Greeley music scene

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MusicAlbum Review: Spencer Zweifel and The Life or Death SituationZweifel. German for “Doubt.” From the root word zwei — meaning “two.” Or, when really straining the poetics of Middle High German for the purposes of this clumsy metaphor… Zwei —…Danny Bishop · Sep 18, 2024

Creative WritingEveryone Should Start a Band“Everyone should start a band. You’ll begin by gathering some friends to meet in a dingy classroom and start practice on a drum set with busted heads and an amp with crunchy outputs. You’ll be bad at first. Or maybe not terrible, but awkward and too loud. But it will be fun to make noise and write songs that aren’t so serious, and maybe a few that are. You’ll laugh harder than you have in years. You’ll leave practice looking forward to the next one. You’ll play a show …”Briana Harris · Nov 14, 2022

MusicAlbum Review: Draghoria – Dangerous SpeciesNate Wilde · Sep 2, 2022

FeaturesThe Bones of J.R. Jones: Desert Rhythms and Dancing Through the BluesJ.R.’s life as a touring bluesman came later than some. In his late 20’s, he was living in Brooklyn, bartending and teaching at a pre-school. He had a masters degree in printmaking, but the medium was quickly being usurped by digital alternatives. Still, he needed a creative outlet. A few years before, J.R.’s college roommate had introduced him to a song that made him fall in love with the blues. It was Blind Lemon Jefferson, a 1920’s singer and guitarist who is sometimes credited as the “Father of the Texas Blues.” “I had never heard that raw, gritty passion in anything else,” he said. “It just kind of leveled me.” From then on, J.R. spent his in-between time — in between work, school, relationships and everything else — playing the blues. “There were a lot of DIY venues that popped up in loft spaces or garages. They were perfect for the type of music I was playing,” he explained. “All you needed was a condenser microphone, a picnic table and a cooler of PBR.”Gabe Allen · Jul 14, 2022

FeaturesA Century of Country – Greeley Stampede’s New Stage Set for Brad Paisley and MoreThe Greeley Stampede’s new stage was built with Brad Paisley in mind. The last time he played here, in 2007, Paisley had 10 semi-trailers full of equipment, said Justin Watada, executive director of the Stampede. Way back then, three “up and coming” acts performed with Paisley, including a young lady named Taylor Swift. The brand new stage is bigger and much better, with all the fixins you’d expect from a show at Red Rocks, including a platform that will allow the artists to walk 50 feet out into the crowd. And Paisley is back as the Stampede’s biggest act in a lineup that includes Stone Temple Pilots, Jon Pardi, Cole Swindell and Jordan Davis.Dan England · Jun 21, 2022

MusicSingle Review: Joy Scout – “Pretty Itty Bitty Kitty”During the pandemic, Joy Scout’s Paul Beverage brought home a tabby named Josie, wrote a punk-infused 12-bar blues about her and he wants you to know about it. Mee-ow!Gabe Allen · Jun 13, 2022

MusicAlbum Review: Draghoria – Dangerous SpeciesNate Wilde · Jun 2, 2022

MusicAlbum Review: Dead Man’s AlibiFort Collins-based Dead Man’s Alibi keeps a post-grunge metal sound while tossing in some blues on their debut.Valerie Vampola · Mar 10, 2022

FeaturesRight Back Into It: Ben Pu Stays TrueAt the end of most of his gigs, and in conversations with other musicians or friends, Ben Puchalski gets the question: “Dude, why aren’t you bigger?” Puchalski, these days,…Dan England · Mar 2, 2022

FeaturesYou Can’t Bullshit Metal Fans: Soulfly’s Max Cavalera“Little by little, my own tastes came through for Soulfly,” Max Calverra tells BandWagon. “As I get older, you’d think I’d get more mellow. But I like the heavier and heavier stuff. When you get older, you play what you like. You play what you feel.” “Riffs are my church,” he said. “That’s my paradise. I will spend hours riffing on the guitar and just chugging on the guitar. I call it Chug Life. When you finally find a killer riff, man, it’s like you’ve won the lottery.Dan England · Feb 18, 2022

FeaturesCommon Ancestor: LowDown Brass Band’s New Hotness Has Roots“LowDown Brass Band has roots in the Jazz education world,” MC Billa Camp tells BandWagon, “but the Jazz education world has the habit of treating Jazz like an island. As if – Jazz isn’t birthed from the same struggle as Hip Hop. As if they are not Black father and son, born fighting the same fight.” Lowdown Nights, the latest and most future-leaning record from LowDown Brass Band, was appropriately released during Black History Month. It takes things further out of the pigeonhole and into the pan-genre stage, using the history of the African American experience as its guide. Especially with the hit single “Be The One Tonight,” they go mainstream – and that’s a good thing. The collective has enough talent within its ranks to deliver a show with as much variety as Beyoncés 2018 Homecoming at Coachella. It’s the multi-lingual, multicultural, multi-genre kind of mainstream pop and dance music that encapsulates the musical stew of 2022.Kevin Johnston · Feb 10, 2022

MusicSingle Review: Bekka Jean – “What If I Forget About You ='(”Following the passing of her mother, Greeley’s Bekka Jean independently released her folky, shoegaze single “What If I Forget About You ='(” in the vein of Phoebe Bridgers.Valerie Vampola · Feb 7, 2022

MusicSingle Review: The Burroughs – “My House My Car”The Burroughs continue to progress their sound while retaining some of the retro vibe that first captured the hearts of Northern Colorado: 70’s and 80’s musical tropes, a…Valerie Vampola · Feb 4, 2022

FeaturesWriting at the Helm: Hunter James & The Titanic on the Creative Process“A lot of bands say ‘well, we can’t box ourselves into a specific genre because we play funk and jazz and rock or whatever,’” Hunter James & the Titanic says. “It’s nice to be in a band that says, ‘we play rock and roll 109% of the time.’” Hunter James & the Titanic refuse to be lured into the post-genre vortex despite that impossible percentage and their lineup of eclectic players. They play Americana — no caveats. Well maybe a couple. “I really wanted to have this band feel really focused.” Hunter James explained. “But, there’s something inside of me that won’t let me just write like that. But, we always sound like us no matter what.” In just three years, the band has put out an EP, five singles and two full-length LPs. Their latest album, 2021’s La Liberté, finds the band settled even deeper into a roots rock sound.Gabe Allen · Feb 2, 2022

MusicAlbum Review: Magpie the Band – Under The Maple TreeFolk trio Magpie the Band emerges into the Northern Colorado scene with their debut ‘Under The Maple Tree,’ featuring more Celtic and Eastern European sounds than the western…Valerie Vampola · Dec 10, 2021

MusicSingle Review: Emma Griffin – Sell My Soul“Sell My Soul” is a breakthrough for Emma Griffin, allowing her to keep the Lorde and Billie Eilish sound she’s established while introducing a blues touch.Valerie Vampola · Dec 9, 2021

FeaturesTrash Cat and the Absurdity of the Human Experience~ Greeley’s silliest band takes making good music seriously ~Gabe Allen · Nov 12, 2021

MusicAlbum Review: Diez De León – Death of a Martyr, Birth of a PhoenixWhat’s impressive about Death of a Martyr, Birth of a Phoenix from Diez De León is that the album occupies two worlds simultaneously. It’s thoughtful, introspective and authentic, and effortlessly pairs it with the best qualities of modern hip-hop: catchy hooks, head-nodding grooves, and addressing the all-important question, “but does it slap?” Formerly known as B.B.T.U.C. of Colorado rap trio Soul Brothers, Diez De León showcases a high level of artistic maturity on his debut album. Death of a Martyr, Birth of a Phoenix displays a degree of lyrical finesse that’s refreshing in today’s musical landscape.Diego Felix · Sep 6, 2021

MusicAlbum Review: The Cuddies – Fix It MyselfGreeley’s jazz-leaning (Hannah &) The Cuddies put on a rock show, but shine in moments of intimacy on their full-length debut Fix It Myself, a gloss-rock review via theatrical means.Kevin Johnston · Sep 4, 2021

MusicSingle Premiere: Carti Ferrari – The FarthestThe term “in the box” has taken on more meaning over the past year, especially for musicians forced to do almost everything from only (and often for only) their computers.Kevin Johnston · Apr 2, 2021