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battle of the bands

20 stories

Hand Turkey performs at the BandWagon Battle of the Bands finale at The Oriental Theater in Denver (photo 1 of 13)

Concert PhotosHand Turkey Wins BandWagon Battle of the Bands FinaleHand Turkey won the 15th annual BandWagon Magazine Battle of the Bands at the Oriental Theater on 1/23, taking $5,000 and the magazine cover.Jason Alfaro · Jan 24, 2026

Evan Bingham and Rude Mood perform at Lulu's Downtown (photo 1 of 7)

Concert PhotosEvan Bingham and Rude Mood Win Night 2 at Lulu's DowntownEvan Bingham and Rude Mood took Night 2 of the Battle of the Bands at Lulu's Downtown and move on to the finals.BandWagon Magazine · Nov 9, 2025

Bands and fans at BandWagon's annual Battle of the Bands (photo 1 of 7)

Concert PhotosScenes From BandWagon's Annual Battle of the BandsPhotos from BandWagon's annual Battle of the Bands, a night built around the music and the memories.Casey Mason · Jan 19, 2025

Underseer members pose with a $5,000 check from the BandWagon Battle of the Bands on a dark, smoky stage.

Concert PhotosUnderseer WINS The 2023 BandWagon Magazine Battle of The BandsAfter more than 100 applications and four preliminary rounds of intense competition, Underseer, The Stephen Lear Band, Cami Maree and The White Moms went head-to-head in the final…Jason Alfaro · Dec 21, 2023

Black and white photo of a singer in a dark jacket leaning over a crowd, with a guitarist and phones raised.

Features2023 BandWagon Magazine Battle of The Bands Line-Up RevealedBandWagon Magazine announced the 2023 Battle of the Bands last month, pushing bands up and down Colorado’s front range to put their foot in the race with the prospect of a $5,000…Landon Ungerman · Nov 2, 2023

Features100 to 16, Now Down to 4: BandWagon’s Battle Of The Bands Closes in on Title BoutEternal Glory, $5,000 and the cover of BandWagon Magazine are grounds for musical fisticuffs in Colorado.Kevin Johnston · Dec 6, 2022

FeaturesBattle Profile: Nelsen“The momentum was really good,” Nick Nelsen said. “We were doing four gigs in a one month span.” On the first day of February last year, Nelsen (the band) beat out Hot Tub Wrestler, Ethan More or Less and the Able Dogs in round one of BandWagon’s 2020 Battle of the Bands. The success was three years in the making. Nelsen had also competed in 2018 and 2019, never to make it past the first round. Now, armed with tearjerkers new and old, Nelsen is poised and ready to make the audience “feel” when the Battle of the Bands returns on March 12.Gabe Allen · Feb 16, 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

Five people pose with swords and props in front of a red-lit mural of a painted warrior woman.

FeaturesBattle Profile: Hannah & The CuddiesHannah Rodriguez knew that The Cuddies were entering a new chapter in January of 2020 when they won the first round of BandWagons’ Battle of the Bands. She eagerly planned their finalist set and looked forward to the future. But the future had changes in store. So now, after a year-long unplanned intermission, losing / gaining new band members and the optimism of a vaccine, Hannah is ready for The Cuddies’ first gig in 2021.Valerie Vampola · Feb 13, 2021

FeaturesBattle Profile: Graham Good & The PaintersGraham Good is relentlessly upbeat. Not only is that really his last name, it’s his nature, and it’s the band’s aesthetic. Even the band’s website greets you with “I believe good things are coming.” He wants people to be happy. So after a year-long delay between the semi-finals and the finals of our Battle Of The Bands, he’s ready to rock.Dan England · Feb 12, 2021

Bands compete in the 2019 BandWagon Battle of the Bands final (photo 1 of 10)

Concert Photos2019 Battle of the Bands Final Round PhotosThe Beeves, Saints of Never After and Swerve fought for the 2019 Battle of the Bands title, $1,000 and the magazine cover.Peary Schroeder · Apr 14, 2019

Five young men pose in a brick-lined city alley, wearing casual shirts, with no instruments or stage visible.

FeaturesThe Great Salmon Famine – Pinnacle FunA fun-focused consideration of audience perspective permeates the party ethos of The Great Salmon Famine. Releasing the single “The Funky Circus” September 4 via bandwagmag.com and winning our 2018 Battle Of The Bands with a dancey, fan-favorited final round, their energetic live show is an expected highlight at this year’s Block Party in downtown Greeley on Friday, September 21.Kevin Johnston · Sep 1, 2018

Five people in dark clothes stand in a row on a tiled floor before white columns.

FeaturesITS JUST BUGS。Its Just Bugs。 are one of the most outrageous bands to ever win the BandWagon Battle of the Bands.Jed Murphy · Oct 2, 2017

Six people in black outfits pose on a dark stage under blue spotlights and haze, with no instruments visible.

CommunityMisfits for Music’s Sake: Hypnotic Vibes Wins Battle of the BandsThey are six distinct characters that don’t initially seem to match one another. A juggler, a poet, a bilinguist, a mechanical mind, a beat-boxer, and a Rubik’s cube master, are all musicians with a singular vision: to play good music. And that vision won this funkadelic reggae band the 2014 BandWagon Magazine Battle of the Bands.Rose Hedberg · Feb 16, 2015

Graphic for BandWagon Magazine's 2014 Battle of the Bands with 12 local bands and a $1,000 cash prize.

FeaturesBattle of The Bands 2014 Is Getting HeatedFinalist Competing For $1,000 and Eternal Glory:BandWagon Magazine · Dec 5, 2014

The Burroughs pose in dark suits and ties in a warm-lit brick archway, with several members kneeling in front.

Features2014 Battle of the Bands Winner: The BurroughsIf there were a single word to summarize The Burroughs as a band it would be family.Jed Murphy · Feb 11, 2014

A sweaty guitarist in glasses plays an electric guitar under red stage lights during a battle of the bands.

Concert PhotosBattle of the Bands: Round 1 @ The Moxi TheaterFirst two rounds of the BandWagon Magazine Battle of the Bands went off without and hitch. Duchovny and Silver and Gold are moving on from the first round, while Disguise the Silence and The Burroughs are moving on from the second. Make sure to be at the Moxi Theater on December 7th to vote onBandWagon Magazine · Nov 25, 2013

Photo for “BOTB: Squid Kids”

FeaturesBOTB: Squid KidsThe Squid Kids have been around the block a few times when it comes to playing shows in Greeley.Jed Murphy · Jan 11, 2013

Photo for “BOTB: Grits & Gravy”

FeaturesBOTB: Grits & GravyGrits & Gravy stand apart from other hip-hop acts.Mikey Unruh · Jan 9, 2013

Photo for “BOTB: Leghounds Mark Their Territory”

FeaturesBOTB: Leghounds Mark Their TerritoryWith layers of harmonies that exist to move and flow, a soulful sweetness, and technical savvy, there is little surprise as to why the Leghounds won our Battle of the Bands and the $1,000 prize.Willow Summers · Jan 7, 2013