|
|
||
Liquid gold, SNL funny man and transvestitesby Chris Aaland
If you’re a faithful, cover-to-cover Durango Telegraph reader, then you already know about Durango’s dominating performance at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival. And, as one of the faithful, you already know my affinity for beer. So let’s brag a little more. After being shut out at the 2012 GABF in Denver, Durango brewers answered the call earlier this month by winning a trio of gold medals. Ska’s hugely popular True Blonde Ale won in English-Style Summer Ale; Carver took top prize for its Munich Dunkel, a European-Style Dunkel; and Steamworks scored with its Slam Dunkel in German-Style Wheat Ale. Nearby Pagosa Brewing & Grill even won gold in the Fruit Wheat Beer category. Slainte! In true Bodo fashion, Ska also won the hotly-contested “Brewers Karaoke Cup” at Denver’s Star Bar during the GABF. An elite team that included Ska president and co-founder Dave Thibodeau, events guru Kristen Muraro and barroom hero Arlo Grammatica donned ABBA costumes and performed a choreographed dance routine to secure the win. Supposedly there are YouTube videos documenting the festivities. While seeing Thibodeau in ‘70s disco garb is worthy enough to tip back a pint, the GABF judging was solid gold. “True Blonde was the very first beer we brewed back in 1995,” said Thibodeau. “She’s been with us every step of the way, and it's great to see one of our original beers win gold at the nation’s most important beer festival.” Steamworks claimed its first GABF gold since 2010, when Backside Stout and What in the Helles won in their respective categories. “It was a real honor to see head brewer Ken Martin earn gold for his recipe and a treat to witness three Durango Breweries garner gold medals in such a prestigious competition,” said Steamworks co-founder Brian McEachron. “It was pretty fun to hear Durango called out three times in a room full of the nation’s finest brewers,” said Martin. “We have something special down here in our corner of the state for sure and I’m just glad to be a part of it. This beer, the Slam Dunkel, is special for me personally, too, as it was my first recipe as a professional brewer, and this was the first time we’ve entered it into competition.” And Carver’s, which won gold for its Munich Dunkel, is Colorado’s second-oldest brewpub, having been founded just a few months after Wynkoop Brewing Co. Continue the celebration and combine bloodletting with beer drinking by signing up for the 11th annual Pint for a Pint blood drive. Trade blood for a free pint from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday at the American Legion Hall. If you missed registration earlier this week, you can drop by Ska’s SOUPer Thursday tonight (5-7 p.m., Oct. 24) to preregister. Big-time comedy rarely comes to town, so when someone like Jim Breuer is scheduled – in this case, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Community Concert Hall – it’s time to take note. Breuer’s big break came in 1995 when he joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live.” During his four seasons on comedy’s biggest weekly stage, Breuer became a fan favorite for his original character “Goat Boy” and dead-on impressions of actor Joe Pesci. His resume also includes starring alongside Dave Chappelle in the cult movie favorite “Half Baked” and hosting MTV’s “Beach House” and VH1’s “Web Junk 20.” Breuer is a regular on late-night TV, including “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “The Daily Show with John Stewart” and the “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” Comedy Central named him one of the “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.” Breuer’s act is truly PG: he describes his “clean” comedy show as “Bill Cosby with a leather jacket.” Get started on Halloween early with the annual Rocky Horror Show – live on stage tonight (Thurs., Oct. 24) through Saturday at the Henry Strater Theatre. Now in its sixth year at the Hank, this production is always sure to sell out with a huge following of devoted fans who dress as their favorite characters. This is simple and outrageous fun that has drawn crowds for over 30 years. Do the Time Warp in this cult classic of science fiction glam rock and quirky comedy with a Durango twist. Prop-throw bags will be available inside the theatre, too. It wouldn’t be Halloween without KDUR’s Transvestite Ball, which starts at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Animas City Theatre. DJs Mystery E, Nico and Matteo will spin tunes to what’s usually a sold-out event filled with cross-dressed ghouls and goblins and such. Save five bucks by purchasing tickets in advance at KDUR or Southwest Sound. This is a 21-and-over affair, so leave your younglings and 18-year-old dates at home. The Durango Arts Center hosts the fourth annual Living Oracle Tarot event this weekend. From 4-7 p.m. Saturday and 5-8 p.m. Sunday, living representations of each of the 22 major arcana cards of the tarot deck, including familiar characters such as the Fool, Magician, High Priestess, Hanged Man, Temperance, Sun and Moon plus six readers, assist participants. Each of the living oracles has an individual station and will be in full costume and character of that particular card. The readers frame particular questions that participants may have, allowing them to pull one to three cards in relation to their question. Readings are limited to three cards for each question. If participants have a second question, they can follow up with another reading. Advance tickets are available at Maria’s Bookshop and Kaleidoscope Wellness, in Mancos. The $10 advance gets you a one-card reading, with the option to purchase additional cards at the door for $5 each (three-card maximum). Additionally, the DAC hosts the “Tarot as a Living Source of Wisdom” symposium with world-renowned tarot authors and speakers Marcus Katz, Tali Goodwin, Lisa de St. Croix and Carrie Paris from 7-8:30 p.m. Friday and the “Design Your Life on Purpose: Guided by the Living Soul of Tarot” workshop from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday. Cost for each of these two events is $25. In case you’re too young to remember Jim Breuer’s years on SNL, this week’s Top Shelf list recalls some of his fellow cast members from that era:
Justice against the hanged man? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net. |
