A ‘Wheel of Death’ and a Jukebox Hero in Avon

Circus fun

The American Crown Circus returns to Nottingham Park in Avon Saturday and Sunday. Attendees will see “The Flying Perez Troupe” fly through the air on the Royal Russian Swing, the flexibile “Elastic Man,” watch the juggling skills of the “Grand Cubillos,” and the “Perez Wheel Warriors” take on the wheel of death.

There are shows today at 5 and 7 p.m. On Sunday, performances will be held at 4 and 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, children under 12 receive free entry with coupon (two per paying adult). Additional children under 12 are $5. Discount coupons can be picked up at local businesses as well as the Avon Recreation Center.

DJ Psychonaut spins at Samana

In case you haven’t noticed, DJ Psychonaut had been making the rounds at clubs throughout the valley. His latest stop is at Samana Lounge in Vail Saturday.

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“He’s a really progressive Colorado producer known for his reggae and dub tracks,” said Scotty Stoughton, nightlife host for Samana Lounge. “When he plays at Samana he does more of a club set. He’ll do ’80s and ’90s dance and switch from hip-hop to house.”

If the dance floor is your destination, check out DJ Psychonaut and see what all the hype is about.

The show starts at 10 p.m. and is free. For more information call 970-376-1172.

Jukebox Hero at the Sandbar

Jukebox Hero, the duo from Copper Mountain, returns to the valley Saturday with a free show at the Sandbar Sport Grill.

“They get up on stage, play guitar, take requests, and play covers. It’s just laid back and chill drinking music,” said Jason Barber, general manager of the Sandbar.

Jukebox Hero is known for their knowledge of many popular songs in many different genres of music and taking requests from audience members for songs to play. Don’t miss your chance to have your request played live.

The free show starts at 10 p.m. To learn more call 970-476-4314.

Bonfire headlines Potatopalooza in Eagle

Led by frontman Scotty Stoughton, reggae influenced Bonfire has gone through a bit of an evolution in the past year.

“I started out on a journey and created some new tunes, put a bunch of people together and played a bunch of shows there for a year,” Stoughton said. “That kind of me to honing the sound, take some time off and write and bunch of new music and come back much more refined.”

Stoughton said that Bonfire is more about the quality of the songs and shows it plays than quantity. He’ll be leading the band for a free show at Potatopalooza in Eagle tonight.

Stoughton described the band’s music as ‘really simple, layered music that is all about the whole song’ instead of any one individual in the band.

“It’s got some downtempo influence with a dash of acoustic and a dash of electronic,” Stoughton said. “We’re bringing all these styles together in a really unique way with a real positive message.”

Other bands playing Potatopalooza incluude Hardscrabble at 12:30 p.m., Bluzilla at 2:30 p.m., The Sessh at 4:45 p.m. Bonfire plays at 7 p.m. All shows are free. To learn more call 970-390-8678.

Ani returns

Iconic folk singer Ani DiFranco performs at the Vilar Center in Beaver Creek Saturday at 8 p.m. Over 20 years and 20 studio albums, DiFranco has covered the gamut of relationships with men and women, social and political strife, civil rights and abuses, but she is breaking out the big guns (again) for her next record. Her songs have historically painted colorful and poetic pictures of the issues.

A few months ago, DiFranco furiously began writing a series of new songs covering a number of government-centered issues. After her stop in Colorado this weekend, she plans to return to New Orleans (her home of the last eight years) to finish mixing them into a new album – her first in the studio since 2008’s “Red Letter Year.”

“It’s a very political record,” she said. “When the oil started spilling in the gulf, I found myself with a new swamp full of things to write about and think about. I sort of have this will lately – not that I’ve ever been known to mince words … I’ve been known as a pretty in-your-face, political writer – but I have the will to worry less about the conventionally musical word choice and the easier things to hear in songs and I’m delving into a new area of political wrangle.”

Andrea Gibson will open. Tickets are $50 and still available. Call 970-845-TIXS or visit http://www.vilarpac.org.

– Shauna Farnell