March madness
Mixed in Mancos, Cumbia Club, Celtic Fest and more

Greetings, dear readers! We made it to March. The birds are singing and soon, so will the sound systems of outdoor festivals and concerts. This is with the notable exception of the Four Corners Folk Festival, which has hit pause in an effort to pay off accumulated debt. For now, we have a beautiful close to the end of our indoor-focused music season, with a special shout out to the Durango Celtic Festival, celebrating its 11th season of bringing world-class music to our community. As always, see you on the dance floor! 

• Artikal Sound System, Sitting on Stacy, Animas City Theatre, Thurs., March 6, 7 p.m. - South Florida reggae comes to town for a midweek show at the Animas City Theatre. Artikal Sound System generated headlines a few years ago when they alleged that Dua Lipa ripped off their 2017 track “Live Your Life.” Ultimately dismissed in court, the band has nonetheless continued to spread its energetic modern reggae.

• Mixed in Mancos w/ The Lindells, Carute Roma and The Yoties, Mancos Opera House, Sat., March 8, 6 p.m. - The Mancos Creative District presents “Mixed in Mancos,” where three bands perform at the Mancos Opera House, and recordings from the shows are mixed, mastered and pressed into vinyl for your listening pleasure. This year features The Lindells opening, Durango gypsy-legends Carute Roma and Arizona’s The Yoties bringing their self-described brand of “IrieZona” reggae rock.

• Bad Goat Cumbia Club, Black Heron Lounge, Fri., March 7, 9 p.m. - It’s time for some shameless self-promotion. I’m turning 40 this week and am hosting a party at the Black Heron Lounge. This is a spin on my normal Bad Goat Disco party: this time, I’m DJing cumbia music that I’ve collected in record stores in Peru. Proceeds from the night go to Los Compañeros, a fantastic nonprofit that can use our help. Tickets are cheap, at the door, and the show goes late!

• Dana Ariel and the Coming Up Roses w/ Elementum, Indigo Room at iAM Music, Sat., March 8, 8 p.m. - Hot off their lights-out performance at KDUR Cover Night, Dana Ariel and the Coming Up Roses slide into Durango’s most intimate listening bar, The Indigo Room, to celebrate the release of their single “Wishful Thinking.” Prepare yourself for a set of all-original soulful tunes.

• Mixxed presents Dantiez, Ana M, Specific Heat, Bad Goat, Black Heron Lounge, Sat., March 15, 8 p.m. - The Black Heron Lounge has quickly become the next hot spot for music outside Animas City Theatre for DJs and dancers. The space features an incredibly high-quality sound system, impressive lighting, and friendly bar service. Their biggest billing yet strikes this month with Detroit’s Dantiez Saunderson coming to town for Durango’s favorite Burqueña, Ana M’s, Mixxed party. If you know anything about techno, this is kind of a big deal. His Dantiez’s dad has been a major pioneer of it for more than 40 years. Local support from Specific Heat and Bad Goat.

• SkiiTour, Fort Knox Five & Spark Madden, Animas City Theatre, Sat., March 22, 7 p.m. - With more than 6 million streams across all digital platforms and tracks that have spent weeks on the Beatport Top 100, SkiiTour is the Whistler, B.C.-based DJ duo and production team of Dave Rollinson and Tim Livingstone. Most of their fame is situated in Canada, but they’ve found great success connecting with audiences digitally (as evidenced by their being knighted as a Twitch partner). One thing is for certain – their carefully curated brand is playful, energetic, groovy and upbeat.

• Tashi T and Friends, The Subterrain, Sat., March 22, 8 p.m. - Thank goodness it’s time for another Tashi T show. They are easily one of my favorite writers and performers in town, and chances are, if you see Tashi live, you’ll also fall as quiet and still as a clear, star-filled night in the desert. Expect songs about love, wonder, and getting lost in it all.

• Durango Celtic Festival w/ Old Blind Dogs, Daimh, Heron Valley & more, Community Concert Hall at FLC, Fri.-Sat., March 28-29 - The Durango Celtic Festival lives on and returns with an incredible booking of the multi-award-winning Old Blind Dogs. The band formed in the ’90s and has done more than any other group on the planet to preserve, promote and progress Scottish folk music. The festival is full of workshops, parties and other great bands. Visit www.durangocelticfestival.com for more information!

• Ghost Note w/ Nu Bass Theory, Animas City Theatre, Tues., April 1, 7 p.m. - The funkiest show of the month – heck, of the season – descends upon the Animas City Theatre on April Fool’s Day. Led by members of Snarky Puppy and Kendrick Lamar’s band, Ghost Note is launching into a months-long tour that includes a midweek stopover in Durango. Local funk electro-funk duo Nu Bass Theory is on direct support. ?