Performing Arts

Long Beach Poets read in Telluride and Norwood

by Art Goodtimes

The Norwood Writers Guild has teamed up with ACE of Norwood and the Wilkinson Library to host Long Beach poets RD “Raindog” Armstrong and G. Murray Thomas for readings in Norwood, Monday, Oct. 24th at the Livery beginning at 7 p.m. and in Telluride, Tuesday, Oct. 25th at the Wilkinson Library beginning at 6 p.m.

These two events will be the start of a three state tour of Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona for the two writers, who are promoting their new books: Armstrong’s E/OR – Living Amongst the Mangled (Lummox Press, 2010) and Thomas’s My Kidney Just Arrived (Tebot Bach, 2011). Armstrong, publisher of Lummox Press, will also be showcasing Working the Wreckage of the American Poem (Lummox Press, 2011).

Anders Osborne, Karl Denson in Telluride for KOTO’s Halloween Bash

 

Anders Osborne must like performing in Telluride big time. The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist was in town in mid-September for his third appearance at Telluride Blues & Brews, where, according to KOTO's Janice Zink, he  – once again – "Killed it."

Anders returns for his encore at KOTOfm's 36th annual Halloween Bash, where he joins another Telluride regular, Karl Denson (of Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, KDTU). At this very special concert, Karl and Anders on lead vocals and their guests perform the Rolling Stones' landmark album, "Sticky Fingers," from start to finish, including chestnuts such as "Wild Horses" and "Brown Sugar." The must-see event takes place in the Hanley Pavilion in Town Park, Saturday, October 29. Doors are at 8 p.m. Showtime is  9 p.m.

Telluride Inside… and Out: Bowers in "Beyond Words" at NYC's Urban Stages

On our recent visit to New York, Telluride Inside… and Out was privileged to attend a performance by Bill Bowers. Poignant self-observation, biting social satire and screwball comedy meet in his latest one-man show, "Beyond Words." The sound of silence is symphonic when this uniquely gifted mime is charged with playing all the instruments. The big small production continues through October 31 at Frances Hill Barlow's Urban Stages, 259 West 30 (between 7th and 8th Avenues).

Bowers is not your typical mime in the tradition of Marcel Marceau, Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton to whom he is often favorably and justifiably compared. For one thing, he talks. Like a chatter box on uppers. However, as was the case with his illustrious antecedents, Bowers is capable of delivering universal themes like candy, not cod's liver oil. "Beyond Words", a collection of mime, music and monologues, may be one of the funniest plays you've ever seen and a pleasure to watch for its spare elegance. (Here I am talking about Bowers' performance as well as the production values – sets, lighting,costumes, sound – orchestrated by the talented young director Scott Illingworth, a faculty member at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting Program.)

Happy Columbus Day from David Feela

By David Feela (ed. note: David Feela makes a wry comment about our penchant for naming things, days, places for ourselves, our friends or our heroes. Happy Columbus Day.) You-Are-Here Pass We’ve named the mountain passes,fastened brass plaques where we stop and sigh,...

Telluride's The 525s, Battle of the Bands at The Llama 9/29/11

 

Thursday, September 29, Telluride's Llama hosts a Battle of the Bands and The 525s are invited. Doors at 9 p.m. Curtain up at 10 p.m. Cover charge: $5.

“It’s a real honor to be asked to join the fray,” says guitarist and songwriter Suzanne Cheavens. “For such a small town the local music scene is very vibrant, so to be included in this contest is a real tip of the hat to how far we’ve come.”

The 525s evolved from a short-lived women’s program at Mark Galbo’s Rock and Roll Academy in 2008. Original members Barbel Hacke, bassist Cindy Eckman and Suzanne remain from those nascent years, joined this summer by drummer Phil Hamilton. And Baerbel, the lead singer, is ready to show Battle of the Band fans what The 525s have up their sleeves.

 

Scott Cossu at Telluride's Opera House

 

An evening of blues, jazz and boogie on Friday

If you were around Telluride in the 1980s, you might remember the name "Scott Cossu" and a sold-out concert at the historic Sheridan Opera House back in 1988. This weekend, Scott returns to the Opera House stage for his (belated) encore Friday, September 30. The evening, which starts at 7 p.m., includes a concert, plus a party/fundraiser/ silent auction.

Scott Cossu was one of the first artists to sign Windham Hill Records in the late 1970's. Based out of Northern California, Windham Hill was a label dedicated to the sounds and spirits of New Age, Jazz, "Heavy Mental" and Classical. For four decades and counting, Scott has continued to write, perform and record jazz, blues and tail-shaking tunes. The show on September 30 features Scott on piano, Art Patience on harmonica, and Nathan Good on percussion showcasing New Age-style compositions, blues, jazz and traditional classical piano music.

Three poems for 9/11

Thoughts on 9/11 by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Rob Schultheis and David Feela

When I question why Susan and I continue to toil away on Telluride Inside... and Out, along comes something like this: three of our favorite poets/writers gave us three very different, but all beautiful, poems to honor memory of the events of September 11, 2001.

9/11/2001 holds a special place in our personal memories. Though we did not lose loved ones in the tragedy, there was an almost dime-novel aspect in the way we and ours experienced the horrors of that day.