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Thursday, November 19, 2015

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tiny by design

Rocky Mountain Tiny House owne r Greg Parham blends art and design with a modern m ovement of mindful living winter bike commuting, Also: Master Kush reviewed, Get Smart on holiday coffee drinks Mountain Film on Tour, and the rundown on

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DGO Magazine

Staff

What’s inside Volume 1 Number 4

Nov. 19, 2015

Chief Executive Officer

From the Editor

Love it or Hate it

Bob Ganley

Beer

V.P. of Advertising

Weed

David Habrat

High-Ass Recipes

Sound

Douglas Bennett V.P. of Finance and Operations

V.P. of Marketing Kricket Lewis

Downtown Lowdown

Founding Editors Amy Maestas

David Holub

Album Review 9

Katie Klingsporn

13 Student Life

Josh Stephenson Editor David Holub dholub@bcimedia.com 375-4551 Contributors Bryant Liggett Robert Alan Wendeborn Christopher Gallagher

Get Smart: Winter bicycle commuting We debut a new feature this week, “Get Smart: Expert advice on trivial affairs.” This week, Jon Bailey and Garrett Alexander from Durango Cyclery, tell you how to pedal your ass to work, come sleet or snow.

Jaime Becktel Sara Knight Cyle Talley Aubrey Adler Advertising 247-3504 Reader Services 375-4570

10 Crafts • man • ship For Rocky Mountain Tiny House owner Greg Parham, above, simplification has become a way of life and an opportunity to exercise his creativity as an architect in increasingly unique ways. 13 Mountainfilm on Tour is coming for Durango

DGO Magazine is published by Ballantine Communications Inc., P.O. Drawer A, Durango, CO 81302

When it comes to Mountainfilm, once a year just won’t do. Thankfully, Mountainfilm on Tour was created and makes a stop at Durango Arts Center on Saturday. Program Director Katie Klingsporn gives a rundown.

14 Movies

18 Review: Ridiculouslyseasonal coffee

15 Savage Love 16 Happenings

Want to know where to get that latte spiced with pumpkin, laced with cinnamon, topped with cream, garnished with mint and shot through with a hundred million calories of syrupy, sugary goodness? We’ve sipped our way across the city and found some answers.

17 Pages 19 Horoscope/ puzzles/ Bizarro

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On the cover A photo illustration incorporating Rocky Mountain Tiny House owner Greg Parham’s tiny house design “Boulder.” Illustration by David Holub/DGO

New Yorker and cup of coffee for $10.00 or The Grub for $7.00. 106 E. 5th Street (next to train Station) 970-385-7297 www.facebook.com/Durangobagel (Like us on Facebook) �� Thursday, November 19, 2015 | 3

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[CTRL-A] [ love it or hate it ] David Holub |DGO editor

Tiny houses & creepy babies: Pushing the limits of creativity

emember when you could do just one thing and be called a creative genius, one thing that we now look at and are all like, “Well, duh”? Like babies in Medieval paintings made to look like creepy, miniature adults. Someone finally came along, someone undoubtedly with “The Elder” attached to the end of his name and said, “Hey, that’s not what babies look like!” and just painted a baby to look like – I don’t know – a baby. Genius! (Editor’s note: This had more to do with how those societies viewed children, not art technique, dude.) These days, you’ve got to do a bit more to come off as doing something artistically innovative. You can’t just make large-scale sculpture installations anymore. One must incorporate space, location and context. Simple. But they have to engage in blistering social and political commentary, too. Fair enough. And these sculptures have to be conceived, built and installed with CIA-level secrecy and displayed spectacularly in public spaces, conceived by a media genius/artist who, based on his or her guarded anonymity, may as well look like The Elephant Man for all we know. When thinking of artists who have floored me with their inventiveness, I think of the Gregory Brothers, made famous by “Autotune the News,” where they would take average-ifoffbeat local news clips and set them to music, “songifying” the words spoken by real eyewitnesses using the vocal editing software Autotune. The results were something brand new, mashups that utilized the found objects of unwitting-yet-talkative bystanders, pop music, TV news and music videos, and wrapping them all up with humor, satire and cultural tensions. They take it a step further, songifying political speeches and debates as they happen, showing Joe Biden or Donald Trump dance and bob and sing, spliced, cut and edited to make

the unwitting singer’s song a satirical commentary. It’s not just writing funny songs. Or using technology to comedically turn speech into singing. Or developing an ironic DIY retro visual aesthetic. Or punctuating everything with relevant social and political commentary that pokes fun at the powerful or empowers the little guy. It’s all of it. With this week’s cover story on Greg Parham and Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses, I got thinking about creativity and artistry and how we can broaden those definitions and expectations. At first glance, Parham’s tiny houses might appear to be more about utility and functionality, more craft than art. Maybe so. But I like to see tiny houses as creative and artistic endeavors. They are about creative uses of space, imaginative collaborations between builder and owner, and a lust for aesthetics and design, implementing a command of shape, color, proportion, line, texture and any other art element you’d find in the glossary of a 101-level art textbook. If that’s not art, I don’t know what is. But tiny houses are not about one thing and that’s why they’re fascinating. The tiny-house movement incorporates multiple factors that strike contemporary chords and resonate with a lot of people around here, younger folks especially. Tiny houses are about mobility, mindfully simplistic living, environmental awareness and affordability, among others. It’s not just about intuitive and ingenious design; it’s about values and lifestyle, where people’s lives become art. It is people doing something new and seeking to make choices on a way of life. Tiny houses showed me a magnificent convergence of positive, creative and artistic social energy. The magic and materials are out there, and whether you call yourself an artist or not, let’s continue to gather it and keep building. David Holub is the editor for DGO. dholub@bcimedia.com.

Exercise Love it When I was 15, my soccer coach announced at the beginning of the season that we were going to do 5-mile runs. At 6 a.m. In March. If you have experienced a crackling-cold Wyoming morning, you can imagine my reluctance. But I pried myself out of my delicious nest of blankets in the black pre-dawn and showed up. At first, my body rebelled. The cold seared my lungs, my legs ached and I barely made it to the turning-around point. It was horrible. But then, as we were sprinting back into the parking lot, I experienced a surge of ... God, what was that miraculous feeling? Some wonder tonic of goodness was swirling around my limbs. Hello, dopamine. That was my first inkling that the dopamine high is better than all booze and drugs in the universe. My exercise obsession was born. What’s not to love? You get to test out your resilience, feel your strength and truly inhabit your body. You get to pedal out your frustrations and pound out your problems and untangle that briar of thoughts. Feel the air on your skin, the blood in your veins. And you get to wear really comfy stretch pants. Plus, a good sweat feels amazing, not to mention the litany of diseases exercise helps stave off. But maybe the best part: It gives you license to eat that slab of pie with zero guilt. — Katie Klingsporn

Hate it God I hate the gym. Over the years I’ve tried to like it – really I have – but who am I kidding? I dislike its acrid smell, its offensive lighting, the douchey music and the exercise machines touched by the germy hands of countless perverts. I prefer to avoid the svelte, dryad-like women and the pitbull-ripped gladiators, flagrant reminders of my void of self-discipline. I’ve had numerous gym memberships over the years where I began pumped and psyched and hyped and stoked – all of those motivational power words – but eventually I found my way back to a happy, albeit slightly chubby, equilibrium of minimal physical exertion. I’m not entirely benthic, however. I have my moments of exercise glory, such as walking 600 miles across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago. It’s been suggested that the perfect word to describe my general mode of movement through the world is “lazy.” However, I simply prefer low-key exercise cleverly disguised as outdoor fun. I’m a humble walker, a leisurely stroller, a contemplative ambler and a dreamy cruiser. I like being outside, moving at a tranquil pace, breathing the air of the heavens and perspiring faintly, like a Victorian debutante. — Jaime Becktel

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[beer]

First Draughts | Robert Alan Wendeborn

Beer on Thanksgiving!? Here’s how to make a day of it

f your family is anything like mine, Thanksgiving isn’t typically a beer holiday. Thanksgiving is about tradition and (attempted) civility and family. And beer, well, beer doesn’t really fit. Beer is too often associated with low-brow, hypermasculine activities like NASCAR, hunting, football and fishing. But any beer nerd worth his or her pretzel necklace will tell you there is a beer for every occasion and every palate, including something as traditional as Thanksgiving. If you’re looking at a way to incorporate beer into your traditional Thanksgiving and still keep it classy, I think I can help. Thanksgiving dinner actually starts in the morning, when you’re preheating your oven, cutting up vegetables, defrosting your pie crust and watching the parade or pregame show. It’s best to start slow and light, and Easy Street Wheat from Odell Brewing Co. is a great morning beer. This unfiltered, slightly fruity wheat beer is great with toast and eggs and if you spill a little O.J. into your glass, no one will notice. Plus, a little booze in the morning will help numb the pain of Terry Bradshaw yelling about sports and Al Roker yelling about whatever he yells about. As dinner gets closer to being ready, guests start arriving, we start getting changed out of our PJs and the veggie trays start coming out. I would switch to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. SNPA is a bottleconditioned pale ale that set the standard for the West Coast hoppy beers. The piney resin and slight citrus of the hops go well with all kinds of hors d’Oeuvres and dips, and the herby aromas flowing from your oven will match perfectly the biscuity malt backbone of this pale ale. And even though it’s pretty hoppy, it’s still very drinkable, allowing you to keep your head on a swivel between the dishes being prepared, guests arriving and all the sports on TV. When it comes to the actual dinner, it’s hard to ignore the rituals, the carving of the turkey, the toasts to all you’re thankful for, the eating so much you need to unbutton your pants. Opening a bottle of wine is a similar ritual, and it’s hard to compete

MAKE A TOAST WITH A GREAT SEASONAL BEER HAPPY HOUR 4–6, MONDAY–FRIDAY

with a ritual so ingrained in our cultural subconscious. Add to that the fact that wine, with its higher alcohol content and often more complex and sophisticated flavors, pairs so well with Thanksgiving. But, there are beers that hold up to all that, including the ritual. Single Barrel sour ale from Santa Fe Brewing Co. is a large format (read: big fancy bottle), barrel-fermented sour ale with a very light body, yet highly effervescent. Not only will the sharp, fruity acidity and light oak characteristics pair well with the turkey and all the sides, but it will also look good in a fluted glass. When you’re finished with all the savory delights of dinner and you’re reaching for the sweet standard finish to Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie, pour some Speedway Stout to go with it. This coffee stout from AleSmith in San Diego is a big imperial stout with tons of roasted malt and chocolate flavors that hide the 12 percent ABV. Rich and smooth, this ub/DGO is the perfect beer to end the Illustration by David Hol night. ily Thanksgiving. fect choice for your fam »» Beer might be the per The unspoken tradition of Thanksgiving is that it doesn’t alRobert Alan Wendeborn puts the bubbles in the beer ways go as we plan, and I think that’s part of what at Ska Brewing Co. His first book of poetry, The Blank makes it so great. Finding things to be thankful for Target, was published this past spring by The Lettered amid catastrophe isn’t easy, but even if your team Streets Press and is available at Maria’s Bookshop. roblost, you burned the turkey or you encounter the bie@skabrewing.com inevitable family drama, at least you’ll have something to be thankful for: Really good beer.

We deliver! AND MANY MORE TO CHOOSE FROM!

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[ weed ]

[ strain of the week] Seeing Through the Smoke Christopher Gallagher

Galaxies in my eyes: This strain hit me perfect

AWARD WINNING STRAINS

another second or two each f you smoke long day until I could stay stuck enough, you’re to the 10-foot bottom for probably going to three and a half minutes; find a strain that running through defenses suits you best, a go-to during lacrosse senior year, breeding that fits your when it was sunny every personality and hits you day even if it wasn’t; that just right. When you September day two Sibesmoke it, you know. It rian huskies dragged the feels like home. For me, it future Mrs. G. through the was that cheese: Barney’s back door at my job trainFarm Blue Cheese, to be ing dogs ... exact. Marijuana is a nice tool. The technical informaIt has an ability to alter contion lists BFBC as an indicasciousness that works for dominant plant bred from me. It softens my focus and Cheese, a U.K. strain from Stock image slows down my breathing. It the ’80s and ’90s that devel»» “That Cheese was some serious outer space weed,” works like tai chi or rereadoped through breedings at Christopher Gallagher writes. “My mind rose straight through ing Denis Johnson’s Jesus’ an alternative living commy crown chakra, past the clouds and into the universe and it Son or a walk in the woods munity called Exodus from hasn’t stopped yet. I was carried away with the high, a starchild or dancing to Viral Sound the Skunk plant crossed with galaxies in my eyes.” until I start to blend into with landrace strains from the molecules surrounding Afghanistan, Mexico and me. When I had my basement garden, wooden bowl changed everything. Colombia. This Cheese was bred watering my “hula girls,” their leaves It was a spiritual awakening, to borby DJ Short to Blueberry, an 80/20 swaying to the fans, I knew why. row a phrase. As I think back on it, indica cross whose ancestor plants Soil, water, wind, sun, it’s pure and six years later, I know now that it include Thai, Afghani and Mexican elemental. It can help us remember was half the Blue Cheese and half strains. that we’re children of planet Earth, me. I walked over to Charlie’s house I remember the day I grabbed children of the dirt, of the water, the a couple hours later with a couple a zip from my boy Charlie D. I rewind and the sun. questions, still carrying constellamember the blazer I was wearing, The cheese brought me there betions in my gaze. a tweedy number approximately cause I was ready to go. It helped me “Can we get more of this?” ¾ of a size too small before that to remember that every sensation He nodded. kind of thing was cool. I wrapped I’ve ever had is stored away within “Can we, uh ...” and I remember my scarf around my head and wanme, accessible if I’m willing to work the way my voice rose, “grow it?” dered around the edge of the city in toward it and that life is out there When life is right, I don’t have to a misty rain at a gentle glide. That just waiting for me, for all of us, to work at things. Everything makes Cheese was some serious outer commit to it. Let’s do some work besense. It’s fluid; it flows. I’ve known space weed. My mind rose straight tween now and next week to get into that flow my whole life. After kinthrough my crown chakra, past the the flow. Be well ’til then. dergarten, laying under the three clouds and into the universe and row of pines between my yard and it hasn’t stopped yet. I was carried the meadow, teaching myself how away with the high, a starchild with Christopher Gallagher lives with his wife to whistle; at the town pool as a galaxies in my eyes. and their four dogs and two horses. Life high-schooler holding my breath for Those two quick puffs from a is pretty darn good.

Master Kush What is it? Master Kush is a heavy indica with only about 5 percent sativa. It’s a combination of Hindu landrace Kush strains and Skunk #1, originally bred by White Label, a longtime favorite in Amsterdam. The effects Master Kush is the girl you don’t know you’re in love with until it’s too late. She smokes nice and smooth, but when she kicks in, your whole world changes. She’s extremely powerful and long-lasting. Most people notice thinking becomes more focused and their thoughts have more clarity. The smell Master Kush comes off the vine with a very earthy smell, but cured properly ends up in the jar with a more sweet musky citrus aroma. The look Bright green flowers that cause her little orange hairs to stand out. Its bud structure is dense and treelike with nice concentrations of trichomes. The taste Hearty. Old school. Reminiscent. The final verdict If you’re an indica person, this is as good as it gets. You will absolutely love the sedative hypnotic feel. Great for pain, insomnia, meditation, creativity, finding clarity and contemplating the upcoming zombie apocalypse. — Patrick Dalton Durango Rec Room

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[ high-ass recipes ]

Cereal Killer In this week’s High-Ass Recipe, I’ve chosen the divine power of sugary cereal – snack blessing of the gods – to satisfy your primordial hunger of highness. Not long ago, I sought a fix from my friendly neighborhood Albertsons. Swaying before the rainbow wall of Trix, Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams and Cap’n Crunch, I heard the jaded checkout attendant announce over the loudspeaker, “Attention Albert-stoned shoppers, our store is closing in five minutes. Please make your way to the nearest checkout lane.” Redeyed and obvious, I made my final purchase – Lucky Charms – avoiding the thinly-veiled judgments of the checker. In the sanctuary of my home, I sat down to watch “The Best of Chris Farley” with the magicallydelicious morsels until the bag lay lifeless beside me on the couch. They were too seductive, their subtly sweet crunch and the slow dissolve of marshmallow pillows on my tongue. With 50 shades of cereal delight, follow the simple recipe below to satisfy your highass hunger this weekend.

What you need: A box of cereal (name brand or generic … it matters not) 1 cup of coconut, almond, soy or cow’s milk A bowl, a spoon and your own trembling hand

Directions: Pour cereal into the bowl to the point of overflow. Pour in milk to an acceptable saturation point – or not, and just eat it dry. Repeatedly shovel cereal into your face with either the spoon or your bare hands until the box is completely empty.

[Get Smart: Expert Advice on Trivial Affairs, with Cyle Talley]

Winter Bicycle Commuting Watching your carbon footprint? Trying to save a few bucks on gas? Let our experts, Jon Bailey and Garrett Alexander from Durango Cyclery, tell you how to pedal your ass to work, come sleet or snow. Any words of encouragement for first-timers?

It’s damned cold outside. What’s so great about being on a bike in the wintertime?

Alexander: A good shoe for winter biking is Bogs ... Bogs are really good.

Alexander: I have a car, I’m not going to lie. I use it sometimes. But the ride is pristine and the air is so crisp. It allows you to collect yourself for the day and then gives you a moment to reflect on the way home. Coffee’s great, but getting your legs moving and your blood flowing is a lot more ... satisfying.

The rubber boot? Bailey: Yeah. Your feet are what’s going to get wet first, so slipping those things off when you get to work and putting your work shoe on is pretty encouraging. Alexander: And now would be a good time to mention that I don’t recommend plastic pedals; you’ll just slip right off of them. Get a nice metal pair with some teeth and you’ll be golden.

Bailey: The same thing that’s always good about bicycling. You connect with the environment. You get to see town, or wherever you are, in a new way because you have to pay such close attention and that carries over to other things. What sort of bike do I need? A fat bike? Bailey: The biggest thing, if you’re going to change anything, is a studded tire. That’s what’s going to save you if it gets icy. Fat bikes make sense when there’s a ton of snow and town is shut down, but otherwise, lower your tire pressure a bit, pay attention to your surroundings, and you’re golden on a studded tire. At the bare minimum, put one on the front. Alexander: “You’ve gotta consider conditions. We have Indian winters where the morning could be icy and by the afternoon, everyone’s in a T-shirt, so it’s usually more a consideration of attire than gear in Durango. So I can throw a studded tire on I’ve got and call it good from October to March? Bailey: You’ll wear ’em down a good chunk on the pavement, but totally. Maybe having a winter wheel set would be the luxurious way to go, and if you’re savvy with maintenance, you can swap ’em out when the season changes, but it’s not necessary. Fenders are a big piece, though. If the snow isn’t sticking, it’s going to be wet. Alexander: And the drier you are, the warmer you are. Speaking of dry and warm, what about clothing? Alexander: It depends on the length of your commute, but I always say that taking layers off is easier than putting them on. Bailey: Yeah, I mean, my friend wears

David Holub/DGO

»» Garrett Alexander (left) and Jon Bailey from Durango Cyclery, know all about how to pedal your ass to work, come sleet, or snow. moon boots, old school bib snow pants and a puffy jacket, just like what you’d wear to go ski in the snow. We all live here, so you’ve already got everything you need to be warm hanging in your closet. You’ve got gloves, you’ve got a hat. If it’s really nasty and the snow is flying, wear your ski goggles, wear your face mask. Or, if you’re a dude and you can do it, just grow that shit out (your beard).

Is there something you want to Get Smart about? Email cyle@cyletalley.com Cyle Talley is a 22-year Durango veteran and can remember when the mall had a K-Mart. Now he writes short fiction that you can read at: cyletalley.com or on Instagram @borderlineobscene

What’s the piece of gear that’s really saved your bacon? Alexander: The biggest investment I made was full rain gear, even over fenders, ’cause it’s nice to have something that I can also use hiking instead of just having something that I can only use on my bike. A helmet, obviously. Bailey: And lights! That’s a huge piece. They’re sweet all year, but it’s darker for more of the day now and you want to make sure you’re seen. Is riding your bike in the winter like driving your car in the winter? Bailey: Totally. Pay attention, plan your maneuvers, know where people are around you. Don’t brake or change direction too suddenly. Alexander: Stay relaxed and loose and don’t try to break any land speed records.

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[sound]

Downtown Lowdown | Bryant Liggett

Backstage $7 LUNCH SPECIAL MONDAY-FRIDAY 11am-4pm

This Week’s Events

THURSDAY 11/19 - $3 PINTS

Ladies Night 2-1 | Local Artist Show @ 7pm | Open Mic @ 8pm

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HAPPY HOUR MONDAY-FRIDAY STARTS AT 4PM BOOK YOUR NEXT PARTY HERE! for details, email: allison@balconybarandgrill.com

600 MAIN AVE balconybarandgrill.com 970.422.8008

Glories of the longest-running open mic night in Durango

s long as people have been playing music, there’s been a space for letting people exhibit their “talent.” Those exhibitions can result in awe or hilarity. Said exhibitions are the gateway drug for the addiction of performance, the cure for stage fright and the thing to do on off-nights at a venue. It’s open mic night. Some performers may be great. Even more will suck. There are multiple levels of talent, with a vast array of musicians who could be playing the same old classic-rock puke followed by a working-class guy banging out a back pocket full of original songs. It’s all important to the creation of a scene, and anyone saying otherwise is and should stay on the sidelines. Every city has one or two, perhaps multiple open mic nights; Durango’s had a few in various venues in my 20 years here, with the longest-running open mic night happening on Tuesdays at Moe’s for nine years and counting. Moe’s isn’t all music. Sure you get your hip-hop, folk, bluegrass and rock acts, but there have also been comedians, spoken-word artists, emcees and the occasional magician. But at its core it’s a breeding ground for bands and a space for building musical community. On any given Tuesday, Moe’s can host up to 15 acts. You’re given a 15-minute set and if you go over, well, maybe you’ll be asked back up later in the night to play with another musician. It’s a relatively loose, yet, wellorganized event with a decent bunch of regulars playing into a basic sound system and simple backline. Local band Mountain Top Pocket Pickers formed from a series of sets at this open mic. Musicians Mike Kunz and Dan Lowrey have been playing

Bryant’s best Friday: Roots music with Suzy Boggus, 7:30 p.m. $25/$35. Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive. Information 247-7657. Tuesday: Open mic night every Tuesday, 8 p.m. No cover. Moe’s, 937 Main Avenue. Information 2599018. Moe’s off and on for a couple of years. For harmonica player Kunz, it’s about curing the stage-jitters. “It takes everyone out of their shell,” said Kunz, minutes before playing last Tuesday. “You get out and try being on stage in front of your community.” Singer-songwriter Lowrey has moved past the butterflies; as a music fan he recognizes this particular open mic as a place for talent. “You don’t see a lot of beginners,” said Lowrey. “It’s rare that someone is playing a simple chord song; our talent level is high in this town.” Lowrey’s correct. A resident expert on open mic night and someone whose talent exceeds most of the others at this or any open mic is local guitar player Darren Stroud. Stroud has a few records under his belt with his rock band PowerTribe, and has now toured internationally with the country band The High Rollers. With no money going to musicians, he breaks open mic night down to its most simple form: To play and meet other musicians. “You get to meet people that you might not normally meet at shows,” said Stroud. “When I was new in town it helped me make contacts among musicians quickly. It’s very good for networking within the community.” Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager. liggett_b@fortlewis.edu.

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[sound] What’s new Beat Happening, “Look Around” »»Release date: Nov. 20 »»Label: Domino

HAPPY HOUR

Recording Co.

Beat Happening has never been given its fair due in my estimation. Thankfully, the good folks at Domino agree and are doing their part to rectify some of that by releasing an anthology from the Olympia, Washington, three-piece. “Look Around” is a collection of remastered tracks that span the near 30-year history of the band, its five full-lengths and various EPs, 7-inch singles and cassettes alike. Beat Happening became largely, and rightly, known for its embrace of the DIY and punk ethos in the formative and influential ’80s and early ’90s. Vocalist and K Records founder, Calvin Johnson, fostered the ’zine-heavy, independent, pre-Internet scene with releases from the likes of Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill, while influencing Pacific Northwest contemporaries and admirers Kurt Cobain and Sleater-Kinney.

Monday-Friday 2:30pm-6pm 970.259.7655 948 Main Ave • Durango, CO

Sonically, the compositions are wonderfully sparse. They are mostly lo-fi, indie-pop gems that are often imitated but rarely replicated. This is in large part to Johnson’s inimitable and standout baritone, Heather Lewis’ perfectly-minimalist drumming and co-lead vocals, coupled with an encouraging lack of technical prowess in recording and musicianship. My personal favorites on the 23-track, double LP release include “Teenage Caveman,” “Bad Seeds,” “Nancy Sin,” “Noise” and “Red Head Walking.” Recommended if you like traditional college radio, The Vaselines, Jonathan Richman/The Modern Lovers, Daniel Johnston, Sebadoh or Twerps.

215383

1928

SINCE

— Jon E. Lynch KDUR_PD@fortlewis.edu

New at Southwest Sound New releases for Nov. 20 1. Adele, “25” 2. Enya, “Dark Sky Island” 3. Abigail Williams, “Accuser” 4. Krayzie Bone, “Chasing The Devil” 5. Kode9, “Nothing”

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�� Thursday, November 19, 2015 | 9

crafts

reasons to

go tiny 1. Financial

man

At a price point between $25,000 to $80,000 with loan potential through websites like tinyhouselending.com, you can actually afford to OWN your own home. Tiny houses are also far more energy efficient, using less water, less electricity and less fuel than monster-box normal-sized houses. Rent can also be cheap – park it on a buddy’s lot for $100 a month, or make low mortgage payments on a piece of raw land. “Thirty percent of my calls come from college students,” says Parham, “because they’re the ones who need to do this for financial reasons. I’d say that most people doing this across the country are in college or just out of college in their early 20s – people doing it out of necessity.”

ship

2. Logistical Tiny houses on trailers that range in size from 12 to 32 feet are highway legal and can be pulled by a ¾-ton diesel engine pickup. They’re growing increasingly popular with people who enjoy the freedom of being able to take their home with them to follow a job, such as military families reassigned to new locations every couple of years. There’s also the demographic simply drawn in by the allure of the open road, young idealists and those seasoned enough by life to choose the path of simplicity over superfluity. Says Parham: “If I had to, I could pack up and move anywhere. Everything I own fits into my house.” The turnaround on a tiny house is also a major bonus, with smaller houses taking between three to five weeks to complete. “In general, within three months your house is ready to move into.”

»» Rocky Mountain Tiny House owner Greg Parham blends

art and design with a modern movement of mindful living By Jaime Becktel

Special to DGO

iving in small, efficient dwellings is nothing new for us human beings. We’ve been cramming entire families into caves, tipis, yurts, covered wagons and small cabins for centuries. Within the last decade or so, however, a renaissance of shrinking the domestic abode has gone mobile with the advent of tiny homes built on trailers – a phenomenon not befitting the masses but cultishly revered by the eco- and economically-minded lovers of efficiency.

Mainstreamers may wonder what the use is in ditching their sprawling, hoarder lifestyles for these miniature domiciles, but for Rocky Mountain Tiny House owner Greg Parham – a tiny house dweller himself – simplification has become a way of life and an opportunity to exercise his creativity as an architect in increasingly unique ways. His elusive shop sits above the Animas River in Durango, guarded by Rocco, a handsome chocolate Lab more friendly than ferocious. Under a giant canopy, a new home is being meticulously fleshed out with custom-built compartments that maximize storage and deftly incorporate all the trappings of a comfortable, normal-sized house. The first thing you notice upon entrance is the clean aesthetic – modern lines melding with a rustic assemblage of reclaimed barn wood, Colorado beetle kill pine and smooth mahogany. In one of two airy lofts, changing rainbows of LED rope lights are artistically framed by cutout mountain silhouettes – whimsical flour-

3. Philosophical Like Thoreau on Walden Pond, many people who find their way into tiny houses want to downsize their lives. According to Parham, “They want more time to play in the mountains. That’s one of the biggest reasons I went tiny – to simplify.” Wade Christensen, owner of the Rocky Mountain Tiny House currently in the making, moved to Durango two months ago to work alongside Parham on his 28-foot build. “It took the wife a little convincing to go from a 3,000-square-foot home down to this, but the 8-year-old and 3-year-old are down for anything. We downsized significantly and I’m glad we did. We had so much stuff it was ridiculous. I mean, if you’re not using it, why carry all that baggage around with you?”

ishes dreamed up by the expectant owner. As an architect and designer of tiny houses, creativity for Parham comes in the form of making choices about how to utilize space and maximize aesthetics, which doesn’t always jive with budget. “People want to do things that haven’t been done before and they want to get whimsical with crazy, elaborate shapes. There’s a lot of collaboration, which for me is the best way to get creative,” Parham said. “The idea with the mountains– that was Wade Christensen, the owner’s idea. I like it when the creativity comes from the customer. A lot of times my craftsmen – the guys that work for me – will get an idea and they’ll be like, ‘Let’s try that.’” Storage in a tiny house bolsters the saying that necessity is the mother of invention. Living in less than 1,000 square feet

4. The Cool Factor These are the folks who just can’t help themselves. They see pictures of tricked-out tiny houses on Pinterest or tinyhouseswoon.com and they go weak in the knees. “They get this fairytale image in their head and just have to have it because it’s cool and has nothing to do with the other reasons.”

Continued on Page 12 Jerry McBride/ Ballantine Communications

— Jaime Becktel

»» Greg Parham inside of his tiny house in Durango. Not only does he own Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses, but he also lives in one.

10 | Thursday, November 19, 2015 •

••••• Thursday, November 19, 2015 | 11

From Page 10

forces you to forgo the luxury of scattering your crap to the four winds. A need for order and systems requires creative design and innovation. “Storage is one of the biggest challenges in a tiny house,” Parham said. “Anywhere you have a free spot, such as under the bed or under stairs, you have to reclaim that space to make it useful.” To Parham, innovation is where there’s room to grow within the tiny house movement, “doing things that no one’s done before with new materials, new ideas, new shapes, new forms, new lighting. We’re always pushing innovation.” He believes the continued expansion of the tiny house phenomenon is inevitable and has seen the demand for his services shift from building tiny homes to designing plans for DIYers. “In Durango, most people are building their own tiny houses,” he said. “I offer consultation services, but right now I’m drawing five different sets of custom plans for people across the country. I figure out what they’re looking for, give them a set of drawings and they go build their own house.” As a kid, Parham’s parents built their own house and he and his siblings were pulled into the mix, the jobsite transforming into a playground. When he was 14, his mom bought a 1920s Craftsman Bungalow with a tall attic that she let him turn into a bedroom, his first major design and construction project. Self-taught in carpentry, he took on odd building and finishing jobs throughout high school and into college, where he studied architects who introduced him to what would become a guiding principle in his own architectural style – less is more. “I was exposed to so many different designers that it’s hard to just pick one,” he said. “My interests often leaned in the direction of Green and Green, California Craftsman, Bungalow and Mission styles – you’ll see a lot of that in my work.” With winter setting in, Parham plans to shut down the shop until the spring thaw, focusing efforts on designing plans for customers he’s got stacked up in the queue. Through the snowy months he’ll hunker down with Rocco in his tiny house paradise above the river, rivulets of smoke stretching into the cold from his wood burner stove, a cup of coffee in hand, enjoying the simple life. Indeed, for Parham and Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses, less is more.

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[student life]

[mountainfilm on tour]

Half-past Delinquency | Aubrey Adler

We’re coming for you, Durango

I nearly let partying ruin me

By Katie Klingspor n

Each Memorial Day Weekend, as the aspen trees are starting to unfurl their chartreuse leaves and the creeks are gushing with snowmelt, Telluride comes to life from its off-season slumber with Mountainfilm Festival. At its bones, Mountainfilm is a documentary film festival. But in reality, it’s much more: a celebration of ideas that goes beyond the film medium with incredible art exhibits, a full-day symposium, rich conversations, a book fair and unforgettable presentations. We celebrate indomitable spirit – be it the passion that makes Louie Psihoyos risk his freedom to document illegal wildlife trafficking, the obsession that drives Tommy Caldwell to climb the Dawn Wall or the resilience that brings Kevin Pearce back to snowboarding after a devastating crash. It’s these stories and remarkable individuals who don’t just entertain, but inspire our audiences, our guests and ourselves to live better for our world. Today, I’m the program director at Mountainfilm, but (in case you can’t tell) I’ve been a fan of the festival for far longer than I’ve been an employee. What I always say about Mountainfilm is this: It’s my favorite week of the year in my favorite place on the planet with the most inspiring people in the universe. As luck would have it, festival staff realized more than a decade ago that when it comes to Mountainfilm, once a year just won’t do. Mountainfilm on Tour was born, and it’s flourished. Today, the tour takes a selection of our best-loved festival shorts and features to places that range from Squamish, British Columbia, to Sandy, Utah, Savannah, Georgia, and the American Embassy in Singapore. Nonprofit organizations, colleges, companies and environmental alliances host the shows and use them as fundraising events or community movie nights. It’s a win-win. An educational component has sprung from the tour as well, which means we get to bring our films to tens of thousands of children – who we consider to be our most important target for a good dose of inspiration.

veryone loves a good party. You have good music, people, games and dancing. You get to meet new people and possibly have a few drinks. But could doing it every weekend have a bigger impact on your everyday life than it may seem? Moving to Durango and going to Fort Lewis College has been a challenge for me because of how prevalent the partying scene is. There are numerous parties every weekend, and, of course, the same people are at every one because we are in such a small town. For me, this brings up old habits that put me in a really bad place, and I am not going to be going that road of misery again any time soon. I remember my freshman year; it truly was the greatest year of my life. I got to live with my boyfriend in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, Silverthorne. We were an hour and a half from home, just far enough to avoid trouble with our parents and at the same time, we could start our adult lives. This was my first year living away from home, and, really not having too many friends all through high school, I was not into partying. I was in for a surprise when I moved out and saw the level of underage drinking and partying. I had so much fun at my first weekend parties. There was beer pong, kegs, card games and friendly people. But when the week started again I was in a slump, and all I wanted to do was go out and party again or have a few beers at home. I saw this pattern happening over and over, only it got worse. If I went out on numerous weekends in a row, I noticed my off-moods were more frequent and irrational. I would

be sad for no apparent reason and it would put unneeded stress on my relationships. I wouldn’t come home some nights because I was out with friends or I simply wanted to sleep alone. I wasn’t myself and that scared me. After doing this for about two months, I noticed a real problem with the people I loved in my life. I no longer had anyone to talk to about my problems because no one cared. I had cut everyone off because all I cared about was getting wasted. Once I noticed there was something wrong with how I was living, I started to slow down on going out every weekend. When I would go home, my parents confronted me for always being sick. Then winter started and I had to stop partying because I was never healthy. I had to go down to my hometown just about every weekend in November to go to the doctor’s office for medicine, wasting an enormous amount of time and money to avoid coughing up a lung every time I needed a breath of air. In December 2014, I started to get into working out, finishing my finals and snowboarding to fill my time. It was exhausting, thankfully, and I didn’t have any energy or desire to party or go out with friends afterward. My strengthened immune system stopped picking up every virus that was in the air after I started eating and treating myself better. Everyone learns about parties differently, and I have learned that partying is really fun and I enjoy it. However, if you choose to abuse it, you can destroy yourself, as I nearly did. Aubrey Adler is a sophomore at Fort Lewis College studying business. A Littleton native, she loves dogs, the outdoors, snowboarding, music, singing, dancing and interacting with new people.

Special to DGO

GO!: Mountainfilm on Tour Saturday, Durango Arts Center Kids matinee When: Films begin at 3 p.m., doors open at 2:30 p.m. Cost: Kids, $8 advance/$10 door; Adults, $10 advance/$13 door Young audience can see everything from strange wildlife that exists halfway across the world, to a ginormous wave to a skateboarding cat and a tiny talking shell. (Families: this is the best option for you! No cuss words, and it even ends before dinnertime.) Evening presentation When: Films begin at 7 p.m., doors open at 5:30 p.m. Cost: Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, $10 students/kids We’re coming at you with a mix of cultural, environmental and adventure shorts that includes, among other things: a cross-continental bike journey, surfing amid icebergs, desert climbing and the cutest skateboarders you’ve ever seen. The event will offer food (thanks, Fired Up and Zia) and drinks (Steamworks, you rock) as well as that pinnacle of nonprofit fundraisers: a gear auction. — Katie Klingsporn Which is why I’m psyched to bring Mountainfilm on Tour to one of my other favorite southwestern towns – Durango – on Saturday. The tour show has become a bit of a tradition for host Durango Nature Studies – this will be its sixth annual. We’re happy about this, because the DNS is just the kind of nonprofit we like to partner with; the organization is all about the scrappy, outdoorloving, dirt-on-the-knees, adventureseeking education that gets kids into environmental advocacy and wonder from a young age. Katie Klingsporn is a founding editor of DGO and program director at Mountainfilm. Katie@mountainfilm.org

�� Thursday, November 19, 2015 | 13

[ movies ]

Miss You Already

Sleeping With Other People

Playing at Animas City Theatre

Playing at the Gaslight

PG-13

(Wednesday only)

Genre:

Rating: R

Drama, romance, art house & international, comedy

Genre:

Rating:

Comedy Directed by: Leslye

Headland Written by; Leslye Headland

Directed by: Catherine Hard-

wicke Written by: Morwenna Banks Runtime: 1 hr. 52 min. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 66% Synopsis: An honest and powerful

story following two best friends, Milly and Jess, as they navigate life’s highs and lows. Inseparable since they were young girls, they can’t remember a time they didn’t share everything -secrets, clothes, even boyfriends – but nothing prepares them for the day Milly is hit with life-altering news.

Secret In Their Eyes Playing at Durango Stadium 9 Rating:

PG-13 Genre:

Mystery & suspense, drama Directed by:

Billy Ray Written by:

Eduardo Sacheri,

Billy Ray Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: Not available Synopsis: A team of investigators

– Ray and Jess, along with their supervisor Claire – was suddenly torn apart when Jess’ teenage daughter was brutally murdered. Now, 13 years later, after searching for the killer, Ray uncovers a new lead that he’s certain will resolve the case. No one is prepared, however, for the shocking secret.

Sarah Shatz/Columbia Pictures via AP

»» Seth Rogen, left, as Isaac, and Michael Shannon as Mr. Green, are out for one last big hurrah in “The Night Before.”

A hallucinogenic trip down the rabbit hole By Richard Roeper The Chicago Sun-Times

Even within the context of being an absurdist stoner slapstick holiday movie, “The Night Before” is so disjointed and so uneven and so unfocused, you start to feel like you’re at a party that was fun for a while, but an hour or so into it, you’re looking at your phone every 30 seconds and trying to invent an excuse to make for the exits. At times, it’s really funny. More often, it’s “shocking” for the sake of shock value, gross for the sake of being gross and stupid-goofy without much of a payoff. Here’s the deal. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Ethan, and from what we see of Ethan in flashbacks and in the present day, he’s the human equivalent of the damp towel you accidentally grab when you’re getting out of the shower. Now, in Ethan’s defense, he’s been marred by tragedy. When he was in his late teens, his parents were killed in a terrible accident – and apparently they were an island of a family, because that accident leaves Ethan all alone, save for his two best friends: Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie), who vow to be Ethan’s family from this point forward, especially during the holidays. Cut to a decade and a half later. Isaac is married and has scaled way back on the imbibing, as his wife, Betsy (Jillian Bell), is expecting their first child. Chris has suddenly

The Night Before Playing at Stadium 9 Rating: R genre: Comedy

Runtime: 1 hr. 35 min. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 61% Synopsis: Jason Sudeikis and Alison

Brie star as two romantic failures whose years of serial infidelity and selfsabotage have led them to swear that their relationship will remain platonic. But can love still bloom while you’re sleeping with other people? Writer/ director Leslye Headland’s sexy romantic comedy co-stars Amanda Peet, Adam Scott and Natasha Lyonne.

Directed by: Jonathan Levine Written by: Evan Goldberg, Kyle

Hunter, Jonathan Levine, Ariel Shaffir

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

runtime: 1 hr. 41 min.

Playing at Durango Stadium 9 and the Gaslight

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 80%

become a pro football success and a product-pitchman celebrity at the age of 34. As for Ethan, well, he’s a mope. He makes music nobody listens to, and he’s obsessed with his ex-girlfriend Diana (Lizzy Caplan), who left him because he refused to meet her family even after two years of dating. All Ethan cares about is spending Christmas with his buddies Isaac and Chris, who don’t know how to break it to Ethan that it’s time to move on, what with the guys being in their mid-30s. Enough about the “plot,” such as it is, of “The Night Before.” The bulk of the film is a “Hangover”-style journey through the hallucinogenic rabbit hole, with Ethan, Isaac and Chris getting into all sorts of misadventures on one crazy night of self-discovery. “The Night Before” piles on the politically incorrect humor. Much of it feels like warmed-over versions of material mined by everyone from Woody Allen to Larry David to Kevin Smith.

Rating:

PG-13 Genre:

Drama, action & adventure, science fiction & fantasy Directed by: Francis Lawrence Written by: Danny Strong, Peter

Craig, Suzanne Collins Runtime: 2 hr. 16 min. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 81% Synopsis: The rebels are close to

winning the war. Peeta has been freed, but he’s been brainwashed into believing he must kill Katniss. This puts her in danger and the two are separated as the rebels try to take over the Capitol.

14 | Thursday, November 19, 2015 • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[love and sex]

Having ‘monogamish’ marriage is hot – except when it sucks

I’ve always been a big believer in the common-sense obviousness that monogamy is hard. Additionally, I like the idea of my wife getting fucked. I don’t have any desire to be denigrated or emasculated; I just get off on the idea of her being satisfied and a little transgressive. Early in our relationship, we talked about monogomish guidelines: I’d like to be informed and consulted, and she would rather I kept mine to myself. Last weekend we were having sex, and she asked me if I “wanted to hear a story,” code for treating me to a tale of a sexual contact. She’d been out of town for work most of the summer, and she told me that one of her roommates had gotten in the shower with her and fingered her until she came. I asked her if she’d fucked him, and she said yes. It was all hot and awesome. But a few hours later, I was experiencing pangs: Why hadn’t she told me or asked me at the time? Also, I felt very alone and depressed that summer, and when I’d gone to visit her, my wife and this roommate acted very strangely. I told her that I thought it was hot and cool, but that I didn’t think it was cool that she’d kept this from me for so long. Things got worse from there: Over the last week, we’ve had some great sex and open conversations but also a lot of anger and hurt. The truth is that she carried on with this guy all summer. It’s not the sex that bothers me so much as the breadth of the deception, the disregard for my feelings and the violation of our agreement. And, yes, I’m feeling a little emasculated. How does a loving husband who intellectually believes that fooling around is OK – and who finds it hot sexually – get over this kind of hurt and anger? Help me get right with GGGesus.

Cocked Up Cuckold Keeps Stressing Two things have to happen in order for you to move on. One thing your wife has to do, CUCKS, and one thing you have to do. Your wife has to express remorse for this affair – and it was an affair, not an adventure – and take responsibility for the anger, the hurt and, um, all the great sex you two have been having since the big reveal. You don’t give her version of events – why she kept this from you – but you were depressed and lonely while she was away, and she may have concluded that informing and consulting you about this guy (first when she wanted to fuck him, and then when she was actually fucking him) would’ve made you feel worse. This conclusion is a massive self-serving rationalization, of course, because she knew you would veto the affair if she informed and consulted you. Figuring it would be easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, she went ahead and fucked the guy all summer long and then disclosed when your dick was hard. Your wife needs to own up to the deception, the dishonesty and the manipulation, and then take responsibility for the hurt she caused – that requires a sincere expression of remorse – and promise it won’t happen again. She shouldn’t promise not to fuck around on you again. You don’t want that, right? What she’s promising is not to deceive you again, not to go in for selfserving rationalizations again, and not to avoid informing and consulting you again. And one more thing that won’t do: She won’t humiliate you again. You feel

Now here’s the thing you have to do, CUCKS: You have to forgive your wife. Mistakes were made, feelings were hurt, massive loads were blown. The fact that there was an upside for you even in this messy affair (see: massive loads, blown) should make forgiving your wife a little easier. I’m a 27-year-old straight woman. I’ve spent this last year back on the dating market, and it’s HORRIBLE. I have a reasonably pretty face, I’m fit and I take care of myself. I have my life together – friends, interests, job – and I’m emotionally stable. I go out, I enjoy meeting people, I’m on Tinder. And I keep hearing that with a huge influx of young dudes, Seattle is an easy place to date as a woman. So why am I finding it so hard? I can get casual sex, and that’s fun. But as far as finding a relationship beyond just fuck buddies, it’s depressingly predictable: Guy acts interested, texts me all the time, but eventually starts fading away. I’ve asked close friends to be honest with me; I even had a heart-to-heart with an ex-boyfriend. Everyone says I’m not doing anything wrong. Are they all lying to me? I’m currently seeing someone I really like. When we’re together, it seems like he likes me a lot. But now he’s starting to do the fade. I’m really sad and anxious. It’s killing my soul to be rejected constantly. Bummed About Dating You’ve been “back on the dating market” for one year, BAD. Twelve measly months! And in that time, you’ve dated/fucked a handful of men and nothing panned out. That sounds pretty normal. If you expected to be back in a committed relationship within weeks, BAD, then your unre-

alistic expectations are the source of your grief, not your thoroughly typical dating/mating/fading experiences. There are worse things than being single for a year or two in your 20s. Get out there and meet men, pursue those non-men interests and throw yourself into your work. Being single is not an aggressive cancer – there’s no immediate need for a cure – and panicking about being single isn’t the secret to romantic success. (And being single means being miserable only if you convince yourself that single = miserable.) So here’s what you can do: Chill the fuck out; listen to your friends, your ex and your advice columnist; and stop melting down about what sounds like a thoroughly normal love life, BAD, not an unfolding catastrophe.

This is NGAA, the guy you advised to make a gay friend and listen to some musicals with him. I didn’t find a gay friend, but I did buy recordings of the shows you suggested and I’ve been listening to the songs you recommended. I don’t know them by heart yet, so I have more listening to do. But Mr. Stephen Sondheim’s message seems to be that I need to quietly move on. Thanks for your answer, Dan. It really helped. No Good At Acronyms Thank you for writing back, NGAA, and for listening to the shows I recommended: Company, Follies, and A Little Night Music. My advice for you made a lot of my other readers angry – really angry. They accused me of blowing you off and not answering your question and failing at this whole advice column thing. But I didn’t blow you off. I directed you, as I’ve directed many other readers, to the expert I thought could help you. In your case, NGAA, that person was Mr. Stephen Sondheim.

Contact Dan Savage at mail@savagelove. net or @fakedansavage on Twitter.

915 Main Ave, Durango, CO 81301 • 970-799-6299 • Open 7 Days A Week, 6am-8pm

215917

Savage Love | Dan Savage

emasculated in the wake of this affair because her summer fuck buddy knew what was up when you two met and you didn’t. He knew who you were (the husband), but you didn’t know who he was (the fuck buddy).

�� Thursday, November 19, 2015 | 15

[happenings]

Colorado in a can

Thursday

L STEE G , K A IN O HTNv 19 G I L & No r• Thu 0pm 1

2 ov 2

Tim Sullivan, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Main Ave., 247-4431.

They’re calling it “the first craft beer sourced entirely with Colorado ingredients available for year-round, statewide distribution.” To celebrate the release, they’re throwing a party from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Ska World Headquarters (225 Girard Street) with live music by The Great Contention and food specials featuring, fittingly, Colorado ingredients.

Beer Bingo, 8 p.m., Moe’s, 937 Main Ave.,

Look for Hop Ivy on shelves in the next week.

Joseph Rael: Question and answer session and singing of being & vibration: Entering the New World,

6:30 p.m., Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave., 247-1438, mariasbookshop.com. Ace Revel, 7-11 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699

259-9018.

KAs $3 S ood F FreeSunday • NFL

If you’re the type to get all buzzed by things like local ingredients, Ska is meeting you halfway with its newest beer, Hop Ivy.

Karaoke with DJ Crazy Charlie, 9 p.m.,

ight N t Pin afts r y• a $2dD nesd We

5 ov 2

Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 3752568.

www.theirishembassypub.com.

Karaoke, 9 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

Informal Tango Practice, 5-7 p.m.,

Groove U Durango, 26369 U.S. Highway 160, tangodurango.info.

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801.

Friday Reception: Pop-Up Art Show, featuring

Lisa Pedolsky and Merritt Winkler, 5-8 p.m., Suyra Health and Wellness, 1032 Main Ave. The Cannondolls, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond

Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431. Kirk James, blues, 6 p.m., 6512’ Restaurant

and Lounge, 152 E. College Drive, 247-9083. An Evening with Suzy Bogguss, 7

p.m., $35/$25, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, www.durangoconcerts.com. Jack Ellis, 7-11 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699

Main Ave., 247-4431. Recital Series:Violinist M. Brent Williams and Pianist Marilyn Garst, 7

WHATCHA DOING?

p.m., $20/$8, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango, 419 San Juan Drive, 385-8668.

Jazz church (experienced musician drop-in session), 6 p.m., Derailed Pour

House, 725 Main Ave., 247-5440, www.derailedpourhouse.com. Bluemoon Ramblers, 7-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431. Joel Racheff, 7-11 p.m., Office Spiritorium,

699 Main Ave., 247-4431. Karaoke, 8 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801. Latin music night, 8 p.m., Moe’s, 937

Main Ave., 259-9018.

Two-step dance lessons, 6:30-7:30 p.m., $10, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 799-8832. Geeks Who Drink trivia, 6:30 p.m.,

BREW Pub & Kitchen, 117 W. College Drive, 259-5959. Pub quiz, 6:30 p.m., Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200. Terry Rickard, 7-11 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431. Ping pong and poker tournament, 8

p.m., Moe’s, 937 Main Ave., 259-9018. Karaoke with DJ Crazy Charlie, 9 p.m.,

259-9018.

Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 3752568.

Monday

Ongoing

Four Corners Arts Forum, 9 a.m., KDUR

“RARE II: Imperiled Plants of Colorado,” Center of Southwest Studies Museum

Wasted Inc., 8 p.m., Moe’s, 937 Main Ave.,

Karaoke, 8 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

91.9/93.9 FM, www.kdur.org.

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801.

Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Ska

DJ Kaztro, 9 p.m., Moe’s, 937 Main Ave.,

259-9018.

Brewing Co., 225 Girard St., yoga and a pint of beer for $10, www.skabrewing.com.

Saturday

Joel Racheff, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Dec. 18, Smiley Building, 1309 East Third Ave., beccaconradwhitehead.artspan.com.

The Met: Live in HD featuring Lulu,

“Unleash Your Muse,” mixed-media

“Secretive Beauty,” photographs by

at Fort Lewis College, 1-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. Thursday, swcenter.fortlewis.edu. “The Up and Down of It” work by Becca Conrad-Whitehead, through

9:45 a.m., $23/$21, Vallecito Room, Fort Lewis College Student Union, metopera.org/ Season/2015-16-Season.

workshop with Barb Horn, 6-7:30 p.m., $50/$40, Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., durangoarts.org.

Pop-Up Art Show, featuring Lisa Pedolsky

Rob Webster, 7-11 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Tayler Hahn art exhibit, through Dec. 3,

Tuesday

“Art for the Endangered Landscape: Honoring Wolf Creek,” through Sunday,

Terry Rickard, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Taylor Raymond Gallery, 835 Main Ave., 7644064.

Tim Sullivan, 7-11 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

“Slavery Days,” solo exhibition of new work by Michael Brieger, through Saturday, Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., www.durangoarts.org.

and Merritt Winkler, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Suyra Health and Wellness, 1032 Main Ave. Black Velvet duo, 5:30-10:30 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 375-7150. Greg Ryder, 7-11 p.m., Office Spiritorium,

699 Main Ave., 247-4431. Karaoke, 8 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801.

Open mic night, 8 p.m., Moe’s, 937 Main

DJs Incite and Dirty Habitz, 9 p.m.,

Ave., 259-9018.

Moe’s, 937 Main Ave., 259-9018.

Wednesday

Sunday Irish music jam session, 12:30 p.m.,

Greg Ryder, 5:30-10 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200,

List your concert, party, or any event in Durango with swscene.com

Open studio figure drawing, facilitated Ed Bolster, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., www.durangoarts.org.

Join us for our $10 lunch specials 945 Main Ave, Durango www.elmorotavern.com (970) 259-5555

Roman Loranc, through Dec. 2, Open Shutter Gallery, 735 Main Ave., openshuttergallery. com. Raider Ridge Cafe, 509 East Eighth Ave.

“Colorado Childhood,” solo exhibit by artist Barbara Klema, through Dec. 24, Durango Arts Center Art Library, 802 East Second Ave., www.durangoarts.org.

Submissions To submit listings for publication in DGO and dgomag.com, go to www.swscene.com and click “Add Your Event,” fill out the form with all your event info and submit. Listings at swscene.com will appear both at dgomag.com and in our weekly print edition. Posting events at swscene.com is free and takes about one business day to process.

16 | Thursday, November 19, 2015 • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[pages] This week’s Maria’s staff pick, from Jaime Cary Girl in the Woods, by Aspen Matis Growing up is difficult. There is a struggle to create who you want to be, to find ways to do the things you love, to exist comfortably in a space and to fill it in the way you choose away from the exceptions imposed on you from youth. This struggle becomes infinitely harder when you are female, when violations against the space you fill are commonplace. Sexual assault is a rite of passage for young girls, a coming-of-age ceremony when we are told that any space we occupy is not truly our own, and who we want to be is influenced and impeded by violence. This is not the way it should be, but it is something we rarely can openly talk about. The violence becomes our shame. It is refreshing to find a voice that openly describes these violent trespasses and the long roads to healing. Aspen Matis does this in Girl in the Woods, speaking candidly on her second night of college when she was raped, and experiences walking the Pacific Crest Trail in search of herself. It is the “story of how my recklessness became my salvation,” and it is marvelous. Part memoir, part travel adventure and part nature writing, Matis’ prose is beautiful. She speaks eloquently about the events that happened to her, capturing the 2,650-mile path she walked, then tying it together with masterful storytelling that captivates and inspires. This is a truly wonderful memoir (think Wild meets Lucky),

blunt and open and incredibly inspiring. Matis gracefully tells of the hardships she faced and how she learned that the violence she suffered was never her shame, and how she found the strength to be who she wants to be. In the book she discusses how women are often denied a voice to express the violence that they may experience, and many of the ways that their voices are denied or deemed unimportant. She discusses the ways that hypermasculinity can affect they way that women’s voices are heard, and advocates for crisis hotlines (such as RAINN), as well as removing the shame that is often projected onto victims of sexual violence. I loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone. It has similar themes of overcoming tragedy that are present in Wild, and a wonderful hopefulness and humor. The writing is beautiful, the adventure is marvelous and I can’t wait to see what Matis writes in the future.

Maria’s Bookshop top sellers 11/8 – 11/14 »»1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School, by Jeff Kinney (Hardcover) »»2. How to Relax, by Thich Nhat Hanh (Paperback) »»3. All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr (Hardcover) »»4. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, by Marie Kondo (Hard-

cover) »»5. Cold Smoke: Skiing Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, by Andrew Klotz (Paperback) »»6. Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls, by David Sedaris (Hardcover) »»7. Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things, by Jenny Lawson (Hardcover) »»8. Little Critter: Just a Special Thanksgiving, by Mercer Mayer (Paperback) »»9. The Martian, by Andy Weir (Hardcover) »»10. Cortez The Gnome, by Amadee Ricketts (Paperback)

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[review]

Ridiculously-seasonal coffee »» They’re sweet and autumnly spicy, undoubtedly festive and perfect for this time of year By Sara Knight | Special to DGO

It’s that time of year again. Order up a latte, spiced with pumpkin, laced with cinnamon, topped with cream, garnished with mint and shot through with a hundred million calories of syrupy, sugary goodness. Grab a grandé and get your fix. But where should the good caffeine-craving people of Durango go to indulge their seasonal senses? Where IS the best Pumpkin Spiced Latte or Peppermint Mocha or candy-capped, liquid crack in town? Well, we’ve sipped our way across the city and found some answers. Hi, I’d like your most ridiculously-seasonal coffee beverage, please: Maple Latte Durango Coffee Co. Understated is one word that comes to mind when the drinker sets lips upon this particularly enjoyable joe. This is not some over-sugared seasonal syrup drowned in cream and disguised as coffee. This maple mixture is subtle, like the change in the air when it’s finally winter. This is the pecan pie to your Thanksgiving coma. Yes, it does taste like coffee. If that’s a problem, then consider ordering a flavored milk instead. Yes, it tastes like maple, and not in a guzzling-the-syrup-right-out-of-the-bottle kind of way, but rather a perfectly-drizzled-pancake kind of way.

Caramel Brulée Latte Starbucks No real coffeelover in her right mind would actually admit to liking this concoction. This one’s the holiday pop playlist buried among otherwise respectable music choices. This is the cavity-causing, sugar buzzing, isthere-actually-coffee-in-this-thing, guilty pleasure. The first sips are fluffy mouthfuls of whipped cream with crunchy brulée crumbles. Then, every swig and slurp that follows is a spoonful of caramel helping the sugar go down. In a go-cup, this could almost pass for coffee if no one catches the scent of wafting caramel. If the actual taste of coffee sends the drinker into fits of disgusted facial spasms, then here’s a syrupy solution ideal for any oversized sweater day.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Durango Joes The pumpkin spice latte doesn’t have its own hashtag for nothing (#PSL). It’s the “Christmas Story” of coffee drinks, a familiar, unobjectionable staple of holiday indulgences. With nutmeg, cinnamon, whipped cream on top, this pleasant perk has all the spice and goodness of pumpkin pie without the questionable texture. What more could it possibly need? Espresso? Genius! The best of morning and the best of fall have cozied up in a cup and created an adorable, dimpled child who could charm the Grinch and save the day. This is a fail-proof, likeable and undeniably autumn experience It’s pumpkin spice latte time. #PSL omg lol jk.

Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha Steaming Bean This magical mixture is snow, falling soft and light at the end of a day of shredding. Thanksgiving has passed and winter is in full swing. This minty, milky mingling leaves the lightest of tinglings on the sipper’s lips. It’s not a shout and holler like a candy cane’s red on white. It’s more of a snowflake that falls on a cheek. This beautiful beverage thaws through the cold and coats it in a cozy mocha comforter lined with a coffee-infused kick. If mint drops on mochas and coffee with mittens are a few of one’s favorite things, then this wonder will soothe any ski-induced aches and pains.

Honey Hazelnut Latte with Cinnamon 81301 When everyone is pumpkined out and peppermint’s lost its pep, this delight will still be wooing our winter-weary palates. Here’s a balanced brew with cinnamon front and center and a honey co-star. The coffee and hazelnut play supporting roles and bring the Nutcracker home. All set on a stage of velvety foam so soft it’ll prompt a standing O. While not quite the holiday classic everyone knows and loves, this creation will leave any espresso enthusiast smiling like it’s Christmas morning.

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Horoscope ARIES (March 21 to April 19)

VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22)

Relations with people from other cultures, or anything to do with higher education, might be strained today. Knowing this, don’t expect too much from others.

Family discussions, especially with a male authority figure, will be serious and a bit depressing. Don’t ask for anything unless you absolutely need it.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20)

LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22)

If discussing how to share something today, you might come out with the short end of the stick. People are reluctant to part with their money and possessions today.

It’s easy to fall into worry mode today. But basically, worry is a habit. Most of the things we worry about never happen. You know this; I know this.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21)

This is not a good day to deal with parents and bosses, because their response to any request will be, “Talk to the hand.” People are uptight today.

You feel like you don’t have enough money today for social events, fun times, vacations or expenses related to kids. Join the club, we number in the millions.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21)

Unfortunately, people are judgmental or depressed today, which is why it’s hard to get others to help you at work. Just cope as best you can.

Family discussions might be depressing today, which is why you should avoid them if you can. People are too busy telling you why you cannot do something instead of why you can. (Negative thinking!)

LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22)

Bizarro

Children might be an increased burden or responsibility today. In addition, costs related to children or any social event are more than you can afford. Ouch.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) The old saying about worry is true: “Worry is like a

rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere.” Consider this today. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) Life is hard today, especially in terms of having enough money to do what you want to do. It’s just not there. But everything is relative; so many people in the world have nothing. PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) You might feel that people are not friendly today; in fact, they are uptight. In addition, they are close-fisted with money. Oh dear. BORN TODAY You are convincing, and you have natural leadership qualities. You also are a revolutionary at heart. If given power, you know how to handle it. This year your success lies with others, because people will benefit you. Therefore, make friends and join clubs and organizations. Help others, because you will be helping yourself. © 2015 King Features Syndicate Inc.

[gold from the blotter] Friday 11:47 a.m. A woman wearing all denim was refusing to leave Southwest Appliance. 4:11 p.m. A man was swinging a large machete at Main Avenue and College Drive.

Saturday 12:37 p.m. A man was flashing cars in the Walmart parking lot.

Sunday 12:44 a.m. A man had been banging on a neighbor’s door for more than two hours in the 600 block of Arroyo Drive. 3:08 a.m. A drunken man was asleep at the counter at Denny’s.

Monday 4:36 p.m. A man was carrying a rock and appeared to be trying to get into cars in the 600 block of East Second Avenue. 8:18 p.m. A man locked himself in the bathroom at Walmart and was believed to have taken merchandise with him. Durango Police

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