Tag: Mary Claxton

Community, Features, Print

UPLIFT: FoCo – New Generation on the Rise

December 2, 2021

“My thinking was, ‘Yeah, get me off this bus,’” Andy Whilden said. He decided to leave touring as a musician for a job at The Matthews House, a place for underserved youth. 

Starting the Uplift: FoCo festival two years ago gave Whilden more personal satisfaction than he expected. The benefit festival will feature acts that are acoustically driven. “They can play any genre,” Whilden said of the house band, though the 2021 installment will also deliver something different, and, well, a little less tenured.

Continue reading
Features, Print

Trash Cat and the Absurdity of the Human Experience

November 12, 2021

Greeley’s greatest-of-all-time cartoon-inspired indie funk rock band Trash Cat features Mary Claxton on lead vocals and electric ukulele, Hayden Farr on baritone sax and Brian Claxton on drum kit.

“Imagine you’re 13 years old and you’re trying to write about your innermost feelings,” Mary Claxton tells BandWagon of the band’s character writing. “It’s a lot to share. On some level I felt the same way about myself.”

Though all three members hold down day jobs and tour with The Burroughs, they have clearly carved out plenty of time for their “side project.” Their live performances are exceedingly danceable, and their recordings are meticulously produced. 

On December 3, Trash Cat will set the mood during rounds of cosmic bowling at Chippers Lanes in Fort Collins, marking the first ever live performance of the band’s sophomore album, The Tide.

Continue reading
Features

Home Team For The Win: The Burroughs’ “Zero Sum Game”

May 7, 2021

After a year, The Burroughs have re-emerged with a new video and single, “Zero Sum Game,” a first time songwriting collaboration between drummer Mary Claxton and frontman Johnny Burroughs. It marks Claxton’s official debut as a lead vocalist with The Burroughs. On one Saturday afternoon at Greeley’s huge, vacant Union Colony City Center stage, the video was filmed in a single, continuous shot, keeping focus on Claxton’s unbroken gaze as her environment seamlessly changes around her.

Continue reading
Features, Print

All Together Now: The Burroughs’ Bands Give Back Initiative

April 3, 2020

“The arts are a mental lifeline for kids in the public school system,” says Mary Claxton, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and singer for Trashcat and the Burroughs. “Everyone deserves to express themselves and have joy throughout the school day. It’s not a privilege.”

Her band The Burroughs have launched the Bands Give Back Initiative, engaging students in music education while raising funds, constructing instrument storage and more for the Greeley, Evans School District 6.

Continue reading
Print, Reviews

Album Review: Trash Cat – Welcome To Trash City

March 25, 2019

Try not to say “quirky” when describing Trash Cat. Red-headed singer/bandleader Mary Claxton wields a sassy ukulele, backed by her husband Brian, a beardy University jazz instructor, and funky, mohawked baritone saxophonist Hayden Farr. (Say what?) Throw in references to Scooby Doo and titles like “Robot Girlfriend” and it pretty much seals the quirky deal. Plus, their release show takes place inside a laser tag arena. Say what?

Continue reading