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BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

ALBUM REVIEWS Grits & Gravy Space Clinton

Mikey Unruh BandWagon Magazine Since their early releases, Grits & Gravy have found a unique perspective on hip-hop to explore in their music, focusing on every aspect in an academic and technical way. Each recording since has further developed a different focus and through that, a different style. The duo’s newest release, Space Clinton, continues their exploration adopting more atmospheric, electronic direction. Despite the shifting focus, the central elements are foundational and keep the sound consistent and familiar to the rest of their discography. The tight, punchy percussion, deep bass and other rhythmic elements are provided by producer and percussionist, Neal Titus, keep an energetic, upbeat feel throughout Space Clinton, an element that has been constant and fundamental in the Grits & Gravy sound. Titus’s style has evolved from his background playing live percussion. During live shows and in the studio, he plays his drum machine and sampler like he would any other percussion instrument giving a human sense of rhythm, rather than the rigid, mechanical timing of a drum machine playing premade drum loops. The human element also carries over into many of the samples that fill out the rest of the instrumentation as many of them are played and triggered live. On Space Clinton, the production is built from many electronic elements that are commonplace in the hip-hop world, but the overall sound ends up very different because of the fluidity of Titus’s performance. The entire record has a life and energy that doesn’t sound flat and robotic that is rare in hip-hop and producer music. While many familiar elements are still present in the beats, the focus tends to fall on the synthesizers and electronic samples on Space Clinton, rather than the more organic sounds on their previous releases. Though such a large change in influences usually causes musicians to

largely shift their aesthetic, the organic nature of Titus’s work keeps the sound familiar and distinctly Grits & Gravy. While the production is critical to the mood and energy of Space Clinton, the vocals, provided primarily by Marcus Steward, AKA GiovanniRaps, are equally important. Steward’s tight flow and sense of rhythm add to the tracks as much as any instrumental element. Because the pair writes the songs together, both have an opportunity to play off of each other and keep the tracks varied and dynamic, constantly changing and unpredictable. The strongest and most compelling aspect of Steward’s raps is his honesty and sincerity in his lyrics and delivery. Instead of building his lyrics around a few quotable lines and meaningless filler, those aspects make every word part of something compelling and meaningful. Even when his lyrics are about the cool things he’s doing or the expensive stuff he has, he sounds like he’s simply talking about the things he enjoys, not boasting about having more than someone else. Rather than constantly comparing himself to other people, his lyrics focus on who he is and why he embraces that passionately. In a genre filled with perpetual “one uping,” it’s refreshing to hear someone who is secure enough with himself to be genuine in his music. Overall Space Clinton is the tightest and most focused Grits & Gravy has ever sounded and shows that, despite a very strong start, the duo has just begun to tap their creativity and inspiration. And while the recording is excellent, their live show breathes even more energy and intensity into the songs. The group regularly plays concerts around Colorado, including a set opening for Nappy Roots at the Moxi Theater in January. Titus’s style lends well to live performances and makes him as enjoyable to watch as a drummer. Steward is also a passionate performer and his movements and expressions add more meaning to his words. The pair interacts well together during songs, getting the crowd moving and as excited about their music as they

are.

Grits & Gravy have a strong history and have only gotten better at their craft as they have had more time and experience. Space Clinton is a great direction for Titus and Steward, expanding on their already solid core elements and drawing from a larger circle of influences. Check out Space Clinton on Grits & Gravy’s Soundcloud and upcoming concert dates on their Facebook.

Photo by kendra hamman

Alcest

Shelter Chris Sheridan BandWagon Magazine Shoegaze is an odd musical genre, with the difference between transcendent power and boring repetition resting squarely on effective execution. A secondary challenge for bands in the genre is redefinition, as the label refers to the performers literally looking down at their feet as they perform—not really the most exciting of images. Sigur Ros has thrown everything but the kitchen sink into carving their own niche, right down to using a violin bow on a guitar, while My Bloody Valentine opts for a more raw, upbeat sound. Some of these groups change the game to the point where even calling them “shoegaze” is considered inaccurate, but each is strikingly unique. French band Alcest has been looking for that killer twist since their inception, and they may have found it with a considerably lighter and softer release, Shelter, that still maintains the power of the band’s core sound. Shelter explodes with awesome energy with the one-two punch that is “Wings” coupled with “Opale,” the

former creating the prologue that leads seamlessly into the latter. This excellent introduction has enough momentum to carry itself through the slightly weaker “La nuit marche avec moi” and into the much better “Voix Sereines,” a track that practically dissolves into itself with a fantastic combination of pent-up energy and a beautiful hook to anchor it. It all culminates in the wonderful 10-minute “Delivrance,” which is epic on a level of soaring old-school M83 by way of physical instruments, proving that having longtime Sigur Ros producer, Birgir Jon Birgisson on board is a slam dunk choice for the band. It’s interesting to observe Alcest’s career trajectory, as the French band began as a three-piece metal group back in 2000 before quickly transitioning into a more My Bloody Valentine-style outfit. Each album up to now has had its elements of heaviness with plenty of guitar distortion, though most of that has now been shed in favor of a much cleaner and more elegant, complex sound. The style isn’t for everyone, as some songs delve into that drawn out territory that feels more like the interlude or intro to a larger song rather than its own piece. “L’eveil des Muses” may be the

most egregious example of this, as the almost seven minute song continues to drag on with the exact same guitar riff as lead singer Neige croons, up until more than halfway through the song when things finally mix up a bit. Things, thankfully, get more elaborate again with the following title track “Shelter.” Shelter is a clean, epic fusion of progressive rock and shoegaze, with most of the songs delivering a fairly satisfying sound and excitingly complex arrangements. It’s not quite as good as genre brothers Mogwai or even Explosions in the Sky, but for a class of music as powerful as this, having plenty to choose from is a plus. Alcest’s latest handily tops all of their previous work, and a great turning point to map out a bright future.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

Mogwai

Rave Tapes Chris Sheridan BandWagon Magazine Mogwai has been churning out albums at an incredible rate. Though their official albums number less, the band has been releasing music every year since 2010 and almost as consistently before that. This has not diluted the quality of their output in any way; the darlings of what has been dubbed “Sub Pop” at some times and “Post Rock” at others continue to pump out quality releases one after the other, albeit with little variation. At last, Mogwai decides to reinvent a bit, and the results are easy on the ears as always. Rave Tapes represents one of the band’s most exciting and eclectic albums in a long while. This is owed mainly to a bit more of a skew towards the electronic side of things, with the band bringing in a synthesizer to serve as the undercurrent to the majority of the songs. Before now, Mogwai has from time to time explored the electronic space when composing music, but never to this degree; Rave Tapes feels like being digitized into a computer’s motherboard and being subjected to the harmony of the codes and currents running through the wires. “Heard About You Last Night” is classic Mogwai; this is the subdued, brooding energy the band is best known for, and it’s as good as it’s ever been, with the addition of that synthesizer blending effortlessly with the classic sound. It’s a good way to ease in the significantly fuzzier “Simon Ferocrious,” which might as well have been composed on one of the earliest Macintosh computers. “Remurdered,” which was released earlier as a single, is dripping with lo-fi goodness blended with Mogwai’s

simmering guitars; if David Fincher directed a Tron movie, this song would headline the soundtrack. Though we’re only a month into 2014, ”Remurdered” is an awesome entry and will stand as one of the year’s most memorable instrumental tracks. Rave Tapes is best played loudly. The rumbling synth and moody instrumentation is powerful stuff. What might work best about the album is the feeling of a barely-contained explosion, rumbling just below the surface, as evidenced on tracks such as “Hexon Bogon” or “Deesh,” with the latter feeling like a build up to something epically climactic. That climax comes, though not in the way you might expect. The following “Blues Hour,” one of Mogwai’s only tracks to feature vocals, is somber, brooding, and utterly beautiful and its positioning of both keys and synth is outstanding harmony. Still, it’s definitely different from what longtime Mogwai fans might be used to. The band has consistently occupied the space of semi-hard, slowmotion grunge, starting with Young Team and progressing for over a decade through the wonderful The Hawk is Howling, and occasionally breaking into the more synthetic electronic scene, but Rave Tapes, marries the two styles in a way that places them side-by-side unlike anything Mogwai has done before. Indeed, album closer “The Lord is Out of Control,” stares into oblivion with an extended, somber hook. Instrumental albums come in many types—ranging from softer and more soaring, to stronger and more aggressive— but the best instrumental albums are the ones that command all corners with ease. Mogwai does this consistently. Rave Tapes redefines the Scottish band’s dynamic. It’s not necessarily better, nor is it worse; but it is still unmistakably Mogwai, and that’s something that will, for the foreseeable future, always be a plus.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014 Ben Allison

Reaching for the Stars

David Ochoa BandWagon Magazine The title of Ben Allison’s new album, The Stars Look Very Different Today, might ring a bell with most music fans. Its title is a reference to David Bowie’s song “Space Odyssey,” itself a reference to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Although his sideman history shows that Allison has his roots firmly placed in the jazz tradition, the title of his latest release acts as a sort of foreshadowing for sounds to come. The Stars Look Very Different Today finds Allison exploring a new combination of delightful, carefully deconstructed, sonic territory with a quartet of compatriots. The album is rife with sci-fi allusions both in title (“Dr.

Zaius” and “Neutron Star”) and in content. The album opens with “D.A.V.E (Digital Awareness Vector Emulator),” and what immediately becomes apparent is that this is not another jazz recording with musical sensibilities rooted in 1950’s swing, or 1960’s modal jazz. Instead, with a decidedly rock feel and multiple guitars, the group locks into their respective roles that features Allison on acoustic bass and drummer Allison Miller, holding a tight groove while guitarist, Steve Cardenas, supplies melodies and bell-like accompaniment. While the album leaves space for Allison, Cardenas, and Miller to improvise, it is often guitarist Brandon Seabrook, who also doubles on banjo, that pushes the group’s collective sound to astronomical planes. Often the unifying factor throughout The Stars Look Very Different Today is the group’s collective urge to seek the spaces where uncommon ground lies. While Cardenas and Seabrook lead the show, at least outwardly, the contrast of styles between both guitarists leads to an exciting listening experience. Cardenas, whose style calls to mind John Scofield’s mellower moments,

tends to service the song, both in style and form, with bright, punctuated lines that seem to slither through the compositions. On the other hand, Seabrook brings his own set of rambunctious sounds, pops, and joyful noise, with a tradition that seems to stem from the playing of Wilco’s Nels Cline or Black Flag’s Greg Ginn. Together, it’s Allison’s eight original compositions filled with clever harmonic

motions and pivots that allow Cardenas and Seabrook to find common ground over Allison and Miller’s rhythmic tapestry. “Neutron Star” begins with an impending sense of urgency and then quickly pivots into a sugary, pop bridge. Overall, the sound throughout the album tends to recall the ethereal twang of bands such as Explosions In The Sky or, perhaps, Arcade Fire’s more cinematic moments.

Ultimately, The Stars Look Very Different Today is a demonstration of Allison’s most personal work to date. Filled with his original compositions, released on his own recorded label, and his first album as both the producer and mixer, the personal nature of the material comes through the recording making this a compelling record for those interested in the atmospheric aspects of music.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

Disguise The Silence Roads

Mikey Unruh BandWagon Magazine Disguise the Silence, who took away third place in this year’s BandWagon Battle of the Bands, is a rock band with the intensity of punk rock, the heavy technical instrumentation of hardcore and post hardcore, and the melody and emotion of alternative and pop rock. In a time when popular rock is filled with indie and folk acts, and hard rock with the same generic rock that’s been on the radio for years, Disguise the Silence fills a gap that few bands fit into. Their energetic live performance at the Battle of the Bands got the crowd moshing and jumping and demonstrated the

bands connection to their songs. The band consists of vocalist and guitarist Michael Olivier, guitarist Zach Shepherd, bassist Jake Fleecs, and drummer Dan Granger. Each member contributes a passionate and well-executed performance, shifting dynamics and styles in a way that matches the emotions and intensity of the vocals. Olivier’s aggressive but melodic vocals portray the strong emotions and ideas in his lyrics, directing the path the songs take. While he verges on screaming at many high points in the tracks, his melodies remain catchy and personal. The band recently completed their debut EP, Roads, which is available on Bandcamp.

com/DisguiseTheSilence. The recording aptly shows what the band has to offer and why they performed so well at the Battle of the Bands. “Roads,” opens the record with one of the biggest and hardest tracks. The percussion and guitars are driving and upbeat, while Olivier provides one of the catchiest melodies on the album, slipping from a near scream into falsetto seamlessly. “Only Here” slows down a bit and has a more somber tone, vocally and instrumentally, but remains powerful. “Dare” is the most personal track on the EP opening with a Olivier’s vocals and a single guitar. The rest of the band doesn’t come in until almost halfway through the song, but the simple beginning only makes their contribution stronger. “Pages” is the heaviest track on the album, borrowing an influence from hardcore, implementing heavy, discordant guitars and fast percussion. But even at their heaviest, Disguise the Silence is still sounds melodic and sincere. The record closes with “Come Hell,” a song that shows off the band’s technical skill, with complicated rhythms and quickly picked, harmonizing guitar line. The track evolves into a chant that is perfect with a live crowd chanting it back at concerts, but sounds as strong and passionate on the recording. Roads and their performance at the Battle of the Bands, show that Disguise the Silence have a lot to offer and are, no doubt, headed for bigger things. Be sure to pick up the Roads on the band’s Bandcamp page or at one of their upcoming shows.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

FILM REVIEWS

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Nebraska 2013 - 115 Minutes – Rated R Jay Wallace BandWagon Magazine It sucks getting old. It probably sucks just as much when you’re watching someone you love grow old. It can be frustrating. It can be angering. There are days where you just feel like curling up into a ball and sobbing, and then conversely, days when you sit back and chuckle. This is what Alexander Payne’s Nebraska is about.

The film revolves around elder Woody Grant (Western veteran Bruce Dern) and his son, David (Former Saturday Night Live star Will Forte). Starting in Billings, Montana, a police officer brings in Woody after finding him walking alongside the highway. Why was Woody walking on the highway? He was on his way to Nebraska to collect his million dollars. David inspects the slip of paper alerting Woody of his “winnings:” it’s a marketing

scam to get people to sign up for magazines. Nevertheless, David’s father keeps attempting to leave Billings. Eventually, David packs up his car and drives his father to Nebraska against the wishes of his salty mother, Kate (June Squibb) and more level-headed brother, Ross. (Breaking Bad’s Bob Odenkirk) All four of The Grants eventually arrives in Woody’s hometown of Hawthorne, Nebraska to spend some time with relatives and friends, and things get more screwed-up and dark. Nebraska possesses some of the dark wit that Payne is known for, but this is more of a straightup drama with funny moments sprinkled throughout. Payne in a lot of ways reminds me of a low-key, mellow Wes Anderson, or a Wes Anderson that doesn’t traffic in quirk by the truckload and never frames up actors dead center in the shot. Both are good directors who do comedy and drama in a similar fashion, but Payne in general is much more reserved and realistic than Anderson. Here with Nebraska though, Payne pulls back even further in terms of style and story. It works though. Given the subject matter of Nebraska – I mean, let’s be honest, this is about a guy with early stages of Dementia or Alzheimer’s, even if they don’t outright say so – there really is no way you could make this funnier. It’s a rather dark movie about a son dealing with his troubled father – who’s really quite a prick – and all the shit that gets stirred up within their family when the rest of their relatives find out one of their own is a “millionaire.” The blackand-white photography of the film just adds to the underlying fruitlessness of David and Woody’s quixotic quest. It’s not miserable, though. When the film decides to be funny, it’s funny as hell. June Squibb owns quite a few of

those moments as Woody’s beleaguered wife, a woman who overshares with David about how everyone in Hawthorne wanted to get in her pants. Dern also owns quite a few funny bits, such as a search for his dentures by the railroad tracks where David finds them, and Woody doesn’t recognize them at first. Forte and Odenkirk, on the other hand, are in drama mode here. With Odenkirk, who’s spent the last couple years working on Breaking Bad, this isn’t all that surprising. Forte, though, is a bit of a shocker. Who would’ve thought fuckin’ MacGruber could act like a normal person who you relate to? Forte is excellent as David, relatively put-upon by Woody and only really doing this trip to Nebraska to escape his own issues in Billings, but still is the only truly good character in this film. I really dug him in this; it’s awesome to see Will Forte do low-key acting. Going back to Dern’s Woody, despite his more prickish tendencies, he is also surprisingly sympathetic. While his lucidity is often in question and his other actions (implied or otherwise) don’t help his case, you can’t help but feel a little sorry for the guy and root for him a little throughout his struggle to get his million dollars. Dern was great. I must confess, this film did hit a little close to home. Without going into detail, my own family has been dealing with issues going on with my grandmother the last couple years, and while she is not scatterbrained like Woody, the general struggles made it somewhat difficult to watch Nebraska. It’s more accurate than you would think. But because of that, I cannot do anything but recommend Nebraska. This is a great film about what its like growing older, and what that is like for those around the elderly who do their best to make their remaining time worthwhile. 10/10

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

Her 2013 - 126 Minutes – Rated R Chris Sheridan BandWagon Magazine Few things hurt quite as deeply as losing a loved one. While losing someone to a deadly disease, it might be more painful when someone you’ve loved decides that they are no longer willing or able to reciprocate that love. When that happens, it’s impossible to ignore the gap in your soul previously occupied by the light of that loved one. Spike Jonze’s, Her is about filling that gap and much more. Part of why, Her is this year’s most powerful film is the way in which it portrays interactions between different personalities for an intensely human vibe. There are a lot of those interactions: Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), of course, has his interactions with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), as well as those with his wife Catherine. The latter is strained and unpleasant. Theodore also talks with his friend Amy (Amy Adams), who herself has a strained social relationship with her artistically-inept husband Charles. Theodore and Amy dated once in college, but according to the former, it didn’t work out. However, there’s a magnetism between the pair that suggests that their connection may eventually go beyond friendship, even if the character (and the movie) don’t explore it. Theodore,

emotionally repressed as he is, ironically works for a company that writes love letters for its clients, and spends his days writing deeply emotional letters for people who never have the right words. The irony is lost on the protagonist, but not on the audience. On another level, Her explores the tendency of current and future generations to depend on--and interact with-- technology. At any given moment, save for a serene moment on the beach, every character is connected in some way to their technology, most commonly when walking around town with their earbuds in and phones in hand. In the near-future world of Her, you can simply ask a disembodied voice to check your email, or speak a simple command to be connected to a chat room filled with horny singles. It’s an extension of our modern world, and it’s both troubling and amusing. The concept of dating an Operating System isn’t even viewed as taboo by the vast majority of characters in the film, which plays to the film’s strength. The concept is silly, but this is a relationship that is utterly raw and real to the ones involved. And about the moving on part? Yes, Her tackles that challenging piece of your past with aplomb. Films rarely explore personal growth

beyond just finding the next person to fulfill that archetype of the perfect mate, but Her is as much about finding the perfect relationship as it is recovering from the ones you’ve been in. This will resonate powerfully with victims of heartbreak, destructive romances, or any sort of poisonous relationship. And for those that just can’t let go, a pivotal scene in Her not only reveals the cathartic endgame of such a situation, but grants the tools to follow suit and finally separate them from the pain of loss. Most striking about Her is the range of possible ways in

which the film may resonate with viewers. For me, the film was about overcoming loss; but beyond that, Her also explores the ways in which seeminglyimpossible romances can break down barriers, that all of us have our own painful scars, and that all of them can be healed. Her, short-changes no one, the way its message travels the gamut of people making the hurt and empathy its most powerful asset. Joaquin Phoenix’s incredible performance and Spike Jonze’s decision to frame his primary player in intensely intimate long takes are chiefly responsible for

deeply emotional moments. This is not only the best film of 2013, but perhaps the greatest unconventional romance since Punch Drunk Love or Lars and the Real Girl. These are films that frame romance from a different angle; while the copy-paste modern romances feature a flawed woman meeting the perfect man, these films are those that feature a flawed man finding love in a flawed woman. These are raw, real emotions that shed the fairy tale romance in favor of something that feels far more intimate. Her isn’t just a great film, it’s an essential one.

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014 Ben, brings Ben on a ride along for a day, so that the fast-talking security guard can show his worth. It’s aggressively derivative and not at all fun. To be fair, Ride Along isn’t completely terrible. But it’s still very bad, and there are precious few laughs to be had here as it explores many of the most generic boundaries of taste while staying within the boundaries of the PG13 rating. Ben confronts a group of bikers and mistakes a woman for a man, then calls her a “thing”— hilarious! Later, Ben argues with a young kid in a scene which ends with the kid accusing him of being a child molester—how fun! It’s never quite completely offensive, but it certainly isn’t amusing. It’s almost painfully obvious when Kevin Hart is improvising a line, mainly because the rest of the script is stuck in cruise control with incredibly forgettable & pedestrian dialogue, and a plot that lazes from one scenario to the next. It’s all deeply predictable, and follows almost every trope of the cop and buddy movie, literally. With one caveat, every cliché is there. There’s the loose cannon cop, a dirty cop, an angry lieutenant, a shadowy villain-the whole list. Ben’s girlfriend, Angela does what buddy cop movie girlfriends do best: wait around an unnaturally expensive-looking loft in her underwear and wait to get kidnapped by the bad guys in Act III. Worst of all, there are occasions in which the movie looks like it might try to do something different, before stepping back and reverting back into easy and simplistic territory. Hart, to his credit, lights up the film with his energy. The comedian has never personally appealed to me in terms of his stand-up, but he’s always possessed a manic

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Ride Along

2013 - 180 Minutes – Rated PG-13 Chris Sheridan BandWagon Magazine

aspiring police officer, Ben (Kevin Hart), at the behest of his girlfriend, Angela, must get the blessing of her hard-boiled cop brother, James (Ice The plot of Ride Along is yet Cube) before asking for her hand another of the cut-and-paste, in marriage. James, who harbors an generic buddy movie templates: intense hatred towards the clownish

charm that at the very least makes Ride Along a bit more than a boring slog. On the other hand, Ice Cube plays the straight man so straight it’s frustratingly dull. The two have decent chemistry at times, but Hart might as well be yelling at a brick wall for the same effect. The idea is clearly some sort of Odd Coupleesque shtick, but the joke is too onesided to work here. Director Tim Story caught attention with his solid comedy Barbershop. Since that initial success, he’s consistently failed to replicate the quality, with films ranging from Taxi to the dire Fantastic Four. Here, he once again constructs a film that is not only lifeless and generic-looking, but confusingly shot and edited at worst. A multitude of filmmaking rules and standards are broken here, and the action scenes, apart from the opening car chase, are poorly put together and establish no sense of where the players and objects are situated in a scene. With the camera angle constantly changing and cutting to a different position, there is no semblance of where things are in relation to everything else. With bad filmmaking and even worse writing, Ride Along starts the year off poorly with a lifeless, boring action comedy that barely rides on the fumes of its star’s energy. Its greatest crime is just how forgettable it is—it’s difficult to recall almost any specific punch line in the sea of generic cop dialogue and limp storytelling. Though as bad as it is, there are bound to be worse this year, and it’s unlikely Ride Along will be remembered on any 2014 “Worst of ” lists. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is anyone’s guess, but regardless, it’s best to just let this one run out of gas on its own.

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

Ingress

Mobile Game Gets Gamers Off Their Assess Chris Sheridan BandWagon Magazine Late at night, three males in their 20s were sprinting around downtown Greeley, phones in hand, stopping periodically at certain areas to tap on their phones’ screens. If you were to ask these three males what they were doing, you’d probably be told dismissively that they were “hacking portals.” Don’t worry, there’s no cyber-espionage here. It’s just Google’s newest augmented reality MMO, Ingress. Admittedly, the background of Ingress is a bit silly. The “story” revolves around a substance emanating from portals and two factions vying for control of the access points. The Enlighted and The Resistance are constantly battling to control the portals, with the winner having the bragging rights of owning entire slices of a city. The genius of Ingress is its integration with Google Maps and, by extension, the real world. Any given landmark around your town or the world can be a portal. Downtown Greeley itself is packed with them—the gazebos, statues, and odd architectural bits are almost all portals in the game, all ripe for contention between the Enlightened and Resistance. The twist is that you cannot simply sit in your room and command portals; you have to be within 40 feet of the portal to take it, meaning that you have to get off your ass and walk around

town. Tantalizingly, owning multiple portals in an area (and hacking into friendly portals) will net you Portal Keys, which will allow you to link portals across an area and cast a net of ownership across that area and make it significantly more difficult to take back. Opening up the Ingress app will pull up a map of your current area. Portals will show up if you’re near them; for example, the mural next to D.P. Dough or the gazebo in Glenmere Park are portals. Get near the portal and tap it to start hacking. If you own the portal, you’ll be replenished with items. A possible item you might get is a Resonator. Resonators are essentially the line of defense for your portal. Enemies that want to command your portal will first have to destroy the resonators that surround it. To defend your portal, you’ll need to lay down resonators. Part of what gives Ingress its legs is the ability of higher-level players to strengthen and reinforce lower-level resonators. If you’re a level 4 player and come across an allied portal with level 1 resonators, you can use some of your own level 4 resonators to replace the weaker ones and therefore make that portal stronger. One portal I encountered in downtown Greeley was surrounded by a number of level 1 resonators, and one viciously tenacious level 8 resonator. A high-level player had

swooped in to teasingly drop one powerful line of defense, making the portal impenetrable to lower level-players such as myself. Resonators are attacked via Xmp Bursters. I don’t know what that stands for, but having a boatload of them is a very good thing. You deploy Xmp bursters to wear down the enemy’s resonators, and once the resonators are destroyed, the portal is ripe for the taking. There are other items as well, such as shields and amps, which further broaden the offensive and defensive tools at your disposal. Ingress is good fun. It’s a great way to not only get out and get active, but ally with other players and get with some new groups. The game is unmistakably at its best when you’re sharing it with a group of friends, running around an area late at night to command portals, or sneaking back out the next morning to reclaim a portal from a friend that’s allied with the opposing forces. As crushingly nerdy as the game sounds, there’s actually a pretty solid foundation here and the way it’s combined social interaction with real-world GPS integration is damn clever. Ingress is a free download, so what are you waiting for? A down side to the game? Greeley resident Maurice Woods who has been playing the game states, “I’ve never met a girl while playing Ingress.”

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

Local tist

Rick Destree profile:

Jay Wallace BandWagon Magazine

If you have been visiting the Cranford Cove Tea Tavern over on 10th Street in January, you’ve probably noticed some of the artwork of Rick Destree up on the walls. For 32-yearold Destree, this is his third art showing in Greeley, but that doesn’t mean he’s an amateur. “I’ve been doing it for a long time,” Destree said. “I drew a lot growing up. I would draw little comics and just doodle a lot, I guess, in high school and college, but never really took it seriously, ‘til a couple years after I got out of college, just started falling in love with web comics and comics in general. “I thought, ‘well, I should learn to do this, I want to do this.’ So it’s been a long process of, mostly through wanting to do comics, learning to draw, learning how to do digital art. I was always pretty familiar with computers, so doing Photoshop and the tools you need for doing online comics came pretty naturally. But yeah, I would say, desire to do comics and to make comics kind of drove a lot of my learning art.” Originally from Arvada, Destree initially came to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, his goal being to become a teacher. “I originally was going to be a teacher, but eventually dropped the teaching bit and just went for mathematics,” Destree said. “Now I actually do web design and coding mainly for a job, so kind of all sorts of unrelated things for

my schooling.” Destree’s previous art shows have taken place at St. Patrick Presbyterian Church and Café Panache. He said the Cranford Cove show was the first show he was really happy with. “This is definitely the first one that I felt like I pulled off in a way that seemed pretty professional,” Destree said. “I like the way this one came out; not that I didn’t like the first two, but this one I was really pleased with. We got the large sized prints for the first time; this is the first time I’ve done anything large format like that. They came out really nice. So, I would say I’m still very early on in doing art shows, I’m still learning the ropes.” A year ago, a friend of Destree named David Mash started an art group, which Destree and his wife, Kimberly, attended with other local artists. It was here that Destree started thinking about attempting a couple art shows. “We would review each others work and give critiques,” he said, “and just as a motivation to do stuff, to like motivate one another, to encourage one another to make art and learn to get better at our trade and that stuff. I’d say about a year ago, I started doing that, do it maybe once a month, review each others’ art and just kind of talk about it. It’s been very encouraging to do that, and I would say that through that process, that’s kind of what got me interested in doing an art show. “[Mash] had never done an art show before, and he, very early on, and us meeting together,

they [the group] encouraged David to have a show and he did, and his stuff is great. He’s a really great artist and poet, but it just struck me: ‘Oh, well, David can do this. He doesn’t necessarily know how to do an art show, he’s learning how to do this. Well then, I guess I could do that too. I could learn how to do it.’” The art shows are not the only things Destree does. He also works on his own webcomic called The Undead, (http:// undeadcomic.com) but has recently put that on hiatus to work on another project with local artist Brian Hughes, creator of the webcomic, Life Under Construction. Destree also has been working on a video game and has gotten into making lamps; he is currently working on lamps for John Galt Coffee. “I feel like with the very small measure of success at the last few art shows,” he said, “I’ve gotten a ton of people wanting projects done. I’m spread very thin, do a lot of different, crazy stuff. So I’ve spent a lot of the last six months doing projects like that for people.” One such project is a music video for local musician, Tim Coons. “It’s going to be pixel art, and it’s going to animated, so it’ll look like, so the end result should, if I do it right, should look like a video game, like a Super Nintendo video game.” For those who want to find out more on Rick Destree, visit his website at http://drinkdecaf. com.

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

Jed Murphy BandWagon Magazine If there were a single word to summarize The Burroughs as a band it would be family. Yes, three of the members are brothers but for this modern soul outfit, the name Burroughs reaches beyond the bloodline. During each show lead singer and Johnny Burroughs tells the audience “if you’re here, then you are a Burroughs,” and after spending an evening with the band and going to several of their shows, it’s not hard to see that he means it. There is a charisma and a comradery between everyone in the band that is refreshing and energizing. This nine-piece soul funk band is a return to a time when the singer was the centerpiece of entertainment and fully embodied the band’s live sound. Their unique chemistry brings this all together for an electrifying performance, which won them the BandWagon Magazine Battle Bands and the $1,000 grand prize that came with it. The Burroughs formed around May 2013 when trumpet player Craig Basarich saw lead singer Johnny Burroughs play a few songs at an open mic night at Patrick’s Irish Pub. The two had known each other for a several years but after seeing Johnny perform again, Basarich approached him about forming a soul band for one show just to say they did it. “The purpose of the band was to have fun. We don’t like being in bands that were work. Craig said let’s play soul music and I said that’s all I ever do. We wanted to get people together who are good musicians and good people and said let’s have fun and play a show. Then if it went well we would have this network of people and if we wanted to do it again we could give them a call,” said Johnny. They set a date for the performance. Craig found a horn section made up of several of his classmates from the University of Northern Colorado jazz department and Johnny recruited his brothers for a rhythm section. After three practices they played at the Moxi Theater on July 26th and it then became obvious that this would not be their only gig. After a few line up changes the band began playing regularly and found an incredible amount of local support with an audience

receptive to their brand of soul. This in turn made it all that much more enjoyable for the band to continue gigging. “We’ve all been a part of bands where you’re just playing because or you’re playing to make money and we always talk about serving the people that are there, through our music, and we want them to have a good time. And we have a good time as a result of that,” says drummer Mary Claxton. “We all do feel its super important to keep a community in Greeley,” says trumpet player Jordan Skomal very appreciative of the love and opportunities they have received so far. But the question that seems to be on everyone’s mind as The Burroughs take a look at their initial success is can it last in a town where many of the best musicians are only there for a few years? The answer is a simple one; who cares? Let’s have fun and keep playing soul music. The Burroughs have no qualms about the future of the band. With so many of the core members graduating or planning to move on, in another year everything could be completely different for the band and everyone is ok with that. This is also has to do with the fact that the songs are there. As the principle songwriter, Johnny has created songs that are at their core strong enough that talented musicians will take notice of and want to be a part of. “I’m so excited for the next five months, and the whirlwind that the last five months has been with how much people are throwing at us is just awesome. Even if we reach that point where it takes some extra pushing to get it to go to the next level and it’s beneficial for everyone and we can keep the heart that is this band, then that’s great. I have such tunnel vision and my tunnel only extends as far as that last tunnel ended and I can only see what we set out to do in the next couple of months,” says Johnny. “We’re like that pamphlet at the health center that says ‘so your relationship is moving really fast,’” jokes Klaxston. While the long term is not a problem for the band, in the short term their goal is to record an EP they can all be proud of. So with their winnings from the battle of the bands they plan to record with UNC professor and renowned drummer for Alison Krauss, Jim White. “We just had this big band meeting and asked what’s the next

step and we decided we need something tangible for us to have forever. Because we don’t know how long everyone is going to be here and we’re having such much fun with these current nine people,” says Basarich. One of the best things about The Burroughs is that above else, there is no sense superiority amongst the band’s classically educated line up and the other members. Johnny and his brothers do not come from a music education but rather grew their chops playing for their church. What the band understands is that talent is talent no matter where it is developed. The bottom line for The Burroughs is having fun, the bottom line is family.

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BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

COLORaDO CONCERT CALENDAR

Saturday February 1st Lola Black @ Moxi Theater, Greeley -8pm w/ Branded Bandits, Scarlet Canary

Wine & Cheese ft. Ben Pu @ The Jager, Greeley - 10:30pm Jack Hadley @ The Pourhouse, Loveland - 8:30pm

The Yawpers @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins - 7pm w/ Matt Mahern & Constitution and Drunken Cuddle

Devin The Dude @ Hodi’s Half-Note, Fort Collins - 8pm w/ DIE & MIG Elway @ Road 34, Ft. Collins - 9pm w/ Red City Radio, Direct Hit! RJD2 @ Bluebird Theater Denver - 9pm w/ DJ Amen

Hopsin & Dialated Peoples @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece, Denver - 8pm

w/ Dizzy Wright, DJ Hoppa, Black Pegasus, Rolphy, A Black Day and DJ Wesley Wayne

The Nth Power ft. Nikki Glaspie, Nigel Hall, Nick Cassarino, Weedie Braimah @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver - 8pm w/ Empresarios Soundsystem Sound Tribe Sector 9 @ Fillmore Auditorium, Denver - 7pm

Dent May @ Hi-Dive, Denver - 8:30pm w/ Jack Name, Kissing Party Agent Orange @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 8pm w/ Wiredogs, Royal Dead, Highbinder Rocket from the Crypt @ The Summit Music Hall, Denver - 9pm My Body Sings Electric @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 7pm w/ In the Whale, Navy, Viretta The Expendables @ The Gothic Theatre, Englewood - 7:30pm w/ Stick Figures, Seedless

sunday February 2nd Super Bowl Party: Free Food, Beer Pong, Giveaways @ The Penalty Box, Greeley

monday February 3rd

Kid Congo Powers and The Pink Monkey Birds @ Hi-Dive Denver - 8:30pm w/ The Buckingham Squares, Carletta Sue Kay, The Born Readies Stone Sour @ The Ogden Theatre, Denver - 7:30pm w/ Pop Evil, Stolen Babies

tuesday February 4th The Stubby Shillelaghs @ Patrick’s Pub, Greeley - 9pm

Open Jazz Jam w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio @ The Pourhouse, Loveland - 7:30pm

Rehab @ The Aggie Theatre in Ft. Collins on 2/5/14 The Revivalists @ Hodi’s Half-Note Ft. Collins - 8pm w/ TAUK The Blank Tapes @ Hi-Dive Denver - 8pm

The Crooked Streets @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 7pm w/ The Thousand Jokes, Dino Romanelli

wednesday February 5th The Epilogues @ The Moxi Theater Greeley - 8pm w/ Night Riots, Silver & Gold, Kronen Rehab @ The Aggie Theatre Fort Collins - 7pm

Joey Porters Vital Organ @ Hodi’s Half-Note, Fort Collins - 8pm w/ Quick and Easy Boys

Tauk & Springdale Quartet @ Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver - 8pm w/ Special Guests Crooks on Tape @ Hi-Dive Denver - 8:30pm w/ Distant Correspondent, Ancient Elk

Whiskey Richard @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 8pm w/ The Drunken Huddle, Subvertir For Today Like Moths To Flames @ The Summit Music Hall Denver - 7pm w/ Stray from the Path Toxic Holocaust, Exhumed @ The Marqis Theatre Denver - 7pm w/ Ramming Speed, Gemorrah

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

thursday February 6th Wntr Tour 2014 ft. Knicks N Licks, Tasty Treat, Mitch Black, Casey Steele, Noticeable F.A.T. @ The Moxi Theater, Greeley - 8pm 90’s School’s Back Throwback ft. DJ Ryan Smith @ The Penalty Box, Greeley - 8pm Snowball @ The Pourhouse Loveland - 8pm

90.5 KSCU Presents The DirtBall of KottonMouth Kings @ Hodi’s Half-Note Fort Collins - 8pm

Bluetech @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Denver - 8pm w/ Kaminanda and Kalya Scintilla

Bob Marley Birthday Celebration ft. Wake Up and Live - Acoustic & Electric Sets of Bob Marley & The Wailers @ Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver - 8pm w/ Rastasaurus (acoustic) The Photo Atlas @ Hi-Dive Denver - 8:30pm w/ Instant Empire, Common Anomaly Miles to Mountains @ Larimer Lounge, Denver - 8pm w/ In Much of Madness, Sugar Skulls & Marigolds, Spies!

Touche Amore, mewithoutYou @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 7pm w/ Seahaven, Drag Church

Friday February 7th The Photo Atlas @ Moxi Theater, Greeley - 8pm w/ Thee Dang Dangs, Plans & Complications, Why They Fight

Love Made Claim Afterparty ft. Chris Liepe and Chris Smith @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern, Greeley - 8pm Ethan Stephenson @ The Jager Greeley - 10:30pm

Marty Nightengale @ The Pourhouse Loveland - 9pm The Epilogues @ Hodi’s Half-Note Fort Collins - 8pm w/ Night Riots, Post Paradise & Shatterproof

The 3 Amigos ft. Roger Clyne, Johnny Hickman, Jim Dalton @ Road 34, Ft. Collins - 9pm Love and Light @ Bluebird Theater Denver - 9:30pm

The Funky Meters @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece, Denver - 8pm w/ The Quick and Easy Boys, Analog Son ill-Esha & Buku @ Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver - 8pm w/ Special Guests Lotus @ Fillmore Auditorium Denver - 7pm

Caroline Smith @ Hi-Dive Denver - 8pm w/ The Other Black, Ivory Circle

Falling In Reverse @ The Ogden Theatre, Denver - 6:30pm w/ Escape the Fate, Chelsea Grin, Survive This!

Breathe Carolina @ The Summit Music Hall, Denver - 7pm w/ Mod Sun, Ghost Town, Lion Fight

Lampwick @ The Gothic Theatre, Englewood - 8pm w/ Filth Industry, Autumn Burn, No Matter The Fate, VELA

Reggie & The Full Effect @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 7:30pm w/ Dads, Pentimento

Saturday February 8th Stone Cricket @ AF Ray’s, Greeley

Stumble Monkey @ Key Largo Lounge, Greeley - 8pm Marcus Lee @ The Jager Greeley - 10:30pm

The Magic Beans @ Hodi’s Half-Note Fort Collins - 8pm

The 3 Amigos ft. Roger Clyne, Johnny Hickman and Jim Dalton @ Road 34, Ft. Collins - 9pm Dale Cisek Trio @ The Pourhouse, Loveland - 8:30pm

The Revivalists @ Bluebird Theater, Denver - 9pm w/ Musketeer Gripweed, Solwave The Funky Meters @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece, Denver - 8pm w/ Tauk & Liebermonster

West Water Outlaws @ Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver - 8pm w/ James and the Devil, Cold River City Lotus @ Fillmore Auditorium Denver - 7pm

A. Tom Collins ‘European Tour Sendoff’ @ Hi-Dive, Denver - 8:30pm w/ DKBC Bandimals, Mako

The Epilogues w/ Night Riots @ Moxi Theater in Greeley on 2/5/14 & @ Hodi’s Half Note in Ft. Collins on 2/7/14 The Epilogues @ Larimer Lounge, Denver - 8pm w/ Flashbulb Fires, A Band in Pictures The Fourth Annual Mardi Gras @ The Summit Music Hall Denver - 7pm w/ Vaski, Uppermost, Mr.skeleton North Mississippi Allstars @ The Gothic Theatre Englewood - 9pm w/ Lightnin’ Malcom

Dresses, Cumulus @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 7pm

sunday February 9th Afton Showcase @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece, Denver - 6pm

The Menzingers @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 6:30pm w/ Off With Their Heads, Broadway Calls, Lawsuit Models

monday February 10th Vinyl Mondays: Karaoke with James Barone and Patrick Meese @ Hi-Dive, Denver - 9pm

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014 THE LOVE SHACK ft. Members of The Disco Biscuits, Euforquestra, YAMN, Rose Hill Drive, Fox Street Allstars, Kinetix, The Congress, Octopus Nebula, Tiger Party, Ableminds, Jonah Wisneski, Filth Children, I am SuCH, Analog Son & Rally Round the Family @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Denver - 8pm The 2nd Annual Valentine’s Day Carnival Masquerade ft. Bonnie and The Beard & Roniit @ Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver - 8pm Somerset Catalog @ Hi-Dive Denver - 8:30pm w/ The Knew, Talk All Night

Houndmouth @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 8pm w/ Willie Watson

Zappa Plays Zappa @ The Ogden Theatre, Denver - 8:30pm Infamous String Dusters @ Hodi’s Half Note on 1/17/14 in Ft. Collins

2 Chainz @ The Ogden Theatre Denver - 8pm w/ Pusha T, August Alsina

tuesday February 11th The Stubby Shillelaghs @ Patrick’s Pub, Greeley - 9pm

Open Jazz Jam w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio @ The Pourhouse, Loveland - 7:30pm Iration @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins - 7pm w/ special guests Natural Vibrations and The Movement Mayer Hawthorne @ The Ogden Theatre Denver - 8pm w/ Quadron

Paul Simon & Sting @ The Pepsi Center, Denver - 8pm Amon Amarth @ The Summit Music Hall Denver - 7pm w/ Enslaved, Skeleton Witch

White Lies @ The Gothic Theatre Englewood - 8pm w/ Frankie Rose, boyhollow

Passafire & Ballyhoo @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins - 7pm

Sub.Mission Dubstep Presents: Coult45, Shank Aaron, Subliminal. Caustik, CurlyOne @ Hodi’s Half-Note, Fort Collins - 8pm Moonspell @ Bluebird Theater Denver - 8pm w/ Leaves’ Eyes, Atrocity, Cellador

Winter Warmer Pre-Party ft. WickIt The Instigator @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece, Denver - 8pm w/ Many More Special Guests

Scene Magazine Presents: Cornmeal @ Hodi’s Half-Note, Ft. Collins - 8pm w/ Whiskey Tango Carlton Pride and Mighty Zion @ Road 34, Ft. Collins - 9pm

Dark Tranquility @ Bluebird Theater Denver - 9pm w/ Omnium Gatherum, Exmortus

Winter Warmer Festival ft. Michael Menert, The Polish Ambassador, Archnemesis, Wick-It the Instigator, MuzzY, Mikey Thunder, Paul Anthony, Krooked Drivers, Ben Samples, YuYu, rumtum and More @ Denver Marriot Tech Center, Denver - 6pm

The Northern Way @ The Summit Music Hall, Denver - 7pm w/ Special Guests

LAMA LIVE @ The Marqis Theatre Denver - 7pm w/ Miles to Mountains

Nerd Prom ft. Bop Skizzum @ The Gothic Theatre, Englewood - 8pm w/ Mega Ran, Sundown Social, Filthy T

saturday February 15th Paul Beveridge & Company (Farewell Show) @ Moxi Thaeter, Greeley -8pm w/ Leash of Foxes, Mike Ring and the Connection, Silver & Gold J.D. Kelly Blues Review @ Key Largo Lounge, Greeley -9pm

Grass for that Ass - Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver - 8pm w/ The Bumpers ft. Robby Peoples & Jonathan Meadows of The Congress Pixies @ Fillmore Auditorium Denver - 7pm Vatican Vamps @ Hi-Dive Denver - 8:30pm w/ Branded Bandits

Bring Me the Horizon, Of Mice & Men @ The Ogden Theatre, Denver - 7pm w/ Issues, letlive

wednesday February 12th friday February 14th Von Stomper - FREE SHOW 21+ @ Moxi Theater, Greeley - 8pm w/ Primary People

Shaley Scott @ Hodi’s Half-Note, Fort Collins - 8pm w/ Kita Hudson The Feel Good @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 7pm w/ Dizzy Lipton, The Whale Tales, Honeytree Whiskey Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks @ The Gothic Theatre Englewood - 8pm w/ Tyvek

James Durbin @ The Marqis Theatre Denver - 8pm w/ Kelley James

thursday February 13th Kurt Humann @ The Pourhouse Loveland - 8pm

Dan Treanor’s Afrosippi Band @Moxi Theater, Greeley - 7pm Featuring: Erica Brown

Sweetheart Night ft. Ty Bray @ The Jager, Greeley - 10:30pm

Valentine’s Day ft. Signorney Moore @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern Greeley - 7pm Red Hot Lingerie Soiree: Lingerie Party @ The Penalty Box Greeley - 8pm

Country Love Valentine’s Day Event @ Bears Country Saloon Greeley - 9pm Valentine’s Day with Sinatra Style Music @ The Pourhouse Loveland - 9pm Zion I @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins - 7pm w/ SOL, Huff, Keen, Kind Dub

UNC Theatre Senior Class presents Break Up Songs @ The Jager Greeley - 10pm

Infamous Stringdusters @ The Aggie Theatre, Ft. Collins - 7pm w/ The Deadly Gentlemen Cornmeal @ Bluebird Theater, Denver - 9pm w/ Whiskey Tango

The Malah @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver - 8pm w/ Human Agency & TNERTLE

Safe Boating is No Accident: Album Release @ Hi-Dive, Denver - 8:30pm w/ Thee Dang Dangs, The Sour Notes Houndmouth @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 8pm w/ Willie Watson

As the Sky Darkens @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 7pm w/ Ruins of Tomorrow, Highfive, The Fulfillment, Stillness Before the Storm Passafire / Ballyhoo! @ The Gothic Theatre, Englewood - 9pm w/ Pacific Dub

15 SQUARE BLOCKS FOUR DISPENSARIES ONE HOOKAH BAR ALWAYS A GOOD 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 magazine FEBRUARY 2014 sunday February 16th Infamous Stringdusters @ The Aggie Theatre, Ft. Collins - 7pm w/ The Deadly Gentlemen

No Time for Bulls#!t Tour: FUTURISITIC, Devvon Terrell & Denzil Porter @ Hodi’s Half-Note Ft. Collins - 7pm Winter Warmer Festival ft. Michael Menert, The Polish Ambassador, Archnemesis, Wick-It the Instigator, MuzzY, Mikey Thunder, Paul Anthony, Krooked Drivers, Ben Samples, YuYu, rumtum and More @ Denver Marriot Tech Center - 6pm Huey Mack: Pretending Perfection Tour @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver - 8pm w/ D-Why, Timmy D, Splyt, BMBC, RIMES Lucius @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 8pm w/ You Won’t

Vinyl Mondays: Goth Night with Vincent Comparetto/Stella Montoya/ Sarah Slater @ Hi-Dive, Denver - 9pm Incan Abraham @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 8pm

tuesday February 18th The Stubby Shillelaghs @ Patrick’s Pub, Greeley - 9pm Jager’s Got Talent @ The Jager Greeley - 10pm

Open Jazz Jam w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio @ The Pourhouse, Loveland - 7:30pm MANOWAR @ The Ogden Theatre Denver - 8pm

This or the Apocalypse @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 7pm w/ Sworn In, Shai Hulud, Sirens and Sailors Free Show 21+ @ Moxi Theater, Greeley - 8pm

monday February 17th

Shearwater @ Hi-Dive, Denver 8:30pm w/ JESCA HOOP, Eros and the Eschaton

Paul Byrom @ Bluebird Theater Denver - 8pm

Winter Warmer Festival w/ Michael Menert, The Polish Ambassador, Archnemesis, Wick-It the Instigator, MuzzY, Mikey Thunder, Paul Anthony, Krooked Drivers, & more @ Denver Marriot Tech Center, 6pm

Bill Smith @ Moxi Theater on 2/26/14 in Greeley

wednesday February 19th

Midnight Masquerade @ The Summit Music Hall, Denver - 7pm Deafheaven @ The Marqis Theatre Denver - 8pm w/ SubRosa

12th Planet @ Bluebird Theater, Denver - 9:30pm w/ Protohype, Antiserum, SPL, Steady

The Pretty Reckless @ The Summit Music Hall, Denver - 7pm w/ The Letter Black, Crobot

Dom Kennedy @ The Gothic Theatre Englewood - 9pm w/ special guest Skeme

thursday February 20th Elephant Revival @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins - 7pm J Boog @ Bluebird Theater Denver - 8pm w/ Los Rakas

Grass for that Ass - Jon Stickley Trio ft. Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver - 8pm w/ Sanctum Sally Abigail Williams @ Hi-Dive Denver - 8:30pm w/ Erimha, Belhor, Dreadnought

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Com Truise @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 8pm w/ Phantoms

Steve Itterly Duo @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern, Greeley - 7pm

The Hounds Below @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 7pm

The Wild Feathers @ Bluebird Theater Denver - 9pm w/ Saints of Valory, Jamestown Revival

Walk Off the Earth @ The Ogden Theatre, Denver - 8pm w/ Parachute, Camera2

thursday February 21st Marcus Lee @ The Jager Greeley - 10:30pm

Dead Floyd @ The Moxi Theater Greeley - 8pm w/ Electric Stair Child

Elephant Revival @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins - 7pm

Fruition @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver - 8pm w/ Polecat Tarrus Riley @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece, Denver - 8pm w/ Special Guests

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

Juno What!? @ Hodi’s Half Note on 2/27/14 in Ft. Collins

The Yawpers @ Hi-Dive Denver - 8:30pm w/ The Blind Pets, The Kinky Fingers Josh Moorehead @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 7pm w/ Whiskey Autumn, Vela, The Truth & Spectacle, Bees With Guns Lord Huron @ The Ogden Theatre Denver - 9pm w/ Night Beds

Hellfyre Club @ The Marqis Theatre Denver - 7pm

Cowboy Mouth @ The Gothic Theatre Englewood - 9pm

saturday February 22nd Ty Bray @ The Jager Greeley - 10:30pm

Hellfyre Club @ Road 34 Ft. Collins - 9pm

Cash’d Out (Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute) @ Bluebird Theater Denver - 9pm MartyParty & Joker @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece, Denver - 8pm

Chrome Domes & Flash/Lights (Disco Set) @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver - 8pm

Skinny Puppy @ The Ogden Theatre Denver - 8pm w/ Army of the Universe Hollywood Ending @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 7pm w/ This is All Now, King the Kid, Almost, Maine

tuesday February 25th The Stubby Shillelaghs @ Patrick’s Pub, Greeley - 9pm Jager’s Got Talent @ The Jager Greeley - 10pm

Open Jazz Jam w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio @ The Pourhouse, Loveland - 7:30pm Purple @ Hi-Dive, Denver - 8pm w/ Ringo Deathstarr, Thee Dang Dangs San Fermin @ Larimer Lounge, Denver - 8pm w/ Son Lux

We Butter the Bread with Butter @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 7pm w/ Lions Lions, honour Crest Aer @ The Gothic Theatre Englewood - 8pm w/ RDGLDGRN, New Beat Fund

wednesday February 26th

Black Lamb @ Hi-Dive, Denver - 9pm w/ Throttlebomb, Angry Hand of God

Bill Smith (Free Show 21+) @ Moxi Theater, Greeley - 8pm w/ Star Count

Royal Teeth @ The Marqis Theatre, Denver - 8pm Chappo, Parade of Lights

Will Champlin @ The Marqis Theatre Denver - 7pm

The Lawrence Arms @ The Summit Music Hall, Denver - 7pm w/ Special Guests

sunday February 23rd BKG42 Presents: Twisted Insane @ Hodi’s Half-Note, Fort Collins - 7pm w/ Psychological Records

monday February 24th

The Weeks @ Larimer Lounge Denver - 8pm w/ Robby Peoples, Rossonian

thursday February 27th Freestyle Thursday @ Moxi Theater, Greeley - 8pm NoCO’s Hip Hop Open Mic & Freestyle Event, MC Battle, $100 Cash Prize Thirsty Thursday ft. Live DJ @ Bears Country Saloon, Greeley - 8pm

Juno What?! @ Hodi’s Half-Note together PANGEA @ Larimer Lounge Ft. Collins - 8pm Denver - 8pm w/ Mozes and the Firstborn, American The Dirty Dozen Brass Band/Pimps of Culture Joytime @ Bluebird Theater Denver - 9pm

Grass for That Ass ft. Jared and The Mill @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver - 8pm w/ Afro-Zep (Acoustic) & The Appleseed Collective

As the Palace Burns: Lamb of God Documentary @ The Summit Music Hall, Denver - 8pm

TJ Miller @ The Gothic Theatre Englewood - 8pm

friday February 28th Pandas & People @ Moxi Theater, Greeley -8pm w/ Claymore Disco, Gii and the Spots, Mike Ring & the Connection Kristina Murray @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern, Greeley - 7pm Ben Pu @ The Jager Greeley - 10:30pm

The English Beat @ The Aggie Theatre, Fort Collins - 7pm

The Grant Farm @ Hodi’s Half-Note, Fort Collins - 8pm w/ Westwater Outlaws & Jeremy C. Grant of The Deadwood Saints

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

BATTLE OF THE BANDS AD

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

GAMES

SUDOKU © 2013 Knight Features. Reprinted with permission of Universal Uclick. All rights reserved. WORD ROUNDUP by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek © 2012 Reprinted with permission of Universal Uclick. All rights reserved. ROCK AND ROLL CROSSWORD © 2013 Todd Santos. Reprinted with Permission of UNIVERSAL UCLICK. All rights reserved.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

rock and roll crossword Madman Across the Puzzle by Todd Santos

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10 Elton John “Can You Feel the ___ Tonight” 11 Final Jimmy Eat World song? 12 The Pharmacists’ leader Leo 15 Sci-fi/horror shock rockers 20 Tom Petty “___ Back Down” 21 San Francisco’s “Good Day” band 24 What Berklee will do to prodigy 25 Deep Purple/Whitesnake drummer Ian 26 Umphrey’s McGee “Out of ___” 27 The “Rocket Man” himself 28 Beastie Boys “Licensed ___” 29 “It’s Your Thing” brothers 31 Rise Against “Audience ___” 32 Satanic Surfers “Throw in the ___” 33 Guitarist/singer Joe 39 AC/DC “Given the Dog ___” 40 Fleetwood Mac “___ thinking about tomorrow” 42 Zep’s ’82 album 45 ’70 Syd Barrett album “The ___ Laughs” 47 Most recent music 49 WASP “___ God” 2-part concept album 51 Might happen with no-show 52 Leonard Cohen “Live at the ___ of Wight 1970” 53 Sublime “___ I Got” 54 This is “Sweet” to Motley Crue 55 “The heat ___, on the street” Glenn Frey 56 God Street ___ 57 John Mellencamp “Get ___ Up” 58 Social Distortion’s Mike 59 Linkin Park singer side project (Abbr.)

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

PUZZLE ANSWER

Across 1 Prodigy song that foreshadows? 5 Singer/songwriter Kristofferson 9 Notch on festival list 13 Porno for Pyros “Cursed ___” 14 Tommy Shaw band __ Yankees 15 Kiss “Fits Like a ___” 16 Elton John “___ little bit funny, this feeling inside” 17 “Left Eye” Lopes 18 What star did to you from stage 19 Elton John “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only ___” 22 “Grow Some Funk of Your ___” Elton John 23 “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” co-writer Midge 24 Like released rocker’s statement 30 Van Halen’s David Lee ___ 34 “Mack the Knife” Bobby 35 “Born to ___” Social Distortion 36 Jay-Z “Friend or ___” 37 Yolanda Adams “In the ___ of It All” 38 “Voices Carry” ___ Tuesday 39 System of ___ 41 Metallica “Trapped Under ___” 42 Iconic American composer Porter 43 Onstage boo-boo 44 Course of record contract 46 Bon Jovi hit off “7800 Degrees Fahrenheit” 48 Kiss “Rock ___ Roll Over” 50 “Truant” Alien ___ Farm 51 First T. Rex hit in 1970 59 Certain dance music 60 What comes out if club gets too hot? 61 “This Great Black Night” Weeping ___ 62 Rachel from Skid Row 63 “Scarlet’s Walk” Tori 64 Jackpots 65 Elton John “___ Into Christmas” 66 Weekend-long festival need 67 Used for tuning Down 1 Bypass record deal w/side project 2 What tour accountant better be good at 3 Godhead “Anybody ___” 4 ’98 Simple Minds album 5 “Trail of Broken Hearts” crooner 6 Wet Beatles song? 7 Cream “___ Glad” 8 Slipknot song to lose it to? 9 “South of Heaven” band

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Madman Across the Puzzle

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine FEBRUARY 2014

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