The man, the myth ...
Brendan Shafer on jazz, bikes and covering classic Bill Monroe album

Greetings, dear readers! This column’s subject is a man equally skilled with fiddle, banjo, guitar, Civil War history, bikes and even modern geopolitical analysis. He is none other than Brendan Shafer, enigmatic renaissance man and a true polymath who can wheelie for miles on end. Chances are you’ve seen him perform in one of the many bands he has played in. Brendan is also one of my best friends and longtime bandmate in the Six Dollar String Band. He once taught me how to sing barbershop quartet harmonies in the stairwell of Reed Library, in between his engineering and math classes, so we could propose to his then-girlfriend, Anna Leyden, through song. (She said yes!)

Part ethnomusicologist, part divine channeler of rhythms and melodies, Brendan’s pursuit of music borders on obsession. And now, his piercing, mysterious eyes are set on performing the legendary bluegrass album “Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe” at the Animas City Theatre this Fri., Nov. 22, with the likes of Robin Davis, Alex Graf, Tony Holmquist and yours truly.

Did I mention the show will also mark Brendan’s 40th birthday? It’s going to be a party! I sat down with this local legend to capture his thoughts for posterity. After all, what else are friends for?

SS: Let's take it from the top. How long have you lived in Durango, and how did you get here?

BS: I've lived in Durango for over 20 years. I came here from Connecticut to go to Fort Lewis. I had a friend who was already going to Fort Lewis, and when I was finishing high school, he recommended I go to Fort Lewis, because he thought Durango was a great place. I’d never been out west for anything.

SS: I know cycling in all its forms has been important in your time in Durango. You’re definitely a local cycling celebrity in my book. I’m dying to know: what is your proudest Strava moment?

BS: Well, the Strava account I used when I was actually able to, uh, go fast – I don't have access to anymore. I made a new account, and now I am not proud of anything I do. But I do like Strava for some of the cool little data points.

SS: We've been bandmates for 15 years. What are my strengths as a bandmate and my weaknesses?

BS: I’m not answering that.

SS: I knew you’d say that. Fine. What draws you to live music?

BS: It's a chance to share your passion with people. I think live music is a great way to have inclusive experiences. More than other things, live music brings a lot of different types of people together, and you can form relationships outside your personal sphere of beliefs or backgrounds.

SS: Something people might not know that really rocks your socks is New Orleans jazz. How does that fuel you, as a musician who doesn’t play jazz out?

BS: I'm working on changing that. New Orleans music was the first music I really loved. I was really interested in James Booker as a kid. Some might say jazz is different from country, Cajun or bluegrass. But, really, they all have a lot of common threads that aren't necessarily visible at the surface. But if you dig a little deeper, they connect in all kinds of amazing ways. So, just because I’m not living in New Orleans and playing that style of music, it’s very much related to the style of music you and I play in Six Dollar String Band.

SS: What's lighting your fire about “Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe?”

BS: The album is super classic. Anybody who wants to understand bluegrass really needs to listen to that album. It’s the prototype for modern instrumental bluegrass. You see a lot of younger people in bluegrass coming from colleges – actually going to college for bluegrass – and these people will record solo albums with virtuoso-level performances. And I think “Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe” was the precursor to doing that.

SS: Tell us a little bit about the big show.

BS: Doors open at 7 p.m., and Cody Tinnin is opening. Then, myself, Alex Graf, Robin Davis, Tony Holmquist and you are going to come out and play the album in its entirety!