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Calendar
ABOUT TOWN
Favorites of the month from the area’s abundant offerings in art and entertainment
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WINE IN THE WOODS
Arboretum at Flagstaff, 1-5 p.m. Sample Arizona wines paired with cuisine from popular northern Arizona eateries in the beautiful aboretum gardens, with entertainment by Sugar Thieves. Tickets online in advance or at the door. www.thearb.org
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
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PICKIN IN THE PINES
Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Back for its 12th year, the ultimate celebration of bluegrass and acoustic music presents Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Tim O’Brien, The Drew Emmitt Band, Mountain Heart and more, plus workshops in guitar, banjo, fiddle, ukulele and harmony singing, activities for kids, band contest and dancing. Advance tickets online through Protix, or call (866) 977-6849. Purchase tickets day of at amphitheater box office. www.pickininthepines.org
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FLAGSTAFF SYMPHONY
Ardrey Auditorium at Northern Arizona University, 7:30 p.m. The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra opens its 2017-2018 season under the baton of new conductor Charles Latshaw with pieces by Beethoven, Mozart, Mahler and more, featuring Jeff Nelsen on horn and mezzo soprano Nina Nelsen. Tickets at www. flagstaffsymphony.org.
ONGOING
Moon Taxi
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MOON TAXI
Orpheum Theater, 7 p.m. Nashville alt-rockers Moon Taxi deliver two Arizona concerts on the heels of their popular single release “Two High.” A festival favorite with jam band inclinations,
the five-member group starts the “Put Em Up Tour” in Flagstaff before heading to the Valley for an appearance at Crescent Ballroom. Opening is techno-brass trio Too Many Zooz. Tickets at www.orpheumflagstaff.com.
Coconino Center for the Arts gallery, Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The exhibit explores the impact of uranium mining on Navajo lands and people. Works by more than two dozen artists, including Navajo and other Native artists, are on display through Oct. 28. www.flagartscouncil.org september17 namlm.com
Rebekah Nordstrom
HOPE AND TRAUMA IN A POISONED LAND
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Colorized family photo of John Elden in his Civil War uniform.
Roberts in eastern Arizona Territory and killed him. The family buried little Johnny in a small grave about 100 yards west of the cabin where the site is visited today by hikers on the Walk Through Time or Pipeline trails. The horrible murder of little Johnny is part of Flagstaff ’s pioneer story. Local rancher Roy Fanning (for whom Fanning Drive in east Flagstaff is named) began tending the little grave in the 1940s and added the gas-pipe cross in 1961. Numerous Arizona Daily Sun articles over the years cover the shooting, as does family history. George Hochderffer’s 1965 book Flagstaff Whoa! devotes a paragraph to the murder. Kildare’s 1967 six-page article provides details and Platt Cline’s 1976 book They Came to the Mountain mentions the killing. The murder is even noted on Ancestry.com as well as in an upcoming book about Alaska pioneers. In the mid-1990s the U.S. Forest Service built beautiful interpretive panels at the Elden homestead and gravesite, further sinking the story into Flagstaff ’s history. Likewise, the 400 yard trail from N. Lugano Way provides easy access for those wanting to visit.
Below, a trail sign leads to the Elden homestead area and gravesite.
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well as a Flagstaff sheep rancher after the railroad arrived in 1882. Perhaps we should ask, just who was Maurice Kildare—the writer who described details of the 1887 Johnny Elden murder in his 1967 Golden West magazine article? Kildare was, in fact, Flagstaff adventure writer Gladwell “Toney” Richardson (1903-1980) writing under one of his 23 pseudonyms that included names such as George Blacksnake, Don Teton and Calico Jones. Richardson, called “Toney” because of his colorful southwestern barb and “high toned” ways, earned a living writing Southwest fiction that contained just enough truth to make his yarns believable. He published hundreds of adventure novels and short stories for popular magazines like True West or Golden West. Richardson liked spinning yarns about buried or lost treasure, shootings, outlaw loot and mines. If a magazine did not accept an article, he just waited a few months, changed names and dates, and then submitted it to another publisher. He was known as the “True West writer [who] usually wasn’t.” If, as with all of his tales, Richardson anchored “The Dead Sleep Lonely” article in some obscure Flagstaff facts, we should ask what is real here and what is fake? Or, does it really matter? Probably not. The Real West and the Fake West are often inseparable. In John Ford’s classic Western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, newspaper editor Mr. Scott (Carleton Young) finally understands that Senator Stoddard’s ( James Stewart) entire career is based on legend. Scott then states, in the great epigram of Ford’s career, “This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Recall that the Elden family left Flagstaff in late October or early November 1884 just after the birth of their second son. Family records also note the death of a baby boy shortly after birth. No Elden boys were born in California. Hence, the baby that died was probably the boy born in Flagstaff on Oct. 19, 1884, and then buried a few days later. The grave was small but, like the legend, grew to 10 feet long over the decades. How did the Johnny Elden murder legend become fact? There were seven steps. First, a Flagstaff man named Dan Miles worked for the Babbitt Brothers Trading Company’s silver fox farm beginning in 1929. The farm, located in the vicinity of today’s Upper Greenlaw and Swiss Manor, backed up to the small grave. Miles discovered the grave of the Elden baby and, as a colorful and fertile storyteller, spread many tales about the “lonely sleeper.” Second, one of Miles’ numerous tales about the little grave stuck with his fox farm co-worker Roy Fanning. This tale, the first recorded, said that a young Elden girl had been murdered by a “renegade Indian.” Fanning, who had two daughters, was saddened by the little girl buried alone under the juniper tree in the forest. Fanning began tending the gravesite in the 1940s. He built a fence around the grave and on Memorial Day weekend 1961, with the help of Basil “Slim” Green, added a gas-pipe cross that still rests on top of the grave today. Third, reporter Jess Gilson interviewed Fanning for a 1961 Arizona Daily Sun article. In the first written word of the
legend (two sentences), Fanning tells of the little girl’s murder by a “renegade Indian.” Fourth, four years later Flagstaff pioneer George Hochderffer, in his 1965 book Flagstaff Whoa!, expands the two sentences to one paragraph. He also changed the girl to a boy and the murderer to an itinerant mule skinner. Fifth, two years later Southwest writer Gladwell Richardson, writing under pen name Maurice Kildare, embellished Hochderffer’s paragraph into a six-page adventure article published in Golden West magazine. Sixth, the yarn slowly morphs into history with numerous articles in the newspaper. Additionally, the Mount Elden Environmental Study Area—set aside in 1968—includes a trail guide, “A Walk Through Time,” that describes the murder to hundreds of school children. Then, the U.S. Forest Service built beautiful interpretive panels at the grave and homestead sites in the 1990s. And finally, the murder story makes its way into family history, Ancestry.com, and a draft biography of Alaska pioneers. The legend obviously touches the human heart. Gravesite visitors want to know what happened to the young child buried alone in the forest. The legend ref lects the violent Flagstaff years that were for the most part unrecorded. The yarn serves as a porthole to our town’s forgotten past when the railroad arrived and the law departed. The great Western writer Wallace Stegner said that “No place is a place until things that have happened there are remembered in history.” He goes on to say it could be a monument, ballad, or legend and that fiction is as good as fact. In our memory of early Flagstaff, perhaps fiction is even better than fact. If the Johnny Elden yarn becomes fact… we should stick with the legend. Copies of Westerlund ’s complete article, “Flagstaff Pioneer John Elden: Murder and Mystery—Myth and History,” from The Journal of Arizona History will be available for purchase in October at the Pioneer Museum and Riordan Mansion State Historic Park with all proceeds going to the museum and park. september17 namlm.com
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MATTERS OF TASTE
Classic Revamp The Cottage keeps it French and fresh
By Gail Collins
Charcuterie plate with pates, pork rillettes, cheeses and house-made pickles
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Steak au poivre and frites, peppercorn crusted steak with Roquefort butter, blackberries and beets
Photos by Nancy Wiechec
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hange is the only constant in this world, and it certainly applies to a competitive restaurant scene. The need to stay in tune with patrons, innovation, global influences and ownership transitions means change is often on the menu in one way or another. Keeping a restaurant vibrant is key. As Americans spent nearly $750 billion on eating out in 2015, slicing into that pie is worth the effort for restaurateurs.
General manager Olivia Herman with chef and owner Scott Heinonen
Franchise eateries periodically update, such as the recent facelifts on Olive Garden and MacDonald’s. But what about an independent restaurant that has been a successful icon in town? Flagstaff locals have celebrated weddings, anniversaries and other special occasions at The Cottage Place Restaurant for more than 20 years, so its transition to The Cottage took considerable care. “We had many conversations with previous owners Frank and Nancy Branham about carrying on the legacy of great service,” said
the new chef and owner, Scott Heinonen. “The Cottage can continue to be a special event place, while also serving as a fine, comfortable dining spot for people to visit any Friday night.” His goal was to retain the charm and impeccable service, while infusing Heinonen’s reputation for flair and fun. For example, the chairs were repainted and reupholstered, while the sign was repurposed, featuring a traditional rooster clutching a wine glass. The 1910 bungalow first became a French restaurant in the 80’s, and Branham’s interpretation september17 namlm.com
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The house-made chocolate gateau with espresso mousse
of French cuisine came a decade later. Now, Heinonen imparts his style, in a concise, evolving menu of French standards with updated taste trends. He has a 30-year track record of success across the Southwest, Pacific Northwest and locally, as opening chef at Cuveé 928 and previous owner and chef of Tinderbox. General Manager Olivia Herman, who has worked with Heinonen in the past, leads a solid team. The Cottage opened in late April with an updated classic blue and white scheme, eclectic china on the walls, a Paris street map mural, touches of silver throughout and rough butcher blocks on the fireplace mantel. It has the feel of a village bistro maison, similar to those I found while cycling along the Nivernais Canal. The menu kicks off with a charcuterie plate, the quintessential white linen picnic spread. A variety of pates—from chicken and duck to pork confit with apricot and smoked salmon to pork rillettes—compliment mature cheeses, house-made pickles and crème fraiche. Petite twist rolls offer ready sampling. Try a glass of Pinot Blanc alongside for a bit of effervescent, subtle fruit. For an elegant entrée, order the sirloin tip steak au poivre and frites. The peppercorn charred crust on the tender, 6-once steak is the best of the roast. It's served with a creamy bite of Roquefort butter, balsamic blackberries and earthy beets. Skin-on, airy fries in a silver bucket add a stylish country touch. The milk and honeybrined côte de porc makes the most of a chop, served with crème fraiche polenta and ripe peaches. The pastry chef conjures timeless sweets, such as chocolate gateau, a flourless cake that is dense and intense. Bittersweet chocolate, butter and eggs create a slice of truffle, topped with espresso mousse and plated in a pool of white-chocolate ganache. Sipping a cognac or a cordial après closes out a memorable experience. Passing by and wondering, should you stop in? The patio invites a spontaneous decision to try a glass of wine from the exclusively French list and hors d’oevres in a relaxed atmosphere. First Fridays’ $15 special package of wine and small plates keeps it simple and beautiful—classically French. Like the subtle name change, The Cottage continues the reinvention of an icon, seeking to build on the best aspects while keeping it fresh with French farmhouse flavors and ambience. The Cottage: Farmhouse French Bistro, 126 W. Cottage Ave., Flagstaff, (928) 774-8431, www.thecottageflagstaff.com 18
Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine
THE ARTS
An Artist's Life Catherine Sickafoose draws from Arizona’s vast, vivid colors By Nancy Wiechec
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rt was a part of her life from the start. “We were just a family that did all kinds of arts and crafts,” Catherine Sickafoose recalls of her childhood. “I was always wistful about art.” Her youthful dreams, though, would be put aside for some time. She went to nursing school, married, worked as a nurse in a hospital and raised three children. It wasn’t until she retired that she grabbed onto her brushes and held tight. Now, with eight grandchildren, the Arizona artist delights in being a grandmother. And she paints, creating hundreds of watercolors over the last 20 years. Her first solo show was in 2003. She has since participated in 50 juried art shows. “You have to love it. You have to have the passion for it,” said the mainly self-taught artist. “But I believe people can learn how to create.” Her inspiration comes from the beauty of Arizona. To bring out its vast and vivid colors, she uses a negative painting technique with glazed transparent watercolors. “It takes time, and it’s always a challenge.” 20
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Living part-time in the Valley and part-time in Flagstaff gives her the best of both worlds—desert and high country—from which to draw. But she said her subjects come mainly from northern Arizona. From a doe grazing in Buffalo Park to the first snow on the San Francisco Peaks, she explores the area on foot and brings her own scenic photographs back to her small studio to paint. She’s been commissioned to paint historic buildings as well, including Riordan Mansion in Flagstaff. Last year she agreed to an extraordinary assignment from historian John Westerlund, who began researching the 1887 death of Johnny Elden Jr. (The magazine’s cover story this month.) Finding no illustration of the local lore, Westerlund reached out to Sickafoose, an artist he admires, told her about the project and asked if she would paint the story. Sickafoose, who calls her works “happy paintings” that focus on everyday surroundings, said the commission was different, but she didn’t hesitate to take on the task. The historian and artist went together to visit the site of the Elden homestead and grave in October last year. By late January,
Westerlund was displaying her painting as he presented his intriguing discoveries to the Flagstaff group of Westerners International, an association dedicated to study of the American West. Like Catherine’s other pieces from the region, The Mystery of Johnny Elden is vibrant and awash in detail. But it’s also mesmerizing. The quaint mountain scene turned tragic by the lifeless body of a boy, with a stunned mother and her daughters standing over him, makes a viewer feel the futility of the event. Sickafoose illustrated the indignant killer on a mule, riding away with his rifle still aimed at the Elden family. “The whole thing is a little bit horrifying,” Sickafoose says of the tale. “Although it’s quite a plausible story for that time, it’s apparent now that it’s not based in fact.” The Mystery of Johnny Elden painting was displayed in Brandy’s Restaurant and Bakery for two months this summer, and Sickafoose intends to sell the original. She thinks it might appeal to someone with an interest in history. Artwork by Sickafoose can be viewed this month in two group shows by the Artists’ Coalition of Flagstaff, one at Brandy’s and the other at the High Country Conference Center. Her paintings, prints and cards are regularly available at the Arts Connection gallery in the Flagstaff Mall. Or, view her works online at catherinesickafoose.com.
Riordan Mansion © Catherine Sickafoose
Inset: Scattered Aspen Gold and Dinner Bouqet © Catherine Sickafoose september17 namlm.com
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THE ARTS
Symphony Orchestra’s 68th Season Director Hopes to Resonate with Community
Photo courtesy Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra
By MacKenzie Chase
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lagstaff Symphony Orchestra’s new music director is preparing from over 400 miles away as the symphony’s first concert of the 2017-2018 season nears. Conductor Charles Latshaw is busy studying the music scores and committing every single note to memory. “I remain, throughout the entire season, in this state of constantly [being] excited,” he says. Latshaw is calling Flagstaff his second home; his first being Grand Junction, Colorado, where he continues to direct the Grand Junction Symphony. He says he views the seven-hour commute between the two as more of a bonus than a burden, since he can visit several national parks in between. Community is the theme for his first FSO season, which kicks off with
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Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture. He plans to close the season with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. “Both pieces are about coming together, the brotherhood of man,” he explains. “Flagstaff Symphony is my new family, and I want to invite the audience to join our family.” Latshaw has taught music to people of all ages and has worked with the Carnegie Hall Link Up program to bring primary students on stage with professional orchestras. He has an overall goal to draw young people to the joy of classical music. “I think the concert experience traditionally is kind of threatening—the idea that you might go to a concert hall and you’re going to hear 70 to 90 minutes of music that you’re not familiar with, [and] people have nervousness about when you clap,” he says.
“Those kinds of things have traditionally been barriers.” To help broaden its audience, the FSO this season promises a range of music styles from Mozart to Motown, as well as special free concerts. Latshaw is looking forward to his debut as director of the FSO and readily admits that his favorite thing is what he’s currently working on. “If I didn’t think that what we’re about to do was the best thing ever, I wouldn’t be doing it,” he says. The FSO’s 68th season begins Friday, Sept. 29, in Ardrey Auditorium on the Northern Arizona University campus, 1115 S. Knoles Dr. Tickets are available from the NAU Central Ticket Office, online at http:// www.flagstaffsymphony.org or by calling (888) 520-7214.
FSO Masterworks I MTNL FIN.pdf
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At the ridgeline, I stood and took in cloud-covered Humphreys and Agassiz peaks. From there, it was a moderate descent to a lush basin where the path met up with Brookbank and Little Bear trails. (Little Bear suffered from the 2010 Schultz Fire.) From the junction, it would have been about six miles to Buffalo Park along the Oldham Trail, if I were so inclined. I took the Oldham Trail to Elden Lookout once when I was much younger. It’s a daylong affair. The next part of the journey was up again, to another ridgeline where Heart Trail meets up with Sunset. Along the way, I read U.S. Forest Service signs on the importance of fire to the ecosystem. The ascent from the Hart Trail starts along the Sandy Seep Trail below. At the junction with the Heart Trail, one can see the tower at Elden Lookout to the south. The devastation of the Radio Fire from the late 1970s is still evident. Doney Park, Timberline and Fernwood are nestled at the base of the volcanic peaks to the east. Another climb along the ridgeline opens up to an expansive view of the summit of Mount Elden, with the fire watch and communication towers prominent to the south. I opted to grab a bit of lunch on the southern edge, and I stared down at the city and watched life move along the streets. Clouds trudged to the northeast overhead in a moderate breeze that cooled the sweat on my skin. The hike back was marked with the telltale bloat of a building monsoon storm, but it never quite materialized. Every once in a while, I would stop, calm my breathing and listen for the possibility of a lumbering crash of a bear, elk or deer through the forest. But all I heard was birdsong, the hum of crickets and the rustle of aspen leaves in the wind. I was back at the parking lot by noon. Alas, I didn’t see a bear.
IF YOU GO: Sunset Trail No. 23 to Mount Elden Lookout Time: 3.5 hours Distance: 8 miles, roundtrip Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous Directions: Take Highway 180 north toward Snowbowl. Turn right at Schultz Pass Road. The road becomes dirt but is well maintained. The trailhead is to the right about six miles up.
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Light Fixtures The Art of Spacing By Jeff Stock
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one are the days when a simple flush-mounted light is placed in the middle of the room and it’s called “good.” Lighting is now accomplished in layers–several types of lighting in the same room to enhance function and beauty. Because many types of lighting coexist, proper spacing of the fixtures has become more important than ever.
Recessed lights Placing recessed can lights evenly across your ceiling is like a mathematical equation. Begin by dividing the ceiling height in half, and then use that number to indicate how far apart the lights should be from one another. For example, recessed can lights are best placed four feet apart in an eight–foot ceiling. Recessed lighting should be kept three feet away from walls. This distance helps limit shadows and keeps your ceiling from looking lower than it is.
Vanity lights Bathroom lighting can be tricky. The best lighting is achieved when sconces are used on either side of the mirror, but sometimes that just isn’t possible. In those cases, when a bath bar above the mirror is the only option, vanity lights should not exceed the length of the mirror, preferably around 75 percent of the mirror’s width. Ideally, three inches
should sit between the bottom of the light fixture and the top of the mirror.
Sconces When used in a bathroom, the smaller the sconce the better. Sconces no bigger than nine to 10 inches are best. These sconces should flank the mirror, sitting roughly 18 inches in either direction from the center of the sink. To prevent glare, they should be placed at eye level, around 65 inches off the floor. If there are double sinks, and the mirrors are close enough together, three sconces, one in the middle and one on either side, sometimes is best. Because of room needed for the electrical box, make sure sconces sit four inches away from the edge of the mirror. Elsewhere in the home, sconces are placed three-quarters of the way up the wall. That is, if you have eight-foot ceilings, the sconce should sit six feet off the floor.
Pendants and chandeliers The width of a pendant or chandelier used for general purposes, not over a table or countertop, is figured by adding the length and the width of the room together and converting
that number to inches. So, for example, an eight-by-10-foot room would warrant a fixture 18 inches in diameter. When the fixture is hung over a kitchen island or dining room table, measure that surface and then subtract a foot for the maximum width of that fixture. When used in an entryway, a pendant or chandelier should be hang at the midpoint between the floor and ceiling for 14-footplus ceilings. For ceilings less than that, they should be no closer than six inches from the ceiling and a minimum of seven feet from the floor. If you have a picture window atop your entryway, center the light in that window so it can be seen from the outside when others approach. When using multiple pendants over an island or table, they should be spaced evenly
every 24 to 30 inches from the center of the shade. A good height for either over a raised surface is 30 to 36 inches. They should be at the top end of that range for a large table, whereas they should hang closer, more towards the lower end, for a small table. An odd number of pendants—one, three, or five—is often more aesthetically pleasing. Spaced evenly, the light from one pendant should overlap the other.
Keep in Mind Even if you pick a perfectly-sized fixture, the busier the fixture is or the more complex its design, the larger it will appear. For this reason, smaller rooms often warrant more simple designs. Happy hanging! Jeff Stock is the owner of Elk Ridge electric in Billings, Montana. september17 namlm.com
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PLAYING FAVORITES
Impressive and Gorgeous Voices of Art & Tradition By Nancy Wiechec
Spoken Through Clay: Native Pottery of the Southwest—The Eric S. Dobkin Collection by Charles S. King (Museum of New Mexico Press)
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Photo from the Palace of the Governors Photo Archives, courtesy of Museum of New Mexico Press
Nampeyo is pictured in Hano Pueblo, Arizona, ca. 1915–1925.
rom the sphere of coffee-table books comes this gorgeous encyclopedic offering showcasing Pueblo artists, their pottery and stories. Spoken Through Clay is a visual journey through the capacious pottery collection of Eric S. Dobkin, philanthropist and former partner at Goldman Sachs. Personal narratives by the artists tell of their families, traditions, creative struggles and clay collected by hand from the earth. “When I sit down and I make a piece of pottery, I may be alone, but the room is full,” said potter James Ebelacker of Santa Clara Pueblo. “My grandmother and mom are there, as are the songs they would sing. And I can hear my grandfather tapping and can feel the beat of distant drums. They are always right there with me, speaking to me and influencing my work.” Author King points to Hopi-Tewa potter Nampeyo (1859-1942) from the village of Hano in northern Arizona as starting the revolution that gave rise to modern Pueblo pottery. She created a “distinctive style of pottery that projected
her own artistic inventiveness while extolling the history and culture of the Hopi-Tewa people,” King said. “Her impact cannot be overstated.” The section on Nampeyo reveals that she was forward-thinking and utilized modern marketing to sell her works. She demonstrated her art in 1905 and 1907 at the Harvey Company’s Hopi House at the Grand Canyon. In the forward, we learn that Dobkin’s draw to Native American pottery began after seeing a black micaceous clay piece by Nambé potter Lonnie Vigil. Dobkin said he was struck by how the pot was made— not on a pottery wheel, but by rolling long ropes of clay with bare hands. “Its shape, texture, size and beauty were simply overwhelming.” Substantial in content and form, Spoken Through Clay is more than 350 pages bound in an 11.5x14-inch cloth cover. It exhibits more than 300 vessels in large color photographs that reveal detail and intricacy. Pictures of living artists featured in the book were executed by Diné photographer Will Wilson. His arresting portraits made using an early photographic process would make for an excellent book of their own. Spoken Through Clay is available for purchase at museum shops and bookstores. For direct orders, call (800) 249-7737 or visit www.mnmpress.org.
In each issue, the magazine features books, film, music or other media catching our attention. Some favorites have regional affiliations and some are picks we think are just plain worth checking out.
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How & Why How do you describe Pilcrow? syndicated NPR program? Pilcrow is the result of a decade of I’m a Terry Gross guy all the musical collaboration with way! She and her team pick my friend Andrew Lauher. He’s the coolest, most interesting an amazing drummer and a guests who have great stories musical visionary, and I’ve had and insights on so many topics. the pleasure of Terry’s playing in several questions are We're trying bands and logging amazing and many miles in tour her command to make music of the subject that's reflective vans with him over the years. We play matter is of where we original music that’s totally pro. live in northern rock ‘n’ roll at its I rarely miss Fresh Air. Like Arizona with its core, but there’s also a lot of public harsh, beautiful Americana, folk and even some jazz in radio shows, it mountains and there. After years makes me feel of playing acoustic like there’s so deserts, and much more to amazing human music, I was ready to do something know in this landscape. electrified that world. had more power and presence. It’s great to We’ve lost a number of turn up and just be awash in great music legends this sound. We’re trying to make year. When you think of the music that’s reflective of where passing of Gregg Allman, we live in northern Arizona Chuck Berry and Chris Cornell among others, which with its harsh, beautiful mountains and deserts, and one hit you the hardest? amazing human landscape. You know, I actually don’t find myself getting overly How do you continue to fit emotional about musicians music in your busy life? I fit it in passing, though my heart because I wouldn’t be a complete does go out to their families. person without music in my life. The last two years have been Passions should be a priority, and brutal, though. Chuck Berry so you just make it work. I would invented rock ‘n’ roll; Gregg have an overwhelming sense of Allman and Chris Cornell hollowness otherwise. I feel like had two of the greatest voices I have a clearer vision now of the ever; Col. Bruce Hampton music I want to make than at any was the godfather of the jam other point in my life, and I’m scene—their music has been really excited to get this new body so important in my life. But of work I’ve been putting together ultimately the music remains with Pilcrow out to the world. I even if they’re not here feel it more deeply and passionately anymore, which is the most than anything else I’ve ever done important thing. That being in music. That sense of creative said, I did cry when David satisfaction keeps me chasing it. Bowie died. That one hurt.
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Photo credit: Krystan Umstattd
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Ryan Heinsius
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his month we’re checking in with Ryan Heinsius, executive producer and local content manager for KNAU Arizona Public Radio, longtime journalist, rock star and man-about-town. Heinsius, who hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma, helmed Flagstaff Live as its editor for many years before heading over to the radio in 2013. He also has been a member of some of Flagstaff’s most beloved bands, taking up guitar and vocals for such outfits as the Voluntary String Band, Dave McGraw and Crow Wing, and his latest project, Pilcrow.
What local events are you looking forward to this fall? Why? Years ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Josh Peyton of Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band when they were just starting to get some notoriety. He’s a larger-than-life personality and the band is a crazy country-blues tornado. It could easily be some clichéd, hillbilly pastiche, but what they do is so smart, innovative and huge sounding. They’re at the Orpheum Oct. 24. That’s definitely one not to miss. For readers who are public radio enthusiasts, what’s your favorite
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