Yee-Hula!

William Cody’s travels with his Wild West Show took him all over the world — Buffalo Bill even did two performances in Croatia in 1906 — and across the continental United States. But he never made it to Alaska or Hawaii. “Interestingly enough, in our collection is a poster —...

By Patricia Calhoun

August 6, 2009

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William Cody’s travels with his Wild West Show took him all over the world — Buffalo Bill even did two performances in Croatia in 1906 — and across the continental United States. But he never made it to Alaska or Hawaii. “Interestingly enough, in our collection is a poster — it’s in tatters — of a paniolo, a Hawaiian cowboy,” says Steve Friesen, director of the Buffalo Bill Museum. “And Buffalo Bill had Hawaiian cowboys in his show.” He’ll have them at his gravesite and museum today, too, when the sixth annual Mountain Melodies Music Festival sounds off on Lookout Mountain from noon to 5 p.m.

Every year, in addition to kids’ activities and crafts, the free festival features a lineup of local musicians. This year it includes the Martin Gilmore Duo, the Uptown Relics, Finders and Youngberg, and Book Em Danno, Colorado’s foremost Hawaiian swing band. “Some of this music has its roots within Buffalo Bill’s time,” Friesen explains, then admits, “With Hawaiian swing, we’re going to the edge. The Pacific Rim, actually.” But that’s because they want people to think about Buffalo Bill, and this Denver-owned museum, in new ways. “We’re trying to really look at roots music with this festival,” concludes Friesen. “I’ve found ways to relate Buffalo Bill to rock and roll, but that’s another conversation.”

The museum is located on Lookout Mountain Road in Golden; for more information, go to www.buffalobill.org or call 303-526-0744.
Sun., Aug. 9, 12-5 p.m., 2009

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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