Live music, a magic dragon, uphill racing and more: Tricia’s Weekend Picks 2/17/23
Talking Heads music, magic tricks, the Vail Winter Uphill Challenge and more await you this President's Day Weekend
Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew’s ‘Remain in Light’ tour
The Vilar Performing Arts Center’s 25th anniversary season is rolling right along with concerts, classical music, dance, comedy and more. Saturday night welcomes Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads and Adrian Belew of King Crimson for a performance entitled, “Remain in Light” on Saturday night. The “Remain in Light” tour’s name is also the name of Talking Head’s famous album from 1980 – remember the hit, “Once in a Lifetime?”
Expect to hear some of your favorite Talking Heads tunes on this 19-date tour that takes the band from New York to California and Washington to Georgia. Backing up Harrison and Belew will be Cool, Cool, Cool, which is a band that contains former members of Turkuaz, a band that has played in the Vail Valley prior to this show.
Vilar Performing Arts Center/Courtesy photo
Belew toured with Harrison and Talking Heads and they both have been involved with other bands such as Foo Fighters, No Doubt and Live, where Harrison was a producer and Belew worked with Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos, Paul Simon, and Zappa. Belew was actually discovered by Frank Zappa while performing in a cover band in Nashville.
Expect a high-energy show on Saturday night. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at VilarPAC.org or by calling the box office at (970) 845-TIXS.
Piff the Magic Dragon
Vilar Performing Arts Center/Courtesy photo
On Sunday, you’ll find a double header of comedy at the Vilar Performing Arts Center. Piff the Magic Dragon will show off his comedic and magic skills with an all-ages show at 4:30 p.m. and then a show for those 18 and older at 7:30 p.m.
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Piff the Magic Dragon has been a staple in Vegas for years and made waves on “America’s Got Talent” with his magic tricks and comedy. In addition to the fame from “America’s Got Talent,” Piff has earned several awards. In 2020, Piff was crowned the winner of TBS’ Tournament of Laughs, in 2019, he was voted one of Variety’s Top Ten Comics to Watch and scooped Best Comedian, Best Magician and Best Headliner at the Best of Las Vegas Awards. He also wowed audiences on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us”
“I saw Piff for the first time when he walked out on our stage to do our show “Penn & Teller: Fool Us.” He opened with a dragon sneeze of fire and then he did a baffling card trick. There’s a rule about comedy magicians—they aren’t funny and they aren’t baffling. Piff is different. Piff had the audience screaming in laughter and he fooled the pants off every one of them,” Penn Jillette said after experiencing Piff the Magic Dragon.
Piff the Magic Dragon won’t be the only one on stage, his trusty companion and “The Dog Who Knows,” Mr. Piffles will be part of the act as well. This magic-performing chihuahua has stolen the show ever since Piff laid eyes on the pooch while performing at the Edinburgh Fringe.
In an interview with Vail Valley Live, Piff mentions that during the pandemic he had time to come up with new material and created new shows for Vegas and on tour. “So if you see the show in Vegas, you’ll see different material when you see it on tour. What we’re bringing to the Vilar is all new jokes, all new tricks, same Mr. Piffles,” Piff said.
Reserved seating starts at $48, children 12 years and under are $32, a student ticket is available for 13 to 22 year olds with valid ID for $32. This is also part of the Vilar’s Ticket 4-PACK for $157. Go to Vilar PAC.org for more information.
Vail Mountain Winter Uphill Race
Vail Recreation District/Courtesy photo
The Vail Mountain Winter Uphill Race returns on Sunday, and this event is not for the faint of heart or those weak in the legs and lungs. Skiers, snowboarders and winter runners will take on 2,200 vertical feet of groomed trails to reach Eagle’s Nest at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola (No. 19) in Lionshead in just over two miles. The average grade is 20%.
The race has a long history and a story behind why it was started. Mountaineers Ellen Miller and Hooker Lowe started this event in 2008 to honor Vail local and trailblazer in the sport of mountain running, Lyndon Ellefson who lost his life in a 1998 accident near the Matterhorn while training for a mountain race in Italy.
Ellefson was instrumental in starting the U.S. men’s mountain running program, so some of the entry fees for the race will support the U.S. Mountain Running Team. Ellefson was the foreman for the Lionshead Gondola, so it is fitting that the race starts right next to that lift.
The race starts early in order to get all of the participants off the mountain before it opens to the public at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast will be waiting at Eagle’s Nest and the after-party will award prizes to the top finishers in each category. Noncompetitive and competitive categories are available. Go to VailRec.com to sign up for this signature race.
Steadman Clinic Vail Cup
Ski and Snowborad Club Vail/Courtesy photo
For the young athletes, there is a competition as well. The Steadman Clinic Vail Cup on Sunday is a complimentary series that offers multiple exciting competitions across all of Ski and Snowboard Club Vail’s on-hill snowsports for kids whose birth year is 2007 and younger. Golden Peak will be buzzing with excitement as kids get to experience competition on a top-notch training hill.
- 8 – 8:45 a.m.: Bib pick-up at Ski & Snowboard Club Vail Clubhouse
- 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.: Inspection at Golden Peak Race Venue
- 10:45 a.m.: Race Start – the Giant Slalom will be a dual GS format with boys on one course and girls on the opposite course. Two runs per athlete.
There will be awards at the Ski & Snowboard Club Vail Clubhouse patio around 3 p.m.
Other disciplines will be represented this winter include:
Mar. 5: Slopestyle and Big Mountain
Mar. 25: Giant Slalom
Please note that there is no parking available at Ski & Snowboard Club Vail clubhouse, please use parking structures or alternate parking locations. For more information, go to VailCup.com.
Mountain Music Series
Jefferson Santos for Unsplash/Courtesy photo
Take a break during your ski day and enjoy some live music up on Beaver Creek Mountain this Saturday. The Mountain Music Series at Talons returns with the music of Moonstone Quill, a high-energy four-piece string band that plays bluegrass, folk, country and rock. The band is no stranger to playing outdoors at altitude. Based out of Breckenridge, this quartet has played at Talon’s Restaurant earlier this winter.
Talon’s is a great place to have lunch or a snack and beverage with great views of the runs surrounding the area. Birds of Prey Express (No. 9), Grouse Mountain Express (No. 10) and Larkspur Express (No. 11) are all anchored by Talons Restaurant. The food court has everything from sandwiches and soups to a grill with burgers and fries. The bar will be open, too, so celebrate your Saturday with a cheers and some live music from noon until 3 p.m.
Speaking of Talons, the Talons Challenge will be going on next weekend. On Feb. 25 or 26 challenge yourself to skiing or snowboarding over 26,000 vertical feet of bumps and steeps on 14 of the most difficult runs in Eagle County all in one day. Afterward, you’ll be rewarded by an after-party and bragging rights as the event benefits local charity SOS Outreach. Go to BeaverCreek.com to get signed up.
