March of the Mummies
Psychedelic funk, Native American flute and gathering of the Celtic tribes

Greetings, dear readers! What a jam-packed winter we’ve had this year with truly exceptional local, national and international music performances spilling forth from every corner of Durango. The musical snowpack is deep, and there’s plenty more on the way this month as we transition to the liminal space between our indoor concert season and the landmark outdoor festivals right around the corner.

Pro tip: be sure to connect with KDUR’s community concert calendar online for a detailed forecast of what’s on the horizon. It’s an amazing resource. That being said, here are a handful of events that you won’t want to miss and that are quite representative of the thriving music culture we have in our humble little mountain town. As always, be sure to support live music, and I’ll see you on the dancefloor!

• Symphony Chaco with R. Carlos Nakai, Community Concert Hall, Fri., March 15, 7:30 p.m. - A unique masterclass in indigenous flute music is landing at the Concert Hall tomorrow, and I am extremely stoked. Maybe it’s because on a recent trip to Peru, I bought a wooden flute and immediately fell in love with its tones while wandering the narrow, stone streets of Cusco. Or, perhaps it’s in part because Andre 3000’s most recent album has brought the magic flute back into the zeitgeist after a casual 5,000-10,000-year break. Hard to say. What I do know is that we are very lucky to have Nakai return to the Concert Hall for a special exploration of Chaco Canyon featuring photography and narration, alongside the world-class playing of Nakai.

• The Crooked Rugs, ORA, Desiderata, The Subterrain, Sat., March 16, 7 p.m. - It’s about to get very psychedelic and fuzzy at one of Durango’s most intimate and creative downtown venues, The Subterrain. Fort Collins’ favorite melt-your-mind band, The Crooked Rugs – cast in direct lineage of Australia’s King Gizz – is headlining this triple bill of sonic sin and harmonic haze. Local support comes from the infectious indie upstarts Desiderata and desert-tinged space fuzzonauts, ORA. Full disclosure: I play bass in ORA. In fact, the band takes its name from my grandmother, Ora Marie Sappenfield Hanes. Hi, Gran! I love you.

• Here Come the Mummies, Animas City Theatre, Sat., March 16, 7 p.m. - This will be the biggest, funkiest party of the month by my estimation. And, we could sure use a little light-hearted funk right now. Here Come the Mummies are going to melt Durango down with P-Funk era synths and basslines and a performance that will certainly leave you laughing and full of joy. This is a massive booking and will undoubtedly sell out, so don’t delay on snagging your tickets for this one.

• Durango Celtic Festival, various venues, March 29-31 - I got my start playing music in Durango through the Celtic music sessions at the now-defunct Irish Embassy over 15 years ago. I fell in love with the music as much as I did the community that gathered to play, dance and make merry. That same community has grown over the years and created a beautiful festival to celebrate all things Celtic. This year marks the festival’s 10th year, and they’re pulling out all of the stops to celebrate. Joanna Hyde and Tadhg O’ Meachair, Heron Valley, Supertrad, The Jeremiahs, One for the Foxes, Dave Curley, as well as local supergroups Patrick Crossing and Kitchen Jam Band are on deck to bring out the Irish in all of us. If you’re looking for a family friendly event that features world-class musicians, as well as iconic, late-night jams, look no further. ?