River music and wine tasting
On Saturday, Alternative Horizons – the Durango nonprofit organization that serves victims of domestic violence – will host an evening of wine tasting and jazz music near the banks of the Animas River. The ninth annual Wine and Music Fest will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on the patio of the Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino Del Rio. Participants will be able to sample a wide array of wines (care of The Wine Merchant, take in the jazz stylings of local band Actual Proof, sample appetizers by Norton’s Catering, try their hands at a ring toss and check out a silent auction. The best part? All proceeds will benefit Alternative Horizons, which provides a 24-hour crisis hotline, legal advocacy, counseling, multicultural services and more to survivors of domestic violence. Tickets are $45 and are available at the event or The Wine Merchant, 1514 Main Ave.
Underground hero
Walter Salas-Humara is part New York City visual artist and part Flagstaff, Arizona, singer-songwriter, but probably best known for co-founding Americana band The Silos, critical darlings of the ’80s and ’90s loved for their austere and raw style. In August, Salas-Humara released his third solo recording – and first album in 18 years – “Curve and Shake,” and now he’s on the road. He’ll be swinging through Durango for a show at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Balcony Bar & Grill, 600 Main Ave. For this gig, Salas-Humara, who has shared the stage with the likes of Wilco, Lucinda Williams and the Violent Femmes, will be playing with GrooveSession, a funk-rock trio from California.
Harmony and twang
Cello + clawhammer banjo + two-part harmonies = the lovely rollicking sounds of The Littlest Birds. The California duo of David Huebner and Sharin Marinson will bring their music – chamber folk tinged with classical training and Appalachian sounds – to two regional venues this weekend. They will play a show at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Dolores River Brewery, 100 S. 4th St., and follow that up with a show at 6 p.m. Sunday at Riff Raff Brewing, 274 Pagosa St., Pagosa Springs. For more information, visit www.littlestbirds.net.
The stars will align
“Stand Up 2 Finish the Fight” – a television event featuring a swarm of celebrities, musicians and entertainers uniting to raise money for cancer treatment research – will be broadcast live today from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. What does it have to do with Durango? The Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive, is hosting a viewing party at 6 p.m. A registration fee of $25 will get you a T-shirt and luminaria. Don’t have $25? Come anyway. Everyone is welcome.
