DGO Official 2021 Summer guide

art entertainment food drink music nightlife May 1-31, 2021

DGO

DGO’s Official 2021 Summer Guide

The COVID pandemic sucks ... but your summer doesn’t have to. dgomag.com

s e u s s

i t o g e v ’ e W

OU: Y S G N I R B THAT Y L H T N O M AN ALT

DGOMAG.COM Editor: Angelica Leicht – aleicht@bcimedia.com SalES: sales@dgomag.com @dgomag

DGO Magazine

STAFF

What’s inside Volume 5 Number 31 — Issue for May 1, 2021

Editor

The Cure...

No really. This drink is the cure.

Angelica Leicht aleicht@bcimedia.com 375-4551

4

Weird news

5

Eat & drink

Urban Social House 5-6 Derailed 7 Happy Hours 13

Design/layout Ryan Brown rbrown@bcimedia.com

Between the spicy vodka and the bubbly brut, this drink the cure for what ails ya — which is why it’s dubbed “The Cure” at Derailed Pour House.

Pretty stinkin’ clever if you ask us.

Contributors Erin Brandt Megan Bianco Amanda Push Reader Services 375-4570 Chief Executive Officer Douglas Bennett V.P. of Advertising Jamie Opalenik

Angelica Leicht for DGO Mag

5 Chuck Berry at Lauter Haus: like winning the beer lottery

18 Passion fruit ain’t just the name of a Drake song

We managed to get a reservation to go drinkin’ at Urban Social House right before the greenhouses erected in the winter were taken down. How did we do it? Who even knows. All we know is that it. was. awesome.

We got a chance to try out Kanha’s Passion Fruit Cannabis Gummies, and honestly? We’re the luckiest writers alive. You’re going to want to grab a bag or six of these bad boys — stat.

14 Gettin’ down to (summer) business DGO is a free biweekly 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.

DGO Magazine is published

by Ballantine Communications Inc., P.O. Drawer A, Durango, CO 81302

8 Events Film Capsules

8-9

May Events Calendar 10-12

14 Cover story

Colorado Summer Guide 14-17

16 Weed

Reviews

18-21

Ask a couple of potheads 22-24

Dispensary listings 21 23 Columns Sex & love

26

/dgomag

This whole pandemic thing sucks, but your summer doesn’t have to. From beer fests and river parties to music and horror shows, we have an inside look at the events to you may want to head out to during this strange summer of 2021.

/dgomag

@dgo_mag

ON THE COVER It ain’t a normal year, that’s for sure.

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

Cover art: Ryan Brown for DGO Mag

May 1, 2021 | 3

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Strange times we live in Here’s all of your weird Colorado news, from cadaver composting to a high-quality auction A high-quality auction

burial, cremation, alkaline (hydrolysis) or this new form, which is natural organic reduction or composting.”

Turns out Colorado license plates are a hit. Literally. No, we mean literally.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously, but 18 House GOP lawmakers voted against it. Douglas County Rep. Kim Ransom was one of the 18, and said that while the bill aligned with her ideals of defending personal choice, the “principles of respecting human remains … and respecting the human body” ultimately outweighed everything else.

An auction, which was held on the stoner holiday of 4/20, was meant to help support the Colorado Disability Funding Committee made about $45,410 earlier this month. The money made from this auction will go toward the funding of disability application assistance and to improve the quality of life and independence for people with disabilities.

“The idea when I was reading the bill over the compost piece was just very hurtful to me,” Ransom said. “I didn’t think it was something that we needed to have at this time because of the respect piece.”

So, what were they auctioning off on the greatest holiday known to man, you ask?

Well, in true Colorado fashion, the items up for grabs were stoner-themed license plates with weed-related text, like “ISIT420” and “TEGRIDY,” a nod to Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park.

As you may have guessed, the stoner license plate that went for the most money was “ISIT420,” with a winning bid of $6,630.

Runner up was “TEGRIDY,” which went for $4,930. “BONG” — a personal favorite of ours for its simple message — raked in about $3,890, and “GREEN” brought in another $3,510.

“STASH” — another favorite of these stoners — went for $1,860.

If you missed out on this year’s event, don’t pout. The Colorado Disability Funding Committee is gearing up for another 4/20 auction next year, according to a state spokesperson, thanks in large part to how much of a hit this 4/20 auction was.

Can’t wait to roll around this city with “DANKVIBEZ” on our plates.

A skunky situation The news here at DGO tends to be a little skunkier than it is at other outlets, but this story, which involves a stinky situation, has little to do with the sticky icky.

Earlier this month, police in Arvada rescued a skunk that had gotten its head stuck inside a Chick-fil-A cup.

Video of the incident was posted on social media by Arvada Police Department, and, well, it’s about as awesome as you’d expect.

“We responded to the Apex recreation center this weekend for a 4 | May 1, 2021

All we can say is helllllll yah skunk with his head was stuck inside a cup!” the department wrote on Twitter. “Lucky for skunk the Chickfil-A milkshake cup came off easily and the healthy skunk rambled off into a culvert to sleep off his sugar rush.”

The clip, which has been widely circulated on social media, shows the trapped skunk walking around a muddy field with the cup on its head.

Two officers approach, and one can be heard saying to the skunk: “We’re coming, buddy.”

That officer approaches the skunk with a bag and a trash grabber, presumably to pull the Chick-fil-a cup off of the poor, confused skunk’s head.

The clip then shows the officer reaching toward the skunk with the grabber to carefully remove the cup from the skunk’s head. As she does this, the skunk backs itself out of the cup, which looks like a cup used for shakes at the chicken joint (not that we’d have any idea what those — or the delicious nuggets — look like).

Once the skunk is loose, the officer backs away — which was probably a smart idea, considering the skunk raises its tail and takes a couple of steps toward the officer.

Luckily, it must have reconsidered spraying its savior, because in the end, the skunk lowers its tail and takes off.

Skunky crisis averted?

Cadaver composting

If you’re looking for a green way to say goodbye to this earth, Colorado may soon have one for you.

Say hello to composting human remains, which is likely to become a legitimate after-death option for Coloradans thanks to the Colorado House, which passed Senate Bill 21-006 on Tuesday. This bill legalizes natural organic reduction of human remains into soil — or in other words, the composting of human remains. The bill is headed to the governor’s desk for a signature and is likely to get it.

That doesn’t mean you can start preparing your composted funeral now, though. Even if the governor signs the bill, funeral homes won’t be able to offer it immediately. It will go into effect 90 days after it’s signed, but funeral homes will need time to get things ready before they can offer the service.

“I’m just really proud to give this option to people here in Colorado, which have the Colorado way of life in mind … And when people pass away, they can feel like they lived in Colorado and they can give back to Colorado and help the earth,” Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat who brought the bill last year before it was killed due to COVID, said.

Republican Rep. Matt Soper, who co-sponsored the bill, said it’s a business opportunity for funeral homes, but also “the ability to to do with your remains as you see fit, whether it’s

Where are our Texas transplants at? We have some good news for you.

Burger news!

Your beloved orange Texas burger spot — that’s right; we’re talking about Whataburger — will soon be coming to the Centennial State.

Unfortunately, the area it’s coming to will not be Durango. Not yet, anyway.

The chain announced it will be opening a Colorado training center and its first Colorado restaurant later this year in Colorado Springs. Anyone up for a road trip for spicy ketchup?

While that isn’t super convenient to satisfy our late-night Whataburger cravings, the good news is that there will be additional Colorado locations opening in 2022.

The new Whataburger training center will be located at 5905 Constitution Avenue in northeast Colorado Springs.

The building needs to be remodeled to house the new training center, and those changes will begin soon.

Completion is expected to happen by the summer, according to reps from Whataburger.

“Whataburger is growing, and we have more good news. It’s true we are planning to bring our iconic burgers and exceptional customer service to Colorado Springs. We’ll have more information to share in the future, but we have some great fans in Colorado Springs and we hope they’re as excited as we are.”

Oh, trust us. We are.

OPEN FOR The Union Social House THE SEASON! is a delicious addition to Durango’s bar scene From the shabby chic decor to the unique greenhouse rooms, this vintage bar room does, and offers, it all The Union Social House, located at 3062 Main Ave., is well off the main strip of bars in Durango. This bar and food truck haven is one of the newer additions to Durango’s drinkery lineup.

So new, in fact, that I hadn’t made my way to it before the pandemic shut down life as we once knew it.

That all changed recently, though, when I met a few friends at this upscale little watering hole for some drinks and some grub recently. And now, after just one visit, I am sold on this bar.

We’d been talking about meeting up in public (gasp, I know!) for some

OPEN FOR THE SEASON!

drinks for some time prior to making our way to Union, but with life, the pandemic, and other obligations, it never came to fruition.

After weeks of promising to make time, we finally managed to get together and chose Union as the venue.

These days, it’s tough to get a table anywhere in Durango — as I’m sure you’re well aware — between the uptick of tourism and the limited space in which restaurants and bars have to maneuver the mix of social distancing and maximum capacity. So, we called to

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May 1, 2021 | 5

From Page 7

make a reservation at this bar just in case, which is something I’d never prior done to this strange, strange time.

It was a good move on our part, because we managed to get our reservation in right before the greenhouses the bar had erected in the winter were taken down. With that small stroke of luck, we were able to reserve our own drinking area outside — while surrounded by plastic shielding — during a freak cold front a few weeks ago.

When we arrived at Union Social House for our reservations, we were greeted by the hostess, who was concerned about a hole in the roof of the greenhouse we’d reserved. It had been snowing for most of the day, and was subsequently melting into the greenhouse below.

A little bit of moisture doesn’t concern us, though — so we opted to take our chances in the impromptu drinking tent.

Not that sitting inside of The Union Social House would have been unpleasant, mind you. The interior of the main building at Union is painted with eye-catching designs and houses comfy deep-seated chairs, couches, and tables, along with seats lining the bar.

It’s not all posh velvet banquette business around there, though. There are also pinball machines and vintage games, like pinball and darts, lining the walls, making it a great place to hang — perhaps even with kids — on a Saturday afternoon.

And, the stout drink menu helps.

After we were seated in our (slightly damp) greenhouse, I was excited to check out Union’s extensive cocktail menu.

6 | May 1, 2021

We ordered a round of drinks — a slightly dirty martini for one, and a house cocktail made with vodka and champagne for another, along with an old fashion and some other standard cocktails. Food came shortly after.

There’s nothing like sitting in a greenhouse with friends, laughing and joking over some good sliders and great cocktails

In addition to the standard drink fare, Union Social House offers a unique cocktail program designed inhouse by some of the brightest brains in bartending in our fair city.

Lining the menu are cocktails galore, ranging in price from $8 and up. The only food available — for now, anyway — comes courtesy of the Backcountry Gourmet truck that’s built into the

The folks at DGO miss leaving our homes for concerts, drinks and dinners out. We don’t like cooking or cleaning the kitchen — and we certainly don’t like mixing our own drinks, all things we’ve had to do since the start of this pandemic.

PLEASE wear your masks and practice social distancing so we can get back to our regularly scheduled (fun) programming.

building on Main. Luckily, Backcountry’s fare is more than enough to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.

All of the cocktails that arrived at the table were expertly handcrafted, with the elements one would expect.

Hand-muddled herbs, housemade infused simple syrup, and more than enough booze to get the head buzzing.

Even better, though? The ambiance.

There’s nothing like sitting in a greenhouse with friends, laughing and joking over some good sliders and great cock-

tails. And Union Social House will even bring you your own Bluetooth-enabled speaker to set the mood.

We indulged, jammed out, and drank for hours on end (even though the reservations are technically limited to one hour when it’s busy). We could have stayed for much longer, but the chill of the night air blowing through the hole in the roof was enough to shoo us out into the wild to head back home for the night.

There’s no doubt a return trip is going to be happening soon, though. The greenhouses have been put away for the spring — they become “saunas” in the sun, according to our server — but I won’t be waiting until they’re put back up in the fall. I’ll just happily sit out in the warm Durango sun and sip on a cocktail instead. I have a feeling it will be just as good.

—— Angelica Leicht The Union Social House is located at 3062 Main Ave. in Durango. You can reach them at (970) 769-2337 or find them at unionsocialhouse.com.

PLEASE WEAR A MASK! [correctly!]

Tacos, good conversation, and The Cure at Derailed Pour House This Main Ave staple may not be in south Texas, but their tacos sure could have fooled us like Philly cheesesteaks, nachos, and flatbreads, I opted to start with the goat cheese bruschetta, which is thick rounds of goat cheese atop baguette bread, with cherry tomatoes, basil, almonds, and balsamic. I followed with the Derailed tacos: one carne asada, my favorite back home, and one avocado taco.

As a native of south Texas, I am a tough critic when it comes to tacos.

The tacos I grew up with were made from scratch with love and a little bit — OK, perhaps a lot — of manteca. I used to love the smell of masa being rolled out from dense balls into flat tortilla rounds on the counter. The best part of this process, though — and trust me, it was a process — was the sound and smell of the masa hitting the piping hot cast iron skillet.

I would stand there, mesmerized, as I watched the bubbles rising in the belly of the tortilla beast as it browned on the stove. If I was lucky, the hands behind the magic would toss me one right from the skillet. I would slather it in butter and salt before consuming the entire thing in one bite.

Those memories, and those delicious homemade tortillas, make it tough to measure up. My childhood diet consisting mainly of other types of Mexican food only adds to the issue.

Thus far, I haven’t found a taco in Durango that can measure up to those south Texas wonders. That said, I did find one that comes close, and I found it in one of the most unexpected places.

As it turns out Derailed Pour House, the bar and restaurant located at 725 Main Avenue, can pull off one hell of a taco.

I recently completed my two-shot series of COVID vaccinations, so I headed out to this bar midweek with a friend, who wanted to catch up and (more likely than not) spend a little time outside of the house. We’d both been trapped in our hermit cages, just like the rest of the world, for far too long — and thanks to the protocols in place and my extra boost from the vaccine, I felt it was finally time to unwind.

Luckily, we were able to do so safely, as the bar area at Derailed had been modified with sheets of plexiglass between seats to avoid any cross-contamination among patrons. The restaurant tables had been arranged to accommodate social distancing, too.

It was early evening when we stopped by Derailed, but the bar-slashrestaurant was already busy with socially distant parties, many of whom were seated facing the acoustic musi-

»» Tacos, tacos, and more tacos at De-

This bar’s version of carne asada tacos is a little different than what I’m used to. Compared to those traditional tacos of old, which are generally a thin corn tortilla topped with tiny flanks of carne, onions, lime, and cilantro, Derailed does it big. This bar’s carne asada tacos are made with house marinated steak, jack cheese, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, with house tomatillo salsa.

»» Ahh, tacos. Who doesn’t love tacos?

railed. Whoda thunk it?

cian playing quietly onstage.

While the social distancing and other modifications were obvious in this Main Ave staple, the atmosphere still felt more like a night out in Durango two years ago — prior to the pandemic’s entrance into our lives — than I’d expected. It was a welcome feeling.

We took our spots at the bar — two cozy bar stools sandwiched between plexiglass — to start with a couple of drinks.

Derailed is known for their creative cocktails, which are hard to pass up in lieu of your standard old fashion or vodka soda. We both opted for a drink called “The Cure,” which is a sea green cocktail made with house jalapeno vodka, fresh muddled basil, lime juice, ginger liqueur, and brut champagne.

And, luckily, the Derailed food menu is thick with choices, so there was no shortage of carbs with which to soak up the booze. Out of a lineup of items

The avocado tacos, on the other hand, are made with avocado, black beans, grilled onions, queso fresco, toContinued on Page 20

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The drinks appeared in short order, and wow — did I ever miss having a drink with friends in a venue other than my living room. Between the heat of the jalapeno, the sweet tang of the ginger liqueur, and the bubbles of the champagne, I felt like I was on another planet.

The only problem? These cocktails are so delicious that they’re almost too easy to suck down. It took me maybe five minutes to see the bottom of my glass.

No problem there, I guess. After a year and a half of social distancing, I guess I was due for some real bar drinking.

May 1, 2021 | 7

This spring in film Curious what’s happening with the current movie lineup? We’ve got all the answers you need Hypocrisy in the New Space Jam Movie?

not make it completely obvious it’s only performative — especially when you feature R-rated famous movie/TV characters inappropriately in a PG-rated comedy.

Nostalgia and outdated pop culture are a heck of a combination, and they’re a combo that generally doesn’t end well.

Godzilla vs. Kong Who would have guessed that the film to welcome back the traditional movie theater experience amidst the pandemic was not Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” (2020) or Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman 1984” (2020), but Adam Wingard’s “Godzilla vs. Kong?”

The Warner Bros’ reboot of Joe Pytka’s cult comedy “Space Jam” (1996) appears to be testing this formula — at least based on the new trailer for Malcolm D. Lee’s “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”

Revisiting the original as an adult, I came to three conclusions: 1.)

Nearly all of the ’90s pop culture references are obsolete now. 2.)

Professional athletes should probably stick to the court rather than experiment with acting. And, 3.) The soundtrack is still the best part of the movie.

But before we could joke about the sequel being an obvious, easy cash grab, it’s important to note that there is some highly distracting and possibly obtuse hypocrisy in the trailer that was quickly acknowledged on social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit. Unlike the first film, which just featured all the classic Looney Tunes characters, plus some new cartoon faces alongside basketball superstar Michael Jordan, this new flick is tossing everything at the wall, and including nearly all of the properties the studio currently owns, next to LeBron James.

This includes the Scooby-Doo gang, the flying monkeys from “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), Jim Carrey’s alter-ego in “The Mask” (1994), Pennywise, and from It (2017), Batman, Superman and Matrix villains, Mama Fratelli from The Goonies (1985) and even the title character of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. Someone at Warner Bros clearly saw Phil Johnston & Rich Moore’s

“Ralph Breaks the Internet” (2018) and Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” (2018), and thought, “Yes, let’s make a Space Jam sequel as an excuse to do our own version of this.”

This would be amusingly obvious if it weren’t for some more controversial character cameos also spotted in the new trailer. The Droogs from Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” (1971), the War Boys of George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), and the White Walkers of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” (2011-19) all make an appearance.

The first two are from R-rated movies and the third a TV-MA cable series, and all feature graphic violent content. Why are these characters making appearances in a family friendly fantasy-comedy? It would be one thing to have them as blink-and-you’ll-miss-it background Easter eggs for the parents watching the movie, but the Droogs are front and center of a whole shot.

These additions are not only peculiar, but almost hilariously bewildering after Warner and Lee went out of their way

to claim the new movie would be more progressive by making Lola Bunny less sexy and more girl-power-heavy, while snubbing Pepe Le Pew’s presence.

Lola’s altering is whatever to me.

Looking back on the first “Space Jam,” she was a bit alluring, but was also portrayed as a good basketball player, so the sex appeal didn’t make much of a difference for me as a kid. Pepe’s absence is not surprising considering that the character’s schtick is very dated.

For those who don’t remember or are unaware, Pepe is a skunk with a French accent who is constantly trying to woo a female cat, Penelope, he is smitten with. Only issue is she’s disgusted by his stench and is constantly trying to rush away, while Pepe is oblivious to both his odor and her repulsion.

While watching some of the old Pepe cartoon shorts contemporarily on YouTube, it is a little awkward to see the skunk so physically up in the cat’s personal space while she’s not interested in him at all, even if the gag is toward his delusion. What’s funny is Pepe originally was featured in “Space Jam” 25 years ago, but with all his flirtations and advancements missing.

When it comes to generally politically incorrect content in their classic cartoons, Warner usually begins the shorts with a special disclaimer as a warning and reminder that the studio’s current views aren’t relevant to half a century ago.

This is generally a tactic I prefer over a studio like Disney, which has a habit of hiding the controversial material like it didn’t exist. But if that’s the route Warner Bros is choosing to go with Pepe Le Pew this time around, they should at least be genuine with it and

8 | May 1, 2021

As with the Planet of the Apes reboots in the 2010s, this was a seemingly unnecessary franchise that we probably didn’t need, yet we got it anyway — and surprisingly, it turned out mostly decent.

When Gareth Edwards’ “Godzilla” (2014) debuted, it was given intriguing and effective marketing, yet a lukewarm reception from viewers. A similar happened with Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ “Kong: Skull Island” (2017), though rather than being accused of being boring, it was just a little too schlocky.

Now, following Michael Dougherty’s “Godzilla: King of Monsters,” does Warner Bros’ “MonsterVerse” finally take off?

Like with most epic, action blockbusters, there are not only giant monsters in “Godzilla vs. Kong,” but a wide variety of characters as well.

Back on Skull Island, geologist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård) and linguist Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) are studying King Kong’s behavior and origins with the unexpected help of Ilene’s deaf adolescent daughter, Jia (Kaylee Hottle), who appears to have a special connection with the colossal ape. On the other side of the world, paranoid podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), and high schoolers Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) and Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison), team up to track down what they believe is a genocide plot involving Godzilla led by shady tech company head Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir).

Eiza González, Lance Reddick, Shun Oguri and Kyle Chandler make up the rest of the cast of familiar faces. The most common complaint about the new Kong and Godzilla flicks is that the excitement of the action is brought down by the dull subplots involving the humans. Well, “Godzilla vs. Kong” Continued on Page 9

From Page 8

is a possible case of “be careful what you wish for,” because this is officially a 113-minute non-stop action sequence with no character development or arcs in sight.

The chase and battle sequences are eye candy for all with impressive and vibrant special effects. If you feel comfortable and healthy enough to visit a movie theater already open near you, I would definitely say Wingard’s new feature fully lives up to the big screen experience. The cast themselves are fine, though basically just good looking, and their uninteresting roles only to lead the monsters along the way.

Dennison in particular is not so much amusing comic relief, but more Exposition: the Character.

But I will say that out of all the MonsterVerse efforts so far, Wingard really nailed the tone and atmosphere of a traditional action-adventure blockbuster from the 1980s-1990s. There are moments of “Godzilla vs. Kong” that reminded me of Travis Knight’s “Bumblebee” (2018), in which you get a subtle sense of nostalgia and a past era, without it coming across as pandering.

This, as well as Wingard knowing how to craft and make the action scenes entertaining, have the visuals of GvK almost make up for the lack of interesting characters or plot.

Nomadland It feels strange to say, but in many ways Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” getting released in the middle of the pandemic last December might have been the best thing to happen to the indie drama. In any other fall movie awards season, it most likely would have been buried beyond the usual critics groups who branch outside of the mainstream.

But, at a time when most of the supposedly good movies are still a ways away, Zhao’s and the film’s lead star and producer Frances McDormand have a big chance of Oscar glory.

Though one could easily label her a movie star with her already two Oscar wins, McDormand is at heart a successful character actress who chooses to ignore the glam and sparkle of Hollywood for meatier and more interesting roles. Whether it’s husband Joel Coen’s “Fargo” (1996), Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous” (2000), or Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017), you can expect her to stand out on her own.

The thespian is at her prime once again as the center of “Nomadland” while playing a fictional widowed nomad named Fern. When the Nevada

local loses both her job and husband in 2011 amidst the housing recession, she chooses to live out of a van, roaming middle America with odd jobs on her own. While on the road, Fern discovers many other people, from middle age to elderly, are also living in vans, just like her.

“Nomadland” is one of those indie movies that effectively features two famous actors — McDormand and David Straitharn — while the rest of the cast are complete newcomers (in this case real life nomads). McDormand and Straitharn are experienced and talented enough to not seem out of place in the camping scenes with the locals, with the former also carrying the nature sequences on her own.

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Zhao does double duty as both the film’s director and editor, with help from some gorgeous, natural cinematography from Joshua James Richards, and a pretty, simple music score by Ludovico Einaudi. The Chinese filmmaker’s previous feature, “The Rider” (2017), brought attention to contemporary cowboys, and made a splash on the festival circuit and with critics. She impresses again with another group of Americans who aren’t talked about much. It was supposedly McDormand herself who reached out to Zhao to direct the new indie film after reading Jessica Bruder’s 2017 non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century. This makes sense when you watch the director’s work and feel a genuine understanding and appreciation for the greater, modest countryside.

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One thing I did find a bit amusing is that at the start of the movie, Fern works for Amazon part-time. Yet, “Nomadland” is produced by Fox Searchlight Pictures and distributed through Hulu for streaming, even though the shopping company isn’t portrayed particularly negatively.

Whatever the case, “Nomadland” is one for film fans who appreciate intuitive acting and atmospheric direction.

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The United States vs. Billie Holiday Jazz and R&B superstar Billie Holiday is an icon the same way fellow singers Judy Garland and Janis Joplin are, with a troubled personal life and premature death in 1959 a part of her legacy.

When you hear Holiday’s classics like ‘God Bless the Child,’ ‘Did I Remember?’ or — most famously —‘Strange Fruit,’ you don’t just think of the brilliant performance, production, and talent. You also think of the fact Continued on Page 27

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Looking for a way to pass the time?

These events in and around Durango will fix you right up for the month of May Dandelion Festival When: Saturday, May 1 Where: Rotary Park 1565 E. 2nd Ave., Durango Cost: Free

What a Girl Wants Expo

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2021, 10AM-4PM LA PLATA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, DURANGO

Let’s christen the Spring and celebrate the oh so welcome warm season!

Together!! After a long and trying year, we are excited to gather (safely) for the 12th annual DandeLion Festival! This is a free, all-ages concert and celebration of nature’s wisdom, of plant medicine, and the ongoing movement for Organic Parks in Durango which seeks to protect the health of our children, pets, people, living local land, wildlife, and precious waterways.

Live music Local organic food

AVAILABLE NOW:

Vendor Booths & Sponsorships What a Girl Wants Expo brings together hundreds of attendees to sample, experience and purchase products and services that help them live a more fulfilling life!

To lock in your spot today please contact Cindy Fisher at: (970) 375-4599 or cfisher@bcimedia.com

Dandelion beer garden, brewed by Carver’s Dance and magic performances Community Maypole Dance Healing tent Kids’ activities Thrift store Vendors Education Featured sponsors: Prohibition Herb, Albrechta & Albrechta LLC Durango Flea Market When: Sundays in May from 8 am to 3 pm Where: La Plata County Fairgrounds 2500 Main Ave., Durango Cost: Free The Durango Flea Market is an open-air market open to the public every Sunday from the first weekend of May through the first weekend of November.

We are only closed during Memorial Day weekend and the second Sunday in August during the La Plata County Fair.

We are conveniently located on North Main Avenue in the La Plata

10 | May 1, 2021

County Fairgrounds parking lot. Plenty of free parking for shoppers! You’ll find great deals on just about everything under the sun: antiques, housewares, clothing & jewelry, toys, sporting goods, food and who knows what else!

Durango Farmers Market When: Saturday, May 8 at 8 am Where: 259 W. 9th St. Cost: Free The Durango Farmers Market is held every Saturday Morning from the second week in May to the last Saturday in October, 8 am to noon (and 9 am to noon in October) in the parking lot of TBK Bank, located at 259 W. 9th street, across from the City Transit Center. The Transit Center offers free parking on the weekends.

We are a venue for local agriculturalists, artisans, ready-to-eat, value-added, and service vendors to meet and share the fruits of their labor with the community in Durango. We work hard to attract and retain quality vendors who fit into our theme of local production, sustainability, and healthy lifestyles. We also feature a different musician or band each week, with a few dance performances sprinkled into each season. Additionally, the market includes community groups who offer important information and ways to get involved in the local community. We are also very proud to feature young agriculturalists in our Incubator Program, giving them a chance to get their start in local food production.

We require that all agricultural and artisan vendors grow or produce their goods themselves, and hail from our local region which includes the five counties of La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta, San Juan Colorado, and San Juan New Mexico. This ensures that all foods are fresh and local and all goods are locally produced. Our value-added and ready-to-eat vendors must use as many local ingredients as possible and be locally owned. Our high value for local production ensures all dollars Continued on Page 11

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12:00 - D&SNGR Train Station

Show

Where: Durango Craft Spirits

spent at the market support fellow community members and support our local economy.

1:00 - Durango Rug Company

When: Friday, May 14 from 5 pm to 7 pm

1120 E. Main Ave., Suite 2, Durango

Where: Animas Chocolate & Coffee Company

Cost: $5 to $120+

At the Durango Farmers Market, customers have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with their farmers, develop a friendly connection, and learn more about their growing methods. All of our farmers post their growing practices at their booth and are always open to questions. The majority of our producers follow strict organic growing methods and some are USDA Organic Certified.

Durango Shimmy Mob When: Saturday, May 8 at 10 am Where: Downtown Durango on Main Ave. Cost: Varies The art of belly dance traditionally celebrates the beauty and mystique of being a woman. Local dancers strive to share that message through their benefit performances while giving back to their community.

International Shimmy Mob teams will celebrate World Belly Dance Day on Saturday, May 8, to help raise awareness for domestic violence programs globally and locally. The goal is to focus on prevention and lowering the statistics of abuse. For the past 10 years since its inception, there have been 56 participating countries with 1441 teams and 15,453 team members.

The Durango Shimmy Mob team will support Alternative Horizons again this year. All of the 2021 Shimmy Mob performances are free and open to the public. Donations will be gratefully accepted and all proceeds will benefit Alternative Horizons.

Kim Zook, executive director of Alternative Horizons said: “With the help, dedication and hard work of the Shimmy Mob team, Alternative Horizons has continued to provide much-needed advocacy, therapy, educational and support services to victim/ survivors of domestic violence in our community.”

This year, the Durango Shimmy Mob team has over 35 registered dancers ranging from novices to professional level. On May 8, Shimmy Mob dance teams from all around the world will be performing the same choreography.

In Durango, the Shimmy Mob will be performing a 15-minute show at the following places and times: 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, & 11:30 - Durango Farmers Market

2:00 - Main Mall 3:00 - Durango Craft Spirits 4:00 - Primi Pasta & Wine Bar “There are truly no words to adequately express Alternative Horizon’s gratitude for the Shimmy Mob’s exceptionally generous support of its domestic violence services and ongoing commitment to our mission of making our community a safer place,” said Zook.

Alternative Horizons is a grassroots organization that began in 1978.

Services include a 24-hour hotline, support groups, court advocacy, and education/outreach. All services are free and confidential.

Enotech When: Tuesday, May 11 Where: Seasons Rotisserie & Grill 764 Main Ave., Durango Cost: Varies Enotech is a monthly event featuring 5 courses designed by our chef to perfectly complement 5 wines selected by our sommelier and owner, Karen Barger. From appetizer to dessert, guests are led through a journey of flavors, aromas, and the art and science of pairing food and wine.

920 Main Ave., Durango Cost: Free Opening reception for this art show is happening on May 14 from 5-7pm, featuring original pastel paintings by local artist Cindy Coleman, with note cards and prints.

Garden Club of Durango Annual Plant Sale

Student band: 3:15pm-3:45PM

When: Saturday, May 15 at 9 am

Niceness: 4pm-4:50PM

Where: La Plata County Fairgrounds

J-Calvin: 5:10PM-6PM

2500 Main Ave., Durango

The Late Show

Cost: Varies

Doors: 6:30pm

The Garden Club of Durango Annual Plant Sale is happening, with plants from local and member’s gardens. All proceeds are used to maintain the gardens at Santa Rita Park.

Student Band: 6:30pm-7PM

True West Rodeo When: Saturday, May 15 from 5 pm to 9:30 pm Where: 2500 Main Ave., Durango Cost: Varies

Where: Animas Chocolate & Coffee Company 920 Main Ave., Durango

D&SNGRR First Train to Silverton

Cost: Free

When: Saturday, May 22; times vary

The public is invited to join ACC staff for our chocolate tastings. We discuss the merits of our chocolate and chocolate confections in comparison to our chocolates and chocolate from chocolate makers and chocolatiers from around the world.

Where: D&SNGRR Station on Main Ave.

When: Wednesday, May 12 from 1 pm to 2 pm

Friends of the Library Book Sale When: Friday, May 14 at 10 am Where: Durango Public Library 1900 E. 3rd, Durango Cost: Varies The first Monthly Sidewalk Book Sale is happening on the north patio of Durango Public Library. This book sale theme is “Mysteries and Histories,” with paperbacks and hardbacks for $1 a pound, cash or check only.

Cindy Coleman Pastel Painting Art

The early showDoors: 3pm

True Western Roundup is brought to you by Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and TBK Bank. We are very excited to have come together to bring back the western heritage of Durango for the 2021 rodeo season. True Western Roundup is proud to honor our western roots with broncs, bulls, and wild west entertainment.

Chocolate Tastings at Animas Chocolate & Coffee Company

We are excited to be kicking off our first iAM MUSIC Fest event of the season with Niceness and J-Calvin in downtown Durango at Durango Craft Spirits. We will be transforming their parking lot once again into a pop-up festival style and will once again be featuring two showtimes.

Cost: Varies We’re excited to announce the return of this highly anticipated steam excursion for the 2021 summer season, departing from the Durango Depot!

Step back in time and enjoy a leisurely trip to yesteryear aboard a round trip to Silverton, Colorado, a National Historic Landmark steeped in western history. On this train excursion, riders can look forward to experiencing all of the most remarkable sights of our railroad features, such as Horseshoe Curve, High Bridge, and all of the Animas River Gorge, including the spectacular views from the High Line. iAM Music Fest @ The Distillery When: Saturday, May 22; starts at 3 pm

J-Calvin: 7:15PM-8:15PM Niceness: 8:30pm-9:30PM [Niceness] Niceness is a familial gathering of vibrantly diverse personalities rallying around personal, socio-political, and environmental issues. Among its ranks include activists, an organic farmer, a life coach, a permaculture designer, a Buddhist bodybuilder champ, two music teachers, an adventurer, an arborist entrepreneur, and a Doctor of Psychology. The Colorado-grown band also has the rare distinction of being fronted by a firebrand female vocalist who oozes shamanistic charisma hypnotizes with seductively stirring vocals and upholds a fierce commitment to “art in action” ethos. “We want people to come to Niceness shows for the quality of the music and our message, and because we have something to say,” Koral affirms.

[J-Calvin] J-Calvin is a soul-funk-groove band from Durango, Colorado. On New Year’s Eve 2017, the five members of J-Calvin brought their unique and varied musical backgrounds together for the first time. The result was a soul-abducting fusion of authentic lyrics, jazz-influenced harmonies, and Dilla-Inspired beats. On October 20th, 2018 they celebrated the release of their debut album, Heart Glow, to a sold-out crowd headlining the iAM Music Fest and a showcase set at Telluride Jazz Fest. In the band’s first two years they played over 150 shows across the Western United States at some of the area’s finest music venues and festivals.

Continued on Page 12

May 1, 2021 | 11

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Currently, the group is working on its new concept video and EP “Don’t Stop Me” set to release in 2020. When not performing as J-Calvin, all members dedicate their time as music educators to iAM Music, a 501c3 non-profit music school that helps youth and adults pursue music, cultivates community events, and builds meaningful creative networks.”

Bar D Chuckwagon Opening Day When: Friday, May 28 Where: 8080 County Road 250, Durango Cost: Varies

DURANGO’S FIRST EVER GRILLED CHEESE EXPERIENCE Saturday, June 26 11am - 4pm

La Plata Country Fairgrounds, Senior Center Lawn

VENDORS AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES NOW AVAILABLE! Please contact Cindy Fisher at:

970-375-4599 cfisher@bcimedia.com

Presented by

The Bar D Wranglers perform songs of old west cowboys, comedy, and lively instrumentals after supper to entertain the whole family. Open Memorial Day Weekend through September — rain or shine. Supper is at 6:30, Reservations are required.

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic When: Saturday and Sunday, May 2930 Where: East 2nd and 30th Streets, Durango Cost: Varies We hope you have weathered the past year as best possible. It has certainly been a challenging period on many fronts. Here at the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, we are navigating the path forward with the 49th annual event and how we can safely have riders back on the road (or trail) on Memorial Day weekend May 29th and 30th 2021.We will have a scaled-back version of the McDonald Citizen’s Tour and Coca-Cola Road race with regards to participant numbers compared to years past. How many participants are yet to be determined as the COVID regulations continue to change and fluctuate. Our hope is that by April 15 we will have better guidance for an overall number and can open registration.

2020 registrants will have priority for the 2021 event, but we may not be able to accommodate all that were registered in 2020 for the Road Race/ Tour/KOM/QOM. We are developing a lottery process to select 2020 registrants who want to ride in 2021. If a 2020 registrant declines a spot in the 2021 event, we will move to the next person on the lottery list until we have satisfied as many as possible given the numbers we are allowed to have.

For those who do not get selected or choose not to attend the 2021 event, they will receive priority for the 2022

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic which will be our 50th Anniversary. The discount we promised for the 2021 event based on the 2020 cancellation will be applied in all cases. Please be aware there is not an automatic rollover from 2020 to 2021. if you are selected for the 2021 event, you will have to complete the registration process.

At the time of registration, you will receive refund policy information if indeed we cancel or scale back the event as we get closer due to COVID challenges or other unforeseen circumstances. Please look for and read those details before you proceed with registration.

Quarter Horse Tour, MTB Race, and La Strada La Plata Gravel Ride The Quarter Horse Tour to Purgatory, Morehart Murphy Subaru MTB race, and La Strada La Plata gravel ride will also be on the menu. Given the much smaller number of participants in these events, we should be able to accommodate all riders who were registered in 2020. We will satisfy all 2020 registrants first and then if there is additional space we will open it to new registrants. Again, there is not an automatic rollover from 2020 to 2021 and you will have to complete the registration process when it becomes available, all discounts will apply.

For those planning to participate in the mountain bike race please be aware we will be moving the course away from the Downtown Durango area of years past and likely be using trails in the Horse Gulch trail system.

We are working out those course details currently.

Virtual Iron Horse Race - New Offering!

We will be offering a virtual Iron Horse Bicycle Classic route and race via RGT/Echelon Racing League on May 29th. We are excited about this addition to our event and will have more information over the course of the spring.

Where should we

DGO tonight?

Your #1 source for what’s going on around Durango dgomag.com/calendar

12 | May 1, 2021 + Add an Event

to the DGO calendar with

A socially-distant happy hour? Yes, please.

If you’re looking for a way to booze it up in public now that COVID restrictions are easing up, we’ve got you covered Derailed Pour House Happy Hour Time: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day Location: Derailed Pour House

Address: 509 E. Eighth Avenue, Durango DEALS: $2 PBRs and varied drink specials The Nugget Mountain Bar

Address: 725 Main Avenue, Durango

Time: 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

DEALS: $6 select appetizers; 2 For $6 tacos; $10

Location: The Nugget Mountain Bar

quesadillas; $6 HH salads; $1 OFF draft beer; $5 wells & house wines; $6 cosmos & mules; $6 margs The Bookcase and Barber Manhattan Mondays Location: The Bookcase and Barber Address: 601 East Second Avenue, Durango DEALS: Watch social media for a password to

Address: 48721 North Highway 550, Durango DEALS: From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day, get $1 OFF of pints and well drinks! Plus, $2 draft PBR’s every day.

Carver Brewing Company Time: 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Location: Carver Brewing Company

unlock $5 Manhattans on Mondays.

Address: 1022 Main Avenue, Durango

Ernie’s After Work Happy Hour

DEALS: Daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. — you can grab a

Time: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

$3 pint or a $3.50 premium pint.

Location: 11th Street Station

El Rancho Tavern Happy Hour

Address: 1101 Main Avenue, Durango

Time: 4 to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday

Category: Happy Hour

Address: 975 Main Avenue, Durango

DEALS: $1 off draft beers, cocktails on tap, and

DEALS: $1 off draft beers and well drinks.

wells

Steamworks Happy Hour

8th Avenue Tavern Happy Hour

Time: Varies

Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. daily

Location: Steamworks

Location: 8th Ave Tav

Address: 801 East 2nd Avenue, Durango

DEALS: Monday-Thursday – Enjoy $3 regular house pints and $1 off well drinks from 3p-6p

Thursday Nite: Ladies Nite & Taco Nite — $5.50 Martinis, Cosmos, Wine & Arti Dip

Thursday – Also, select $3 pints chosen by our brewers – ALL DAY!

Friday Nite: Catfish Nite — $13.95 Catfish Platter w/ Fries & Slaw

Friday – Enjoy $2 Draws and $3 Imperial 20-oz Pints of select beers from 3pm-5pm

Pop Sushi Pop Hour Time: Varies for daily happy hour specials; Pop Hour

Sunday – $4.25 house Bloody Marys, $11 pitchers Diamond Belle Saloon

is from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily Location: Pop Sushi

Time: 4:00 .m. to 6:00 p.m.

Address: 42 Co Rd 250 #400, Durango

Location: Diamond Belle Saloon

DEALS: Daily happy hour is $3 selected pints, $5 se-

Address: 699 Main Avenue, Durango

lected appetizers, $5 selected rolls; Pop Mondays. with

DEALS: From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily, you can get $3

$5 selected appetizers, $5 selected rolls, $5 pop nigiri,

DBC Drafts and Bud Light, and $4 house wine, wells, and

$3 selected pints, $8 mojitos, $7 bjs, $4 house wines

cosmos.

Moe’s Starlight Lounge Happy Hour

Highway 3 Roadhouse Happy Hour

Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Time: Varies (only open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights)

Location: Moe’s Starlight Lounge Address: 937 Main Ave, Durango

Location: Highway 3 Roadhouse

DEALS: Happy hour Monday–Friday with half-price

Address: 955 CO-3, Durango

well drinks and appetizers, discounted drinks

DEALS: Oyster Hour Plus: 4:00 to 5:30 ­— $9 Half

Bird’s Happy Hour

Dozen Fresh / $18 Dozen Fresh on the Half Shell

Time: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily

Wednesday Nite: Slider Nite — $4.00 & $4.50 Sliders; Cheap Beers & Arti Dip

Location: Bird’s

Continued on Page 17

College for the

real world.

Take class where you want to be this summer with PCC Flex (take classes on campus or remotely).

Jump start your future and get ahead with fast-track, 8-week classes. Financial aid is available.

Summer classes begin June 1.

Enroll now at EnrollPCC.org or call 970.385.2000.

May 1, 2021 | 13

A Colorado COVID-friendly summer guide Not sure what to do this summer? Heck! Neither are we, but we have some sweet suggestions for making the most of this most unusual time

One of the biggest bummers of 2020 was the lack of live music shows. There’s just something about spending your summer getting outside and drinking a few alcoholic beverages while listening to bands play on a stage across the patio. Durango Craft Spirits has just the remedy for you. Activist band Niceness and J-Calvin, a Durango funk band, will be performing there this summer in a split concert. Day goers can attend from 3:30-6 p.m. while late show attendees can hang out from 7-9 p.m.

June 3-6 Animas River Days

Amanda Push SPECIAL TO DGO

The year 2020 was a bad time for everybody because [ insert a million reasons why 2020 sucked ]. In fact, can we just agree not to speak of 2020 again? That would be great, thanks. Let’s move onto bigger and better things, like 2021! In particular, let’s talk about all the events we look forward to this summer in light of COVID-19 vaccinations becoming more and more common.

Yes, many of the events we were looking forward to this summer were either canceled or pushed back, but there are still plenty of options for you to choose from and still keep yourself safe in the era of COVID-19. The great thing about summer is that we can host events outside where we can give each other enough space to social distance and still

Durango, Colorado Were you as disappointed as we were that Snowdown 2021 was canceled? Well, we have good news: Animas River Days is on for 2021 AND there’s a costumed river parade so you can still wear that ridiculous Snowdown costume you got. Aside from the costumed river parade, you can also kayak, river surf, raft, and more. Or perhaps you just want to sit and relax from the shoreline, listen to the DJ, and help yourself to some local food vendors. Basically, there’s no lack of activities to choose from at Animas River Days. Visit the Animas River Days website for more information.

June 11-13, 17-20 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride, Colorado The Telluride Bluegrass Festival is reducing its crowd sizes this year, but one of the most prestigious bluegrass festivals in the country is back on, y’all! The festival lineup has yet to be announced, but, in the past, the Colorado festival has drawn acts like Punch Brothers, Kacey Musgraves, and Brandi Carlile.

This year, the festival will be split up into two weekends. Only 2,500 people will be allowed at the festival per day. Festival-goers will be placed in self-assigned corrals of 10 people. Camping in town is limited and, unfortunately, there will not be vendors to shop from this year in order to limit any possibilities of COVID-19.

June 15

enjoy a show or a few beers in public. Still, we highly encourage everyone to be safe: wash your hands, social distance, and for the love of Zuul, wear your masks in public.

Now that we got that covered, let’s get down to it. From beer fests and river parties to music and horror shows, here are the events to look forward to in Colorado’s summer of 2021.

Last Podcast on the Left live at Red Rocks Amphitheater Morrison, Colorado; $45+ Yearning for some horror because a worldwide pandemic isn’t doing it for you anymore? Catch one of the most popular podcasts in the world, Last Podcast on the Left, live at Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheater. The three hosts, Marcus Parks, Ben Kissel, and Henry Zebrowski cover horror topics both real and imagined, but with a comedic twist. You can expect to hear theories on extraterrestrials, cryptids that haunt the woods, and the creepiest killers known to mankind, all the while chuckling at the most inappropriate moments. After all, laughter is the best medicine, especially when things are at their most frightening.

May 1

At Red Rocks, the auditorium has been modified so visitors can social distance during the show, and masks are required inside restrooms, Trading Post, Visitor Center, as well as any indoor areas.

ABQ Bike and Taco Tour

June 18

Albuquerque, New Mexico; $95

Music at the Nugget

Venture on down to Albuquerque for the weekend and work up an appetite for the ABQ Bike and Taco Tour. The beauty of this event is it isn’t limited to a single date - that’s right, every Saturday this summer you can join in the taco-eating festivities and bike in between. Come hungry for this guided tour because you’ll be spending the next three and a half hours exploring the foods and craft beers Albuquerque has to offer.

Durango, Colorado; $10

June 19

May 1

iAM MUSIC Fest!

Breaking Bad RV Tours

Durango, Colorado

If you’re a fan of the blues, you won’t want to miss this evening of music with Miller & The Other Sinners and Sean Farley at The Nugget Mountain Bar. These guys are a little bit soul, a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, and a whole lot of soul. Tickets are cheap for this iAM MUSIC Fest hosted event and you don’t want to miss this one. Trust.

Since COVID-19 was particularly hard on musicians and artists, iAM MUSIC Fest organizers wanted to help support local, independent musicians while simultaneously providing you with ear candy. While tickets won’t be available for this event until a month before, there’s still plenty to look forward to at iAM MUSIC Fest!, like Baracutanga, Hello Dollface, and The Secret Circus Society. Hosted at Buckley Park, iAM MUSIC Fest will still adhere to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines via social distancing.

Albuquerque, New Mexico; $75 Looking to relive some of your favorite shows by the names of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul”? Look no further than the Breaking Bad RV Tours which take place every Saturday. This tour, which takes place via RV (much like the one in the show) will show off the various film locations across Albuquerque including Jesse’s house, Chucky’s, Tucco’s, Combo’s corner, the rail yard, the RV Junkyard, Los Pollos Hermanos, Owl Cafe, Jane’s, Walt’s house, the car wash, the

June 26 Music at the Springs Pagosa Springs, Colorado; $5 iAM MUSIC Fest isn’t just popping up in Durango. Should you travel on over to see our friends in Pagosa Springs this summer, you can also catch Music at the Springs. For $5, you can relax at The Springs Resort and enjoy music from Elder Grown, a band that makes “funk meets rock, pop meets hip hop,” and, in case you missed him in Durango, Sean Farley, an artist who like to mix blues, soul, and Americana.

superlab, and more. Get cozy because this tour is three hours long. To make sure your tour is safe and comfortable, however, Breaking Bad RV Tours is sure to offer contactless check-ins, staggered seating, social distancing, and hand sanitizer. Each RV is cleaned and disinfected after each tour.

July 8-11 Rocky Mountain Uke Fest

May 7 Elder Grown Durango, Colorado Catch Elder Grown, a band that combines funk, rock, pop, and hip hop into their own unique blend of music, at Durango’s own Animas City Theatre. Hop on down to downtown where you can snag a few adult beverages while enjoying these Durango musicians. Jump on this event quickly and keep an eye on Animas City Theatre as they start to roll out their list of summer events.

May 22 Music at the Distillery Durango, Colorado; $5+

Durango, Colorado; free Who doesn’t love the sweet, sweet sound of a ukulele? Nobody, that’s who. And you can check out a cacophony of ukes at the July 8-11 at Fort Lewis College as well as venues across Durango, which will feature the Rocky Mountain UkeFest All-Star Band pluckin’ those uke strings in tandem. That alone was good enough to sell us on this show, but as a bonus, it’s free.

July 9-11 Gem and Mineral Show Durango, Colorado; $3 Do you like shiny things like the glitter-loving crab from “Moana”? Well, then you’re in luck, because the Gem and Mineral Show at La Plata County Fairgrounds feaContinued on Page 16 tures all things shiny, from rocks and gems to pearls, minerals, and beads. Come dig for (slightly buried) treasure at the vendor

From Page 15

booths, join mini-workshops in lapidary, metalsmith, and keum boo, and pan for gold. Your glittery wrists will thank you.

July 15-August 1 Music in the Mountains Pagosa Springs, Durango, Bayfield, and Ignacio, Colorado

competitions in front of the audiences who, by the way, won’t have to pay a dime to watch. You’ll get to watch artists put on what can only be described as the loudest performances in the galaxy without ever having to leave the planet.

July 30-August 1 Party in the Park

Music in the Mountains is a massive summer music festival featuring topnotch musicians that not only entertain, but educate and interact, making this festival a true learning experience.

You can catch acts like TAKE3, a trio of musicians who play classics like “What a Wonderful World” to original soundtrack music from “Game of Thrones, or Bach and Burritos event where you can not only listen to the lulling sounds of classical music, but enjoy delicious burritos and margaritas from Nini’s Taqueria as well. And, to top off those burritos and sweet tunes, you can even indulge in a variety of artisan desserts – chocolate-based desserts, no less – at the Chocolate Indulgence tent. Where do we sign up?

Durango, Colorado; Pagosa Springs, Colorado

July 17

Now that it’s summer, to hit the road. As COVID-19 is still an ongoing concern, we highly suggest you stick

iAM Music Fest!

Durango, Colorado It’s iAM MUSIC Fest! part two! This time, festival attendees at Buckley Park can catch Elder Grown, Grahm Good, and The Secret Circus Society while still being able to social distance at a public event. Like with the previously mentioned iAM MUSIC Fest, you’ll have to wait a month before the event to purchase your tickets.

July 24 Music at the Springs Pagosa Springs, Colorado; $5 iAM MUSIC will be back for more of Pagosa Springs at their second summer Music at the Springs event featuring High Country Hustle and Pete Muller and Friends. Buckle up for a night of bluegrass and a performance by Pete Muller who, aside from being a pioneer in quant investing, spent much of his time in New York City playing music in the subway for busy commuters.

July 30-August 1 Durango Carve Wars Fest Durango, Colorado; free In a galaxy not too far away, just down the road from Durango in fact, a war of the stars, er, chainsaws will take place. Welcome to Carve Wars where artists will face off in chainsaw carving

16 | May 1, 2021

Party? Now there’s a term we haven’t heard in a while. But here it is!

KSUT is bringing live music back to the Four Corners. Party in the Park is coming to Durango’s Buckley Park on July 30, and to Pagosa Springs on August 1 at Town Park. In order to prevent any spread of COVID-19, KSUT has adjusted its crowd capacity and put in place safety rules and protocols. Visit the KSUT website for more information on upcoming events.

August 4, 25 Mesa Verde National Park Entrance Fee-Free Day Mesa Verde National Park; free it’s time

with outdoor activities where there is plenty of space to social distance, like Mesa Verde National Park. The park has even made it easy for you by making two days in August fee-free days in honor of the anniversary of the American Outdoors Act, Aug. 4, and the National Park Service’s birthday, Aug. 25. At Mesa Verde National Park, not only will you get beautiful views of the desert landscape and plethora of canyons, but you’ll also get to see the cliff dwellings where, for 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built their homes and communities.

August 13-15 Telluride Jazz Festival Telluride, Colorado Get your lawn chairs ready. The Telluride Jazz Festival is back and it’s bringing a whole lotta smooth music with it.

While a good chunk of the 2021 lineup hasn’t been announced, some of this year’s performers include The Crescent Super Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Catherine Russell, and Christian Sands. In years past, bands like Lettuce, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Muddy Waters, Dizzy Gillespie, and Mavis Staples. Tickets will not go on sale for this festival until the event organizers are sure they can make it a safe experience for everyone in attendance.

August 18-22 Telluride Mushroom Festival Telluride, Colorado Mushroom nerds, get your eating utensils ready because the Telluride Mushroom Festival is on! This festival puts the fun back into fungal. OK, that was a terrible dad joke, but for real, if you’re a fan of the ‘shrooms, consider checking out this festival Continued on Page 17

From Page 13

Monday - Moscow Mule

From Page 16

August 28

dedicated to “all things mycological.” Attendees of this 40-year-old event will learn about culinary and medicinal uses of mushrooms, new advancements in science when it comes to mushrooms, the chemistry behind psychedelic mushrooms and how they can be used clinically, and even take part in a good ol’ fashioned mushroom cook-off. If you’re new to the mushroom world, welcome! This festival has plenty of activities to set you up with mushroom basics.

Thirsty 13 Half Marathon

Ale cans, $4 Tequila Mockingbirds, $9/lb Broasted

Hesperus to Durango, Colorado; $70

Chicken Wings

DEALS: $2 Colorado Kolsch and Third Eye Pale

Tuesday - Old Fashioned #4 Wednesday - Manhattan Thursday - Bee’s Knees

East by Southwest Happy Hour

Friday - Pepe’s Toronjas

San Juan Brewfest

If you’re looking to work up an appetite before going to the brewing festival, Thirsty 13 Half Marathon has got you covered. Starting at Hesperus Church, you’ll run all the way out to Ska Brewing. Once you finish, you’ll be rewarded with food from Nini’s Taqueria and can head on down to Buckley Park where you can wrap up your day with some delicious beers at the San Juan Brewfest.

Durango, Colorado

August 28-29

Time: Daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

How we’ve missed you, San Juan Brewfest! Let’s get back to wrapping up the summers with a festival celebrating Durango’s love of beer at Buckley Park. Attendees will get tasting glasses and unlimited samples from the dozens of breweries and distilleries there to quench your thirst, which should be pretty substantial considering San Juan Brewfest was a no-go last year. The 2021 brewery lineup will be announced in May and revelers can also expect live musical performances. Tickets will go on sale on June 1. As we like to say here in the Southwest, cheers!

Manitou Springs Wine Festival

Location: El Moro Tavern

Time: Monday to Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Manitou Springs, Colorado; $30-35

Address: 945 Main Avenue, Durango

Location: Los Amigos Del Sur

Summers are just for the beer lovers, at least not in Manitou Springs.

At the Manitou Springs Wine Festival, you can get your wine on at their 18th annual Wine Festival at Memorial Park. About 21 wineries are signed up to be serving drinks at the festival, though those numbers could change. Aside from some fine wine guzzling you’ll be doing, there will also be live music performances, though the lineup has not yet been announced. Tickets go on sale May 1 and are available for individual sessions. There will be two sessions a day.

DEALS: Well Drinks - $3.00

Address: 835 Main Avenue, Suite 106, Durango

House Wine - $4.00

DEALS: $5.50 Margaritas, mojitos & fine cocktails

Tall Boy Domestic Beer Cans - $4.00

$6.99 app specials - wings, nachos, tostadas

August 28

Time: Daily from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Saturday - Sidecar

Location: East by Southwest

Sunday - Daiquiri

Address: 160 East College Drive, Durango

Fired Up Pizzeria Happy Hour

DEALS: $2 hot sake

Time: Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

$3 SKA Pinstripe pints

Location: Fired Up Pizzeria

$5 Sky Refresher vodka cocktails

Address: 741 Main Avenue, Durango

$6 house mojitos, Kim-chi Mais (house bloody

DEALS: $3 Colorado Drafts

mary), and select wines

$4 House Wines

$5 to $13 select appetizers and food special

$5 Select Cocktails

El Moro Tavern Happy Hour

Los Amigos Del Sur Happy Hour

Coors, Hamm’s, Budweiser, Modelo, 10 Barrel

Wild Horse Saloon Happy Hour

Pub Beer

Time: Varies

$1 Off Bar Snacks & Appetizers

Location: Wild Horse Saloon

Late Night Happy Hour Daily from 10:00 to

Address: 601 East 2nd Avenue, Durango

Closing

DEALS: Buck Wild Wednesdays ALL night

Well Drinks - $3.00

$1 off all cocktails

House Wine - $4.00

Thursday nights are LADIES night!

Tall Boy Domestic Beer Cans - $4.00

$2 off all cocktails for ladies

Coors, Hamm’s, Budweiser, Modelo, 10 Barrel

Free line dance lessons & karaoke too!

Pub Beer Late Night Cocktail Specials ($5) Daily from 10:00 to Closing

MY SHELTER PETS ARE MY BEST FRIENDS

OLIVIA MUNN WITH CHANCE AND FRANKIE: ADOPTED 2014 AND 2016.

THESHELTERPETPROJECT.ORG May 1, 2021 | 17

selection in town! over 15solventless strains!

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regrets there. I do not mind eating a passion fruit gummy that doesn’t work.

I just smoked my way into oblivion a couple of hours after eating it instead.

I’m a sucker for passion fruit. Like a huge sucker for it. There’s something about that wild, exotic fruit that pulls me in every freaking time. Doesn’t matter what it is. It could be a passion fruit flavored tea, a passion fruit smoothie, or literally anything else on Earth.

Whatever it is, I’m on it. I’d probably be tempted to lick passion fruit scented lotion if I could find it. Screw off. Don’t judge me.

solventless2 for 33 + tax wax/shatter from ask 710your labs &budtender lazercat about daily deals:

Anyway, that love for passion fruit flavored food now extends to weed edibles, all thanks to Kanha Treats, a line of edibles from Sunderstorm.

The second night, though? Well.

The second night I tripled the dosage, which meant I got to ingest three of those delicious gummies, which are bright purple and covered with sugar.

They don’t taste like weed at all, so it really was like just eating a few freaking awesome gummies.

daily happy hour munchie monday wax/shatter 2 for 33 + tax Details

Unsurprisingly, those three little passion fruit marbles did the trick. And boy, did they do the trick quickly. It took maybe 20 minutes from the time I ingested them to the time they hit me like a ton of bricks.

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The Kanha (pronounced “canna” — of course) Cannabis Infused Gummies are now on the shelves at Prohibition Herb, and these gummies come in all kinds of flavors: luscious lemon, cran-pomegranate, green apple, blood orange bliss, and — you guessed it — passion fruit paradise. Some flavors come in gummies with 10 milligrams of THC each, while others come with a different ratio of CBD to THC. So, there’s variety in both the flavors and the ratios.

And, as you may have guessed, when I was offered the chance to try these suckers out, I jumped on it.

Passion fruit and indica all the way, babaaaaaaay!

Kanha Gummies can be found at Prohibition Herb, located at 1185 Camino del Rio. Visit prohibitionherb.com or call 970-385-8622 for more information.

lately — a combination of stress and ADD brain, which likes to wake me up with Queen songs lately (Don’t Stop Me Now in particular, which of obvious irony) — and I really needed something that was going to help me fall asleep and then stay asleep. In other words, a monumental task was placed upon these gummies.

The good news, though, is that they were a gentle ton of bricks. It was like, sober, sober, sober, sober, STONED. The waves of THC started fogging up my head and it felt like 2.54 seconds flat between stoned and asleep.

Not that I can confirm that, mind you. I was freaking asleep, but if I had to venture a guess, I’d say it was about 2.54 seconds, give or take. I’m very good at math. Trust me.

thirsty thursday Skip the Line vape friday shatterday Order Ahead @ stock up sunday rockymountainhigh.co

The only real downside to the passion fruit flavor is that the gummies contain 5 milligrams of THC rather than the standard 10 milligrams. That’s OK, though. I have a higher tolerance for edibles than I once did, but I have no problem doubling up if it means I get to eat more passion fruit.

After I picked these suckers up from Prohibition, I was obviously eager to try them out. I wasn’t just intrigued by the flavor, either. I was also intrigued by the idea that the indica in these gummies would knock me the heck out. I haven’t been sleeping very well

Were they up to the challenge? Well, yes and no.

The first night I took them, I only took one gummy. My well-documented fear of gummies keeps me from taking multiple at once. I like to know how the dang things are going to affect me before I end up wandering my house high and half-asleep with a bag of chips courtesy of some stronger-than-expected edibles. Yes, it has happened a lot in the past.

Even better? I. FREAKING. STAYED. ASLEEP. I could have even slept in if I’d been given the opportunity. Unfortunately, I was not. I was late on the deadline for this review.

And, these gummies didn’t give me that laggy, hungover feeling that can come with too many edibles. I was able to jump out of bed and get my ass in gear. I just didn’t want to.

I’d rate these bad boys a 10. I love them. They’re passion fruit flavored and they knock me out completely.

Ain’t NOTHING wrong with that.

Durango dispensaries Acme Healing Center, 1644 Co Rd 203,

970-247-2190, acmehealingcenter.com Colorado Grow Co., 965 1/2 Main Ave.,

970-259-1647, coloradogrowcompany.com Durango Organics - Bodo Park, 72

Suttle Street, Suite F, 970-259-3674, durangoorganics.com Durango Organics - Grandview, 37 Co

Rd 232, 970-426-4381, durangoorganics.com Durango Rec Room, 145 E. College

Drive, 970-764-4087, durangorecroom.com The Greenery, 208 Parker Ave., Suite E,

970-403-3710, durangogreenery.com Mammoth Farms, 927 CO-3, 970-422-

3282, info@mammothfarms.com Prohibition Herb, 1185 Camino del Rio,

970-385-8622, prohibitionherb.com Kinfolk Farms, 83 Davidson Creek Road,

970-759-8683 Rocky Mountain High, 120 E. 36th

Street, 970-259-4093, rockymountainhigh.co Santé , 742 ½ Main Ave., 970-375-2837, san-

tecolorado.com Telluride Bud Company, 3473 Main Ave., 970-422-8311, telluridebc.com

Cortez dispensaries Chronic Therapy, 1020 S. Broadway, 970-

529-2045, chronictherapy.co Doobie Sisters, 695 N. Broadway, 970-

565-2345, doobiesistersco.com Durango Organics Cortez, 1104 E.

Main Street, 970-565-6500, durangoorganics. com The Herbal Alternative, 1531 Lebanon

Road, 970-529-7007, theherbalalternative.net LivWell Cortez, 1819 E. Main Street, 970565-9577, livwell.com/cortez The Medicine Man, 310 E. Main Street, 970-564-5181, cortezmedicineman.com

Mancos dispensaries The Beacon, 230 N. Oak, 970-533-9848 The Bud Farm, 385 N. Willow Street, 970533-9931, thebudfarm.net LivWell Mancos, 449 Railroad Ave. #1, 970-533-9848, livwell.com/mancos

Pagosa Springs Good Earth Meds. 600 Cloman Blvd. #1, 970-731-3202, goodearthmeds.com The Green House, 270 E. Pagosa Street, 970-264-4420, greenhousepagosa.com Pagosa Therapeutics, 235 Bastille Drive,

970-731-4420, pagosatherapeutics.com

Website: rockymountainhigh.co Skip the Line Instagram: @rockymountainhigh.co While Supplies last.@ Restrictions may apply. All Prices Pre Tax. Order Ahead Rocky Mountain High Durango rockymountainhigh.co 120 E. 36th St Durango, CO. And, as you likely deducted from my yes and no, the 5 milligram gummy wasn’t enough to do the trick. It was, however, freaking delicious, so no

—— DGO Pufnstuf

San Juan Strains, 365 E. Pagosa Street,

Unit B, 970-264-5323, sanjuanstrains.com

Smoke Rings, 266 E Pagosa Street, 970-

264-0942

Add a subheading Website: rockymountainhigh.co Open Sun-Thur 8am-8am Fri-Sat 8am-9m Instagram: @rockymountainhigh.co

970.259.4093 | www.rockymountainhigh.com (970)may 259-4093 While Supplies last. Restrictions apply. All Prices Pre Tax. 18 | May 1, 2021

Rocky Mountain High Durango 120 E. 36th St Durango, CO. Add a subheading

Wedding Pie is the weed equivalent of an emotional weighted blanket You won’t be running any marathons after this strain, but you will slow down and relax, which is just as good Do you ever get so bogged down by life that you really just need a good excuse to sleep for 12 hours straight without any disturbances or weird, vivid dreams that you have to live with the next day? Anyone? Well, dear readers, I do. Often. But, unfortunately, those opportunities are rare so I usually just take my crappy six hours of sleep and run with it. Thus is life. I have accepted the “Groundhog’s Day” cycle that is trapping yourself indoors because of COVID-19. And because I’m antisocial and would rather watch a “Forensic Files” replay on TV most days.

But not this week! This week, I got my hands on some Wedding Pie from our budtender friends at The Green House. If you’ve never heard of Wedding Pie, I guarantee you’ve heard of its parentage. This indica-leaning hybrid is a cross between Wedding Cake and Grape Pie, so I knew I was in for a real treat because I’m a real big fan of Wedding Cake.

I got even more excited when I opened up the container when I got home. Y’all. Wedding Pie is some smelly bud. But not in a bad way, more in a, “Oh HELLO! You’re about to smoke some dank weed,” type of way. Wedding Pie actually smells a bit fruity: lemony and sweet with some underlying spicy and earthy notes. This stuff is strong, so whip this out in a space where you’re trying to be subtle because Wedding Pie will out you so fast. And, to be fair, this is a strain that you should smoke loud and proud.

Which is exactly what I did.

These pretty little nugs have little flecks of auburn in them and are covered in tiny crystal trichomes which only make them that much lovelier to look at. I tried not to touch them too much, however, as it turns out that Wedding Pie is actually pretty sticky.

I hadn’t used my trusty little pipe in a minute so I dug it out of my weed drawer (yes, I have one of those), packed a bowl, and lit up. Initially, Wedding Pie tasted very earthy but the aftertaste came out very sweet and fruity, almost like inhaling a handful of berries. This stash from The Green House came in at 30% THC, so I was trying to be careful with how much I smoked. (If you’re new here, The Green

Details Wedding Pie is available at the Green House Durango, located at 730 S. Camino del Rio. For more information, visit thegreenhousecolorado.com/durango/ or call 970-247-2720.

House tends to have strains that will leave you feeling like you’re in an Air Force jet going 1,800 miles an hour.)

Alas, as it usually goes with weed, I couldn’t help myself. Also, after about three puffs I was already feeling it and there was no way I was going to just leave it at three measly tokes.

Wedding Pie had an almost instant calming effect on me. I wrote in my notes, “feels like someone put an emotional weighted blanket on me.” I have no idea what an “emotional weighted blanket” means but it must be good because the notes after that are “feeling peaceful” and “feels like I’m floating on a cloud in the room.” Sober Me thinks that sounds very excellent and I’m sure Stoned Me did, too.

Wedding Pie also gave me a feeling of detachment, the kind that you hope to achieve as a wisened respectable figure that everyone goes to for advice. And, listen, if I can achieve that status as a stoned person smoking Wedding Pie on their back patio, then literally anyone can. I felt like I could solve any problem, especially when I started re-watching Continued on Page 21

May 1, 2021 | 19

Wana Quick Limoncello gummies: And they taste like candy!

Nobody gets the old SNL reference? Nobody? Bueller?

“It tastes like Skittles!”

This was the first phrase that came out of my friend’s mouth as soon as they tried the Wana Quick Limoncello gummies. After I tried on next, I couldn’t have agreed more. They were effing delicious and, if they weren’t a bunch of edibles, I probably would have downed the whole thing by myself.

So, what is Wana’s line of fast-acting gummies exactly? Let’s get into it!

One of the complaints some people have when it comes to edibles is a) how long it takes to get high, and b) how long edibles last once you do get high.

As a result, it can be tough to dose. Cut to the Wana Quick line where, instead of being metabolized in the liver, Wana used nano-encapsulation technology to instead send the THC straight into your bloodstream. This way, instead of it taking anywhere from a half-hour to an hour to get stoned, it only takes roughly five to 15 minutes. The high will last you anywhere from two to four hours so you’ll still want to take it easy if you pop one of these.

This month, we’re reviewing Limoncello, a hybrid that tastes like Skit-

tles, as my friend initially stated. These gummies, which come with 5mg of THC apiece, are friggin’ delicious. I cannot overstate that. It legitimately is like eating candy. And the best part is that it’s both vegan and gluten-free so anyone can enjoy them!

I’ve experienced and enjoyed Wana Quick edibles before (their Peach Bellini and Strawberry Margarita flavors), so I was psyched to try Limoncello as well.

The really nice thing about these gummies is that when you eat them, you won’t feel like you’re melting onto your floor as you shove a bunch of junk food into your mouth. Wana Quick edibles are a chill, easy high that isn’t as intense as most edible highs, I’ve found.

Where the grass is always greener.

GREAT STRAIN SELECTION • HASH & CONCENTRATE • EDIBLES • SEED • CLONES PIPES • SMOKING ACCESSORIES • APPAREL • MJ LITERATURE & CONSULTING • ATM ON-SITE Grandview Location (Durango) RECREATIONAL ONLY 9am - 8pm 37 County Road 232 (970) 426-4381

Bodo Park Location (Durango) Cortez Location MED 9am - 6:45pm REC 9am - 9pm MED & REC 9am - 9pm 72 Suttle St. Units F & G 1104 E. Main St., Cortez, CO 81321 (970) 259-3674 (970) 565-6500

The Alternative Resource 20 | May 1, 2021

This is because when edibles are absorbed through the liver, the THC is converted into an 11-Hydroxy molecule which creates a more intense stoned experience. Because these Wana edibles are absorbed through the bloodstream, however, the TCH turns into the Delta-9-THC molecule.

As a result, the effects are much less overwhelming.

ment’s notice. Instead, I felt energetic

These Limoncello gummies made me feel floaty, like I was drifting on a comfortable cloud. It was a very giggly, smoker’s high and was all around pleasant. I didn’t feel fused with my couch or like I was about to fall asleep at a mo-

a chill evening of staring dreamily at

and ready to dig into some chores I’d been avoiding all week, so my laundry basket thanks you, Wana!

As much as I love a good high that makes me wonder if I’m hearing voices from outer space, I don’t need that every Tuesday night. I’m good with “Forensic Files” playing on my TV and being able to follow along, and I think you will be, too.

—— Sir Blaze Ridcully

From page 7

mato, cilantro, arugula, lime, chipotle ranch drizzle, and house tomatillo salsa. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

My friend, on the other hand, went with what seemed like a safer choice: an avocado caprese, made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, avocado, basil, arugula, and garlic mayo on a warm pressed ciabatta roll.

We managed to toss back two more of those delicious Cure cocktails in the time it took to get our food — which was really no time at all — so by the time our plates arrived, the chatter was flowing and so was the laughter. Life was good.

And those tacos? Well, they made it even better. The first thing I noticed when they arrived was that, despite having more ingredients than the tacos I grew up on, they weren’t overdone or stuffed to the gills. There was a healthy portion of each ingredient atop a lightly fried corn tortilla.

Each piece of the taco pie played well with each other, too. The warm carne held its own against the loud flavor of the queso fresco, and the burst of green bite from the cilantro was just what I needed to feel at home with this taco. And that tortilla? Well, let’s just say it could have been a Rio Grande Valley staple. And that’s saying something.

The same held true for the avocado taco, which got just enough kick from the drizzle of the chipotle ranch to set it apart. The tomatillo salsa didn’t hurt, either.

As with the cocktails, I downed

those tacos in what felt like seconds flat. Before I could even ask to try my dining partner’s sandwich, it was gone. Erased from the plate like it had never existed. I’ll just assume it was good.

After a few more cocktails, we rolled back into the chilly Durango night air, satiated, with bellies full of booze and carbs.

It won’t be long before I’m back at Derailed to indulge in a few more of those cocktails, and a few more of those tacos. I may not be able to easily get those beloved south Texas carne asada tacos these days, but the tacos at Derailed will do just fine.

Just fine.

—— Angelica Leicht Derailed Pour House is located at 725 Main Ave., Durango. You can reach them at (970) 247-5440 or find them online at derailedpourhouse.com.

Green Dot Labs got us...they got us real good The Silver Label live resin vape cartridge is going to be your new weed best friend As an avid, enthusiastic, and regular user of the marijuana plant, you could say I’ve built up quite a tolerance over time. It’s rare that I feel like a product truly tosses me out on my rear end and makes me feel like I just went into a Star Wars hyperdrive without ever leaving my couch.

Well, fellow stoners, I have news. Green Dot Labs got me. And they got me good. After testing out their Silver Label live resin vape cartridge, I don’t think I’ll ever come even close to being as stoned as I was that evening.

In fact, I think I said as much multiple times to my friend who I was smoking with until they told me, they got it. I was high. I couldn’t help it though - my brain was enamored with how completely flattened I felt. Y’all. Green Dot Labs’ Silver Label live resin cartridges are an absolute hit.

But don’t just take it from me. Green Dot Labs describes their Silver Label line like this: “Sourced using retired strains from

uncut live resin extracted from their Boulder grow in their signature Black Label Live Resin cartridges.

But back to the vape.

The Silver Label line comes in various strains such as Time Traveler, Dolato, and GG 4. The strains come in 510 thread cartridges so they’re attachable to most vapes on the market.

But we especially need to discuss the vape itself because it is a beaut. Bright yellow with a matte finish, I received many a compliment while smoking that thing. While the bright colors aren’t subtle, the smell is and you can easily slip it in and out of your pocket to use at a moment’s notice.

our Black Label garden and with flower from top Colorado cultivators, the GDL Silver Label line highlights crowd-pleasing extracts. Silver Label products are processed using the same careful solvent-based extraction methods as our Black Label line.”

I, personally, recommend smoking Green Dot Labs’ Silver Label live resin vape cartridge if you’re planning for a night in because there is no damn way you’re gonna be productive after you start toking on this beast. Even the most avid of stoners may find themselves fused to the couch after enjoying an evening with this vape.

I, for one, could not follow a thing after taking only a handful of hits from

this vape. I was swept off my feet immediately and refused to move from my favorite position on my couch for nothing. Well, except for a bag of chocolate chips I had stashed in my fridge. I was saving them for a rainy day, but the black hole of hunger that is the munchies worked too. Frankly, I’m surprised my old self didn’t pass out immediately after my first toke. That seems to be my modus operandi most of the time when inhaling a large amount of cannabis. I will say, however, I slept very soundly which was absolutely fantastic as another great part of being old is the uncanny ability to sleep much less than you used to yet still somehow always be tired.

If you have a vape at the ready, you’ll want to snag some of Green Dot Labs Silver Line live resin cartridges ASAP. You’ll never sleep so well in your life and you’ll never want to leave your couch again, which is just fine.

—— Sir Blaze Ridcully

If you don’t know much about Green Dot Labs, here’s the lowdown — founded in 2014, this company is family-owned by Alana and Dave Malone and exclusively focuses on cannabis extracts. Green Dot Labs uses pure,

From page 19

“90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way” and started doling out advice to the people on screen who obviously could not hear me. I can honestly say I don’t remember any of the obviously grand and helpful things I kept yelling at the TV. Yes, everyone.

Wedding Pie turned me into a dating expert for all of three hours until I passed out with a handful of garlic and parmesan kettle chips shoved in my mouth.

Y’all, I got to say, after smoking Wedding Pie, I had some of the best sleep in my life. No, I didn’t pass out for an entire 12 hours but I got my tight eight in

and I didn’t wake up once like I normally do, typically from tossing and turning or half-awake freaking out over a strange sound I heard.

If you’re experiencing a lot of anxiety or struggling to get a good night of sleep like me, I cannot recommend Wedding Pie enough. It’ll be some of the best sleep you’ve had in a long time and it makes it so much easier to wind down before you go to bed. Trust me.

Those dark circles under your eyes will thank you for your service.

—— Sir Blaze Ridcully

find us at: 72 Suttle St. Unit B Bodo Park Durango

The area’s best selection of vaping products Premium e-liquids, e-cigs, local glass, water pipes, dab rigs & accessories

Your Source for CBD Products Tinctures • Edibles • Lotions • Concentrates

970-247-1261 info@swvapor.com

May 1, 2021 | 21

Ask a couple of potheads From tolerance levels to vegan edibles, there are the questions you want answered about weed

Blaze and Puf answer all of your weed-y questions.

Hello out there! This is Blaze and Puf, your two friendly neighborhood potheads. This is round three of our semi-new column magazine called, well, “Ask a couple of potheads.”

We’ve been stoked with the amount of feedback and questions we’ve received over the last few issues, so please keep ’em coming! We freaking love talking to you guys about pot.

And, if you’re new to this column, here’s the deal. Because we keep getting texts and emails asking us about cannabis-related things, we decided to turn it into a Q&A session.

Apparently we’re your safe place for answers on all things pot, and while we never mind chatting about the devil’s lettuce, we would appreciate you asking the questions sometime BEFORE midnight.

So, if you have questions, we want ’em. We want to know your deepest, darkest queries that you sit up at night thinking about. No question is too basic or noob for us! Send them our way, whether it’s something like, “How much THC is too much THC?” or “What is this that I’m vaping?”

22 | May 1, 2021

You can ask us ANYTHING YOU WANT TO in here. There are no rules. You can even email us at 4 a.m. on a Tuesday if you want to. The world is your freaking pothead oyster!

Come one, come all with your silly, embarrassing, or just plain weird questions about weed. You can send them over to us at editor@DGOmag.com and someone will eventually send them our way. Once they do, we’ll do our best to answer them in the best way possible.

And here we go.

I’ve been hearing that something called “terpenes” is important to cannabis users. Usually, when someone brings it up I just nod my head and go along with it, but now I got to ask: What are terpenes, and why are they important?

Blaze: As Puf well knows, I too am guilty of pretending like I know what other people are talking about, so I feel you on this! So, terpenes, or “terps” if you’re real cool, are the oils, or compounds, found in cannabis plants. However, you won’t find them in just cannabis. Many plants have terpenes, though cannabis terpenes are probably the best well known.

While many growers and users are mainly focused on THC levels, terpenes also play an important role in your marijuana experience. Terpenes are Continued on Page 23

Puf: Ooooh, OK. I’ve got this one on lock. You know what essential oils are?

And no, not the ones being schlepped by an MLM. We’re talking real essential oils — the ones that come from actual plants and aren’t synthesized in a lab. Well, that’s basically what terpenes are. They are what give your weed that stanky, skunky, piney, insane smell and flavor.

These aromas don’t just make your weed staaaaaank, though. They also help to ease your body and mind when you ingest cannabis products.

What’s funny, though, is that terpenes weren’t developed for your pleasure. As with most other strong-smelling plants and flowers, the terpenes in cannabis were developed to repel predators and lure pollinators. In other words, the plant ain’t tryna be messed with by outsiders, and the terpenes kept them away.

These days, though? Well, they attract that predator known as a pothead. Those scary beasts love the terpenes in their weed, and so do we. So. Do. We. I’m thinking about growing a couple of marijuana plants in my home.

What do I need to do or know in order not to kill them off?

Puf: Umm, OK well you’re asking this of someone who has, I shit you not, killed almost every plant known to man. Not for lack of trying! I love plants! But I also suck at plants.

That said, I have successfully grown some jalapeño and tomato plants recently thanks to an indoor hydroponics kit I bought. So if you must try to grow your own weed, you may want to start with one of those? Hydroponics are the way.

You’re going to need a ton of equipment and some clones or seeds to start. Lots of dispensaries offer clones to customers for purchase, so see if you can nail one of those down so you don’t have to start from scratch.

And, once you have that clone in your hot little hand, you may want to consult the professionals online or at the pot shop and not us. I can’t say for sure that Blaze is also a plant killer, but I can actually say that for sure. This is someone who can’t even walk up the stairs without a serious injury occurring. Do you really want advice from that fool?Luckily, the internet knows all, so there are some bomb ass resources you can consult instead of con-

sulting these two asses, minus the bomb.

Take it away, Blaze.

Blaze: Wishing you lots of luck because I, for one, can’t even keep a cactus alive.

There’s quite a lot to growing marijuana, but if you’re looking to grow marijuana, growing indoors is the easiest way to do that as it is the easiest way to control your plants’ living conditions. Depending on how many plants you want to grow, you’ll definitely need the right type of lighting, a hydro system, healthy soil, and perhaps even a tent.

R E C R E AT I O N A L D I S P E N S A RY

Weed love to help you!

You’ll want to start off with either seeds or clones and research the type of environment it’ll need to thrive.

Once you get your seeds or clones, you’ll want to plant them and carefully water and feed them as over or under-watering, and feeding a cannabis plant (or any plant for that matter) is a great way to kill it.

Order online through Weedmaps.com and Leafly.com

I found out recently that I am eligible to get my medical marijuana card.

How do I get my medical marijuana card and is it worth it?

Locals Day is every Tuesday!

Blaze: If you have one of the following ailments, you can qualify for a Colorado medical marijuana card:

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- Severe Pain If you fall under any of these categories, you’ll need to visit your health care provider, fill out an online application (you’ll have to pay a $25 fee), and submit it to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Once you turn in your application, it’ll take anywhere from one to three business days. Once you’re approved, you’ll be able to access your card through your CDPHE account.

Puf: Heeeeeey! Finally a question I can freaking answer this round! Y’all are making this fool feel even more space-case than usual.

So, you want to get a medical marijuana card, eh? You’re in luck because it’s super freaking EASY. If you are over the age of 21, have one of the qualifying conditions that Blaze so helpfully listed above, and

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what give that extra “oomph” of flavor.

They’re what makes your marijuana nugs smell or taste piney, earthy, floral, cheesy, sweet, stinky, and so on. The way I see it, it would be like eating apple pie without the apples. Ok, maybe it’s not as dramatic as that, but still!

They’re important.

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From Page 22

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Continued on Page 24 May 1, 2021 | 23

From Page 23

you are a Colorado resident with proof of residency, like a license or ID card, all you have to do is head over to a medical marijuana doctor who can give you a certification that refers you for a card.

Once you’ve got your rec in hand, check the list of required documentation to make sure you have all the required information before applying for your card. It’s important to note that applications must be submitted by the patient or the patient’s legal representative, so make sure you’ve got that lined up too.

If everything is in order, you can fill out that handy dandy form at https://cdphe. colorado.gov/apply-colorado-medical-marijuana-card and pay your $25 to get your card issued to you. Super freaking easy.

That said, I don’t know if you’re an adult, so I’m also going to include information for minor patients.

According to the powers that be, minor patients must see two providers and submit two physician certifications.

If the minor patient has a disabling medical condition, which includes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorders, and any condition for which a physician could prescribe an opioid, and the recommending phy-

your metabolism works, whether you get out and get active or sit on the couch and eat Doritos, and a ton of other things.

If you want to clear the THC from your system, don’t drink those gnarly ass detox drinks. They rarely work and they’re hella foul.

Give it time, stop smoking or ingesting, and maybe like, start sweating or something to help move the process along. It can’t hurt to try. And, if it doesn’t work, well, you’re in the same spot you would have been before you did a bunch of lunges in the garage, I guess. Only difference is sore thighs. sician is not the patient’s primary care physician, the physician should review the records of a diagnosing physician or a licensed mental health provider acting within his or her scope of practice. For more information please refer to C.R.S. 25-1.5-106 and House Bill 19-1028.

I’m a regular user of cannabis (basically using it on a daily basis at this point) and am going to have to do a drug test for a new job in a few weeks. How long will it take for marijuana to leave my system?

Puf: Child. We are not scientists. But we are good Googlers, so I guess we can

help!

Short answer: There is no set time frame you can rely on to know when marijuana leaves your system for good. That said, as a chronic smoker, you’re probably going to need some extra time to let that THC drip from your body — at least compared to an occasional smoker. Chronic smokers tend to have THC show up on drug tests for a lot longer than someone who smoked once or twice this month. But, that’s not a tried and true answer for everyone, cause there are other factors at play, too. So vague, I know!

Ultimately, how long you need to wait will depend on your body composition, how

Blaze: Unfortunately, there’s not a clear answer on this which sucks because I would also love to know! It can range from just a few days to a few weeks. The amount of time it stays in your system entirely depends on how often you ingest marijuana, the type of test you have to take, your metabolism, and the amount of body fat you have. It also can depend on how often you exercise because you burn more fat when you exercise regularly (the more body fat you have the longer THC stays in your system). Guess that means I better get to exercising!

—— Blaze Ridcully and DGO Pufnstuf

SHOP • EAT • SPEND • ENjoy

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Dispelling a few dangerous myths If you follow the news in any way, you’ve probably seen the concern from some conservatives and religious organizations that transgender youth are destroying sports, can’t be trusted in bathrooms, or need to be “fixed.”

cation, decision making, and, yes, sexual behaviors.

You don’t have to enroll your youth in a sex-ed class but please, teach them something of your values. Explain why you believe marriage is the safest place for sex or what it means in your religion to follow a particular path. I may disagree with your approach but saying nothing is harmful and leaves youth open to abuse. Talk about what to do in harmful situations. Find love in your heart and compassion in your soul if your child is different than you.

Let’s gather around so we can dispel myths and learn a few (or many) things.

Definitions I prefer to start with what words mean so that we can all begin on the same page.

Anatomical sex: This is what is on your birth certificate or driver’s license for many of us. When you were born, a doctor, midwife, nurse, or taxi driver caught you as your parent pushed you out of their vagina or removed you from the uterus during a c-section. The doctor looked at your external genitals and declared you a boy or a girl. Bam! This is all that was used to determine your anatomical sex. This label follows you around everywhere. On legal documents, expected gender roles, the color of clothes in your baby closet, and so much more.

label or preconceived notion of male/ female, man/woman. It is refreshing to listen, really listen, to younger folkx and learn from their acceptance and inclusive attitudes.

Gender Expression: The actions, behaviors, attitudes, styles that we exhibit as we move through the world. There is still a generation alive today that judged women for wearing pants. Another There is an important note to make generation of men was harassed and dishere that 1 in 100 births result in people criminated against for having long hair whose bodies differ from standard male (“those damn hippies!”). This is, easily, or female. The term for this is intersex. the most fluid and ever-evolving part of Intersex folkx may have genitals (about 1 ourselves when we talk about gender. in 1500 births) that are obviously differ- We have so much power in our self-exent, and a doctor will make a subjective pression, and it is also the entry point for judgment on the anatomical sex of the hate, vitriol, and damage by people who child. To learn more, please check out the want to hurt others. To express yourself Intersex Society of North America (www. outside the social norms associated with isna.org). your perceived gender may anger some people. This anger is that individual’s Anatomical sex is more than our responsibility and problem and not a external genitals. It includes internal reflection on who we are as a person. genitals, hormones, and DNA. These Sadly, there are a powerful few doing are not things that a doctor will look at everything they can to control other or test when an infant is born. Yet, we have brutal legal fights to restrict access people’s autonomy and health. to health care based solely on external Attraction: Though unrelated to genitals. gender, we should talk about who we are attracted to or more commonly identified as sexual orientation. This isn’t only about sexual attraction but can include romantic and/or emotional attraction.

Gay and straight are so last century!

There are now a plethora of identities folkx use to talk about who they are Every person has this sense of self. attracted to - allosexual, androsexual, For many of us, we identify as cisgenasexual, autosexual, bicurious, bisexuder—anatomical sex (your genitals) matches your gender identity: male-man, al, cupiosexual, demisexual, fluid, gay, graysexual, gynesexual, lesbian, libidoist female-woman. Other folkx identify as transgender—anatomical sex is opposite asexual, monosexual, non-libidoist asexual, omnisexual, pansexual, polysexual, of your gender identity: male-woman, pomosexual, queer, questioning, sapiofemale-man. Still, others prefer not to sexual, skoliosexual, spectrasexual, or stick to a binary choice and identify as straight. non-binary. More and more generations are less concerned about fitting into a What a wondrous list! Some of these Gender Identity: This is how you feel about yourself. This isn’t something that can be tested, cured by religion, or explained by science. Your gender identity is your personal feeling of whether your gender is man, woman, or non-binary.

26 | May 1, 2021

words you may know, and others may be completely new. What makes this list inspiring is that it has been expanded by the more open-minded and inclusive younger generations. You don’t have to pick a label from that list or only one from that list. Most importantly, find a way to celebrate your identity with whatever words do not harm yourself or anyone else. Also, worry less about other’s identities and trying to fit them into boxes for your comfort.

Yes, I am pleading with parents to do more and be more for our children. If you hate or fear a child because they are transgender or queer, stop and ask yourself why. Why does a child scare you? Why are you angry? Why are you fearful? And what does your hate or anger or fear give you?

Please donate to the ACLU (www.aclu. org/issues/lgbtq-rights) as they work to combat the legislative attacks against transgender folkx. More specifically, the abhorrent legislation passed in Arkansas A bigger picture prohibits healthcare professionals from As I am writing this, I’m wrapping up providing or even referring transgender a youth program, and I have 4th graders young people for medically necessary who are more understanding, thoughtful, health care. The law also bars any state informed, and empathetic than the mafunds for gender-affirming health care jority of legislators who think we need for transgender people under 18, and it to keep “that” kid away from others. As would allow private insurers to refuse to if being around a transgender youth is cover gender-affirming care for people catching and even if that were true (it is absolutely not true), that being transof any age. Many of these state-level bills gender is a bad thing, which it is not. We against transgender people are targeted are not made to mimic each other or be at youth participating in sports. carbon copies. Difference is strength. ¹ International technical guidance Diversity is beauty. Our youth are the on sexuality education: an evidence-infuture! There is no justifiable reason to formed approach for schools, teachers harm children, ever. and health educators We need sexuality education that speaks to real life. Sex happens—in marriage or orgies, consensual or forced, once or many times. It is more harmful to be silent on topics of sexuality than it is to talk about them. It is beneficial and proven through research¹ that comprehensive, medically accurate, inclusive, and positive sexuality education helps youth wait to have sex until they are ready.

UNESDOC Library Document code: ED.2009/WS/36 REV.3 Year of publication: 2009 Website: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ ark:/48223/pf0000183281

Erin Brandt (she/her/hers) has been a sexologist for 15 years. When she’s not spreading Positive sexuality education creates sexual knowledge, Erin can be found learnsafe and inclusive spaces where youth ing from her child, hiking with her partner, can feel empowered to learn more about what is happening with their developing cuddling with her pitbull, knitting with her bodies during puberty and beyond. It al- cat, dancing with friends, and searching for the nearest hammock and ocean breeze. lows for the normalization of topics like consent, healthy relationships, communi- Want more? Visit www.positivesexed.com

From Page 9

that her life was clouded by so much tragedy. Yet, one ponders how surely there must be something a little brighter beyond that.

Holiday, much like Garland, struggles to be the subject of a film biopic that fully captures both the essence and accuracy of the vocalist as a person.

While singer-turned-actress Andra Day won Best Actress in a Drama at the Golden Globes for Lee Daniels’ “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” last month, it would be easy to assume the win was due, at least in part, to a lack of competition with so many movies on hiatus. But upon viewing, you can see some of the same signs as the Diana Ross-led vehicle of Sidney J. Furie’s “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972).

As a whole, Daniels’ new movie seems to be pretty divided and mixed from the critics. If you’ve seen some of the director’s previous features, such as “Shadowboxer” (2005) or “The Butler” (2013), this likely isn’t much of a surprise.

What is a very nice surprise is that Day truly did live up to the hype of her breakthrough performance as Holiday, quite similarly to Ross. And, I would go as far as to say Day’s portrayal is even

more impressive than Ross’ — and the result of better casting. While viewers praised Ross’ Oscar nominated first acting effort in 1972, one issue that comes up is that we feel like we’re still watching Ross rather than Holiday.

Here, Day is still fresh enough as a famous face to capture Holiday’s presence and gift, but also to avoid coming off as a caricature. I would almost say Day’s dramatic and musical efforts save the film, but unfortunately, there are some narrative and story execution problems with Daniels’ directing and Suzan-Lori Parks’ screenplay that can’t be fixed.

For me, both the title, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” and the opening sequence, make it seem like the film is about the famous legal case regarding Holiday, in which she was legitimately targeted by the government as an excuse to both rationalize the war on drugs and also curb jazz music’s popularity.

This actually is a part of the plot’s progression, especially with Trevante Rhodes cast as real-life federal agent Jimmy Fletcher, who followed Holiday’s career for roughly the last decade of her life. But while this event does play a pivotal role in the film, “The US

vs. Billie Holiday” sticks too closely to the typical music biopic formula that we’ve seen time and again on screen, including with “Lady Sings the Blues.”

Even more underwhelming is the fact that there are more sensationalized scenes on Holiday’s addiction, legal issues, and marital dysfunction than there are scenes for the appreciation of her talent and career.

Natasha Lyonne is practically wasted with a glorified cameo as Tallulah Bankhead, the Broadway star and Holiday’s confidante, with the filmmakers not bothering to properly confirm or deny Holiday’s rumored bisexuality. Garrett Hedlund is fine as Harry Anslinger, the US Treasury head with a personal vendetta against Holiday, and Rhodes is genuinely charming and endearing as the agent torn between his job and the

blatant racial bias of his case.

There was a point where Jimmy seemed almost a little too charismatically perfect, and I was not surprised to discover afterwards that the love triangle set up between Fletcher, Holiday, and her husband, Louis McKay (Rob Morgan), was largely fictionalized.

All that said, “The United States vs.

Billie Holiday” holds one of the best debut film performances in recent history, but ultimately, it could have used some more nuance with its direction and script to be a huge win across the board.

—— Megan Bianco

May 1, 2021 | 27

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