Music – The Durango Herald

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High mountain music: Guitarist for Michael Martin Murphey performing at Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Carin Mari is bringing some high-country music – and perhaps even a yodel or two – to the Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering this weekend. A gifted singer and guitar player from Buena Vista, th...

New Mexico’s only Celtic festival runs in Aztec this weekend

Expect to see kilt-wearing athletes competing in heavy lifting, vendors galore, traditional Scottish music and dance at the Aztec Highland Games this weekend at Riverside Park in Aztec. Prou...

DATE: Sep 27, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Pharoah Sanders, influential jazz saxophonist, dies at 81

LOS ANGELES – Pharoah Sanders, the influential tenor saxophonist revered in the jazz world for the spirituality of his work, has died, his record label announced. He was 81. Sanders, also kn...

DATE: Sep 24, 2022 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

A once-in-a-year chance

FLC Showcase introduces new and ‘old’ faculty

DATE: Sep 23, 2022 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

Photo: Playing the didgeridoo in downtown Durango

DATE: Sep 13, 2022 | CATEGORY: Local News

Shawn Mendes cancels world tour to prioritize his health

Shawn Mendes has pulled the plug on the rest of his world tour, canceling dates in North America and Europe so he can focus on his mental health. “I was not at all ready for how difficult to...

DATE: Jul 27, 2022 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

The Chainsmokers to perform at the edge of space

NEW YORK – One of The Chainsmokers’ latest hits is “High” and they're hoping to live up to their lyrics. The hit-making duo of Drew Taggart and Alex Pall have signed up to get into a pressur...

DATE: Jul 23, 2022 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

‘It’s just time’: Music in the Mountains artistic director retires

From 1988 on, Greg Hustis has experienced festival from inside out

DATE: Jul 21, 2022 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

Linda Mack Berven explains it all

Music in the Mountains schedules pre-concert lectures

DATE: Jul 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

3 charged in scheme to sell stolen ‘Hotel California’ notes

NEW YORK – Three people were charged Tuesday in an alleged conspiracy involving the handwritten lyrics to the classic rock juggernaut “Hotel California.” The defendants, despite knowing the ...

DATE: Jul 12, 2022 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

Carlos Santana postpones some concerts after health scare

DETROIT – Carlos Santana has postponed his next six shows after collapsing on stage during a concert on Tuesday, temporarily stepping away from the stage “out of an abundance of caution for ...

DATE: Jul 9, 2022 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

For Figueroa, it’s the music that counts

Music in the Mountains presents six Festival Orchestra concerts

DATE: Jul 7, 2022 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

Fort Lewis College football takes on Arizona ChristianFLC drops first game of 2022, 52-12

FLC drops first game of 2022, 52-12

Pride parade and festival

Photos: Family fun at the La Plata County Fair

La Plata County Fair is off and running

La Plata County Fair schedule of eventsThursday8:30 a.m.: Judging 4-H/FFA breeding swine, market swine. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.: Exhibits open to the public.9 a.m.: Judging open class home economics, horticulture, floriculture, creative arts.9 a.m.: Judging 4-H/FFA and open class fleeces.9 a.m.: 4-H poultry judging followed by open class.1 p.m.: Judging 4-H/FFA goat show, all classes followed by open class goat.5 p.m.: Fair Royalty speeches and modeling.7 p.m.: Talent contest, patio.7 p.m.: Livestock verification swine, poultry, goat, general project cards due.

Friday9 a.m.-8 p.m.: Exhibits open to the public.9 a.m.: Judging 4-H/FFA rabbits.10 a.m.: 4-H/FFA breeding beef, beef showmanship.1 p.m.: 4-H/FFA market beef, grand champion and reserve grand champion market beef, champion selection.2 p.m.: Dairy cattle, all classes.3:15 p.m.: Pee wee showmanship.4 p.m.: 4-H/FFA livestock round robin, all-around showmanship.7 p.m.: Asleep at the Wheel concert.7 p.m.: Livestock sale verification rabbit and beef cards due.

Saturday9 a.m.-6:30 p.m.: Exhibits open to the public. 9 a.m.: 4-H dog show.9 a.m.: Judging open class beef all classes.10 a.m.: Rooster crowing contest.10 a.m.: FFA showmanship.11 a.m.: Open class dairy cattle, all classes.12 p.m.: Demolition Derby.12-4 p.m.: Community 4-H barbecue cook off (senior center lawn).2 p.m.: Rabbit costume contest.2 p.m.: Poultry costume contest.5 p.m.: Silver steaks, silver loin and silver chop award presentation.5:45 p.m.: Fair Royalty crowning.6 p.m.: Junior livestock sale pavilion.9 p.m.-midnight: Fair family dance.

Sunday8 a.m.: Cowboy church. 8 a.m.: Carcass animals loaded.9 a.m.- 2 p.m.: Exhibits open to the public.1:30 p.m.: 4-H/FFA Catch-It contest.2-3 p.m.: Payment of premiums. 2-3 p.m.: Exhibits released in all departments. 2-5 p.m.: Booths taken down.2-5 p.m.: Poultry and rabbit exhibits released.2 p.m.: Animals released.Beer garden is open Thursday through Saturday.

La Plata County Fair schedule of events Thursday 8:30 a.m.: Judging 4-H/FFA breeding s...

Patriotic drone show unfolds above Durango’s night skyAbout 1,200 people watched production from city Transit Center

One hundred forty drones took to the skies above Greenmount Cemetery at 10 p.m. sharp Saturday in a glowing and patriotic spectacle featuring vibrant images colored red, white and blue against the black backdrop of night.About 1,200 people gathered Saturday at the Durango Transit Center to watch the city’s premiere drone show produced by Verge Aero after a street dance and band performance by McCurry Trio and Desert Child for Independence Day celebrations.Spectators were treated to drone depictions of the American flag, star patterns, a soaring bald eagle and a homage to the city with drones flying in formation to spell out “Durango” to close out the street dance that started at 6 p.m. Across the valley from Greenmount Cemetery, the headlights of cars shined from Rim Drive near Fort Lewis College where more spectators watched.

Ellen Babers, Durango community events administrator, said the show went well. She heard “Ooh’s” and “ah’s” from the crowd when the drones transitioned from one image to another.She said a segment that consisted of stars rotating at various intervals, shrinking into smaller stars before expanding into the shape of a larger star, appeared to be a crowd favorite.“People really liked the Durango part,” she said. “When it spelled out Durango, people seemed surprised. Like, ‘Oh, this isn’t just a generic show, this is about us.’”Other images included an outline of the continental United States, the letters “USA,” and a spinning globe shape that gave the drone show a 3D feel.

The drones were laid out earlier in the evening in a square grid, with each drone placed 4 feet apart. Peter Smiatek, pilot and designer of the drone show, worked with a crew of about six people, including volunteers. Saturday evening at Greenmount Cemetery where the drones launched and landed, Peter Smiatek, pilot and designer with Verge Aero, and his crew of about six people, including volunteers, had laid all the drones out on the grass in a square grid. Each drone was placed four feet apart. Smiatek synced the drones to a GPS and radio tower in preparation for the evening’s show. Six minutes before takeoff, a deer wandered straight past the drone grid, narrowly avoiding stepping on them.“That could have been a disaster,” Smiatek said as his crew scanned the nearby area with flashlights. No other deer were visible.Two minutes before takeoff, the crew’s portable generator shut off – out of gas.

“We have double secure power,” he said. “The generator fell off two minutes before the show started. It’s like Murphy’s law, anything that could happen will happen. So it’s best to be prepared.”During prep, the crew ran several tests with the drones. The drones shot up 3 to 4 meters, hovered for about one second and then dropped back to their designated grid space on the grass.

Smiatek worked from a makeshift command station where his laptop and transmission tower were perched.“The base station is the heart of the show,” he said. “It’s a computer and it’s a distribution system connected to radios and an antenna. And that’s it, basically. Very flexible and a good system.”Chris Lutts, vice president of sales at Verge Aero, said he thinks Durangoans enjoyed the performance. From Greenmount Cemetery, he could hear the cheers and whistles of the audience at the Durango Transit Center.“The people we’ve been working with have been great,” he said. “Clearly, the city enjoyed it, so that’s awesome. That’s why we do this. It’s no different than any other entertainment, man. You love that feedback. It’s validation that what you’re doing is something that people really like.”cburney@durangoherald.com