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Fort Collins

BandWagon Magazine has covered Fort Collins in 315 stories since 2012, including 121 features, 112 reviews and 31 photo galleries.

315 stories · Page 6 of 16

A woman with short auburn hair in a black plunging top holds sheer fabric over her head against an orange backdrop.

MusicAlbum Review: Ellsworth – EllsworthDenver’s Ellsworth has struck a vein with her eponymous 11-song LP, traversing anxiety, self-doubt and lost love in gorgeously graceful strides. Soft but with immense conviction, her quiet tone conveys intimacy, like an earnest conversation meant for one person’s ears in a crowded room. “When we push away our feelings of sadness or anxiety, we are in fact pushing away a part of ourselves,” says Ellsworth. In just a handful of masterfully crafted folk songs, she taps into the shared trauma of a generation.Gabe Allen · Apr 7, 2021

Empty red picnic tables face a large outdoor movie screen under a dramatic storm sky at sunset.

FeaturesInto The Great Wide Open: NoCo & WY Venues Hopeful for a Full-Capacity FallPresident Joe Biden believes we’ll have smaller gatherings with family and close friends by the Fourth of July.Dan England · Mar 31, 2021

Band performs on a striped stage while a person in a striped shirt bowls in a colorful venue.

CommunityStayin’ Alive: Unconventional Venues Save The SceneWhen Ben Mozer was 14, he took a trip to Spain with his family. Across from their hotel, a theater was playing the newly released hit Pulp Fiction, which he and his brother had been unable to see in the U.S. due to its R rating. But what stuck with him after the movie was over wasn’t Samuel L. Jackson’s iconic monologue. What stuck with him was the theater. Earlier this winter, Mozer’s Fort Collins movie theater the Lyric was one of the only venues in Northern Colorado that was still producing live music. And Mozer isn’t the only one finding a creative way to amplify local sounds. This winter, Dan Mladenik has tapped local talent for the Mishawaka-produced Live on the Lanes series at Chipper’s Lanes, converting a bowling alley into a cosmic live music experience.Gabe Allen · Mar 4, 2021

A man with a tattooed arm sits on the ground, surrounded by white mannequin legs against a blue corrugated wall.

MusicSingle Premiere: Goth Club – Sweep Me Up“Sweep Me Up” premieres via BandWagon today, and it’s a black lipstick affair. Goth Club’s third release, it sinks to the half-spoken, sultry depths of Monster Magnet’s “Paradise” or even Ramstein with an added layer of synths and old-school drum machines akin to an early Depeche Mode. McFadden looks directly into the black mirror on “Sweep Me Up,” finding shadows, distortion and sludge within it.Kevin Johnston · Feb 18, 2021

Four men pose between tall brick pillars at night, lit in red, wearing dark casual clothes and looking toward the camera.

FeaturesBattle Profile: Lady Denim“We were starting to get the ball rolling, you know, the snowball effect,” recalls Lundeen, Lady Denim’s lead vocalist, of the band’s momentum heading into March 2020, “and then it all got paused.” Lundeen looks back on the band’s last headliner at the Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins, where the band walked out to a crowd of 450. At a show a month later on March 13, just as news of COVID-19 began to flare up, the band walked out to a crowd of less than 50. “The silver lining of it all was that we were able to set aside time and record,” Lundeen reflects. Trading rehearsals for recording sessions not only brought the band closer, but also yielded the seeds for what Lundeen said will be their next release.Diego Felix · Feb 15, 2021

Photo for “The Colorado Sound’s My5 – January 2021”

105.5 The Colorado Sound's Featured ArtistsThe Colorado Sound’s My5 – January 2021[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] ((( Don’t forget: each My5 title is a link. Click on, NoCo! ))) 1. Ken Burns Jazz Box Set – I picked up an item from Craigslist and the guy tossed in some CDs, including the 5-CD box set that went with the 10-hour Ken Burns Jazz film from 2000. It’s 94 tracks, fromKevin Johnston · Jan 14, 2021

Photo for “A Brother’s Bond: Holdfast. Stays, Fights and Reflects”

FeaturesA Brother’s Bond: Holdfast. Stays, Fights and Reflects“We are three brothers” is the first sentence Holdfast. wrote in their Facebook bio and they’re not really wrong about that. Brothers Tom and Mikey Maddocks and their cousin Charlie Maddocks grew up right next door to each other in Windsor, CO. They did everything together, including signing a sync licence with Audio Network in 2020 and releasing their first full length Stay And Fight on January 8, 2021.Valerie Vampola · Jan 11, 2021

A bearded man plays an acoustic guitar while seated on a brick wall in a sunlit garden with flowers.

Album Review: Antonio Lopez – Roots and WingsAntonio Lopez’ voice sits delicately perched at the center of his fourth full-length release, Roots & Wings. The fragile purity of his vocal delivery as the record’s focus proves a point: When given a proper chance, an honest voice can rise to previously un-reached heights. As the executive director of the music/empowerment nonprofit Sound Bridge and having funded Roots & Wings via Kickstarter, Lopez knows well that respectful contributions from those who back you is a gift as precious as family and as freeing as flight.Kevin Johnston · Jan 7, 2021

Black-and-white overhead view of a person in headphones at a home studio with monitors, keyboard, and speakers.

FeaturesDIY Kick: Colorado’s Recording Industry Takes It HomeIndependent artists made more music online and at home during lockdown, and recording studios have adapted. Mike Davis was uniquely prepared for this shift, founding Koncept Jewel Studios, an itinerant collection of recording equipment and instruments that operates wherever Davis happens to be living at the time. “It’s kind of an amorphous thing. I’ve moved around since I started it and plan to continue moving around,” he said. This can-do, remote DIY sentiment is echoed by Ben Behrens of Wright Studios: “It doesn’t matter how cheap or weird your gear is. If it works, we can make something cool with it.” Stone Cottage studios in Boulder has even turned its space into a stage for live-streaming artist performances online.Gabe Allen · Jan 6, 2021

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

Five bearded men in casual shirts and caps pose together in front of a rough stone wall.

MusicAlbum Review: Musketeer Gripweed – More Than EverMusketeer Gripweed released “More Than Ever” late last month, taking their bluesy Americana sound and infusing it with gospel and soul. Gospel and soul sounds are appropriate for a project that was brought back to life after it was halted by COVID-19.Valerie Vampola · Dec 8, 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

105.5 The Colorado Sound's Featured ArtistsThe Colorado Sound’s My5 – November 2020As the holidays approach, The Colorado Sound’s thoughts turn to: Things you can do to help members of your vibrant community through tough times; The best TV and film to cozy-up with; and most fun of all – the best music about food!BandWagon Magazine · Nov 21, 2020

Smiling woman in a purple beanie and paint-speckled sweatshirt poses before a colorful mural with a horse and bird.

FeaturesWalking The Walk: New Greeley Murals Celebrate and Beautify the way DowntownFor her new mural on the Maddie Apartments in Downtown Greeley, Betony Coons found herself challenged with how to include Union Colony’s most famous principle: temperance. Not only is “the active moderation of libation intake” hard to paint, but ironically, one of the reasons downtown Greeley continues to thrive is the world class breweries and distilleries it inspired.Dan England · Oct 14, 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

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

Gasoline Lollipops, four men posed in a torn-paper collage of hillside, brick wall, trash pile, and greenery.

MusicAlbum Review: Gasoline Lollipops – All The Misery Money Can BuyOne of Colorado’s most popular bands, The Gasoline Lollipops, will be delivering what can arguably be considered their masterpiece on September 11, 2020. “All the Misery Money Can Buy” has been described by the band as a politically charged union of soul music and Southern rock, blending singer Clay Rose’s gritty singing style with what appears to be a full-on gospel choir. It sounds like it was recorded at the Crossroads in the presence of the devil himself.Nate Wilde · Sep 9, 2020

Four musicians play an outdoor stage at night under lightning as a giant screen shows a guitarist up close.

FeaturesWriting on the Wall, Festival on the Screen: FoCoMX at the Drive-In and On the WebThis weekend, in lieu of the real, re-scheduled thing, FoCoMX will offer “A Digital Retrospective” of photos taken by fans as well as rare backstage shots by FoCoMX staff on September 4-5 via the festival’s social media channels. The festival wants to celebrate the fan perspective and involvement as well as host live, in-person music to folks in their cars every Tuesday via Drive & Jive, pulling from its scheduled lineup of more than 400 acts.Dan England · Sep 2, 2020

Photo for “R.W. Perkins: Small Town Remedies”

FeaturesR.W. Perkins: Small Town RemediesA comedy-drama from R.W. Perkins of Loveland, “Small Town Remedies” tells the story of two siblings (Andrea Dratch and Ty Sells; Dratch is also an executive producer) dealing with their relapsing alcoholic mother (Sally Knudsen) while juggling their own personal struggles and surprises. It’s not a prototypical film about addiction, and that was Perkin’s intent, saying he had a different take on addiction as a family dynamic. The film premieres September 10 at the Horsetooth International Film Festival.Jay Wallace · Aug 8, 2020