November 2026 issue out now

Pick up a copy Advertise

Pick up a copyAdvertise with us

Denver

BandWagon Magazine has covered Denver in 426 stories since 2012, including 152 features, 140 reviews and 79 photo galleries.

426 stories · Page 12 of 22

Two people in sunglasses pose against a pink brick wall and a pale green wall, with no instruments visible.

FeaturesSarah Slaton Says It’s Time to Get Up and You Know ItDespite the chaos that was 2020, Fort Collins singer-songwriter Sarah Slaton has been able to find one gig: “I’m joining a bunch of other folks from the music industry who have been laid-off from their normal jobs,” she tells BandWagon. “We are part of a Covid rapid-response team, going to small cities to build testing infrastructure and testing sites.” Because let’s be honest, if you need to build a mobile facility meant to deal with a lot of people, call are the music festival folks. “We get shit done quickly,” Slaton says. Additionally, Slaton released the “Get Up” single and video in December, which speaks to what so many are going through. She championed the Save Our Stages Act, spearheaded community events and much more.Laura Giagos · Jan 5, 2021

Black and white view of a brick theater facade with a marquee reading "Save Our Stages" and a tall vertical sign.

CommunityThey Saved Our Stages: Pandemic Relief saves hundreds of stages just before the deadline[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The “SOS” in Save Our Stages was a bit of a happy accident, but it also wasn’t a coincidence. The $15 billion in grants set aside for locally owned venues, movie theaters and performance halls in the stimulus act is exactly what places such as The Moxi needed to survive. “It’s literally going to saveDan England · Dec 29, 2020

Two young men in sunglasses and pink shirts sit in grass beside a stack of books and a pink rose under string lights.

Single & Video Review: Modern Leisure – “Rita”Modern Leisure has, once again, harnessed millennial malaise and channeled it into an achingly beautiful 3-minute track.Gabe Allen · Dec 22, 2020

Man in sunglasses and a floral shirt holds an electric guitar and leans on a concrete wall by a lake at sunset.

FeaturesFor Once In My Life: John March Remembers Ted Greene.During the 2013 Colorado Floods, John March broke both of his elbows and then continued trying to make a living as a gigging guitarist despite crippling pain. “Two weeks later, I was playing at a fundraiser for people whose homes had been destroyed in the floods,” March said. MusiCares was the first organization to provide financial assistance to March, who is now donating a portion of the proceeds from his new album For Once In My Life to three charities, including MusiCares. The album is March’s second tribute to his former mentor and jazz guitar legend Ted Greene.Gabe Allen · Dec 9, 2020

Musicians play guitars on a lit outdoor stage at night while a crowd watches from behind metal barricades.

FeaturesThe Thin Black Line: Venues Fight To Survive“It’s nowhere near the money I need to sustain, but I was lucky,” says Travis Ragan. Ragan was a partner in the Roxy Theater in Denver and the Mesa Theater in Grand Junction, booking shows in 15 different markets. Now he hauls equipment for his brother, a construction manager out of Colorado Springs. “I know venues are closing down, and yet, we have no leadership backing us and supporting us. We have no one telling us what we should do as opposed to what we shouldn’t do,” Ragan says. “The place is not made to be at a 250 person capacity,” Renee Jelenik says of The Lincoln Theater in Cheyenne, “and even then, it’s not like we sold out those shows. People just aren’t coming out.” “We’ve been asked to shut down, or told to shut down, for months now,” says Ely Corliss of The Moxi Theater in Greeley. “We’ve done that, and where are we now?”Dan England · Dec 3, 2020

Black and white double exposure portrait of two men in striped button-up shirts in front of a weathered brick wall.

MusicSingle Review: Machu Linea ft. Evllqn – “Feelitboi”Denver’s future-electro R&B musician Machu Linea is bringing his jazzy experimental sound back to the people with the release of “Feelitboi,” the first single ahead of his second album HeXotica (out now).Laura Giagos · Nov 14, 2020

MusicSingle Review: Joel Ansett – “Ease”Denver’s Joel Ansett says he finally noticed how much emotional energy he spent on “just trying to be liked.Kevin Johnston · Nov 11, 2020

Three people in jackets stand before glowing pink and blue neon lines, two wearing white geometric animal masks.

Features2GETHR 4EVR: NGHT WLVS Find The FormulaFor Northern Colorado-based synth hop trio NGHT WLVS, creating music together was nothing new. Long-time friends Will Duran, Sam Archuleta, and Tommy Martinez began making music together over a decade ago, and while life took them down separate roads, they reconnected. Rocking a sound saturated in the lushness and sparkle of classic synth pop while sticking to their hip hop roots.Laura Giagos · Nov 7, 2020

Photo for “Album Review: Kid Astronaut & Psychologic – Kenopsia”

MusicAlbum Review: Kid Astronaut & Psychologic – KenopsiaPervasive feelings of extreme unknown lurk in the consciousness of most citizens on planet earth these days, which is why the similarly intangible music, soundscapes and dark, thrilling emotions on the concept EP Kenopsia hit so hard. A brilliant and concise collaboration between Denver-based R&B hip-hop vocalist Kid Astronaut and producer Psychologic, the record’s pop sensibilities are balanced by an epic, dystopian sense of drama and purpose.Kevin Johnston · Oct 12, 2020

Man in a yellow cap and black graphic tee leans on a rooftop ledge beside a white French bulldog in a red shirt.

FeaturesSomething To Vibe To: Black Pegasus Is On A Whole Different Frequency‘Pandemic Proof’ by Black Pegasus obviously speaks to the current times. The world has been drowning in the COVID-19 pandemic since March, subsequently bringing the music industry to its knees. “I’m doing my best to adapt,” says Black Pegasus. “It’s pretty tricky, but I’ve always been a hustler and an innovator so I’m not worried.” He’s also vocal about important socio-political issues and is wary, yet hopeful for the future. “I really believe in the current movement for social justice and equality,” he says. “I also believe that the movement has been infiltrated by corporations and political agendas.”Kyle Eustice · Oct 2, 2020

Four men in black shirts and hoodies pose in a bright white studio, shot from above, with no instruments visible.

MusicAlbum Review: NOT A TOY – Not A ToyGaudy for the sake of it, NOT A TOY’s self-titled release is as bombastic as it is fearless. Coincidently signed to Fearless Records, the former Fort Collins (and formerly named Shatterproof), Denver band is hitting an incredible new level. NOT A TOY is one of the most prolific recording projects to come out of Colorado in a while.Laura Giagos · Sep 30, 2020

Four men pose on a dirt path in front of red sandstone rock formations, wearing hats, button-up shirts, and a blazer.

MusicAlbum Review: Royce DeZorzi & The New Freedom MovementRoyce DeZorzi & The New Freedom Movement have a pocket groove, play elongated solos, and do a great job of building energy collectively. But what really stands out about their debut album is not the notes they play, but how they want the listeners to hear them: every track on the album is a first take recorded live, directly to tape.Valerie Vampola · Sep 24, 2020

A bearded man in a wide-brim hat and dark jacket stands before glowing red and blue neon signs.

MusicAlbum Review: Bison Bone – Find Your Way OutBison Bone is a little bit country, a little bit rock & roll, and fully led by the boisterous singer/songwriter Courtney Whitehead.Cole Peterson · Sep 23, 2020

Smiling bearded man with curly hair in a cactus-print shirt, in front of a brick wall with purple LAUGH neon sign.

FeaturesHungry for Humor: Comedy Fort Takes the Place of Hodi’s HalfNoteDavid Rodriguez’ first comedy set, more than five years ago, was at Hodi’s Half Note, the beloved FoCo rock club which recently announced its closing. He believes it’s fitting, then, that he will open Comedy Fort in the Hodi’s building, probably sometime in January. “When this opportunity came about, it just felt perfect,” Rodriguez said.Dan England · Sep 15, 2020

105.5 The Colorado Sound's Featured ArtistsThe Colorado Sound’s My5 – August 2020BandWagon Magazine · Aug 10, 2020

A performer in a dark beanie and zip-up jacket sings into a microphone under red stage lighting.

FeaturesCan We Just Live? Devin Tremell Speaks Out with Hip Hop as a Tool of InfluenceDevin Tremell insisted to the crowd of hundreds looking up at him from the Lincoln Park gazebo in Greeley that he was just a regular Black dude.Dan England · Aug 3, 2020

Promo collage for 105.5 The Colorado Sound showing musicians, a vintage microphone, and a man in a cowboy hat.

105.5 The Colorado Sound's Featured ArtistsThe Colorado Sound’s My5 – July 2020BandWagon Magazine · Jul 16, 2020

Man in a black t-shirt singing into a mic against a yellow background, with a drum kit at lower left.

FeaturesDrum As You Are: Eric Riley Throws Down The Beat As A Black Musician In MetalEven with all the fun Eric Riley has thrashing onstage with his longtime friend Nate Valdez, there is always that one drunk person who has to point it out: a black guy in a metal band!Valerie Vampola · Jul 4, 2020

FeaturesHayden Farr: Love and the March of an Angry IntrovertUntil recently, the pandemic, and our directive to stay put, wasn’t all that hard for Hayden Farr, baritone sax player for The Burroughs and Trash Cat.Dan England · Jul 3, 2020

Black-and-white photo of a crowd in an ornate theater, with one person raising an arm toward a bright stage.

FeaturesBand Together: National Independent Venue Association Saves Our Stages“There was no one to speak for us,” Stephen Chilton said. “Everyone was talking about the big events and festivals, and no one was talking about the mid-size venues and clubs.” Chilton heads the National Independent Venue Association which is fighting to #SaveOurStages in the fallout of coronavirus repercussions. “What is the most unsafe thing right now? It’s mass gatherings, and we produce mass gatherings,” he said. In two months time, more than 1,600 have joined NIVA, but it still pales in comparison to the thousands in the restaurant industry.Dan England · Jun 3, 2020