Over the moon
Armed as they are with mandolin, banjo, guitar, stand-up bass and cello, you might expect Nederland band Gipsy Moon to be strictly bluegrass. Hardly. The five-piece band plays a rollicking acoustic sound that isn’t afraid to spill outside of bluegrass boundaries. Gipsy Moon’s repertoire ranges from stripped-down love songs to anti-establishment sing-a-longs, with lyrics inspired by the raw and beautiful landscapes of Colorado. The band will play a show at 10 p.m. Friday at the Balcony Backstage, 600 Main Ave. upstairs.
The freedom to offend
After Animas City Theatre owner Michele Redding caught wind of Sony Pictures’ decision to cancel the Christmas release of the controversial film “The Interview,” she joined scores of independent movie theater owners around the country in signing an open letter of support for the movie. Now, two weeks after it was pulled from theatrical release (and subsequently released both online and in theaters) “The Interview” will be screened at the Animas City Theatre. Redding said the R-rated comedy, which depicts two celebrity television journalists who have been hired by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, isn’t the typical art-house fare of the ACT. But she wants to show it on principle. “We’re excited that it made it to the movie theaters,” Redding said. “I just don’t like the censorship.” Because, to quote Salman Rushdie: “What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.” The film will open Friday and will run through Wednesday.
Rock ’n’ roll comedy
Huck Flyn started his career in the music world, playing blues-rock, gigging in Los Angeles clubs and opening for the likes of Joe Walsh. Then he got older, he said, and decided to get out of the young man’s game. But when Flyn, a born entertainer, found himself one night on the stage of a comedy club, guitar in hand, making fun of the music world through song, “it was an instant hit.” Flyn, who has been a rock ’n’ roll comedian ever since, is bringing his show to Comedy Night at the Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave., on Saturday. The show will feature song parodies, imitations of classic rockers and riffs on life, music and pop culture. The material, Flyn said, transcends generational boundaries. “My act marches on timelessly.” Comedy Night, which will begin at 7:30 p.m., also will feature opener Kevin Bennett. General admission tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.
Insta-art
Behold, the iPhone: hand-brain, micro computer and high-powered camera all in one smart little box. Durango’s Open Shutter Gallery, 735 Main Ave., is spotlighting the artistic medium potential of the smartphone this month with a new exhibit, “Instagram Photography.” The exhibit is self-explanatory; it will feature Instagram images of 20 photographers from all over the country. Small, square, but capable of capturing incredible moments of light and life. The exhibit will run through Feb. 11.
