Festival fever, psychobilly, Celts and cowboys

by Chris Aaland

Babygrass is in full swing at the Aaland household. Last weekend, Rosie – who turns one this Saturday! – had her second trip to Reservoir Hill, this time for Pagosa Folk’n Bluegrass. She previously attended the Four Corners Folk Festival last Labor Day and also has the Meltdown and Telluride Jazz under her tiny belt.

Whereas Otto was Mama’s Boy for several years – by my count, this is his sixth T-Ride – Rosie is Lady Liberty: an independent infant with a wild imagination. Case in point: she suckled on the teat and refused baby food until the last month or so. Her first bites of human food were sneaking pieces of pepperoni off pizzas. A few weeks later, she discovered that chicken drumsticks were excellent for teething. Pheasant pot pie is perhaps her favorite meal.

Straight outta Athens, Ga., the Futurebirds play the ACT tonight, June 11.

Up on Reservoir Hill, tethering Rosie was impossible. The stroller? No chance. Cradled in our arms? No way. She liked the tarp, which afforded her the opportunity to crawl to the edge, gather pine needles and pieces of bark, and chew on those. “No!” and “yuckie!” were the phrases we shouted all weekend long.

Babygrass also affords her the opportunity to rip the recently minted baby headphones off her head. I think a few well-placed strips of duct tape – while perhaps not the fashion accessory that most parents consider adorning their toddlers with – might work well as a LeBron James-style headband that cups the headphones to her ears.

Telluride Bluegrass is just around the bend, running next Thursday through Sunday (June 18-21) in Town Park. For true festivarians, the music starts Wednesday. First Grass is a free show at the Sunshine Plaza in Mountain Village at 5 p.m., with sets by Portland-based string band Fruition and Grammy-winning singer Rhiannon Giddens (a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops when she’s not doing the solo thing).

For those lucky enough to get tickets, Yonder Mountain String Band throws down for the 14th straight year in their traditional Wednesday night set at the Telluride Conference Center in Mountain Village at 9 p.m. This year marks the first T-Ride for the new-look Yonder. While the band and former lead singer/mandolin player Jeff Austin deserve kudos for their publicly amicable split in the spring of 2014, the rumor mill has it more painful than they let on. Austin was always the band’s party face and during his lengthy tenure at the mic, YMSB sold more albums and concert tickets than any band in bluegrass history. But their style changed, with recent albums featuring drummers and electronic effects. Their brand-new record, “Black Sheep,” finds Yonder returning to its bluegrass roots. The core of Adam Aijala (guitar), Dave Johnston (banjo) and Ben Kaufmann (bass) remains, plus they’ve added two new members – Jacob Jolliff (mandolin) and Allie Kral (fiddle).

For those who just can’t get enough festival in their lives, a trip farther north to the Grand Valley means the Palisade Roots & Bluegrass Festival, which runs Friday through Sunday at Riverbend Park along the Colorado River. The diverse lineup includes Jackie Greene, Hayes Carll, Elephant Revival, the Steel Wheels, MilkDrive, Aoife O’Donovan, the omnipresent Trout Steak Revival and more.

Trek a little farther east up I-70 then south toward Aspen and you’ll find the Snowmass Mammoth Fest this Friday through Sunday. The stellar lineup includes the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Greensky Bluegrass, the Lone Bellow and many more. Plus, there’s brews (the same folks who put on Telluride Blues & Brews do this festival) and gourmet chile tastings.

Durango Massive hosts an evening of psychobilly, rock, folk and bluegrass with the Futurebirds and Roadkill Ghost Choir tonight (Thurs., June 11) at the Animas City Theatre. Both are heading to the Snowmass Mammoth Festival and will stop by Durango to perform under the same roof. Doors to this 18+ event open at 8 p.m., with music starting at 9.

The Durango Celtic Festival welcomes Adam Agee & Jon Sousa to the Pullman Room (downstairs) of the Strater Hotel for a special evening of traditional Celtic music at 7 p.m. Friday. Agee & Sousa played the inaugural DCF a few years ago. The Pullman Room is an intimate space and features its own bar, for those of you who hanker for a pint or whiskey with your jigs and reels.

The new lineup of Bacon – which has grown from a jazzy ensemble that dabbles in funk to a dynamic funk, soul and ska band – hosts its inaugural show at 10 p.m. Friday at the Balcony Backstage. What’s more, it’s free! Since forming in 2012, Bacon has sizzled with horn-heavy grooves for audiences across the Southwest. In addition to originals, the band reinvents classic tracks by Maceo Parker, Liquid Soul, Banda Black Rio and others.

Crash Music at the historic Aztec Theatre hosts soul-dipped blues in the form of Missy Andersen at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Andersen woos audiences with her coy, sexy, girl-next-door personality, plus passion and a voice that draws comparisons to Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin.

The Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering hosts its inaugural barn dance and picnic from 5-8 p.m. Saturday at the River Bend Ranch on Highway 550 North. The Tim Sullivan Band will perform with a special appearance by cowboy poet Lindy Simmons. All proceeds go to Gathering events like its youth programs (FFA, 4-H Council and Poets in Schools). Wagon Rides, hot dogs and soft drinks will be available. Plus, it’s BYOB and children under 12 are admitted for free (it’s $15 for all others).

The High Rollers are joined by guitarists Jerome Desoteaux and Darren Stroud at 8 p.m. Friday at the Henry Strater Theatre. Powertribe opens. Stroud is their new guitarist, while Desoteaux has played with them overseas and at bigger U.S. dates like Country Jam. He’s coming to town to play on the High Rollers’ fourth CD.

This week’s Top Shelf list acknowledges my three highlights from Pagosa last weekend:

1. Finnders & Youngberg. These guys are the real deal and their fourth CD ranks as their finest.

2. Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys. Lindsay Lou’s boozy late-night set on Saturday, in particular.

3. Songs of the Fall. From the ashes of Cherryholmes and the fertile soil of Pagosa rose this unexpected gem.

Smell the sage and see forever?

Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net. Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.