Issuu

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

ALBUM REVIEWS Nasty Bunch of Bitches Dysfunction

Alex Graff BandWagon Magazine

Punk rock is a subjective term encompassing various styles, eras, and bands. Kurt Cobain believed “Punk is musical freedom. It’s saying, doing and playing what you want.” By this definition, punk will never die. So despite a seeming scarcity of relevant punk bands in the local and national music sphere these days, the spirit of punk lives on in a band called Nasty Bunch of Bitches. As their name naturally invokes a sense of unadulterated expression, so too does their music. Their forthcoming EP, entitled Dysfunction (which is set for a June 1st release), displays a range of musical stylings, while sustaining the steadfast energy that is the essential core of all punk rock. Some of the band’s musical influences include: No Doubt, Anti-Flag, Rancid, The Ramones, and Rise Against. While the lineage of these and others are apparent, Nasty Bunch of Bitches’ music is teeming with originality. Thanks to a diverse group of individuals, their musical blend is all their own. Their lineup

consists of Kayleigh “Jack Stallion” Gustkey (vocals, lyrics), Brett Caton (guitar, vocals), Michael Olivier (guitar, vocals), Sotirios Gatsiopoulos (drums), and Sam Rucker (bass). As to the question of the impetus of this band’s formation Olivier said, “No one in northern Colorado is doing punk rock anymore.” That void has been filled with such tenacious songs as “Nose Candy,” which leads off the sixsong EP. Remnants of early No Doubt echo throughout, as this catchy song beckons you to move in unison with the beat, the melodies, and the emotions. “As much energy from the first note to the last note, while being uniquely ourselves,” is how Olivier described their album and live performances. The high point of Dysfunction is undoubtedly the song “Significance.” The beauty of this track is the enlightened amalgam of punk rock’s energetic spirit and deep philosophical questioning, creating an inspiring anthem for the human spirit. With songs like “If My Body’s A Temple Why Can’t I Worship It,” the band doesn’t mince words in the pursuit of delivering their meanings. And while they invoke

Yellowbirds

many strong stances relating to human rights, the transcendental impact is far deeper than any one social issue. “We don’t want to tell kids what to think, we just want to tell them to think.” said Olivier about the political nature of their music. It would be fascist to dictate to an audience exactly what they should be thinking, not to mention entirely antithetical to the liberated nature of punk rock. But to simply engage honestly with people through their music enables a vibration seldom felt in the arena of social discourse. And that’s the hook of this brand of punk rock: it’s honest. When a power chord awakens your senses and a lyric slices through social inequity with a single rhyme, you know it’s punk rock. When you hear the name Nasty Bunch of Bitches, you know you won’t be getting any fluff. But much more than that, with this band, you know you’re getting something from their soul.

Songs from the Vanished Frontier

Jordan Wood BandWagon Magazine

After the end of Boston band Apollo Sunshine in 2009, lead singer/guitarist Sam Cohen was forced to make some difficult choices about whether or not to continue pursuing a career in music. After songs he had written received a good reception in New York, Cohen decided to play and record as Yellowbirds. Yellowbirds released their first album The Color in 2011, and earned coverage from various notable music outlets, including Pitchfork Media, broadening their popularity. Yellowbirds is a unique blend of indie and folk with an old school psychedelic twist. They are a product of the rich psychrock scene, but with more of an emphasis on pop. The Color is a solid debut album from Yellowbirds with a homemade sound to it. Their sophomore album Songs from the Vanished Frontier, out May 28th on Royal Potato Family, is more polished, but doesn’t lack the initial charm of The Color. Songs from the Vanished Frontier is an album that is

immediately attractive to the ear. “Stop Tonight” is a spacey, bubbling opening act for Vanished Frontier that leads to eight more pleasant tunes. In one of the singles from the new album “Young Men of Promise,” Cohen sings “Leaving you was like a car crash / I’m a river, you’re a raging sea.” The lyrics are delightful with a simple honesty that makes it one of the best tracks on Vanished Frontier. The title track off of the album is more of a serenade-like lullaby than the upbeat, sunny vibe of the rest of Vanished Frontier. Yellowbirds shows us what swimming underwater in an alternate universe might feel like with their use of light percussion, delay and reverb. Vanished Frontier has an acoustic element mixed with electronic accents that make it sound both classic and brand-new. With Songs from the Vanished Frontier, Sam Cohen has established himself as an artist to look out for. It’s an album that is perfect for

and both background music to any morning. Yellowbirds fans can be optimistic that their future projects will be equally as awesome. If you’re in the need of an addition to your summer playlist, Songs From the Vanished Frontier is easily worth consideration.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013 Queens of the Stone Age ...Like Clockwork

James Garcia BandWagon Magazine Fans of Queens of the Stone Age, be excited. The band’s first release in six years is to be released June 3nd from Matador Records. Their sound may have gotten a little sadder in nature, but they are still the Queens we’ve been worshiping since 1999’s “Feel Good Hit of the Summer” off Rated R. Of all the new trancey, droning music like The Flaming Lips’ Terror and How To Destroy Angels’ Welcome Oblivion, ...Like Clockwork stands out, bringing a dark, downtempo edge to their signature hard rock sound. The album has a droney overtone to it, without losing the distinct differences and hooks between each song. The album opens with “Keep Your Eyes Peeled,” which features Jake Shears, the lead male singer from the glam rock outfit, Scissor Sisters. It’s a thumping goliath of a song, trudging along in a desert wasteland. It certainly sets the haunting mood of the record. Collaborations are in in 2013, with Daft Punk’s epic Random Access Memories having a buttload of contributing artists, Jack White doing something with everyone always, and Trent Reznor putting Nine Inch Nails back together while also working on projects with his wife, Atticus Ross, and director David Fincher. If you’re into getting a mix of artistic flavors from your music, you’ll enjoy Clockwork. This album is littered with collaborations with artists from all over the musical globe. Reznor contributed to two tracks, Elton John helped out and so did Arctic Monkeys’ frontman, Alex Turner. QOTSA’s previous release, Era Vulgaris (2007), was originally slated to have a multitude of contributors as well (Jesse F. Keeler, Death from Above 1979 bassist, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, and Reznor), but all of them fell through, leaving only Julian Casablancas from The Strokes as a contributor on the recorded album, so it was obviously important to them to get the collabs they wanted this time around. The first single is “My God Is The Sun,” an uptempo rock number that is probably most reminiscent of older Queens songs. It was released with a video, which is part of a series of animations featuring other songs from the album that

together create an entertaining fifteen minute story about four disturbed, blood-thirsty characters on a rampage against society. ...Like Clockwork was selfproduced by the band after plans for Reznor producing it fell through. Lead singer and guitarist Josh Homme has had a lot of experience with production and collaborating, having his musical fingers in a lot pies since QOTSA’s last release: supergroup Them Crooked Vultures (with Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl (who was also the original Queens drummer, returning to record this album as well)), working on the soundtrack for Grohl’s film Sound City (also with Reznor), and working with Eagles of Death Metal, a side project band. “Kalopsia” features Reznor’s vocal talents, as well as on “Fairweather Friends,” which also has Elton John, Nick Oliveri (the band’s original bassist, and original member of preQOTSA band Kyuss), and Mark Lanegan (who has collaborated with Kurt Cobain and Isobel Campbell of Belle and Sebastian). These tracks get a little bit of help from these guys without drastically altering the overall tone of the record. “I Appear Missing” is probably my favorite off the album, with an unsettling guitar riff and Homme’s addictive vocal meandering. It’s not the heaviest song on the record, but I think it leaves the biggest impression. And then we’re left in quiet introspection with the final track “Like Clockwork,” a sad finale. The piano drives the song, while Homme spills his melancholy, “chasing down the moon.” Overall, Clockwork is definitely something sadder than anything we’ve seen from QOTSA before, and I don’t know if it’s necessarily a good or bad development, but “one thing that is clear: it’s all downhill from here.”

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013 Epoch When E-sides

John Hann BandWagon Magazine Alex Koutsoukos, better known as Epoch When, released his new album April 15th, E-sides, in an endeavor that demonstrates his lyrical talent while sharing some very personal moments from his life. Epoch When’s fifteentrack album touches on his struggles growing up, and his frustrations in recovery from drug and alcohol addictions. The album consists of several tracks Epoch When finished in 2010 but decided not to release until he started producing E-sides over the past year. Epoch When’s clever old tracks, which have been re-mastered and dropped on this new project, do not disappoint. The talented, young emcee continues to build his credibility on the mic as he becomes more established, and it shows with his new full-length album. Although some of the tracks on the album are short on E-sides, Epoch When explained, “I was just getting into rapping when most of those tracks

were written and was having a hard time slowing down and staying focused.” As a result, he explained his rapping would come out fast and short, and he had a hard time combining his different rap so he would just start a new track. E-sides is full of engaging tracks that are well produced, lyrically impressive, and worth a listen. One of the most impressive tracks on the album, produced by Smgrims, is titled “Beautifully Broken.” The track talks about Epoch When’s struggle with a girl he used to date and was crazy about but she pushed him away. The track tells the story of a girl who changed his life for the better, but as time went on she felt the two of them could never work. The song is incredibly well produced and full of great imagery, forming a painful unrequited love story that is both relatable and passionate. In the first verse of the track, Epoch When drops the line, “You be all I’ve got, and I be all you’ve got, so if it falls apart, no one

can take my spot. We’d be beautiful, and no one would be broken.” Another great line in the track in verse two states, “Cupid slings arrows targeting the women, but all that means to me is I’m replacing my addiction and now we’re beautiful, and you said we’d be broken.” The fast pace track pulls listeners in with a catchy beat, smooth rhythm, and moving story. Another mentionable track on E-sides is “String Cheese & Wine,” which Epoch When says is “mostly about me just being really frustrated dealing with being in recovery.” One of the lines from the track states, “refills of every pill that’s killing me, late nights at therapy, and dairy queen diets, violence, followed by I ‘quits,’ why’s it so difficult convincing pigs my eyes are like this?” Although the tracks reference violence and drug abuse, he was happy to report he has been one hundred percent

sober for over a year, saying, “It’s crazy to listen back on these tracks and hear how my perception used to be, and seeing how much it has changed compared to now.” He is working on a new album called Spirit of the Stairway which he hopes will really demonstrate his new lyrical talent and state of mind. E-Sides was produced by Sm-grims from Cozumel, MX, Blacksheep, and L’Artisan from Paris. Epoch When records and masters his vocals on the tracks himself, as well as producing a few of his beats on E-sides. It’s a great album, available to download on soundcloud.

com. Epoch When will also be in Greeley to perform at the Moxi Theater on July 13th. Check out this engaging album for yourself, and keep an eye out for his album Spirit of the Stairway.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

Local Business Profile

A Place to Stay benefiting the youth of Ft. Collins one punk at a time

Jordan Wood BandWagon Magazine

Homelessness is an issue that is continuously prevalent all over the United States. In January of 2007, a state-wide survey estimated that 15,394 people were homeless in Colorado. The same survey found that 37.3 % were households with youth under the age of eighteen. In northern Colorado, homelessness is not addressed to the degree that it is in more urban areas of Colorado. A study from January of this year found that in Fort Collins alone, 250 people reported to be homeless and 20% of those people were under the age of eighteen. Since 2007, the number of people who are in need of a place to live is increasing. There are a handful of charities that provide shelter for the homeless people of northern Colorado, but are

only geared towa rd s families, have religious affiliations, or their services are not available twenty-four hours a day. Local Fort Collins residents Travis Campbell, Eli Aknin, and Philip Shellabarger are working to create a new charity for the struggling youth of northern Colorado

called A Place to Stay. According to their facebook page, “A Place To Stay is a not-for-profit, nonreligious affiliated homeless shelter/ venue. APTS is centered around aiding the struggling members of northern Colorado. Guests will be provided with a safe, and comfortable environment.” Every month, APTS hosts three to four benefit concerts in Fort Collins that raise money towards their $10,000 goal. When asked what kind of bands are featured at their benefit shows Campell explained, “We welcome all different types of music at our benefits, but it is mainly punk bands that play. The majority of the bands that play are local, but on occasion small touring bands play when they come through Fort Collins.” These benefit shows not only help a wonderful cause, but they

also support the booming northern Colorado local music scene. On Saturday June 22nd, APTS is hosting one of their benefit concerts at the Art Lab in Fort Collins featuring punk, ska, and rockabilly music. Fort Collins bands The Tramps and Drunk Diggery will be playing alongside Police Lingo (touring), and Moonraker (also touring). The event is only $5 at the door, and all of the proceeds go to funding APTS. When BandWagon Magazine a s k e d Campbell about the ideal future of A Place to Stay he

replied, “I’d like to see APTS open, and thriving. I’d like to see us offering a warm, safe place where people can stay when they have nowhere else. A place without religious pressures. We hope that this will allow the struggling people of Fort Collins to have a secure foundation that they can use to rebuild their life.”

Photos by kathryn flynn & iain james

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

FILM REVIEWS The Great Gatsby 2012 - 88 Minutes – Rated R James Garcia BandWagon Magazine

You probably read it in highschool, but you probably never imagined it like director Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) has portrayed one of the greatest American novels, The Great Gatsby. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan (Drive), this fast-paced adventure through Fitzgerald’s roaring 20s is a jolt to the system, filled with brilliant color, unbelievably elegant clothing, and more martinis than James Bond could ever hope to pour down his gullet. The camera doesn’t stop for a moment, always gyrating around millionaire Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio) and his confidante Nick Carraway (Maguire), the less than humble narrator, as the veil of the mysterious life of the great Gatsby slowly tears, revealing his true intentions behind the most extravagant parties ever seen. Which are truly a spectacle akin to Cirque Du Soleil on crack. Luhrmann brings to the table much of what made Moulin Rouge such a visual delight. It seems as if each shot doesn’t stay focused on characters or scenery for longer than three seconds before it’s flipped around and backwards around the mansions, Valley of Ashes, or the breathtaking cityscape

of early 1920s New York City. If you can keep up with the filmography of The Great Gatsby, you’re in for a real treat. Much like the popular period pieces that have been popping up as of late (Mad Men, On the Road, Boardwalk Empire, etc.), the filmmakers have pumped in a heavy dose of sex appeal and the rock-star vibe we crave, perhaps making it almost as shocking as the novel must have been for readers of the time. But exaggerated partying and flashiness aside, this movie sticks pretty closely to the book’s plot, a very important factor in considering a film adaptation. And it’s famously more entertaining than the 1974 adaptation that starred Robert Redford. What it comes down to for Gatsby, is what drives most men to do overthe-top and self-destructive things: the attention of a love interest, in this case the stunningly beautiful Daisy Buchanan (Mulligan), wife to “old money” millionaire Tom Buchanan. The table is set, the drinks are poured and a series of social faux pas and stolen romances shatter the lives of everyone involved, all of it begging the question: Is it the size of your wallet, the money in your blood, or the passion in your heart that makes a man important? The soundtrack of this film is a who’s who of contemporary music artists, making the modern spin on

the classic all the more vibrant, with the likes of Jay Z, Beyonce, Andre 3000, will.i.am, Fergie, Lana Del Rey, Florence + The Machine, The XX, Gotye, Jack White, Nero, and more, each putting their mark on the the Jazz Age story. It was a bold move, and one that I believe worked well, bringing the modern audience into a time of dissolution, over-indulgence, and decadence with music we directly relate to. DiCaprio gives yet another brilliant performance. When he smiles into the camera offering you a drink, he perfectly matches Fitzgerald’s sentiments: “It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it... It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.” Maguire did a good job of being the unreliable narrator, constantly interjecting his thoughts on the unfolding events, driving the story along. His part may have been a little overplayed by the end, having the story somewhat awkwardly framed with him being in a sanitarium, telling the story to a therapist. All around, the performances were, for the most part, impressive. I applaud Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby as a fun adaptation, but with yet another literary film adaptation (see: Life of Pi, Game of Thrones, and Perks of Being a

Wallflower) and remake (see: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the in-development remake of American Psycho) to add to Hollywood’s repertoire of revisited, revamped, resold stories I am reminded of the final line from the novel. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

HOUSE AD

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

Local Artist Profile

Sean Nichols Kendra Hamman BandWagon Magazine “Find what you love, and let it kill you,” is a quote that Sean Nichols, 2013 UNC graduate, lives by when it comes to his art. He works in relief and intaglio printmaking to create controversial and sometimes disturbing pieces that beg the viewer to challenge their immediate world at large. Art has been an infatuation for Nichols since childhood but became his calling after

a near-death car crash in June, 2009. He walked away from his totaled car with nothing more than a scratch and decided to pursue his passion for art. He describes his calling as one that itches to irritate the masses, instigate uncomfortable ideals, and cause discussion. “I want to make people think more than surface deep, I don’t think that happens very much today,” says Nichols. Most of his content confronts subversive

political and social problems, while tactfully avoiding clichés and overworked topics. He would rather have the viewer look at his artwork for several minutes and disagree with it, then to have someone simply think, “Oh, that’s pretty.” It is clear that Nichols has found his original voice as an artist while producing quality prints. Do not miss his work, which will be up this month at Patrick’s Irish Pub in downtown Greeley.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

INTRODUCING

COLORADO WHEAT Scott Hartman BandWagon Magazine Bassist and vocalist for Trichome, Dave Frediani, began homebrewing a year ago found a perfect blend of music and beer with the introduction of Crabtree’s new brew: Trichome Colorado Wheat. Frediani has been performing with Trichome while also working for Crabtree Brewery, which has been serving Greeley with their own regional brew since 2003. “When I first worked at Crabtree it was a humbling experience with a casual feel,” Frediani said. “Since working here, my pallet and love for beer has been growing.” Frediani’s hard work and collaboration with Crabtree has paid off, leading to the tapping of the Trichome Colorado Wheat. The summer wheat brew came out on May 4th and was celebrated with a performance by Trichome. To some it may seem as though Frediani might be using his brewing talents to promote the band, but neither Frediani nor Crabtree’s owner, Jeff Crabtree, think there are ulterior motives other than making the finest beer for the patrons of Greeley. “When I first meet Dave I saw his passion for beer, music, and everything he does. I didn’t think there was a marketing gimmick. It boiled down to having phenomenal brewers,” Crabtree said. After Frediani experimented with passion fruit, melons, and other fruits, this beer has landed on a clear mango taste, perfect for the upcoming summer. It is light in flavor, yet heavy in hop-aroma, idealistic for Colorado brewers and consumers. The bouquet of hops, fruit, and sugars also gives this beer a citrus-like quality with a superb effervescence. “I wasn’t looking to follow a particular style or flavor guideline. I wanted to get a great texture and feel for the beer. I came up with the idea of the flavor with Colorado in

mind,” Frediani said. “We have turned into an organization of passion and being passionate about making craft brew,” Crabtree said. Passion holds an overall theme to both brewing beer and creating music. Combining the two has showcased just how far Crabtree and Trichome have each come into the spotlight of northern Colorado. While Crabtree continues to serve Greeley, Trichome continues to make themselves known by performing mini tours over the summer with approximately five gigs per month. While hauling kegs around in the back of Crabtree’s tap room, Frediani said, “We just got back from a show down in Moab that went well. We are getting ready for a show down in Denver this next Monday.” Another notable performance from Trichome includes a hemp Festival in Sturgis, South Dakota that promotes and teaches about the benefits of hemp as a material resource. The band’s performances at this festival will be on May 31st and June 1st, followed by another highly anticipated show at the Mishawaka on June 22nd with the Motet. “We are very excited about our opportunity to be on the same bill as the Motet. They have been legendary here in Colorado for the past decade,” Frediani said. As summer begins there is nothing better than good music and a cold one. Hand-in-hand Trichome introduces a wheat beer as well as a musical wave of worldly sounds. As Trichome progressed, so had Frediani’s knowledge of beer, and similar to his path in music, it started with a humble and simple love for it. Stay tuned, and thirsty, for what Trichome and Crabtree have in store this summer.

Photos By Kendra Hamman

INDEPENDENCE DAY V E T E R A N BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

t r a e l a s

and exp o

Who: Featuring artists from UNC, Aims Community College, & Front Range Community College Where: Roudebush Cottage (UNC Campus West of US 85 and 18th St.) When: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm June 30th & 8:00 am - 5:00 pm July 1st - 3rd 10% of proceeds will go to Student Veterans of America. Remaining goes to student artists. For more information, visit www.unco.edu/veteransservices.

Chipper’s Lanes Dark BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

After

Colorado’s Hot Spot to Rock, Groove, Boogie, & Bowl!

Chipper’s College Lanes

Chipper’s Classic Lanes

830 North College • Fort Collins, CO 80524

2454 8th Avenue • Greeley, CO 80631

wolf reverse apache master The deadwood saints concert

“Boogie on Bowling”

“Friday Night Live”

10:00 PM • Thursday, June 6

9:00 PM • Friday, June 7

Grey Weather

sr3

10:00 PM • Thursday, June 13

9:00 PM • Friday, June 14

Howling Moon Travelers

left foot green

10:00 PM • Thursday, June 20

9:00 PM • Friday, June 28

marks midnight carnival

orifice a

left foot green

9:00 PM • Friday, July 12

10:00 PM • Thursday, June 27

10:00 PM • Thursday, July 11

9:00 PM • Friday, July 26

HAPPY HOUR MONDAY THRU FRIDAY 4-6PM • 1/2 OFF SELECT STARTERS PLUS DRINK SPECIALS!

HAPPY HOUR MONDAY THRU FRIDAY 4-6PM • 1/2 OFF WELLS, BOTTLED BEER , DRAFTS AND WINES!

LET CHIPPER’S HOST YOUR NEXT EVENT! HORSETOOTH CENTER • 217 W HORSETOOTH RD • FORT COLLINS • 970.226.6327 COLLEGE CENTER • 830 N COLLEGE AVE • FORT COLLINS • 970.484.4777 ESTES PARK CENTER • 555 S ST VRAIN • ESTES PARK • 970.586.8625 BROOMFIELD CENTER • 100 NICKEL ST • BROOMFIELD • 303.466.9700 CLASSIC LANES • 2454 8TH AVE • GREELEY • 970.353.4275

www.chipperslanes.com facebook.com/chipperslanesbowling

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

MISHAWAKA

MORE SHOWS TO BE ANNOUNCED @THEMISHAWAKA • FACEBOOK.COM/MISHAWAKACONCERTS

Show information, tickets & shuttle info:

Every Thursday 8pm

SpokesBUZZ lounge

The Greeley Blues Jam Returns for it’s 9th Year On June 7th at Island Grove, the Greeley Blues Jam will be showcasing legendary British blues musician John Mayall who will be headlining the event. The ninth year of the festival, the Blues Jam has become an event that draws people in across the nation and provides an outlet for appreciation of the blues here in Colorado. It’s in no small part thanks to Greeley residents Pam Bricker and her husband, Al. “My husband is a real music lover,” Bricker said. “And every year we go to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, been doing that for twenty-something years. And he had been talking for a long time, saying, ‘We need to have a festival in Greeley, something different than the Stampede.’” Bricker, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, chaired the committee that put together the Blues Jam. The event was, in her words, “the brainchild of a bunch of friends, collectively, who had one too many margaritas at The Rio and said, ‘we can do this.’” Her husband, Al, had some influence in the matter as well. The first year of the Blues Festival was run by the city of Greeley, and it wasn’t without error. Bricker recalls the city’s Cultural Director made the mistake of booking Buddy Guy for the first Blues festival, which was not a

small price tag, and the city lost quite a bit of money on it. “At that point, we went to the Colorado Blues Society to see if they were interested in getting involved,” she said. “And they did for several years – I think three – and we as a committee took it back as a Greeley thing, because it really is. We operate underneath the Greeley Chamber Foundation.” Since that time, the event has been run by volunteers, including Bricker. For Bricker, who also owns Mariposa Plants and Flowers, she said her biggest challenge was simply finding time to put the event together. Compared to the first year of the event run by the city though, it’s not as big a struggle now. “The community has just been incredibly supportive,” Bricker said. “Raising the money for it now is no longer an issue. People enjoy it so much. It’s the unexpected thing that happens in Greeley, so we have generous, generous supporters. “I think the challenge, if there is one, is always, as much marketing as we do, we still hear people say, ‘There’s a Blues Jam in Greeley?’ And you think, ‘How much more can we do?’ Marketing is a challenge for any organization these days, because there are so many ways that people get information, and how to get the word

out is a challenge, a big challenge on a national basis, because we do have people come from all over the country for this festival.“ Another difficulty Bricker said was that a lot of people don’t even know what the blues are. “They have a much different viewpoint, and they don’t realize that it is the roots of all American music,” Bricker said. “Whether you’re talking about rock and roll, or country, or jazz, or whatever, so they have a narrow definition, and unless you’re on Sirius or XM Radio, there’s not a blues radio channel. KUNC plays a hefty amount of blues, but people would not define it that way, they don’t understand what it is.” When it comes to the lineup, the Blues Jam doesn’t have a problem attracting artists, and the event does help boost the profile of Greeley across the state and the country. “I’ve never had somebody say they weren’t interested in coming to Greeley, but once they’ve been here, they never leave without saying, ‘please have us back,’” Bricker said. “When we go to New Orleans sometimes we run into these people who’ve played here and we’ll say something about, ‘well, we’re with the Greeley Blues Jam,’ and they’ve went, ‘I’ve had so much fun in Greeley, please have me back again.’”

By Jay Wallace

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

spotlights AT THE GREELEY BLUES JAM Jacksonville, Florida’s JJ Grey & MOFRO is one of the several bands playing this year’s Greeley Blues Jam. The co-headliners of the 2013 Jam is made up of JJ Grey (vocals, piano, guitar, harmonica), Andrew Trube (electric guitar and slide guitar), Anthony Farrell (organ), Anthony Cole (drums), Dennis Marion (trumpet), Art Edmaiston (saxophone), and Todd Smallie (bass guitar). These guys are no rookies when it comes to music. JJ Grey & MOFRO began recording in 2001, and have toured internationally including spots at Bonnaroo, the Montreal Jazz Festival and Austin City Limits Festival. They take elements of old school blues and southern rock, and add a little raunch, making their sound catchy and easy to dance to. JJ Grey’s soulful howl complements the groove of the instrumentals

by JED MURPHY

CArolyn Wonderland

Carolyn Wonderland’s music is reminiscent to the glory days of rock and roll when Janice Joplin and Aretha Franklin reigned as queens in a genre full of kings. Her voice has a broad soulful range that any lover of the blues will appreciate as she captures the essence of the Texas blues in her performances of both her originals and the traditional songs. Her guitar work is elaborate and hypnotizing, blowing many of her male contemporaries out of the water. Raised in Houston, Texas, she established herself in her teens by landing several prominent gigs and became completely immersed in the Texas blues scene of the

1980s. After a move to Austin, she developed her talents and cut three distinct records and even garnered praise from the likes of Bob Dylan. In her career she has toured with Buddy Guy and Johnny Winter; started an all girl band called Sis Deville; sat in on a Los Lobos set; recorded with Jerry Lightfoot; and brought her music to people around the world. Her style of blues will find a perfect home at the Greeley Blues Jam among so many talented blues artists and without a doubt she will stand out above the rest.

JJ GREY & MOFRO

perfectly, making it difficult not to tap your foot. Attendees of the 2013 Blues Jam should look forward to enjoying tracks like, “Florabama,” “Your Lady, She’s Crazy,” and “Standing on the Edge” among others.

JJ Grey & MOFRO are a must-see at this year’s Blues Jam for anyone who appreciates Blues and Southern Rock. Check them out at the main stage on Saturday June 8th at 9pm!

by jordan wood

HARPER AND

THE MIDWEST KIND The rock, soul, and unique blues band Harper and the Midwest Kind is making its way to Greeley, Colorado. This talented Australian songwriter and singer, with his distinct take on the genre, puts on a show that keeps the crowd entertained. The band’s sound is unique, catchy, and easy to listen too. Harper tears apart the harmonica, and the slide guitarist Angelo Santell creates good vibes from easy going jams, to grooving upbeat guitar solos that complements the bands wampy Didgeridoo into a funky good time. Come see Harper and the Midwest Kind deliver one incredible show that will not be soon forgotten. The members of the band include: Harper, singer, harmonica and didgeridoo player, Angelo Santell, slide guitarist and dobro player, Derek Johnson, bass, guitar, and djembe player, and David Zwolinski, who tears apart the drums. Come see Harper and the Midwest Kind perform some of their hit tracks such as “We Stand Together,” “One Day,” and “Not my brother.” You can check out these songs as well as other songs on their website at ReverbNation.com/ HarperandMidwestKind and hear for yourself why the band has been grabbing the attention of rock and roll fans from all over.

LIONEL YOUNG BAND

The Lionel Young Band stands out from the flock of blues bands coming to Greeley this year for many reasons, but mainly it’s their instrumentation. While most bands are focused on elaborate guitar work or extensive harmonica solos, The Lionel Young Band brings something blues fans do not hear very often; the violin. Backed by a horn section, The Lionel Young Band’s sound is raw and energetic, giving their songs a life audiences are drawn to. If the blues is supposed to be sad, The Lionel Young didn’t get the memo, and if the blues can’t be played on the violin, they didn’t get that memo either. The Lionel Young Band has toured extensively through the coasts and have even found a place for themselves in Paris, France. Winning numerous awards including the 2011 International Blues Challenge, The Lionel Young Band has become a household name in blues circles and something not to miss.

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

A Historic Legislative Session in the CO House

Swings Left

James Garcia BandWagon Magazine

Democrats exercised their power in the House, passing a media-arousing amount of legislation during the most recent 120-day session which came to an end last month. It was no surprise there would be a handful of controversial legislation, but the amount of issues they tackled and successfully passed is being hailed as historic, whether it was

historically progressive or divisive. “During a legislative session, we maybe have one or two weighty issues, but this session it seems we had eight or ten... Obviously I think the gun control legislation really set the tone for this session, and I think that it was an overreach that we have not seen in recent history in state legislature,” said Rep. Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs, the republican House leader. Waller described the new legislation limiting magazines to

fifteen rounds as being presented by the bill’s sponsors “under the guise of public safety,” saying that during the debate, Beth McCann D-Denver listed off the names of the victims of mass shootings in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona and Virginia. Saying we have to protect all of these people, with another supporter, according to Waller saying, “these are instruments of war that belong in the theater of war, not in Colorado theaters.” “What caught everybody’s attention were these big, mass shootings that occurred and that continue to occur,” said Rep. Dave Young, D-Greeley. “The process of trying to hit a balance and respond to the needs of the people who want to feel safer, while not treading on 2nd amendment rights is an interesting process.” The bill contains an amendment, supported by McCann, for the legislative body to control the production and sales of Colorado magazine manufacturing company, Magpul, with the ability to make it a criminal act to sell magazines with a capacity greater than fifteen within

and outside the state. And it will soon be a crime to do so Colorado, but in all of the other states where the other listed victims lived, there is no ban on sales, and in fact, it is made possible for the state to suck the fat off the sales with hefty taxes on the 400 million dollar company‘s revenue. “If banning these is truly going to have an impact on public safety, wouldn’t you want to ban their sales everywhere, not just here?” Waller said, believing the amendment to be hypocritical in relation to the presentation of the overall bill. Along with the magazine restrictions, universal background checks have been extended to private transfers of firearms between citizens, with each background check costing $10. Neither Young nor Waller were in support of the fee associated with the background checks, believing it to be a public service the government should provide. “There was a lot of debate about are we turning people into common criminals if they just hand a gun to somebody,” Young said. “I want to make sure that I’m not harming people’s ability to arm and defend themselves, but at the same time make a common sense step toward gun safety in our community.” Waller said he recently purchased a firearm, and when he was asked to fork over the $10, he called up the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Lois Court D-Denver, telling her she owed him ten bucks. Oddly, she refused to pay up. “The reason that Rep. Court said that we need to pay for our own background checks, is because it’s a service to us, not to the state of Colorado. To which my response is: No, that’s incorrect, it’s not a service to me to get a background check — I know I’m a good person,” Waller said. “I get a background check so everybody else in the state knows I’m going to safely handle this firearm.” On the issue of civil unions, which saw at least a smidge of bipartisan support, Waller said the difference between them and same-sex marriage is unclear. He repeatedly emphasized the latter of which violates the state’s constitution. This was after railing against the democrats for, as he said, spitefully removing religious exemptions from the bill after the Catholic church failed to back civil unions, saying, “I think all Coloradans should be free to express their religion in the way that they want to.” “In my thinking, it is about committed couples, and my big focus is: How do we make sure the kids are protected? And certainly affording people the same rights that others enjoy, equality of the law, is an important thing,” Young said. Young believes the bill supports children who are under the care of same sex parents, who would

Pictured Above: Republican Mark Waller Pictured Left: Democrat Dave Young

otherwise be left in the state’s foster care system if their biological parent were to die or become unable to care for them, instead of going to the other “loving parent who can take care of them, but are not recognized under the law.” But Waller was enthusiastic to reiterate it’s not a constitutional protection, as “gays and lesbians, at least as far as the United States supreme court is concerned, are not a constitutionally protected class.” Even after this session, the newly forming marijuana regulations remain a befuddling issue. Neither Waller nor Young were proponents for the legislation, but feel a responsibility to the voters who contributed to Amendment 64’s passing to making the regulations work in the people’s favor. An important bill Waller has been working on for three years was signed into law by governor John Hickenlooper, creating a presumptive limit for driving under the influence of marijuana. The tests are based on a person’s level of Delta-9 THC, the psychoactive element of cannabis that renders the user “incapable of safely operating a vehicle” (which is now defined by the state as 5 nanograms or more) lasting for three to four hours (as opposed to latent THC, which can remain in the system for up to 30 or more days). It appears marijuana sales will be taxed as high as 25%, with 15% going directly to the schools, which Young views as sending a hypocritical message to children, and the remaining 10% going back into the regulation process. Also added to the legislation, strangely enough: marijuana-based publications will now be required to be sold from behind the counter. But as with all of these issues, there is a lot going on behind the scenes, the effects of which will be unfolding before us in the next few months. “In the case of these marijuana bills, we’re blazing the trail here. We don’t have any other legislation to look at to know what we should be doing,” Young said.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

COLORaDO CONCERT CALENDAR

Saturday June 1st

Nasty Bunch of Bitches @ The Moxi Theater, Greeley – 8pm w/ Sorry I Came, The Ghoulies, Origami

Reggae Night Live DJ @ Roma - 9pm

DJ TMac @ A.F. Ray’s, Greeley -9pm

Elliot Woolsey @ Down Under Comedy Club, Greely – 8:30pm w/ Brad Galli

Baths @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ Houses and D33J

The Tallest Man on Earth @ Ogden, Denver - 9pm w/ Strand of oaks

Choice City Stomp @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 7pm

The Matt Skinner Band @ Road 34, Fort Collins – 9pm

Bassnectar @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison - 7pm Fly Golden Eagle @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Dirty Few, Lil’ Thunder, Mechanical Roots

Nathaniel Rateliff And The Night Swears 7 @ Hi-Dive Denver – 10pm w/ DJ Jason Heller Zion I @ The Gothic Theatre, Denver – 11:30pm w/ Ill.Gates, Church of Bass

IAMTHESHOTGUN @ Summit Music Hall, Denver – 7pm w/ Forty Fathoms, Rather Dashing, Cattleist, Hemingway Hero

Art by Bobby King, Energy Flow through Spirituality @ Sytax Distillery, Greeley - 8pm. Sound Art Live Improv w/ Joe Lee Parker and Danny Evans

Twista @ The Moxi Theater on 6/6/13 in Greeley

sunday June 2nd Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 6:30pm w/ Alabama Shakes

All Waffle Trick @ Larimer Lounge Denver – 2pm w/ Frozen Tide, Fig Nixon, The Dead End Drivers, Rough Age, Everyday Heroes Qwel & Maker @ Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm w/ Deca, Aklock & Deadbeat Dom, Man Mantis, God’s Side Project

monday June 3rd

Masters of Madness Tour: Alice Cooper/ Marilyn Manson @ Red Rocks, Morrison – 7pm

You, Me, and Everyone We Know @ The Marquis, Denver – 7pm w/ I The Mighty, Squid The Whale, The Orphan, The Poet Peace @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Team Spirit, Twin Peaks

The XX @ The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver -6pm

TUESDAY June 4th

Foals @ Odgen Theatre, Denver – 9pm w/ Surfer Blood, Blondfire Fear @ The Marquis, Denver -7:30 w/ Frontside Five, Zebroids

Hellbound Glory @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm

w/ Pretty War, John Boland, Oscar Ross

Alkaline Trio @ Summit Music Hall, Denver – 7pm w/ Bayside, Off With Their Heads, Erin Cookman

WEDNESDAY June 5th Sting Back to Bass @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 8pm

Garrett Lebeau Band @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Grant Sabin, Charity Rael, Bee Sting Sessions The Almost @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ Conditions, Palisades

Leghounds w/ Ben Pu & Crew @ The Moxi Theater, Greeley – 8pm

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013 tuesday June 11th The Vine Brothers @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins - 8pm

The Almost @ The Marquis on 6/5/13 in Denver

Pop Secret @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 9pm

THursday June 6th

Twista @ The Moxi Theater, Greeley – 8pm

Feat: M.E.R.K ENT, Fift, Noizzy Blocc, FTC Records, Eric C

SHEL @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ Humming House

Darius Rucker, Rodney Atkins, Jana Kramer @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison - 7pm

Bleach Blonde @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ Ashtree, T-Shirts For Tomorrow, Rumours Follow

Cobraconda @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 9:30pm w/ Will Da Beast, Yonnas Abraham, DJ Largechild, The Broadway, and more.

Friday June 7th

Austin Young @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 9pm

Ty Bray @ A.F. Ray’s, Greeley - 5pm

Bobby Crane @ Down Under Comedy Club, Greely – 8:30pm w/ Vinnie Montez

Charlie Hunter & Scott Amendola @ Aggie Theater, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ The People’s Abstract

Blendercats @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ The Big Motif

Gooding @ Road 34, Fort Collins – 9am w/ MISCOMUNICADO

Willy Moon @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm

They Might Be Giants @ Ogden Theatre, Denver – 9pm w/ Vandaveer

MarchFourth Marching Band @ Bluebird Theater, Denver - 8pm w/ Bop Skizzum, In Due Time

Umphery’s Mcgee @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 7pm

Vitamins @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Tjutjuna, Fingers of the Sun

Ned Garthe @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 10pm w/ Colfax Speed queen

A Memory Down @ Summit Music Hall, Denver – 7pm w/ Tattooed Strings, Gravity Lies, Vespyra, Fallen Forgotten

saturday June 8th

Rock 4 Revival Tour: Saving Abel @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 6pm w/ Art Of Dying, Blacklight District The Staves @ Hi-

Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ Musikanto

The Dandy Warrhols: Performing 13 Tales From Urban Bohemia @ The Gothic Theatre, Denver -8pm w/ The Shivas

Logic Erica Brown w/ Leghounds @ Summit Music Hall, Denver @ The Moxi Theater, Greeley – 9pm w/ Skizzy Mars, C Dot Castro, Quest Electronic Night Live DJ @ Roma - 9pm

Comedy Night: Mitch Jones @ A.F. Ray’s, Greeley - 9pm w/ Michael Fowler and Guests

Bobby Crane @ Down Under Comedy Club, Greely – 8:30pm w/ Vinnie Montez

Phuzion Feat. Phutureprimitive @ Aggie Theater, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ The Acidophiles, Boom Dispensary and L.E.R.

Widow’s Bane @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 8pm The Billy Goats @ Road 34, Fort Collins – 9pm w/ Orifice A and Kira Lynn Sands Big Head Todd and the Monsters @ Red Rocks, Morrison - 7pm Stepdad @ The Marquis, Denver – 7pm w/ We Like Monsters, Roniit

The Psychedlic Furs @ The Gothic Theatre, Denver - 9pm w/ My Jerusalem Wampire @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 10pm The Photo Atlas @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 9:30pm w/ Hollow Talk, Izcalli

TYR @ Summit Music Hall, Denver w/ Singularity, Be Good, Filibusta

wednesday June 12th The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ Broken Bow The Boxer Rebellion @ Bluebird Theater, Denver – 8pm w/ Fossil Collective Cartel @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ State Champs, Syke 96

Crystal Fighters @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Alpine Trail and Ways @ Hi-Dive, Denver w/ The Rusty Maples, Jellyfish

thursday June 13th

A Tom Collins @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 8pm W/ Post Paradise, Wirefaces Joey Diamond @ Aggie Theater, Fort Collins – 8pm Rachael Yamagata @ Bluebird Theater, Denver – 8pm w/ Sanders Bohike

Hillsong United @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 7:30pm

Superhumanoids @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Gossamer

Dead Pay Rent @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 9:00pm w/ Hot Apostles, BOX, Hi-Strung Open Mic @ The Moxi Theater 8pm

friday June 14th

Megan T. @ A.F. Ray’s, Greeley - 5pm

Sam Tallent @ Down Under Comedy Club, Greely – 8:30pm w/ Ben Adams

Geto Boys @ Summit Music Hall, Denver – 8pm w/ LAMA Squad

Native Daughters @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 9:30pm w/ Orphans, The Gamits, Spirit of the Stairs Valentino Kahn @ Aggie Theater, Fort Collins – 8pm

Cracker/ Camper Van Beethoven @ Bluebird Theater, Denver – 9pm Datsick @ Ogden Theatre, Denver – 9pm w/ Bare Noize, Shiftee, Shank Aaron

Topflite – Hypnautic @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ King Tef, Johny Rocketz, Germoney The Blind Strike @ Road 34, Fort Collins – 9pm w/ Radical Action DeVotchKa @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 7pm w/ Colorado Symphony

Hands @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ We Like Monsters, Common Anomaly Fitz and the Tantrums @ The Gothic Theatre, Denver -8pm w/ Saints of Valory, Ivy Levan

Family of The year @ The Moxi, Greeley – 8pm w/ Paul Beveridge & Company, Carols

saturday June 15th Reggae Night Live DJ @ Roma, Greeley - 9pm

Scarlet Canary @ A.F. Ray’s, Greeley - 9pm

Sam Tallent @ Down Under Comedy Club, Greely – 8:30pm w/ Ben Adams Greeley Poetry Slam @ Syntax Distillery, Greeley – 8pm

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion @ Bluebird Theater, Denver – 9pm Datsik @ Ogden Theatre, Denver – 9pm w/ BAR9, CRNKN, Dayquill

Dave and the Gin Mill Gypsies @ Road 34, Fort Collins – 9pm Renegade String Band @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 8pm

Tedeschi Trucks Band @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 6:30pm w/ Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, JJ Grey Idelwhile @ Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ White Shell Road, The Federalists

Chemistry Club @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ Kill Paradise, Foxfield Four, William Charles Livingston

A life Worth Living @ The Gothic Theatre, Denver -8pm w/ Bullet Inc, Coupstick, Ghost of Ivy

Justin Townes Earle @ Mishawaka, Bellvue – 8pm w/ Patrick Dethlefs, The Patti Fiasco

sunday June 16th

Authority Zero @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ Ballyhoo!, Versus The World, Boldtype

West Walter Outlaws @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 1pm w/ The Query, El Amor, Ashen Embers, Pretty Girl, Carmelita’s Lovers

The Lovely Bad Things @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 9pm w/ Dirty Few, …and the black feathers, Wyatt Blair

monday June 17th

A Silent Film @ Bluebird Theater, Denver – 8pm w/ Unlikely Candidates, A Boy & His Kite

Sunday June 9th

Celtic Woman @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 8pm

Chad Price (Drag the River) @ HiDive, Denver – 9:30pm w/ Jeremy Pinell, Tyler Lee Holter

Fiddler On The River @ Mishawaka, Bellvue -5pm w/ The Fort Collins Symphony with Acoustic Eldolon

Monday June 10th

Big Black Delta @ @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 8pm w/ Force Publique, Lust

Family of the Year @ The Moxi 6/14/13 in Greeley

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013 Denver – 9pm w/ Accordion Crimes, Bud Bronson & The Good Timers Dirty Bourbon River Show @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 9:30pm w/ Champagne Charlie

thursday June 20th Kiss Army @ Aggie Theater Fort Collins – 8pm

Bob Schneider @ Bluebird Theater Denver - 8pm w/ Gabriel Kelley

Fall Out Boy @ Ogden Theater on 6/22/13 in Denver Smile Empty Soul @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ Boy Hits Car Generationals @ Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ Young Empires

tuesday June 18th Nekromantix @ Bluebird Theater, Denver - 8pm w/ Graveyard Johnnys, Royal Dead Bad Veins @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Face Man

Wood & Fire @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 8pm Father John Misty @ Ogden Theatre, Denver - 8pm w/ Pure Bathing Culture

A Wilhelm Scream @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ The Flatliners, Such Gold, The Sound Collapse The Wild @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 9:30pm w/ The Heavy Guilt

In The Whale @ The Moxi Theater Greeley - 8pm w/ The Hate

Luminosity @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ Kingman Brewster, Rudie Clash, THC Motive @ The Marquis Theatre Denver - 7pm w/ Jamestown Revival Snowden @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Shady Elders, Malamadre

Killswitch Engage @ Summit Music Hall, Denver – 6:30pm w/ Miss May I, Darkest Hour, The Word Alive, Affiance Mount Moriah @ Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ Jesse Skyes

Denver – 10pm w/ Prof, Black Actors

The Fresh Press @ Road 34, Fort Collins – 9pm

Mr. Capone-E @ Hodi’s Half Note Fort Collins - 8pm w/ High Power Soldiers & Special Guests

O.A.R. @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison – 7pm

The Front Bottoms @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver 7:30 w/ Weatherbox, Mega Gem Cayucas @ Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm w/ JBM

Summer School @ The Moxi Theater, Greeley – 8pm w/ DJ Chonz, Huff N Keen, J.Smith, 2True & Special Guests Dead Man Winter @ The Gothic Theatre, Denver -10:30pm w/ Pert’ Near, Sandstone The Motet @ Mishawaka Bellvue – 6pm w/ Trichome

wednesday June 19th friday June 21st

CSS @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 8pm w/ IO Echo

Barenaked Ladies @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison - 7pm

Ben Pu @ A.F. Ray’s, Greeley - 5pm

Havok @ Aggie Theater, Fort Collins – 8pm

Bob Schneider @ Aggie Theater, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ Gabriel Kelley

Paper Route @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm

Defiler @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ Bridges

Parquet Courts @ Larimer Lounge

The 4 Horsemen @ Down Under Comedy Club, Greely – 8:30pm

The Varmints and Fustercluck @ Road 34, Fort Collins – 9pm Hot Buttered Rum @ Bluebird Theater, Denver – 9pm

Patti Fiaco @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ The Deadwood Saints The Ultimate Thriller Michael Jackson Tribute @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 8pm

Havok @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver 7pm

Tjutjuna @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, The Blue Rider Emily Wells @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 10:00pm w/ Kitty Crimes

Howie Day @ Summit Music Hall, Denver – 8pm w/ Tyler hilton

saturday June 22nd Electronic Music Live DJ @ Roma - 9pm

Wooleye @ A.F. Ray’s, Greeley -9pm The 4 Horsemen @ Down Under Comedy Club, Greely – 8:30pm Paul Chet @ Aggie Theater, Fort Collins – 8pm Grieves @ Aggie Theater

sunday June 23rd Fall Out Boy @ Ogden Theatre, Denver - 7:30pm Hot Buttered Rum and Pert Near Sandstone @ Mishawaka, Bellvue -4pm w/ The Honeygitters

Torres @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 9:30pm w/ Lady Lamb the Beekeeper

Radiation City BBQ Show @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 1pm w/ We Were Cosmonauts, Confluence, The Whales, Codename

monday June 24th Royal Teeth w/ American Authors

The Dig @ Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ The Outfit, Abandin Pictures Tricky @ The Gothic Theatre, Denver -8:30pm w/ Royal Canoe Thursday June 25th

Hail the Sun @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ The Speed Of Sound In Seawater, Stolas

wednesday June 26th Queensryche Feat. Geoff Tate @ Aggie Theater, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ Glass Delirium Summerland Tour Feat:

Everclear, Live, Filter, Sponge @ Ogden Theatre, Denver -7:30pm D-Why @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ Sam Lachow

thursday June 27th Anberlin @ Aggie Theater, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ Campfire OK and Stars in Stereo Widespread Panic @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 7pm

Alpha Blondy @ Ogden Theatre, Denver – 9pm

Branded Bandits @ The Marquis Theatre, Denver – 7pm w/ Birch Street

Frankmusik @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Ride the Universe, Boyhollow Water Liars @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 9:30pm w/ Prism Waves, Shady Elders Camera Obscura @ The Gothic Theatre, Denver -8pm w/ Marissa Nadler

friday June 28th

Gii @ A.F. Ray’s, Greeley - 5pm

NoCo Comic Celebration @ Down Under Comedy Club, Greely – 8:30pm Widespread Panic @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 7pm The Silent Comedy @ Larimer Lounge, Denver – 9pm w/ Patrick Dethlefs

Ethel and the Regulars @ The Moxi Theater, Greeley - 8pm Colfax Speed Queen @ Hi-Dive, Denver – 10:00pm w/ Wire Faces, Pizza Time, Heavy Dose DJs Flobots @ The Gothic Theatre, Denver -9pm

Dark Star Orchestra @ Mishawaka, Bellvue – 6pm Continuing the Grateful Dead Concert Experience

Pale Rider and the White Horse @ Syntax Distillery, Greeley – 8pm w/ Sorry I Came, and More!

saturday June 29th Reggae Night Live DJs @ Roma - 9pm

Flobots @ The Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ WheelChair Sports Camp, Grits & Gravy The Deltaz @ A.F. Ray’s Greeley -9pm w/ Ben PU and Matt Schooley

NoCo Comic Celebration @ Down Under Comedy Club Greely – 8:30pm

Two Gallants @ Aggie Theater, Fort Collins – 8pm w/ Broncho The Oh Hellos @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm The Epilogues @ Hodi’s Half Note, Fort Collins - 8pm Widespread Panic @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison – 7pm

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

ROLLER DERBY 2013 Home Bout Schedule May 3-4 Mayday Mayhem Tournament Featuring: SDG Prime Cuts Junction City Roller Dolls Pueblo Jailhouse Jawbreakers Foco Girls Gone Derby Pacific Roller Derby Sioux City Roller Dames Central Coast Roller Derby Cheyenne Capidolls May 18 SDG Bone Saw Bruisers vs Naughty Pines June 15 Home Team Bout Aug. 24 Home Team Bout Sept. 28 SDG VS Ark Valley Double Header Oct. 5 SDG Primecuts VS Castlerock Nov. 16 Home Team Bout Dec. 7 7th Anuual Snow Brawl

@ the Kill Floor 237 22nd St, Greeley CO

www.slaughterhousederbygirls.com

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

The Woman Who Weeps A creative story by Weston Brownlee Every kid all through the San Luis valley knew about the old rotting house south of Alamosa, and any of us who lived out in the country nearby knew to stay as far away from it as we could. It was the last trace of one of the first farms in the valley—four hundred acres of land. Now all it grew was a void of prairie grass, cactus, and yucca. A deep, dry creek bed ran through the middle of the land. The house itself was a graying bunch of wood and crumbling, discolored bricks. Somehow it still stood, even though it looked ready to collapse when the next breeze kicked up. It was the only house in the valley that had ever been built with a spire, and one of the very few from that century that wasn’t made from adobe. The more time that passed the more decayed it looked, but it never fell. When I was still in grade school, my friends and I would walk home and see the older boys daring each other to put one foot under the barbed wire fence, or reach an arm through a gap. One day we saw a group of them drop a younger boy over the fence, and then laugh at him when he started crying. They threatened to do the same to us, but it never happened. Some days we’d all of us just stand holding onto the bare spots on the barbed wire, or the t-posts, and just look across the expanse and see it in the distance. One day when I got home that day my older brother was back from the mechanic’s garage in town. Everyone knew about my brother. He’d been one of the best football players on the high school team, one of the best the valley had ever seen—so everyone said. When he got injured and couldn’t play anymore he gave up. School wasn’t easy for him, and without football he wasn’t going anywhere. He got a job with my grandfather’s friend, and that was what his life. Everywhere he went he walked with a limp. Mamma would scold him, saying that he had ruined his life. She’d cross herself when she’d lament over the sorts of girls he kept in his company, and how stupid he had been. See, the reason everybody knew about my brother was because he’d crossed the barbed wire fence and gone to the house.

As I kept getting older I knew there really must have been something very wrong with that place. It took another three years for me to work up the courage to ask the one person I thought might talk me about it. My brother was twenty-two. I knew that if anyone knew what was wrong with that house, it was my brother. One night I stayed up late waiting for him to get home from one of his dates. I fell asleep in the big armchair by our fireplace. When the door opened and a cold gust woke me, I could just make out the hour hand close to three and heard a girl’s giggle. “What the hell are you doing out here?” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and saw my brother glaring at me. “I have to ask you something.” He was mad. If it weren’t for hid girl, he’d have slugged me. “I wasn’t trying to spy.” That girl laughed again. “It’s about the house.” The hardness left his eyes, but the rest of him looked even tenser. “Go to bed.” “Let him ask.” I looked behind my brother at his date. She was one of the hottest girls I’d ever seen with him. He normally brought home blond girls. This one had long black hair, and she was wearing a tight fitting tank top, with my brother’s

leather coat over that. I could see most of her long legs and wondered how much shorter her skirt could possibly have been. It seemed liked he had a new girl friend every two weeks. He looked at her, and I knew that for no reason other than looking tough, he’d have to answer me now. “What’s inside that house?” My brother stared for a long moment. “Nothing. That place could fall down any day. Stay away from it.”

Not for one second did I believe him. I was always a lot smarter than he gave me credit for, and I always knew even though he acted like I was no more to him than a fly to a stallion, he was always looking out for me. I was tired of people thinking I wasn’t old enough, strong enough, or tough enough to take care of myself. The next day I left home right after breakfast and spent most of the afternoon in the library. Before I got bored and fell asleep I found one article about the house from 1930-something. All it said was that the land was for sale by the last member of the family who had owned the land, and then something about how he was a rich businessman from Chicago and had never set foot in Colorado and had no interest in a sensational and untrue stain on his family’s reputation. I woke up at 5 o’clock when they were closing, I knew I’d be in for it if I tried to walk back home from town— took almost two hours. I headed over to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff was actually my mother’s “friend,” as she put it. He and my brother never got along. There was more than once he’d brought my brother home drunk. He never threw him in jail though. When I walked into the station I found him sitting with his feet up on the desk. It took more than a little convincing, but he told me what had happened to my brother that night. They had found him crawling away from the house with bones sticking out of his right leg and the rest of it bent like someone had almost ripped it off. He was bleeding all over the place. Nothing he said made any sense and when they searched the area they didn’t find anything. He told me about the house too. I don’t remember how he told the story of the house that day but as I have come to know it, my version goes like this: Back when the house was still new enough you could smell the cedar, the first rancher there had two sons. The older boy was very much like his father, a businessman. The younger boy was the more handsome, and full of mischief. While the oldest spent time dreaming of how he might grow his father’s empire, the younger thought of nothing more than whatever fleeting impulse his desires conjured.

One day the three of them went to trade in a village. While his father and brother were busy with their cattle, the younger brother saw the most beautiful girl he’d ever laid eyes on. She was so beautiful that every man in the valley knew of her, and any of them young enough tried to make her fall in love with them. Where others had only tried, the younger brother not only got her to fall in love but also got her pregnant. Whether he really loved her or whether it was just what people did in those days, he married her. When the time came, she gave him two sons of his own. After the younger bother grew tired of the valley. He wanted to see the world.

He went to Chicago at the invitation of his older brother to help ship beef back east. They met with success and his trips home grew less and less frequent. When he was home he spent all his time with his sons, and paid no attention to his wife. When they would stay up late arguing he would scold her, telling her she was selfish and stupid. Then, through some friend or rumor, eventually it came to light that he’d become involved with girl at a jazz club and another who was the daughter or a wealthy man from New York. His became so enraged that she took her two young sons and drowned them both in the river that ran through her husband’s estate while he was away. News made it all the way to her husband in Chicago. Believing it was some spiteful trick in response to his affairs, he came home. When he learned it was true on train ride out, they say he went crazy, and vowed to kill his wife. But he was too late. She was already hanging in the top room of the turret when he arrived. The people of the valley dried up the entire river searching for the bodies of the two boys, but never found them and to this day nobody knows where the woman was buried, or if she even was. The land sold fast, but then changed hands again and again. People claimed they would hear screams late at night—a woman crying out—wailing. Some even claimed they had seen a pale figure walking by the dry riverbed and then vanishing. Two kids actually did go missing on the land in the fifties, and were never found, but I didn’t know that until years later

Maybe he didn’t know any better because he had never had any kids, but I was thirteen and now staying away was the last thing on my mind. Mamma really seemed to believe something had cursed my brother. If the tormented spirit of the woman couldn’t take my brother away, maybe she had just hurt him. That made me think maybe the real reason he wouldn’t talk about it was because he had seen her. My talk with Mamma’s boyfriend made an idea a lot stronger than it had been. There was something there, and it wasn’t just a “no trespassing” sign. I was going to prove it, and I was going to prove that my brother wasn’t the no good son she always made him out to be—that the stuff he did and the way he acted wasn’t his fault. Over the next week I found out that a lot of the other kids knew all about the story I’d heard. There were some who said the weeping woman would catch you after dark and kill you, some said she take you away, some said she’d eat you, and some still said if you looked at her face it would kill you. The night I snuck out to the fence line, it took me all of two seconds to realize I wasn’t anywhere near as brave as my brother. I stood there for what felt like half an hour just looking off into the darkness. My mind started playing tricks on me. Every glint of light became some wispy phantom. The truth is I was about to turn around and go back home, until a pair of headlights came up the road. I ducked down and slipped under the fence line and hid behind some mesquite grass at the bottom of a ditch. My heart started pounding heavy when the car stopped just up above and the engine shut off. Listening to the door open and then slam made me forget all about house and the stories. Two rough voices made my fear grow. My breathing felt so loud I was sure they could hear me. But no one came to the fence. I couldn’t hear what they saying. I just lied still as I could.

It felt like hours, but it actually wasn’t long before I heard another car drive up. I listened to the two rough voices, but they were still too quiet. After another car door opened and shut and a third voice came I knew it immediately. It was my brother. I only could make out one word clearly as he spoke and that word was cocaine. I was so shocked I stood up to full height gaping. I knew my brother really liked a lot of different girls, and I knew he liked getting drunk, but until then I never would have dreamed my brother had ever done drugs, let alone would buy them.

When I started running off across the prairie on the endless expanse toward the house it was to get away. I felt angry and upset—betrayed. I heard lots of shouting from the road, but everything was such a blur I couldn’t have guessed what was happening. The house grew from a small gray shadow in the distance to its full height in a matter of moments. Then it was standing right in front of me, close enough to reach out and touch. The wood looked rotten—withered and dry like old, unburied bones. Behind filthy and cracked windows pale curtains swayed in a draft. It took a moment to realize I was standing on the front porch, it’s planks creaking and groaning so loud they seemed ready to snap. The door was before me, a huge wooden slab that was peeling and splintered.

Then I did hear the shouting clearly. I looked over my shoulder, and saw the two men running across the field, each holding guns. My brother followed closely behind. Maybe he would have stopped them, but I didn’t want him to find me either. I never wanted to see him again. The door wasn’t locked. It swung inward and the rusty hinges shrieked. I rushed into the darkness of the house and ignored the fact that my eyes hadn’t adjusted. I tripped and my knees throbbed. Across the room I saw a winding staircase. More shapes came into view—furniture left uncovered to fade and crumble, broken glass, and china. Faded paintings hung on the walls, the canvas of some decayed and flaky. I pulled myself up and ran toward the stairs. I was almost above the first floor when I heard a gun fire. I kept running thinking for certain I had been shot. I got lost on the second floor, stumbling blinding through the half dark, falling again and again. Somehow I came to another staircase. It’s strange to think back on what it was like—moving without a thought as to what I was doing or even realizing it. I really don’t remember anything else until I was at the top of the turret. I finally had a chance to breath again, or at least try to breath again. The wind was howling in through tall shattered windows. The air felt as cold as the middle of winter. In that moment I really knew what true dread is. When I was sitting there in the top of the turret, being shot at wasn’t the reason I was so afraid. All the stories, the rumors, and warnings were all I could think about. I was sitting in the very spot that she had died and the worst part was that I knew I couldn’t run. That’s when it happened. It’s easy to dismiss,but I know what happened was real. Something stirred in a pile of debris and old sheets covering a chair or something next to me. I was so afraid I started hyperventilating. Every breath stuck and made me feel a little fainter as a human figure literally rose from where seconds ago had been nothing. It was short, almost as short me—slender and gaunt. I wanted to look away and hide my eyes, but I couldn’t. A long arm reached out toward me and I realized

pale dress. Even in the dark the blanch skin was vivid. Long white hair covered a downcast gaze. I scrambled back, but the arm still reached for me. Then her bony fingers uncurled and tickled the side of my face like a slow flutter of moth wings. Frosty pain shot through my cheek like I was being stabbed. I tried to get away, but the fingers were still there. Then her head began rise. Her hair began to fall away from her face, like cobwebs caught in the air. Then I saw my brother standing next to me and heard his voice. Her eyes were almost on me as he rushed forward. I felt his strong grip on my shoulders as he wrenched me away from the pale fingers and shielded me face with his arm.

I don’t really know what happened next because when I opened my eyes and looked up there was a white ceiling overheard and the faces of all my family, except for my brother. All in all I had ten fractures, a lot of bruises, and one long cut I would have bled out from if help hadn’t come when it did. This time Mamma had been the one to make a phone call. When she told her boyfriend, the sheriff, I was missing, he had known exactly why I’d snuck out. When he got there and saw the two cars he called for back up because the one the two men had come in was stolen. They found both my brother and me in a heap of wreckage. They said the floor of the turret was so rotted through it had given way the second my brother had set foot on it. Both of us fell three stories as a whole side of the house collapsed. Somehow I lived. My brother didn’t. One of the men with guns was trapped in the collapse and later arrested. The other one opened fire on the sheriff and his deputies trying to escape. He winged one of them, but was shot himself and died right there. I was too beat up to go to my brother’s funeral. They kept me in the hospital for a week. Lots of people asked me lots of questions and I told them the same story I’ve told here. No one believed me. Six months later the county had the house demolished. Turns out drug deals happened there all the time. Between that and the nuisance people’s fascination with it had become the county decided it wasn’t worth it. Mamma made an even bigger fuss over me than she had my brother. She sent me to talk to a priest first who then recommended I be sent to a psychologist. They tried to tell me what I had seen, what I had felt, was the product of chemicals in my brain firing more than they should have because of the man shooting at me and me being so afraid. There’s times I’ve wondered if they’re right, but then I remember the fingers on my face and I know it was real. Nobody said a kind word about my brother since. Maybe it’s just to put my spirit at ease but as I’ve grown older I’ve come to think this: If my brother hadn’t been out there that night for the reason he was I would have gone in that house completely alone. Believe what you will, but I know what would have taken me. There’s not a day that goes by I don’t think about him and wish that whatever happened to him that night that changed his life could be undone. I feel guilty that he gave his life to save mine, especially since he’s remembered the way he is. I know my brother did some bad things, some I haven’t even mentioned, but I like to think that what he did for me made up for it, that it made him a good person again—I have to think it did.

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment magazine JUNE 2013

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.

BANDWAGON PIx

May SuDOKU SOLUTION

om c . g a m g a w d @ban x i p O T X X I I P P N R O U G O A Y W T I D M N B SU #BA M A R G A T S N I N OR TAG US O photos by nate giska, Kendra Hamman