Dream teams, River Days and Bar D Wranglers

by Chris Aaland
 

We live in special times as basketball fans. While I’m more glued to my tube for the Stanley Cup playoffs, I find myself switching back and forth to watch greatness unveil itself on a regular basis. Despite the NBA’s reputation as being a league in which players don’t give a damn during the lengthy regular season, even the superstars turn up the hustle come April.

I grew up on Larry & Magic. Then Michael took us to a new level. Few would argue that the Dream Team era boasted the most talented crop of hoopsters ever. But don’t sleep on the NBA’s newest batch of superstars. LeBron James is clearly a talent for the ages, marked by what will surely be five straight NBA Finals appearances. How good is he? When he left Cleveland, they went from contenders to pretenders overnight. When he left Miami to return to the Cavs, the Heat dropped out of the playoff picture.

The Bar D Wranglers host their first-ever Locals Appreciation Night with two-for-one tickets on Tues., June 2.

But the guy who continues to steal the show this year is Stephen Curry. The diminutive shooter ran away with MVP honors and puts up simply ridiculous numbers. Consider this: When shooting three-pointers from the left baseline, he knocks them in at a 91 percent clip. That’s 91 percent from 22 feet, often guarded by the other team’s best. Shoot 80 percent on uncontested foul shots from 15 feet and you’re considered a good shooter.

Throw in MVP candidates James Hardin, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis – guys who would stand a chance to win the award in normal years – and you’ve got a Fab Five that would compete with the best of the ’80s.

Not all of us are glued to the tube. Animas River Days starts tonight with the Movie Night and Kick-off Party at 5:30 p.m. at the Smiley Building. Things gets into full swing on Saturday, with a stage at Santa Rita Park featuring eight hours of live music (11 a.m. - 7 p.m.) including (in order) Americana de Animas, Stillwater Faculty Band, Groove Casters, Soul What, 32nd Street Latin Allstars, the Crags and Soul Atomic. The latter takes place during the popular Parade Viewing Party.

Additionally, divaDanielle and Soul Atomic play a late-night dance party at the Balcony Backstage at 10 p.m. Saturday. divaDanielle’s bio simply states, “I don’t care who you are, if you’re listening to divaDanielle, your booty is shaking.” She crashed into the music biz shortly after catching a vinyl record in a crowd in 2003. Soon she got off the dance floor and behind the decks with a fierce desire to promote women in music, alongside an affinity for unicorns. Soul Atomic – also known as Will Evans – takes a funk-first approach to blending electronic beats and rhymes with all genres of music. He’s played festivals, parties and concerts alongside the likes of Rob Garza, the Fort Knox Five, Ziggy Marley, the Rebirth Brass Band and the Pimps of Joytime.

The Bar D Wranglers are a local institution, having hosted their famous chuckwagon suppers and live concerts in the Animas Valley since 1969. Last Friday, they kicked off their 2015 season and will perform daily through Labor Day Weekend – a string of 122 days in a row. It amazes me how many locals haven’t trekked up north for the Bar D experience. I try to do it every few years. On Tuesday, the Bar D hosts its first-ever local appreciation (gates at 5:30, grub at 7:30, music to follow dinner). Buy one regular admission ticket, get one free. Find out more online at bardchuckwagon.com or call 247-5753.

The Lindells play the Mancos Valley Distillery at 8 p.m. Saturday. This duo has played beautiful, dark and folksy roots-rock since the early 1980s. Through the years, they’ve released a half-dozen records and played stages ranging from the Steaming Bean Coffee House to Telluride Bluegrass. Kim’s vocals are reminiscent of Margo Timmins, Eliza Gilkyson and Natalie Merchant, while Chris conjures Bruce Cockburn and Richard Thompson. Their twin guitars harken to the Sadies and Crazy Horse with a little New Riders thrown in for country twang. Backing them on drums and bass are Ole Bye (of Vera Chrome) and Chuck Barry (of the Beautiful Loser Society).

The Ori Naftaly Band, a Memphis-based soul/blues outfit, rolls into Crash Music at the historic Aztec Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. In a very short time, this talented band has gained international recognition and support, with fans that span North America, Europe and Israel. Within the course of two years, ONB won the Israeli Blues Challenge and reached the semifinals of the 2013 International Blues Competition in Memphis.  They have a pair of studio albums, including “Happy for Good,” which mixes blues, funk, rock and soul. ONB has shared the stages with the likes of Tab Benoit, Marcia Ball, Shemekia Copeland and the Royal Southern Brotherhood.

Telluride hosts the Wild West Fest from June 1-7. The Wild West Fest Welcome BBQ costs just $6 and takes place in Town Park from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday.

James Ranch holds a Thursday Summer Burger & a Band concert series starting tonight from 5-8 p.m. Twenty bucks gets you dinner and a show and kids under 12 get in free. Tonight’s tunes are provided by local bluegrass act La La Bones.

Moe’s madness this week includes live music by the Stoner Blues Band at 7 p.m. on Funked Up Friday, plus dancing to the sounds of DJs Imperfect and CK at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Elsewhere: Jack Ellis appears at the Office Spiritorium at 7 p.m. tonight (Thurs., May 28) and Sunday; and at Serious Texas BBQ South from 5-8 p.m. Saturday; Pete Giuliani is back solo at Mesa Verde’s Farview Lodge Friday and with his band at Trimble Hot Springs from 1-4 p.m. Sunday; and Kirk James does solo blues at Seven Rivers Steakhouse at the Sky Ute Casino Resort at 6 p.m. Saturday.

This week’s Top Shelf list is a primer for newbies to the Bar D Chuckwagon:

1. Get there early, especially if you have kids. Train rides and playgrounds abound.

2. Grip your coffee mug gingerly: this cup o’ joe is metal and scalding hot.

3. Choose the roast beef. Trust me.

4. Watch and listen intently when Gary Cook takes guitar solos. He’s a former National Flatpicking Champion.

5. Never take a sip of your coffee or lemonade before Joel Racheff grabs the mike. The guy’s likely to make you spit out your liquid because you’ll laugh so hard.

Yippee-I-aye? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.