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BandWagon Magazine, June 2020: The Fate of Festival Future

Page 1 of June 2020

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The Fate of Festival Future, [vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTIwYWxsb3clM0QlMjJmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTIyJTIwc3R5bGUlM0QlMjJib3JkZXIlM0Fub25lJTNCd2lkdGglM0ExMDAlMjUlM0JoZWlnaHQlM0EzMjZweCUzQiUyMiUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMiUyRiUyRmUuaXNzdXUuY29tJTJGZW1iZWQuaHRtbCUzRmQlM0RiYW5kd2Fnb25fanVuZV8yMDIwX3dlYiUyNnUlM0RiYW5kd2FnbWFnJTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNF[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] In This Issue: Music School Goes Online, National Independent Venue Association, VIVIAN, A.M. Pleasure Assassins, Andy Sydow, 105.5 The Colorado Sound’s My5 [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]. 10,000 copies on the street from Cheyenne to Fort Collins.

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, 2020A young boy with glasses plays a black drum kit while watching a tablet on a stand in a blue-lit room.FeaturesIn My Room: Music Teachers Turn To Online Methods, Keeping Musical Communities TogetherWith stay-at-home orders in place, students still want to make music with their teachers and with their peers. Fairview High School students in Boulder decided to try a “virtual choir.” Virtual ensembles, including choirs, are a huge trend worldwide, allowing musicians to collaborate with their friends, bandmates, or favorite artists from home. But putting together a collaboration of 15-plus people requires a lot of time, a hefty budget, and in this case, a supportive community.Valerie Vampola · Jun 4, 2020Illustrated crowd of masked people in red tones raising hands and phones, with a ferris wheel in the background.FeaturesThe Fate Of Festival FutureEven right after she was the sickest she’d been in her life, Alison Hamling still cried after she essentially canceled Friday Fest in Downtown Greeley.Dan England · Jun 5, 2020Collage of musicians with saxophone, bass, banjo, and guitar beneath a yellow 105.5 The Colorado Sound logo.105.5 The Colorado Sound's Featured ArtistsThe Colorado Sound’s My5 – June 2020Honoring the legacy of musicians who passed away due to COVID19, your role in controlling content on the airwaves, the best music made during Quarantine, and a legendary punk band’s first record in 35 years … what could it be but The Colorado Sound’s My5? Find some gems, learn some stuff and be a part of the scene every month.BandWagon Magazine · Jun 6, 2020Bearded singer in glasses and a patterned shirt sings and plays guitar as a drummer keeps time behind him.MusicAlbum Review: A.M. Pleasure Assassins – Careless LaughterWith their (yes) fifteenth release Careless Laughter, A.M. Pleasure Assassins remind us there’s a whole scene of bands in Northern Colorado who refuse to care what you migh think. They remind us that making music is supposed to be fun; it’s about putting yourself out there.Laura Giagos · Jun 9, 2020Man with swept-back hair in a teal polka-dot shirt leans on a wooden table in front of a brick wall.MusicAlbum Review: Andy Sydow – Wicked Dreams‘Wicked Dreams’ – the title track of Andy Sydow’s most recent EP, is an alt-country story about nation-wide travel and going through the motions, while deep down the storyteller longs for true purpose. Reminiscent in style of early Wilco and Ryan Adams, it’s highlighted with a slide guitar solo that might appear in one of Derek Trucks’ dreams. After rambling through several states, the protagonist lands in Colorado which he “calls home,” full of “beauty, adventure, and a different kind of tone.”Nate Wilde · Jun 10, 2020A woman sings into a microphone while a man plays an electric guitar with a paisley strap in a small studio room.MusicAlbum Review: VIVIAN – The Warped GlimmerEven during the pandemic, Fort Collins-based dream pop band VIVIAN pushed forward the release of their debut full length album The Warped Glimmer, and according to the band, are already well into producing a full length follow-up. Spacy in all the right ways and saturated in the tell tale signs of art-rock gone pop, The Warped Glimmer is VIVIAN turning on cruise control and putting the seat back for you. It’s a warm envelope to rest in but exciting enough not to put you to sleep.Laura Giagos · Jun 11, 2020Socially distanced crowd in chairs watches a band perform on an outdoor stage near a red MOXI sign.FeaturesGoing For It: Live Music Returns, At A DistanceThe Mishawaka Amphitheatre’s second live show during the pandemic happens at the night before Independence Day – and it’s not for the money. For independent music venues and clubs across Colorado, July 1 is perhaps as important as the day we celebrate our independence as a nation. Governor Polis’ new guidelines take effect that day, allowing the assembly of crowds which make live music possible, if not exactly feasible.Dan England · Jun 29, 2020Cars fill a drive-in lot at dusk while a large screen shows three musicians playing upright bass and guitars.FeaturesHighway To Heaven: Drive-Ins Revive The Live Music Experience“I’ve reset my expectations with everything we do in the music business,” said Adam Aijala. “The best attitude is to just roll with it.” The last time his group Yonder Mountain String Band played was March 12, 2020. Then coronavirus hit. With band members scattered across different time zones in the lower 48, they made video collaborations. But then, their agent called. They had a gig. A live one. Blue Pig Presents in Cheyenne took a chance and installed a drive-in theater set-up at Terry Bison Ranch, booking Yonder Mountain live. The idea of drive-in concerts spread almost as fast as the virus itself, with The Holiday Twin Drive-In Movie Theater in Fort Collins collaborating with FoCoMX to fill the festival void with their Drive & Jive concert series.Valerie Vampola · Jun 30, 2020