Can't stop, won't stop
2025 goes out with plenty of booty-shaking options

Greetings, dear readers! ’Tis the season! In case you missed the heads up, Noel Night returns to Durango tomorrow evening, so be sure to grab that base layer and set the kids loose with their chosen friend-family (ebike gang) while you and your significant other get a little shwilly off the “samples” at all your favorite downtown shops. There’ll be live music tucked into just about every storefront, bar and corner you can think of, so soak it in – and don’t forget to hit those tip jars if they’re out. No need to be a Scrooge. I’ll have some more reflective end-of-year thoughts for you in my final column later this month, but for now, here are a few solstice-season shows you definitely don’t want to miss, including a couple options for your NYE in Durango.

• Comé Con Amigos: La La Bones, Union Social House, Sat., Dec. 6, 11:30 a.m. – Compañeros is putting out the call for help in stocking their community pantry and closet, and Union Social House and local bluegrass legends La La Bones are coming to the answer! Expect a dose of brunch-time Bluegrass as the backdrop to a lively midday gathering full of love and community support. Zia will be on hand slinging burritos, Bread will be there unloading cookies, and the bar will be open for you to grab a holiday cocktail.

• John Craigie w/ Julianne Marqua, Animas City Theatre, Tues., Dec. 9, 7 p.m.* – Sometimes we get bookings here in Durango that are truly head scratching in the best kind of way. I’m not sure exactly how promoter Eugene Salaz put this all together, but one of folk music’s funniest, sharpest storytellers returns AGAIN to the ACT. Craigie, of Portland, Ore., blends wry humor, aching sincerity and road-worn wisdom in a way few artists can pull off. Local songwriter Julianne Marqua opens the show. The show of the month for our town. Thank you to Eugene and Animas City Theatre!

• Chuck Hank, Alex Mayes & Clarke Reid perform Vince Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” iAM Music Indigo Room, Thurs., Dec. 11, 7 p.m. – I think we might have a Durango tradition in the making – or at least I sure hope so. Three of our town’s most gifted players are gearing up to reinterpret Guaraldi’s iconic holiday soundtrack with serious chops. Expect familiar themes spun through fresh improvisation, unexpected solos and that unmistakable Indigo Room intimacy we’ve come to love in the local music scene. If you crave a communal holiday music experience, this might be the ticket.

• The Poppletons & Listening to the Sky, Black Heron Lounge, Fri., Dec. 19, 9 p.m. – The Poppletons have been popping up around Durango over the last several months, having formed just under a year ago. At the same time, Black Heron Lounge has become synonymous with DJ-driven nights and the occasional rock show – in addition to a healthy dose of jazz – but this one blends both. Psychedelic rock outfit The Poppletons kick things off, with Listening to the Sky taking over the decks afterward to carry the night into full-on dance mode. 

• High Country Hustle & The Pickpockets, Animas City Theatre, Wed., Dec. 31, 8 p.m. – Ring in the new year with a Durango fan-favorite bluegrass blowout. High Country Hustle brings high-octane picking and huge energy, while The Pickpockets kick things off with their tight harmonies and signature drive. There’s nothing like real instruments and a packed room to welcome the new year, and this one remains one of the best NYE bets in town.

• Blessing Bled Chimanga, iAM Music (Indigo Room), Wed., Dec. 31, 8 p.m. – Zimbabwean percussionist, vocalist and bandleader Blessing Bled Chimanga brings an explosive, joy-soaked celebration to close out the year. I caught Blessing at a previous iAM Music Festival and was totally stupefied. This man and his band are so good. With support from the Eli Emmitt Band and DJ Panacea, expect a night of body-shaking rhythms, deep grooves and a dancefloor that absolutely will not quit.