and features music from artists who impact Durango’s music scene.

“Crescent City Connection,” 6-8 p.m. Mondays. Kingfish spins New Orleans music, from jazz to R&B and so much more.

“Babylon Collapse Sound System,” 6-8 p.m. Fridays. Nobody does conscious reggae like I Gene.

“Sunday Morning Mostly Classical Music Program,” 9 a.m.-noon Sundays. Tom MacCluskey has earned Grammy awards for his engineering. His knowledge of classical, jazz and even rock is unsurpassed.

“Audience of One,” 1-3 p.m. Mondays. College rock on college radio? Jon will challenge your mind and your ears. •

You storm the crease like bumblebees? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.

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