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BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

100 years of

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Celebrate in Estes Park, basecamp for Rocky Mountain National Park. Join us for year-long centennial events and special Estes Park programs. Estes Park Music Festival Concerts, Sundays through April Tinsel Tavern Tour & Dasher 5K, December 13th Last Minute Holiday Shopathon, December 19th - 21st Estes Park Winter Festival, January 16th - 19th Frost Giant 5K, & 10K, January 25th

Rocky Mountain National Park s 100th Birthday Party, January 26th Whiskey Warm-Up, February 7th - 8th Find centennial deals and details at VisitEstesPark.com/Centennial

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

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The Echo Chamber SYNESTHESIA

Jay Wallace

BandWagon Magazine I’m going into The Echo Chamber’s new release, Synesthesia, completely blind. While I have an interest in electronic music, I don’t necessarily listen to a lot of it, and while The Echo Chamber has played here in Greeley, I can’t recall ever attending one of their shows. So I’m largely judging it as if this is the group’s first album, even though this is the Fort Collins-based group’s second release. Electronic music–particularly albums filled with Instrumentals, like Synesthesia–can sometimes be difficult to judge due to the experimental nature of the genre. What do you compare it to that people are aware of? The Echo Chamber compares themselves to the likes of Radiohead, Battles and Explosions In The Sky, but I’m not thinking of those groups while listening to the album. “Into The Machine” is reminiscent of Greeley musician Joe Lee Parker’s solo Sound Art performances, a tonally dark electronic piece that’s interlaced with electric and bass guitar as well as drums. It also brings to mind the score from 28 Days Later. The title track, “Amorphous Colors in Dreams” and “Terrorvison” continue this aesthetic. A note on “Terrorvision”, despite its title, it’s much more upbeat in terms of tone and really rocks out towards the end. “In Battle,” weirdly, reminds me of classic rock from the 70s, mostly due to the guitar playing of Ryan Gaudie, and mixed in with the MIDI work of Chris Thompson, giving this rock track a strangely relaxing mellow vibe. “Morphine Tiger” is the one track with lyrics, bassist Brian Weikel providing the vocals. Weikel is an

excellent singer, even if his voice seems really familiar in a way that’s almost generic, at least until the ending. The ending sort of pumps you up, and the only issue I have is the fact that it gets exciting… and then it stops. “Strange Giant” recalls the score of Pacific Rim, until the horn section comes up, which really makes this track stand out. I think this is potentially my favorite track on Synesthesia, and it mostly has to do with the inclusion of the horns. Lots of electronic music is Generic Movie Trailer Music, Shitty Club Music or Daft Punk/Glitch Mob knockoffs with not much to really distinguish itself. This is truly a unique-sounding track, and for that I love it. The album closes out with “Gold Blooded,” a melancholic-turncholeric-and-back-again piece that tries to be hypnotic and then jerks you back out and cranks up the rock. This is another unique track, and a long one at that so you really come to appreciate it. “Gold Blooded” is a good “summary,” if you will, of what The Echo Chamber is good at, and it has convinced me that if you dig electronic music, you should track down Synesthesia.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

Springtime Carnivore SELF-TITLED

Clark Lamson

BandWagon Magazine Greta Morgan Salpeter (better known simply as Greta Morgan) began playing piano at the tender age of three. With a classical pianist for a mother, Morgan has many fond musical memories, especially with her father: “My Dad is tone deaf, but he loves music. So he always took us to musicals, and I actually remember dancing with him to motown in front of our juke box as kids.” You can sense the importance of these memories in Morgan’s voice. Music continued to be a fierce passion into her teens: “It was this really amazing, lifegiving thing to be able to listen to your favorite song before you went to bed and have it be the first thing you want to hear in the morning. I would just play out of joy and excitement every day, with no expectations.” It was at 16 that her musical career began, as the keyboardist/vocals for the Decaydance signed The Hush Sound. Two albums and four years later, The Hush Sound retires on a high note, and Morgan moves to her new band, Gold Motel, who went on to release two sugary ‘60s pop album. Now, Morgan embarks on her first solo adventure under the moniker “Springtime Carnivore.” Morgan cites her newest project as a chance to refocus her relationship with music: “I guess what I was ready for with this project was just the freedom to

kind of experiment. I wanted to fix my relationship with music a little bit, because I feel like it had sort of become off kilter for various reasons. I just wanted it to feel more the way it did when I was a teenager.” The effort is clear in the album. Long time fans of Morgan’s work will be able to note the maturity present in this performance. Morgan gives us a fun, lilting, flowing collection of tunes that would be better suited for a summer release. With it’s ‘60s and ‘70s charm, this album is best suited for sipping an icy drink and soaking up rays, or cruising highways with the top down. The Springtime Carnivore debut plays cohesively, which speaks to the talent of its author, as some of its tracks were written back in her Gold Motel days, some after their break up. This time around, it was important to Morgan to let the ideas flow freely. Whatever ideas came, came as a result of her personal brand of organic musical meditation: “The first song that I demo’d was ‘Collectors.’ So some of the early demo’s go back that far, like two years ago. So for this record, first thing in the morning, I would have a cup of coffee, and go to my rehearsal space, maybe play along to a few records, and then I would dive into whatever song I was working on for a few hours. It seriously felt like magic, just working in a trance every day, just hanging out by myself.” Morgan makes a point to leave no musical rock unturned in this journey

through her musical roots. The vocals fans have come to expect, twinkling and young, have since matured, taking on a much more affected, shimmering tone, which suits the fuzzed-out pop style of the album. Here, the artist speaks on her vocal choices, and the inspiration she draws from actor Jared Leto. For now though, the 26 year-old is taking time to enjoy the another successful debut. “I feel really good about it right now. I think there’s always a process of releasing something and then outgrowing it, and that’s positive. So I’m happy now. Maybe in a year or two I’ll be ready to do the next one.” Some of of Morgan’s favorite releases this year included the new albums from Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten and The Orwells, who she refers to as her “musical little brothers.” Springtime Carnivore is currently touring the West Coast, but hopes to return to the Mile High City soon.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

Run The Jewels RUN THE JEWELS 2

Clark Lamson

BandWagon Magazine Run The Jewels has never claimed (or wanted) to be anything other than themselves. To the auteurs behind this project, Killer Mike and El-P, Run The Jewels is more than a title, more than a catchy hook. It is a call to arms; take to the streets, and raise hell.

You’re in, or you’re out. The effect is so encompassing, that their 2013 debut began with the song “Run The Jewels,” making that “Run The Jewels,” on Run The Jewels, by Run The Jewels. The sequel, aptly titled Run The Jewels 2, is a tactically precise release that feels like it answers all questions early critics had, while simultaneously doing whatever the hell they want. If they’re careful, there will be much more to see from them in the future.

In the sequel, everything that gained the pair such rapid and impassioned adoration–the brutality, the wit, the flow–have all returned with a vengeance. The pair pull no punches in what is a far darker, grimier project than its former. The patented RTJ lyrical savagery has returned, more cringe-worthy than ever. Killer Mike takes the lyrical cake in this performance, and often overshadows El-P as a lyricist (though,

in El-P’s defense, its worth nothing that he is both rapper and producer to the project). In one of three singles released for the album, “Close Your Eyes (And Count to F*ck)” Killer Mike paints the bloody picture of a gang army overthrowing a prison, in splattered, gorey swipes that would do any Tarantino film justice. Around every corner is verse after verse that are so quotable, you feel like you’re watching your favorite comedy. The wit is elevated, as is the story telling. In “Crown,” the pair share tales of past hardships; Mike, on his time as a cocaine dealer, and El-P on his brief and ill-advised bout in the military. This is done not in sadness, or regret, but in acceptance that what’s done is done. Its a song about closure, and forgiveness of

one’s self and others, and gives credence to the fact that hip hop, at its best, is a storytelling medium. While the content takes a step up, the sounds take a notable toning down. Not quite in quality (in fact, El-P continues to grow as a producer) but in the raw and raunchy punch fans felt in the first album. That being said, the result is a slower and (if such a thing can happen) a more mellow performance, but with no loss of intensity. The move is similar to the sophomore release from Death Grips, and aimed to show that the group could find back-to-back success, even when experimenting with quieter sounds. The message is clear: they’ve only begun, and there’s much more to come.

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014 Photo By Jose Torres www.josetorres.eu

en español Los Condensadores de Fluzo Rockabilly “Typicat” Spanish

Crystal Mendoza

BandWagon Magazine Condensadores de Fluzo es la traducción incorrecta de Flux Capacitor que debería de ser condensador de flujo cuál es la parte principal de la máquina del tiempo de la película Back to the Future. Esta traducción incorrecta es de España de donde se originan el grupo más exacto de Jaén. Los Condensadores de Fluzo es un grupo mas nuevo que empezaron en el 2010 que tocan música Rockabilly. Los miembros son Fernando Valverde o conocido como “Perro rabioso” que toca la batería, el bajo lo toca Tonino McFly, Juan Antonio Plutonio toca la guitarra, y el vocalista que también toca la guitarra es Carlos o conocido come “Fluzo.” Rockabilly “Typicat” Spanish fue estrenado apenas este año después de su exitoso lanzamiento de su álbum “Back to the Fifties” en el 2012. Rockabilly empezó en los cincuentas es la convinacion de musica rock and roll y música country. De donde su nombre se derive de las palabras rock and roll y hillbilly que resulta en rockabilly como el nombre. Sus influencias de música varían pero uno que resalta más es claro el famoso y destacado Elvis Presley.

Los Condensadores de Fluzo is the incorrect translation of flux capacitor, which is the main part of the time machine from the movie Back to the Future. This mistranslation occurs in Spain where the group originates from specifically from Jaén, Spain. Los Condensadores de Fluzo is a newer group that started in 2010 playing rockabilly music. The members are drummer Fernando Valverde or known as “Perro Rabioso (Rabious Dog)”, bass by Tonino McFly, Juan Antonio Plutonium on guitar, and vocalist Carlos also known as “Fluzo.” Rockabilly “Typicat” Spanish was released just this year after its successful launch of the album “Back to the Fifties” in 2012. Rockabilly began in the fifties which is the combination of rock and roll and country music. Hence its name is derived from the words rock and roll and hillbilly resulting in the name. Their music influences vary but one that stands out most is of course the famous and outstanding Elvis Presley. The album Rockabilly “Typicat” Spanish puts us in a time machine and takes us to the era of rock and roll. They have a joyful sound that makes your whole body to move from head to toe. The first song is the same name as the album “Rockabilly” Typicat “Spanish.”

El álbum Rockabilly “Typicat” Spanish nos sube a una máquina de tiempo y nos lleva a la era de Rock ‘n Roll. Tiene un sonido alegre que hace que todo tu cuerpo se mueva de piez a cabeza. La primera canción es el mismo nombre del álbum “Rockabilly “Typicat” Spanish.” La canción tiene un estilo clásico del rock and roll que enseñan su patriotismo a espana diciendo “Rockabilly “Typicat” Spanish made in Spain”. Nos dicen como el rockabilly nos tendrá “bailando como gatos locos.” Después su tercer cancion se llama “Indie-ferentes” donde llama a la moda indie una tontería y se burlan de su tendencia a ser “indiferentes” a la modas. Y dicen cosas como “confunden arte con exclusividad,” y que “tienen complejo social.” Su juego en palabras en el título de la canción es igual de divertido a la canción. mientras te hace bailar te causa risa con sus burlas a la moda indie. Su patriotismo continua a Jaén con sus cancion “Himno a Jaén” donde la describen como “Radiante flor” y “ bella ciudad de luz.” A lo largo de la canción llaman Jaen mujer y se expresan como si fueran una y hablan del amor que le tienen. Los Condensadores de Fluzo son un grupo encantador con su sonido espectacular y alegre. Rockabilly ”Typicat” Spanish es la manera en que demuestran

The song has a classic style of Rock ‘n Roll where they demonstrate their patriotism to Spain by stating “Rockabilly Typicat Spanish Made in Spain”. They tell us how the rockabilly will have us “dancing like crazy cats.” Their third song is called “Indie-ferent” which calls indie fashion silly and makes fun of the tendencies to be “indifferent” to trends. They say things like “confuse art with exclusivity,” and that they “have a social complex.” Their play on words in the title of the song is just as fun as the song. It makes you dance while you laugh at the teasing towards the indie trend. They continue their patriotism with to Jaén with their song “Anthem to Jaén” where Jaen is described as “radiant flower” and “beautiful city of light.” Throughout the song called Jaen is described as a woman and they express themselves as if they speak of the love they have for it. Los Condensadores de Fluzo are a lovely group with a dramatic and lively sound. Rockabilly “Typicat” Spanish is the way they show that rock and roll can be in Spanish as well as Antonio Gomez or “Tonino” says in the magazine “Alligator Rockin” “We try to claim that a good group of ‘rock and roll’ can sing Spanish and not just in English.”and go and claim it with great force and talent.

que rock and roll puede ser en espanol tambien como dice Antonio Gomez o “Tonino” en “Alligator Rockin” la revista “Tratamos de reclamar que un buen grupo de ‘rock and roll’ puede cantar en español y no solo en inglés.” Y vaya como lo reclaman con mucha fuerza y talento.

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

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BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

SHATTERPROOF SHATTERPROOF Jed Murphy

Jed Murphy Shatterproof is known as one of the rising starsofofthe therising Northern Shatterproof is known as one stars Colorado of the Nor

BandWagon Magazine BandWagon musicMagazine scene. Based out of FortBased Collins, haveCollins, built a name for themselves music scene. outthey of Fort they have built a name

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BandWagon Magazine BandWagon titionMagazine in the final round. Their funkadelic, reggae, funkadelic, ambient sound is a ambient jam the s tition in the cosmic, final round. Their cosmic, reggae,

band continues to morph as they go. is undeniably precise, entertainingpre band continues to Their morphpresence as they go. Their presence is undeniably and dedicated in feeding the energy of the crowd. For the final roundFor they’ve created all original work. They’re and dedicated in feeding the energy of the crowd. the final round they’ve created all origin passionate in creating an unconditional relationship between their musicbetween and the their way people enjoy They feel their passionate in creating an unconditional relationship music and theit.way people enjoy responsibility to music is to nurture new sound as much as possible, thenasletpossible, it speakbut for then itselflet to it learn andforgrow responsibility to amusic is to nurture a new sound asbut much speak itself from where it originally fromstarted, where itconstantly originallyevolving. started, constantly evolving. The band started out as aband simple acoustic acta from Solanoact (lead vocalist/guitar) andvocalist/guitar) Stefan Lopez (lead The started out as simpleJoe acoustic from Joe Solano (lead and guitarStefan L ist/vocalist) but has ist/vocalist) bloomed in to accompaniment to complete their musical destiny. Themusical six member band buta full has band bloomed in to a full band accompaniment to complete their destiny. The consists of drummerconsists Mario of Alvarado, bassist Garner, trombonist Sterlingtrombonist Swanson, trumpeter Alex Vilanova as drummer MarioAJAlvarado, bassist AJ Garner, Sterling Swanson, trumpeter well as the two original HV sweeps the final round they the planfinal to use the winnings continue their journey wellmembers. as the twoIforiginal members. If HV sweeps round they plan to use the winnings to cont out of Colorado andout record a full length planalbum, to do this regardless thethis BOFTB results. of Colorado and album, record abut fullthey length but they plan toofdo regardless of the BOFTB re When asking the finalist their fear their as a band was, HV onwas, being alone. Noton in being a traditional Whenwhat asking thecollective finalist what collective fear decided as a band HV decided alone. N sense of being desperate humandesperate attentionfor orhuman being physically butphysically being unconnected, divided as a band. div sensefor of being attention alone, or being alone, but being unconnected, “When you’re in a band, you’re essentially married your band mates,”toLopez said. “It takes Lopez all of ussaid. to be “When you’re in a band, you’reto essentially married your band mates,” “Itsure takesthese all of dreams are accomplished. is meant toStardom be all of is usmeant doing to it together. But fear itistogether. necessary,But because you’re notbe dreamsStardom are accomplished. be all of us doing fear isifnecessary, afraid then you’re not challenging yourself or the world aroundoryou.” afraid then you’re not challenging yourself the world around you.”

ELECTRIC STAIR CHILD ELECTRIC STAIR CHILD Jed Murphy

Jed Murphy Electric Stair Child are a jam band Greeley and have been Electric Stairrock Child arebased a jam out rockofband based out of Greeley

BandWagon Magazine BandWagon Magazine laying down their weirddown amalgamation jam funk rockofthere laying their weirdofamalgamation jam

for several funk rock th years now. Their years set wonders through the realms of desert reggae, funk, now. Their set wonders through therock, realms of desert roc and even a touch and of hip hop, creating something tailored to a live experience. appreciationThis of the even a touch of hip hop, creating something tailored to aThis live experience. app live show is whatlive theyshow brought withthey them to thiswith year’sthem battle paid battle off. Returning from year, is what brought toand thisityear’s and it paid off.last Returning ESC came prepared a solid gamewith plan,a bringing anplan, epic live showan that took the took next them level ESCwith came prepared solid game bringing epic livethem showtothat

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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

SpokesBUZZ Band Together: Volume V CD Release Party

Saturday, December 13th

Hodi’s Half Note 167 N. College Ave. Fort Collins, CO

DOORs at 6pm

$10 minimum suggested donation CD included with admission New Belgium beer Live music and videos

with performances by:

Eldren Gasoline Lollipops Grant Farm iZCALLi Maxwell Hughes Pandas & People Qbala Shatterproof The Yawpers Wasteland Hop Winchester Holiday

...and special guest

SPONSORED BY:

Lindsey O’Brien

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

JAMMIN’

Winter Wonderland Jam Oﬀers Up the Classics Kyle Eustice

BandWagon Magazine

It was a big surprise to hear Grandmaster Dee wouldn’t be joining the other two members of Whodini for the Winter Wonderland Jam on December 6 in Denver. After all, as DJ for the ‘80s soulful hip-hop group Whodini, Grandmaster Dee carved out a permanent place for himself in hip-hop history with the celebrated group. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, the trio’s second album, Escape, was certified platinum and delivered eight solid tracks, including hit singles “Five Minutes of Funk,” “Freaks Come Out at Night” and “Friends.” Unfortunately, due to a dispute over the Whodini name, the three longtime friends can’t quite commit to touring together again. Nonetheless, the show must go on. Whodini joins The Sugar Hill Gang, Ohio Players, Zapp, Newcleus, Slave, and Freestyle for a night of classic ‘70s and ‘80s funk, R&B and, of course, hip-hop, although a few musicians will be noticeably absent. Sadly, Big Bank Hank of The Sugar Hill Gang passed away November 11, 2014 after a long battle with cancer. It’s unclear how his passing will affect the future of the group. However, the remaining members, Wonder Mike and Master Gee, are still making the Denver trip. Newcleus also suffered their own loss when Chilly B died of a stroke in 2010. Nonetheless, they forged ahead and surviving member Cozmo D is looking forward to the performance. “There are a lot of kats I haven’t played with before,” Cozmo says. “I’m honored to share the stage with so many legendary groups. There are a lot of people on the bill I’ve looked up to for years as a DJ.” Born Ben Cenac, Cozmo grew up in Brooklyn, New York in the ‘70s and ‘80s, which was around the time

hip-hop was beginning to emerge. Needless to say, it was an exciting time. “It was magic,” he says. “That’s all I can really say. We were just doing what we were feeling. It wasn’t about money. It was all about moving the crowd and expressing ourselves.” Cozmo came up during the block party era, when people would get together on their block to play music, dance and hang out with other like-minded friends. He credits those block parties with carving his path. “The block parties were everything,” he says. “I would not be doing what I’m doing now or any music if it wasn’t for those block parties. We started out as disco DJs, but as soon as we got enough equipment and hip-hop was hitting Brooklyn hard, we were rocking crowds with hip-hop. It transcended everything. Every night was an event. It honed our skills. We were feeling the crowds and giving them what they wanted. Half the time, you were battling someone else. You had to be on your toes. Eventually I got to the point where I was moving crowds with other people’s records. I started thinking I could do that, too. I wanted to produce and make music. It all stems from that. I still have the same attitude. I tell people all the time, I have a battle mentality.” It must have been incredibly competitive back then. It seemed like all of the music being made was impeccably good. Groups like Whodini, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Funky Four Plus One, and Kurtis Blow were all coming out with their own distinct take on hip-hop. “When hip-hop first came out, it wasn’t about stealing rhymes ‘cuz everybody stole rhymes,” he remembers. “It was about the style. Every-

NEWCLEUS

body was for a unique style, but everyone was trying to top everyone else’s style. A major difference between Uptown in the Bronx and Brooklyn was in Uptown, they had huge DJ and emcee crews up there where they would do routines. We didn’t do that in Brooklyn. Even though we were in a crew together, I was trying to do better than the next. Every time you got on the mic, it was a battle.” As Cozmo’s style started to evolve, he realized he was on to something. A precursor to Newcleus was the group Jam On Productions, which Cozmo founded in 1977. He was a teenager at the time and his uncontainable ambitions easily guided him. By 1979, the primary group's members were Cozmo, Yvette "Lady E" Cook (who would later marry Cozmo), Monique Angevin and Bob "Chilly B" Crafton (who would later marry Angevin). The coming together of families inspired the name change to Newcleus. Their first big single was 1983’s “Jam-On Revenge,” which revolved around the phrase, “wikki wikki wikki.” It was originally just a joke. “Remember, we started out as disco DJs,” he explains. “We had crew at one point with ten emcees and six DJs. There were two kats in our crew who scratched. Everybody else blended their breaks. So we battled this crew and there was a younger kat. He was really good, but we blew them out of the water. He came up to me and said, ‘Wow, you guys are bad! But I bet you can’t do this!’ And he goes, ‘Wikki, wikki, wikki, wikki’ like it was a movement he did with his hand. I said, ‘Man, get the hell out of here!’ That always stuck with me. Later on, when I was making music with our crew, I made a joke and that joke ended up being ‘Wikki, wikki wikki.’ That was it.”

While Cozmo is able to manipulate vinyl, scratch and do all the things that turntablists do, he’s not above using Serato or a CDJ every once in awhile. “I have always used every tool at my disposal,” he says. “ It’s all about rocking the crowd. Right now, I just built a new DJ room in my basement. I have Technics 1200s, CDJs, Serato, and controllers in there. I have it all. Now if somebody just gets their laptop out, just selecting records and doing it poorly, you’re not DJing because you don’t know the basics of moving the crowd. There are kats I’ve respected for many, many years that now only use CDJs or only use Serato. I know they can scratch, but they use the tools around them to make the crowd move. As long as they keep the crowd jumping, I don’t care what they use.” The fact Whodini and Newcleus are still doing shows in 2014 is a testament to the longevity of classic hip-hop. There will always be an audience for the people who laid the foundation for so many others. Although Grandmaster Dee won’t be with his Whodini brothers, he recognizes what they’ve all done collectively for the culture. “Your career lasts when you gravitate towards the people, reach the people and get in touch with the people,” Dee says. “You keep it real and don’t hold back. That’s what they love. What makes me so happy still to this day is I can walk into a Sprint store or whatever and people will recognize me. They tell me they respect me for what I’ve done for hip-hop. That’s a blessing. You have artists that might just say what’s up and keep going. Not me. I want to share talks with them. It’s about keeping it real. Reach one, teach one. It’s all about love.”

WHODINI

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

Kyle Eustice

BandWagon Magazine

“I’ve seen a lot of personal friends lives be damaged, destroyed or ended through making the wrong decisions with drug use,” Lorin Ashton says. “I’ve also seen some amazing transformations happen from very limited and responsible experimentation. I want to be ultra careful about not condoning anything without expressing how important it is to be safe and aware.” Ashton, better known by his stage moniker Bassnectar, is often at the helm of massive EDM parties and has undoubtedly seen all sorts of debauchery in the crowd. However, at age 36, he’s learned valuable lessons over the years— not only as a musician, but also simply as a human being. Based in the Bay Area, the electronic mastermind behind 2007’s Underground Communication and this year’s Noise Vs. Beauty, he’s in a place in his career where he can finally coast on his laurels. In anticipation of his upcoming Denver show on December 30, we talked to Ashton about everything from prevalent drug use in the festival circuits to death metal. You cite metal as being a huge influence on you. How did you end up making electronic music? I definitely feel like each step in my musical evolution moved from one step to the next with a very related, but cryptic path. I appear to have interests that are very diverse, but to me, are very connected. The death metal scene especially the underground scene when I was in high school was so remote that you were lucky to find one person that lived close to you that liked music as satanic, as filthy, as horrible and disgusting as you liked it. It

was really tough to feel a community. There’s nothing like the rush of enjoying your favorite song with thousands of other people in one room and that was something you couldn’t have in death metal. That was before the Internet so that meant we needed to gather in unique ways. One way we did it was by a really aggressive grassroots campaign of co-promoting each other’s music. I was really used to playing really small DIY type death metal shows and also promoting all of my friend’s music as well. When I found the rave scene it was a similar underground type of sound, but this time it was extremely friendly and open hearted and I felt a lot more resonance with that than I did with the death metal scene, which made it an easy transition. What drew you to death metal? I’ve always been a goof and a little bit of a pansy [laughs]. I liked death metal because it was so raw and intense and I also appreciated, when I was a 15-year-old boy, I appreciated the shock value. I wanted to push back on authority systems that were trying to make me believe in one thing or act a certain way and I needed help on asserting who I was and pushing back on Christianity and things that I thought were illogical. Death metal was an amazing technique to do that. What do you like about the electronic scene? It’s interesting how the current electronic explosion doesn’t have that same formula to follow when it comes to style. I really like that. I like that there is more of a cross-cultural thing. It’s a more open scene with more types of people. It is open to the nerds. Calling all nerds. HAHA Let’s talk about the hair. When was the last time you got it cut? [Laughs] I was 19. It’s been at least 15

years. It’s not like a hairstyle. It’s more like an anti-style. It’s been long when long hair was very popular and it’s been long when long hair was very unpopular. It’s there because I just don’t want to cut my hair. If I ever do, I will. I used to wear it up to keep it out of my face when I’d DJ, but I compulsively twitch and bounce around and freak out and it would always fall out. I would always spend half my set having to tie my hair up. Now I just let it hang down and it’s nice because it’s like a little curtain that I can see through, but other people can’t. If you try to swing your hair in front of your face you can see through it. You gotta try it. You said in an interview that you’ve been sober since 1995. Is that still the case and if so, what are your thoughts on your shows providing an ideal platform for drug use, something highly prevalent in the festival scene? It’s a loaded topic. There are opposing views. I think it’s really important that people have freedom to explore, express and be who they want to be. On the other hand, I think it’s really important that people value their health and nervous systems and the magic and mystery of our bodies, which we can never comprehend because it’s so far beyond our grasp. So experimenting with drugs, whether it’s pharmaceuticals, whether it’s something legal like alcohol or whether it’s an illegal recreational drug, can be really dangerous. I’ve seen a lot of personal friends lives be damaged, destroyed or ended through making the wrong decisions with drug use. I’ve also seen some amazing transformations happen from very limited and responsible experimentation. I want to be ultra careful about not condoning anything without expressing how important it is to be safe and aware. That same

safety and awareness should be practiced when taking antibiotics, Ambien or Adderall. Any parent that is worried their kids are taking drugs and are letting their kids take Adderall is completely missing the point. It’s important to treat your nervous systems as absolute treasures. That goes for recreational drugs, coffee and diets, so of course, I’m horrified by how much drugs use goes on, not even at dubstep shows, but at concerts in general. You’ve been touring nonstop for years now. Is it difficult to recreate that same magic in a studio setting? I don’t really try to. They are different worlds. The live setting is all about how many live human beings are in the room. It’s basically me putting together a soundtrack for people to enjoy themselves to. The whole entire premise of the experience is what is the atmosphere like and how does each human being feel? And again, I’m playing with their nervous systems. How do you feel about the music you make? The music that I make is a very personal reflection. It isn’t always intended to satisfy your every need. It may be intended for something entirely different. I think some people get confused and think I’m trying to please them with every song I make and I’m not. When someone asks me to go back to my old style or return to my roots, that’s usually a sign that they have no idea what my real style is or what my roots are. I am fascinated by so many different styles and sound combinations that everything I make is just a natural result of combining those influences. And if something you hear doesn’t sound like Bassnectar to you then you just don’t know what Bassnectar sounds like yet. Enjoy it or don’t, but I hope you do.

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

Kyle Eustice

BandWagon Magazine

Emcee Gift of Gab of Blackalicious is a legend. He is so much a legend that “Harry Potter” (Daniel Radcliffe) took it upon himself to learn every single word of “Alphabet Aerobics” and rap it on Jimmy Fallon. Macklemore recently “Instagramed” a photo of Blackalicious’ first album, 1999’s Nia, with a caption that read, “One of the most important albums I ever came in contact with. It influenced me on spiritual level. It validated things I felt but couldn’t put into my own words yet. That’s what the power of good music.” Of course, this post blew up and kind of shone a spotlight back on the Oaklandbased hip-hop duo. Comprised of DJ/producer Chief Xcel and Gab, Blackalicious is real hip-hop. It’s the kind of hip-hop that makes you think, challenges everything you thought you believed and inspires you to be the best version of yourself. However, you’d never guess the man behind songs like “Make You Feel That Way” and “Purest Love” (both off of 2002’s Blazing Arrow) has his own personal demons he wrestles with on a daily basis. “Make You Feel That Way”

was actually written as an antidote to his own depression and he’s currently on dialysis as he awaits a kidney transplant. Despite these challenges, Gab can normally be found with a big smile slapped across his face and positive words that illustrate his deep-rooted optimism for the future, a future that’s looking bright. Blackalicious is putting the finishing touches on a new album titled Imani, the pair’s first full-length since 2005’s The Craft. Needless to say, it’s long overdue and fans are drooling with anticipation. In preparation for the album release, Blackalicious has embarked on a sizeable world tour, which kicked off in North America on November 29 in Santa Fe, New Mexico and winds up in Colorado midDecember. “The record is finished,” Gab says with a hint of excitement in his voice. “We have a label and good management in place. We’re getting ready to put it out in either March or April. We’re about to do this tour this month then we’re going to Canada in July and Europe in February. We just got offered an Australian tour this May so we’re hitting the world!” It’s a great sign he’s talking about traveling. As mentioned before, Gab has been battling severe health issues, which have impeded his travel for the past few years.

“I’m feeling good today,” Gab says. “Everything is good. I’m taking a lot of vitamins, probiotics, supplements, and I’m learning a lot about what I need to do as a person on dialysis to maintain optimal health. My transplant is also looking good. I have three people in place, but I need to lose more weight. By the time we get off tour, I should be at the weight I need to be [laughs]. Hopefully, I can have a kidney in the next six months or by summer 2015.” Perhaps that’s why the album is called Imani, the Swahili word for “faith.” Gab has nothing but faith in terms of his health, career, future, and life in general. “Life is based on faith,” he explains. “Then there have been a lot of things that have been going on for me personally like health and weight. One thing in life is you gotta believe and you gotta have hope. If you don’t have faith, life can get dark. Life can get really dark, really quick. You have to know all of this is happening for a reason, or else it’s like what’s the purpose of living?” Although nothing has been leaked in terms of content yet, the album will presumably be brimming with powerful insights and brutally honest lyricism. It’s something Gab has perfected over the years. If you listen closely, you can pick up on some of his

personal struggles in many of his songs. One in particular is his love/hate relationship with alcohol. “There have been several songs where I’ve written about it,” he reveals. “I’m definitely in a better place now than I’ve ever been and there will be songs about it on the new album, but more so about faith than anything else and my spiritual growth. Any addict that becomes clean, to a degree, has to become more spiritual. To me, there’s not a lot of middle ground. For a person who is truly an addict, in my personal experience, if you’re an addict you either find God or you succumb to your drug. I don’t know, but it’s different for everybody. I may not be rhyming about the alcohol directly like I did before. It will be more about how I’m growing as a person. Once you get rid of the substance, you have to deal with why you drank in the first place. It will be more geared toward that. People might not even pick up what I’m talking about because it’s just human experience that everyone can relate to.” In terms of sound, Gab says there’s a lot of funk, soul and “definitely a lot of hip-hop.” Lateef the Truthspeaker and Lyrics Born (his Quannum Project label mates and dear friends) make an appearance, as well as singer Zap Mama.

“I’m real proud of it,” he says. “Everyone I’ve let hear it has been pretty mindblown, saying that this is what people have been waiting to hear from us. As a writer, I’m way more prolific right now. I used to write in spurts when I drank. I used to kind of get backed up, get behind and then I’d just write here and there. Now I find my writing is more consistent all across the board. I’m excited about the new record.” Gab cites a roster of artists who inspired him—from Run-DMC, UTFO, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, KRS-One, and Grand Puba to Hieroglyphics, Freestyle Fellowship and De La Soul. “I’ve always been a style junkie,” he says. “I want to hear something that takes me in a new direction. When I first heard Criminal Minded, my mind was blown because I didn’t know it was possible to rap like that.” Funny enough, his first rap was written in self-defense. A kid from his neighborhood used to battle everyone and one day Gab was in his crosshairs. “He wouldn’t even battle people,” he remembers. “He would just destroy them. His ‘victim’ would be left crying. One day he chose me. He just went off on me. I was like 11. So I wrote a rap in self-defense. I was like, ‘Fuck

that, he’s not going to do that to me again.’ Seven years later, I came back and I hung out with this dude. They called him Star MC. I realized I was better than that dude. And he said that, too! He said, ‘Dude, you got better than me.’ My confidence went through the roof. The incident with Star MC was what really made me realize that’s what I wanted to do.” If you’ve never seen a Blackalicious show or a Gift of Gab solo performance, your education in hip-hop culture is incomplete. He’s one in a million. It’s unclear if he even realizes just how good he is or what he’s contributed to the culture. “Every now and then you stop and think about how long you’ve been doing it,” he says. “It’s something I’m still passionate about. I always want to challenge myself. The day it’s not a challenge is the day I fall off. It will never be like, ‘Oh, I’m Gift of Gab so I don’t have to try anymore.’ “I’m really looking forward to going back to Europe because I haven’t been there since 2010,” he adds. “My health issues kind of prevented that, but we’ve figured out how to work around. I can’t wait to see some foreign territory because I love traveling. I can’t wait for this upcoming North American tour. I love being on the road. I love this life.”

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

Jay Wallace

BandWagon Magazine

When asked how he got into theater, 25-year-old Greeley native Daniel Mothershed said he didn’t know. “I sort of tripped into doing theater in high school,” he said. “I performed a little bit, but it was kind of on my own.” Mothershed has put on theater productions in Greeley, mostly at the Atlas Theater on 16th Street for the last few years under the title of Cheaply Intellectual Theater, a platform for skewering (and informing the audience about) topics such as The Bible, American History and Classic Literature. On November 19, Mothershed and his production partners, Shane White and Eric Long, took over The Moxi and put on their most ambitious show yet, Oh Greeley: An All American Musical. Mothershed said that Oh Greeley has the essence of the Cheaply Intellectual productions. “The idea that, at its heart, it is people walking out on stage and telling jokes, and being a little informative,” he said. “It’s got that, but it’s a little bigger and, I would say, a lot less cheap. It’s cost us about a thousand some dollars… where as all the Cheaply Intellectual shows, I think the most we ever

spent on any show was, I think, $80.” The original idea for Oh Greeley, which covers the general history of Greeley in a sarcastic/sincere manner, came from Long, who brought the concept to Mothershed two years ago because he wanted to do something for Prohibition Day. “He was just talking about how there’s a lot of Greeley history things that people don’t know and haven’t heard of,” he said. “Some are ridiculous and funny, and some are actually just genuinely interesting. Somewhere in between that we came up with the idea for the show, and I don’t actually remember. I was on the radio about it the other day and the guy asked me that, I was like, ‘I don’t remember.’ None of us remember, [Long] doesn’t remember. It’s kind of this weird grey area. “The tagline [Shane White] created for it with was ‘The town you’ve never heard of, the musical you’ll never forget.’ Which is wonderful.” Mothershed and Long wrote a draft of a Vaudville-style Bob Hope-Bing Crosby road movie “kind-of-a-thing.” “I think there are only two songs in it,” Mothershed continued, “and as we talked about how to cover some things in history, we said ‘there should be more songs.’ We have a song about- like an Andrew Sisters-style 1930s song about Greeley having Prisoner Of War camps. Gradually, more and more songs

showed up, and we were like, ‘Oh, this is a musical, so we got to do it like a musical.’ I’ve done a lot of shows that have had three to four people in them. We got to have more people to sing songs. We can’t rely on my less-than-good musical skills.” The end result was a hilariously informative musical bringing in the likes of Horace Greeley, Nathan Meeker, Warren Monfort, Rattlesnake Kate and A.F. Ray, interlaced with comments on the stench of Greeley. Long portrayed the Garden City boozeman as well as the town’s namesake, while Mothershed played the roles of Meeker and Monfort. One of Mothershed’s early formative moments was working on a production Fiddler on the Roof. Which, when the live band pulled out of the production, became a production of Alice in Wonderland. “It’s literally the world’s worst production of Alice in Wonderland that’s ever been produced,” he recalled. “And I still bump into people who saw it and I always feel like I owe them $7.50. And then… I hate when people say, ‘and then I was hooked.’ But, I really enjoyed it and got out of high school, and didn’t go to UNC, didn’t go to college, didn’t do anything. So it was my friends and I going, ‘we love performing, but we’re probably not going to get into a lot of shows, so I guess we’ll have to write our own.’ I would much rather just perform and act, but the writing has sort

of cropped as a necessity, and fortunately I seemed to be not terrible at it.” Mothershed said he’s known White for 15 years, having met him in Junior high and even working with him on the doomed Alice in Wonderland project. The pair also worked together on a web series a couple years ago. Long, who works for Frontier Academy, said he knew of Mothershed through his wife, who was his teacher. “Daniel was a student of my wife's she directed a musical he was in,” Long said via e-mail. “Daniel is a sweet guy with a sarcastic attitude.” Mothershed would ask Long to play small roles in his productions. He said that working with Mothershed could be “a little difficult at times, but Daniel is a talented writer so most of the difficulties are easily forgiven. I would love to see Daniel step out and do more projects in a more official capacity. He should be writing commercials for local business and writing columns, doing news, maybe even radio!” As of right now, Mothershed doesn’t know what his next production is. One of the founding members of Cheaply Intellectual Theater got married and moved to Seattle, while White and Mothershed are kicking around ideas for future shows, such as The History of Theater or putting on the Classic Literature Show again. Photos By Chelsea Call

FROM COWBOY HATS TO ANTIQUES AND APPLIANCES TO GROCERIES, EVEN CAR PARTS AND FARM SUPPLIES! GARDEN CITY HAS A DEAL FOR YOU.

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 DECEMBER 2014

COLORaDO CONCERT CALENDAR Tuesday December 2nd

Wednesday December 3rd

The Stubby Shillelaghs @ Patrick’s Irish Pub Greeley – 9pm

Songwriters Showcase @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm

Thursday December 4th

Freezing Drizzle Music & Art Collab @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm

Talent Show & Open Stage @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm

Bahamadia x Georgia Anne Muldrow @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ Dudley Perkins, Kankick, DJ Cavern, ArtistSent

Tim Ostdiek @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern Greeley – 7pm

First Tuesday @ Hodi’s Half Note ft. Zion Soulja Soundsystem Ft. Collins – 8pm Open Jazz Jam @ Pourhouse w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio Loveland – 7:30 pm Electronic Tuesday @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm ft. Jpod the Beat Chef w/ David Seied, So Down Jenny Lewis @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Orenda Fink My Brightest Diamond @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – Crystal Ghost

Atilla @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 6pm w/ Crown the Empire, Emmure, The Acacia Strain & More! Muscle Beach @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm w/ 1972Mako, Abrams, Iwakura Roadkill Ghost Choir @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm w/ The Yawpers, Von Stomper

THE PHOTO ATLAS @ Moxi Theater ~ 12/5/14

Ghost Owl @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Bill Smith, JJ Evanhoff Band Dead Jam @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 9pm Technicolor Tone Factory @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm Animal Collective (DJ SET) @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm

Grass for that Ass Thursday @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm ft. Whitewater Ramble

The Infamous Stringdusters @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins - 8pm w/ The Drunken Hearts

K Theory Live @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ LivedLife Moment

Barton Abbey @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 8:30pm

Citizun @ Quixotes True Blue Denver – 9pm w/ Pika, King Sage

Pert Near Sandstone @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ Dead Winter Carpenters

Friday December 5th

Snow Tha Product @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ Stay Tuned

The Photo Atlas @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Silver & Gold, Slow Caves futurebabes, Iconoplasty First Friday @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern Greeley – 7pm w/ Armando Silva

Jerry Jospeph @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ Ignatius Reilly American Babies @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm w/ Eminence Ensemble, Trevor Jones Band

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

Ghost Owl @ Quixotes True Blue Denver – 9pm w/ Ekoostik Hookah, Aliver Hall

Kayla Scintilla @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ Nominus, Soulacybin, Templo

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ Patti Fiasco

North American Scum @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm w/ Ableminds

Swing Hero @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm w/ Andy Thomas Dust Heart, American Haiku, Anterrior

Opeth / In Flames @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 7pm w/ Red Fang

Residual Kids Abominable Snow Jam

@ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm w/ Bud Bronson and the Good Timers, and More!

Saturday December 6th BandWagon Magazine Battle of the Bands - Finals @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Hypnotic Vibes, Electric Stair Child, Shatterproof Pert Near Sandstone @ Hodi’s Half Note Greeley – 8pm w/ Dead Winter Carpenters Snow Tha Product @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ BTP, NVMEE, Royal Fam and Hazy Johnsmith @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 7:30pm Rebirth Brass Band @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm 2 Chainz @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ Red Dot, The Chronikles and More!

Voodoo Glow Skulls / Mustard Plug @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Dan Potthast Krampus Comes to South Broadway @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm w/ Cult of the Lost Triad of Dragons @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 9pm w/ Illenium, Said the Sky

Sunday December 7th Qbala’s EP Release @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm Johnsmith @ Avogadro’s Number@ Ft. Collins –7pm Alex Clare @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ Taylor Berrett The Original Wailers @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 7pm

Monday December 8th FREE - Comedy @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 7pm

THE ORIGINAL WAILERS @Aggie Thater ~ 12/9/14

Exodus @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Flight of Sleipnir Vinyl Monday @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm ft. DJ J-Bone, DJ S.T. One Suicidal Tendencies @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 7pm

Tuesday December 9th The Stubby Shillelaghs @ Patrick’s Irish Pub Greeley – 9pm The Original Wailers @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm Open Jazz Jam @ Pourhouse Loveland – 7:30 pm w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio

The Browning @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm Flogging Molly @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ The Mighty Stef, Pasadena Band Lemuria @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 7:30pm w/ Into It. Over It. Blue October @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 7pm w/ Zeale

Wednesday December 10th World’s Finest @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm The Birthday Massacre @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ New Years Day

Blackalicious @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm RE:UP Wednesdays @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm ft. Kastle and Amtrac

Thursday December 11th Eminence Ensemble @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Punch Drunk Munkey Funk Shakey Graves @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ Sean Rowe Grass for that Ass @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm ft. Worlds Finest and Wood & Wire w/ Chain Station Photo Atlas @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ Instant Empire

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BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014 Lagwagon @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 7pm w/ Swingin Utters, This Legend

Friday December 12th Greeley Blues F.A.C. - Ben Pu & Crew ( Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan) @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 6pm w/ Primary People Jeff Brinkman Band @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern Greeley – 7pm Hell’s Belle’s @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Special Guests The Velvet Rope @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Lindsey O’Brien Band Wood and Wire @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 9pm w/ Chain Station Joey Porters Shady Business @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ Eddie Roberts West Coast Sounds, Jaden Carlson Band

The Congress and Eddie Roberts West Coast Sounds @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ The Recovery Act EOTO @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ Signal Path, Templo Animals as Leaders & Devin Townsend Project @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Monuments The Other Black @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ Man Mantis Contact Denver @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm w/ Youngsta, Truth, Subliminal Alice In WInterland @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 6:30pm ft. Neon Trees

Sunday December 14th Blackalicious @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Daniel Marley, QBala, DJ Dabble

Grouch and Eligh @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ Cunninlynguists, DJ Abilities and More!

Mayday x Murs @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ CES Cru and More!

Sunsquabi @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm

Pallbearer @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 7:30pm w/ Solstafir, Mortals

Skinny Puppy @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 7pm w/ Front Line Assembly, Haujobb, Youth Code Bonnie and the Beard @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ Chella and the Charm Shady Elder @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm w/ Plum, Male Blonding Say Anything and Saves the Day @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 7pm w/ Reggie and the Full Effect

Saturday December 13th Oh Greeley (Encore Performance) @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 7pm SpokesBUZZ Band Together Compilaton CD Release @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 6pm w/ Eldren, Qbala, and More! Trout Steak Revival @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Blue Grama Bluegrass Cupcake Cabaret @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 8pm Shakey Graves and Friends @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ Desert Noises, Clouds and Mountains and More!

Cervantes’ Hip Hop Showdown! @ Cervantes’ and the Other Side Denver – 4pm

Monday December 15th FREE – Comedy @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 7pm Umphrey Mondays: Summer Camp 15th Anv. Celebration @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 7:30pm Vinyl Mondays @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm ft. Kevin Wesley, Aaron Miller

Tuesday December 16th The Stubby Shillelaghs @ Patrick’s Irish Pub Greeley – 9pm Blackalicious & Daniel Marley @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Special Guests Open Jazz Jam @ Pourhouse Loveland – 7:30 pm w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio Augustina @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Scars on 45 Electronic Tuesday @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm ft. Bukez Finezt & Kursk

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

YOU ME & APOLLO @ Hodi’s Half Note ~ 12/20/14

3BallMty @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm w/ Los Rakas

Hog MaGundy @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Afternoon Moon

Wednesday December 17th

Air Dubai @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm

A Bisl Klezmer @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern Greeley – 8pm

Human Agency and TNERTLE @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm w/ Skydyed

Esme Patterson @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Kitty Crimes, Land Lines

Nathaniel Rateliff @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ Ark Life, Ben Kronberg

RE:UP Wednesdays ft. G Jones @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm

Saturday December 20th

Wolvhammer @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm w/ Fetch, Whilt

Mr. J & The Smooth Expressions @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm Xerox Presents: Holiday Showcase

Down @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 7:30pm w/ Orange Goblin, and More!

You Me & Apollo @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm

Thursday December 18th DEMISE UNSEEN @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Mortuary Whore, From Within the Trench, Tentative Dead Jam @ Avogadro’s Number Ft. Collins – 9pm So Gnar Presents Shredded Beats: P.O.S. @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Sean Anonymous Grass for that Ass ft. Gypsy Moon @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ Left Coast Country Waka Flocka Flame @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ Special Guests Mega Blue Stallion @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm w/ 18 Squeeler, and More!

Railbenders @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ The Hickman Dalton Gang, Brent Loveday The Funky Meters @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ Special Guests Honey Puddle @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm w/ RAH and Dorian Vibe Dr.Fameus ft. Allen Aucoin @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm w/ D.V.S*, J Wail

Sunday December 21st The Iguanas @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm w/ Samuel Mouton Mlima @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm The Denver Battle of the Bands @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 4pm Afton Showcase ft. James Boyce @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 6:30pm Nick Thomas @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm w/ My Body Sings Electric, Jesse R.S., Leash of Foxes

Monday December 22nd FREE - Comedy @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 7pm Foleydub @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 8pm w/ Yukana, Dillard, Valac, and Umble Vinyl Mondays @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm ft. Buck Burgess, Ned Garth

Tuesday December 23rd The Stubby Shillelaghs @ Patrick’s Irish Pub Greeley – 9pm

PRAANG @ Quixotes True Blue Denver – 9pm w/ Shakedown Street, Yojimbo

Electronic Tuesday @ Cervantes’ Other Side Denver – 9pm ft. Coffi

Lola Black @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Black Star Electra, Glass Delirium and More!

Friday December 26th

Friday December 19th

SPELLS @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ Bud Bronson and the Good Timers, and More!

Retro ‘80s Christmas Party @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm

The Great Grigsby @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm

Kenyon Brenner @ Cranford Cove Tea Tavern Greeley – 7pm

No Fair Fights @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 7pm w/ Project 86, Random Hero and Many More!

Freestyle Friday @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm Paper Bird @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ The Centennial Boombox @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 9pm Wish We Were Floyd @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 9pm

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

Stript @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm w/ Landgrabbers, and More!

Saturday December 27th Allegaeon @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm w/ Draghoria Zach Heckendorf @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ Covenhoven Victor Wooten @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm w/ Garrett Sayers Trio Boombox @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 9pm Russian Circles @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 9pm w/Native Daughters, Dead Temple Pale Sun @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9:30pm w/ Prism Waves

Sunday December 28th

Luceda Tela @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 7pm w/ Dust:Orbiter, and More!

Monday December 29th FREE - Comedy @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 7pm Lucero @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ Drag the River Vinyl Mondays: Goth Night @ The Hi-Dive Denver – 9pm

THE BURROUGHS

Tuesday December 30th The Stubby Shillelaghs @ Patrick’s Irish Pub Greeley – 9pm Open Jazz Jam @ Pourhouse Loveland – 7:30 pm w/ Pourhouse Jazz Trio The Bouncing Souls @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ PEARS, Allout Helter

@ Moxi Theater ~ 12/31/14

The Baltic @ The Larimer Lounge Denver – 9pm Slim Cessna’s Auto Club @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 8pm w/ Wovenhound, Denver Broncos UK

Wednesday December 31st

Allegaeon @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 8pm w/ Iconocaust, Artemesis, Goatstorm

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm

The Burroughs @ Moxi Theater Greeley – 8pm Greeley Young Proffesionals Present

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 8pm w/ Analog Son

Lucero @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ Murder By Death

WhiteWater Ramble @ Hodi’s Half Note Ft. Collins – 8pm w/ Whiskey Tango

Superdiamond @ The Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins – 7pm The Bouncing Souls @ Bluebird Theater Denver – 9pm w/ Potato Pirates The Chris Robinson Brotherhood @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Denver – 9pm

Lucero @ The Gothic Theatre Denver – 9pm w/ Murder By Death Yonder Mountain String Band @ The Boulder Theatre Boulder – 9pm West Water Outlaws @ The Fox Theatre Boulder – 9pm

Random Rab & More @ The 1up Colfax Denver – 9pm w/ Love and Light

Slim Cessna’s Auto Club @ Summit Music Hall Denver – 8pm w/ Wovenhound, Munly & the Lupercalians

Boombox @ The Ogden Theatre Denver – 9pm

The Epilogues @ Marquis Theatre Denver – 8pm

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

GAMES

BandWagon Magazine northern colorado’s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

BandWagon Thoughts

Words From an Editor

Forking Over Cash, Holiday Style Rose Hedberg

BandWagon Magazine

Weather you believe in the birth of a miracle baby, the arrival of St. Nickolas or if you’re Dutch (6-8 black men show up with a thin Santa who used to be the old bishop of Turkey who then disciplines the children with a switch if they’re naughty) the giving holiday is upon us. The commercialized corporate industries have risen from their yearly slumber to bring you the latest in goods and gadgets. Their business ensures your holiday is filled with gifts that say I love you more than handmade crafts or sweaters. To make your shopping a little easier I’ve scoped out the latest in fun toys and gifts fresh off the market. For your roommate and

family members look no further than Poo-Pourri, a household necessity and essential good smell. The packaging is discreet, the smell delightful and fresh, while the product itself is practical. It’s a spray combining natural oils that you spritz prior to laying a “creamy behemoth” in the porcelain bowl. The odor barrier keeps poo-smells out and leaves the scent of fresh cookies or lemon bars. Everybody poops, but keep it classy this year. Top-rated for significant others and disgruntled office workers, is the Wearable Pod that offers isolation in a Nutshell. Take a break from one another and the harshness of the world, just pull over your shell and retreat. The pod covers the top half of your body with a hard structure and light shell. Your legs are free to move, much like a hermit crab while

your upper body is protected. But don’t worry about strange looks or judgment, because if you can’t see them, they can’t see you. The sleek design features no eye or mouth holes. Perfect solution to those tense holiday talks, just isolate yourself and return to the conversation when you can’t breathe through your pod. The latest in children’s entertainment is Xeno, the “cute, cheeky interactive baby monster.” Forget fluffy this little guy is rubber and buggers, the latest in comfort. It comes with the ability to make 40 different expressions and full farting sounds. Included are removable “snot-droppings” and crazy devil eyes. Little Xeno hits the market in popular burnt orange for only $100 brand new. But let us not forget the center of the family household, the market for our domesticated family members is bubbling with new treats and toys. Top of the line is this year’s Kim Jong-un Cat Scratching Post marked at $7,241. “Does your cat have an issue with North Korea?” Good question bigcartel.com. In fact if I did have a cat I think he would have an issue with North Korea.

“This scratching post was painstakingly handcrafted by a team of artists and took over 200 hours to complete.” It’s a one of a kind cat post that you just have to have. It’s a small price to pay in proving your patriotic

loyalty. As we’ve safely made it through Black Friday and transitioned in to Christmas music overload, let the real shopping begin. Get out there and open those wallets to show loved ones how much they mean to you. Happy holidays. (PS- the scratching post proceeds all go to supporting a charity protecting human rights)

BandWagon Magazine northern coloradoâ€™s arts & entertainment DECEMBER 2014

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photos by - kendra hamman, Mike Pope, mike halle