Monday night, shamanic dub and Durango Roller Girls

San Fran's Heavyweight Dub Champions play the Abbey on Saturday night

by Chris Aaland

When Roone Arledge hatched the idea of Monday Night Football in 1970, he forever changed the psyche of the American male. From barrooms to basements across this great land, Monday nights held new meaning. The NFL was exploding as the new national pastime, a brutish affair that was neither as sophisticated as baseball nor as flashy as basketball. For veterans returning from World War II, Korea and Vietnam, it was the epitome of American manhood. And no decade saw it grow quite like the 1970s.

Whether it was genius or just pure luck, Arledge had the good fortune to tap into Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and Don Meredith for commentary. Cosell was a brash commentator and no stranger to controversy. He famously sided with Muhammad Ali when the boxer refused military service in Vietnam due to religious beliefs. Everybody hated Cosell. Gifford and Meredith, on the other hand, were ex-jocks. Gifford, a former New York Giants running back, was the straight guy. Meredith, a onetime Dallas Cowboys quarterback, was the good old boy, the comedic balance to Cosell’s controversy. This unholy trinity ruled America for a decade.

Cosell left the show following the 1983 season, one in which he uttered a supposed racial slur during the game. Meredith was gone a year later. Gifford, now age 80, stuck it out through 1998, limited to pregame commentary. Cosell died in 1995; Dandy Don Meredith, age 72, died Sunday. And with him, so did a part of every red-blooded American male.

The State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara presents the magical holiday ballet, “Nutcracker,” Friday through Sunday at the Community Concert Hall. There will be 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. evening performances on Friday and Saturday. The ballet is based on the book “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffman and tells the story of a young German girl, Clara, who is given a toy nutcracker during a holiday party. The toy then comes to life in a dream and escorts Clara on a journey to a magical land. Tchaikovsky wrote the score in 1892, and the rest is holiday history. Forty-one dancers from Southwest Colorado, ages 5-13, perform alongside the pros.

The State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara will also host a master class from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Cost is $15 and for advanced and intermediate-advanced level ballet dancers only. Call Judy at 764-7142 for more information.

One of Colorado’s fastest-rising newgrass groups, Head for the Hills, plays the Abbey Theatre at 9 p.m. Friday. Rooted in the tradition of bluegrass, they weave a vibrant mixture of homegrown compositions, traditional harmonies and an innovative improvisation. Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon) and Bill Nershi (String Cheese Incident) are among their biggest supporters. Nershi, in fact, produced their eponymous, sophomore album. Kentucky Deluxe opens this 21-and-over affair.

Heavyweight Dub Champion, purveyors of several genres of music that I’ve never even heard of (Shamanic dub? Rasta whomp?), play the Abbey at 9 p.m. Saturday. “Founded in a log cabin at 9,000 feet in the mountains of Colorado and now based in San Francisco, Heavyweight Dub Champion is a movement of interdimensional warriors representing the Army of the Last Champion,” hails their publicity packet. Wow. All of this in a group that dabbles in hip-hop, dancehall, dub and electronic music? They’re collaborated with the likes of the legendary KRS-One and Killah Priest. I-Gene, Peter Robot and Smiley Coyote are also on the bill.

The Congress, a Denver band that blends feel-good American music with Southern R&B, plays this week’s “Thirsty Thursdays Feed the Hungry” event at the Summit. These guys are building quite a reputation on the Front Range for their sound and live energy. Here’s the deal: Bring two cans of food tonight and see the show for free. Bring one can and the $5 cover gets cut in half. Manna Soup Kitchen benefits from everyone’s hospitality.

The beautiful Durango Roller Girls are baring it for you and will autograph their 2011 calendars at a party at the Starlight from 6-10 p.m. Friday. What’s more, there’s free pizza!

Also at the Starlight this week: Salsa Night with DJ Double D at 8 p.m. tonight (Thursday, Dec. 9), music and dancing with DJ Double D at 10 p.m. Friday, a “Naughty Elves and Snowbunnies Party” with DJ Treazon at 10 p.m. Saturday, Musica del Mundo at 9 p.m. Sunday, and live music with Kentucky Deluxe at 9 p.m. Tuesday.

The A-Men (Jack Tallmadge, Bruce Allsopp and Steve Williams) do Sunday gospel brunch from 1-3 p.m. at the Diamond Belle Saloon. These guys are certainly in the need of saving, collectively and individually. They’ve been kicked out of nearly every bar and band in Durango.

Fort Lewis College Athletics teams with Morehart Murphy Auto Center for a food drive that concludes at Saturday’s women’s and men’s basketball doubleheader. Bring a can of food to Morehart this week and receive a free ticket to the game. All of the Skyhawk teams are working with different residence halls and apartment complexes on campus as well. The food will then be donated to Manna Soup Kitchen next week. Game times are 5:30 p.m. (women) and 7:30 p.m. (men) Saturday in Whalen Gymnasium. Visit www.goskyhawks.com for more information.

Of interest: Doug Phillips brings his power blues guitar to this week’s Ska-B-Q tonight; Eric Kiefer is back at the Summit’s acoustic happy hour at 6 p.m. Friday; The Tumblin’ Dice rock the Billy Goat Saloon in beautiful Gem Village at 8 p.m. Friday; The Summit and SPC host a “Spin to Win” battle of the DJs at 8:30 p.m. Friday; Jonas Grushkin tickles the ivories at the Durango Holiday Farmers Market from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday in the La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall; Rupnow & friends play acoustic happy hour at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Summit; Black Velvet, joined by Ben Gibson of the aforementioned Tumblin’ Dice, plays the Derailed Saloon at 9 p.m. Saturday; Salem returns to the Summit at 10 p.m. Saturday; and the omnipresent Double D hosts the karaoke/gong show at the Summit Wednesday.

This week’s Top Shelf list quotes Willie Nelson, as Dandy Don Meredith famously sang at the end of each MNF broadcast: “Turn out the lights, the party’s over.” ï®

E-mail me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.