Bikes of Durango

art entertainment food drink music nightlife Thursday, May 3, 2018

DGO

BIKES OF DURANGO From tall bikes to rare and customized two-wheeled wonders, we found a handful of our bike town’s superstars

Also: Mexican beer: Why it’s muy popular, a brief history, and taste test; a taco resurgence, and Mancos’ new cidery

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DGO Magazine

STAFF

What’s inside Volume 3 Number 28 Thursday, May 3, 2018

Editor Angelica Leicht aleicht@bcimedia.com 375-4551 Staff writer Jessie O’Brien jobrien@bcimedia.com Sales

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Badass bikes

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Eat

Zach Counter rides his tall bike in the Animas Airpark, just one of Durango’s wheeled wonders.

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Gaming/Eat

6

Drink

8

Sound

Check out the story on Page 12 and more photos at dgomag.com

Contributors Katie Cahill Christopher Gallagher Bryant Liggett

10 Beer 16 Weed

Jon E. Lynch Brett Massé

Seeing Through the Smoke 16 Reviews 17

18 Life Hax

Lindsay Mattison Sean Moriarty

David Holub/DGO

19 Happening

Lucy Schaefer Cooper Stapleton

20 DGO Deals

Robert Alan Wendeborn

22 Horoscope/ puzzles

Editor-at-Large David Holub Design/layout Colossal Sanders Reader Services 375-4570 Chief Executive Officer Douglas Bennett V.P. of Advertising David Habrat

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Macho’s challenge If you’re unfamiliar with what this is, it’s essentially eating a cafeteria tray piled with a mountain of tortilla chips, with a mound of beef, cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, and refried beans, garnished with five fire-roasted poblanos, all of which you are expected to eat.

23 Locals/Travel

Correction The April 28 issue of DGO contained an error in story, “The twisted American history of Black braids.” A caption identified Shelby Robinson as a student at Fort Lewis College; Robinson is a staff member at FLC. We sincerely regret the error.

/dgomag

Founding Editors Amy Maestas David Holub

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.

8

Album Reviews 9

Liz Demko 375-4553

Downtown Lowdown

10 Muy popular Mexican beer Cinco de Mayo is here, and there’s no better time to fiesta than now. What better way than to get a twelver of Corona or Modelo, or if you want to do it Durango-style, as much Mexican Logger as you can fit in the back of your Toyota Tacoma. .

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

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ON THE COVER Shannon Cruise attempts a stupid human trick on her custom “Frankenbike” outside the Everyday gas station.

Photo by David Holub/DGO

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

A SAVVY MAGAZINE FOR A SAVVY CUSTOMER.

Call Call 375-4570 375-4570 or or email email info@dgomag.com info@dgomag.com

CARRY DGO IN YOUR BUSINESS ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, May 3, 2018 | 3

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[eat]

WINNING THE MACHO’S NACHOS CHALLENGE »» Just kidding. I definitely lost.

My editor had the “fun” idea to do the Macho’s Fast Mexican Food nachos challenge. If you’re unfamiliar with what this is, it’s essentially eating a cafeteria tray piled with a mountain of tortilla chips made with corn from all of Nebraska’s cornfields. On top of the chips sits a mound of beef, cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, and refried beans, garnished with five fire-roasted poblanos. All of this had to be consumed in one hour. The prize for conquering the nachos was a free nachos, an extra free meal, a photo on the wall, and the most beautiful red Fruit of the Loom winners shirt I’ve ever seen.

The plan was for my editor, Sean Moriarty, our 6-foot-4 beer columnist, and me to tackle the challenge together. But when we got to the restaurant, the Macho’s overlords told us the should-have-been group effort could only be attempted by one chump.

My editor only eats about three things total, so she was out. (Ed. note: It’s technically like, four things total, but whatever.) We would have had to pay Moriarty a freelance fee to do it, but... budgets... so I was the one chosen to participate in the MACHO-chism.

Luckily, I didn’t have to buy my own margaritas. At this point, I had no idea what the insurmountable plate of nachos would look like. As the Macho’s chef was assembling the dish with his 3E-series John Deere, I had butterflies in my stomach from anticipation – butterflies that would soon be savagely murdered by the weight of what was once my favorite bar snack.

The plate that arrived was absolutely absurd. We estimated the nachos weighed as much as a “Loony Tunes” anvil. I knew instantly there is no way that I, nor the entire ‘85 Bears defensive line, nor Satan himself (who I’m pretty sure invented the recipe) would be able to complete this challenge. I

Sean Moriarty/Special to DGO

»» Jessie O’Brien, while still proud and well.

was instantly relieved that I only had to do this for an hour, because that meant there would be a time limit to my suffering. The real challenge at this point was not to die. But I was still willing to give it the “ol’ college try.” Moriarty said the best strategy was to eat as fast as possible before my brain realized my stomach was full. Seemed legit.

At 3:25 p.m., I began shoveling it in.

At 3:29 p.m., I was scared for myself.

The nachos tasted good at first. The chips were warm and crunchy with a generous portion of toppings on each.

Too generous. Now, normally I like a hefty pile of the accouterments on each nacho, but this was too much.

An individual chip weighed the same amount as a dirty diaper. The combo of the beans, guac, and sour cream was the same consistency as the inside of a dirty diaper, too.

I knew early on I needed salsa. Even though I was essentially adding more food to the impossible amount I had to eat, the nachos were so creamy that spice and tang were necessary to break it up. My margarita, which was fresh and citrusy, was the only thing I enjoyed after about 10 minutes of fast eating.

I must have been grossing out my

editor because she kept asking me if I needed a fork. I kept telling her I was going to eat the nachos with my dirty hands like a normal human being. I would not degrade myself like that.

I quickly hit a roadblock. The beef was slightly chewy, which was fine at first, but once I started filling up, it was not. The beef is what turned the Macho’s Nachos challenge from a test of the gut to a test of the mind. I finally understood the mental game of a marathon runner. Running isn’t so much about stamina as it is about ignoring the pain. This is where I was at with the nachos at the 30 minute mark.

This is when Moriarty’s angel of a wife, Katie, bought me a shot of Hornitos. One might think that a tequila shot at this time was a bad idea, but the violent burn that killed all the flavor in my mouth was a complicated reprieve.

The straight-up alcohol was rough, but it was welcome.

After the tequila shot, I could not eat the mush anymore. I decided to approach the now extremely soggy nachos Jenga-style. I would take the dry chips out from underneath the top layer to create a cave-like structure. I was told the poblanos were not necessary to eat in order to win the compe-

tition, but the veggies were the only thing that tasted good after 17 pounds of nachos, so I ate four of the five. I switched from dry chip, to poblano, to margarita sip until I ran out the clock.

It looked like I only ate a quarter of the plate, but it felt like I ate a couch.

By the end of the challenge, sharp pains began stabbing my ribs. I believe this is because my tight high-waisted jeans were blocking the food from fully entering my stomach. As we got in the car, I told my editor I was unbuttoning my pants. She apologized for making me do this. We’re still not speaking. I thought I would be fine, but by the time I made it home I was so uncomfortable, I couldn’t think. I vomited up the two margaritas and a Hornitos shot with little chunks of pico, which was totally fine. What was not fine was the thick, congealed paste of wet masa that came up after. Vomit is supposed to be liquid, not sand. It was pretty unpleasant.

After that, I laid on the floor for a bit, breathing deeply and feeling grateful that I puked. It was finally over. An hour later I woke up on the floor. I think it’s safe to say I did not win the Macho’s Nachos challenge.

—— Jessie O’Brien

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[eat]

What the Fork | Lindsay Mattison

Let’s taco ‘bout Cinco de Mayo, shall we?

C

inco de Mayo is a few short days away, so it seems like the right time to chat about tacos. This country is completely obsessed with them (myself included). You’ll find Taco Tuesday specials in almost every city in America, and hip, street taco joints are becoming ubiquitous. This handheld, convenient food is cheap and delicious, and we’re lining up to dish it. I’m not talking about the Taco Bell-style tacos of my childhood, but rather the recent return of the traditional taco.

While those old-school crispy corn tortillas are good, I have always sort of despised how boring the top third of the shell is – it’s just so hard to get all the toppings in one bite! Not only that: If you try too hard and take a huge bite of the bottom (where all the goods are), or if you let that taco sit and it gets soggy, the whole thing falls apart. While this kind of taco is acceptable in a pinch, it’s simply not craveable.

On the other hand, these modern tacos? I can barely talk about them.

They’re so good, breakfast, lunch, or Jerry McBride/BCI file dinner. Give me a soft-shelled, street-style »» Steak tacos served at Los Amigos Del Su in the Main Mall in downtown Durango. taco and I’m a happy camper. As my good friend says, tacos are a hobby. They’re my muse, my there are the textures. Soft, wrappable tortillas don’t happy. Or, turn your favorite sandwich or pasta into flame, and a source of never-ending leftover inspirahave that crispy shell – but they don’t need to. Add a taco. I’ve made tacos from leftover rotisserie chicksome crunchy radishes, pickled onions, cabbage, or en, corned beef, turkey, bacon, roast beef, and lamb. tion. Give me any edible ingredient and the ability to shredduce. These garnishes add the much-needed You name it and you can taco it. There’s a whole make a tortilla, and I’ll get you addicted to tacos. But crunch into our lives. Combine that with the soft what is it about this simple dish that has us so fanatworld of vegetarian tacos. Roasted mushrooms ingredients that add flavor – the salty cheeses, the ical we renamed a day of the week after it? Synergy. make a classic meat replacement, but lentils and fresh cilantro, savory chopped tomatoes, or buttery In the great words of Aristotle: The whole is greater cauliflower work just as well. I’ve made veggie tacos avocado. Each of these ingredients contrasts with with everything I can grow in a garden, so take your than the sum of its parts. Dissect the taco and it all the crunchy ones and leaves you feeling satisfied pick and run with it. As long as the filling is flavorful seems so simple. But put the components together? when you walk away. and seasoned right, you can toss it into a tortilla and Ah, yes. Now that’s something magical.

At the end of the day, it all comes together to crecall it a taco.

To start, take the humble tortilla. Corn, flour, Then, there’s the sauce. I think this is where the whatever – we don’t need to get into that debate. ate a true taco experience. It’s easy to make a taco modern taco trumps my childhood version. The Eat it by itself and it’s just okay. Warm it up and that has the whole package: crunchy, spicy, tangy, “sauce” on that taco was sour cream – which, by the fill it with meat (and/or vegetables) and now we’re sweet, acidic, salty, and fresh. They’re so addictive way, I completely adore, so don’t take this as a knock talking. You see, the tortilla is the vehicle to deliver that there might soon be a Tacos Anonymous (and to sour cream. But, here’s the thing – sour cream all the goods, but unlike other breads it has a secret I should be its founding member). But, before we all can be kind of boring. Yes, it serves to mellow out element that makes it shine. Try to eat three pieces become TA members, embrace your dependence on the spicy ground beef while also providing a temof pita bread and you’ll have to unbutton your pants tacos as you celebrate Cinco de Mayo by chowing for comfort. On the other hand, could I eat three tordown on a taco (or three). perature contrast to the hot filling. But, in the end, it’s kind of basic. Today’s tacos are sauced with all tillas? Heck yeah I could! Easily, and with glee. That means after eating a handful of tacos, you can still kinds of good stuff: chimichurri, salsa roja, avocado Lindsay D. Mattison is a professional chef and food writer crema, and the list goes on and on and on. This type leave feeling light. living in Durango. She enjoys long walks in the woods, the of sauce gives life to the fillings, really tying the Okay, next up are the fillings. What’s so great simplicity of New York-style cheese pizza, and she’s comroom together. about modern tacos is there are no rules. Go tradipletely addicted to Chapstick. Contact her at lindsaymatFinally (yes, I’m getting close to wrapping up), tisonwriter@gmail.com. tional with carnitas or carne asada and everyone’s ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, May 3, 2018 | 5

[drink]

Fenceline Cider is your new boozy home away from home

By Jessie O’Brien DGO STAFF WRITER

Pour it up. And by “it” we mean apple cider, because out at Fenceline Cider in Mancos, you’ll find plenty of the good stuff. The new cidery is the latest addition to the Four Corners’ vibrant local brew scene, but in this case, the brewers are eschewing hops and barley, and are utilizing local fruit from the town’s 100-year-old apple trees instead. It’s an interesting niche – and a resourceful one for the farmers in Mancos. After all, orchards used to be one of the main agricultural businesses in Montezuma County, but today only one-tenth of the trees are used. Perhaps with a little time, Fenceline will manage to change that.

“Orchards are a lot of work,” said Fenceline Cider and Outlier Cellars co-owner Neal Wight.

Wight and his business partner, Sam Perry, are taking full advantage of the unused trees. The idea came about after Wight, whose background is in wines, made cider for a friend’s wedding. From there, Fenceline cider bug born.

When the transplants first landed in Mancos, they “just knocked on doors and met folks” to acquire apples for their recipes. It took about three years to finally open the business. They opted for the name Fenceline, a nod to the abundance and varieties of apple trees that grow along fences, due in part to birds perching on them and propagating seeds. When apple seeds are spread by birds, they will not share the original traits of the tree they came from. Consider the tree as the mother and the seeds as her children, each with their own individual traits, which are combined with the dad’s traits via pollenization. It’s a fitting concept for the cidery, which specializes in unique brews and batches based on what apples are available for use.

To grow a particular apple, you have to graft a young twig onto a living stump, but you can graft multiple varieties onto one stump, Wight said.

Fenceline doesn’t currently have an orchard or keep standard recipes – it’s part of the appeal and the pitfalls of using batches of local apples – which is why they do not currently distrib-

Jessie O’Brien/DGO

»» Mancos’ Fencline Cider co-owner Neal Wright. ute, and opt to keep their ciders inhouse instead. Their styles will rotate with the apple crops, but you still count on a bit of consistency, since Fenceline ciders are apple-forward, which results in the tart, crisp flavors.

“We’re letting the apples speak for themselves,” Wight said.

The cidery also offers rotating guest taps with unique cider blends, such as lemongrass, passionfruit, and cherry, which range wildly in their dryness and sweetness. The variations make it so there is something to enjoy in the bright, open tasting room.

They also serve up their own wines made by Outlier Cellars.

Jeremy Scott, a self-proclaimed “total apple nerd,” works in the cider lab that flanks the tasting room. In the “mad scientist” lab, as Scott calls it, you will find fermenters, brite tanks, large oak barrels, and plenty of other gear necessary to turn apples into cider.

“All I care about is quality,” Scott said.

A trained scientist and self-proclaimed “PHD drop-out,” Scott got his early cider education working at Teal Cider in Delores. He later expanded that cider reportoire by experimenting on his own, which he continues to do at Fenceline. One area of the fermentation room is dedicated to testing out new recipes, and he can tell with one whiff of the experimental minibatch – which smells like sulfery

Pagosa Springs – that it’s no good. But the rest are odorless, which means the experiment continues.

Scott said they do not use dessert apples found at grocery stores, such as Fuji, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious, because those apples are limited in the flavors they can produce.

Scott uses blends with specific types of crabapples instead, since these apples add the three important elements Fenceline is looking for: Sugar, which translates to alcohol content; acid, which gives the tart flavor; and tannin, which creates the beverage’s body and mouth-feel.

Unlike most beer and wine, the apples for Fenceline’s ciders are fermented cold and slow, since the cold fermentation results in a dry, subtler, and smoother flavor. It’s quite unlike the sweet, alcohol-heavy flavors often found in mainstream bottled cider.

Wight said the plus side of working in Mancos is that the community has been receptive to Fenceline because of their connection to the apple trees.

But there might be something else to it, too. Cider is the bridge between the beer and wine worlds in flavor and in spirit, with the sophistication and nuance of wine, but without the pretentiousness that might turn some people off. That easy-going attitude toward cider is part of why any and everyone will feel right at home on a Fenceline bar stool, frosty glass in hand.

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[pages]

A dead family and awkward magic “My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am 18 years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have to be content with what I had,” so opens Shirley Jackson’s eerie mystery masterpiece, “We Have Always Lived in the Castle.”

What else do we know about Merricat Blackwood? She loves deathcup mushrooms, practices sympathetic magic, and townies hate what’s left of her family. The only surviving members are Merricat, Constance, and their Uncle Julian. How did the family die? Well, maybe it’s fear the town holds and not hatred.

If the name Shirley Jackson sounds familiar, it’s because you heard me yelling how damned gothic gorgeous she is every full moon midnight of my life.

Not in hollering earshot? Maybe you read her much anthologized story, “The Lottery,” in school, or the literary ghost

MOTHER’S DAY May 9 • 5:30 p.m.

Powerhouse Science Center 1333 Camino del Rio Local voices. Local stories.

Welcome to Durango Diaries.

story, “The Haunting of Hill House.”

If you like quick reads that keep you on edge, unreliable narrators, or horror that is more psychologically brutal than gruesome, lay hands on “We Have Always Lived in the Castle.”

— Patty Templeton

This week’s storytellers share their tales of motherhood and moments with their moms. From a mother whose image of drinking sparkling water and rocking her cherubic newborn twins was shattered by dirty diapers and screaming babies to a woman celebrating her first Mother’s Day without her mom, local women tell their stories highlighting the varied moments of motherhood.

Storytellers inlude: • Lisa Ferrell • Robyn Kellogg • Heidi Black • Deanne J. Idar • Dianne Milner

[Odd Rot, by Patty Templeton]

‘One Step Beyond’ When not scribbling cartoons, Patty Templeton is penning stories set in an imaginary Halloween town. Yap at her over by www. instagram.com/ pattytempleton or http:// pattytempleton. tumblr.com.

Durang

Diaries

Presented By:

durangoherald.com/durangodiaries

FREE. Kid-friendly. Beer and wine available for purchase.

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[sound]

Downtown Lowdown | Bryant Liggett

The Sons of Rainier, a band built on happenstance

T

he Sons of Rainier are a band built on harmonies – literally. Before the band was created, Devin Champlin, a musician based in Bellingham, Washington, had been writing songs with multiple vocal parts he would sing, and later dub over in the studio, which resulted in three-part harmonies, courtesy of one voice.

When Champlin wanted to change things up and add an outside tenor, he reached out to Seattle-based musician Dean Johnson. Johnson recommended Sam Gelband to fill the third vocal part. They liked the sound, and between the three of them, the group was instrumentally close to a full band. The equation was complete with the addition of bass player Charlie Meyer, who dug their demos.

Meyer rounded out the group, and the result was The Sons of Rainier.

The band wasn’t formed from jam sessions, and there was no real plan, other than Champlin’s desire to add voices that weren’t his for his DIY songwriting projects.

“We got together a few times, singing without really a thought of what we were doing with it, other than maybe we could play a show,” said Champlin. “All of the sudden, there’s this momentum, and it’s like, ‘Oh, I guess we have a band.’ We’re all super into it, which is the best thing in the world. I feel super lucky because it’s a bunch of songs I wrote, and to have three talented guys who genuinely like doing it. I didn’t have to convince anybody to play with me.”

But while it wasn’t exactly a planned band, the trio immediately got after it. They played their first show in June 2017, before heading to the studio just two months later.

“Down in Pancake Valley,” their debut album, was released in February.

It’s a record filled with an old-school vibe and harmonies that are instrumentally simple, warm, and rich. Self-described as “hobo-dream-pop” or “45RPM folk music,” there’s a roots and R&B element that touches on old country, with some lyrical pain written into the tales of weird America. Champlin’s

GO! Sunday: Hobo dream pop and folk with Sons of Rainier and Jenn Rawling, 5 p.m., $10. “The Mervery” DIY art space, located directly under Studio “&” on Narrow Gauge Road. Information: jenniferrawling@gmail.com

Artwork by Tim Kapustka

vocal drawl aches, complimented by tasty and timed fills by Johnson’s guitar work, and a rhythm section that’s masterful at being delicately subtle.

Perhaps the best thing to call it is “slacker-folk,” which in no way insinuates Champlin and his bandmates are lazy musicians who only get off the couch long enough to flip “Nashville Skyline” over on the turntable.

The work ethic that landed them in the studio so quickly reveals quite the opposite. Rather, “slacker-folk” is a nod to the style of music that reveals a sometimes lazy tempo that carries laid back, loose music. Their sound is influenced as much by harmony bands like Crosby, Stills, and Nash or the Everly Brothers as it is by indie bands like Pavement or The Felice Brothers.

Performing in a DIY art space is right up the band’s alley. As ripe as this band is for a drunken singa-long in a dimly lit venue, this is also music that needs a good listen.

Playing in a venue like the art space below Studio & helps cut out the drunken bar patrons that happen to be at the show simply because that’s the bar they went to in order to drink heavily.

Non-traditional venues tend to bring in the like-minded fans that come to the show to support the band, which is a perfect fit for the Sons of Ranier’s mindset.

“Some of my favorite shows have been either house shows, or house parties. I love playing all-ages shows in general,” said Champlin. “To have an all-ages space, that’s very community minded, and kind of anything goes. I’d always rather play to five people in a small room who are totally listening than play to a hundred people who are just talking over each

other.”

The Sons of Rainier will play in Durango on Sunday, May 6 in the art space directly below Studio &, which is accessible via Narrow Gauge Road. Jenn Rawling is opening.

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

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[sound] What’s new Cut Worms,“Hollow Ground”

Iceage have another record for indie stalwart Matador Records.

It’s another great week of releases that shouldn’t be overlooked by those of you with, say, a more discerning music sensibility and refined taste. I’m talking to those of you who actually listen to music actively, respect and search out artists outside of the mainstream, and still stop in at your local independent record store. Belly, featuring Tanya Donnelly, formerly of Throwing Muses and the Breeders, return with their first record in 23 years. Eleanor Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces releases her fourth solo record, this time for the great Frenchkiss record label. Danish post-punkers

While I plan on checking in on the aforementioned albums at some point this month, it is the full length from Brooklyn, New York-based Cut Worms that piqued my curiosity and held my attention this past week. Hollow Ground is the debut from Max Clarke (aka Cut Worms), and is a warm collection of music inspired by the ’50s and ’60s, and artists such as Harry Nilsson and the Everly Brothers. The music is steeped in modernity and respect for its musical forebearers, with an acute, keen sense of reverence within the songs. Tiptoeing that line was bold, and if mishandled, could have easily come off as being overtly derivative. Thank-

New at

May 4 Ihsahn,“Amr” Ihsahn has been at the forefront of developing one of my favorite styles of music. As one of the two founding members of the Norwegian black metal band Emperor, Ihsahn’s solo efforts – though not entirely steeped in the black metal genre he helped define – have continued to be instrumental in the building of progressive extreme music. On “Amr,” Ihsahn is not afraid to experiment with counterpoints in his music, punctuating heavy instrumental moments with light vocals, which at times remind me of the quieter moments from Mikael Akerfeldt’s later Opeth records. The most mesmerizing part of this record is how unafraid of change it is. Just when you think you have a song figured out, something else comes out of left field and changes its scope entirely. Being able to do that without the record dissolving into maddening cacophony only showcases Ihsahn’s innate talents.

Leon Bridges,“Good Thing” Leon Bridges came out of nowhere for me a few years ago with his debut “Coming Home,” an album that rode the neo-soul Daptone soundwave pretty hard. He even garnered positive comparisons to the likes of artists such

as Sam Cooke. The new record doesn’t entirely follow in the same footsteps, with one shoe in the ’60s soul past, and the other in the Frank Ocean club-style tracks that get the dance floor going. Bridges’ voice has grown much stronger, and it’s evident on this album, especially when he’s hitting the falsetto octaves that cut right to the emotional gut. “Bet Ain’t Worth The Hand,” one of the later released singles, is a perfect example of that sound, with quiet, plucked piano strings and falsetto vocals lamenting loss. A few of the more upbeat tracks didn’t resonate with me as much, but I am a sucker for the neo-soul sound, and this record has it in spades.

fully, not so. The songs and storytelling are very much Clarke’s own, as he plays nearly every instrument on the album, save some drums and percussion, baritone sax, and pedal steel. The rest of the duties are his, and extensive at that: guitar, bass, lap steel, keys, and vocals are all taken on by Clarke, and done so concisely. Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado lends a hand playing, producing, and mixing, and perhaps giving texture to the vintage sound and overall feel.

Cut Worms plays Meow Wolf this Saturday, May 5, opening for the great King Tuff, who also released a fantastic new album just a couple of weeks back.

Hollow Ground is available Friday, May 4, via Jagjaguwar on compact disc and on vinyl in a standard red vinyl colorway.

gia coin so unabashedly makes for a wonderful record that will ultimately reward more and more familiarity with the material.

Other new releases include: Glitch Mob, Trampled By Turtles, Lacs,

Become a member of the Secret Society record club to get the LP on an exclusive, exceptionally sharp looking black smoke version. Secret Society record club members receive a record a month from the Secretly Group label conglomerate (Secretly Canadian, Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar and others) on limited edition, members only colorways. Vinyl versions come with the requisite digital download on your choice of various high quality formats (320K MP3, FLAC, or ALAC).

Recommended for fans of Sonny & the Sunsets, Mark Sultan, Shannon and the Clams, the Hollies, Jackson Browne, and Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs.

—— Jon E. Lynch KDUR_PD@fortlewis.edu

Parkway Drive, Iceage, Horse Feathers, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Belly, Frank Turner, Thy Catafalque, Dimmu Borgir, Lake Street Dive, Shinedown, Matt and Kim, Brian Eno, and Mat Kearney.

—— Cooper Stapleton

Shakey Graves,“Can’t Wake Up” A warning from Twitter had Alejandro Rose-Garcia, who performs folk music as Shakey Graves, telling his followers to “sell (their) suspenders,” and while the shake-up of his sound isn’t the suspender-shattering change that tweet led many to believe was coming, Shakey Graves has still grown over the course of a bunch of free releases and mixtapes and has become an artist doing much more than just quiet folk music. These recordings are dense, with layers and layers of instrumentation that has more in common with War On Drugs’ latest album than anything Bob Dylan ever put out. There is a simultaneous joviality and melancholy to a lot of these songs, which is a testament to Rose-Garcia’s writing abilities. Being able to flip to both sides of the nostal-

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����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, May 3, 2018 | 9

[beer]

Mexican beer is muy popular.

Here’s why Sure, Cinco de Mayo is here and you’re probably thinking there’s no better time to fiesta than now. And what better way than to get a twelver of Corona or Modelo, or if you want to do it Durango-style, as much Mexican Logger as you can fit in the back of your Toyota Tacoma.

While cracking open a Modelo Negra or Sol might be the perfect Cinco de Mayo beverage this side of tequila, Mexican beers have been surging in year-round popularity for years.

adding Mexican brands to their lineups. Last year, MillerCoors acquired the pale lager Sol from Heineken, which already had the more popular Tecate and Dos Equis in its portfolio.

In 2017, five of the 10 top-selling U.S. beer imports were of Mexican brands, including the top two – Corona with $2.1 billion in sales (fifth place in all U.S. beer sales), and Modelo Especial, with $1.62 billion (seventh overall), according to Information Resources Inc., a Chicago market research company. In 2016, Mexican beer sales in the U.S. rose 13.7 percent, causing the world’s biggest macro-brewers to continue

While the surging popularity of Mexican beers can be attributed to a variety of factors – changing Hispanic demographics, a growing nationwide demand for lighter beers, and clever and targeted marketing campaigns (Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World, and Corona’s ubiquitous dialogue-free ads full of beaches

A brief history of Mexican beer When you pop the top of that clear bottle with its all-butclear contents, low IBU, less-than-mild but all-too refreshing flavor, you might not have realized you were drinking German beer.

But before that – yes, there was a time before beer in Mexico – when more native adult beverages like pulque or tesgüino, made from fermented agave or corn, ruled. Though beer as we know it has been brewed in Mexico since the 1500s – its production and distribution limited by European colonialists and limited supplies – the evolution of Mexican beer didn’t gain momentum until the mid-1800s, when German immigrants began making their way south. Soon, brands such as Victoria, which claims to be the oldest beer in Mexico, began popping up. Getting their inspiration from darker Vienna styles, captured in Mexico today in a beer like Modelo Negra, they were bit different from what we now know as a Mexican-style lager.

With the expansion of the railroad came the import of brewing supplies and ingredients but also competition from U.S. brewers. Though U.S. Prohibition in the 1920s was a win for Mexican breweries near the border, increased competition forced consolidation and mergers that lasted into the 21st century, with AB InBev now owning basically every Mexican beer you can readily find around here, including Corona, Pacifico, and Modelo.

—— David Holub

Continued on Page 11

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David Holub/DGO

Mexican beer taste test: Pick one and be refreshed Let’s face it, most Mexican beers available around here are all but indistinguishable from the next, especially those in Grupo Modelo’s portfolio. With few exceptions, anyone who claims one to be superior to the other likely thinks Bud Lite mops the floor with Coors Light. Mexican beers are more about lifestyle, nostalgia, and a summer that never ends. Pick one and ye shall be refreshed.

Victoria

Pacifico

Style: Vienna lager

Style: American adjunct lager

ABV: 4.0 percent Color: Deep amber

ABV: 4.5 percent

Brewery: Groupo Modelo

Color: Pale gold

Notes: Claims to be the oldest beer in Mexico. On the bitter side for a Mexican beer, with a slight maltiness and more flavor than other Mexican lagers.

Corona Familiar

Estrella Jalisco

Sesión Cerveza Style: Light lager

Modelo Negra

Style: Vienna lager

Style: American adjunct lager

ABV: 4.5 percent

Style: Amber lager

Color: Pale gold

ABV: 5.4 percent

Brewery: Full Sail Brewing Co.

Color: Amber-brown

ABV: 4.8 percent Color: Pale gold

ABV: 4.0 percent

Brewery: Groupo Modelo

Brewery: Groupo Modelo

Color: Pale gold

Notes: Beyond its slight grainy sweetness, similar to other light Mexican lagers.

Notes: Corona Familiar might seem quite, ahem, familiar if you’ve had a Corona Extra.

Brewery: Groupo Modelo Notes: The least flavor and lightest of the bunch with a mild grain/corn flavor at the top.

From Page 10

2. Mexican beer is the product of its food culture

and hammocks) – I’d like to argue a few other reasons why Mexican beers and their derivatives currently occupy my favorite section of the beer aisle.

Think about Mexican food: Spicy, bold flavors invite a beer that can not only cut through some of that spiciness, but doesn’t simultaneously overwhelm them with additional complex flavors. And being so light, one can easily integrate a Mexican lager into their six-item combination plate and not feel too full.

1. It has just the right amount of flavor And by that, I mean “not a lot.” With most of the Mexican beers you can get around here, you’d be hardpressed to find anything over-hopped, or with much hop flavor at all. In Mexico, where even the dark styles are relatively light and refreshing, beers tend to be sweeter, grainier, and less bitter. It seems like an unspoken rule that every description of a Mexican beer include the word “crisp.” What does all this add up to? Easy drinking.

3. And a product of its climate Ever feel like a tall, malty stout after mowing the lawn? Ever pound one spicy Belgian after another during a breezy summer corn hole tournament? Ever kick back on a river tube and reach into that trailing cooler for an Imperial red? Not only are Mexican

Notes: Another craft brewery joins the Mexican beer trend. Most flavorful of the bunch with subtle citrus notes and a corn graininess you’d expect in a Mexican-style lager.

Brewery: Groupo Modelo Notes: Malty caramel flavor and dark color make this one stand on its own against most other Mexican lagers.

—— David Holub

beers typically low ABV for those extended sun sessions, but when it’s essentially summer all year, light, crisp, and refreshing is often the right choice.

4. You can buy macro-beer and not feel so ashamed Show up to a party with Budwesier or Miller Lite in a craft-centric town like Durango and you could be asked to leave. Come with some Hoegaarden or Harp and you might be labeled a Euro-snob. Occupy space in a cooler with Heineken or Beck’s and people will say, “Why not just bring some Modelo?” Why? Because everyone likes Mexican beer. That’s just the way it is.

—— David Holub

��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, May 3, 2018 | 11

DURANGO’S

WHEELED WONDERS Funk meets function on Durango’s badass bike scene

»» Rick Elliott rides his vintage Hawthorn Hercules outside Durango Cyclery.

By Jessie O’Brien, intro by Angelica Leicht DGO STAFF WRITER

D

urango is home to weirdos, outdoor daredevils, and creatives, so it isn’t surprising that badass bikes – cycles that are cooler, or faster, or more unique – have always been popular with locals. These function-meets-fashion bikes tend to mirror the rider’s personality and interests, and act as a rolling example of just how interesting your wheels of steel can be.

Here are a just a few of the unique bikes terrorizing Durango’s mean streets. Maybe next time, someone will let us ride on their pegs.

Paperboy Throwback Rick Elliott opened up the Durango Cyclery bike repair shop in the early 1980s, but he’s been working on bikes since he was a teenager. The Hawthorn Hercules, a bike produced by the British bicycle manufacturer Hercules Cycle and Motor Company Limited, is one of the rarest finds he’s encountered over the years. The name Hercules was chosen for its durability and robustness, and only about 25 of the bikes were produced each week. Elliott was able to restore his Hercules into peddling condition, and these days, the English three-speed shows us how bike culture has changed over the years.

»» Zach Counter with his tall bike in the Animas Airpark.

Photos by David Holub/DGO

version was abandoned in the alley over by the bike shop. It sat there for a long time. It had two feet of snow on top of it.

Who would purchase this bike?

These old English three-speeds are (a) little bit temperamental. You need to have a feel for them to work them right, so you don’t break them while you’re using them. And, also, you need to take care of them because the parts are getting more and more difficult to find. For those reasons, you gotta have to have a love for the old English stuff in order to enjoy one of those, because they are not the most practical vehicle.

Tell us about this vintage bike.

Since you’ve been repairing bikes for so long, how has the industry changed?

It was imported to America by Hawthorne, who made a whole lot of cruiser, paperboy-type bikes from the days when people delivered papers on bikes in the ’50s and ’60s. I believe it’s a Hercules. Most English three-speeds are made

by Raleigh. I have a mens and ladies version of it. The ladies

Here in Durango, when we first opened up, mountain bikes were a specialization, and those days they were called the Outdoorsmans. The mountain biking thing hadn’t quite started. There were people who rode high-performance road Continued on Page 14

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��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, May 3, 2018 | 13

From Page 13

bikes, but most people saw bikes as childrens’ bikes, and there were a few people who used bikes for touring – to load up with gear to ride coast to coast.

When we opened up, bikes were a family thing. Every Christmas, a lucky kid would get a new bike. Most adults viewed bikes as toys kids would use through their high school years, and then they got a car. Bikes have now become very serious adult performance, adventure, exercise, thrill-seeking vehicles.

Cowboy breakfast, lunch, and weekend dinner cafe with great cowboy food,,great cowboy service,,and American cowboy charm!

Bike of Steel Eric Tomczak has more bikes than most people have shoes. Growing up in Durango, he’s been surrounded by bike culture since he was a little kid, but it wasn’t until much later that he discovered his love of mountain bikes.

These days, he makes custom bikes that are as rugged and beautiful as the Colorado terrain at his business, Myth Cycles.

How are Myth bikes different than other mountain bikes you buy at a store?

»» Shannon Cruise soaks in some Americana aside her custom “Frankenbike.” while, but not too often.

So no two are the same?

»» Eric Tomczak tools around on his his custom Myth Cycle he built himself outside the Smiley Building.

Probably the biggest difference is that they’re made here in the United States. (The majority of bikes) that you would see at a bike store are either made in China or Taiwan. It’s the concept of local manufacturing, buying local, and supporting the small business as opposed to the mainstream way of doing things. Also, the material I use is steel, which is not as common in the bike world.

So are you self-taught?

I went to school for welding over in Cortez – a vocational school over there. I’ve been working professionally as a welder for about seven years now, and I always had the intent to build bikes at some point.

I got a job with a guy in town named Ron Andrews, who makes (King Cage) water bottle holders that go on a bike. His thing is really, really high-end water bottle holders. It’s the nicest water bottle holder you can buy.

He was a toolmaker for a lot of the old bike factories back in the ’90s, when a lot of manufacturing was still in the United States. So over the course of working for him for, like, five years, I picked his brain and I built my first frame at his shop. He taught me a lot about the frame-building process, and from there it’s been a lot of (learning) on my own.

How many bikes do you own?

N plus one. N plus one is a joke in the bike world. I have a collection of about probably eight bikes right now that actually function. My wife probably has that many bikes as well, so our tiny house has a lot of bikes in it.

Towering Two-Wheeler Zach Counter is a metal worker at Durango’s Carbon Form Design, where he churns out everything from custom furniture to electrolysis art. As an avid cyclist, Counter like to blend his metalworking skills with his passion for bikes to make Frankenstein bikes, including the crowd-pleasing tall bike, which is much what it sounds like... but cooler. Tall bike fanatics construct bikes that are much taller than normal from an amalgam of spare parts, and typically attach two conventional bicycle frames with one on top the other. The drive train is then connected to the upper set of pedals, and the controls are moved to the upper handlebar area. Got all that?

Tell me about tall bikes There are bike clubs in New York and Quebec and bigger cities. C.H.U.N.K. 666, which is the name of one bike club out of Philly, has been building them for a long time. Some of the first people who may have built them (in 1999) are these these dudes called the Zenga Bros. They are Canadian. They lived on a farm.

They were really rural, and they were building tall bikes just because.

How do you get on one?

Like a horse – depending on the height – but like normal double-decker, (you use) a nice fluid movement.

Tall bikes are not practical. What’s the purpose?

Fun. Pure enjoyment. They’re really fun to ride, and once you get on them, it rides like a normal bike. It’s

just pure entertainment. It’s really fun to bring it somewhere in the summer where there’s a bunch of people and letting everybody try it. They smile and laugh or eat shit. Some guy was insistent upon riding when he was super hammered on St Patrick’s Day one year. He ran into a car.

Do you sell these?

It’s a cultural thing that I can’t sell. It’s like, to ride them you gotta, like, be part of it, you know? Ride it, sure, but I’m not selling. I would never sell one as a product. Like, some Chad from Fort Lewis College, who is like, ‘Oh bro, I’ll pay you a bunch of money.’ It’s your mom’s money. No.

Custom Style You’ve probably seen Seth Shank behind the barista counter at Ernie’s, but bike enthusiasts will recognize him by his custom J. Livingston bike, which is often parked right outside the coffee shop as he pulls shots and makes pour overs for the morning caffeine rush.

Shank’s J. Livingston bike is a stylish custom commuter bicycle made in Bend, Oregon, from repurposed steel bikes that were built in the ’70s and ’80s. It’s a rare find, especially in Durango.

Can you tell me about the J. Livingston?

It’s a company out of Bend, Oregon. They recycle old frames, so they take trek frames for cruiser frames or anything and they put new parts on it. They re-powder coat it, re-paint it, put their logo on it, and then they make it their own. So it’s all, like, super customized to their specs. You’ll see one every once in a

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Correct. So every time you see a J. Livingston bike, it’s always different.

There’s not another bike out there like it.

How did you get into the bike culture?

I grew up in Salida, Colorado, and Salida is very bike-friendly. It’s a small town, and you get to ride your bike anywhere, everywhere. Basically, I went like three months without ever driving in my car, so whenever I can ride my bike, I will. I love riding, especially in the mornings.

Do you use it as a normal mode of transportation around here?

Definitely, yeah. This summer, it’s a goal of of mine to ride my bike 90 percent of the year. It’s just a handful of days driving. I can ride my bike to work. It’s about six miles a day, seven miles a day.

Does your bike reflect your personality in any way?

I hope it does. I like more adventurous bikes. I like being fun with it, customizing it to match your personality style.

Yeah, I think it’s fun.

functional. Her love of bike culture started back in college, when she had an old cruiser that she would take with her everywhere. She’s stuck with the bicycle lifestyle ever since.

Tell me about your bike It’s an upgraded generation of the one that I had in college. I got a bike from the (Durango) Cyclery. It’s one of the lemonade bikes that Jon (Bailey) put together for me. People drop off old bikes and the cyclery makes Frankenbikes. They take all these different parts and put them together with new chains, new housing, and all of that.

They try to make them cost effective for people who don’t have a lot of money. You can get a pretty nice bike for $200.

Did you name your bike?

My mountain bike’s name is Wanda (from the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”). She’s a middle-age lady who tries to break out of her patterns and try new things, so she nicknamed herself Wanda. That was her power name.

I see my mountain bike as that because I want to do crazy stuff, but, ‘Oohh, that is kinda scary I could break my arm.’ So being wild, but under the guise of still wanting to be a responsible adult.

The Lemonade bike

Do you think you ride a cruiser because of your last name?

The gold-painted, black-polka-dotted cruiser is a bubbly reflection of art teacher Shannon Cruise’s personality.

Both Cruise and her bike, which she’s coined a “Frankenbike,” are wild yet

I would guess that is true. I have a little tattoo of my (college) cruiser bike. It was my get around for most of college.

Rain, snow, or shine. We had a close relationship. That one was Old Blue.

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��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, May 3, 2018 | 15

From Page 13

bikes, but most people saw bikes as childrens’ bikes, and there were a few people who used bikes for touring – to load up with gear to ride coast to coast.

When we opened up, bikes were a family thing. Every Christmas, a lucky kid would get a new bike. Most adults viewed bikes as toys kids would use through their high school years, and then they got a car. Bikes have now become very serious adult performance, adventure, exercise, thrill-seeking vehicles.

Bike of Steel Eric Tomczak has more bikes than most people have shoes. Growing up in Durango, he’s been surrounded by bike culture since he was a little kid, but it wasn’t until much later that he discovered his love of mountain bikes.

These days, he makes custom bikes that are as rugged and beautiful as the Colorado terrain at his business, Myth Cycles.

How are Myth bikes different than other mountain bikes you buy at a store?

»» Eric Tomczak tools around on his his custom Myth Cycle he built himself outside the Smiley Building.

Probably the biggest difference is that they’re made here in the United States. (The majority of bikes) that you would see at a bike store are either made in China or Taiwan. It’s the concept of local manufacturing, buying local, and supporting the small business as opposed to the mainstream way of doing things. Also, the material I use is steel, which is not as common in the bike world.

So are you self-taught?

I went to school for welding over in Cortez – a vocational school over there. I’ve been working professionally as a welder for about seven years now, and I always had the intent to build bikes at some point.

I got a job with a guy in town named Ron Andrews, who makes (King Cage) water bottle holders that go on a bike. His thing is really, really high-end water bottle holders. It’s the nicest water bottle holder you can buy.

He was a toolmaker for a lot of the old bike factories back in the ’90s, when a lot of manufacturing was still in the United States. So over the course of working for him for, like, five years, I picked his brain and I built my first frame at his shop. He taught me a lot about the frame-building process, and from there it’s been a lot of (learning) on my own.

How many bikes do you own?

N plus one. N plus one is a joke in the bike world. I have a collection of about probably eight bikes right now that actually function. My wife probably has that many bikes as well, so our tiny house has a lot of bikes in it.

Towering Two-Wheeler Zach Counter is a metal worker at Durango’s Carbon Form Design, where he churns out everything from custom furniture to electrolysis art. As an avid cyclist, Counter like to blend his metalworking skills with his passion for bikes to make Frankenstein bikes, including the crowd-pleasing tall bike, which is much what it sounds like... but cooler. Tall bike fanatics construct bikes that are much taller than normal from an amalgam of spare parts, and typically attach two conventional bicycle frames with one on top the other. The drive train is then connected to the upper set of pedals, and the controls are moved to the upper handlebar area. Got all that?

Tell me about tall bikes There are bike clubs in New York and Quebec and bigger cities. C.H.U.N.K. 666, which is the name of one bike club out of Philly, has been building them for a long time. Some of the first people who may have built them (in 1999) are these these dudes called the Zenga Bros. They are Canadian. They lived on a farm.

They were really rural, and they were building tall bikes just because.

How do you get on one?

Like a horse – depending on the height – but like normal double-decker, (you use) a nice fluid movement.

Tall bikes are not practical. What’s the purpose?

Fun. Pure enjoyment. They’re really fun to ride, and once you get on them, it rides like a normal bike. It’s

just pure entertainment. It’s really fun to bring it somewhere in the summer where there’s a bunch of people and letting everybody try it. They smile and laugh or eat shit. Some guy was insistent upon riding when he was super hammered on St Patrick’s Day one year. He ran into a car.

Do you sell these?

It’s a cultural thing that I can’t sell. It’s like, to ride them you gotta, like, be part of it, you know? Ride it, sure, but I’m not selling. I would never sell one as a product. Like, some Chad from Fort Lewis College, who is like, ‘Oh bro, I’ll pay you a bunch of money.’ It’s your mom’s money. No.

Custom Style You’ve probably seen Seth Shank behind the barista counter at Ernie’s, but bike enthusiasts will recognize him by his custom J. Livingston bike, which is often parked right outside the coffee shop as he pulls shots and makes pour overs for the morning caffeine rush.

Shank’s J. Livingston bike is a stylish custom commuter bicycle made in Bend, Oregon, from repurposed steel bikes that were built in the ’70s and ’80s. It’s a rare find, especially in Durango.

Can you tell me about the J. Livingston?

It’s a company out of Bend, Oregon. They recycle old frames, so they take trek frames for cruiser frames or anything and they put new parts on it. They re-powder coat it, re-paint it, put their logo on it, and then they make it their own. So it’s all, like, super customized to their specs. You’ll see one every once in a

14 | Thursday, May 3, 2018 • • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Cowboy breakfast, lunch, and weekend dinner cafe with great cowboy food,,great cowboy service,,and American cowboy charm! »» Shannon Cruise soaks in some Americana aside her custom “Frankenbike.” while, but not too often.

So no two are the same?

Correct. So every time you see a J. Livingston bike, it’s always different.

There’s not another bike out there like it.

How did you get into the bike culture?

I grew up in Salida, Colorado, and Salida is very bike-friendly. It’s a small town, and you get to ride your bike anywhere, everywhere. Basically, I went like three months without ever driving in my car, so whenever I can ride my bike, I will. I love riding, especially in the mornings.

Do you use it as a normal mode of transportation around here?

Definitely, yeah. This summer, it’s a goal of of mine to ride my bike 90 percent of the year. It’s just a handful of days driving. I can ride my bike to work. It’s about six miles a day, seven miles a day.

Does your bike reflect your personality in any way?

I hope it does. I like more adventurous bikes. I like being fun with it, customizing it to match your personality style.

Yeah, I think it’s fun.

functional. Her love of bike culture started back in college, when she had an old cruiser that she would take with her everywhere. She’s stuck with the bicycle lifestyle ever since.

Tell me about your bike It’s an upgraded generation of the one that I had in college. I got a bike from the (Durango) Cyclery. It’s one of the lemonade bikes that Jon (Bailey) put together for me. People drop off old bikes and the cyclery makes Frankenbikes. They take all these different parts and put them together with new chains, new housing, and all of that.

They try to make them cost effective for people who don’t have a lot of money. You can get a pretty nice bike for $200.

Did you name your bike?

My mountain bike’s name is Wanda (from the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”). She’s a middle-age lady who tries to break out of her patterns and try new things, so she nicknamed herself Wanda. That was her power name.

I see my mountain bike as that because I want to do crazy stuff, but, ‘Oohh, that is kinda scary I could break my arm.’ So being wild, but under the guise of still wanting to be a responsible adult.

The Lemonade bike

Do you think you ride a cruiser because of your last name?

The gold-painted, black-polka-dotted cruiser is a bubbly reflection of art teacher Shannon Cruise’s personality.

Both Cruise and her bike, which she’s coined a “Frankenbike,” are wild yet

I would guess that is true. I have a little tattoo of my (college) cruiser bike. It was my get around for most of college.

Rain, snow, or shine. We had a close relationship. That one was Old Blue.

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��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, May 3, 2018 | 15

[ weed ] Seeing Through the Smoke Christopher Gallagher

Now is the time to fight for the plant “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities.

We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

John Erhlichman,

W

Harper’s, April

e are living in a revelatory era.

The rise of the Internet has made information that would have been “completely obscured” or “seen by a select few” widely available. This information now has an outlet (or a million little outlets) to show itself, in full naked glory, to anyone in the world with a modem or wi-fi access. It is in this wild environment that John Ehrlichman’s admission of the modern day “war on drugs” was divulged to American society at large, not only in the glossy pages of the nation’s second-oldest continuously published magazine, but also to nearly every web page with an interest in cannabis or cannabis reform (14,300 results in a 0.73 second Google search).

This is the type of information that changes public opinion. Believers in the harmless efficacy of cannabis have always taken a position that highlights the injustice of the laws that govern weed.

There is ample evidence of how problematic these laws are, but most of that business went down in the 1930s, and the events that have passed in the meantime make it seem like another era entirely, one set too far away to matter to contemporary culture. But the fact is, “marihuana” laws have and continue to be, right up to this very day, a cudgel that is used by The Man to beat down those who would disagree with the will of politicians and the law enforcement community. Can you dig it?

The casting of cannabis users as outlaws who lack morals began with Harry J. Aslinger casting jazz musicians as “neither fish nor fowl,” and segued into the Nixonian era of corrupt government manipulating public opinion. It continues with the modern tactics that often begin with traffic stops, and culminates with citizens skewered on the three-pronged devil’s fork of racial profiling, private prisons, and asset forfeiture.

But, there is cause for optimism, and it is no longer out there on the distant horizon. The USS

Colossal Sanders for DGO

Hope is entering the harbor, guided by a couple of Corys – Senator Cory Gardner, from the Centennial state’s 4th District, and Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey. It was Gardner who showed moxie in January by standing up to Attorney General Sessions’ decision to rescind the Cole memo by holding up every Department of Justice nomination that crossed his committee’s path. It created a backlog deep enough to force President Trump to take notice and assure him that the federal government would not interfere with Colorado’s right to determine its own cannabis laws. Booker has introduced legislation, the Marijuana Justice Act, that would not only end federal cannabis prohibition, but also expunge certain marijuana convictions, establish programs to counterbalance the social costs from decades of unfair cannabis policies, create opportunities for employment and education in communities unfairly

affected by current laws, and financially penalize states that refuse to change with the times.

This bill, and its companion in the House of Representatives, has attracted serious support in the halls of Congress. Lawmakers coast to coast, guided by the will of their constituents, have finally begun to come around to the fundamental corruption foisted upon us by dishonest men, and may work toward remedying these unjust laws.

Now is the time for those of us who care to force the issue. Take a few minutes to show your elected officials that we will no longer stand for a system that has been exposed as fundamentally discriminatory, DGO – the time is now.

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

16 | Thursday, May 3, 2018 • • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[review]

Limoncello, the perfect strain for pain relief (and sleep!)

This was week we have the Limoncello strain up for review. Fair warning: You should know that in this review, I’m going to divulge more about myself than you want to know, so if you are not interested in hearing about my jacked up immune system, just halt right here. But if you are a person who suffers from a weird medical ailment, or you don’t find my GI tract talk offensive, you should stick around.

There are ebbs and flows with symptoms, and this week, things have been pretty freaking rough. Over the weekend, my entire body started to hurt, and because I think I have superpowers, I ignored it. Well, that landed me in the emergency room for a CT scan and a couple of bags of IV fluids.

I was in pain, totally dehydrated, and hadn’t slept in what felt like an eternity.

I was a damn wreck.

You’re probably asking yourself what my intestines have to do with a review of Limoncello, a hybrid cannabis strain that smells and tastes a bit like the lemony liquor it’s named after. Well, a lot, actually.

The pharmaceutical options for IBD span from biologics, which stop your immune system, to corticosteroids, which are a temporary fix. There is evidence that cannabis can help the gut inflammation from Crohn’s, so I often try to temper the pain from flares with edibles or flower because, well, it helps. Since I had this review to do, I grabbed the Limoncello and crossed my fingers.

All I can say is thank the gods for this strain. Not only does it offer a potent head and body high – both good distractions when you’re bloody miserable – it can also act as an ef-

Details Where to find Limoncello: Prohibition Herb, 1185 Camino Del Rio, 970-385-8622, prohibitionherb. com Price: Currently cultivated for recreational and medical; available on recreational for $38.50 an eighth Caveats: Prohibition Herb provided this sample for review purposes, but never gives us a bribe for our reviews. Even when we ask nicely.

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fective pain reliever. A couple of deep inhales and the stomach cramping, which had me doubled over in selfpity the night before, was pretty darn tolerable. I even managed to fall asleep. I had to ignore the munchies (apparently I only get clear liquids for now), but everything else finally felt all right.

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That’s huge, you guys. If you suffer from some dumb chronic medical malady, you know relief can be hard to find.

When you find it, it’s like discovering a unicorn. Limoncello is my unicorn.

So, sorry about the gut talk, but it’s important. If you happen to be dealing with something similar, know that your friendly pot writer feels you. Next time things get bad, it might be worth grabbing some Limoncello. Maybe it’ll help, maybe it won’t.

Diseases are weird, and there aren’t blanket solutions. But it helped me, so maybe it’ll help you, too.

And for the rest of you, I promise not to talk about my guts next week.

Maybe. I’ll try.

—— DGO Pufnstuf

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Bank of the San Juans

HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE Alley

E 8th St

Still here? Great. I hadn’t wanted to discuss this topic in print, but since I’m not the only person in Durango suffering from a chronic illness, I’m coming clean. I have Crohn’s Disease, one of the two irritable bowel diseases that affect an estimated 3 million people in the United States. It causes inflammation of the digestive tract, amongst other not-fun symptoms, and it sucks. Sometimes I have easy weeks.

Sometimes I have really rough weeks.

My body is a total jerk.

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[advice]

Life Hax | Carolyn Hax

My dating life is a Taylor Swift song. Help!

A few years ago, my husband passed away young.

I just started dating a great guy; he got divorced about the same time I became a widow.

marriage failed, more to do with her, but he wasn’t blameless. Now he’s married to a fabulous woman, and there are two adorable babies as well.

It’s pretty obvious one of his close friends has a major thing for him. She texts him constantly. When we are all hanging out, she is really clingy and uses a lot of inside jokes. She is separated with two young kids and it’s pretty clear she thought she was going to be with my boyfriend.

So I see him doing the same kinds of things as before, and wife No. 2 has shared with me her growing frustration. They’ve done some couple’s counseling, but it’s erratic. He promises to do things differently but then doesn’t follow through. His wife has bent over backward to come up with solutions around their issues – she is really trying.

He handles this really well, talks to her but doesn’t lead her on, is totally transparent the entire time.

I’m not worried about him cheating. I’m just tired of the dynamic in the group. Everybody else just ignores her and thinks this will run its course. I would much rather address it.

I told my boyfriend I want to pull her aside and ask her to cool it around him because it makes me uncomfortable. He said it’s totally up to me if I want to do that, he would support me, but is on record that he thinks giving it more attention is a bad idea.

What do you think?

Tired of the Dynamic Yeah ... no. Bad idea. Presumably she clings to him because she believes he’ll eventually come around to her – when he finally realizes she’s the right one for him.

I see her frustration increasing a lot; I don’t know how much more time she’s willing to put into this.

I KNOW this isn’t my marriage, I KNOW they are adults, but would it be completely terrible if I had a private talk with my son and pointed out how close he is to losing everything? Or should I just butt out and be there to pick up the pieces when things fall apart?

Worried Mom Parents have outsize power, so they must be mindful of that and know their place, especially since it changes over the course of their children’s lives.

Their place when children are grown is not to avoid using that power altogether, though – not necessarily. It’s to use it judiciously and unselfishly.

The moment you step into that vision of hers as the person actively trying to keep her away – to keep him from the life with her that is his destiny – then you will only confirm for her that you’re nothing but the huge mistake he’s making instead of dating her. (Yes, this is a Taylor Swift song.)

If you were to speak up here, it would not be because you want your son to do X or Y to please you.

It would be purely for him: to wake him up to the soon-to-be runaway train of his wife’s frustration, and to the consequences of his not cooperating fully in calming things down.

Even if that’s an exaggerated or unfair interpretation of the way she feels, the absolute last thing you want is for her to see YOU as the reason they’re not dating. HE’S the reason they’re not dating, because he isn’t interested in her, and that message needs to be as clear as possible.

As always when meddling like this, you get to use your power clearly, compassionately, where it really counts, and only once. “It’s your life, but it’s also our shared history, so humor me. Your wife is trying to get your attention and close to losing her patience.

She has said as much, but I’d seen it myself.

If indeed he “handles this really well,” then you should take your own word for it and let it play out.

I do think if the clinging continues, though, then at some point (soon?) he will have to crank the truth to a volume she can hear and say outright, discreetly, he’s not interested – for her sake, not yours, to spare her the mounting humiliation.

Since your motives compromise you, admit that upfront when you suggest he might need a Plan B. I am very concerned about my adult son and his relationship with his second wife.

Bear with me – I know he’s an adult! But: His first

“If she does lose it, then you lose everything.

“It would be on my conscience if that happened because you didn’t see it coming. So, I’m speaking up.

But now it’s up to you.”

my grandson will be playing again next summer.

I told my son I’m appalled he’d expose his son to another injury like that, and my son ignored my opinion. I also called my daughter-in-law to try to get her to talk some sense into my son and she also pretty much ignored me.

I know most of the time you tell parents to butt out of things like this but isn’t there an exception when we’re talking about a grandchild’s physical health?

I just can’t believe my son and his wife – who are usually good parents – would let their son continue to play a sport after he’s already been badly hurt playing it.

Appalled If it were my son, and if he loved the sport enough to want to keep playing it, then I would let him play it.

(Full disclosure: My kids play ice hockey, soccer and baseball.)

A serious head injury warrants a serious consideration of the risks, of course, and if it were one of the sports that involved repetitive head impact, then I could see wanting to step in as a grandparent to say, “Wait, are you sure?!” But while baseball has its dangers like any sport involving a high-speed projectile, a head injury is more of a fluke than a certainty and so I’d feel better leaving it entirely to parents to decide.

One caveat: If the boy is playing only/mostly because his daddy is smitten with baseball, then that supersedes a lot of what I just wrote. If that’s true AND the boy isn’t good at baseball and a lack of skill/ coordination is why he got beaned, then that wipes it all out.

It still doesn’t supersede the parent’s prerogative, though. It just means a grandparent gets to say, once: “If the boy wants this, then I understand, but if it’s more about your wanting it for him, then I hope you’ll reconsider. A kid who isn’t all-in is more likely to get hurt again.”

Then you butt out – and hope there’s no more falling apart to clean up.

“Good parents,” by the way, wouldn’t try to relive their favorite childhood sport vicariously through their child – so if they are in fact good parents as you say, then maybe it’s time to take the “usually” modifier away and trust their judgment on this.

My son has always loved baseball and now that he’s grown he coaches his son’s baseball team. This past summer my grandson got hit in the head with a ball and was knocked unconscious, and he didn’t play for the rest of the season. I assumed he was done playing baseball, but my son told me last week that

Carolyn Hax is a syndicated advice columnist for The Washington Post. She started her advice column in 1997, after five years as a copy editor and news editor in Style and none as a therapist. Email her at tellme@ washpost.com.

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[happening]

DGO’s picks in and around Durango Wine weekend The Durango Wine Experience is back for its 12th year, and they’re bringing the booze – i.e. wine samples from dozens of varieties and vineyards under the tent at Smiley building courtyard. Check out seminars, food tastings, and test just how refined your palate really is at the Battle Royal Rosé. Participants will blind taste-test nine glasses of the pink stuff to determine where they originate.

Whoever gets the most correct takes home $200 worth of prizes.

Details: May 3-5, $100 for the weekend pass, various times, various locations, durangowineexperience.com

Local laughs The Next Best Comic summer stand-up series will kick off this week, and lucky you, it kicks off with two shows back to back. The series will feature 12 regional comics who will compete for the hearts, guttural laughs, and votes of Durango locals.

Details: May 4, $20 for both shows, 6:15 p.m., Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave., facebook.com/comedyshowcasedurango

Springtime celebration Come celebrate the bees and spring at the 10th annual Dandelion Festival at Rotary Park. The event will feature live music, killer kids activities, educational classes, healing workshops, vendors, dandelion beer, and local bites, including dandelion ice cream. This event supports organic land stewardship practices and health for the honey bees in La Plata County.

Details: May 4-5, free, 1 p.m., Rotary Park, turtlelakerefuge.org

Thumb wars Are you the one who sure plays a mean pinball? Well, you should stretch your digits for the Four Corners Flipoff pinball tournament at Ska Brewing. Pinball wizards are heading to Durango from all over to compete for $500 and the title of Flip-off Champion. Dibs on the Addams Family pinball machine.

Details: May 5-6, entry fees start at $5, 11 a.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St., ifpinball.com

Power lunch Are you a leader? Or do you want to be? Well, you should come network with the other young professionals at Lunches With Leaders. There will be a discussion with local mover and shaker Ann Morse, food, and the opportunity to connect with others in the community.

Details: May 8, $15, 11:30 a.m, Ore House, 147 E. College Drive, web.durangobusiness.org

Thursday Poetry, Memory & Childhood with Jodie Hollander, 10 a.m., $75,

Weehawken Ridgway: The Old School House, 1075 Sherman St. Montezuma County Republican Central Committee Meeting,

noon, Free; purchase of lunch is encouraged., Shiloh Steakhouse, 5 S Veach St. Anasazi Heritage Center Curation Tours, 2

p.m., Free, Anasazi Heritage Center, 27501 Colorado Highway 184, 882-5600.

Durango Montessori Elementary School Open House Events,

3:30 p.m., Free, Smiley Building, 1309 East Third Ave., 382-9593.

Meet Denkai Animal Sanctuary, 4 p.m., Free,

Cortez Public Library, 202 N Park St. Jason Thies performs,

5 p.m., Durango Brewing Co., 247-3396.

four hours of volunteer time with Trails 2000 prior to June 15., Trails 2000, Details will be emailed upon registration.

11 a.m., $15, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive, 799-2281.

derson Fine Arts Center Art Gallery, 4601 College Blvd.

Four Corners Flip-Off Pinball Tournament,

Nathan Lund & Next Best Comic in the Four Corners, 6 p.m., $10-$20.

11 a.m., $5-$20. For those not on Facebook, please email DurangoPinball@ gmail.com for more info!, Ska Brewing Co., 225 Girard St., 247-5792.

Early Show: $10 Late Show: $15 Both Shows: $20 FINAL Show: $20, Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave., 3757160.

San Juan College Band Concert, 7 p.m.,

Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors, Henderson Fine Arts Center - San Juan College, 4601 College Blvd., 505-566-3464.

MerelyPlayers presents Man of La Mancha, 7 p.m., $26, Durango

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

Summer Comedy Series, 7 p.m., $10-$15. 7 p.m.

Conversational ASL (American Sign Language), 5:30 p.m., Free,

Pine River Public Library, 395 Bayfield Center Dr., 8842222.

One-Man Show with Edward Aldrich - Exhibition, All Day, Free, Sorrel

Mancos School Bands - Spring Concert 2018,

Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave., 247-3555.

5MinuteBack Yoga Classes, 7 p.m., $150,

Spinal Reflex Institute, Intl., 1401 Main Ave Suite A.

Saturday Trail Crew Leader Training, 8 a.m., Cost:

Free to those who commit to four hours of volunteer time with Trails 2000 prior to June 15., Trails 2000, Details will be emailed upon registration.

Robert Webster, 7 p.m., Free, 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave.

Saturday Market, 8 a.m.,

Local Art & Open Mic,

Annual Poker Ride, 8

7:30 p.m., Free, Balcony Backstage, 600 Main Ave., Suite 205.

Free, Pion Hills Community Church, 5101 N. Dustin Ave. a.m., Free, Sage Hen Area at McPhee Reservoir across dam.

Friday

1st Annual Farm Field Day, 9 a.m., $5 per person or

Mancos Public Library BookSale, 10 a.m.,

$10 per car, Old Fort Lewis, 18683 Hwy. 140.

Free, Mancos Public Library, 211 E. 1st St., 533-7600,.

Mancos Public Library BookSale, 10 a.m.,

STEAM Lab, 3:30 p.m., Free, Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., 3753380.

Free, Mancos Public Library, 211 E. 1st St., 533-7600.

Walk About Wine Experience, 4 p.m., Free, R

a.m., the entry fee for the Color Run is $25 for adults; $15 for students. The Spring Fling is free!, Eagle Park, 1199 Bayfield Parkway.

Space Coworking, 734 E 2nd Ave, , Trail Crew Leader Training, 5 p.m., Cost:

Free to those who commit to

Julius Ceasar by the National Theatre Live,

A Day at the Races Art Exhibit, 5 p.m., Free, Hen-

Next Best Comic: $10, 9 p.m.

Nathan Lund & Friends: $15 BOTH SHOWS: $20, Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave., 375-7160.

7 p.m., $3-$5. $3 per person, $5 per family, K-12 students are free, Mancos Performance Center, 395 W. Grand Ave.

Main Ave.

Bayfield PTSA Spring Fling & Color Run!, 10

Henry Stoy, 11 a.m., Free,

Jean Pierrre Bakery, 601

Community Wildfire Mitigation Fair, noon,

Free, Forest Lakes Community Center, 998 Alpine Forest Drive.

Panorama Concertina: Artful Bookmaking with Alicia Bailey,

1 p.m., $70, Weehawken Ridgway: The Old School House, 1075 Sherman St. DandeLion Festival, 1 p.m., Free, Rotary Park, 1565 East Second Ave. MerelyPlayers presents Man of La Mancha, 1 p.m., $26, Durango

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

Dancing with the Durango Stars 2018, 5:30

p.m., $40, Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave., 3757160.

Cinco de Mayo with The Wild Rose Gang,

6 p.m., Free, Macho’s Fast Mexican Food, 1485 Florida Road.

One-Man Show with Edward Aldrich - Exhibition, All Day, Free, Sorrel

Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave., 247-3555.

Sunday Miniature Diorama Boxes with Alicia Bailey, 10 a.m., $145,

Weehawken Ridgway: The Old School House, 1075 Sherman St. Durango Ukulele Jam,

Monday A Day at the Races Art Exhibit, 10 a.m., Free, Hen-

derson Fine Arts Center Art Gallery, 4601 College Blvd.

One-Man Show with Edward Aldrich - Exhibition, All Day, Free, Sorrel

Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave., 247-3555.

Tuesday Connecting for Conservation Workshop,

8:30 a.m., $0-$45. $45 registration for both days. Free and public presentation on May 8 from 7-9 p.m., Fort Lewis College Student Union, 1000 Rim Drive.

A Day at the Races Art Exhibit, 10 a.m., Free, Hen-

derson Fine Arts Center Art Gallery, 4601 College Blvd.

One-Man Show with Edward Aldrich - Exhibition, All Day, Free, Sorrel

Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave., 247-3555.

Wednesday Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival, 6 a.m., $0-$500. Price

depends on the events that a attendee registers for., Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market St., 565-1151, A Day at the Races Art Exhibit, 10 a.m., Free, Hen-

derson Fine Arts Center Art Gallery, 4601 College Blvd.

The Black Velvet Trio,

5 p.m., Free, Rochester Hotel Garden Bar Stage, 726 East Second Ave. Durango Diaries: Mother’s Day, 5:30 p.m.,

Free, Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio, 259-9234.

One-Man Show with Edward Aldrich - Exhibition, All Day, Free, Sorrel

Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave., 247-3555,

4 p.m., Free, Magpie’s Newsstand Cafe, 707 Main Ave.

Submissions

The Black Velvet Trio,

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

4 p.m., Free, Balcony Bar & Grill, 600 Main Ave., 4228088.

The Bluemoon Ramblers, 7 p.m., Free, Dia-

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

One-Man Show with Edward Aldrich - Exhibition, All Day, Free, Sorrel

Sky Gallery, 828 Main Ave., 247-3555.

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.

��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, May 3, 2018 | 19

Horoscope ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Yippee! A sudden opportunity to travel somewhere will delight you this week.

Ditto for taking a course or getting further education. Admittedly, travel plans are changeable.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) A surprise gift, goodie or favor from someone else might fall into your lap this week. Keep your eyes open because you will benefit – somehow – from the wealth and resources of others. Yes! GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A partner or close friend might surprise you this week. Something will happen that is unexpected. Perhaps he or she will introduce you to someone who is different?

CANCER (June 21 to July 22)

Bizarro

New technology might be introduced where you work this week. For some

reason, your job will undergo a sudden change, and it could be with technology or the introduction of something new and unexpected.

LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) A surprise flirtation might make your heart skip a beat this week. Also, a surprise invitation might come your way.

(Say “yes.”) Parents should be vigilant about their kids.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) A small surprise will affect your home routine this week. It might be someone unexpected at the door, or it might be news from a family member. (Hopefully it’s not a small appliance breaking down!)

LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) This is an exciting week because you’re full of clever, original ideas. You also will meet new faces and see new places. It’s a stimulating week!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Keep an eye on your money because something unexpected might affect your wealth or cash flow. Guard your possessions against loss, theft or damage.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) With the Sun in your sign this week, you feel restless and full of electric energy! You want to do something different. You want to get outdoors! Blue sky overhead!

CA P R I C O R N ( D e c. 2 2 t o Ja n . 1 9 ) You might want to hide or cocoon somewhere this week because you feel you need to get away from it all. Therefore, work alone or behind the scenes if you can.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) A conversation with a female ac-

quaintance could be significant this week. This person might help you shape your future or change your goals.

PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) A boss or parent might surprise you this week. Whatever happens will make you feel rebellious. Don’t take things personally, and don’t quit your day job.

BORN THIS WEEK You value justice and fair play. You have principles. You will help the underdog. Exciting changes and new beginnings await you this year! Now is the time to take the initiative and clarify your goals. What you begin now will unfold in the future because this is the beginning of a new cycle. Your physical strength will increase this year as well. Bonus! © 2018 King Features Syndicate Inc.

Bike Biz Boneshakin’ The first commercially-sold bicycle, which sported the badass moniker the “Boneshaker,” was sold in Paris in 1868, and weighed 80 kg. France also coined the term bicycle, so you can thank them for that, too.

Speed demon The fastest measured speed of a person riding a bicycle on a flat surface is freaking 133.75 kilometers per hour.

And no, it was not you who achieved it.

BMX’n The BMX bike was originally designed in the ’70s as a cheaper alternative to motorcross racing. We say BMX’n is way cooler these days, though.

Proto-typical The mountain bike prototype – you know, those incredibly popular twowheeled leg-powered vehicles that are all over Durango – didn’t emerge until 1977. Since then, the bike shops in the Four Corners have sold a metric ton of them. True facts.

Long Johns The world’s longest bicycle is a whopping 92 feet long, but it still has nothing on the world’s tallest bicycle, which can be found right on the patio at Carver’s Brewing Co.

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[travel]

[local yokels]

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

Coney Island’s weiners in the woods Photos courtesy of Grace Turman Damien

»» Silkscreen prints by Grace Turman Damien.

Printmaker Grace Turman Damien’s symbolic self-portraits »» Local artist expresses her dark side through figurative prints Local printmaker Grace Turman Damien is quick-witted and funny, but her reliefs reveal her dark shadow without being too literal. Turman Damien said her work is typically a reflection of the inner worlds and thoughts she expresses through symbolism. Next month, Turman Damien will be creating Moku Hanga (Japanese woodblock printing) pieces during her residency on Vancouver Island in Duncan, B.C., but you can see her work at Rendezvous Doughnuts and at Sideshow Emporium and Gallery in June.

Tell me about Moku-Hanga It’s harder to carve wood than it is to carve linoleum because it’s softer. The wood has its own life, so there is always going to be more inconsistency until you really master it, because the grain exists. You have to work with that, versus a piece of plastic that is uniform completely all the way through. It also makes your hands tire faster.

What is your usual subject?

Whether I’m carving (a) flower, or some animals, or whatever it is, anything I’m producing is an autobiographical story.

So it always comes back to how I’m seeing things or how I’m reflecting on things, (as) opposed to literal subjects. I have three or four, what I call self-portraits, but they are paintings of mountains and things like that.

Will you share an example of one of you symbolic “self-portraits”?

(A recent piece I made) was a reflection of my domesticity… I was reflecting on what it is like to be someone’s wife and mother and how I feel about that, and how that makes me think about the world, and how that makes me think about myself, and how people think about me… Without being super specific about what (that) image means to me – I’m not really comfortable saying that exactly – but I think you can look at those images, like the skewered rabbit’s feet and go, ‘I think I know what she’s talking about.’ It’s a way for me to create something autobiographical, or a reflection of something I see or feel, without it being anything about me.

—— Jessie O’Brien

Listen. Everybody loves weiners in the woods, which means everybody should LOVE the Coney Island Hot Dog Stand in Bailey, Colorado.

This oddity, built in 1966 in Denver as part of a New York-themed boardwalk, is what it sounds like: It’s a giant hot dog-shaped hot dog stand right in the middle of the wooded mountains.

The developers originally built this hot dog stand as part of their big dreams for a boardwalk in the woods, A chain of Coney Island-themed businesses were meant to accompany the stand, but alas, those plans never came to fruition. So in 1970, they moved the stand to Aspen Park and began schlepping hot dogs from inside a hot dog.

The folks in Aspen Park blew that hot dog stand in 1999, using the real estate for a boring bank instead. But the giant dog is still around, and these days, the hot dog stand resides in Bailey, right outside of Denver on Highway 285. You have to keep your eyes peeled for that giant hot dog peeking its head out of the woods, though, cause it’s easy to fly by and then live your life full of regrets.

This ’60s hot dog diner has become a happy place for everybody, with chili cheese dogs, beer mustard, and some super badass cheese fries to satiate even the pickiest of appetites. They even have beer brats for you fancy-pants patrons.

Who wouldn’t want to eat hot dogs inside of a hot dog in the woods? Nobody, that’s who.

—— Angelica Leicht

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