The world’s game, Rockin’ Brews and Men Who Grill

Men Who Grill returns to Buckley Park from 11 - 3 on Saturday

by Chris Aaland

The beautiful game takes center stage this weekend with the start of FIFA’s 2010 World Cup in South America. It’s been a long, slow ride, but America is starting to take the world’s game seriously. Of course, Durango jumped on the bandwagon decades ago. Two NCAA Division II soccer championships and a pair of national runner-up finishes converted even a diehard football junkie like me into a futbol aficionado.

The fact that it’s the first World Cup to be played on African soil, with Nelson Mandela expected to attend Friday’s 8 a.m. opener (Mountain Daylight Time) between South Africa and Mexico, is a testament to how sports are a unifying presence on the world political stage.

The USA opens with England at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The Yanks stunned England 1-0 in the 1950 World Cup, but there hasn’t been a World Cup matchup between the two since. In fact, it took 40 years for the U.S. to qualify for its next Cup in 1990. Since then, the Stars and Stripes are just 3-12-3 in the tournament, 1-9-2 against European teams.

I think the U.S. has a fighting chance to make it to the quarterfinals this time around, but I’m putting my money on Brazil to hoist the cup for a sixth time. Last I saw, the gold, green and blue color scheme was lucky for the Fort in NCAA play.

Saturday’s match will keep me away from Silverton, one of my favorite festival sites. Sadly, the old Silverton Jubilee died about five years ago. From 2007 - 2009, the nonaffiliated Silverton Jamboree filled its shoes, but it’s now gone, too. Fret not, though, as the inaugural Silverton Rockin’ Brews takes place Saturday from noon- 5 p.m. as bands, breweries, distilleries and food vendors assemble at Silverton’s softball fields. Live music features the Lawn Chair Kings, the Denver City Saltlicks and Cyle Talley & the Late Greats. Breweries include Silverton, Ska, Carver’s, Steamworks, Del Norte, Crested Butte, Colorado Boy, Dolores River, San Luis Valley and Horsefly, among others. Two regional distilleries – Silverton’s own Montanya and Palisades’ Peach Street – will also be represented. $30 gets you admission to the festival, a commemorative mug and unlimited tastings. Non-drinking designated drivers are admitted for $10 and children under 12 are free. The free, official after-party takes place at Silverton Brewing Co. at 7:30 p.m. and features more good stuff by the Lawn Chair Kings.

The seventh annual Men Who Grill event is a serious and sizzling food fight like no other and takes place from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday next to Buckley Park. Prizes include best poultry, beef, pork and vegetarian entrees, plus a People’s Choice Award, best booth theme and best costumes. Past entries have included lamb sliders, bacon-wrapped tater tots, grilled Thai shrimp, plus all the usual barbecue favorites. It’s a family-friendly fiesta that also features the Kirk James Blues Band, Steamworks suds and Zuberfizz soft drinks. Proceeds benefit the Women’s Resource Center. Today (Thursday, June 10) is the deadline to enter, so visit www.wrcdurango.org to learn more.

Vince Herman’s Great American Taxi returns to the Abbey Theatre at 9 p.m. tonight. On the heels of their second album, “Reckless Habits,” Taxi continues to evolve into a jammy, country-rock outfit in the vein of New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Byrds and Little Feat. Classic songwriting in the spirit of Woody Guthrie, Gram Parsons and John Hartford also gets a nod from Herman and crew. The local outfit, Seven, opens.

Country & Western singer Bobby Marquez brings Ernest Tubb-style Texas troubadour music back to life when he plays the Abbey at 8 p.m. Friday. He’s shared the stage with a veritable who’s who of contemporary Top 40 country acts. To get into the spirit of things, PBRs cost just a buck until the band starts playing.

Melodrama and Vaudeville comedy are back at the Henry Strater Theatre Friday, continuing nightly (except for Mondays) through Aug. 21. For decades starting in the early 1960s, the Diamond Circle Melodrama was a Durango tradition. George Cohen’s “The Tavern” will be staged this year, followed by a hilarious set of Vaudeville routines. Visit www.henrystratertheatre.com for tickets and more information.

Elsewhere: the Get Backs do surf and punk at tonight’s Ska-B-Q from 5-7 p.m. at the Ska Brewing World Headquarters; Kirk James has a solo blues engagement from 5-8 p.m. tonight at Riley Mac’s; Back Alley Blues does its regular 5-7 p.m. FAC at the Purple Haze; Black Velvet and Cosmic Accident appear at the Derailed Saloon from 5 ‘til close; Curious Jorge appears from 8 ‘til midnight Friday at the Purple Haze; Jonezy spins vinyl at the Cosmopolitan at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Katrina Blair leads a “bun dance” at the Durango Farmers Market on Saturday morning; and Tumblin’ Dice rocks from 8 ‘til midnight Saturday at the Purple Haze.

To prep you for the World Cup, here’s the current European-heavy FIFA Top 10. The good ol’ USA checks in at No. 14:

1. Brazil – The Samba Kings have won an unprecedented five World Cups and are the only team to have qualified for every World Cup.

2. Spain – La Furia Roja won the 2008 European Championships and was FIFA’s Team of the Year the past two years.

3. Portugal – There must be something in that Iberian Peninsula water.

4. The Netherlands – Clockwork Orange reached the finals in ’74 and ’78.

5. Italy – Azzurri has four World Cups and is the defending champ.

6. Germany – Three World Cups and three European titles make Die Mannschaft a perennial favorite.

7. Argentina – 19 international titles and two World Cups for South America’s “other” squad.

8. England – Hard to imagine it’s been 44 years since the Three Lions captured the Cup.

9. France – The ‘98 World Cup winners were lucky to qualify this year, given Henry’s controversial hand balls against Ireland.

10. Croatia – The baby of the bunch, Croatia joined FIFA and EUFA in 1993.

Ola Brasil? E-mail me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net. •