Features Archives - BandWagon Magazine

Theo Katzman: Modern Johnny Explores The Darkness With The Light

January 15, 2020

In 2017, Theo Katzman’s father died, he had a bad breakup, and he lost a bunch of money on what he thought was a cool professional opportunity. This is how he discovered his sense of humor.

“Out of the wake of all that was sort of this ‘f— it’ attitude,” Katzman said, and though a core member of the very funny Vulfpeck, he says: “I don’t think I’m making comedy music. If I’m doing my job right, the people in my audience at times will be insanely sad. You can explore the light along with the dark.”

Katzman released Modern Johnny Sings: Songs In The Key Of Vibe mere days ago, “tackling the issues” of our times with unique poignancy.

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Hit The Ground Running – Hodi’s Half Note: 10 Years of the FoCo Music Mainstay

January 10, 2020

“I have a deep love for music,” Daniel Mladenik, owner of Hodi’s Half Note says. “I feel like this is what I was put here to do.”

Mladenik may be the big boss at Hodi’s now, but he began his time at the Fort Collins music mainstay as the “heavy” demanding derailed drunks to chill.

This January 24, Hodi’s celebrates 10 years on North College Avenue with a performance by Dave Watts and Friends, a Motet / String Cheese Incident supergroup.

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Who Gives A Scrap About Your Art? Blasti Does

January 3, 2020

One look around Blast N Scrap and the authenticity is palpable. A new Fort Collins DIY performance art venue located inside the art reuse center called Who Gives a SCRAP, Blast N Scrap finds itself with the right combination of quirky and weird for a unique line-blurring artistic experience that the people of Fort Collins didn’t even know they needed. At its helm is Blasti, a scrappy 36 year old New Yorker with a vision for an all-ages punk rock art space for everyone. “How are you going to tell teenagers they can’t go to shows?” Blasti says. “They invented rock and roll.”

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Rapper’s Delight: Andy Seth Breaks The Struggle Through The Wisdom Within Hip Hop

January 2, 2020

Not everyone has to meditate for an hour and a half every day like author/rapper Andy Seth does, but he wants everyone to achieve their goals, as they resolve to do in the New Year. He chose the parable of a rapper to communicate his philosophies in his book and album Bling.

“Hip-hop is a big part of my life. I wanted to provide a book that’s accessible, along with music that is a part of our culture, to make [life] lessons stick,” Seth says. With reflection and flow, he believes success and balance – not only the struggle – is real.

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Wildermiss: Star-Faced but Grounded

December 16, 2019

In many ways, Wildermiss made it big a couple years ago with their first album “Lost With You,” spawning regular rotation on 93.3 KTCL, performances at Red Rocks and a slot on Last Call With Carson Daly. But they’re not exactly flying in private jets when outside the comfort of Colorado. In fact, they’re still driving vans that suck. Wildermiss haven’t forgotten where they came from because they can’t afford it yet. And that’s reflected in their new album “In My Mind”.

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Breaking the Cycle – UPLIFT: FOCO Plucks For a Good Cause

December 13, 2019

Andy Whilden knew exactly who to turn to when he was putting together a house band for his first music festival: bluegrass players.

Uplift: FoCo is a fundraiser for the The Matthews House, an organization based in Old Town Fort Collins that works to break the cycle of poverty by empowering families and young people.

The event is December 21 at The Aggie Theater in Fort Collins featuring a house band of the region’s finest bluegrass musicians backing a slew of top folk and Americana singer/songwriters.

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A Shared Approach: Silver & Gold Collaborate with Brix Brewery, support Boys & Girls Club

December 11, 2019

A shared approach to creation is the driving force behind an upcoming collaboration between rock band Silver & Gold and Greeley’s Brix Brewery and Taphouse. On December 19, a collaborative beer release and concert benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Weld County will take place in Downtown Greeley’s Moxi Theater, showcasing the spirit of collaboration.

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Trying To Catch A Wave: Murs & The Music District Bring Open Mic Hip Hop Back

December 3, 2019

Murs was well aware the open mic part of hip-hop culture was dying, or at least inching toward its last breath. So he and The Bohemian Foundation started Groundwaves: a monthly hip-hop open mic / proving ground mentored by Murs himself,the finale of which was lat month. There, hopeful MC’s would spit their stuff in front of a critical, constructive audience of their peers. “I think you can get your feedback right there. That one little word of feedback (from the crowd) is all you needed to do more work,” Murs explains. Before Groundwaves returns in 2020, Hodi’s Halfnote will house Co-Op, an open mic workshop hosted by Bad Neighbors.