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  Home Page » A&E » Columnists » Downtown Lowdown » Its Barbecues Bands For The Fourth Of July

It's barbecues, bands for the Fourth of July

by Bryant Liggett
Our local July Fourth celebration this year will again be a conglomerate of typical Americana and Durango individuality.

The traditional, of course, is fireworks and a parade. The Durango part would fit any downtown Saturday in the summer but is custom-tailored for the Fourth - a day chock-full of barbecue and rock 'n' roll and no cars on Main Avenue.

Barbecue first. This is the sixth consecutive year there has been a major barbecue on Main Avenue sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. Basically, it's a barbecue competition that will feature more than 20 competitors. They'll gather tonight for a little warm up, and then the barbecue games will resume full throttle at 11 a.m. Saturday. I'd imagine that with beer involved, the rivalry will compare to that of a soccer game between Manchester United and Liverpool, complete with the hooligans. (OK, things won't get that ugly, but look for the competition to be fierce and oh-so-delicious.)This is the first year the barbecue competition will be augmented with music, most of which is rock 'n' roll. I like the music part especially, and I'm proud to call many of the musicians who will be providing the soundtrack for a day of barbecue cooking my friends. Let's go in order. A band I'm unfamiliar with called Flat Tire (named after the beer?) will kick things off at noon. Next will be the Lawn Chair Kings.

Fuzzy Killing Machine will play after the Kings. FKM plays catchy, guitar angst music. It has been in the studio for the last year and hopefully will have a finished product soon.

At 3 p.m., Durango's current most-popular band, A-Dub-Rock-Band, will take the stage. I have no evidence supporting the most popular statement other than I just thought it was fitting to give it that title because every time it plays, the venue is packed.

Indie rock band In A Day will take the stage next. Then at 5 p.m. comes another one of my favorite new bands, Black Market Electric. I don't really know how to describe the music that Eric Way (drums) Brian Bates (bass) and Andy Barber (guitar) play, but I can steal some words from the boys themselves and say it's "rockish, western and punkish."

The music will then make way for the parade, which will feature floats, bands, veterans, and maybe a couple of people who might crash the parade in cow suits. That will be followed by one more rock band, The Freeman Social (which will also play a late-night gig at the Summit).

Standard Main Avenue closing rules will apply. Leave the dogs and your cars at home, bring some money for the beer garden and drop the kids off at the kids area that will feature games, Mysto the Magi and plenty more. All this will happen among clouds of smoke from all-day grilling.

Liggett_b@fortlewis.eduBryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager.