BANDWAGON PHOTO OF THE MONTH | PEARY SCHROEDER LUDACRIS | GREELEY STAMPEDE | GREELEY, CO | 6/ 27/ 25
JON MUQ’S
EXTRAORDINARY MUSICAL JOURNEY
BY BRIANA HARRIS
Few artists have had a journey to their debut album quite like Jon Muq. A lifetime of chasing sound has led Muq from his home country of Uganda, to a debut record on Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound label, and tour dates alongside Mavis Staples, Billy Joel, and Norah Jones. It’s the kind of musical fairytale that would sound too impossible, if not grounded in Muq’s authentic voice and undeniable talent.
“I’ve always had this ear that never forgets,” Muq shares as he describes his musical background growing up in Uganda. Though he didn’t have access to much recorded music, from childhood Jon found himself chasing sound, and devouring whatever music he could find. “My musical background was really narrow. Uganda as a country has almost 100 languages, and each tribe sings in their own language and has their own musical instruments,” he explains. It was difficult to get access to much popular music from around the world.
“It wasn’t until I was 15 that I understood I was musical,” Jon continues. “I would experience all these things that are musical, but I didn’t realize it was related to being a musician.” He would memorize and expertly mimic all sorts of sounds: melodies, people’s voices, distinctive dog barks. “I was just always drawn to good sound.”
Around this time, he came across a CD in his cousin’s house: the 1985 supergroup hit, “We Are the World.” “I was mindblown,” Jon
says. “I had never before heard so many people sing on one tune. I only knew Michael Jackson out of all the people. And immediately that told me, if all of these people are fitting on one tune, then my voice can be on a tune as well.” “We Are the World” became the first song that Jon learned to sing and play. It also became his audition material that landed him a recurring hotel gig in Kampala. “I played for food - but the food was fancy as hell,” he laughs.
Eventually, Jon’s friend recorded a video of him singing and playing that led to an opportunity to join Norwegian Cruise Lines on a 6-month contract as a performing musician. Jon’s repertoire quickly grew; when people gave him recommendations, he’d use his limited time on shore to look up new songs and print lyrics so he could learn them. “By the time I left the boat, I sang 200 songs,” he recalls.
Following his cruise ship contract, Jon made his way to the United States through an event company that he reached out to for gig opportunities. “I called them, and within a week, I was in Austin, Texas. I had never heard of Texas before.” While navigating his new life in the U.S., metaphorical lightning struck: a Youtube cover video of Jon singing and playing The Beatles’ “Blackbird” made its way to Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.
Dan messaged Muq with the offer to sign him to his critically acclaimed record label, Easy Eye Sound. “It took
me a while to respond to that message because I did not know who that was,” says Muq. “I just thought it was a random dude sending me messages.” Connecting with Dan led to Jon’s debut record, ‘Flying Away,’ released in 2024. “We recorded the whole album in four days – sixteen songs,” explains Jon. “I was happy with everything and the results of the album because it was raw and organic.”
The twelve-track album showcases a timeless, vintage Americana sound, lifted by the ease and optimism of Muq’s songwriting and vocal delivery. Standouts include “One You Love,” with its catchy, pleading chorus, and the bittersweet, autobiographical “Flying Away From Home.” Jon shares, “[The songs] are about learning about a new culture: what’s the story behind the song, where you think you understand what it means, but there’s a different meaning attached to it. It’s always storytelling.”
For an artist just coming off his debut, Muq is already holding his own alongside seasoned industry veterans. He’s currently embarking on tour dates around the United States, including his first visit to Colorado for several shows, and a later fall tour opening for folk supergroup I’m With Her.
“All my songs are all about joy,” Muq explains. That pursuit of joy through music is a tangible thread, connecting Jon to audiences around the world inspired by his artistry and his story.
Tracy Lawrence
Sunday, September 14, 2025 | 7 p.m.
An Intimate Evening with Celtic Thunder: Celebrate Their Greatest Songs & Along the Way a Reunion with Old Friends Tuesday, October 14, 2025 | 7 p.m.
Murray & Peter Present Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue Saturday, October 18, 2025 | 7 p.m. *18+ Only (Adult theme comedy)
Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen Sunday, October 19, 2025 | 7 p.m.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Sunday, November 16, 2025 | 7 p.m.
George Lopez Friday, November 14, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
BandWagon Presents:
Darci Lynne and Friends: Up Close and Personal Christmas Tour Friday, December 19, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
Emporium Presents: Brad Williams: The Tall Tales Tour Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 7 p.m.
Step Afrika! The Evolution Tour Friday, February 27, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Dinosaur World Live Tuesday, April 7, 2026 | 7 p.m.
Hadestown Sunday, May 3, 2026 | 7 p.m.
Cameron Cade:
IF YOU MAKE IT HOME FOR DINNER
BY LANDON UNGERMAN
Cameron Cade’s debut album, ‘If You Make It Home for Dinner,’ due in late August, is an exploration of growth, identity, and the complicated mirror that is love.
Cade’s music blends indie, folk, and bedroom pop with a classical foundation—from years of violin lessons to singing a cappella in darkened rooms, eyes closed, voices rising. “It was simple, but it felt so beautiful,” she reflects, describing the profound sense of community she found in college choirs, an experience she now cherishes as vital.
This album emerged during Cade’s first long-term relationship, a journey that forced her to confront patterns she hadn’t fully recognized before. “Being in a relationship—and living with someone so closely—you can’t really hide your flaws and insecurities,” she says. This closeness made her face issues she’d previously overlooked and propelled her into a period of growth: “I’d much rath er be in a relationship where I’m challenged to grow than be in a place where I feel stag nant.”
The record wrestles with the elusive idea of the “perfect partner,” an idea that remains undefined by the end of the album. With no reference point besides distorted media por trayals of relationships, Cameron Cade found herself caught in a whirlwind of societal ex pectations. In her song “Be Your Girl,” she playfully critiques how women in media are pressured to contort themselves, constantly performing and being on display.
“I decided to make a mockery of it. Like yeah, I’ll contort and twist myself however society sees fit. As a
woman, I’m performing for people wherever I go. I had to learn how to stop performing and just be.”
This broader struggle for validation became a pattern the Cade had to unlearn as she became closer with another person.
She also explores these ideas visually, drawing on 1950s-60s housewife imagery contrasted with an undercurrent of chaos and unpredictability—the “wild woman” breaking through the polished surface.
Her creative process evolved alongside personal challenges, including being unexpectedly pushed out of a band while recovering from surgery. “They never told me they had already decided to move on,” Cade says. That experience fueled a deeper commit-
“Any time I’ve felt betrayed or hurt, it ends up lighting a fire in me. Like, I am worth it—even if I’m not worth it to someone else.”
With longtime collaborator Alex Newton and the support of Ego and the growing Friendly Collective community in Denver, Cade is refining her sound and creative vision. This album marks a turning point—not just a collection of songs, but an assertion of self-worth, artistic identity, and a total commitment to self.
Cameron Cade’s ‘If You Make It Home for Dinner’ invites listeners into that intimate space—the raw, honest, and sometimes chaotic inner life of a young artist standing firmly in her voice. Stream the album when it
PHOTOS: ZACHARY JAMES
BETTER TOGETHER: GREELEY’S DOWNTOWN ARMORY RE-OPENS AS A BOLD CREATIVE COLLECTIVE
BY BRIANA HARRIS
S“omething old, something new,” is an apt phrase to describe the experience of exploring the Downtown Armory. Located on 8th Avenue in Downtown Greeley, the newly re-opened space is packed with the character of a 100-year-old building mixed with the vision of its new entrepreneurial occupants. The vintage stained glass windows lead into a cozy storefront with towering stacks of books and shelves of novelty Japanese snacks. The original eclectic wallpaper peeks from the ceiling of the downstairs hallway, while new emerging artists showcase their work upstairs. A stage with grand red curtains faces a lunch window serving spam musubi and a coffee counter offering matcha lattes.
The throughline of these elements is a dedication to creating a true community gathering space. The building has multiple tenants operating under a co-op model, which can make launching a new business more accessible than going solo. The vision started with a conversation between two friends and current Downtown Greeley business owners, Pablo Guzman of Midnight Oil Bookstore, and Ashley Fusco of Raven Sign Studio.
For Ashley, ties to Downtown Greeley are part of her family history. “My family owned Florio’s Shoes from 1922 through 2020,” she shares, “so I grew up in downtown Greeley: playing at Lincoln park, getting lunch at Woolworth’s, and cooling off on hot summer days running through the fountains on 8th street.”
“The idea of co-opting a large space was something that Pablo and I had discussed for about a year,” says Ashley. “We were noticing increasing rental rates and feeling frustrated with the lack of affordable space for start-up entrepreneurs.” Serendipitously, the owners of the Armory building reached out to Pablo about rental options; they were looking for tenants to launch a community-minded venture. He pulled Ashley into the discussion.
Soon, they had brought additional businesses on board, and they officially took occupancy of the historic building in February of 2025, followed by an aggressive timeline of renovations. “Within days we were talking about paint, we were talking about walls that needed to be moved,” says Bethany Wipf of BlackBox Arts Collective. “The building is over 100 years old, so that always presents a million little challenges,” shares Ashley, “but I love historic properties, and the landlords have been so cooperative as challenges present themselves.”
The Downtown Armory is now open from 10am to 6pm, seven days a week. Its members include a second location of The Midnight Oil Bookstore; The Green Shop plant
store, owned by Ashley Fusco; Cauldron Espresso, owned by Keith Wipf, serving coffee, chai, and matcha; the lunch counter Shinobis Paninis, operated by Nelson Jorge and Jasmine Diaz; and a multi-disciplinary gallery and performance space curated by Bethany Wipf and BlackBox Arts Collective.
“I LIKE THE CONCEPT OF THIS BEING A GENUINE THIRD SPACE,” SHARES BETHANY. “I LIKE THAT IF SOMEONE COMES HERE FOR A MEETING, AND ONE PERSON WANTS A CHAI, ONE PERSON IS GOING TO LOOK AT SOME BOOKS, AND SOMEONE ELSE NEEDED A NEW PLANT – THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.”
“We are individual businesses with a shared vision of what we want this space to be,” says Nelson. He’s been part of Greeley’s Downtown business scene for seven years, first working in the Luna’s and Stella’s kitchens, and then launching his own catering and pop-up concepts through Bandit Burrito and Shinobis. Nelson emphasizes that each tenant can thrive off each other’s customers, and can share knowledge and support around the realities of running a small business.
The building’s centerpiece is a stage, framed in vintage wood details, and surrounded by a dance floor and upper level balcony. It has served as a performance and presentation space in many previous iterations of the building: a National Guard training center, a church, and the beloved local bar and restaurant The State Armory Bar & Grill, which closed in 2006.
Bethany and BlackBox Arts Collective are already at work activating the space with events, including a recurring open mic night, a jazz jam session, and BlackBox Arts Collective’s grand opening event for their gallery in July. “I wish people knew about the established and growing art and music scene in Downtown Greeley,” says Bethany. “We have incredibly talented poets and musicians coming through, and there’s this kind of underground arts scene.” She hopes the Downtown Armory can be another place where that work is showcased and celebrated.
“The culture is good,” adds Nelson. “Everybody that I’ve met in the scene is very supportive. There’s a lot of love there, and we just want to share that with everyone.”
