October 2026 issue out now

Pick up a copy Advertise

Pick up a copyAdvertise with us

Arise Music Festival

BandWagon Magazine has covered Arise Music Festival in 29 stories since 2013, including 16 features and 11 photo galleries. The latest: Pump Up The Jam: Festivals Get the OK in Vaccinated NoCo – We Break It Down (May 3, 2021).

29 stories

Dense crowd of concertgoers packs an outdoor arena floor at dusk, with fans filling the tiered stands behind them.

FeaturesPump Up The Jam: Festivals Get the OK in Vaccinated NoCo – We Break It DownJustin Watada sighed through a tired laugh. “I’ve had better years,” he said. Watada’s run 17 Greeley Stampedes and this year’s been the toughest. Yes, this year, even with the good news that there will actually be a 2021 Stampede. “We are on version 10 of our budget this year,” Watada said. “We are 50-some days away, and there’s still so much unknown.” Still, even more big events look promising, The Greeley Blues Jam, May Play, Friday Fest, The Greeley Arts Picnic and more promise to happen, but what they’ll look and sound like remains to be seen. If last year was a bummer, this year is more like chaos. Let’s Dig In.Dan England · May 3, 2021

Man with dreadlocks piled atop his head and a reddish beard, wearing a red zip-up jacket before a gray backdrop.

FeaturesRock Om: DJ Drez heads to ARISEDJ Drez is rooted in the Los Angeles hip-hop scene. He’s rubbed elbows with Eminem, collaborated with Macy Gray, Black Eyed Peas, Black Star and KRS-One. Now, Drez his wife Marti Nikko are heavily involved in the yoga world, founding the Rock Om program and headlining Loveland’s ARISE August 2-4 in the festival’s Yoga village.Kyle Eustice · Jul 25, 2019

Festivalgoers walk through ornate carved wooden arches with an ARISE Music Festival sign under a sunny sky.

FeaturesIt Takes A Village: Arise Festival Leaves No TraceIf you’re considering the Arise Music Festival in Loveland August 2 – 4, here’s a tip: Bring your own water bottle. The festival provides water itself, but no single-use plastic. They even plant a tree for every ticket sold. Bands and performers who follow the guidelines of ‘Leave No Trace,’ headline the event: Tipper, Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth and more. “We are more than a music festival,” organiser Mo Hnatiuk said. “It’s a movement. Music is supposed to feed your soul.”Dan England · Jul 23, 2019

Two men pose before a teal door: one in a shiny silver jacket, the other in a navy jacket over black.

FeaturesThievery Corporation – Inside The Temple Of I & IOne cold February morning in 2015, the two masterminds behind Thievery Corporation—Rob Garza and Eric Hilton—left the frigid air of Washington D.C.Kyle Eustice · Jul 22, 2018

Three men in dark shirts pose against a black backdrop in a blue-toned portrait, one wearing a white cap.

FeaturesDynohunter – A Constant EvolutionBoulder-based Dynohunter never want to completely fit in with what’s going on around them.Jed Murphy · Jul 3, 2018

Seven men in white clothing pose outdoors in front of a stone archway and iron gate on a sunny day.

FeaturesLiving Legends Arise – “We Are Definitely Back Together”West Coast collective Living Legends — Murs, Eligh, The Grouch, Aesop, Bicasso, Sunspot Jonz, Luckyiam and Scarub — are ready to rock the Eagle Stage at The Arise Music Festival…Kyle Eustice · Jul 2, 2018 Concert PhotosARISE Music Festival 2017 – Loveland[vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1502221494672-99886482-2eb5-2″ include=”17267,17265,17264,17263,17262,17261,17260,17259,17258,17257,17256,17255,17254,17253,17252,17251,17250,17249,17248,17247,17246,17245,17244,17243,17242″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_wp_text title=”Arise 2017″]Photos of Rising Appalachia, Brother Ali, Sunsquabi, Fractal Tribe (dancers), Jeff Austin Band[/vc_wp_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]Cole Peterson · Jul 29, 2017

Photo for “Lettuce: Erick “Jesus” Coomes Could Be Your Best Friend”

FeaturesLettuce: Erick “Jesus” Coomes Could Be Your Best FriendBassist for the funk band Lettuce and accomplished studio musician Erick “Jesus” Coomes earned a degree from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in the mid-90s.Kyle Eustice · Jul 5, 2017

A man with dreadlocks and a beard sits in a brown leather armchair beside a guitar, wearing a gray zip hoodie.

FeaturesZiggy MarleyAs the eldest son of reggae icon Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley had impossibly large shoes to fill.Kyle Eustice · Aug 2, 2016 FeaturesARISE Year Three: Setting an Example for the FutureAs we move into a new era of Colorado festivals the focus has been shifting as the tastes of Colorado music fans has been shifting as well. While the formula of big names + camping + various visual gimmicks = ticket sales has more or less stayed the same from festival to festival, ARISE has tapped into something missing from the others; cleanliness.Jed Murphy · Aug 18, 2015

Festival attendees with backpacks walk through a colorful scaled archway marked ARISE at the event entrance.

FeaturesARISE In It’s Third Year Prime: Loveland’s Conscious Music MovementSunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado hosted it’s third annual Arise Music Festival.BandWagon Magazine · Aug 10, 2015

Performer with long dreadlocks plays guitar on an outdoor festival stage facing a large crowd near white tents.

CommunityLifting the World to the Highest Vibration: Mike Love At ARISE Music FestivalHailing from the island of Oahu, Hawaii Mike Love was a powerful force at the ARISE music festival this weekend.Rose Hedberg · Aug 10, 2015

A man in dark sunglasses, a navy coat, and a striped scarf stands on a rooftop overlooking a foggy city skyline.

FeaturesHigh Art Hip Hop: Lyrics Born Rock With Chali 2naAs we all know, hip-hop has a revolving door of rappers. With contemporary artists being chewed up and spit out faster than you can say Lil Jon, the probability of a career spanning multiple decades is highly doubtful. Notable East Coast emcees such as KRS-One, Mos Def and Talib Kweli are among the few that can claim years of longevity. Lyrics Born (real name Tom Shimura), however, has been at it since the early ‘90s and is still going strong with his latest release, As U Were. Growing up in Berkley, Shimura had a hard time getting his hands on good hip-hop. Fortunately, he crossed paths with future label mates, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious) and Lateef the Truthspeaker (Latyrx) while attending school at UC-Davis where the idea for Quannum Projects was born. In addition to putting out their own records, the three entrepreneurs started putting out material by artists like DJ Shadow, Lifesavas and Pigeon John under the Quannum moniker. As Lyrics Born, Shimura has reveled in plenty of success with his funk and soul-infused hip-hop, something he learned as a college radio DJ in California.Kyle Eustice · Sep 12, 2014

Silhouetted aerial performer suspended from a metal rig against a bright sky, with purple fabric draping below.

Concert PhotosA Celebration in Conscious Living: ARISE 2014If you were to describe the ARISE Music Festival’s second year in one word it would simply be consciousness.Jed Murphy · Sep 4, 2014

FeaturesARISE Music Festival Spotlights: A Few of Our FavoritesARISE Music will be held August 8th-10th at Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado.BandWagon Magazine · Aug 7, 2014

BandWagon cover for the Outkast story showing two men posing in pastel suits against a yellow and blue backdrop.

August 2014 – OutkastIN THIS ISSUE CHROMEO | LYRICS BORN | SHA NA NA | BEAR IN HEAVEN PANAMA | TWIN PEAKS | WHENSDAY | BLOCK PARTY | ARISE MUSIC FESTIVALEly Corliss · Aug 1, 2014

A performer in a white helmet-style mask holds a flaming torch as a violinist plays under blue stage lights.

Features8 Things We Are Looking Forward to at ARISELast August, BandWagon Magazine made the voyage to the ARISE music festival, located in Loveland, Colorado.Kendra Hamman · Jul 21, 2014

A black bumper sticker reading "Damn Right I Got the Blues" with "Beale Street, Memphis, TN" on a teal car window.

Concert PhotosGreeley’s 10th annual Blues JamGreeley Blues Jam 10th annual music festival cured those summer time blues! check out the action here!BandWagon Magazine · Jun 18, 2014

Photo for “Gregory Alan Isakov Discusses Song Writing and His Work with Horticulture”

FeaturesGregory Alan Isakov Discusses Song Writing and His Work with HorticultureGregory Alan Isakov’s songs dance around the edge of modern folk music and he plays by an old set of rules. Not only was Weatherman the product of abandoning a previous album, but it was also made on analogue recording equipment from a cabin in Nederland, Colorado. His sounds as rich as they are simple, rooted in the patchwork of the hills of that state.Jed Murphy · Aug 26, 2013

Photo for “Quixotic Introduce ARISE to a New Form of High Art”

FeaturesQuixotic Introduce ARISE to a New Form of High ArtHailing from Kansas City, Missouri, Quixotic has become a force to be recognized in modern art.Jed Murphy · Aug 24, 2013