A&E Agenda
Birds of Play, album release, Friday, 7 p.m., TACAW
The winged warblers return to TACAW for an evening of songs, stories, and general merrymaking. Schaefer Welch will be supporting.
Birds of Play is an Americana Roots quartet based in the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado. Their distinct sound is rooted and inspired by their connection to the land in which they reside. The band features multi-instrumentalists and songwriters Alex Paul on guitar, mandolin, and vocals; Eric Shedd on bass, mandolin, guitar, and vocals; Anneke Dean on violin and vocals; and Jake Tolan on guitar, mandolin, and vocals.
Four years into this journey, Birds of Play are venturing further out of the nest to create community and bring people together to share in universal themes of love, connection, and wonder. With an uplifting and joyous exuberance and a fourth studio album, “Birdsongs of the American West” (Aug. 25, 2023), these four dear friends are riding the thermals of their dedication to ever-greater heights.
tacaw.org/calendar/birds-of-play-album-release-show
Leah Aegerter artist talk, Friday, 5:30 p.m., The Art Base Basalt
The Colorado was once a river of immense power, waters grinding and polishing the landscapes of the past to carve the canyons of today. Once a river free of constraints but now shackled by infrastructure that parcels out a dwindling supply of water to the growing population of the Western states, the Colorado River holds a history that is almost unfathomable to our human-centric understanding of the planet.
“Once a River” is an exhibition full of reverence for what these waters have created but also of longing for the lost landscapes of the Colorado River Basin. Imagine what the river could reveal within canyon walls had its seasonal forces persevered. This body of work galvanizes a complexity of emotion into hope as Aegerter takes inspiration from the geology of the present to imagine the geology of the future. In her vision of the future, she strikes a harmony between nature-made and human-made structure; the hand and the land come together in support rather than opposition.
VOICES Summertime Stories & Music, Saturday, 4 p.m., Wheeler/Stallard Museum
VOICES is coming to Aspen on Saturday to host a special Summertime Stories & Music event in collaboration with the Aspen Historical Society. Five, local community members will be sharing stories on the theme of “Why Aspen? Indigenous & Immigrant Stories” on the Aspen Historical Society’s Wheeler/Stallard Museum grounds, 620 W. Bleeker Street.
Musicians Josefina Mendez, Tim Fox, and MinTze Wu will also perform between stories.
This is VOICES’ second Summertime Stories & Music event this year. The first was a collaboration with the Carbondale Historical Society, which was an incredible success.
To learn more or to RSVP, visit voicesrfv.org. Suggested donation of $10 at the door.
8th St Bus Stop, Saturday, 8 p.m., Belly Up Aspen
Fresh off a sold-out show, local band 8th St Bus Stop returns to the Belly Up stage. On the eve of the pandemic, at the last open mic night at Red Onion, the band was born. It has evolved into a musical journey of funk, rock, blues, and dancefloor enthusiasm. What started with two cousins and a Virginian quickly transformed into an Argentinian Asado. The group seeks to capture love, spontaneity, and revelry through the musical zeitgeist of a small mountain town with a funky vibe.
For a chance to win free tickets and/or merchandise, DM @8thstbusstop for your best musical experience in Aspen. The top five will be notified before Saturday’s show.
For tickets: bellyupaspen.com/events/8th-st-bus-stop
Snowmass Deja Vu, Saturday, 1-5 p.m., Snowmass Village
For one day only, be transported back to a time and place where the beers were cold and the chili was hot. The event organizers behind Snowmass Rendezvous debut Snowmass Déjà Vu — pay homage to the classic Snowmass Craft Beer and Chili Pepper & Brew festivals from years past, with tributes to the original Snowmass Rendezvous (which takes place in Snowmass every June). Denver-based Two Parts is throwing a retro-inspired party, complete with free-flowing beers, engaging activations, and a chili cook-off between a half dozen of Snowmass’ staple restaurants. Expect a summer day full of tastings from favorite Colorado breweries from the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond, complete with chili and tunes.
Event is 21+
gosnowmass.com/event/snowmass-deja-vu
Selma Fonseca author event, Friday, 4 p.m., John Elliott, 535 E. Cooper Ave.
After clicking more than four million photographs of famous people while traveling the world, Hollywood photojournalist Selma Fonseca settled in Aspen four years ago.
Now she is sharing her photographs in her first coffee table book, “PartyingWithSelma: Inside Hollywood’s Brightest Night.”
The book features photos of various celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Ben Affleck, Benicio Del Toro, Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Swank, Jake Gyllenhaal, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, Jennifer Aniston, Keanu Reeves, Kevin Spacey, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Tom Cruise, and Whitney Houston. The book is a celebration of the 2000s.
Fonseca will hold a second event at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, at Explore Booksellers.
DanceAspen presents “Solstice” on Saturday and Sunday at the Wheeler Opera House, 7:30 p.m.
“Solstice” is DanceAspen’s first summer presentation at the Wheeler Opera House. For the program, DanceAspen welcomes nationally-acclaimed and award-winning choreographer Matthew Neenan, who will curate a brand-new work for the company artists. DanceAspen is also honored to be the first American company to premiere two works by internationally-esteemed creator Cayetano Soto, who brings his iconic pieces from Barcelona, Spain. Audiences will be transported through the lens of these visionaries in an evening of dance you won’t want to miss.
For tickets and information: danceaspen.org/events
