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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
100 years of
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Celebrate in Estes Park, basecamp for Rocky Mountain National Park. Join us for year-long centennial events and special Estes Park programs.
Elk Fest, October 4th - 5th Pumpkins & Pilsners and the Fall Surprise Sidewalk Sale, October 11th - 12th Halloween Celebrations, October 31st Fall Back Beer Festival, November 1st Catch the Glow Parade & Celebration, Thanksgiving Weekend Tinsel Tavern Tour and Dasher 5K, December 13
Find centennial deals and details at VisitEstesPark.com/Centennial
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
ALBUM REVIEWS
THE DEADWOOD SAINTS 6TH STREET AND TRINITY
Jay Wallace
BandWagon Magazine Alternative country is something that I don’t necessarily pay much attention to, even though I have a love and appreciation for country music. The alternative scene pushes country in directions one wouldn’t normally hear on KYGO. For those that think country is about daisy dukes, pickup trucks, drinking, Jesus, and ‘MURICA, I’d ask you to look into alternative brand country music. The problem, however, is simply finding this stuff. More often than not, my favorite songs and artists I found by chance, such as hearing a lone Buddy Miller song playing on KUNC or Uncle Daddy’s “Rise Again” on a 30-second YouTube spot for The Last of Us. Alternative country is really something you have to look for, and sometimes it can’t be found under the Country genre on iTunes. Take 6th Street and Trinity, the debut album from The Deadwood Saints. They call themselves “an Americana-Roots Rock quartet seeking to bring another alternative to the alt-country scene.” Every song on this album possesses that country twang and is steeped with a blue-collar ethos, though one which is not as on-the-nose, clichéd or shallow as mainstream country music. But as far as iTunes knows, The Deadwood Saints are “Rock,” and I don’t think that’s entirely uncalled for. The music itself sounds folkish/rockish at times, calling to mind the likes of Arlo Guthrie or Cat Stevens with more electric guitar and a raspy, whiskeysoaked voice. The Deadwood Saints has the sound of an awesome, mind-blowing bar band that wouldn’t be out of place in Austin, Texas. The most country song they have on their debut album would have to be “Don’t Think of Me,” a duet between lead singer Jeremy C. Grant and a Laniece Schleicher (of Mama Lenny and The Remedy) where the pair tell the other not to think of each other should they hear their song on the radio while driving down the road. I’ve heard many variations of this type of song
by mainstream country artists, be they duets or regular songs, and they always give me diabetes. “Don’t Think of Me” doesn’t do that; it still has that same laid-back, relaxed feel of the rest of the songs on the album. It’s difficult for me to find another way of expressing The Deadwood Saints’ songs other than laid-back, and that’s not to say there’s no heft to any of the songs. They do possess a weighty-ness, as if the songwriters wrote them from a place of hard-won, personal experience. But they’re played in a fun, no-care-in-the-world fashion, and that’s something that very few music acts can really do well, especially in country. Country music at times, particularly now, pings back-and-forth between easy listening, Redneck Party Rock fluff (most of Florida Georgia Line’s output) and Achingly Sincere, Lip-Quivering, Serious Attempt At Making An Impact garbage that usually backfires (COUGH “Accidentally Racist” COUGH). This is not a pretentious album, but it does possess a level of sincerity and honesty and heftiness that’s subtle. This is a fun album. You pour a glass of bourbon, lean back and listen to this on a Saturday night. It’s also an album you recommend to friends who sneer at you for simply knowing who George Strait is. Long story short, if you are looking to get into alternative country music but don’t know where to start, start local. Track down Fort Collins’ own Deadwood Saints, and their debut album 6th Street and Trinity. You will not be disappointed.
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
en español CAMILA ELYPSE
Lorenzo Conchas
BandWagon Magazine Por primera vez en la historia de Camila tenemos un dúo. Así es, su tercer álbum fue lanzado en Junio del presente año y solo cuenta con dos integrantes. Samo había sido parte de la agrupación desde sus comienzos en el 2006, más sin embargo decidió decir adiós para dedicarse a su carrera como solista. Mario Domm es el productor de Camila, también es compositor, cantante y toca varios instrumentos musicales como el piano y la guitarra. Pablo Hurtado es el guitarrista y co-productor. El más reciente álbum lleva por nombre Elypse. En el buscan escribir una nueva historia como lo han hecho en el pasado, la diferencia es que en Elypse no hay reglas. Es sin confort, sin limites y sin miedo como lo describe Domm. En este nuevo álbum, el dúo nos da la chispa que los ha caracterizado. Su primer sencillo lleva por nombre “Decidiste Dejarme.” El tema completo podría ser resumido a la palabra: ‘bipolar.’ En el podemos apreciar enojo y furia tanto en letra como sonido. Tiene un contraste entre el coro y los versos que nos da esa sensación de tranquilidad y coraje en distintas partes del mismo. La letra habla de una persona rechazada y herida. En el resto de las 12 canciones nos ofrecen un poco de variedad. Tenemos música
For the first time in Camila’s history we have a duo. Yes, their third album was released in June of the present year with only two members. Vocalist Samo had been part of the group since its beginnings in 2006, however he decided to say goodbye to pursue his solo career. Mario Domm is the producer, composer, vocalist and plays several instruments. Pablo Hurtado is the guitarist and coproducer. The latest album is called Elypse. In this album they are seeking to write a new story as they have done in the past, the difference is that in Elypse there are no rules. It has no comfort, no limits and it is fearlessly as described by Domm. In this new album, the duo gives us the spark that has characterized them since day one with their first single “Decidiste Dejarme.” The song as a whole can be summarized to one word: ‘bipolar.’ Here we can see anger and fury in both lyrics and sound. It has a contrast between the chorus and verses that gives us that sense of calm and courage in different parts of it. The lyrics speak of a rejected and wounded person. In the rest of the 12 songs they offer some variety. We have electronic music, gospel choirs, funk and even an orchestra, all in addition to what we previously knew as Camila. Lyrically speaking we have a project in which no particular topic startles. Considering Camila’s previous album we witnessed the venom, anger and fury that crossed every corner, this time in Elypse have everything. We are presented with
electrónica, góspel, coros, tintes de funk y hasta una orquesta, todo esto en adición a lo que ya conocimos previamente como Camila. Líricamente hablando tenemos un proyecto en el cual no sobresalta un tema en particular. Tomando en cuenta que el álbum anterior de Camila fuimos testigos del veneno, enojo y furia que atravesaba cualquier rincón del disco. Esta vez en Elypse tenemos de todo. Apreciamos temas de dejar el orgullo y el ego atrás, de un amor ciego, de rencor y de promesas nunca cumplidas. También nos presentan desesperanza y obscuridad, honestidad en una canción escrita en tan solo 15 minutos y finalmente nostalgia y añoranza en donde relatan los tristes eventos que ocurren en su país. Es sorprendente como en Elypse juegan con la música para ponernos la piel de gallina. Si fuéramos capaces de escuchar solamente el sonido en varios temas, nos daríamos cuenta de la historia que esta detrás. En “Perdón,” tenemos una historia donde se promete lo que no se puede cumplir y de alguna manera busca disculpas mediante la canción. La orquesta forma parte esencial, ya que le da ese drama e intensidad necesaria. “De Venus” cuenta con toques de luceros y góspel para darle ese ajuste positivo de gozo por un amor ciego. Finalmente nos presentan “Tu.” Esta habla de ataques de ansiedad que tal vez
songs of leaving pride and ego behind, a blind love, resentment and unfulfilled promises. We also hear despair and darkness, honesty written in a 15 minute song, nostalgia, and longing related to the sad events in their country. It is fantastic how in Elypse they mess with music to give us goosebumps. In several songs we would be able to hear only the music and have some idea of the story behind it. In “Perdon,” we have a story of promises that cannot be met and somehow seeks an apology through song. The orchestra is an essential part, as it gives you the drama and intensity required. “De Venus” has touches of gospel luminaries and a positive adjustment to give that joy of a blind love. Finally, we have “Tu.” This speaks of anxiety attacks that might be able to be sung to its own. Here we have choir, orchestra, electronic and rock. This mixture is used to give that sense of the panic attacks they talk about. It’s amazing how they incorporate all these styles of music to form an apocalyptic song. Undoubtedly Camila has surprised us once again. They have moved away from the ballads brought in their first production that caused their followers to fall in love with the band. We don’t see that anger and venom that contributed to the second album. So far Elypse has been my favorite version of Camila. They give us a little of everything and leave us asking for more.
sería capaz de ser cantada a uno propio. Aquí tenemos coro, orquesta, electrónica y rock. Esta mezcla es usada para darle ese ataque de pánico del que tanto hablan. Es increíble como incorporan todos estos estilos de música para obtener una canción apocalíptica. Sin duda alguna Camila nos ha sorprendido una vez más. Se han alejado de las baladas que nos trajeron en su primer producción con las que enamoraron a sus seguidores. No vemos ese enojo y veneno que aportaron con el segundo disco. Hasta ahora Elypse ha demostrado ser la mejor versión de Camila. Nos dan un poco de todo y nos dejan pidiendo más lírica y musicalmente.
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
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*Listen to the Fanimals EP on BandCamp for free!
TOO MANY ZOOZ FANIMALS EP
Chris Sheridan
BandWagon Magazine Self-described brass house trio Too Many Zooz has only been around since late last year, and rose to national prominence sometime in January when someone posted a video of the group performing in Union Square. Fans have said that the first time hearing the group was when they were walking through the area and “suddenly heard this massive, incredible sound.” That’s about accurate. According to trumpeter Matt Doe, Too Many Zooz is a spinoff band of sorts that began as a six-piece performance called Drumadics, where Matt’s school friend Leo
(here on the saxophone) was in the band with percussionist The King of Sludge. Matt joined them one day, and the resulting sound was eventually worked into Too Many Zooz. Their music features huge sound for being only three guys, delivering enough complexity to match up to a group twice their size, and that alone is admirable. Watching them perform is half of the fun, however. From Matt’s incredible trumpet solos to The King of Sludge’s airtight percussion and Leo’s propensity to shuffle and dance around while maintaining perfect rhythm on his sax, this is one of those groups whose stage presence is as much a part of the music as the instruments are. One of TMZZ’s strengths is how they start from small, simple pieces and build
into something huge and ridiculous, usually dragged upwards with rising tones until all three pieces explode into call-and-response harmony and dueling solos. There’s less of that here than on debut F Note but this is still unmistakably a Too Many Zooz album with a freshly organic feel, right down to the album art courtesy of Leo’s brother. With track titles such as “Mouse Trap” and “Turtledactyl,” TMZZ mostly retains the weird, vaguely unsettling animal theme for their music, but it works. The former sounds remarkably like a mouse getting caught. The latter starts out as weird as its title before settling into an extremely satisfying groove. Fanimals is daring in that TMZZ refuses to replicate F Note. That debut album was solid, and this one is too; it is, however, a very different album and fans of the group will prefer one over the other for different reasons. Fanimals introduces a slightly cleaner sound for the trio: while F Note was wild and experimental to the point where the casual listener might label it as sloppy, Fanimals makes things a bit neater. While that means fewer wild solos, it also means
that Fanimals feels more like an actual album than F Note’s 16 minute jam session. Both are extremely strong bodies of work and very much worth listening to, though it’s worth noting that nothing here quite lives up to the incredible one-two punch of “To the Top” and “F.W.S.” that we first saw in that video back in January. They get damn closer, however, with closing duo “House of the Glass Red, Pts I & II,” which finds the guys melding the cleaner sound of this new release with the wild unpredictability of F Note. Really, the bottom line is that Too Many Zooz is absolutely worth a look. These brassbased groups are too rare, and this trio from New York scratches an itch for something different and silly. This is already the second release in one year, and TMZZ’s Matt Doe says that the band does have plans to come to Colorado at some point along with a tour of the West Coast. As good as the albums are, the live performances are really something incredible, so be sure to catch them when they pass through. To tide you over, both albums are available on Bandcamp.
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
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FILM REVIEW TUSK
2014 - 83 min - Rated R JAY WALLACE
BandWagon Magazine When I was younger, I willingly sat through three Saw movies without flinching. I have a deep appreciation for the likes of Evil Dead, Halloween and Videodrome. However, it has been a while since I’ve seen a horror film, and walking out of one recently made me question if I’ve gotten soft as I’ve grown older. And the man responsible for it? Silent Fucking Bob. The man who made Clerks and gave voice to a generation of listless youths, (and still does, to a degree) Kevin Smith’s last two outings in the theater have been Red State and Tusk, a pair of horror movies that one would’ve never expected from the guy who made films where Alanis Morissette was a God and Mark Hamill played a supervillian called CockKnocker. Smith’s last known comedic entry was Cop-Out, a Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan vehicle that Smith didn’t write – a career first for him – and that left much to be desired. If Tusk is Smith’s way back into filmmaking, I would not be opposed to it. This is possibly Smith’s best film to date. That said though… Holy Fucking Shit, Kevin Smith made this? Tusk follows Wallace Bryton, (Justin Long) a Los Angeles-based podcaster who travels to Canada in search of a
viral video star known as “The Kill Bill Kid.” (Imagine the Star Wars Kid from years ago, only with a real katana.) Upon arriving, he discovers that the kid died, and with the kid went the subject of his podcast, The Not-See Party. Wallace’s podcast is based on him tracking down weird/interesting people and retelling their tales to his partner, Teddy Craft, (Haley Joel Osment, A.K.A. “I See Dead People”) who never leaves Los Angeles. Wallace is not leaving the Great White North without a subject for his next show. He finds an interesting subject in Howard Howe, (Michael Parks, a Tarantino staple and the villain from Red State) an old seafarer, out in the middle of nowhere, who regales him with tales of meeting Ernest Hemingway during World War II, and finding himself shipwrecked with only the companionship of a walrus Howe named Mr. Tusk. That’s as much as Wallace hears… before passing out. Howe soon reveals to Wallace that he’s a misanthrope who wishes to turn Wallace into a walrus. He cuts off his legs and turns the bones into tusks to be implanted in Wallace’s face… and I’ll stop there. This film started out as a classified ad (later found out to be a hoax) that Smith and his friend/producing partner Scott Mosier read on an episode of Smodcast, which the pair promptly turned into a horror movie pitch. (The original ad offered a place to crash for free if the
person in question dressed as a walrus.) Having listened to Smodcast for years, I knew that Tusk would probably be a horror-comedy – the premise is a bit ludicrous for a straight horror film – and the film has its funny moments, but the film cranks up the creepiness by a factor of ten. It’s amazing to think Smith could craft something this horrifying. The acting helps sells the horror of the situation. Parks really pulls off Smith’s trademark dialogue/monologues, and the gravity he brings to Howe helps plant the character as an out-and-out misanthrope. He does make the character a little sympathetic – Howe’s misanthropy comes from being an abused orphan – but he mostly projects a man who doesn’t know he’s a crazy bastard. And then there’s Long. I’ve been watching Long since his days on the TV show Ed, and he’s always kind of played awkward dweebs and losers. Here though, he plays one of those awkward dweebs who got successful. Flashbacks reveal that Wallace is a bit of an asshole, that the success of the podcast has gone to his head; at one point he refers to his past self as a loser who tanked every open mic night at comedy clubs. His past self managed to snag Ally, (Genesis Rodriguez) but his current self has driven her and Teddy together while he bangs Not-See groupies and mocks his podcast’s subjects. But when he’s undergoing – and completes – his transformation into Mr. Tusk, you still feel for the guy. Because… let’s face it, he gets mutilated and terrorized into becoming a goddamn walrus by a fucking psychopath! The last shot you see of Wallace is absolutely heartbreaking in that regard, because there’s still a little bit of Wallace inside Mr. Tusk but there’s nothing he can do
about it. This is Smith’s best film in a while, but it’s not without fault. This film does have a weird, awkward pacing to it, and it mostly comes from scenes of comedy trying to balance out the horror scenes; it’s kind of uneven and causes the film to drag at times. (This is really obvious during the scenes with French Quebec ex-cop Guy Lapointe, plays by an unrecognizable Johnny Depp, but that
could be the awkwardness of the character leeching into the film. Seriously, Depp – who I never recognized – can do awkward like no one’s business.) But that’s really the only issue with it. Everything else about Tusk is actually really good. I could go on, but I’d just be spoiling more of the film. See it in theaters while you can. 7/10
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
Photo Credit: Kendra Hamman
JED MURPHY & ROSE HEDBERG
saying, “Without question this was the Day 2 most well mannered and well behaved Saturday’s lineup ranged from female crowd of all music festivals we’ve had,” punk band Dum Dum Girls to the retro First off, Riot Fest was awesome. it’s likely Riot Fest will be back in that sound of The Cure. There is no other way to say it, after it’s parking lot next year. Maybe it will be During the evening City and Colour all said and done and we the critics have quieter? Doubt it. mellowed out the scream of The Used our say about what went well and what while Social Distortion the “punk didn’t and ask the ultimate festival Day 1 godfathers” rocked “Ball and Chain” and question of if it was worth the ticket The first day saw the performance of “Ring of Fire.” Headlining the show, price, Riot Fest was still awesome. many notable acts. Bands such as Die the Cure rocked their Einstein inspired To see this particular line up whether Antwoord, NOFX, New Found Glory, hair and their signiture 80s black clothyou grew up listening to them or not Primus, and Weezer made the first day ing playing all their top-hit songs from was something everyone there knew a success. One thing became obviously their 13 albums. would only happen a few times in our right from the jump was this was going A Day To Remember was by far the lives. To see The Flaming Lips then to be a fast paced festival. With no set best act of the day. The band came out literally turn around and see Primus breaks between stages, as soon as one with “The Down Fall Of Us All” accombegin made me wonder, where the hell band ended the next started minutes panying the blast of patriotic colored am I? later at a different stage. confetti. ADTR even lead the crowd of Taking place at Sports Authority The stand-out shows of the night metal enthusiasts in a peaceful session Field, for the people who attended the were without a doubt The Flaming of “The Macarena” while lead singer year before it was a welcome change Lips and Slayer. Both bands proved that Jeremy McKinnon crawled in a human from Byers where the crowds faced you don’t have to be a band with Top hamster ball asking, “Denver, don’t let heat during the day and the cold at 40 hits to not only stay relevant, but me die,” before making his way on top night. This year, under the massive also maintain a fan base that is world- of the hundreds of hungry hands. image of our Lord and Savior Peyton wide. During the Primus set that coinManning, Riot Fest became a city cided with Slayer’s, Les Claypool told Day 3 festival and it fit. With as many as 38 his audience, “Attention everyone. You Day three of Riot Fest ended on a noise complaints filed, several Denver are standing in the wrong area. Slayer is slightly rougher note but not a bad one. residents were not too thrilled with its playing over there.” Once the cold September rain began in new location but with fewer incidents Weezer doing the full album thing it didn’t let up making the event for than a Broncos game and Reverb quot- was cool, Manchester Orchestra those unprepared a real trial to see how ing Sports Authority Field at Mile brought down the house, and weather dedicated they were to their favorite High’s general manager Andy Gorchov was perfect. BandWagon Magazine
bands. A few crowd favorites were definitely Rise Against, TV on the Radio, and Wu Tang Clan. TV on the Radio played at the perfect time right before the novelty of the rain wore off. By the time the closers The National and Wu Tang Clan went on everything was pretty much soaked thoroughly causing sound issues. The National were clearly not pleased with their set and the dwindling crowd but in the crowd’s defense Wu Tang was playing at the other stage. Around 20,000 people came for the three-day festival catching more than seventy bands from across the rock spectrum. From Wu Tang Clan to Slayer (I don’t care what you say, Wu Tang is rock) Riot Fest captured the essence of the late ‘90s and entire 2000s and it paid off. Was it worth the price? At $180 for general admission you have to really want it but most the people who made the stretch for tickets went in knowing these bands together in Denver at the same event would only happen once in a lifetime. Some called it Nostalgia the Festival, some called it Warp Tour’s mid life crisis but I call it just plain awesome.
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
KYLE EUSTICE
BandWagon Magazine
Could it be? Could Grieves, the Rhymesayers emcee, be leaving hip-hop for neo-soul? Not so fast. Although the Seattle-based artist’s most recent album 2014’s Winter & the Wolves offers more soulful singing than previous efforts, it’s still very much a hip-hop album. After all, Grieves (real name Benjamin Laub) has been “professionally” rapping since his brief stint with Black Clover Records in 2007. The first time I met Laub was in 2008 at a small art collective in Albuquerque, New Mexico called Stove. I had no idea who he was and innocently asked him if he was “the McLovin’ of hip-hop.” He was (purposely) dressed in a button up white shirt, bow tie, nerdy glasses and tight jeans so it seemed like a logical question at the time. However, when he took the mic, he exploded with an obvious passion for his craft; a passion he clearly holds on to today. Laub has always been an interesting character. He’s funny and approachable in person, but extremely brooding on his albums. In fact, that’s the only way to really understand who Grieves truly is. For example, on the song “Recluse,” off Winter & the Wolves, he paints a portrait of a person wanting that isolation that’s hard to attain when you’re in the spotlight. On “Long One,” Laub sings his heart out and proves he has the chops to do it, a brave decision that many emcees wouldn’t be willing to attempt. “It’s just where I am right now,” Laub says. “Musically, it’s something I’m more interested in and caters more to the
music I like to listen to. It’s a lot more involved than just rapping. I’m not really feeling it anymore; rapping that is. I don’t know. It’s just the way things are going creatively.” Part Brother Ali and part Slug (both of Rhymesayers), Laub navigates each track with ease. There’s a sense the lyrics come effortlessly due to his personal journal-style writing, which is ironic considering he doesn’t read much and isn’t into literature or writing of any other kind. “Kidding Me” alludes to the dissolution of a recent relationship and the bitterness he felt after it was over while “Whoa Me” is a tongue-in-cheek tale of growing up and dealing with life’s hardships. Produced by B. Lewis (the Bad Rabbits), each track is evidence of Laub’s growth as not only an artist, but also as a person. While his sense of humor is firmly intact in person, it’s much more subtle in his music, but he always makes it a point to remain accessible to his fans. “Writing lyrics is my time to be serious and to confront things so I can understand myself and other things around me,” he says. “Of course, there are personal times when it’s not a fucking joke. I see artists do it like, ‘I’m this deep complicated person and my music is just a way to explain it to you in layman’s terms.’ Fuck all that. Dude, you’re traveling around, getting drunk and playing music in front of people. You’re feeding your ego, having a fun time so just relax. You don’t have to work a shitty, dead-end job. Even though sometimes music is a shitty, dead end job, it’s the one that you want to be doing. I just feel like people that try to put on this serious artist face, it’s so stupid and then they
wonder why people don’t give a shit. “People like to listen to my serious songs and relate to it, but if they meet me in person and I’m like, ‘You can’t grasp me right now,’ they’re not going to feel that,” he continues. “They aren’t super complicated people either. We all have our issues and we all need to address things. We all need to be comfortable doing it. If they meet somebody that’s super fucking serious, that’s not a comfortable experience for anybody. It would be nice to know that a person who has inspired you to feel a certain way is also someone you could relate to in a normal situation.” He’s had plenty of chances for those types of encounters. He’s been on the road for the better part of three years, ever since he dropped Together/Apart, his 2011 sophomore effort for Rhymesayers. That period was part of the inspiration for “Recluse.” “It’s nice that people are still with me after such a long hiatus,” he says. “It’s hard to call it a hiatus even though that’s probably what you’d call it on paper, but Together/Apart just kept reinventing itself so many times that I was working that record this whole entire time. It’s been almost three years, but Together/Apart was becoming a new record for people monthly and at such an accelerated rate that I had to keep touring on it. “There have definitely been those times after two years of touring a record, I just needed to be alone,” he adds. “The song is kind of a humorous approach to it. It’s not like everything in that song is dead-on and I’m locked in a room ignoring everybody and drinking beer. It’s harnessing that emotion and playing on it. I needed some me time.”
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With that out of his system, he was able to focus on writing Winter & the Wolves. Despite a devastating studio fire, he forged ahead and was able to complete the record. He teamed up with Lewis after a stint on Warped Tour and it was on from there. No one is quite sure what happened to his former producer Budo, but it seems Lewis and Laub are an ideal fit. “He’s kind of a jack-of-all-trades and can do anything,” he says of Lewis. “I was interested in working with him because of all the singing stuff and my interest in neo-soul. I wanted to take a step in that direction. He also makes a lot of hip-hop and EDM stuff. I wanted to kind of incorporate all that. He was a good mix for me. It was a new decision or step for me, but it didn’t feel out of place or like I was stepping out of bounds.” With this fresh chapter Laub has embarked on, it’s clear he’s more comfortable with the music he makes, where he is in his career and who he is as a person. His home at Rhymesayers is still a place he wants to be and it seems to have really given him the confidence to tackle this new avenue he’s bravely walking down. “I think it’s a really good place for me musically,” he says. “It’s part of the reason I am where I am just in general. It’s because of them. Being able to contribute to that is something that I thrive on and appreciate. I need that in my life. It’s nice to be a part of something that you respect so much. I mean, it’s still an independent thing, but if I was doing this completely on my own, it would feel more like a struggle than a contribution.”
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
KYLE EUSTICE
BandWagon Magazine
Aside from the mesmerizing instrumental electronic music Slow Magic makes, there’s a mysticism surrounding the young producer that pulls you in even more. The “young” part is even a guess because nobody really knows for sure who the mastermind behind Slow Magic is, his real name or what he looks like. Armed with a multi-colored imaginary animal mask, Slow Magic takes to the stage like the untamed beast he represents. He pounds on the drums like he’s harnessing his primal instincts and delivers an infectious sound so sweet, it’s impossible not to love. More performance art than anything, Slow Magic reveals why he hides his identity. “When I started this project, I wanted the main focus to be the music and artwork, and not a person or a place or a face,” he says. “I thought that a lot of times, even before you hear the music, you’ve already judged or had a thought of what it could be so I wanted to challenge that. I also wanted to make the focus more on the project than me. With all the attention now, I don’t really see any difference on how I want the project to be seen by everything. It’s still the same to me.” Other artists have managed to keep their identities a mystery for years, most notably hip-hop vet MF Doom AKA “Metal Fingers.” He’s been wearing various masks since he emerged in 1997 and constantly reinvents himself. He’s managed to enjoy a fruitful career ever since. Slow Magic sees no reason to take it off. “I don’t really see it changing on purpose or me standing on stage taking the mask off,” he says. “I really don’t live anywhere and I’m usually wearing the mask. I still have a lot of friends so I think it’s possible to exist that way.” For an artist who doesn’t even have his own Wikipedia page (yet), he’s rising in the ranks of artists to watch. After the release of 2012's critically acclaimed Triangle, Slow Magic became an international movement after touring with artists like Gold Panda and
XXYYXX. His most recent album, How To Run Away, was released September 9 and is another seamlessly constructed masterpiece. From album opener “Still Life” to the last track, “Closer,” it doesn’t miss a beat (no pun intended). So far, he’s thrilled with the album’s reception. “I’m feeling really excited that it’s being heard by people because I’ve spent a really long time working on it and trying to figure out the best way to release it,” he admits. “I am happy people are streaming it and seeing it.” By the sound of it, How To Run Away appears to be recorded in the most professional studio possible, but surprisingly most of it is recorded in his bedroom.
“I guess you can call it a studio, too,” he says. “I spend a lot of time with these ideas in my head and figuring out how to get them to come out into music. I spend a lot of time on my computer making things sound real and recording things and making them sound fake [laughs]. It’s a long process; lots of recording and lots of manipulating things. I don’t write a song and then record it. It’s more of a long, strenuous process; like a note-to-note kind of thing.” Music has always been a big part of Slow Magic’s life, but he was initially drawn into it by different artistic mediums such as film and painting. “I never knew for sure what my path was,” he says. “I just knew it
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involved creating something.” Influences include The Beach Boys with Brian Wilson (something he’s very specific about) and video game soundtracks. His love of old-school sounding synths and percussion make his music pop with an unrelenting, infectious energy. While it’s almost painful to not know his first name, he has a seemingly logical reason for the ambiguity. “The mask is supposed to be an imaginary animal so it’s up to interpretation,” he explains. “The idea was designed by a friend of mine named Jonas McCluggage. He’s a painter and an illustrator. I came to him with the idea for an imaginary animal mask because I had a show to play. He just made it out of cardboard and paint one day. It was a brilliant design and it stuck. “ For Slow Magic, he’s always worn it on stage, which for the most part people respect, but there have been a couple of occasions where it could have gotten ugly. “It’s really rare,” he says. “It’s usually not the coolest people at the show that try to mess with it. I really think it’s only happened once or twice when a really drunk frat guy has tried to take my mask off. That’s because I go out to the crowd with my drum. It’s not an issue that I really deal with. There have been a few criticisms, but those people don’t really understand why I wear the mask.” As Slow Magic makes his way across the United States, there’s an undeniable anticipation for each show— and not just his own. People who have caught on to his music are captivated by his enigmatic allure and his live performances are reported to be a magical experience. He’s in a place now he didn’t really see coming. “It started a little over two years ago and I think maybe two or three months into the project, I was in Europe playing shows,” he says. “It’s been a long process of crazy opportunities and things I never thought I would get to do. I hope people enjoy it. That’s the main thing I want. I want to keep playing, traveling and making more music. When I’m playing music, that’s when I feel the most alive.”
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
KYLE EUSTICE
BandWagon Magazine
The moment vocalist Yukimi Nagano drops her first note on the 2010 Gorillaz track “Empire Ants,” she promptly steals the show from Damon Albarn. As the 32-year-old front woman of Little Dragon, she’s used to being in the spotlight by now. Since 2009’s Machine Dreams, the Swedish four-piece (sometimes five) has been steadily on the rise, especially in the United States. Their third album, 2011’s Ritual Union, appeared to cement their arrival, reaching number 78 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It’s their most successful album to date. Comprised of Nagano, bassist Fredrik Kallgren Wallin, keyboardist Hakan Wirenstrand, and drummer Erik Bodin, the band's name was inspired by the "Little Dragon" nickname Nagano earned due to the “fuming tantrums” she would routinely throw in the studio. Teetering on the line between electronic dance music and down tempo, Little Dragon’s strengths lie in the ability to evoke an emotional response while still remaining catchy with its pop sensibilities. The group’s latest album, Nabuma Rubberband, finds Nagano channeling her inner Janet Jack-
son, whom she would listen to while wandering around Gothenburg, particularly the 1993 song “Any Time, Any Place.” More “slow jams” than electro-pop, Nabuma Rubberband is a new adventure for Little Dragon. Nagano’s smooth, silky voice is still heavily present, but it’s a bit more subdued on tracks like “Let Go” and “Mirror.” Lead singles “Klap Klap” and “Pretty Girls” are reminiscent of older Little Dragon material, but overall the album jogs along at a much slower pace. Surprisingly, Little Dragon got the chance to work with one of their childhood heroes Dave Jolicoeur of De La Soul on this record, which was no doubt a thrill for them. It makes sense considering they toured together with De La Soul, half The Clash, the late Bobby Womack, and members of The Pharcyde as part of the 2010 Gorillaz tour. As Little Dragon prepares to embark on yet another tour expedition, Bodin had a few moments to talk the “Little Dragon,” Gorillaz tour and Janet Jackson. Bandwagon Magazine (Kyle Eustice): I can’t imagine it’s easy to break out of Sweden into the United States. How exactly did it happen? Erik Bodin: I
believe it was our English manager who gave the music to KCRW in California. They were the first to really support us that massively and since then we've been coming back to tour the United States every year. What is the music scene like Gothenburg? Where does Little Dragon fit into it? I think we fit into the "hiding in the studio all year long" scene. There is a lot of music in Gothenburg I must say. The first time I heard of Little Dragon was on the Gorillaz album and I thought, ’who is this voice? I have to find it.’ So with a little research, I found Machine Dreams. I was hooked. What’s your songwriting process like? We jam and record and produce all at the same time and sometimes we come up with nice tunes that we put on the album. Basically [laughs]. The fact that the name Little Dragon emerged out a nickname for Yukimi is pretty funny. Can you tell me a little bit about that story? It was just a time in our lives when Yukimi was getting frustrated if she didn't get all her creativity out. But it wasn't for long and
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now it's just a nice little friendly dragon we are talking about. I read Nabuma Rubberband was inspired by Janet Jackson’s “slow jams.” Janet has this epic sensual minimalistic way of singing sometimes that we really admire. What made you decide to pick “Klapp Klapp” as the first single? It's a trancy baseline that inspired a lot of melodies and we thought it was catchy enough to be a single. 2011’s Ritual Union was one of Little Dragon’s most successful albums. What does success look like to you today? Having a bowl of popcorn within reach and just sit with a smile on your face looking back to the show we just did with all the love we felt from the crowd. What did it feel like to share the stage with two members of The Clash, De La Soul and the late Bobby Womack on the Gorillaz tour? Amazing, of course. It felt like we all shared the childish passion for music and being-on-the-road lifestyle. Good memories. May your soul rest in peace Bobby! Little Dragon with Shy Girls, October 21, at Ogden Theatre, Denver, 8 p.m. Tickets are $30/ADV and $36/DOS. Visit www.ogdentheatre.com for more information.
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
KYLE EUSTICE
BandWagon Magazine
“Everyone can have fun being a DJ,” DJ Qbert says. “But it still takes a lot more to be a scratch musician.” The San Francisco native has carved out his own spot on the list of legendary turntablists, beginning with his involvement in FM20 with Mix Master Mike (of Beastie Boy fame) and DJ Apollo in the early ‘90s. “We were really into Public Enemy and Slayer,” he recalls. “Our goal at that time was to take hip-hop and fuse it with the crazy musical progression ideas of Slayer. They would love to change time signatures and go half time, then double time in many of their tracks. We were doing that with a B-Boy ingredient of three DJs, as well as having two skilled rappers. Today my goal is kind of similar; pushing myself to go into different territories of music with scratching and discovering all the cool things you can do with no rules. It’s a beautiful thing to bring my dreams and music I hear in my head into reality. Then again, it only happens when it wants to [laughs].” Since the birth of turntablism, or DJing, the art has gone through an incredible transformation. Pioneers such as Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash turned the record player into an integral instrument of hip-hop. These days, with the right toys, essentially anyone can be a DJ. As Qbert pointed out, however, there’s immense skill needed to properly use the turntable, a skill he’s perfected over the years. Around the early ‘90s, Qbert was playing a show in New York and Crazy Legs of the legendary Rock Steady Crew saw FM20 perform. He
immediately asked them to join the crew. Billed as the Rock Steady DJs, they went on to win the 1992 DMC (Disco Mix Club) Championship, a coveted title in the world of turntablism. From there, he went on to form the Invisbl Skratch Picklz with fellow turntablists DJ Disk, Shortkut, DJ Flare, Yogafrog, A-Trak, Mix Master Mike, DJ Apollo, and longtime friend D-Styles. “We both were in the Bay Area battle scene and we always liked to hook up and practice together,” he says of D-Styles. “It kind of goes the same for the rest of the crew. As we traveled to the next neighboring big city in California, Los Angeles, it was there that we met the Beat Junkies in more battle arenas. I guess scratch nerds just love to hang out with each other [laughs].” If it’s true that scratch nerds flock together, then it makes sense his affiliation with several members of the World Famous Beat Junkies and the X-ecutioners have made him a better DJ, however, he always keeps it fresh with his own innovative style. “Sometimes I try and copy other artists, but it always ends up returning back to my world,” he explains. “But I like it like that. I feel the more original I am, the happier and more satisfied I am so if I do copy an idea, I’ll do my best to switch it up and make it sound like it was never theirs to begin with—at least that’s what I think I’m doing. The goal has still never changed for me. It’s always been to grow as a musician and never stop learning and continue to make things that are different and
unique every time. Now if I can only start to do that [laughs].” Believe it or not, many people doubted his ability to make a living as a DJ, but that just made him work harder. “Lots of people, even to this day, doubt it,” he admits. “It actually makes me want to prove them wrong, but then, some days, when I’m making terrible stuff, I’m like, ‘I think they’re right [laughs].’ But no matter what, I am just here to be me and create stuff that I only know how to do.” As a three-time DMC World Champion, an inductee of the DMC Hall of Fame, proprietor of an online scratching university (Qbert Skratch University), and an impressive catalog, including the 1998 groundbreaking album, Wave Twisters, it’s safe to say he’s definitely proved anyone that’s ever doubted him wrong. Now at the age of 45 (although he looks 25), Qbert has embraced a healthier lifestyle, eating mostly vegan and consistently exercising. “For the most part I am vegan, but I tend to go back on a paleo diet once in a while because I love fish,” he says. “In some places, there’s nothing to eat so I’ll have to get an organic free range sustainable chicken salad or one of those lesser evils. I used to be a raw vegan and I loved that, too. It almost seems like it could quite possibly be all in our heads. From what the monks tell me, all you need to do when you eat anything is to have god bless it and it all becomes good.
That sounded like the best ingredient right there.” He’s also drug and alcohol free, which is (sadly) surprising considering the industry he’s in. Drugs and alcohol seem to go hand-in-hand with the music world, especially with EDM. “I used to drink when I was younger and I can totally see how kids gotta go through that phase because their homies are doing it, or it’s just the code in the hood or whatever,” he explains. “Then later in life, you have a choice to stick with drinking and poisoning your body or becoming more spiritual and cleansing your body; you can get away from the negative friends that just do that or stay stuck with them. It really is up to the individual and where their true path lies. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve discovered many truths about how alcohol makes your body very acidic and causes you to become sick,” he continues. “Ever since I’ve stopped drinking, over 10 years ago now, I don’t remember the last time I got sick. Especially since I’m traveling a lot, I can’t afford to be sick ever. But for me now, it’s simple. I actually learned that around 8 hours of sleep a day, plenty of glasses of bottled spring water, and a good diet along with exercise and meditation can make you a superhero without drugs.”
photos courtesy of Dj qbert
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
JAY WALLACE
BandWagon Magazine
On Saturday, September 6, Ren Merry, Lindsay Davis and Daniel Bisceglia gathered before an audience in a small studio on 8th Avenue for their first group performance. Merry is a classical guitarist and a teacher at Frontier Academy who’s been playing for 35 years. Bisceglia, also a teacher from Frontier, has only been playing for 15 years, while Davis, a yoga teacher and violinist, has been playing her instrument for 20 years.″ “I’ve performed before, generally classical or in church,″ Davis said. “So this is kind of a first. I’ve fiddled before, but just usually for family, so this has been a first to branch out and do some improvisation.″ The trio wasn’t just performing for the audience in the room though. Good Vibe Acoustic Studio, while a performance venue, specializes in live web broadcasts and videos for performers. The studio had it’s grand opening on July 26, and like the September 6 trio’s perfor-
mance, the grand opening’s performers were playing to an online audience. “We had an audience in house,″ said Patrick Callan, owner of Good Vibe, “and since we were broadcasting to the web… we only had about 14 people in the audience during the grand opening, a little disappointing for me, but we had 79 discreet viewers online. And the audience that we have online is worldwide. So people in Australia were commenting as the show was going on, people from England, people from all over the US were watching it.″ Callan’s goal with Good Vibe is to provide a high quality recording for those artists who perform, and do it in front of a live audience. “There’s so many musicians out there, they have really poor quality videos of themselves on YouTube or their Facebook pages,″ he said. “Usually it’s somebody with their iPhone in the audience who’s trying to record, so the quality’s bad. You can hear the person who’s recording talking and there’s always a lot of chatter around.″
Callan said he had been looking around for studio space since last October. “I started out looking at coffee shops and a bunch of different spaces when I was looking for space to rent,″ he said. “Coffee shops were not really in line with what I wanted to do anyway because in coffee shops, coffee is the primary goal in the coffee shop. My intent is it’s all about the music, so it was tough to find a space that would be small, affordable for me and be all about the music as opposed to running a small bar or a coffee shop. Because there’s so many different places that offer live music, but that’s not their primary objective, and for me it’s always been about the music.″ The space Callan ended up coming across is a shared studio space, the building split in two halves with a studio side and a gallery side. Among Callan’s neighbors are painter Kim A. Snyder, photographer Jill Bailey of Flare of Art, and videographer and building owner Andy Nagel of Mirage Productions, Inc. “[Nagel]’s been in the video
industry for quite a while,″ Callan said. “He and I got to talking last December about the opportunity to share the studio space, which led me to develop the idea of putting together a studio for audio and video recording̣″ Good Vibe Acoustic Studio is a rather small place, its main set styled to look like a 1930s music parlor, with a small red couch surrounded by drapes within doorways. The whole area is 850 square feet. Callan said he only has seating for about 30 people comfortably. “If it gets busier, I can bring in more chairs or make it standing room,″ he said. “The intent is to make it as comfortable as possible for both the budding performer who’s nervous in front of an audience, or the singer-songwriter who’s experience but has poor quality recordings and would like to get some higher quality stuff. “It’s so much more than the video on YouTube for the local performer,″ Callan said. “It actually gives them a global audience and that’s never a bad thing.″ For more information, visit http://www.GoodVibeAcousticStudio.com.
15 SQUARE BLOCKS 8 GREAT SPOTS TO GRUB LUNCH TO LATE NIGHT MUNCHIES ALWAYS A DELICIOUS TIME
A.F. Ray ( founder of Garden City)
It has been rumored that during the prohibition of alcohol, A.F. Ray supplied the residents of Weld County with bootlegged booze hidden in watermelons from his own patch.
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
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COLORaDO CONCERT CALENDAR Wednesday October 1st
Thursday October 2nd
Free Beer w/ The Burroughs @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm
Inna Vision @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Hypnotic Vibes, Rudie Clash and The F.U.N.K.
Local Alliance Music & Art Collab @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm ft. Genetics w/ Malai Llama and Kyle VanBuskirk J Boog @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Inna Vision Capital Cities @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 8pm The Drums @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Beverly, Shady Elders Bandswap @ Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm w/ The Yawpers, Kids, Eldren, Jordan Igoe
Wynonna and The Big Noise @ Union Colony Civic Center Greeley – 7pm The New Mastersounds @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ The Earful Fortunate Youth @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ New Kingston and Ease Up Caleb Crain @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 8pm Brazilian Girls @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 8pm w/ Tiger Party and More! White Water Ramble @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 8pm w/ Reina Del Cid
air dubai
@ Moxi Theater ~ 10/3/14
The Kooks @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ HALSEY, Priory
The Capitol Steps @ Union Colony Civic Center Greeley – 7:30pm
War Paint @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Guy Blakeslee
Bandswap @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm ft. Shatterproof, Phin, The Lolo’s Winchester Holiday
Saintseneca @ Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ Busman’s Holiday, Strawberry Runners EYEHATEGOD & Valient Thorr @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 6pm w/ Primitive Man and More!
Friday October 3rd Air Dubai @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ HWood x The Elevation, Russell Scott, Fed Rez
The Koffin Kats @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Lorin Walker Madson & the Hustlers, and Randall Conrad Olinger Jalan Crossland @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 8:30pm Marty Nightengale @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 9pm The New Mastersounds @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ The Earful and Liebermonster
Fortunate Youth @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 7pm w/ New Kingston
Saturday October 4th Steampunk Tea Duelling Tournament @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern Greeley – 6pm Bandswap @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm ft. Stella Luce, Lords of Trident, Izcalli, Post Paradise
Friends of Happy Heart Fundraiser @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 1pm w/ The Honey Gitters, The Seers Archie Funker @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 8pm Cosmic Mesa @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 8:30pm
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014 Sonata Arctica @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Delain, Xandria
Kalin and Myles @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 7pm w/ Ryan Beatty
The New Mastersounds @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ Euforquestra and Tori Pater’s Birthday Band
Monday October 6th
KRS-ONE @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ Soul Pros, Stay Tuned, Eddie Knolls Cosby Sweater @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm ft. Joel Cummins w/ Chrome Drones Third Word @ Quixotes True Blue Denver – 9pm w/ Blue Moon Soup Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 9pm ft. Roosevelt Collier
Mutual Benefit @ Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ Ricky Eat Acid, Ian Cooke Machine Head @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 6pm w/ Children of Bodom, Epica, Battlecorss
Sunday October 5th Bandswap @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 2pm Chris Webby @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ Rolphy, Kid Vegas, RIMES
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Bulgarika @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 7:30pm Tony Macalpine @ Quixotes’ True Blue Denver – 8pm w/ LoNero Hank 3 @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 8pm
DOPAPOD @ Hodi’s Half Note ~ 10/9/14
Tuesday October 7th First Tuesday Fiyah @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Zion Soulja Soundsystem Open Jazz Jam @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 7:30pm w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio Prong @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Lotus Galt, Blakk Mantra Electronic Tues. @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm ft. Biome w/ September Winner’s Showcase
Joey Bada$$ @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm
Wednesday October 8th Jon Wayne and the Pain @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Free Beer RA the Rugged Man @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Main Course and More!
Deniro Farrar & Denzel Curry @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ ITsEVi
Local Alliance Music & Art Collab @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm ft. Genetics w/ Joey Porter
Jimmy Eat World @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Minibosses
of Montreal @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Pillar Point
Futrure Heroes @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ AP, Kid Vegas & Mahxie and Bran
Thursday October 9th Open Mic @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 9pm Dopapod @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Tauk
Slow Magic @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Kodak the Graph, Daktyl RA the Rugged Man @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 8pm w/ Lowdy Trails and More!
Friday October 10th
Live Jazz @ The Kress Cinema Greeley – 9pm
Blue Recluse @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 6pm
Whiskey Blanket @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm
Lunde Station @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern Greeley – 7pm
Dead Jam @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 9pm
Lynn Trefzger: Ventriloquist Comedienne @ Union Colony Civic Center Greeley – 6:30pm
Jack Hadley @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 8pm
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
MIKE JONES @ Moxi Theater ~ 10/22/14
Slow Magic @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Kodak to Graph, Daktyl Keys and Krates @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ gLAdiator and Thugli Capo Zero @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 8:30pm Roots and Rhythm @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 9pm Sonic Blossom @ Cervantes’ and the Other Side Denver – 8pm ft. Russ Liquid, Dopapod and More! Mountain Standard Time @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm w/ Genetics
Saturday October 11th Lil Rob @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ El Dreamer, El Boosta, El Cacho and More! Brother Son @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 7:30pm Johnny Johnston and the Po’Boys @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 8:30pm Stick Figure @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ Pacific Dub, Hirie Sonic Blossom @ Cervantes’ and the Other Side Denver – 8pm ft. Blutech, Dopapod and More! The New Pornographers @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
Asgeir @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm w/ Low Roar Suicide Girls Blackheart Burlesque @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 8pm
Wednesday October 15th Free Beer w/ Mike Ring & the Connection @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm Stitches @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Special Guests Sondre Lerch @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ TEEN Angus and Julia Stone @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm
Finch @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 7pm w/ Wounds, Helen Earth
Ringo Deathstarr @ Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm w/ the Big Get Even, The Tide Pools
Sunday October 12th
Sonreal @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm
Through the Roots and Supervillains @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ The Steppas
Thursday October 16th
Afton Showcase @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 8pm
Open Mic @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 9pm
Monday October 13th
Bill Engvall @ Union Colony Center Greeley – 7pm
Honey Dew Drops @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 8pm
Grieves @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Sol
Surreal Studios Takeover @ Cervantes’ Other SIde Denver – 9pm ft. Spinson, Umble and More!
Live Jazz @ The Kress Cinema Greeley – 9pm
Born of Osiris @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 6pm w/ Thy Art is Murder and More!
Tuesday October 14th Open Jazz Jam @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 7:30pm w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio
AIMS.EDU
JOHNNYSWIM @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm
American Authors @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 7:30pm w/ The Mowgli’s, Echosmith
Jim Hurst @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 8pm Danny Shafer @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 8pm Small Pools @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Waters
Friday October 17th The Epilogues @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Harkener
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
TWISTA & STEVIE STONE @ Hodi’s Half Note ~ 10/29/14
Brother Lynch Hung @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Dalima Local Alliance Music & Art Collab @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm ft. Genetics w/ Chris Pandolfi and Hog Magundy The Absolutes @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 9pm
Time Flies @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 7pm w/ Kap Slap, Down With Webster Neurosis @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Subrosa, In the Company of Serpents
Thursday October 23rd Open Stage @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 9pm Slow Caves @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Special Guests Live Jazz @ The Kress Cinema Greeley – 9pm
Zilla @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ Snakes and Stars DubVirus, Djedi
Deicide @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 6pm w/ Septicflesh and More!
Melvin Seals and JGB @ Quixotes True Blue Denver – 9pm
Tuesday October 21st
Ultimate Tribute Night @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm ft. Guerilla Radio, Pipin Hot Ghost Peppers, Sabotage
Bonobo @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ Jeremy Sole
Mitis @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Cry Wolf and Bear Grillz
Caravan of Thieves and New Country Rehab @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 9pm
Anberlin @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 7pm
Saturday October 18th
Open Jazz Jam @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 7:30pm w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio
Ladies of Comedy @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Jodee Champion, Terri Barton Greg, Christie Buchele
The Slackers @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Kult of Skaro
Dead Floyd @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Punch Drunk Monkey Funk and Miscommunicado
Big K.R.I.T. @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ Two-9
Tim Grimm @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 7:30pm
Electronic Tues @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm
Atomic Pablo @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 8:30pm
Little Dragon @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Shy Girls
The Heavy Pets @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ Kinetix, Dragondeer Melvin Seals and JGB @ Quixotes True Blue Denver – 9pm
Sunday October 19th Songwriters Showcase @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 7pm
Wednesday October 22nd Mike Jones @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Fresh Crew, High Quality Local Alliance Music & Art Collab @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm ft. Genetics w/ Technicolor Tone Factory
Noah Gunderson @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Caroline Rose, Armon Jay
Spankalicious @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ Bass Coma, Alejo and More!
Maceo Parker @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 8pm w/ Analog Son
Allen Stone @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 7:30pm w/ Bad Rabbits, The BGP
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
Friday October 24th
Saturday October 25th
Yamn @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Electric Stair Child
DJ QBert @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Jeremy Ellis
Denny Driscol @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern Greeley – 7pm Minnesota @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Jackal and G Jones Clockwork Indigo @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm Henhouse Prowlers @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 9pm
The Widows Bane and Gasoline Lollipops @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm Br’er Fox @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 8:30pm Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 6:30pm w/ Hunter Hunted, Junior Prom
Steve Manshel @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 9pm
The Presets @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ Antwon, Chela, Franki Chan
Pimps of Joytime @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ Moon Hooch
Iceage @ Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm w/ Helm, Civilized
Fort Knox Five @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ Dj Vadim
Flyleaf @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 7pm
Dj Qbert @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm w/ Jeremy Ellis
Prozak & Kutt Calhoun
Sunday October 26th
Monday October 27th J Roddy Walston and the Business @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ Fly Golden Eagle
@ Moxi Theater ~ 10/30/14
Run River North @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm
Wednesday October 29th Wicked Halloween @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Earth Burnt Black,The Darkest Gray,The ZomBroZ, Statik Rx, Biskit Twista & Stevie Stone @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 7pm
The Motet @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Mikey Thunder The Afghan Whigs @ The Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm Cut Copy @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 8pm The Psychedelic Furs @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ The Lemonheads
Thursday October 30th Hallow Strange Vol. II @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Prozak, Kutt Calhoun, Spaide RIPPER and Many More! The Werks v. Zoogma @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ DYNOHUNTER Slim Cessna’s Auto Club @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Stella Luce Living Dead Jam @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 9pm Live Jazz @ The Kress Cinema Greeley – 9pm Randall Dubis @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 8pm
Friday October 31st The Burroughs Halloween Spectacular @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Silver & Gold, Ben Pu and Crew
Six Women in Search of the Perfect Play @ Union Colony Civic Center Greeley – 7:30pm Euforquestra @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Punch Drunk Monkey Funk Musketeer Gripweed @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ The Yawpers, and Bill Smith Steve Johnson Group @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 5pm Halloween Party @ The Pourhouse Loveland – 9pm w/ Barrelhouse The Werks v. Zoogma @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ Dynohunter The Bid Wu @ Quixotes True Blue Denver – 9pm Cherub @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ Ghost Beach, Gibbz Method Man & Redman @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ B Real, Berner, Mick Jenkins GWAR @ The Summit Music Hall Denver – 6:30pm w/ Decapitated, Havok
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
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LAST
SEASON
JUMPED IN THE NOUN
. MY
MY FAMILY WENT ON A VACATION TO MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
FAMILY MEMEBER
HIM/HER
IF
. WE
AND DROVE AS FAST AS A CRAZY
, IN THE FIRST 5 MILES HAD TO
JUST LIKE HE ALWAYS DOES, EVEN THOUGH MY ALREADY ASKED
PLACE
HE/SHE
FAMILY MEMBER
VERB
HAD
NEEDED TO BEFORE WE LEFT. JUST
BEFORE WE FINALLY GOT TO WHERE WE WERE GOING THE CAR STARTED
win tickets. Win Prizes. Win eternal Glory. To Win any of the abovE
VERB ENDING IN “ING”
, AND MY
THEN WE HAD TO TAKE A(N) FAR OUR
ADJECTIVE
FAMILY MEMBER
SCREAMED “
MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
EXCLAMTION
!”
HOME. THIS WAS BY
VACATION. AND THAT’S SAYING SOMETHING!
1) Visit: bandwagmag.com/caption-contest 2) Submit your best caption. Make us laugh. 3) hope you win The winner will have their caption posted with its photo in the following copy of the bandwagon along with their name (hence, eternal glory).
BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014
31
CONGRATULATIONS BRYAN BUZZELL! LAST MONTHS’ CAPTION WINNER
“I don’t know how they did it, but those brownies were magical.” Contact us today to claim your prize Attn: caption contest - bandwagmag@gmail.Com
SUDOKU © 2014 Knight Features. Reprinted with permission of Universal Uclick. All rights reserved.
R O , D TLAN
LAFAYETT
N T , E L L I V H NAS
MADISON
C S , N O T S E L CHAR CHICO, CA
ATH
E, LA
POR
, WI
OCTOBER 2014
DENVER
Wednesday, October 1 - Hi-Dive
Jordan Igoe (Charleston) Eldren (Denver) k i d s (Athens) The Yawpers (Denver)
Friday, October 3 - The Powerhouse
Ambassador Wolf (Fort Collins) Jordan Igoe (Charleston) and featuring InnovationSwap, with Tarian Orthotics (Charleston) and E-Flux (Fort Collins)
Phin (Nashville) Winchester Holiday (Fort Collins)
PLUS: SynchroniCITY music industry educational panel and networking featuring InnovationSwap, with Arrister (Nashville) and Myhub (Denver)
Bonsoir, Catin (Lafayette) The Deadwood Saints (Fort Collins) Lewi Longmire and The Left Coast Roasters (Portland) Gasoline Lollipops (Boulder)
more info at bandswap.org
, GA
FORT COLLINS
Thursday, October 2 - Galvanize Maxwell Hughes (Fort Collins) Amanda Broadway (Nashville) Friday, October 3 - The Walnut Room
ENS
Friday, October 3 - Downtown Artery
Ginger Whale (Fort Collins) k i d s (Athens)
Friday, October 3 - Hodi’s Half Note
Winchester Holiday (Fort Collins) Phin (Nashville) The LoLos (Chico) Shatterproof (Fort Collins)
Saturday, October 4 - Mishawaka Amphitheatre-
SynchroniCITY music industry educational panel and networking
Saturday, October 4 - Hodi’s Half Note
iZCALLi (Denver) Post Paradise (Fort Collins) Lords of the Trident (Madison) Stella Luce (Fort Collins)
Sunday, October 5 - Avogadro’s Number
Pandas & People (Fort Collins) Bonsoir, Catin (Lafayette) The Deadwood Saints (Fort Collins) Lewi Longmire (Portland)
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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment OCTOBER 2014