I was sitting at a the oldest bar in Telluride a few weeks back. Or at least I think it’s the oldest. It's from like 1895 and it's called the Last Dollar Saloon and the story goes that Jesse James once had a drink there before he robbed the bank that used to exist across the street. These days unfortunately the joint doesn't feel like Red Dead Redemption and there aren't any swinging doors and there isn't a tobacco bucket in the corner that cowboys spit into which causes a really loud ding. Instead the Last Dollar Saloon has been refurbished (except for the ceiling, which has apparently been around since 1895) and there's a fireplace and nice tile and other things that would be described by interior designers as “modern.” The current clientele is Patagonia vests that control all of the money. All of it. I was in town for the night, killing time as I waited for some friends to finish skiing, enjoying a Coors Light, eavesdropping on various conversations about trading crypto and Let's Go Brandon and other cliches that you'd expect from hedge fund managers on vacation. While staring off into space, I was interrupted by a couple of dudes, a father and son, who were in town for the weekend from Colorado Springs. We talked about this and that and all the other things. "We can't afford this shit," the dad told me, "but goddamn the skiing is good." Then they had to leave because they had to do the next thing they had to do. As they were departing, his son noticed Bertha on my hat, and pointed at her. "Are you a friend of the devil?" he asked through a sly grin. We shook hands, and they went on their way.
Here’s SATURDAZE 004: Friend(s) of the Devil.
Programming Note: These playlists were originally slated to be sent out “every Saturday or so.” As you’ve probably noticed, I’m leaning into the “or so” part of that statement, because I quickly realized that producing a thoughtful playlist on a weekly basis is a tough cadence. So, expect these to drop out of the sky on random Saturdays moving forward. (It’s more fun this way, too.) As always, thanks for reading.