Aspiring bands always need a place to play. I back the efforts of promoters regularly, in addition to the players that put themselves out there to showcase their musical talent.
It’s also important to acknowledge the venues and the people behind those venues. These are the places that are opening their doors to acts of all genres and sizes, and giving musicians the opportunity to do what they do in front of an audience. While the closing of The Summit last year meant one less venue, it also meant one less space giving a nod to local start-up bands. Local venues are doing what they can with their resources and space, and with one less space for local acts, Moe’s continues to serve as a stepping stone for young bands and DJs in town. Regularly hosting bands as well as hosting open mic night since it opened its doors in 2007, Moe’s has continued to remain step one for music-makers trying to figure it all out.
Moe’s had picked up on the beloved tradition of the Friday Afternoon Club that some longtime Durangoans may recollect through a haze of cheap beer and other substances pre- Ska and medicinal days at the long defunct Farquahrts. Moe’s Friday Afternoon Club has given way to a three-band residency happening on Saturdays through the summer, featuring funk-based bands Bacon, BootyConda and PowerTribe playing on the back patio.
BootyConda will perform Saturday. The funk band, made up of a local musicians and Fort Lewis College music student alumni, has had its share of musical differences and lineup changes since forming four years ago. What began as the band “B-Sharp” gave way to a larger band that was BootyConda; members came and went, moved away and then came back, and the band played shows, including a memorable set at the Taste of Durango in 2012. Yet artistic and lifestyle differences proved dominant, putting to bed the second wave of BootyConda. The third wave of BootyConda came together in the fall of 2013 after playing at the Moe’s Friday night funk jams.
Moe’s isn’t a huge venue, and owner Rick Carney’s commitment to bringing live bands for the summer is one where local, young, up-and-coming bands can play, without the owner demanding a demo CD or electronic press kit. Carney wants to showcase bands that have been making music for a short time, eager to play in front of people but not established enough to be asked to open for regional or national bands coming through the area.
“I’m the place that the little guys play. Let them graduate up to the larger venues to play at later,” Carney said. “But I am going to be doing live music. To be honest with you, I’m going with the orphans.
“This place has been and will be even more the place where the young ‘trying-to-find-a-place-to-play bands’ are going to play. I’m more dedicated to that than ever. I’m going to go with the small bands. It fits the venue better, and it fits what I do.”
Liggett_b@fortlewis.edu. Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager.
Bryant’s Best
Friday: Funk and world-beat with Euforquestra, 10 p.m. $15. Animas City Theatre, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive, 799-2281.
Saturday: BootyConda plays funk music, 6 p.m., no cover. Moe’s, 937 Main Ave., 259-9018.
