Snider, Split Lip and so long Levon

by Chris Aaland

Americana music lost one of its forefathers last Thursday when Levon Helm succumbed to cancer, after battling the disease for more than a decade. He was 71.

Levon, as you know, played drums and a host of other instruments for The Band — four Canadians and a certain soulful singer from Turkey Scratch, Ark. Rolling Stone magazine listed him as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, and for good reason. The singing drummer who won back-to-back Grammy Awards for Best Americana Album in 2010 (“Electric Dirt”) and 2011 (“Ramble at the Ryman”) didn’t just sing words: he brought characters to life. He became Virgil Caine in “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” to the point where even Yankee hippies could empathize with the plight of a Confederate soldier. In “The Weight,” he became a traveler who encountered a series of colorful residents. We, in turn, lived these encounters through his voice.

Levon’s eclectic tastes honored the fathers of American music. Recent solo albums are littered with songs by the likes of the Stanley Brothers, Muddy Waters, Grateful Dead, Buck Owens and others. The Band collaborated with a who’s who of rock & roll royalty and famously backed Bob Dylan during his controversial change from folkie to rocker in the mid ‘60s.

Levon’s influence can clearly be spotted in two of my favorite acts that are, coincidentally, coming to town this week. As music columnist, I’d hope the venues bringing in these artists would tip off the media about what’s coming up … but apparently management at the Abbey and the Hank haven’t gotten these memos.

First, Todd Snider returns to the Hank at 8 p.m. Saturday. When he first played Durango a decade ago, he was a relative unknown, performing to about 75 folkies at the Durango Arts Center. He’s since become a widely revered song craftsman and a somewhat aloof character — traits that aren’t uncommon for people who are borderline geniuses. The result is you’re never sure what you’ll get when Snider plays live. His small-venue shows at the DAC and the Hank were some of the best singer-songwriter affairs I’ve seen, full of the humor, urgency and sincerity that makes him heir apparent to the likes of John Prine and Robert Earl Keen. His recent festival performances in Pagosa Springs and Telluride, though, were short and surly disappointments. My dime says that Snider delivers the goods this time around, as he’s in creative surge that has seen him release a pair of strong albums in the past few months: “Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables” and “Time As We Know It: The Songs of Jerry Jeff Walker.”

Then at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Split Lip Rayfield, pioneers of punk-tinged bluegrass (or is it bluegrass-flavored punk?), drops by the Abbey Theatre. These guys have released five stellar studio albums during their career, including 2008’s “I’ll Be Around,” the only one without the late Kirk Rundstrom, who died of cancer a year earlier. Strangely, the Abbey’s website lists the band as a quartet that still includes Rundstrom. It’s doubtful he’ll make it here, unless you consider his spirit and songs that still drive the trio of Jeff Eaton (one-stringed bass built from the gas tank of a 1978 Mercury Grand Marquis and strung with Weedwhacker line), Wayne Gottstine (mandolin) and Eric Mardis (banjo). Few artists in recent memory have wielded such a wide influence on so many genres. Jam bands, bluegrass, folk, rock, punk, country and indie acts all draw from SLR’s energy and musicianship. Two groups that count themselves among the converted, Farmington Hill and Waiting on Trial, will share the bill.

Devin the Dude plays an 18-and-over hip-hop show at the Abbey Friday (doors at 8 p.m.). A little bit of web research shows that he’s known for his unique rapping style, his long career signed to Rap-A-Lot Records and his 2002 song, “Lacville ’79.”

The Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College presents “Spencers: Theatre of Illusion” at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Thurs., April 26). For more than two decades, Kevin and Cindy Spencer have dazzled the world with their entertaining stage magic and breathtaking illusions. Repeatedly honored as “Entertainers of the Year” by various publications, the Spencers are one of the most highly regarded acts in magical entertainment and among the most successful touring illusion shows on the road today. More than just a magic show, Theatre of Illusion is a powerful and memorable theatrical experience.
Graduation weekend is upon us, meaning Fort Lewis will unleash hundreds of graduates upon the workforce. Congratulations to all, but a special yippee is reserved for the soon-to-be-degreed Rusty Charpentier, longtime bass player for Wild Mountain. He’ll join his bandmates at 8 p.m. at the Irish Embassy Pub in a graduation shindig that’s free and open to the public.

Moe’s lineup includes live salsa music and dancing with Orchestra de Salsa and DJ Caliente from 7 ‘til close tonight. Moe’s big week also includes a disco party with dancing by DJ Matteo at 8 p.m. Friday and an end-of-school party with Peter Robot, Benjamin K and Surtified at 8 p.m. Saturday. Seasoned musicians of all stripe — not just hepcats — are invited to participate in Sunday’s Jazz Church, a live, free-form jam that takes place from 6-9 p.m. each week.

Elsewhere: Old North State lays down folk and pop at tonight’s Ska-B-Q; Pete Giuliani plays acoustic happy hour at El Rancho Tavern from 5-8 p.m. Friday; Psychedelic Mojo rocks the Balcony Bar & Grill at 4 p.m. Saturday; and Black Velvet, in all of its full band glory, is back at the Derailed Saloon at 8 p.m. Saturday.

This week’s Top Shelf list is the set of music I dedicated to Levon Helm on KDUR’s “Cask Strength” radio program this past Monday. Peace, love and thanks to the man behind the drums:
1. The Band & Ronnie Hawkins – “Who Do You Love?”
2. The Band – “I Shall Be Released”
3. Levon Helm – “Tennessee Jed”
4. The Band – “Atlantic City”
5. Bob Dylan & the Band – “All Along the Watchtower”
6. Arlen Roth & Levon Helm – “Cryin’ Time”
7. Levon Helm – “The Mountain”
8. The Band – “Ophelia”
9. The Band & Dr. John – “Such a Night”
10. The Band – “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”
11. Levon Helm – “False Hearted Lover Blues”
12. The Band – “The Weight”

You can’t raise a Caine back up when he’s in defeat? E-mail me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net