Hall pass, music revivals and busted brackets
by Chris Aaland
Who says spring break is a light week of entertainment here in D-Town? While Shelly, Otto and Rosie travel to New Jersey, I’ll be here taking care of business … which, as a columnist, includes well-deserved time at the bars and music halls. I can expense some of this, after all.
Elephant Revival returns to the Animas City Theatre for a pair of shows Wednesday and Thursday, April 1-2. The popular Boulder County quintet recently underwent its first lineup change, with Charlie Rose replacing Sage Cook as a multi-instrumentalist. In just seven years, Elephant Revival has risen to the top of the Colorado acoustic music scene previously dominated by shredders like Leftover Salmon and Yonder Mountain String Band. With four records under their belt, the quintet succeeds by embracing melody, harmony and the quiet moments within each song – allowing them to showcase Bonnie Payne’s aching vocals and Bridget Law’s inspired fiddle playing.
Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore are back in the Four Corners this Friday, playing the Dolores River Brewery. Remember Mollie? The older sister of Tim O’Brien, she was a rising force in the ’90s thanks to a trio of duet albums with Tim and five acclaimed solo records. She was a regular performer here in Durango, both with Tim and the O’Boys and her own band. After a recording hiatus in the early 2000s to parent their two talented children, Mollie & Rich have released a string of duet records. If you can’t make it to Dolores, catch them live on KSUT at 1 p.m. Friday for the Afternoon Blend.
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| Elephant Revival returns to the Animas City Theatre for a pair of shows April 1-2. |
The Balcony Backstage has a big week in store, with three up-and-coming national bands on the bill. First, the Cabin Project hits the Balcony Backstage tonight (Thurs., March 26). The Cabin Project is an orchestral indie pop band from Portland whose sound stems from anthemic choruses, three-part harmonies, loop pedals and string sessions. While musically expansive, the songs retain an intimacy similar to that of Bon Iver and Feist.
Then, Dustbowl Revival plays the Backstage on Friday. This Venice, Calif.-based roots & jazz collective brings together the sounds of mountain bluegrass, New Orleans swing and jug band blues. Picture Dylan & the Band and Ralph Stanley jamming with Louis Armstrong and Mumford & Sons on a front porch in 1938 and you’ll get the picture.
Finally, the newgrass jam of Grant Farm hits the Backstage Saturday. Led by national flat-picking champion Tyler Grant – truly one of the more impressive guitarists you’ll ever see on a small stage – the quartet recently released its second album, “Plowin’ Time.”
Durango Massive pits reggae vs. electro funk Friday as the Expanders hit the stage at 10 p.m. followed by Sunsquabi. The Expanders are known for their vintage “rockers” style of reggae that’s played in the tradition of classic ’70s Jamaican groups like the Ethiopians, Culture and the Mighty Diamonds. In addition to their original material, they frequently back reggae legends that tour through their native Southern California. Sunsquabi, on the other hand, is a three-piece electronic hydro-funk experience from Boulder.
The Community Concert Hall celebrates songwriters when it brings Nashville Chicks with Hits to town at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Sherrié Austin, Kylie Sackley and Alissa Moreno will perform their hits and tell the stories behind the songs. Austin had a string of Top 40 hits in the late ’90s, although you might remember her from acting roles in “The Facts of Life” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Sackley whose debut single, “Love’s Like a Train,” won CMAA Best New Talent honors. New Mexico native Moreno wrote the hugely successful “Every Day” for Rascal Flatts.
Have “Cocktails with the Conductor” and help raise funds for Music in the Mountains from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at Sorrel Sky Gallery. Be among the first to hear about MITM’s 2015 festival concert programs and featured soloists from the festival’s music director and conductor, Guillermo Figueroa. Bid in a live auction of festival musician ensemble packages and host your very own summer party featuring world-renowned musicians.
Crash Music at the historic Aztec Theatre hosts Moses Walker at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Previously half of the blues duo the Clam Daddys, Walker plays “new old school blues” that mix folk, jazz and diverse influences like Tom Waits and Leon Redbone.
The Sheridan Arts Foundation and Telluride Ski Resort present indie rockers Cold War Kids at the Telluride Conference Center in Mountain Village for the final installment of their winter music series on Saturday night. The concert will wrap up the second annual Mountain Town Get Down featuring events on the mountain such as a bikini slalom and luau as well as live music in the Mountain Village Core. Cold War Kids come to Telluride for their first visit in support of their latest album, “Hold My Home.”
If spring fever has hit and you’re already planning your first June festival, consider saving a few bucks and buying early for Pagosa Folk’n Bluegrass (June 5-7 on Reservoir Hill). Earlybird festival and camping passes run through Tuesday. The lineup this year includes world-class pickers Noam Pikelny & Stuart Duncan, Celtic heavyweights Solas, rising folk trio Red Molly and Grammy-nominated bluegrass act Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, among nearly a dozen others.
Finally, Conifer, a Grand Junction-based jam/funk/rock/reggae band, plays the Derailed Pour House at around 9 p.m. Saturday.
Your bracket’s already busted? Mine is, too. This week’s Top Shelf list gives the current Las Vegas odds to win it all for each of the teams still alive (seeding in parenthesis). For the record, I was correct in not picking any 12/5 upsets and still have 11 of the Sweet Sixteen and three-fourths of my Final Four alive. But damn that Sparty for knocking out my runner-up, Virginia. Even in a down year, Tom Izzo proves he’s one of the greatest coaches ever:
1. Kentucky (1), 1/1. Duh.
2. Arizona (2), 13/2
3. Duke (1), 8/1
4. Wisconsin (1), 8/1
5. Gonzaga (2), 12/1
6. Michigan State (7), 14/1
7. Utah (5), 20/1
8. Louisville (4), 25/1
9. Oklahoma (3), 25/1
10. North Carolina (4), 33/1
11. Notre Dame (3), 33/1
12. Wichita State (7), 33/1
13. North Carolina State (8), 50/1
14. UCLA (11), 100/1
15. West Virginia (5), 100/1
16. Xavier (6), 100/1
Take a cha-cha-cha chance? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.