Know Your SKA

art entertainment food drink music nightlife Thursday, September 7, 2017

DGO

Pull on your Doc Martens and buckle in for a brief history of the genre

KNOW YOUR SKA Plus: An interview with drummer Vinnie Fiorello of Less Than Jake, which headlines Ska Brewing’s 22nd Anniversary Party on Saturday

Also: Hiking Ice Lakes to mend a heart, best shows of Durango this century, art with animal guts, and Taos’ Earthships

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DGO Magazine

STAFF

What’s inside Volume 2 Number 46

September 7, 2017

Chief Executive Officer

4

From the Editor

4

Love it or Hate it

6

Sound

Douglas Bennett V.P. of Advertising David Habrat V.P. of Marketing Kricket Lewis

Downtown Lowdown

Founding Editors Amy Maestas

6

David Holub

Album Reviews 7

Editor/ creative director

8

David Holub

Get Outta Town

10 Beer

dholub@bcimedia.com 375-4551

11 Street Style

Staff writer Patty Templeton

16 Weed

ptempleton@bcimedia.com

Lucy Schaefer/Special to DGO

Contributors Katie Cahill Cassidy Cummings

For more pictures from the Four Corners Folk Festival, go to dgomag.com

17 Pages 18 Savage Love

Christopher Gallagher Bryant Liggett

5

Jon E. Lynch

Heartbreak Combatant The memory of hiking Ice Lakes with my ex, Tom, clings to the forefront of my mind, like a static-riddled sock to a fine pair of sweatpants; wanting to “replace” it may be too harsh ... I just want the memory to belong to me.

Lucy Schaefer Cooper Stapleton Cyle Talley Robert Alan Wendeborn Sales Cassie Constanzo 375-4553 Reader Services 375-4570

9

23 ‘The funny thing

about the stuff we carry’

19 Happening 20 DGO Deals

Jennifer Ryan Smith tells about an activity where each of her students chose an object of value from their backpack and told the class why it mattered to them.

Art with animal guts Pat Hickman’s works become startling when it’s revealed that she has a penchant for creating with animal gut and hog casings. She opens shows this week at the Durango Arts Center and at Fort Lewis College.

DGO is a free weekly publication distributed by Ballantine Communications Inc., and is available for one copy per person. Taking more than five copies of an edition from a distribution location is illegal and is punishable by law according to Colorado Revised Statute 18-9-314.

Seeing Through the Smoke 16

Tell us what you think!

Got something on your mind? Have a joke or a story idea or just something that the world needs to know?

Send everything to editor@dgomag.com

/dgomag

22 Horoscope/ puzzles 23 First Person

/dgomag @dgo_mag

ON THE COVER An attendee of Ska Brewing’s 21st Anniversary Party last year.

Photo and illustration by David Holub/DGO

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

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David Holub |DGO editor

No thanks, Universe – I’d like to explore life’s complexities

O

K, I’ve had it with the Universe.

A stranger does something nice for you: Thanks, Universe!

A parking spot front and center at City Market at 5 p.m. on a Friday: Thanks, Universe!

Years of networking, perfecting your craft, applying to dozens of positions, and toughing out a couple dead ends to finally get you to your dream job: Thanks, Universe! A curious click on Match leads you to the love of your life: Whoa, Universe!

It seems pretty popular among folks in my circles: Thanking the Universe for conspiring in your favor, showing you signs for this, leading you around with clues for that, bringing good fortune. Frankly, I’m just not on board.

It strikes me as odd that the Universe is so popular these days, especially among people who don’t exactly believe in an omniscient, meddling, white-bearded God whom they have no problem rejecting for its antiquated paternalism. Instead, a similar amorphic faith is put into the Universe, filling in the gaps of human knowledge and existence with quasi-mysticism and magic.

The biggest issue I have with this mode of belief is that it bypasses the complexities of life, all the little steps it took to get us to each moment in time. These complexities – actions, decisions, influences, the way the human brain operates – are what make life interesting.

I like to think of the creation story in the Bible compared with the scientific explanation of how life on Earth began. In one, God created the heavens and Earth in six days, fully formed as it is now. In the other, life developed slowly and incrementally over billions of years, each step scientifically accountable. I never understood why these stories had to be mutually exclusive. Of course, anything involving big bangs and evolution couldn’t have been written into the Bible, as that knowledge did not exist on Earth at the time of writing. What was written was a simplistic story to make sense of how we got here. And knowing what we know now, it’s incredibly boring: God gets a little adventurous and – boom – stars, Earth, animals. Why can’t God’s six days be 14 billion years?

If we know how we arrived at this mo-

ment in time – how the mountains and trees got here, the matter we’re made of, how life is a delicate balance of elements – the natural world becomes inherently more interesting. Ignoring the complexity makes the world less miraculous.

That’s what gets me about giving the Universe so much credit. It makes us passive actors in the world, hoping the whims of the Universe will smile kindly on us. When we chalk things up to the Universe, it weakens us, makes us reactive, ceding control to the things we think might be swirling in the atmosphere. It leads us to turn the explainable into the unexplainable. (For instance, humans are evolutionarily equipped to notice patterns, making us susceptible to such things as the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, where we encounter an odd piece of information, object, or occurrence, and then seemingly encounter the same thing again, repeatedly. Note: There’s nothing magic about it.)

This, instead of connecting seemingly unrelated dots; acknowledging real, actual events and circumstances that shaped us; accounting for the choices we’ve made; the chemical makeup of our brains, all of which have put us in the physical places we’re at, leading us to be the people we are right now and going forward.

I won’t pretend to believe that humans have everything figured out about why the world is the way it is. There’s plenty we still don’t know about how we relate to one another, the forces that draw us together and pull us apart, the interconnectivity of all living things, or the influence the natural world has on us.

That is, there’s still plenty of room for God or the Universe, or whatever you want to call it.

But there’s plenty that we do know that doesn’t rely on faith, or magical, mystical, or superstitious thinking.

I may be accused of being too rigid and rational, overly pragmatic, and concrete in my thinking, and that my outlook will lead to a begrudging, sad, hopeless existence.

I see it as just the opposite. Pondering what we already know and theorizing what we have yet to discover brings me great happiness, hope, and a sense of wonder. But we don’t need to look to the stars to make sense of what’s around us. So often, it’s happening right in front of our eyes.

Pumpkin spice Love it “I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion,” said 19th century essayist and poet Henry David Thoreau.

I hear you, Henry, I hear you.

I would rather sit alone at my kitchen table with my pumpkin spice candle than be in any number of crowded rooms with no harvest baking scents blessing my presence.

All pumpkin spices are not created equal. There are those that can suck it. I’m looking at you, Starbucks, with your 50-grams-ofsugar-in-a-latte BS. But the harvest-toned, drifting leaves, gourdtastic pumpkin spice? The aroma that evokes walking through the orange woods, Halloween, and crisp evenings? What kinda hellbeast doesn’t love that nutmeg-vanilla-cinnamon bonanza? Get on my tongue.

I want you in my mouth. I want you in my home. I want your soothing scent wrapped around me while I lounge in cozy sweaters and watch Universal Monster movies.

— Patty Templeton

Hate it Dear every restaurant and retailer: Autumn is awesome enough, stop trying to make it better with all the pumpkin spice.

It’s in my beer, coffee, ice cream, Oreos, candles, donuts, soy milk, soap, and air fresheners.

And, according to a recent New York Times article, it’s happening sooner and sooner, with major brands unleashing their pumpkin glut a full month ahead of the official start of fall. Retailers quoted in the story say it’s a ploy to get consumers in the buying mood before the onslaught of the winter holiday season. And slapping a limited-time-only label on everything imaginable seems to move product.

The irony is that, despite getting half the billing, pumpkin spice isn’t even pumpkin-y. Because no one really likes pumpkin, what we’re tasting is a huge dump of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and sugar, saturating everything with overbearing sweetness and flavors – often artificial – that rightly belong in pie.

I don’t hate everything pumpkin-spice. I’m just putting my foot down and saying, “Where does it stop?”

—— David Holub

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[single life]

Heartbreak Combatant | Cassidy Cummings

HIKING ICE LAKES ...

SO THE MEMORY WOULD BE MY OWN »» It’s not replacing

skinny-dip in the frigid water.

The main Ice Lake looks stunning (when unsullied by a man’s naked tush).

Its dynamic water assumes hues of turquoise rivaling island lagoons. Set against the backdrop of striking peaks, and enveloped by lush greenery and wildflowers, it’s awe-inspiring. I informed Blake and TH about my plan to explore the other two lakes (Island and Fuller), and everyone was game for the adventure. Continuing the mission with auxiliary troops was at odds with my original strategy, but I was having a blast and felt fortunate to be in such great company.

a memory, just making a new one Mission brief

Mission 1: Complete a challenging hike to a magical place (Ice Lakes) alone.

Objectives General: Channel a sexy, independent mountain goat while being wholly captivated by local scenery.

Personal: Replace a bittersweet memory of hiking to the main Ice Lake with my ex-boyfriend, and create an extra-rewarding memory by hiking to other lakes in the area.

Mission report The memory of this hike with my ex, Tom, clings to the forefront of my mind, like a static-riddled sock to a fine pair of sweatpants; wanting to “replace” it may be too harsh ... I just want the memory to belong to me. I want the ability to mentally transport myself to the paradise that is Ice Lakes, and return without any souvenirs of residual sadness. While overlooking the lake together, Tom held and smooched me until Clark Gable seemed brutish by comparison. We were only casually dating then, but that affectionate episode (coupled with the overall shared experience) felt like a peak level of intimacy. For that reason – and my pressing desire to luxuriate in the beauty of alpine lakes – this was the most urgent mission.

Getting any sleep proved difficult the night before the quest, as my brain was abuzz with pre-adventure jitters. “Did I pack that bison bar for protein? Should I unpack that bison bar? The cranberries in it seem like a questionable textural component.” I passed some sleepless hours by making an emotionally charged, thoughtfully curated hiking playlist. It turns out Nicki Minaj really speaks to the core of my personal identity at this stage in the

Courtesy of Cassidy Cummings

»» Cassidy Cummings hikes the Ice Lakes ... though not alone. breakup. Shortly after dawn, I loaded up my hiking pack and drove through dense morning fog to the trailhead.

I had hardly taken my inaugural stride before excitement bubbled up and flooded my face with a broad smile. The sun had freshly risen and cast a golden haze over this verdant, dew-coated wonderland, abundant with trees and flowers. I was powered up on potent coffee, and began my ascent at a relatively ambitious pace.

Upon reaching the first water obstacle of logs bridging a stream, I swiped my foot across the large log and deemed it “dangerously slick.” I humbled myself to crawl across the log on all fours, just waiting to be heckled and called a “lil’ bitch” by some nearby chipmunks.

About halfway in, I passed a tall guy who appeared to be in his early 30s.

He commented that I must have some

good music propelling me to go as fast as I was going (bless you, stranger). I confirmed as much (bless you, Nicki Minaj), and trekked onward with my smile still intact. Eventually, I stopped to rest and reminded myself not to let exertion trample enjoyment. Tall Hiker (TH) caught up to me and initiated a conversation while we hiked in concert.

He even entrusted me with retrieving the cover for his camera lens from his backpack. Have you experienced the electrifying thrill of rifling through a good-lookin’ stranger’s backpack, and unearthing secret treasures of trail mix and sunscreen? It’s crack for your inner gumshoe. When we crested the final section of incline and drew closer to the lake, I spotted a sopping wet man putting a shirt back on. I realized it was my friend Blake, and he informed us that we had narrowly missed his

Island Lake was outrageously beautiful and worth the little climb to see another aquatic jewel. While Fuller lacked the brilliant colors of its neighbors, it had its own merits, acting as a mirror for the surrounding, snow-capped peaks, and a private refuge from the popular lakes.

We all hiked back down together and exchanged information. To my surprise, TH invited me to coffee the next day when he was passing through Durango (Arizona-bound). I fully committed to spontaneity, and met him within 10 minutes.

This hike rewarded me with a sense of physical accomplishment, enchanting sights, and by happenstance, fun times with friends (old and new). I love my new Ice Lakes memory and my heart feels fuller for it.

Next Mission: Attempt stand-up comedy at an open mic.

Debriefing Outcome: Mission Accomplished, though not completed alone Skills improved/commendations: Social Skills, Spontaneity Skills, Adventure Badge, Mountain Goat Badge Heart-mending effectiveness (out of 5 hearts): ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Cassidy Cummings is a local who recently achieved the optimal humidity setting for her crisper drawer, two years in the making.

She has exceeded her family’s expectations.

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[sound]

Scenes from the Four Corners Folk Festival Strolling around the Pagosa Springs music festival on Saturday, Sept. 2.

Photos by Lucy Schaefer

Downtown Lowdown | Bryant Liggett

John Prine and Murder by Death: My ‘Best shows in Durango this century’

I

recently put my brain through the wringer trying to recollect some of the better shows I’ve caught in town. It seems a lot of great independent stuff came through in the ’00s, while the late ’90s was dominated by jam grass and a couple great appearances by the legendary Maceo Parker at the now-defunct venue that sat inside The Iron Horse Inn just north of town.

The Durango Bluegrass Meltdown stands on its own with being the most consistent provider of all around great sets from regional and national touring musicians, with highlights being whenever Town Mountain took the stage at three different Meltdowns.

That said, here are a selection of my own personal Durango show highlights:

John Prine Dec. 7, 2004, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College Prine sold out the venue quick, and his performance was poignant, funny, and jam-packed with all the tear-jerkers and lyrically humorous tunes this great American songwriter is known for.

The Whipsaws Feb. 20, 2008, The Summit It was a random Wednesday and Alaska’s Whipsaws had just gotten a short write-up in “No Depression” magazine. Their set was one of the best two musical hours I’ve witnessed, as they blasted through what was an open marriage of Black Flag, Uncle Tupelo and Molly Hatchet. There were about a dozen people there, but two more appearances in 2008 at The Summit were played to packed houses.

Murder by Death Sept. 2009, Abbey Theatre Original and unique, this Indianapolis indie-rootsgoth band featured lap steel, cello, and a bunch of original tunes. Town came out for a weeknight, and once again revealed there are many music fans in Durango who fly below the radar.

*

Punk Rock Breakfast Dec. 22, 2001, Storyville Someone had a great idea; it involved a cheap breakfast, cheaper drinks, and punk rock on a Sunday morning. The house band was punk band The Thirteens, and all those who attended are better people for it. Vocalist Erik Mischker was always a dynamic frontman, but at one point in this show, he was in the crowd and shouting from the rafters.

The Gourds Oct. 5, 2007, Abbey Theatre The Gourds managed to hit multiple stages over multiple years in Durango, but this show stands out, as it was my birthday. The Jimmy Smith classic “County Orange” was played, and for some reason Kev “Shinyribs” Russell dedicated a cover of R. Kelly’s “Feelin’ on Yo Booty” to me. I’ll take it.

Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives March 28, 2012, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College A band should be able to bang out classic country, rockabilly, blues and bluegrass all in one swoop.

Stuart is no slouch on the guitar himself, but the night went to guitar player Kenny Vaughn and his Fender Telecaster.

David Hidalgo and Louis Perez April 16, 2008, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College It was a storyteller type of night from two founding members of Los Lobos; they dug into some stripped-down Los Lobos classics, discussed the songs, and discussed growing up in East L.A. and digging on bands like N.R.B.Q.

Sept. 7, 2013, Ska Brewery

There were also multiple Del McCoury shows, The Meat Puppets, Slim Cessna, Agent Orange, Supersuckers, and Drag the River. Hell, even Bernie Worrell of Parliament/Funkadelic fame played a set at the old San Juan Room where he kissed me on the forehead. Support live music.

Ska Anniversary parties make Durango the center of the universe. Dave Wakeling and The English Beat have penned a hook or 30 on numerous

Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager. liggett_b@fortlewis.edu.

The English Beat

To see many more photos, go to dgomag.com.

albums, and they all were played that Saturday evening in Bodo Park.

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[sound] What’s new Deer Tick “Vol. 1 & 2” Available: Friday Sept. 15, via Partisan Records as a digital download, compact disc and vinyl. Vinyl versions available, while supplies last, matching the album artwork. Specifically, Vol. 1 vinyl comes in Ketchup Red and Vol. 2 vinyl comes, appropriately, in Mustard Yellow. Vinyl bundles for both volumes are available directly from the label, but I suggest they be purchased from your local independent record store.

Nearly 10 years ago to the day of this writing, I reviewed the debut full-length (proper) from Providence, Rhode Island’s Deer Tick. I was absolutely floored by the record, questioningly surmising and heralding it then as “... one of the best records of 2007?” A decade on and that particular album, “War Elephant,” has more than held

New at

Sept. 8 Gregg Allman,“Southern Blood” It is the dream of all artists to be able to narrate their own end. By the time Gregg Allman was able to get time at Muscles Shoals’ (Alabama) beloved FAME studio, his liver cancer had returned, and added a ticking clock to any and all writing. The album itself is a cover record, with one original studio cut. “My Only True Friend,” the one original song, is an elegy regarding the choices a touring musician must make, and that his love of the road did indeed overshadow his personal relationships.

The other tracks all have something related to his musical history as well, culminating in Jackson Browne’s “Song for Adam,” an invocation to his brother Duane, who passed away from a motorcycle crash in 1971. According to Rounder Records, during the recording, Allman became wrought with emotion, unable to finish the final verse, ending it on “When I stood myself behind, I never felt so strong / Still it seems he stopped singing in the middle of his song.” Gregg Allman will be remembered.

Mogwai,“Every Country’s Sun” Post-rock grandpas Mogwai have unleashed their ninth studio album (second for label Temporary Residence) and it is absolutely wonderful. After 2014’s “Rave Tapes,” I thought that they were

up against the test of time and scrutiny. There is a rugged duality in that debut record that appealed directly to my tastes and music sensibilities. John McCauley (lead vocals, guitar) grew up listening to and admiring and playing heavier music that fell in line with the punk rock ethos and DIY culture, and also became enamored with classic country, specifically that of Hank Williams. This, very broadly and roughly speaking, became the foundation of Deer Tick.

1 and Vol. 2,” the sixth and seventh full-lengths, respectively. The companion releases, each consisting of 10 tracks, are differentiated by their sonic approach. “Vol. 1” is the acoustic, Americana-leaning indie-folk that some consider “classic” Deer Tick, while “Vol. 2” delves into the band’s garage-punk influences often reflected in their blistering live shows. Deer Tick is a band that pulls off multiple styles and approaches seamlessly, and with “Vol. 1 & 2” put out to prove so.

Over the course of the last decade, there have been a handful of singles and EPs, four more full-lengths, a couple few stellar adjacent musical projects (Middle Brother, Diamond Rugs) along with an expanding lineup of players, leading up to this month’s release of “Vol.

Recommended for fans of Delta Spirit, Dawes, The Replacements, X, The Knitters, Blitzen Trapper, and/ or The Felice Brothers.

going to continue to mellow out with layered electronics. In lieu of mellowing, they have crafted a stirring, emotional, and pure post-rock record with all the genre trappings of slow builds, reverb, and looped guitars. I think being signed to Temporary Residence has reinvigorated them, as it has quickly become the label for post-rock (besides Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s Constellation Records, of course). Listeners unfamiliar with the genre’s languid pacing and repetition might not be swayed, but if you are looking for a soundtrack for writing or brooding, this will suit nicely.

and the title track showing up on “Le Noise.” But what makes these recordings special is that they were intimately tracked and mastered, with no bells and whistles, just Young dropping tracks one after another. During the recording session, they were laid down in a similar way, with Young stopping only for beer, weed, or coke, in his

Neil Young,“Hitchhiker” After sleeping soundly since 1976, some golden-era Neil Young artifacts have been unearthed and prepared to be ingested by your ears. Most of the tracks on this record have appeared on other albums, like “Pocahontas” and “Powderfinger” on “Rust Never Sleeps”

words. “Hitchhiker” is an astonishing insight into one of the most prolific songwriters of our era, and from one of his best writing periods. If you have been finding the new material wanting, definitely take the time to listen to “Hitchhiker” and remind yourself why Neil Young is so important.

—— Cooper Stapleton

TRAILS 2000

Usnea,“Portals Into Futility” Metal has the best subgenre names.

The latest from Usnea, “Portals Into Futility,” is a celebration of their genre, blackened funeral doom. Like an undertaker dragging a coffin up a long and winding path, Usnea trudges through the muck and mire, with riffs that you cannot do anything with besides bang your goddamn head. Their last record, “Random Cosmic Violence,” really stuck with me in a scene where pretty much every new band is doing the doom thing, and I expect “Portals into Futility” to do the same. If you ever liked a band like Blue Oyster Cult or Black Sabbath, and wondered what would happen if those guys got really pissed off, it would probably sound like Usnea.

— Jon E. Lynch KDUR_PD@fortlewis.edu

Thursday,

Sept 14

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Join Us FOR THE FIRST ANNUAL CHARITY EVENT BENEFITTING TRAILS 2000

Happy Hour Drafts

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BAR Mon - Thur • 3 pm-12 am Fri & Sat • 12 pm-2 am

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(970) 382-9664 • Downstairs at 640 Main Ave.

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[travel]

Earthships in Taos GET OUTTA TOWN Quirky & cool spots in the Four Corners and beyond

Saturday Sept 9th 5-8 pm Fort Lewis College Ray Dennison Field This is an event for those of us who have been affected by these issues & for those who want to learn more.

In addition to the walk, there will be supportive booths, a candlelit vigil, small groups & community speakers.

Sign up for free on our Facebook page: facebook.com/youareenoughevent

or email Mary Kate at: MKOJ100@gmail.com

What in the intergalactic hell is an Earthship? An Earthship is a passive solar house made from sustainable materials, meaning the windows, walls, and floors of the structure are made to collect heat in the winter and reject it in the summer. There are no electronics involved, only sustainable materials.

We, my Earthling friends, are truly living in a sci-fi future. Seriously though, one look at these houses and you feel like you are in a “Star Wars” movie or on a distant planet.

You can visit or overnight in Taos, New Mexico’s Earthships because Taos is fulla old, lovely hippies who are still connecting to the future.

Named one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 eco-stays on the planet, Earth-

Wikipedia

»» An Earthship in Taos. ship Biotecture is an adventurous, thoughtful overnight that will blend your vacay with braining around on a more sustainable future. We’re talking fully furnished homes, not small rooms. It ain’t cheap. Each

Earthship goes for $185 (or more) a night, depending on your choice, but you can split the home with multiple people and reduce costs.

Details at http://earthship.com.

—— Patty Templeton

SPONSORED BY

Fashion Fusion in Motion is a fast paced run-way style fashion show featuring locally created designs featuring "art in motion." A classy, sassy and family-friendly celebration of fashion design!

September 28, 2017 Cocktail Reception at 5:30pm, Runway Show at 6pm

s t e k c i T Get

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[visual]

Pat Hickman:

ART WITH ANIMAL GUTS »» Conceptual fiber artist to have two openings in Durango the weekend of Sept. 8 Pat Hickman’s art has an expansive beauty. It’s uncluttered, thoughtful, and imbued with an ethereality. Hickman’s works become startling when it’s revealed that she has a penchant for creating with animal gut and hog casings. It’s a trixie sort of splendor that broadens the audience’s view on the elegance of what’s inside us all.

Hickman is a Colorado native who will have two shows opening in Durango on Friday, Sept 8. “Still Here” will open at Fort Lewis College, and the Durango Arts Center will host “Here, Still.”

These exhibits will showcase about 40 artworks by Hickman.

DGO spoke to Hickman about her upcoming art openings, her signature materials, and fiber and textile artists finally getting their due.

Welcome back to Colorado! We hear you grew up here.

Is your mindful creation a reaction to the frenetic pace of modern life?

I grew up in the northeastern part of the state I think we all are racing in Fort Morgan. I welcome a good bit of our lives and this opportunity to return trying to meet deadlines. to the state of Colorado and I do feel that I’ve tried to to really think about the step outside of that, at least Hickman impact of place on my work, in my artwork, to feel like I reflecting on how Colorado have control over my time has mattered to me even and my making, that it’s not though I have lived elsewhere most externally imposed by someone decidof my life. I feel like part of me is still ing that I need to hop at that moment. here and that it has had an impact and It’s internally driven. shaped my work.

What artists who also What first made you want to work with such intimate materials?

work in a labor-intensive way do you take inspiration from?

My father was a butcher in a grocery store in Fort Morgan. I used to watch him butcher animals, and it was difficult for me.

I’m always touched by the work of Ann Hamilton. I find her work amazingly creative and innovative. She uses labor and comes out of a fiber tradition. She doesn’t deny that background. She responds to cloth and the quality of cloth through being trained in a textile and fiber art program, but she goes her own direction with that ...

It feels unexpected, broadens my own imagination, the installations she’s done.

I also had the opportunity to see Native peoples use seal and walrus intestines in Alaska. I was teaching there in the summers in Fairbanks at the University of Alaska. I really admired the beauty of these inner membranes and how gut parkas were used as protective garments. Inside membranes were used on the outside as beautiful, transparent garments.

I got really interested in thinking about how one could transform and make a material live even though it came from an animal that is no longer there.

I also admire the work Kimsooja.

She’s a Korean artist, and I think she draws on her heritage and background, though she does broader work past being based in Seoul, Korea. She’s in Paris, New York, and everywhere. I follow her work a lot.

Courtesy of Pat Hickman

»» “Uncrowned,” by Pat Hickman

GO! Pat Hickman’s art will be on display at both Fort Lewis College and the Durango Arts Center. Go grab you some posh gallery snacks and see some fab art.

Opening Reception for “Here, Still” Where: Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave. When: 5-7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8 Cost: Free Info: http://durangoarts.org/foalpat-hickman/ Opening Reception for “Still Here” Where: Fort Lewis College Art Gallery, 1000 Rim Drive When: 4:30-6 p.m., Monday, Sept.

11 Cost: Free Info: http://bit.ly/2gne4Fu Looking at your work, it’s almost like you maneuver people into a beautiful experience of an everyday material that might otherwise make them uncomfortable.

I hope when people look at my work that they don’t just focus on the materials that I’ve used. I sometimes

don’t say what the material is. I don’t want people to get stuck thinking at that level, that this is animal intestines.

There are other things I’m trying to do with it.

Intestines are a surprisingly delicate material.

I’m really interested in allowing air to be a part of work, as if the work can breathe. Instead of having things tight and dense, I’m really interested in light and air and breath being part of my own work.

Do you think that fiber and textile artists are finally getting their due instead of being looked at as “crafters”?

I think that fine artists, like painters and sculptors, are now using materials and techniques that fiber artists have been using for a very long time. They are finding that these are expressive materials and ways in which they can say things ... I do think that other artists are beginning to look at these techniques and how to incorporate them into their own making. We’re breaking down those barriers which used to divide us as artists.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

—— Patty Templeton DGO Staff Writer

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[beer]

First Draughts | Robert Alan Wendeborn

What makes a good brewery great? Shared vision, values [Editor’s note: This is part of a series exploring the lives of brewery employees. Next up: Brewery employee at-large]

T

here are some parts of a brewer’s day that are the experience and worry and joy of the brewer and the brewer alone and can only be witnessed in agony or awe or horror by others. But there is a lot of day-to-day stuff going on in a brewery that is the experience of every employee. These are shared tasks, shared environments, and, if the brewery is really on point, a shared vision for the beer, shared values for existing in the world, and a shared culture of activities, food, and all forms of art (I know this last part sounds like some kind of pseudo-mystical religious cult, not a beer factory, but good breweries are like big families).

Like I’ve said in the past few columns, brewers and production people typically arrive at work earlier than most employees. Some of this is because steps in production can take eight to 12 hours per

task, and you’ll typically have to break that up over more than one shift to share the workload. It may be because production interferes with a restaurant’s operation. Many brewpubs’ brew days happen during the week and are wrapping up as they open for lunch. This is because brewing equipment can be loud and the environment hazardous for customers.

But it’s a regular part of the day for non-production employees to be aware of brew schedules, even at very large breweries.

In fact, at very large breweries, employees are hyper-aware. The logistics of everything from brewing to packaging is perfectly timed: new grain is ordered to arrive as soon as old grain runs out, empty kegs and cans sometimes arrive the day of packaging to save the most warehouse space. The lab workers collect data from brewers, cellar people, and packaging, then run tests to ensure the beer is true to target at every step of the lifespan of that beer. Every seasoned employee is tracking the beer as it’s making

its way through the brewery.

And they’re all aware of the quality, because every good brewery has a quality control person in charge of running sensory analysis, and they will hound you constantly to participate. And if you’re a good brewery employee, you will attend. You will know your beer inside and out. You will be able to tell the difference between a three-day and five-day crashed beer. You will be able to tell the difference between 1-week-old and 1-month-old beer. And even if you’re not a great brewery employee in the sensory department, you will all know the beer from the tap room.

Yes, everyone will know the beer from the tap room. The warehouse folks, the in-town sales reps, the dirtbags in packaging, the lunch shift servers, the lab staff, the nerds in offices, and brewers and cellar people will converge at quitting time to the tap room for beers. Even if you’re an overnight brewer, you will still get a beer from the tap at 6 a.m. This is

$2 PINT nights

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[beer] communion for the brewery worker. This is your reward. Beer is either free or steeply discounted for employees, at least for the better breweries.

Good, cheap/free beer goes a long, long way to employee satisfaction. It costs the brewery relatively little, but it’s a huge perk for the employee. In my years of working as a brewery employee, this single perk adds a ton of social capital to any job in the brewery, and allows breweries to hire better employees in every facet of operation. Would you rather be an accountant for a toilet paper company, or a beer company? Deliver packages, or deliver beer? Be a process operator in a natural gas plant, or a process operator at a brewery? The work is very similar, but brewery workers are taking home beer at the end of their shift.

The last part of a shared experience at a brewery, at least at the very good ones, is what makes things feel more like a family than a company: the shared vision, culture, and values. It is probably the most important, as those aspects keep employees stoked, they drive innovation and growth, and they allow everyone in the brewery, from packaging line to owner, to be able to raise a glass and say to each other, “This is why we brew the beer we brew, how we brew it, and where we brew it.”

Robert Alan Wendeborn is a former cellar operator at Ska Brewing and current lead cellar operator at Tin Roof Brewing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

[style]

DURANGO STREET STYLE:

Moose tooth necklace

DGO spoke to Hartman at “Art in the Afternoon,” a fundraising event at Willowtail Springs in Mancos.

I carved the silver around it.

The chain came from when I was about 13 years old and my family lived in Bali, Indonesia, for a while. I made it earlier this summer ... The tooth itself was filthy when it got to me.

I polished it a tiny bit with pulverized sapphire powder. [laughs] It’s probably the most epic piece I’ve ever made, honestly.

The necklace

The dress

Crystal Hartman, a local jewelry artist with work on display at Studio &, is a bubbly, beautiful human who, after you’ve met once, you can’t wait to meet again because she shines a smidge brighter than most with sincerity and whimsy.

For ages and ages I have been that “This is one, singular chunk of moose one girl who didn’t have a little black tooth that was salvaged off of a jaw dress ... I fell in love with this dress found in the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. because of the pockets. Later, I found A dear, dear friend of mine was on a boat out that the removal of pockets from fly-fishing and he saw this jaw. It was too dresses was an intentional move by debig to take on the boat so he broke teeth Hartman signers so they could sell more purses. out to bring to me. He broke them out, They truly wanted to sell more accessocarried them down the Kenai Peninsula, took a heliries so they took away pockets. ” copter back to their place, then brought the teeth all the way back to Colorado for me to put into jewelry.

—— Patty Templeton

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SKA: KNOW YOUR ROOTS »» A brief history of the rude

and reckless genre of ska

Y

ou walk into the dancehall and everyone is dressed to the nines. Gal in a checkboard pattern dress? Yep. Fred Perry polos everywhere? Check. Porkpie hats, skinny ties, and slick suits? Hot damn and hell yes, everywhere. A band playing a beautiful bounce and bop that people are doing a graceful kick-stomp to? Blessedly, yes. It’s called skanking, and you’ve strutted into a ska club. All those folks, they’re rude boys and rude girls who keep the rocksteady world alive.

Still stuck in the rat race and don’t know a dang thing about roots reggae meeting modern culture and punk-rock attitudes? Well, well, pull on your Doc Martens and buckle in for a brief history of ska.

First wave Ska is a musical genre that originated in Jamaica in the 1960s.

DJs would play records on portable sound systems. At the time, a sound system was a generator, speakers, and turntables piled on a truck then used to throw street parties – American rhythm & blues records mixed with calypso, jump blues, reggae and jazz.

DJs started by playing other folks’ tunes but swiftly turned to writing their own music that blended all those genres together.

It’s said that the word ska originated from the “Skat! Skat!

Skat!” scratching noise that came from the guitar riffs being played. What we do know is that the first ska recordings Continued on Page 14

»» A scene from the Ska 21st Anniversary Party last September.

David Holub/DGO

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LESS THAN JAKE:

25 YEARS OF NONSTOP SKA PUNK »» Drummer Vinnie Fiorello on ska

paradises and making your band last

L

ess Than Jake have instiSka 22nd gated pit-wrecking and Anniversary Pez-slamming since 1992.

Party Twenty-five years in and with a new EP, “Sound the Alarm,” Ska Brewing will hold its 22nd Anniversary Party from 4 to 9 they’ll make you skank as hard as p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at Ska ever. They throw down dynamic World Headquarters, featuring tunes and a party attitude that prof30-plus craft brewers and music fers a vacay from your problems. by the likes of Less Than Jake and Don’t matter that the rent’s overdue Chris Murray. The party is sold or you’ve been eating buttered out, so if you don’t have your tickets already, we feel for you. bowtie pasta for two weeks because when you’ve got the music, you’ve But we’ve got you covgot a place to go. ered. Look for photos, video, and more at dgoSpeaking of getting the hell outta the mag.com in the days house. Less Than Jake is the headlinfollowing. er at Ska Brewing’s 22nd Anniversary Party on Saturday, Sept. 9. It’s sold out, so we hope you got your tix early.

DGO spoke to drummer and lyricist Vinnie Fiorello about how a band sticks around a quarter of a century and where ska heaven on earth is.

Congrats on making it 25 years as a band!

That’s longer than my parents were married. That’s longer than my first marriage, in fact. (laughs) Who are some of the heroes you’ve gotten to work with over the decades?

One of the first next-level bands we wished we could play with, and then did, was The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and that was in 1996. We had a chance to open for them and it was awesome. They were really gracious

dudes and mentors.

For me to be able to share a stage with Billy Bragg was really important.

We shared a song together, a version of “The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out.” It went on the “Anthem” record.

Going down the list, sharing the stage with Rancid, sharing the stage early on with The Descendants. They took us on the Caffeine Nation tour in 1998. To be able to go around the United States with The Descendants, Continued on Page 14

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[ska] From Page 12

were created at Studio One and WIRL Records in Kingston, Jamaica, and a mega-defining label was Trojan Records.

First wave ska bands you gotta hear: Desmond Dekker, The Skatalites, and Toots and the Maytals

Second wave, aka 2 Tone By the late 1970s, ska had chilled out in Jamaica, but rocksteady records heated the hell up in England. The second wave of ska, known as Two Tone (or 2 Tone), was a frenetic musical force of DIY ethics, which blended the new punk-rock attitudes with reggae, ska, and new wave music.

If you wanna see the frontlines of what this underground scene looked like, you must check out the live-footage documentary “Dance Craze” released in 1981 at the height of 2 Tone’s popularity. To double down on nerditude, check out the back catalogs of 2 Tone Records and Stiff Records.

2 Tone ska bands you gotta hear: The Selecter, The Specials, The Bodysnatchers, Madness, and The (English) Beat

Third wave, ska punk and beyond In the late 1980s, America got on the ska train with the rest of the world.

Hardcore punk kids took ownership of ska and brought an even faster influence to its boppin’ beats. The 1990s brought ska’s brightest, longest spotlight of mainstream success.

This is also when ska went wild with subgenres. Ska punk, satanic ska, acid ska, it keeps going. The hella fab record labels you need to know about are Moon Ska Records, Hellcat Records, and Jump Up Records, and heck yeah, all three are still putting out sweet tunes today.

Third wave ska bands for your record player: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Operation Ivy, The Toasters, The Slackers, and the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra.

What about now?

Ska’s not dead! It’s going hella strong. Because of the way that news and social media cycles work, it’s doubtful that ska will ever smash the forefront of mainstream culture again with a dozen or so bands all gaining popularity at once. BUT. Ska is here.

Ska is good. Rudies are dancing all over the world to the old and to the new.

The new kids killing the ska scene: The Interrupters, The Skints, The Steady 45s, and Skapeche Mode —— Patty Templeton

Courtesy of http://www.lessthanjake.com

»» From front left to right, Chris Demakes, J.R. Wasilewski, and Buddy Schaub. Back left to right, Roger Lima and Vinnie Fiorello.

From Page 13

that’s a mindblower, ya know?

A lot of bands come and go in 25 years.

What’s allowed Less Than Jake to stick around?

The truly crazy thing about being together for this long is that there’s a certain chemical reaction amongst the band members [when playing] live. There’s a certain chemical reaction between the crowd and the band. It becomes this very circular, cool thing. It’s one of the reasons why there is continually gas in the car, metaphorically speaking.

We are very close. We’ve gotten over a lot of humps together. We’ve also had managed expectations in starting the band. With Less Than Jake it was, “Oh yeah, if we could play one show live.” Then, “If we can play a show at that big club in town.” Then, “If we can play one show out of town.” Then, “Play a show out of state.” Then, “Tour the United States.” It was always managed expectations. It wasn’t, “We want to be superstars.” It was baby steps, and that’s what makes a better foundation for a band to last.

For me, we’ve been a band of individuals who have lived and died by those managed expectations. Now we’re like brothers. We’re not the Brady Bunch. Some days, someone is in a bad mood so everyone gets in a bad mood. Shit happens. It’s a family.

Any advice to new bands about making it

the long haul?

Communication, man.

It’s about being a band. Less Than Jake has always been a band. You never think of one particular person.

Sometimes bands are only thought of as that one front person. We’ve never been that. I think that if you can have communication where everything is about being in a group, a new band will do all right. If you want to be the boss, you’re not really in a band, you’re hiring musicians to play with you.

The EP came out this year. It seems to balance personal and political streaks.

A lot of Less Than Jake lyrics, for me, are about inner conflict. The way that I exorcise demons is through lyrics and calling them out. I’m not necessarily a political person, but I am into social politics. I wouldn’t necessarily write about a president, but I write a song on someone who has to sell drugs to stay alive or a mom who can’t see her kids because she has to work 80 hours a week.

That socio-political side has always been there. It’s not beating you over the head, but it is still there.

Is there a fourth wave of ska coming?

I don’t think it will ever be in waves like it was before.

I think the way social media works, everything is immediate. Each band is individually promoted into a trend.

Continued on Page 15

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[ska]

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I don’t think it could reach maximum density where people notice a wave of 10 bands because simultaneously those bands all got popular at once.

Technology has changed the structure of news.

Someone’s never heard of ska before. What three albums do you tell them to check out?

Operative Ivy, “Energy.” You would have to go with a best of The Specials, too. You can’t really pinpoint one record, but a best of and you’d have a lesson in ska. Then I’d go with “Don’t Know How to Party” by The Bosstones.

That was the band that merged punk and rock and hardcore and ska and reggae and they were doing it better than everyone else.

That same person’s never heard of your band. What albums are a perfect starter pack?

I would have them go to “Hello Rockview,” then “Pezcore,” then the EP we just put out, “Sound the Alarm.”

What cities are ska paradises?

Anaheim, California, Denver, Colora-

do, Chicago, Illinois, Long Island, New York, anywhere in Jersey, anywhere in the U.K. – it’s still huge.

We went over for a festival called Slam Dunk in the U.K. and the first show was in Birmingham. We had a chance to see The Specials play. They were 20 minutes away from their hometown, so it was a hometown show. There were 5,000 people there having a great time partying. Fred Perry’s on. Docs on. I was feeling it so hard. It was a testament to music and making music into a movement. The movement still exists there and continues to grow. The Specials grow all over the world and play to people. I’m just flying blind here, but maybe they can’t play Birmingham, Alabama, and play to 5,000 people, but they have places in the United States, in Europe that they can. There’s plenty of people who feel it.

Music lives on forever no matter what. People take those three chords or four chords and a melody line and it lives on forever. People take it with them to their last dying breath.

Dar ia

From Page 14

TOVA H L AZA

»» Less Than Jake albums “Hello Rockview,” “Pezcore,” and “Sound the Alarm.”

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This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

—— Patty Templeton DGO Staff Writer

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[ weed ] Seeing Through the Smoke Christopher Gallagher

How we’re just beginning to understand MJ as medicine

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hat do arthritis, cancer, chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, HIV/ AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and severe nausea have in common? These are the conditions must commonly treated with cannabis. Nearly every state with an operational medical marijuana program includes AIDS, cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, and MS as a qualifying condition for which a doctor may recommend (never actually prescribe) cannabis as a treatment for their patients. It seems counterintuitive that this disparate grouping of maladies – the end stage syndrome of a virus that virulently attacks the immune system; colonies of malignant cells that invade and destroy the tissue surrounding them; a central nervous system seizure disorder; an ocular disease characterized by pressure and vision impairment; another CNS disease that interrupts the brain’s ability to communicate with both itself and the patient’s body – would be treated with one medicine and begs questions as to the possible connections among them.

The answer to the almost unbelievable range of efficacy of cannabis as a treatment lies within a system of the body that is only beginning to be studied and understood by doctors and scientist. It’s known as the endogenous cannabanoid system (and it’s contained in every single human body, as well as those of every other living mammal, sea squirts, and each of the more than 25,000 species of nematodes, aka roundworms – ewwwwwwww, right?!?!?).

In 1982, American molecular pharmacologist William A. Devane and Czech chemist Lumir Hanus, working in the same Israeli lab where Dr. Raphael Mechoulam had isolated THC two decades earlier, made a discovery that would fundamentally change our understanding of cannabis as medi-

cine. They found a chemical created in our bodies that works with receptors in all of our organs including the brain, the glands, our immune cells, and the entire network of connective tissues and also generator sites within us; they named it anandamide after the Sanskrit word for “bliss, joy, or happiness.”

This aptly named bliss molecule – nearly identical to the more than 400 cannabanoids produced by each cannabis plant – is responsible for homoeostasis, the bodily process of maintaining stability between systems faced by the full range of external changes and stressors that life throws at each of us on a daily basis. This homeostatic balance is, in fact, the body’s defense against the constant threat of cascading physical damage and the progression from suboptimal health to disease, and, if left unchecked, to death. The molecules do this by maintaining a state of balanced health at the cellular level.

The breadth of functions impacted by the cannabanoid system is staggering, and includes having effects on the areas of memory, the neural regeneration of the brain region known as the hippocampus, appetite, metabolism, stress responses, social behavior including anxiety and exploration, immunity, tremors, pain, female reproduction, the autonomic nervous system, temperature regulation, and sleep. There is research currently taking place to analyze whether certain conditions are actually the result of cannabanoid deficiency. Because of the relatively short time frame during which the politically-restrained scientific community has been able to conduct effective research, we have only exposed the tip of the iceberg of what will lead to unlimited medical breakthroughs on the horizon for this truly human-sympathetic plant.

Christopher Gallagher lives with his wife and their four dogs and two horses. Life is pretty darn good. Contact him at chrstphrgallagher@gmail.com.

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[pages]

The best worst-sounding book ever? weekly bestsellers Aug. 27-Sept. 2 »»News of the World, by Paulette Jiles (Paperback) »»Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kaur (Paperback) »»Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, by Elena Favilli, Francesca Cavallo (Hardcover) »»The Lion Inside, by Rachel Bright (Hardcover) »»Crazy Brave, by Joy Harjo (Paperback) »»Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Paperback) »»All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr (Paperback) »»The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah (Paperback) »»Lilac Girls, by Martha Hall Kelly (Paperback) »»The Orphan’s Tale, by Pam Jenoff (Paperback)

White Rabbit book review: “Kornwolf,” by Tristan Eglof “Kornwolf,” by Tristan Eglof, is one of those novels that are so cheesy-terrible in theory, that it’s downright super. An Amish werewolf on the rampage in the town of Blue Ball? I’m in!

Ephraim, a shy Amish lad, morphs monthly into a whiffy, revolting

werewolf with a taste for Satanic thrash-metal. Pursued by a cynical reporter, a sympathetic boxing coach with a mysterious past and a mob of vigilantes, Ephraim unleashes mayhem on the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside and the sprawling subdivisions encircling it. Alter-egos crawl to the surface of the otherwise orderly, pacifist Amish, as their quiet existence is thrown into upheaval.

“Kornwolf” is both a hilarious, well-written take on the classic horror tale, and a social satire that ponders the wonders of suburban sprawl and closed minds.

Eglof died in 2005 at the age of 34. His writing style has been compared to the likes of Kurt Vonnegut, John Kennedy Toole, and Tom Robbins. If you are a fan of any of the above, or have ever fantasized

about how to shake up small-town monotony, then “Kornwolf” is for you.

— Keena Kimmel Owner of White Rabbit Books and Curiosities

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[love and sex]

Savage Love | Dan Savage

Foot slaves, fluid sprays, and gauze play: What do you kink?

I’m a lady considering taking on a foot fetishist as a slave. He would do chores around my house, including cleaning and laundry, and give foot rubs and pedicures in exchange for getting to worship and jack off to my model-perfect feet when I’ve decided he’s earned it. Am I morally obligated to tell my roommates? Technically, the guy would be in their common space too. I will fully vet him with references and meet him in a neutral location at least once – and anything else you might suggest I do for security’s sake.

Though my roommates are not what you would call conservative, I’m not sure they’d understand this kind of arrangement. I would have my slave come over when no one is around, and then my roommates could come home to a sparkly clean common area! My slave would never have access to their personal spaces, nor would I leave him alone in any area of our home until a strong bond of trust had been established. No harm, no foul? Or am I crossing a line?

Man Into Cleaning A Shared Apartment A friend in Berlin has a similar arrangement. This guy comes over to clean his apartment once a week and – if my friend thinks he’s done a good enough job – my friend rewards him with a knee to the balls. It’s a good deal for both parties: My vanilla-but-kink-adjacent friend gets a sparkly clean apartment (which he loves but doesn’t want to do himself), this guy gets his balls busted on a regular basis (which he loves but can’t do himself). But my friend lives alone, MICASA, and that makes all the difference. Or does it?

Time for some playing-gameswith-foot-fetishists theory: If you were having sex with a boyfriend in the common areas of your apartment when your roommates weren’t home – let’s say your boyfriend (or even some rando) wanted to [eff] you on the kitchen floor – you wouldn’t be morally obligated to text your roommates and ask their permission. But we’re

not talking about a normal guy here or normal sex – we’re talking about a fetishist who wants to be your slave.

Does that make a difference? It might to people who regard kinksters as dangerous sex maniacs, MICASA, but a kinky guy isn’t any more or less dangerous than a vanilla guy. And a kinky guy you’ve gone to the trouble to vet – by getting his real name and contact info, by meeting in public at least once, by asking for and following up with references – presents less of a threat to you and your roommates than some presumed-to-be-vanilla rando one of you brought home from a bar at 2 a.m.

Strip away the sensational elements – his thing for feet, his desire to be your chore slave, the mental image of him jacking off all over your toes – and what are we left with? A friends-with-benefits arrangement. A sparkly clean apartment benefits you (and your roommates); the opportunity to worship your feet benefits him. This guy would be a semi-regular sex partner of yours, MICASA, and while the sex you’re having may not be conventional, the sex you have in your apartment – including the sex you might have in the common areas when no one is at home – is ultimately none of your roommates’ business.

That said, MICASA, unless or until all your roommates know what’s up, I don’t think you should ever allow this guy to be alone in your apartment.

My girlfriend drunkenly confessed to me that she used to pee on her ex. I’m not sure what to do with this info.

Dude’s Relationship In Peril Did she ask you to do something with this info? Did your girlfriend say, “Hey, I used to pee on my ex – now go make me a dream catcher with that news, would you?” Your GF got a little kinky with an ex, most likely at the ex’s request, and so what? If piss isn’t something you’re into, DRIP, don’t obsess on the distressing-to-you details and focus instead on the big picture: You’ve

got an adventurous GF. Congrats. If she doesn’t have an equally adventurous BF, here’s hoping she finds one.

My 7-year-old son started getting really into gauze, splints, and bandages when he was 3, and by the time he was 4, it became clearly sexualized.

He gets a boner when he plays “broken bone” or just looks at bandages, and he has expressed how much he loves to touch his penis when he does this. My husband and I (both happily vanilla) have been accepting and casual about this. We’ve provided him with a stash of “supplies,” taught him the concept of privacy and alone time, and frequently remind him to never wrap bandages around his head or neck. Is it normal to be so kinky at such a young age? I know kinks generally develop from childhood associations. When he was 2, he had surgery to correct a common issue on his groin. Might that have sparked this? I want my son to grow up with a healthy and positive sexuality. Are we doing him a favor or a disservice by supplying him with materials, freedom, and privacy to engage in a kink so young?

Boy Always Needing “Doctoring” And Getting Edgier Your son’s behavior isn’t that abnormal, BANDAGE. It’s standard for kids, even very young kids, to touch their genitals – in public, where it can be a problem, or in private, where it should never be a problem. And lord knows kids obsess about the strangest shit.

(What is the deal with dinosaurs, anyway?) Right now your son is obsessed with bandages and splints and gauze, his interests aren’t purely intellectual, and it’s easy to see a possible link between his experience with bandages and gauze in his swimsuit area and his obsession.

None of this means your son is definitely going to be kinky when he grows up, BANDAGE – not that there’s anything wrong with being kinky when you grow up. There are lots of happy,

healthy kinksters out there, and your kid could be one of them when he grows up. But it’s too early to tell, and so long as his interests aren’t complicating his life (he’s not behaving inappropriately with friends or at school), your son’s whatever-this-is will become less of your concern over time, and ultimately, it will be none of your business.

In the meantime, you don’t wanna slap a “so kinky” label on a 7-year-old.

(If he were to overhear you using that term to describe him, does he have the computer skills to Google it himself?)

But you’re doing everything right otherwise. You aren’t shaming your son, you aren’t making bandages and gauze and splints more alluring by denying him access to them, you are teaching him important lessons about privacy and what needs to be reserved for “alone time.”

You ask if it’s normal to be “so kinky” (a phrase we shall both retire, at least when referring to your son, after today) at such a young age. Probably not – but so what? According to science, most adults have paraphilias, aka “non-normative sexual desires and interests.”

That means kinks are normal – at least for grown-ups – so even if your son isn’t normal now, BANDAGE, he’ll be normal someday. Most happy, healthy, well-adjusted adult kinksters can point to things in their childhood that seemed to foreshadow their adult interests in bandages/bondage/balloons/whatever.

Author, journalist, and spanking fetishist Jillian Keenan (Sex with Shakespeare) was fascinated by spanking when she was your son’s age; Keenan likes to say she was conscious of her kink orientation before she knew anything about her sexual orientation. So while your son’s behavior may not be “normal” for a kid who grows up to be vanilla, it would be “normal” for someone who grows up to be kinky.

Dan Savage is a nationally syndicated sex advice columnist writing for The Stranger in Seattle. Contact him at mail@savagelove.net or @fakedansavage on Twitter and listen to his podcast every week at savagelovecast.com.

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[happening]

DGO’s picks in and around Durango

Thursday

Black holes for brainfood

James Coleman’s 50th birthday party, 4

Black holes are scary-ass, exciting phenomena in space.

Nothing can escape a black hole. Black holes may be our key to intergalactic space travel. Given everything, you should go to the Sunflower Theatre to hear some groundbreaking research

by Karishma Bansal on their raditude.

Admission is free, but registration is highly encouraged and donations are absolutely accepted.

Music class for babies, 9 a.m., $0-$200, Du-

rango Friends Meeting, 803 County Road 233.

p.m., Purgatory Ski Resort, 1 Skier Place.

p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., 375-7260.

Second Ave., 259-2606.

“Rock of Ages,” 7:30

a.m., Jean Pierre Bakery and Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave., 247-7700.

p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., 2592606.

Saturday

Piano Thursdays sing-along and musician’s jam, 5 p.m.,

WholeExpo, all-day event, $5, La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave., 749-5582.

Cerda 7 Cantina y Comida, 639 Main Ave.

Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-noon, First

Four Corners Lego League kick-off party, 5:30 p.m., Power-

National Bank of Durango, 259 W. Ninth St., www.durangofarmersmarket.com.

house Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio, 259-9234.

Fall volunteer naturalist training, 8 a.m.,

AWP Summer River Event: Tour of Animas River Wetlands Bank, 6 p.m., Waterfall

Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., 3753380.

Henry Stoy piano, 11

“Rock of Ages,” 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., 2592606.

Monday “Still Here: Pat Hickman” reception, 4:30

p.m., Fort Lewis College Art Gallery, 1000 Rim Drive.

La Plata County Thrive! Living Wage Coalition meeting,

5:30 p.m., Commons Building, 701 Camino del Rio. Old West gunfights,

Bayfield Farmers Market, 8:30 a.m., Bay-

7 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Details: Free, doors at 6:15 p.m. and lecture at 7, Friday, Sept. 8, Sunflower Theatre, 8 E. Main St., Cortez, https://sunflowertheatre.org

Andy Janowsky, 7 p.m.,

field Roadside Park, U.S. Highway 160, 884-9544.

Tuesday

Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., 375-7260.

Netting and looping workshop, 9 a.m., Du-

Tuesday jam, 6 p.m.,

EDM at the Underground

“Rock of Ages,” 7:30

rango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., 259-2606.

The Irish Embassy Underground will host Ethereal Underground every Friday in September. EDM will give you palpitations and dancing elation.

Details: Free, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday, Sept. 8, The Underground, 900 Main Ave., 21 and older, www.facebook.com/ethereal.underground

Navajo Nation Fair Running from Sept. 3 to 10, there’s plenty of days to hit up the 71st Annual Navajo Nation Fair. Yes, this is three hours away in Window Rock, Arizona, but hey, we all need to get outta town, right? There’s live tunes by bands like Testament, a rodeo, arts and crafts, and the usual mega amounts of fair-food vendors.

Details: Tickets $12-$30, all-day, Sept. 3-10, www.navajonationfair.org

Rap at the ACT Grieves is a meticulous rapper whose new album, “Running Wild,” is a melodic, soulful look at modern life and how it breaks and builds the heart. He’s also hella commanding, throwing down rad hip-hop party tunes. Get you some.

Ranch, 4166 County Road 203.

p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., 2592606.

Full Moon Hike with Durango Nature Studies, 7:30 p.m., $0-

$10, Animas Overlook Trail.

Friday Fall volunteer naturalist training, 8 a.m.,

Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., 3753380.

21st annual United Way of Southwest Colorado Radiothon,

8 a.m., Ska Brewing Co., 225 Girard St., 247-5792.

Cancer Coalition jewelry-art fundraiser,

Details: $25, Doors at 8:30, show at 9 p.m., Monday, Sept. 11, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive, 18 and older, www.animascitytheatre.com

11 a.m., the home of Dana Wilson, 703 East Fifth Ave.

Folk rock doc time!

End-of-summer barbecue, noon, Four Cor-

“May it Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers” is an intimate portrait of the band as they created their ninth studio album (produced by Rick Rubin), “True Sadness.”

IMDB’s giving the doc an 8.9 and Judd Apatow made it, so you better get your ass to the ACT to see it, it’s a one-night-only event.

ners Health Care Center, 2911 Junction St.

Details: $10, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 12, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive, www.animascitytheatre.com

Join a movement Looking to join a grass-roots, nonviolent resistance movement? Invisible Durango might be what you’re looking for, a nonpartisan though progressive group working politically to protect “values of inclusiveness, respect, fairness, honesty, integrity, peace and hope,” according to its website. The group will meet Saturday about how to best communicate with Congress, and how to impact 2018 elections.

Details: Free, 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., http://www.indivisibledurango.co/

Here, Still Exhibit, 5

p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., 2592606.

Audition for the 10-minute play festival, 10 a.m., Durango Arts

Center, 802 East Second Ave., 259-2606.

Indivisible Durango general membership meeting, 10 a.m., Duran-

go Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., 375-3380.

Henry Stoy piano, 11

a.m., Jean-Pierre Bakery and Wine Bar, 601 Main Ave., 247-7700.

Harvest Dinner, 5 p.m., $100, Smiley Building, 1309 East Third Ave., 382-9593.

You Are Enough: A Walk for Mental Illness and Suicide Awareness, 5 p.m., Fort

Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive.

Robinson and Toolan, 7 p.m., Durango Crafts

Spirit, 1120 Main Ave. Greg Ryder, 7 p.m., Office Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., 375-7260.

“Rock of Ages,” 7:30

Ska Brewing Co., 225 Girard St., 247-5792.

p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., 2592606.

Live Music with Patrick Crossing, 6 p.m.,

Sunday

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

WholeExpo, all-day event, $5, La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave., 749-5582.

Hello, Dollface, 5 p.m.,

Old West gunfights,

7 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Robby Overfield, 7

Netting and looping workshop, 9 a.m., Du-

rango Arts Center, 802 East

Steaming Bean, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200.

Wednesday Green business round table: Aiming for the STARs, noon,

$17-$22, Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave., 375-7160.

Shaky Hand String Band, 5:30 p.m., Balcony

Bar & Grill, 600 Main Ave, 422-8088.

Sue Keller, 5:30 p.m.,

Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

Old West gunfights,

7 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave., 247-4431.

“The Times They Were A-Changin: Life on the Colorado Plateau at the End of the Ice Age,” 7 p.m.,

Fort Lewis College, Center of Southwest Studies, 1000 Rim Drive, 247-7456.

Submissions To submit listings for publication in DGO and www.dgomag.com, visit www.

swscene.com, click “Add Your Event,” enter the event info into the form and submit. Listings at www.swscene.com will appear on www.dgomag. com and in our weekly print edition. Posting an event on www.swscene. com is free and takes one day to process.

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Horoscope ARIES (March 21 to April 19) This week, the Moon is in your sign, which means you have an edge over all the other signs. Ask the universe for a favor this week because the answer might be “yes.”

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You will prefer to work alone or behind the scenes this week because of the position of the Moon. Just lie in the tall grass and watch the world go by.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A conversation with a female could be important this week. Actually, this is a good week to share your hopes and dreams for the future with someone to get her feedback.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22)

Bizarro

For some reason, your private life

seems to be a bit public this week. People are talking about you, or perhaps they notice you more than usual. Be aware of this.

LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) Do something different this week to shake up your daily routine because you’re hungry for adventure and a chance to learn something new. Go someplace you’ve never been before.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) Wrap up loose details with taxes, debt, insurance issues, inheritances and shared property. Get this stuff out of the way for your own peace of mind.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) You have to go more than halfway when dealing with others this week because the Moon is opposite your sign.

In two weeks, people will bow to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Do something that will help you feel better organized and more on top of your game. Take 10 minutes out of your day to tidy up something.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) This is a fun-loving week! Enjoy sports events, social outings, romantic dates, mini-vacations and playful activities with children. Live it up!

You want the truth. You don’t want to waste time on superficial chitchat about the weather.

PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) This week, your focus is on money and cash flow. Respect your moneymaking ideas. Take care of what you own.

BORN THIS WEEK

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)

You are a perfectionist who likes order and structure in your surroundings.

Good news: This is your power year!

Whatever you have done in the past will now come to fruition. This is a year of big decisions and major achievements. Activity is key. You will be involved and busy. Opportunities for advancement and recognition for your work will happen.

Discussions with others will be emotional and very real this week.

© 2017 King Features Syndicate Inc.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) You have been out there flying your colors, but this week, you will welcome a chance to cocoon at home. Whatever you do, be low-key and do something that lets you catch your breath.

[sound] A few of The Dread Templeton’s favorite ska songs “Pressure Drop,” by Toots and the Maytals Toots and the Maytals are the gold standard of old school ska. Everything they do is dancetastic. This is, for sure, one of the top 10 all time ska songs ever. EVER. “Israelites,” by Desmond Dekker Speaking of top ska songs for ever and ever, Dekker’s version of “Israelites” is a working-class narrative for the ages, and a dang fine sing-along.

“On My Radio,” by The Selecter This first time I heard “On My Radio” was in my good pal Punk Rock Jana’s bedroom. It was a complete WTF moment. Pauline Black’s voice is otherworldly.

“Rude and Reckless,” by The Slackers Off the album “Redlight,” this tune is a mellow jab at normal living. It asks you, “Who the hell you wanna be? Eh? You wanna go after those dreams?”

*

For more ska favorites, go to dgomag.com

22 | Thursday, September 7, 2017 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[Durango’s stories, told in their own words]

First Person | Cyle Talley

‘The funny thing about the stuff we carry’ »» Jennifer Ryan Smith, on a classroom activity she did with her students that spoke volumes “Can I tell you something hysterical?” Jennifer Ryan Smith asks, smiling mischievously. “I’m an art teacher at one of the schools here in town and today, they did something amazing.” She tells me about an activity where each student chose an object of value from their backpack and told the class why it mattered to them. I tell her story here, in her own words.

I

t’s the start of a new school year, and I really want to build community among each class. Just help them look at each other in a new way. So I had this idea to frame it by asking them to look at objects that they have in a different perspective. When each grade came to my classroom, I said, “We’re going to go get your backpacks and bring them back here for an activity.”

They went dutifully, but as soon as we got back to my classroom, they said exactly what I would’ve said: “OK, seriously. What are we doing?” I said, “One of our standards to is participate in a creative community. That being said, being in a community doesn’t mean that we lose our identity, but just finding our individuality amongst each other. So why don’t we start with the stuff that you schlep around all day?” I picked up my bag and said, “You know, the funny thing about the stuff we carry is that we might be carrying stuff around that we really value, without really recognizing why we value those things. Those things usually give hints about who we are and what we’re about.” I pulled out about 30 Sharpies from my bag. They laughed at me.

“Why don’t we try to look at these objects with a fresh perspective? Really try to look through your things from the perspective of a person who found your stuff and is trying to piece together what sort of a person »» Jennifer Ryan Smith you are.” this represents about you?

In a normal class period, I try to limit my diOne kid had three half-used bottles of hand rections to about 15 minutes to get to kinesthetic sanitizer in their bag. [laughs] Their classmates learning as quickly as possible, but I was shocked laughed. “Yeah, this place is gross!” [laughs] and by how absorbed they were. No one spoke out of we got to talk a bit about what that would say turn, no one was wiggly. They were so curious about someone’s personality. Then later, a kid about each other that they stayed still for 45 minpulled out a handful of pistachios – no baggie, no utes. For the older grades, I had them speak about container – from the bottom of their bag and said, item as they felt ready to, and for the youngtheir “For later.” er ones, I had each of them put their object into Adults tend to look at kids and think that they a big copy paper box and I pulled out one item at just live in an imaginary world, favoring a specific a time and we tried to guess whose was whose. toy or a rock or whatever without any logic or raWhen the kids were sharing, I asked them: Why do you carry this around? What do you feel like tionale, but to hear the reasons behind why a kid

does what they do was profound. Not to mention a great insight into who my students are.

Here’s an example: A first-grader had a pink straw the diameter of a quarter.

They’re missing their front two teeth and said, “It’s because I wanna drink water and milk and juice without everything feeling slimy.” What intelligence! What forethought! This kid is overcoming a temporary obstacle! Another kid has a lunchbox chockablock full of first aid supplies. They said, “I carry this at all times because I’ve been through first aid and CPR training and our school nurse is so so so busy, so if anybody ever gets hurt on the playground, I can help them! Band-Aids? Neosporin? I gotchu!” That was the first one that really made me tear up. Not only do they bring this with them every day, but they’re purposefully schlepping this around to help – to take care of those around them! [touches heart] A couple of times kids would pull out the same book – kids who have nothing in common – and exclaim, “You like that book, too! No way!!!” Or a kid – an 8-year old – who has a photograph of themselves as a 2-year-old because they already feel like they’re losing their childhood and need a constant reminder of what it’s like to be young.

The best part of the day was the end of the day. I’ve got this group of first-graders who are just [sighs]. There’s one – just a half-pint. Smaller by half than the rest of their class. She dropped a block of concrete – cantaloupe-sized – out in front of them. When I asked the rest of the class what a block of concrete could possibly represent about a person, all I got back were “I dunno’s!” Then this itty-bitty voice pipes up and says, “’Cause it makes me feel strong!” And then!

They piped up again when I pulled out a small piece of mulch from the box. “Oh, that’s mine, too.” “Well, what does this represent?” I asked.

“That represents my weakness.”

Cyle Talley really likes this story. Email him with what you carry around at: cyle@cyletalley.com

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SENTS E R P T N E M TERTAIN SKY UTE EN

Y A D R SATU 7 1 0 2 , 8 2 R E B O T OC

M P 8 w o h S • PM 7 n e p o s r o o D r• e t n e C s t n e v E Sky Ute $ 25.00 General Admission SKYUTECASINO.COM 888.842.4180 IGNACIO, COLORADO

Purchase tickets online at skyutecasino.com, by calling 888.842.4180, at the Sky Ute Casino Gift Shop or at the door.