MarchFourth!, Yonder wanderer and the new Franti

by Chris Aaland

I knew picking Carolina to beat Denver in last week’s “Top Shelf” would work out in my favor. Hot damn, was Sunday fun! Hats off to Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and his crew for pummeling Cam Newton in the big game, much like they did to Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady en route to the Super Bowl.

The bad news? Seven months without meaningful football games. Fortunately, this week offers up some musical relief.

One of the most unique and visual bands in the nation comes to the Community Concert Hall at 7 p.m. Saturday when MarchFourth! brings its genre-breaking, steam-funk, rock & roll circus to the big stage. Originally known as the MarchFourth Marching Band, MarchFourth! began by doing a Fat Tuesday party on March 4, 2003, in Portland, Ore. The group of 20 features a five-piece percussion corps and seven-part brass band, plus high-stepping acrobatics and dazzling dancers. They make art in real time, as every show is different. Steeped in traditional New Orleans second line jazz, their sound is anchored by funky electric bass, rocking guitar and vocal-driven energy. Expect them to mix swampy Louisiana music with Eastern European gypsy melodies, African rhythms and Brazilian grooves.

The Jeff Austin Band comes to the Animas City Theatre at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday in a Durango Massive production. The former mandolin player and frontman for Yonder Mountain String Band, Austin struck out a year ago and put out the surprisingly rocking “The Simple Truth,” coincidentally released a year and a day prior to his ACT date. Austin has used his new vehicle to blaze a trail that’s much more Americana-based … although there’s still plenty of jam for Kinfolk to groove to. His touring band includes two thirds of the Matt Flinner Trio, Ross Martin on guitar and Eric Thorin on bass. You may also know these two from such acts as the Motet and Open Road, respectively. Ryan Cavanaugh recently replaced the esteemed Danny Barnes on banjo in the Jeff Austin Band. “My ideal sound is between Phish, My Morning Jacket and the Zac Brown Band,” Austin says in his press materials. Musically speaking, the amicable Yonder split may have been good for both camps.

Durango Massive also presents Nahko & Medicine for the People at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 17-18. Many critics are calling Nahko the new Michael Franti. An Oregon-born mix of Apache, Puerto Rican and Filipino, he’s fused reggae, hip-hop and folk on his two albums, “Dark as Night” and “On the Verge.” Disillusioned by the world around him and inspired by vagabond American storytellers like Bob Dylan and Conor Oberst, Nahko left home to find his muse and bridge the cultural gaps dividing his own psyche.

And at 9 p.m. Friday, British record producer and musician Ott, who has worked in electronica, dub, ambient and trip hop, brings his show to the ACT in another Durango Massive production. “Virtual Festivals” called him a “psy-dub maestro.”

Local picker Tyller Gummersall has an excellent new CD out, “Long Ride Home.” For this record, he enlisted one of the biggest names in Americana music, Lloyd Maines, to produce. Maines, of course, is the father of Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines and a direct line through the history of Texas music, with production and session work with Robert Earl Keen, Jerry Jeff Walker, Terry Allen and Flatlanders members Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Joe Ely, among others. He puts a twangy polish onto Gummersall’s new record. The CD release party will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Wild Horse Saloon, with live music from the Tyller Gummersall Band.

Up north, the Sheridan Opera House hosts the 17th annual Telluride Comedy Fest tonight through Sunday. Headliners include Jason Mantzoukas, Rob Huebel, Andrew Michaan, Brent Weinbach, Jon Daly and others.

Down south, Missy & Heine Andersen bring their 2x the Love Tour to Crash Music in the Aztec Theatre. Two-time Blues Music Award nominee and soul blues singer Missy Andersen is joined by her husband/guitarist/bandleader Heine Anderson. Doors open at 8 p.m.

The Met: Live in HD returns to FLC’s Vallecito Room at 10:55 a.m. with an encore presentation of “The Magic Flute.” Mozart’s family-friendly production was the Metropolitan Opera’s first high-definition broadcast into movie theatres. This is an abridged version, running just short of two hours.

La Plata Youth Services and Open Shutter Gallery hold the second annual opening night event for Unchain My HeART from 4-8 p.m. Saturday at Open Shutter Gallery. Cosponsored by Stillwater Music and 1st National Bank, the opening reception includes a silent auction to raise funds for La Plata Youth Services programs, live music by Stillwater students and faculty, plus hors d’oeuvres and wine. The exhibit, which features works by local kids, runs through March 2.

Elsewhere: Kirk James plays solo blues at 6512 Restaurant & Lounge at 6 p.m. Friday; DJ CK spins at Moe’s from 9 ‘til close Friday, while DJ Noonz takes over the turntables from 9 ‘til close Saturday; and Kirk James does a solo gig at DMC at Purgatory on Saturday.

This week’s Top Shelf list recounts my Wild Game Super Bowl menu. Somehow, Bambi was spared this year:

1. Elk osso bucco, courtesy Dirk Lang.

2. Smoked antelope and smoked oyster pot pie. Again, courtesy of Dirk.

3. Pheasant, chanterelles and shallots over noodles in a wine and cream sauce, courtesy of me.

4. Quail-stuffed, bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers, courtesy of me.

5. Pulled pork, smoked overnight with love, courtesy of Brian Hirt.

6. Bison queso dip, from the kitchen of Steve Miller.

7. Sausage-stuffed, bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers, from the grill of Elwin Johnston.

9. Frozen White Castle burgers, courtesy of Bryant Liggett. Float a little elk osso bucco on top and the po’ folk can eat like 1-percenters!

10. Beer, glorious beer, courtesy of the hard-working brewers from Durango and abroad. Bombers from several years’ worth of Snowdown were guzzled, along with such blue collar suds as Natty Bo, Hamm’s and Busch.

From the land of sky blue waters?  Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.