The Mancos Valley Distillery has scheduled a January lineup of music that includes folk, rock and bluegrass, acoustic and spaghetti western. Here’s a sampling.
The Outskirts
“Gather round all you friends, I gotta story to tell and it never ends,” sings Jim Figora, banjo player for The Outskirts.
It’s a phrase from a simple song he wrote while backpacking in the Waimanu Valley, Hawaii. Yet this line speaks to what the Outskirts are all about, bringing together a community of music lovers while exploring the depths of the human condition. Incorporating equal parts folk, rock, and that high lonesome bluegrass sound, the Outskirts are sure to get a whole room moving with their energetic take on Americana music.
The Outskirts play on Saturday, Jan. 9. Doors open at 5 p.m., music starts at 7 p.m., and there’s a $3 cover charge.
The outskirts formed as a trio in 2013 on the street corners of Crested Butte and the back corner of an old schoolhouse turned bar north of Durango. From the very first time Jim joined Aaron Cooklin (Mandolin) and Brian “bmo” Morgan (guitar/lead vocals) for a jam session, the three knew they wanted to share their music.
Not wanting to be just another bluegrass band, they added members one by one to form a six-piece electric string band. First came Alex “Howie” Howard on electric bass, who has a funk and jazz background. Then came Keith Dunning on drums to hold down the beat and occasionally step up front to belt out a blues number. The Outskirts were finally complete with the addition of Alex Forstoff on lead guitar. His soaring, yet articulate guitar riffs delightfully complement the fast fingerpicking of the acoustic instruments.
While the Outskirts certainly pay homage to the Colorado jamgrass pioneers, you are equally likely to hear the influence of their rock and roll heroes. From timeless Grateful Dead classics to the southern twang of the Drive-By-Truckers to the songwriting of Justin Townes Earl they can run the gamut, blending it all into what they affectionately call face melting soft rock.
Micah Wyatt
“The Barefoot Band” is the one-man invention of singer-songwriter Micah Wyatt, a Southern Californian who uses a mix of acoustic instruments, instrument effects, looping technology, and beatbox skills turning himself into a whole band. Wyatt makes songs that meld an old time roots feel with contemporary American traditions and crosses many genres.
Wyatt plays Friday, Jan. 15. Doors open at 5 p.m., music starts at 7 p.m., and the cover charge is $3.
The Crags
The Crags, from Durango, are known for their wide variety of styles, crossing genres of surf, rock, psyche, spaghetti western, and many more they have developed into a unique style that is reminiscent of retro rock.
Front woman Tracy Ford is responsible for many of their songs, and is the vocalist and rhythm guitarist. She is joined on stage by Dan Leek and his upright bass, John Ford on drums, and Tim Lillyquist on lead guitar.
The Crags play Saturday, Jan. 23. Doors open at 5 p.m., and music starts at 7 p.m. Cover charge is $3.