The hate state, Papadosio and The Badly Bent return

by Chris Aaland

Ohio jam-tronica sensation Papadosio plays the Animas City Theatre on Tues., March 4.

I’m not sure when exactly Arizona became the State of Hate. For a place that is rich in diversity – nearly 20 Native American tribes call it home and there’s a sizable Latino population given the state was once the northern part of Sonora before the Mexican-American War and Gadsden Purchase in the mid-1800s – Arizona’s Republican legislators seem hell-bent on gentrification. Their treatment of minorities through police profiling and controversial immigration laws is well known. Now enter Senate Bill 1062. If you haven’t followed the news lately, this little piece of legislation would allow business owners claiming religious beliefs as a means to deny service to gay and lesbian customers.

No doubt this wasn’t what civil rights leaders of the 1960s envisioned. More than 50 years after Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, hate has a firm foothold in the Wild West.

The fate of SB1062 rests in the hands of Gov. Jan Brewer, the same governor who wagged her finger in Barack Obama’s face a few years ago when he arrived in Phoenix to discuss immigration reform. 

Brewer, a conservative champion for her tough stance on immigration and opposition to gun control, must weigh common sense, economic ramifications and the fat wallets of bible thumpers and Tea Partiers who support her. Choose wrong and she could cost her state millions upon millions in lost revenue. Boycotts are inevitable.

Colorado seems quite progressive to our neighbors to the southwest. 

Diversity reigns in Durango, particularly when looking at this week’s musical slate.

The Animas City Theatre will need to boost its power to accommodate Tuesday’s production by up-and-coming supergroup Papadosio. With guests The Main Squeeze in tow, Papadosio starts its Colorado tour right here. Melding progressive rock with psychedelia, folk, electronic, dance and jam, their instrumentation includes guitar, bass, drums, keys and programming. Papadosio’s latest record, “To End the Illusion of Separation” is a sprawling double album that signals the band’s shift in sound. The Main Squeeze is a raging funk experience that was handpicked by Rolling Stone readers to open for The Roots and Jane’s Addiction at the Super Bowl XLVI tailgate party in Indianapolis.

After a three-year hiatus, The Badly Bent return at 7:30 p.m. Friday to the Henry Strater Theatre. Winners of the 2005 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition with a pair of CDs under their belts, the reunited lineup includes Pat Dressen (guitar), Mark Epstein (banjo), Robb Brophy (mandolin), Jimmy Largent (bass) and Cindi Trautmann (fiddle). For nearly two decades, the always-evolving Durango bluegrass scene had one constant – albeit with a rotating cast of characters. That was The Badly Bent, but a void developed in their absence. That void is, thankfully, now filled. During their break, the assorted members worked with various other projects, including the Lawn Chair Kings and Wild Mountain, among others.

Jazz takes center stage at the Community Concert Hall at 7 p.m. Wednesday when the Christian McBride Trio holds court. Acclaimed bassist McBride is joined by two younger artists, pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. McBride consistently combines musical virtuosity with an innate ability to communicate his passion with the audience. Since his debut disc, “Getting’ to It,” came out in 2005, he’s released a dozen records as a bandleader.

The Tortoise & the Crow Tour, featuring the Grouch & Eligh with Madchild (of Swollen Members), Sweatshop Union, Pigeon John, DJ Fresh and special guests, stops by the Animas City Theatre at 9 p.m. Monday.  The brainchild of G&E – who have released more than 20 projects as solo artists and as a duo – the night promises loads of hip-hop energy.

Did all those NBC features on Russian literature, art and history during the Winter Olympics pique your interest in the Motherland? If so, quench your thirst with Russian opera. “The Met: Live in HD”  continues in the Vallecito Room of the FLC Student Union at 10 a.m. Saturday with Borodin’s defining Russian epic, “Prince Igor.” Dmitri Tcherniakov’s new production, the first return of “Prince Igor” to The Met in nearly 100 years, is a brilliant psychological journey through the mind of its conflicted hero, with the founding of the Russian nation as the backdrop. Star bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov takes on the monumental title role. Run time is a whopping 4.5 hours, so go light on coffee at breakfast.

A big thank-you is in order for Arthur Post, who will step down as music director of the San Juan Symphony following the end of the 2014-15 season after 13 years at the helm. His accomplishments are many and noteworthy. Some of the initiatives Post implemented include the Youth Outreach and Education Program, family concerts, side-by-side performances with young musicians, pops and outdoor events in Farmington and collaborations with local artists, dancers and popular musicians. He also broadened the reach of the SJS to perform in Telluride and Cortez, in addition to regular concerts in Durango and Farmington. His passion and vision make him a tough act to follow.

KSUT’s spring fund drive gives listeners a chance to complete the station’s fundraising puzzle. Nearly a fourth of the public radio station’s operating budget comes from its members, who have the opportunity to win a 32-gigabyte iPad Air in the earlybird drawing (noon Fri., Feb. 28) or a trip for two to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (6 p.m. Sat., March 8). In between, donors will have the opportunity to win daily prizes and Morning Edition packages, including concert tickets, ski trips, outdoor gear, locally grown produce, books for a year and more. Pledge online at www.ksut.org or by calling 970-563-0255. Disclaimer: yours truly works there.

Elsewhere: Jack Ellis works the Diamond Belle Saloon at 5:30 p.m. tonight (Thurs., Feb. 27); the Kirk James Blues Band plays the Billy Goat Saloon in downtown Gem Village at 8:30 p.m. Friday; and Pete Giuliani goes solo at Vallecito’s Schank House at 6 p.m. Friday.

This week’s Top Shelf list recalls my favorite half-dozen things about the Grand Canyon State – one that I’m quite fond of … and one I hope I don’t have to boycott.

• El Charro, Tucson
• Spring training
• Hermit-Boucher Loop, Grand Canyon
• Lumberyard Brewing Co., Flagstaff
• University of Arizona men’s basketball
• Green corn tamales

Take off your rainbow shades? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.