Triple M, Chali 2na and pumpkin pie

by Chris Aaland

It’s a busy week of entertainment, so let’s get right to it. Michael Martin Murphey & the Rio Grande Band with Pat Flynn play two shows at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday at the Hank in a fund-raiser for Miller Middle School. Murphey has had an eclectic and erratic career with forays into outlaw country, Nashville pop, traditional cowboy music and, most recently, bluegrass. His 1975 release, “Blue Sky – Night Thunder,” was a career defining one, with songs like “Wildfire,” “Desert Rat” and “Carolina in the Pines” standing the test of time. He veered off course into overproduced, commercial waters in the 1980s – a career move that certainly padded his wallet and introduced him to a wider audience. But Murphey and his diehard fans were unsatisfied with the results – so much so, in fact, that he autographs albums from those years with a quickly scrawled signature; the outlaw country stuff and his newer material get an autograph that includes his cattle brand. His love for cowboy music surfaced again in the 1990s and mid-2000s, a 15-year period that made Murphey a staple on the rodeo and cowboy poetry circuit. Lately, he’s joined forced with Flynn, best known for his work as guitarist, singer and songwriter for the New Grass Revival in the 1980s. While he continues to conquer new musical territory, Murphey is always cognizant of his audience and plays requests from his entire catalog. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for purchase and include either dinner with Murphey prior to the shows or dessert with him afterward, plus front-of-house seating.

Folksinger Cheryl Wheeler returns to the Hank at 8 p.m. Friday. Wheeler is no stranger to Durango, having appeared here numerous times for Durango Acoustic Music, both on her own and in the company of contemporaries like John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky. She’s been signed to Rounder Records, one of the top purveyors of acoustic music in the country, for what seems like an eternity, and her work ranges from sophisticated love songs to humorous material to angry pleas for gun control. She’s been covered by artists as diverse as Garth Brooks, Suzy Bogguss and Bette Midler.

Chali 2na, founder of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, performs at the Abbey Theatre in an 18-and-over affair at 9 p.m. Saturday backed by the live band House of Vibe, an all-star crew from the Bay Area. MTHDS and B-Side are also on the bill. Chali is a modern day renaissance man – a rapper, musician, actor, painter and activist. Even novice fans recognize the importance of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli on the American musical landscape.  MTHDS – Music that Heightens Different Senses – is a Vail-based group that fuses “shred-driven” funk, melodic hip-hop and rhythmic reggae.

Le Chat Lunatique brings “dirty, mangy jazz” to the Durango Arts Center on Friday in a fund-raiser for Medicine Horse. Le Chat features Durango High grad John Sandlin on lead guitar. “He’s one of the very few people, out of millions who play guitar, to be able to bring home the bacon with one,” said local string wizard Jack Tallmadge.

The Stand-Up Dads do comedy for parents at the Community Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. This trio explores the grist of fatherhood and suburban life, from childbirth to adolescence and beyond. They’ve appeared on the likes of A&E’s “An Evening at the Improv” and FOX’s “Comic Strip Live.”

Got beard? It’s time to grow your scruff in preparation for Snowdown 2012. Show up clean-shaven to Carver Brewing Co. at 8 p.m. Friday for the kickoff to the Snowdown Beard Competition. You’ll get your mug shot taken as proof that you’re baby-faced, and then have more than three months to kiss your razor goodbye. Ladies can get into the act, too, for best leg hair. This is always one of the wildest Snowdown events. The theme to this year’s gala is “Once upon a Snowdown.”

Firkin eh?  It’s that time of the month again, as Steamworks rolls out its one-off barrel of joy. This month’s Firkin Friday features the Pumpkin Pie Firkin. The base is Steam Engine Lager, which already has a caramel flavor component derived from the malt. Fresh pumpkins from Homegrown Organic in Bayfield were roasted and pureed with beer, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla extract, strained through cheese cloth to remove some of the pulp and transferred to the firkin to ferment. “Easy as pie,” said brewer Spencer Roper. The keg gets tapped at 3 p.m. Friday.

“The Living Tarot Oracle,” a sacred interactive theatrical event, returns for a second year at the Mancos Opera House from 5-8 p.m. Saturday and 3-6 p.m. Sunday. This unique event will again utilize the ancient divination tool of the Tarot cards with live “oracles.” Originated in Europe, Tarot cards were the precursor of the modern day playing card deck and have been in use since the mid-15th century. This event will include a living representation of each of the 22 major arcana cards of the deck. Each of these living oracles will have an individual station in the Opera House and will be in full costume and character of that particular card. Cost is $10 for a one-card reading, $5 for each additional card. Readings will be limited to three cards for each individual question.

Moe’s has its usual array of fun this week, including Salsa Night at 8 p.m. tonight (Thurs., Nov. 3), dancing with DJ Ralphsta at 8 p.m. Saturday and Musica del Mundo at 8 p.m. Sunday.

Elsewhere: Thom Rader does blues and rock at tonight’s Ska-B-Q; Black Velvet returns to the Diamond Belle Saloon at 5:30 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday; and Durango DOT Comedy performs “Shipping off for Stranger Tides” at 8 p.m. Saturday at the DAC.

This week’s Top Shelf list admits to some of my favorite things about November.
1. Playoff soccer. The FLC men’s soccer team hosts the RMAC championship this weekend and plays at 3 p.m. Friday and (if they win) 1 p.m. Sunday at Dirks Field.
2. National Metal Day. VH1 Classic bills 11-11-11 as a headbanger’s holiday, with programming guaranteed to crank it up to 11.
3. Pheasant hunting in Kansas.
4. Pumpkin pie, be it baked or in a pint glass.
5. Fresh-pressed apple juice.

Saver of catalogs, king of the prairie dogs? E-mail me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.