Swollen Members, Spafford and Iron Horsin’ Around

by Chris Aaland

Somebody told me there was a big bike race or something this weekend. But I’m not a fan of downtown traffic, so I’ll leave the velo news to other parts of this paper.

Durango Massive Productions and Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom host Canadian hip-hop artists the Swollen Members at 10 p.m. Friday in an 18+ bill that also features Black Pegasus and Concept Musik. After going through one of the darkest periods of their musical career, Swollen Members are more revitalized than ever. The Vancouver-based trio has somehow managed to persevere through drug addiction, label collapses and legal troubles to craft their 2009 release, “Armed to the Teeth.” The writing and recording process was cathartic for the group. “Looking back now, some of the lyrical content glorifies negativity a little too much for my liking,” commented Madchild, one of the trio. “Along with Dilated Peoples and Hieroglyphics, we come from an era of hip-hop that was a raw and pure art form and just a lot more fun. So when we started the creative process for this record, our goal was to record something that feels right.” That project, “Brand New Day,” comes out June 17.

Tonight’s (Thurs., May 22) Ska-B-Q features the Prescott, Ariz.-funk outfit Spafford. When they’re not playing big stages like the McDowell Mountain Music Festival in Phoenix or Vegas’ Hard Rock Café or participating in late-night shows for Further and Widespread Panic, they find themselves sharing stages with the Motet, Particle, Tea Leaf Green and Toubab Krewe. They’ll also be over at the Dolores River Brewery at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The Derailed Pour House hosts an evening of folk Americana bliss when Seattle songwriter Jill Cohn plays at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Her new CD, “Yellow Rose,” was produced by Grammy Award winner Malcolm Burn, best known for his production of Emmylou Harris’ “Red Dirt Girl.”

Durango DOT Comedy is back in the swing with “Iron Horsing Around,” an appropriately titled night of improv at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Durango Arts Center. As always, Ska brews cost just a buck as you giggle your ass off.

Jeffrey Deitch presents his play, “Lies, Shame and Self-Medication: A Durango Love Story” at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Friday and Saturday at the Henry Strater Theatre. A lawyer by trade, Deitch pokes fun at some of our favorite institutions – marriage, religion and government, to name a few – and offers a solution to all of life’s ethical struggles. Nothing is sacred and nobody is safe. “Lawyers, clergy, adulterers, wine snobs, serial daters, therapists and herbal enthusiasts beware,” Deitch warns.

Moe’s slate includes Funked-Up Friday with the Bear Hand Killers at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by Sparky’s birthday party with Spark Madden, CK and Mikal Dark at 10. Sonar and the Pint Night Boys bring live tunes to the patio at 8 p.m. Saturday, while Sunday’s Iron Horse afterparty features the Mountain Pocket Pickers and the Robin Davis Trio at 2. Rick promises I’ll love the Mountain Top Pickers

Local music rules! Check out the following all week long at the Diamond Belle Saloon: Robin Davis (tonight and Monday), Greg Ryder (Friday, Saturday and Wednesday), the Blue Moon Ramblers (their usual Sunday night slot) and Terry Rickard (Monday). These guys are among Durango’s most-loved and longest performing pickers. You can also walk over to the Strater’s other bar, the Office Spiritorium, to check out folks like Davis, Rickard, Mike Testa, Caitlin Cannon, Delaney, Tim Guidotti and Tim Sullivan.

More local stuff: Kirk James goes solo at 6 p.m. tonight at the Sporting News Grill in the Holiday Inn west of town and plays with his full band at 7 p.m. Saturday at Vallecito’s Schank House; the Black Velvet duo plays the Animas River Café at the Doubletree Hotel at 5 p.m. Saturday and the full Black Velvet band with special guest Ben Gibson (it’s his birthday!) rocks the Balcony at 5 p.m. Sunday; Pete Giuliani does solo acoustic shows at the Farview Lodge at Mesa Verde National Park at 6:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; and Jack Ellis works the Derailed Pour House at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

I’ll put myself on the hot seat for this week’s Top Shelf list and recount my Top 10 albums of all time. These aren’t necessarily limited to things you’d hear me play on the radio, but represent different listening periods of my life and the records that shaped me, in alphabetical order. This was tough: I must own some 10,000 CDs, vinyl records, dusty cassette tapes and a few digital downloads. It’s like picking your favorite food: I love it all, man.

1. Dave Alvin, “King of California,” 1994. The former Blaster’s transformation from rockabilly guitarist to Americana hero was complete with this record.
2. The Beat Farmers, “Tales of the New West,” 1985. Alt-country before alt-country was even a term. This album changed my life. Please play it in its entirety at my wake, whenever that day comes.
3. The Beatles, “Rubber Soul,” 1965. When it was finally released on CD in 1987, I waited in line at the record store. “Norwegian Wood” was one of Mom’s all-time favorites.
4. Guy Clark, “Old No. 1,” 1975. Still my favorite songwriter after all these years.
5. Drive-By Truckers, “Decoration Day,” 2003. Thank you, Nathaniel Miller and Bryant Liggett, for turning me onto what has become my favorite band of the past 15 years.
6. Joe Jackson, “Look Sharp!,” 1979. The soundtrack to my high school basketball career.
7. Led Zeppelin, “Houses of the Holy,” 1973. I once threw a party where I ended up with a bottle cap superglued to my nose. The cover band that showed up to jam played “Over the Hills and Far Away” and “The Rain Song.” That’s about the last thing I remembered from that night.
8. Willie Nelson, “Willie and Family Live,” 1978. My vinyl copy still has the “$3 used” sticker on it.
9. Van Halen, self-titled, 1978. “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love” and “Feel Your Love Tonight” are as good as hard rock got.
10. The Who, “Tommy,” 1969. Seeing a good third of this record played live at Arrowhead Stadium in 1989 and at Folsom Field in Boulder a week later were spiritual experiences.

They say that looks don’t count for much? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.