BandWagon Magazine - April 2012

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BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

Gallery at Patrick’s Irish adds life to pub … and Greeley Kelly Cook BandWagon Magazine The garage door that now opens to 8th Avenue and adds valuable seating space to Patrick’s Irish Pub is beaming with light. It’s no surprise that, on St. Patrick’s Day, the space is filled with people. Being Greeley’s authentic Irish spot with thirty-one beers on tap, classic European tavern décor, and live Irish music makes it an obvious hang out on the day of St. Pat’s, but that night the space was filled with more than just human bodies. It was filled with life.

Three years ago Patrick’s was a startup. A bar in a town filled with bars. That’s where the similarities end. Patrick’s is that place that refuses to be run-of-the-mill. Rejecting many low-quality models, Patrick’s now hosts trivia on Monday, live Irish music on Tuesday, open mic on Wednesday, and now art all month long.

A community favorite, Patrick’s has always sought to meet the highest mark in helping to revitalize and rebrand a once dying downtown.

“The expansion needed to happen,” says owner Greg Farnsworth. “Not just for space. We’ve been at maximum

capacity with our seating for a while, but now we can continue to grow and support the work of all the businesses downtown. The expansion adds a new dimension. A place for deserving local artists to show their art, a larger area for private parties and groups, and an open air seating area which helps our street to become more foot traffic friendly.”

The idea of community runs deep in the Patrick’s ethic. Last month, half the profits on a single Wednesday went to help build wells in Africa (check out charitywater.com). Other such events are in the works, as is the creation of portable beer service so that Patrick’s can donate beer and staff to philanthropic organizations.

Although hung for the St. Patty’s celebrations, the art this

month by local favorite Betony Coons, will host a reception with a dozen other galleries in Greeley on “First Friday”: April 6th.

Coons’ “Story” shows breadth and amazing technique and color skill for the artist.

Blue hues being a centerpiece, each painting seems very personal and possibly autobiographical. The show has a strong cohesiveness while not feeling repetitive. Perhaps most striking is her bear “Ursa” holding a ball of stars. Whether it was intentional or not, using the UNC mascot, and navy blue, this piece speaks to represent all that is good in Greeley.

“We couldn’t have a better artist to open up our gallery space.“ Says Farnsworth ”First Friday has become one of the great parts of this city, and we are excited to be a part of it. Supporting art, supporting local, supporting a town that people want to stay in on the weekends. And that is what Pat’s is about.”

BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

ALBUM REVIEWS Ben Puchalski

Why I Make Music Willow Summers BandWagon Magazine Ben Puchalski, often known by his nickname ‘Ben Pu,’ constructs solo acoustic rock instrumentation weaving complex guitar pickin’ with catchy rifts and jazzy/folk-inspired overtones in his album Why I Make Music. His third full-length album and second solo acoustic album, Why I Make Music is an alternative/ blues/jam fusion. The twelve tracks highlight Ben Pu’s lyrical range, which includes a strong timbre echoing a Dave Matthews vocal style. A steady eighth note strum throughout the first track, “Simple, Country, Summer Dress” is fitting for the albums thematic composition, producing a downto-earth sound throughout. Ben Pu, also known for his Greeley band, Ben Pu and Crew, addresses his unrestrained desire for writing and making music on the CD. In the song “Difference In Plans” Ben Pu says, “Don’t bring me down with your plans/I do what I do/I do it for the fans,” which articulates the importance of maintaining one’s form of self-expression despite other’s opinions. Track two titled, “Summer Joys” flows in the same vein as Jack Johnson’s beachcomber island rock. Similarly, the prechorus in “Knowing Your Groove” quickly branches and blossoms with down-beat slaps against the

side of the guitar meshing with intricate chord progressions.

Puchalski clearly knows how to handle the strings of a guitar. He manages to create multiple layers of sound, generally within the bridge of his songs. Track seven, “Why I Make Music” slows down the album, but with verses like, “I’m writing my thoughts for all those who needs a song for some words in stone,” is a welcomed exchange for lyrics with a bit more punch. Puchalski’s reply and answer format throughout the song creates a conversational style, similar to select James Taylor songs. Nevertheless, Puchualski lounges on the coda of a few songs within the album. What turns into an expanded cadence could be summarized in a few measures; however, if one enjoys Puchualski’s picking patterns then the extra measures are a bonus feature.

An unexpected stress on the offbeat produces a ska feel in “I’m Too Drunk.” Puchalski’s blues guitar solos throughout the song compose a unique blend of blues and ska, which parallels the underground reggae band Slightly Stooped, while “Fall Away” forms a nostalgic tone with plenty to ponder. Of course, Ben Puchalski could be compared to many popular music artists, but what distinguishes his sound from the crowd is his authentic voice.

Ben’s innovative syntactical choices are simple, but they grip listener’s heartstrings like a crush, lust, and

a good time. Whereas other artist are focused on becoming nationally or globally renown, Ben Pu admits he makes music for fans and loved ones.

A versatile easy-listening album, Ben’s tracks hold their own, but can also hang in the background; Why I Make Music is filled with one hour and two minutes of solid sound. Likewise, Ben’s references to Colorado’s mountains, streams, and valley’s make Why I Make Music an easily-visualized treat for Greeley and Colorado natives. Why I Make Music is available for purchase at Amazon.com. For more information about Ben Puchalski or Ben Pu and the Crew checkout their fan pages on Facebook.

Navigator An Idea of Home

Lucas Wingfield BandWagon Magazine I want to start off by saying that it was very hard for me to do an unbiased review of this album.

I have known all of the guys from Navigator since they went by the name The Skyline Surrender, and I had the pleasure of performing a show with them in Wyoming a couple of years ago when they needed a fill-in vocalist. Watching this band grow and continue to release amazing material has been a great experience, and it certainly shows with their April 5th release of An Idea of Home. This five-piece, melodic metal-core outfit from Denver is one of the most hard working bands in the Colorado music scene right now. Having

Photo: AlphaOmega Studios

already toured with hardcore veterans No Bragging Rights and recording with Dave Otero (Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation) at Flatline Audio, these persistent groups of musicians are definitely going big with An Idea of Home.

The disc begins with “1205 to Anchor,” a very energetic song that highlights every member in the band, but also has some surprising, yet beautiful singing by a female guest vocalist at the end of the track. “Between Two Trees” and “For Those Against Us” follow the pilot track and keep the momentum going during the beginning of the disc, but they also keep a firm grip on their signature dynamics. My favorite track off of the album has to be “A Hundred to Five.” I don’t know whether it’s the fact that the song is right after an interlude, or that it has guest vocals from Kevin Gentry of Anchorage, or that it just hauls complete ass. If I had to give an amount of asses that this song hauls, I’d say it probably hauls 9 1/2 out of ten asses, or 19 out of 20 cheeks.

The most important part is that “A Hundred to Five” doesn’t stand alone. All of the songs are unique and have their own important cadence to the flow of the disc.

“Welcome to the G.S.E.,”

the eighth track, is a great example of how Navigator leaves their inhibitions at the door. They use dissonant chords and harsh vocals from frontman Anthony Archuleta to create an epically strange and powerful sound. Whether or not this song has anything to do with the movie “Green Street Hooligans” is beyond me, but if it does, then this album is forever blowing bubbles in my book.

Navigator closes with the title track “An Idea of Home,” which features some of the wonderfully clean vocals from guitarist Justin Williams, and some powerful gang vocals to carry out the rest of the album. The production quality alone is enough to get these guys recognized and on the grid. With a solid fan base, a new name, a full length album, and hopefully a big push from their CD release show on April 5th at the Summit Music Hall, you will be seeing a lot more of this band in the next year. Pick up An Idea of Home when it drops in online stores early April.

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BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012 Black Dub Black Dub

Joe Lee Parker BandWagon Magazine I first learned about Daniel Lanois back when he was putting out solo albums, long before becoming the extraordinarily talented producer and musician he has become. He’s worked with U2, Brian Eno, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan to name only a few.

His production credits read like a veritable who’s who of the last

twenty years. He helped mold the over-all sounds of both Peter Gabriel and U2 (specifically The Edge) and given them the sonic flavoring we’ve come to associate with them.

So there I was, channel surfing the other night, when I happened to see a band that caught my fancy on the Late, Late, Late Show. Enough so that I clicked the info button and learned that they were called Black Dub. I guess what caught my ear first was the singer’s voice. I didn’t know it at the time but the old hipster on

Ingrid Michaelson Human Again

Neely O’Connar BandWagon Magazine With her fifth full album release, Human Again, Ingrid Michaelson broke through her standard indie credit and achieved the number one album on iTunes on January 25th, just one day after its release. The album, released on Cabin 24 Records under exclusive license to Mom + Pop, if not a departure, is a detour from her first four records. Most popular for her ditties like “The Way I Am,” featured in an Old Navy sweater commercial in 2007, “Be OK” in 2008, and 2009’s “Everybody,” the singer approaches a more elaborate feeling with boisterous instrumentation and darker themed lyrics.

Before her Spring Tour 2012 begins on April 9th in Montreal,

Canada, Michaelson and longtime back-up singer Allie Moss hit the road for a series of intimate shows to preview the album on her Pop Up Shows 2012. Denver’s The Walnut Room hosted the two on January 30th, and audience members received a free autographed copy of Human Again with the purchase of tickets.

The lively “Palm of your Hand” references the record’s title as Michaelson sings, “You make me wanna be a human again,” but everyday topics, such as the joys and pains of love, loss of direction and motivation, and the connection between one person and another, are apparent in all thirteen tracks.

The aptly titled Human Again tackles issues of human nature, such as the paradox of how “We love to love when it fills up the room / But

guitar was the one and only Daniel Lanois. On bass was our old friend from New Orleans, Daryl Johnson.

The singer I found was a relative newcomer, Trixie Whitley; daughter of the late great blues singer Chris Whitley. And believe me, she’s got the goods and can belt out a tune, and then some!

Further research informed me that the man behind the drums, keeping it all tied together, was Brian Blade; another New Orleans original that has his own amazing track record.

This band is the real deal.

They’re honest, pure, and simple with a polish that keeps them contemporary. The talents of each

when it leaves, oh, we’re cursing the stars” in “How We Love.” During the Denver show, she gave several of her songs alternate and accurate titles, including “Do It Now” as the “get up, and be a man song” and “Blood Brothers,” the track she performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as the “We are the World song.”

Michaelson likened “End of World” (which is misprinted on the hardcopy album and should read “End of the World”) to a Bruce Willis action flick. In fact, she wrote the song after watching Danny Boyle’s thriller 28 Days Later. The song begins with eerie instrumentation and Michaelson singing, “When the sun runs out / And there’s no one left to save you / Will you go to our favorite place / And try to say goodbye?” Though she imagines an apocalypse, the track is relatable through the deep-seated love she expresses.

While “End of the World” exhibits one side of desperation in a relationship, the yearning to be with

individual meld together in a cohesive whole that breathes new life into whatever they’d previously done separately. Daniel even gets to bring his highly experimental instrumentality to the group and furthermore, aptly apply his killer production and songwriting skills along the way.

Trixie brings a bluesy, heart-felt vocal style that you would never know comes from someone so relatively young and inexperienced, while Daryl adds his own classic falsetto, and Daniel’s voice adds tastefully superb harmonies.

Of course my next step was to download the album and hear it for myself to see if they lived up to all

one’s partner forever, even if it is only in death, “Ghost,” the first single off of Human Again, drowns in the desperation as a result of separation.

Lyrics like “I’m lost / Broken down the middle of my heart” and “I’m an invisible disaster / I keep trying to walk / but my feet don’t find the solid ground” resonate with anyone who has lost a love.

For the especially informed Michaelson fan, “Ghost” may be the alternate version of the more positive “Maybe,” which she released after a break-up with her now husband and fellow singer-songwriter, Greg Laswell. In “Maybe,” Michaelson sings “Maybe, in the future, you’re gonna come back around.” This hopefulness was a surprising take on the singer’s status and leads listeners to wonder if “Ghost,” which is completely devoid of hope, is also a product of the aforementioned break-up, one that was missing from Everbody, Michaelson’s last album.

While nearly half of the tracks on Human Again deal with

the hype I was reading about them on the Internet.

Not only do I love the album, but it seems they’ve really got it going on live as well. The self-titled album blends the many factors together into a wonderfully cohesive experience.

The songs are solid, the music is rootsy, and the added instrumental tracks created by Lanois in the studio brings an added dimension to the package. My favorite tracks are the beautifully melodic “Canaan” and the classic Lanois instrumental piece called “Sirens” that closes out the album. Black Dub is part super group and part three-piece jam band with vocals. Check them out for yourself at www.blackdub.net.

the hardships of a relationship, Michaelson’s traditional love songs are not entirely absent. “I’m Through” and “Keep Warm” prove to be sweet and slow declarations of the singer’s still soft heart. Though Michaelson experiments with lively choruses of louder vocals and fuller instrumentation on Human Again, she does not disappoint fans listening for her immaculate voice and heartfelt lyrics.

BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

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BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

FILM REVIEWS The Lorax

2012 - 135 Minutes - Rated PG Neely O’Connar BandWagon Magazine With a cast of stars, a great message, and a host of catchy tunes, directors Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda release Dr. Suess’ The Lorax (Universal Pictures 2012), a movie based on the children’s book of the same title. Random House originally published The Lorax in 1971, and a year later it was turned into a short made for TV movie directed by Hawley Pratt. For the feature film version, Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul rounded out the screenplay.

What is best about The Lorax is its relevance and willingness to shed light on the important topic of conserving the land. Reaching a young audience allows the message that each individual person can make the choice to be a positive force in the world, like when Ted decides to plant the last tree seed, or a negative force, as when The Onceler goes against he Lorax’s warnings and cuts down tree after tree until all of the trees are gone.

The visual aspects of the film also shine, with vibrant colors and sharp animation. Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Ed Helms, and Danny DeVito are well cast as the voices of the primary characters: Ted, Audrey, The Onceler, and The Lorax. Ironically, Efron, who has performed in the High School Musical films, and Swift, who is a singer by trade, do not sing in this musical. Instead, most of the

songs are sung by Helms, who has also sung on the television show The Office and the films The Hangover and Cedar Rapids. Betty White is an obvious choice as Grammy Norma, and she delivers in her heartfelt and humorous way.

The film includes a number of original songs within its eighty-six minute story. For adults, listening to the lyrics of songs like “How Bad Can I Be?” are uncomfortable at best and deeply disturbing at worst.

Young children in the theaters likely do not understand the significance of the words “I’m biggering my company, I’m biggering my factory, I’m biggering my corporate size / Everybody out there, take care of yours, and me, I’ll take care of mine.”

However, this movie is not just about entertaining children or rendering them the power to elicit change on their own. Upon hearing the film’s message, adults have the same power to make change and to further educate and involve their children in protecting the planet.

The book also spawned The Lorax Project, which was launched on Earth Day 2008 and can be found at www. theloraxproject.com. The Project aims at the reverse of what happens in the film by protecting animals and their environments.

Though the film has been criticized by some as victim of the

same greed, which strikes The Once-ler in the film, any monetary gain made by the producers must be considered in conjunction with the message the film portrays.

Neither The Once-ler nor Mr O’Hare (Rob Riggle), who has been largely responsible for creating the town, Thneedville, made of plastic and even going so far as to bottle and sell air, are the heroes of the story. Ted is the obvious hero as he is the one who dares to plant the last seedling, but within the final song, “Let It Grow,” is a call of every person in Thneedville to step up and allow the tree to bloom.

Dr. Suess’ The Lorax reaches both audiences of children and adults while simultaneously entertaining and educating. As children are bopping along to the catchy songs, adults are honing in on the urgency and earnestness of the lyrics like “Let it grow / You can’t reap what you don’t sow / Plant a seed inside the earth / Just one way to know its worth / Let’s celebrate the world’s rebirth / We say let it grow.” While kids may not glean all of the lyrics, they will be able to see the remorse The Once-ler shows after cutting down all the trees and the joy with which the characters bring their town back to life by planting a new tree.

The Re:Generation Music Project 2012 - 82 Minutes - Not Rated

Willow Summers BandWagon Magazine An experiment in musical genre collaboration The Re:Generation Music Project investigates the rising popularity of electronic music and the effects of technology on the traditional genres that shaped America’s musical lexicon.

The film was released in February of 2012 and is free for screening at regenerationmusicproject. com. Directed by Amir Bar Lev, The Re:Generation Music Project is the collaborative child borne out of a partnership between the Grammys and Hyndai Veloster.

Five chart-topping DJs and producers: DJ Premier, Mark Ronson, Skrillex, Pretty Lights and The Crystal Method, to reinvent five traditional styles of music.

Each traditional genre is paid homage with musical legends coaching the DJs during their quest to understand a foreign or perhaps unappreciated style of melodic expression. Producer Mark Ronson naturally grooves his R&B, soul sound, which helped five-time Grammy-winning singer Amy Winehouse achieve success with the New-Orleans jazz of The Dap Kings, Trombone Shorty, Erykah Badu, and Yessin Bey. Yet DJ’s like Pretty Lights (aka. Derek Smith) struggle to infuse his synthesized smooth beats with the memorable story and grizzled

tone in Dr. Ralph Stanley’s version of the country hit “Wayfarring Stranger.”

Audiences quickly move through each DJ’s creative process to create a song. The alternative dance, chemical beat duo The Crystal Method toured deteriorating downtown Detroit with R&B sensation Martha Reeves, from Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the Funk Brothers. Martha’s sassy spirit and undeniably strong vocals are an empowering audible treat that floats over the interwoven remix of The Crystal Methods electronic structure. An exciting component of the film’s narrative includes a rare mash-up with the 2012 Grammy Best Dance/Electronica Album winner, Skrillex and the surviving members of The Doors.

During a recording session Skrillex said, “I don’t think it hit me till they started playing together and then I just got chills and was like, man, this is The Doors. Them jamming on the beat I made was surreal.”

Although each DJ converted a genre into new formats, it is perhaps DJ Premier’s infusion of classical and rap that proves there are no limitations to electronic music’s capabilities. Working with the Berklee Symphony Orchestra, rapper Nas, and the universally

recognized composer Bruce Adolphe, DJ Premier expresses the importance of basic music theory while maintaining his unique jive.

Each artist premier’s their innovative take on an old melodic tradition at a different venue woven in nostalgia and the results are mixed. While Ronson’s creation is almost too seamless to be considered a collaboration of several genres, Derek Smith of Pretty Lights tweaks LeAnn Rimes’ voice leaving it unrecognizable, but gyrated breathes of electronic twang give an unsuspected level of country conformity.

Although the film contains an overkill of soliciting, it also produces a commentary on music history, social media, and the future of electronic technology within the realm of the music industry. Plus, The Re:Generation Music Project can be streamed and watched for free through their website, so why not check out this music documentary if one is interested with upcoming music trends in the digital age? An experimental film, The Re:Generation Music Project generates new perspectives and possibilities based on DJ Premier’s notion that “music can’t die as long as someone keeps making it fresh.”

BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

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The Hunger Games 2012 - 142 Minutes - Rated PG-13 Justin Roberts BandWagon Magazine There have been only a few book series since J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter that have managed to captivate audiences on an international scale like The Hunger Games

has. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, follows the life of a girl named Katniss Everdeen living in a dystopian future where there is total government control over the nation. What was once North America, now renamed Panem,

has been divided into twelve districts, all controlled by the Capitol. As a consequence of a past rebellion, the districts are forced to volunteer two “tributes” every year. One boy and girl from each district are selected to fight to the death in an arena designed by the Capitol, where the rules dictate that only one tribute can survive. Katniss volunteers for the games after her sister is selected, and is transported to the Capitol where she fights for her life in a constantly changing arena, manipulated technologically by the game masters in the Capitol.

At first glance I was skeptical about the novel and could understand accusations from many that this seemed like a Battle Royle rip-off.

Despite being geared towards a teenage audience, The Hunger Games exhibits some outstanding characteristics that make it a well-written trilogy apealing to a much older audience as well. The trilogy as a whole was by no means equivalent to Harry Potter, but was on the national best sellers list for months, and for good reason.

As someone who loved all three of the books in the trilogy, my natural reaction to hearing the first book would be made into a movie was one of doubt that they could capture the feel of the novels on film.

I went into the film with low expectations, however, I was pleased with the way Director Gary Ross portrayed the desolate dystopian novel.

The shaky camera work, while nauseating at times, added

to the scene of chaos that Katniss finds herself in as she enters the arena and is faced with twenty-three adolescents trying to kill her. The killing and death scenes in the book were portrayed much more violently than the movie, and the film definitely succumbed to its PG-13 rating. Perhaps the greatest success of the film adaptation was that it managed to maintain the raw nature of the storyline that so many found captivating, but did so in a manner tasteful enough that its primary pre-teen audience would be permitted to view it.

Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss in the film, and she couldn’t have been cast better.

Lawrence captures the essence of the character, and doesn’t

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over act her role, staying true to the rebellious and easily angered nature of Katniss. She co-starts with Josh Hutcherson, who does a less impressive job, but compliments Lawrence well throughout the film.

Other characters played by the likes of Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz made this a surprisingly entertaining film and one not to be missed. The fast paced and well-executed portrayal of The Hunger Games definitely warrants a viewing, and as for the first installment of the trilogy, seems to deserve the international praise it is receiving.

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BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

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Jazz Fest

Aims’ Live at Studio A Dan Barton BandWagon Magazine As popular taste in music becomes more and more eclectic and diversified, it is a pity that jazz music isn’t finding its way into the niches of mainstream culture. If jazz had a place on more peoples’ radar, Greeley would be far more than just a somewhat sleepy college town with a budding music and arts culture. This is because, for a few days every April, Greeley becomes a national hot spot for jazz performance and education when the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival comes to town. The noncompetitive festival is the biggest of its kind in the country.

Kelsey Shiba, who coordinated the 2011 festival, is now the associate director of UNC jazz studies. In her office, a string of filing cabinets are covered with a matrix of sticky notes which outline an impossibly complex itinerary of events.

Every year,

image: http://www.realgroup.se

Greeley hosts over 7,500 students from across the country, from middle school ensembles through college and university. Big bands, combos, vocal jazz groups, and vocal soloists all perform short sets of music and receive clinics from some of the most respected names in jazz performance, composition and education. Students also take group photos and spend the day observing other student groups.

But what is now an operation of staggering proportions began humbly, as most things do. The festival began as an opportunity for the jazz ensembles of the Colorado universities to gather for feedback and a quick performance opportunity. Gary Burton was the first and only featured guest artist.

It has grown rapidly in the past decades, thanks

Pictured Above: Sweeden’s The Real Group

in part to what Shiba guesses is a dramatic increase in jazz education among public school programs. The activity, centered in the Union Colony Civic Center, now extends well into the Greeley community. In addition to the UCCC, performances and clinics are now held in the senior center, the rec center, and the Clarion hotel nearby. It’s even a possibility that St. Patrick’s church next door and Foundation Hall near UNC will be added to accommodate the growing number of participants.

When asked if the festival has room to keep growing, Shiba’s eyes widen and her voice trails off as she says, “According to Dana...”.

She’s referring to Dana Landry, director of Jazz Studies at UNC. Landry heads a department with over 90 Downbeat Awards and a Grammy nomination on its resume. Certainly not short on ambition, Shiba’s tone implies that Landry will grow the festival as much as Greeley will allow. This well oiled machine

image: http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/wayneshorter

Pictured Above: Wayne Shorter merits its own specific job description, and has for years. This year it falls to graduate student Austin Day (that’s Managing Producer of the 4th Annual UNC/ Greeley Jazz Festival to you).

Each night of the festival, which runs Thursday through Saturday, is punctuated with a concert in Monfort Hall, combining top UNC Jazz ensembles and international jazz legends. No, this is not an exaggeration, and is surely the reason many of your musically inclined friends wound up at UNC in the first place. After all, UNC/ Greeley could make a worse first impression on young students than with the likes of Take 6, Chick Corea, the Mingus Big Band, Dave Brubeck, and Bobby McFerrin (all formerly featured artists).

This year’s acts include Swedish vocal quintet The Real Group and Grammy award winner Wayne Shorter, and the Wayne Shorter Quartet. More specifically, make

that six Grammy Awards (the same number that lines the shelf of Sir Elton John (and my personal favorite Billy Joel, while we’re on the topic)), so I can only hope you feel tremendously guilty for being unaware this kind of talent would be arriving in Greeley right under your nose.

They’re disappearing fast, but tickets still remain for all three concerts, April 19-21, which can be purchased through the UCCC. Many modern jazz festivals stay alive today by incorporating more commercially popular blues/ pop/funk acts with only loose ties to jazz. What makes the UNC/ Greeley Jazz Festival unique is that it “preserves the highest quality of true jazz music,” according to Shiba. No doubt you won’t want to miss your chance to experience the highest level of culture and musical talent Greeley has to offer which, after all, is what Bandwagon is all about.

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BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

Distortions Unlimited Greeley Makes Monsters Jay Wallace BandWagon Magazine Next to the railroad tracks on 13th Street sits an unassuming warehouse. Within its walls, aliens, zombies, werewolves, and other grotesque creatures take up residence. All of which, of course, are creations of Distortions Unlimited, one of the most prominent mask and prop makers in the country, and the subject of the Travel Channel’s “Making Monsters.”

Distortions was started up

by Ed Edmunds, a 56-year-old Greeley resident, in 1978. From a young age, Edmunds said he was into monsters, The Outer Limits, Planet of the Apes, Spock of Star Trek, “and all that science fiction junk.”

“At the time, I was like a shy teenager,” Edmunds said, “and so I could put a mask on and become

something else, and I think I was intrigued by that.”

Despite this fascination, Edmunds was hesitant to go into mask making, saying that he didn’t think he could make a living doing so.

“It started in an odd sort of way because I was originally going to college down in Pueblo – my parents had moved there in ’73 – and got offered a scholarship [by my dentist] to make masks and go to the college down there,” Edmunds said. “My dentist had seen some of the masks and things I’d done, just as a hobby. I turned him down, thinking that you couldn’t make a living doing that.”

Edmunds came to Greeley to go to art college and become a teacher.

He took a job painting masks for a novelty store, and ended up making a mask for costume contest at the same store. “[The owner] asked if I could

make something for him to sell at the store,” Edmunds said. “I said yes, and they started selling the masks, and I realized, ‘well, maybe I could make a living doing this.’”

Since then, Edmunds’ company has catered to clients such as Alice Cooper and the sideshow performer/actor known as The Enigma. Distortions Unlimited primarily makes masks, animatronics, and haunted house props.

Distortions also became the focus of The Travel Channel’s “Making Monsters,” which focuses on the day-to-day work of Distortions’ crew.

The seeds for “Making Monsters” were planted sometime in the 1990s when Edmunds’ friend Tim Scott visited the studio, bringing with him Nathan Charlan of Warm Springs Productions, a Missoula, MT-based production company.

Charlan thought that a reality show about Distortions would be a fascinating show. Years later, Charlan came out to shoot a sizzle reel and pitched the show to The Travel Channel.

“Making Monsters” has since been renewed for a second season, starting sometime in September.

Pictured Above: Intern Cody Moskalski, 17, holds up one of Distortions Unlimited’s Alien masks.

Pictured Left: Some unpainted examples of Distortions Unlimited’s Animatronics.

Since then, production has amped up for Distortions. Edmunds still does much of the work, and he maintains a crew of six to nine core employees. Amongst those are his wife, Marsha Taub-Edmunds, 60, and intern Cody Moskalski, 17.

“After the show came out,” Moskalski said, “I had seen them and specifically waited until after Halloween in the hopes that they’d be exhausted, and want some extra help. So I offered myself as an intern, and even then it was difficult to get in. But I feel like the luckiest kid in all of Greeley in order to be doing this, especially at

a high school level.”

Taub-Edmunds came to Distortions around 1983, at the time going to school to obtain a masters’ degree and working parttime at the company. She ended up staying with the company, primarily painting hands and masks. In the late 1980s, she became a co-owner and married Edmunds.

“I love owning our own business,” Taub-Edmunds. “I love creating, the creative aspect of the business, and I like working for myself as opposed to working for a company.”

BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

Hoopligans / G-Town Hoop Group: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Joe Lee Parker BandWagon Magazine You know that old hula-hoop hanging on a hook in the garage or the one gathering dust in your attic, well break it out because hooping is back, and it’s bigger than ever.

Local performance artists the Hoopligans, featuring Katara Haagensen, and sisters Joy and Sam Watts, are raising the bar locally and have elevated the activity to a whole new art-form.

The group combines fashion, choreography, beauty, and exercise into thier interpretive dance moves with intricate hoop techniques. They often perform under black lights, with glow-inthe-dark make-up, and costumes.

They incorporate fire hooping and an instrument called the “MagicStick.” They hand pick their own cutting edge beats and world-class music, all to great effect. There’s no doubt about it, you know that “it” factor? Well, these girls have it and then some!

The trio started hooping together a few years back and were exited to meet others who were passionate about the activity. As things evolved, they founded the G-Town Hoop Group.

It’s a collaborative effort involving music, choreography, fashion, friendship and, in the early days, rather traditional hula-hoops. But

as their talents and interests grew, the group evolved into something more akin to the Burning Man Festival rather than a simple day in the park to pass the time. Their vision became unified and took on a life of its own, fueled by moves they learned from other hoopers via YouTube and Facebook.

The “Magic Stick” is more often found in the hands of magicians, but when wielded by Katara Haagensen, it becomes mesmerizing and exhibits fine artistry at its best. Even in broad daylight with more traditional hula-hoops, they bring a level of passion that is admirable and contagious. We’re lucky to have such a well established and prolific group to represent us around the region.

Meanwhile, they continue to draw their inspiration from our burgeoning local arts community and the growing vibrant scene around town. They’ve started teaching sessions and mentoring others by offering workshops and classes.

Their success has grown, and their performance bookings have become more frequent. The Hoopligans have begun branching out by appearing at festivals and events throughout Northern Colorado. They’ve even extend their presence to the Denver area, working along with Gina Ortega and her band of dancers know as Venomous Vixens. They do the same locally at Whiskey River

performing at events hosted by Dirty Dimes Entertainment. They’ll soon be entertaining Fort Collins crowds at the upcoming FoCoMax event and again at the GNU Gallery in Old Town.

You can catch them here in town during G-Town Hoop Group sessions at the Evans Skatepark or The Family Funplex out west.

They appear regularly at Belly Gras and Belly Hallow events, put on by Tribe Sidysaan. The Hoopligans are featured in a number of their own videos that can be found by visiting their various Facebook pages or on their own YouTube channel.

Through Facebook, you can also stay updated on where they’ll be performing or offering classes next. They’re a very talented and charismatic group of artists that are worth looking for. If, for some reason, you can’t find their pages, you can always email them at gtownhoopas@yahoo.com.

Pictured Above (from Left to Right): Joy Watts, Katara Haagensen, Sam Watts Pictured Below: Hoopligans member Sam Watts in action.

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By: Dan Barton 3OH!3 are among the nation’s pre-eminent scholars of having a good time. But if Ke$ha’s 1500 SAT score and 140+ IQ (look it up) has taught me anything, it’s not to mistake silly for stupid. 3OH!3 is calculated, intentional, and unapologetic about the music they make. They’re Colorado’s poster children for a meteoric rise to success, taking their show from the bedroom studio to the amphitheater, thanks to word of mouth and a stellar live show. On April 29th, they’ll be accompanied at UNC by the area’s hottest upcoming band, Air Dubai. In this Bandwagon interview, 3OH!3’s Sean Foreman talks local music, social media, and more as we pick the brain of Colorado’s favorite party rockers.

BandWagon Being as big as any act who has come out of Colorado in the last five years, is there anything unique here in the Colorado music scene that was particularly helpful to you guys catching fire?

Sean Foreman You don’t mean ‘big’ like fat do you? Oh no, now I’m just being self-conscious. Pull it together.

I’d say the Colorado music scene is one hundred percent the reason we were able to turn our musical habit into a career. The people at The Fox theater in Boulder, who allowed us to jump on to their stage, with not so much as a demo (sorry about all the fake blood). To the DJs at KTCL, who so passionately play local music, and allowed us to play a bizarre pop song about not trusting a hoe on air. Not to mention the fans who would line up in front of the venues in the AM and still have enough energy to jump around for the entire show that evening. We also love the local bands and owe so much to them for letting us hop on their bill no matter how weird it was that an electrohip-pop group was playing with a Metal lineup. We owe it all to Colorado!

BW As a huge part of the new Colorado scene, what are some of your favorite local bands that you have worked with and have shared the stage with? Who are the Colorado bands that you are currently listening to?

SF Here’s a list of bands that I grew up listening to and playing with (some are no longer with us): Signal to Noise, Grace Gale, Dartanian, One Dying Wish.

And here are the bands I like in Denver at the moment: American Tomahawk, The Photo Atlas, Cobraconda, Popcult, Gregory Alan Isakov, Nathaniel Rateliff, and One Republic.

BW Social media has seemed to play a big role in spreading your guys’ popularity. What are your thoughts on the current opportunities for independent musicians, and how has the process of finding success has changed?

SF I think social media is a great way to get your name out.

Whereas bands used to compete for physical shelf space, now there’s infinite room online. Sure, some people argue that there’s more shit to sift through, but to be honest, music should be democratic. Anyone who wants to make music and put it out should have that option and it shouldn’t be the decision of a record label or people with deep enough pockets to afford it.

To be successful nowadays you have to be creative. You might have great music, but it’s difficult to make it rise above the rest and be noticed. That’s when a cool viral video or mixtape catches buzz and allows people to see what you’re making. I like the Internet because there are pretty much no rules on how to get your music out there.

BW From the beginning, 3OH!3 has made it clear they’re about making music that’s supposed to be fun, catchy, and great for a live show. Yet people can still be critical of the band for being goofy and not serious enough. Is it easier to deflect that kind of criticism because you’re doing exactly what you set out to do?

Or does that still bother you?

SF We’ve found with 3OH!3 that it’s all about the party. We set out from the beginning to do something fun that didn’t carry an air of elitism. At some points in my life I found myself so enveloped in the snobby rules and regulations of how to listen to music, what to like, and what to wear. Eventually, I was like fuck it. Let’s just play a crazy show and have fun with all pretension aside. I’m not good at writing serious music. I’d love to be in Arcade Fire, but goddamn it, they never accepted my audition tape!

BW I saw in a recent post of yours that you both support different charities with some of your profits. What prompted you to make that part of your life, and why do you support the causes that you do?

SF Nat and I both believe strongly in giving back. In my opinion, life is too short not to lend your services to those who may be less fortunate. We’ve donated to charities such as the Boulder Homeless Shelter, American Cancer Society, and the Denver Epilepsy Foundation. We give to those charities because they have close ties to our lives in one way or another.

BW Spotify lists both Linkin Park and Lonely Island as “similar artists” to 3OH!3. There is no real question here, I just thought you might find this funny because nobody seems to be able to decide how to peg your sound.

SF Ha! That’s awesome! Throw in some Bloodhound Gang, TATU, The Offspring, and Teletubbies and you got yourself a stew going.

3OH!3 and Air Dubai hit the stage at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion on Sunday, April 29. The show is semi-closed, meaning UNC students and guests.

Non-students should start coercing their friends to pick them up a ticket.

Student tickets are $5 and guest tickets are $20. They can be purchased at the student info desk on the second floor of the University Center or at www.unco. edu/tickets. Students will need to show a UNC ID to pick up discounted student tickets (to those of you interested in trying to game the system). Email dan. barton@unco.edu with further questions about the show. See you at Butler.

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BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

Local Band Profile:

Mariah Foster BandWagon Magazine Musician Alfonso Cervantes awoke in the middle of the night, captivated by a thought that would change his life forever.

“At certain points in our lives, we all are castaways,” Alfonso explains, offering that all people understand what is is to be shipwrecked.

Everyone knows the desperation and terror of trying to find their way back to shore: their faith, sanity or whatever else they are

needing to reconnect with.

This idea held such meaning and significance to Alfonso that he began to create music under the banner of “Castaway” and started performing in venues all over Northern Colorado.

His music is an honest form of personal expression which encourages people to stay hopeful, that we all can find what we are looking for.

It’s very real, passionate, and raw, presenting perspectives on personal topics in sometimes a sarcastic manner. His lyrics are powerful yet relatable, and

audiences often comment that his songs are incredibly catchy, for better or for worse.

As well as everything had started, Alfonso admits that his music began to feel lonely, and he decided that his solo project needed a band to play at live shows. To protect his musicianship, he set up a foundation for the project in which he would take care of band management, writing, and singing, and the involved musicians would only have to worry about their part in the performance. Drummer Bryan Cahill explains that it works much like a solar system with Alfonso as the star that the planets gravitate around; all the members participate in the push-andpull that keeps the system running smoothly.

The musicians involved in the collaboration appreciate the opportunity to play without the hassle of any commitment.

They don’t have to deal with the drama that comes with making important band decisions and are not obligated to continually create and compromise musically. Of course, in this sort of set-up, there’s bound to be some turnover, and Alfonso had to be very patient during the first couple years of Castaway’s existence as he tried out many,

many different musicians.

With the addition of talented young bassist Mitch Zonnefield and guitarist Derek Vollmer about a year ago, the group feels that it has found a perfect chemistry.

Castaway continues to play solo and group shows all over Colorado. They are found more and more regularly at Denver venues while still being an essential part of Greeley’s scene. “I love local music. I love it so much.” Alfonso passionately affirms, commenting on the fact that Greeley bands and artists work collaboratively rather than competitively, as is found nearly everywhere else. Castaway currently has

a demo available online and is in the process of finishing a full-length album. They were invited to play on the CSU campus during April’s FoCoMX music festival and are currently competing for a spot in this Summer’s Warped tour.

The band members attribute much of their success to the fans that connect with the music and idea of being a castaway.

They are always encouraging conversation, and Alfonso hopes that people will be able to take something away from his words and his performance. “You’re not alone,” he says. “You’re not the only castaway.”

Pictured Above: Castaway. Top Left: Derek Vollmar.

Top Right: Mitchael ZonneFeld. Bottom Left: Bryan Cahill. Bottom Right: Alfonso Cervantes

BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

The Alleycat Bike Race

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Photos By: Jay Wallace

Fast is Forever...

Jay Wallace BandWagon Magazine It was Friday, February 24th. At Istanbul, cyclist Jay Ybarra, 24, sketched out a basic map of the Alleycat Rally, an “illegal” bike race across Greeley for two fellow riders.

The race required cyclists to retrieve tokens at a few select locations in Greeley, such as bar wristbands. Whoever was the first to cross the finish line and down a glass of water at The Crvshroom, won the race.

When pressed as to why the race was “illegal,” Ybarra said it was and it wasn’t. He emphasized that how the riders got to the finish line was up to them, saying he wasn’t liable for any illicit measures cyclists used to win.

The Alleycat Rally is one of many signs of the burgeoning biking lifestyle in Greeley.

Much of this was started by the Greeley Revolution a couple years ago, a biking group that has since fallen by the wayside. Roubaix Bicycle Company owner Steve Opt, 37, has observed the fluctuating of biking in Greeley for years, saying it’s just goes up and down.

Opt said The Greeley Revolution helped give a face to biking culture in Greeley, and was disappointed when it collapsed.

“I’d like to see it keep going,” Opt said. “Anything is better.”

Ybarra, originally from Tucson, moved to Greeley in 2009. He got into biking in 2011, meeting up with friends who were also bikers becoming a part of the growing biking community. Along with organizing the rally, he helps with Thursday Night Bike Nights at The Crvshroom.

Alleycat participants found out about the race by flyers posted around UNC and other areas. David Quinones, 20, and Josh Romero, 19, found out about it by hanging out at The Crvshroom.

Quinones, an AIMS Sophomore and Greeley resident, said he had only been riding for a couple months, encouraged by his friend, Romero, to take it up. His primary motivation was to get back in shape, saying that he hadn’t done anything physical since graduating high school.

“I picked it up pretty fast, though,” Quinones said. “I’ve always been kind of physical; weightlifting, I’ve played sports.

It’s tougher because I’ve never done really much endurance sports, so this is tougher that way, but I’ve always been into physical sports.”

Romero has been into biking for a while, saying he’s gotten more serious about in the last year.

“Commuting in general made me feel better in the morning,” Romero explained, “going to class on a bike instead of driving.”

After a while, bikers gathered in an adjacent building, lining their bikes up against the walls or sitting them wherever there was space. Some talked bike tech, some talked jobs, new riders introduce themselves, and a couple knocked back 40s.

Within a half hour, the cyclists stepped outside and geared up.

At 6:53 p.m., the race began.

At 7:10 p.m., two men crossed the finish line. Frank Carcellero, 25, was the first to arrive, but Bandwagon writer Lucas Wingfield, 21, was the first to arrive and finish off a glass of water, winning a $50 bar tab at The Crvshroom.

It wasn’t easy for Wingfield though. At one location, he had

Pictured Above: Cyclists gear up and warm up at the starting line of the February 24 Alleycat Rally bike race.

Pictured Left: Jay Ybarra, 24, (right) gives out instructions for the Alleycat Rally to participants.

Pictured Right: Emily Carr, 22, of Greeley, (left) and Liz Soloman, 24, of Denver, look over the route of the Alleycat Rally bike race.

trouble getting a token, and his bike lost its chain at one point during the race. Wingfield said that he never expected to win the race.

“One thing I can say is,” Wingfield said, “I know a lot of people racing this race aren’t from Greeley and haven’t been here in forever. I grew up here, and I think I probably know these streets as well or more than anyone else.”

The success of the Alleycat Rally gives some hope for bikers in Greeley. Opt said he hopes biking culture in Greeley grows over the next five to ten years.

“It’s got a pretty good start,” Opt said. “There’s more bike lanes being painted on the streets and you see more bikes around. I still don’t see a lot on campus, which is amazing.

Those bike racks should be full over there, and they’re just not.

But it is better than it was five years ago. I see more people on bikes now.”

For those interested in joining up with Greeley’s biking culture, UNC will be hosting their first annual Alleycat Ride on April 19th.

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BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

The Cheaply Intellectual Theatre Company Zachary Martinez BandWagon Magazine

Honestly, the theater isn’t really my cup of tea. When I think of theater I think of black bow ties, evening gowns, monocles, and a couple of guys trying to get laid. I didn’t cry when I saw “Les Miserables,” I didn’t sing along when I saw “Oklahoma,” and I didn’t try my hand at dancing after I saw “Hairspray.” I did, however, laugh my ass off when I saw “The Complete Classics of Classic Literature” and “The Complete Unbiased History of America.”

You’re probably wondering what the hell I am talking about, and if you’re not, go give Daniel Mothershed a thumbs-up for his marketing savvy. For those of you still stuck on the former clause of the previous sentence, I’m here to introduce you to theater minus all the shit aforementioned (except perhaps the getting laid part, but I’ll leave that up to you). Introducing the Cheaply Intellectual Theatre Company. Notice that theater is spelt “theatre,” which, of course, is the British English spelling.

Pretty becoming of the pompousassedness of the group, but it’s a good thing.

If you want to see Martha Washington played by a guy in

drag or Holden Caulfield’s story told through a game of catch, then you’ve missed your chance at this point, but you do have the chance to see the same irreverently hilarious and intellectual interpretation of the Bible. Get excited, because the show is set to open sometime in April.

Before you grab your picket sign and start practicing your “God hates people who laugh at his book” chant, you should know that the show is not intended to offend (well it is a little bit, but only in the funny kind of way, like Matt Stone and Trey Parker), as much as it is to inform.

Daniel Mothershed, Abe Eifert, and Kaitie Wick, who are the Cheaply Intellectual Theatre Company, said that they are actually all Christians themselves.

So, exactly what can we expect from the Bible show? If it is anything like the The Complete Classics of Classic Literature or The Complete and Unbiased History of America, then it will be series of sketches that tell various Biblical stories, all linked together by comedic interludes. Imagine if stand-up comedy got knocked up by Saturday Night Live and the offspring taught Sunday school.

The shows are set up around the idea that the characters are

Pictured Above (Left to Right): Shane White, Daniel Mothershed, Abe Eifert, Kaitie Wick

there to teach the audience. And the group decides acting is the best way to teach. Don’t expect a deep understanding of what you are there to learn, the name is Cheaply Intellectual Theatre Company for a reason, and many of the sketches I’ve seen live up to the name. Again it’s not a bad thing. The Complete Classics of Classic Literature mentioned over 100 books, and for the sake of time, and the dwindling American attention span, some of the books mentioned amounted to nothing more than a loaf of rye

bread being tossed to a guy with a catchers mitt.

The same can be said for The Complete and Unbiased History of America. When covering 500 years of history, some sacrifices have to be made, like reducing FDR to a single line. “A crippled man for a crippled nation,” Daniel said as he rolled across the stage in a wheel chair. Cheaply intellectual, surface scratching, and yet, in a strange way, all-encompassing.

I have high hopes for the Bible show. My only suggestion is to use

the restroom before you go to see it.

Otherwise you may end up sitting in evidence of how hard you laughed.

It’s a pretty common occurrence at Cheaply Intellectual Theatre Company shows.

Here is the bottom line. It doesn’t matter if you like history or not, or whether or not you like theater. All that matters is whether or not you like to laugh. If you have half a brain, you’ll be able to get most of the jokes, and if you are an Elementary Education major you should go anyway. The Cheaply Intellectual Theatre Company has been performing together for years and it shows. Keep an eye out for posters advertising the Bible show. It will be a great time for everyone, and remember theater is like a concert, the more people in the audience, the better the actors perform. So bring a friend or two.

BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

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BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

Meet Brandon Shaffer Democratic Candidate for Colorado Congressional District 4 Austin Wulf BandWagon Magazine

With the race for the Republican presidential nomination winding down, it’s time to take a look at one closer to home.

Colorado’s fourth congressional district encompasses the northern half of the Front Range, from Fort Collins to Longmont, as well as the eastern border of the state. Currently, the district is represented by Cory Gardner, a Republican from Yuma.

Brandon Shaffer, President of the Colorado Senate and a Democrat, hopes to take the seat this year. Senator Shaffer was elected to the State Senate in 2004 and has worked to make healthcare and education more accessible in Colorado.

Recently, he took time out of a busy day of campaigning to talk with the BandWagon on his plan to “bring Colorado solutions to Washington, D.C.” Q: Can you explain the “Colorado solutions” angle of your platform?

A: When I first ran for State Senate in 2004, I asked my 92-year-old grandmother what advice she had for someone running for Colorado office.

She said, “Whatever you do, remember that this is the West.” As someone who’d spent her entire life in Colorado, of course, she wasn’t talking about a direction on the map. It’s an entire way of life—a value system where people work together to get things done. Because if they don’t, they won’t survive. What my grandmother instilled in me is, at the end of the day, getting the work done is the most important piece. Colorado solutions serve the people who put you in office; we all work together to do something constructive as opposed to playing political games.

Q: What do you think is the most important issue to District 4 voters?

A: Just like the rest of the nation, people here are worried about jobs and the economy.

We see ourselves as coming out of this recession, but people are still hurting out there. They need opportunities to go back to work or go back to school to get better jobs. They’re looking for policies that bring new industries into the state. Also, I think Coloradans are disgusted with what’s going on in Washington, D.C. Our United States Congress is not serving the people and, frankly, it’s time to throw the bums out.

Q: How would you stimulate job creation, especially for young adults and recent graduates?

A: Education is a primary area where we need to focus investment and resources at the national level. If you look at the economy here in Greeley, for example, much of that is tied into the university—whether it’s the students, the teachers, the maintenance crews, it’s an essential part of the economy. We need to make sure college remains affordable and accessible for Coloradans. Another point is investment in transportation infrastructure. The federal government is a key player in that, and not just in maintaining roads. Systems like the FasTracks can be completed thanks in part to federal funding. All of these things benefit the state’s economy and attract businesses here, ultimately creating more jobs for our workers.

the budget, they won’t get paid until they can come back with a budget that is balanced. That would be an interesting concept to bring to Washington, D.C., I think. A strong argument could be made that the essential function of the U.S. Congress is to balance the national budget. Until our congresspeople can do that, they should forgo their pay and benefits.

Q: In addition to education, you’re also a champion of accessible healthcare. Would you have voted in favor of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act? A: I would have, yes. It’s controversial, for sure—I’m not crazy about the individual mandate, but I don’t think anyone can argue that our healthcare system is not broken. I think certainly it is broken, and I applaud efforts to try to bring some sanity to the out-of-control prices of health insurance that we currently live Q: Speaking to keeping col- with. I don’t know that the Aflege affordable, where do you fordable Care Act is the ultimate stand on possible federal stu- answer, but we have to keep trydent loan interest rate hikes? ing until we get it right.

A: I wouldn’t be supportive of that. One thing we absolutely Q: Would you support a have to be sensitive to is the cost publicly-funded healthcare of higher education. I’ve worked system like the one in Canada? on pieces of legislation that A: I don’t know that I’d go would allow students to start in that far. We need a Colorado soa two-year institution and then lution; we need to come together transfer all of their credits to a to find the best system for our four-year institution. That al- citizens, one that is accountable, lows them to get their degrees in transparent, and affordable. four years, making college altogether more affordable.

Q: What’s your take on the recent discussion of allowing Q: Many recent graduates businesses to deny women worry about debt. Would you insurance coverage for birth consider a proposal for forgiveness of federal student loan debt?

A: I’d have to see how the numbers work out. I wouldn’t be opposed to it if it’s something we can afford to do. Balancing the budget on the federal level is obviously a very difficult task, and I wouldn’t want to do something like that if it were fiscally irresponsible.

Q: Time and time again, balanced budget amendments are proposed in the U.S. Congress. Why do you think they always get voted down?

A: I think the amendment process itself, you know, to go through each of the legislatures and get the approval to put it in the Constitution, is very cumbersome. I think the conversation breaks down when we get to the actual mechanics of how this would work. I introduced legislation here in Colorado this year which says, basically, if the legislators fail to balance

control for “moral conflict” reasons?

A: I think this is a ridiculous conversation for us to be having right now. We should respect women’s rights when it comes to healthcare and other issues.

This is a glaring difference between myself and Representative Gardner, who has repeatedly voted against the interests of women both on the local and national level.

Democrats typically have a hard time winning votes in the largely conservative fourth district. The last Democratic representative, Betsy Markey, was unseated by Cory Gardner in the 2010 election. The most recent Democrat to represent the district before her was Wayne Aspinall, who lost reelection in 1972. Brandon Shaffer may have a rough road ahead of him, but he believes himself to be on the right side of history regardQ: How about gay mar- ing many of the issues in his riage? platform.

A: I support it. I don’t think it’s the government’s business to Senator Shaffer will be makcome between two adults who ing campaign stops all around love each other. the district in the coming months. He will open an office Q: One last question: What in Greeley this summer in an are your thoughts on the effort to engage local voters, inBroncos picking up Peyton cluding those in the University Manning and dropping Tim of Northern Colorado commuTebow? nity. Senator Shaffer says young A: [Laughs.] I’m a huge voters will be an important deTebow fan. He’s a good guy and mographic for him this election, a good quarterback. But I’m also and he plans to speak on civic a huge Peyton fan. I’m excited engagement at the university as for next year; I think the team the election draws closer. has a good chance of winning a Super Bowl. If not this season, then the season after.

Colorado District 4

BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

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Summer Drinks on the Plaza

9th St. Plaza to Serve Alcohol for Outdoor Consumption Austin Wulf BandWagon Magazine Downtown Greeley could be the new hot-spot for Friday nights this summer.

An ordinance proposed by the Downtown Development Association was recently approved unanimously by the Greeley City Council, allowing bars and taverns on the 9th Street Plaza to serve alcohol for outdoor consumption. The ordinance establishes an entertainment district on the plaza where alcohol can be consumed. Of-age visitors to downtown will have the option of drinking outside on the plaza during the summer months, on Fridays between 5 pm and 10 pm.

Alison Hamling, the DDA’s director of Downtown Experience, spearheaded the effort along with executive director Pam Bricker. Both want to stress that the new laws are not exactly an “open container” situation, as some outlets have reported, nor do they allow people to bring their own alcohol to the plaza.

“The vision for this is, like the Friday Fests we’ve always had, very family-friendly,” says Hamling. “It’s Friday after work, it’s a beautiful day, and people come downtown and know they’re gonna get some free entertainment. What we’ve typically done is to have a beer vendor truck out there selling beer with a special events permit.”

The ordinance will bring revenue to local businesses rather than to outside vendors.

The next step in the process, Hamling says, is for business owners on the plaza to approach the Greeley Liquor Licensing Authority together with a plan for keeping things organized and under control. Doug

Mouton, general manager of the Rio Grande, is one of the members of the planning group.

“We’re all gonna be responsible for creating the event,” Mouton says, including himself with other members of the entertainment district, like the Armadillo and the Penalty Box. The businesses will coordinate to hire security and ensure the plaza is cleaned up after each event, among other things.

Should the liquor authority approve the plans, Greeley will be the first city in Colorado with an entertainment district like this. Hamling hopes everything will be worked out by June, in time for the Blues Jam kickoff. She and Mouton both say that the city will set an example for the rest of the state.

“Since we’re the first place in the state to buy into this, we’re challenged with the proposal of developing it in a positive way and doing everything we can to make it a successful venture,” Mouton says. He sees the ordinance as “a way to spark some life into downtown” and bring in business not just from Greeley but from all over the state.

The ordinance carries a one-year sunset clause in case the concept is not a success.

However, if all goes well, the city can bring it back next year with the possibility of adding more nights to the event or extending hours earlier into the day—the ordinance requires patrons to take their drinks inside at 10 pm. on any day.

The DDA hopes this new concept will revitalize downtown, bringing young professionals and families into the area for some summer fun.

Mouton says they’ll be “bringing a little bit of New Orleans into Greeley. I like that idea.”

Photo Coutesy: City of Greeley

Photo By: Breanna Nosal

Pictured Left: Alison Hamling of the Downtown Development Authority on 9th St. Plaza Pictured Right: The crowd gathered for Friday Fest in 2011

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BandWagon Magazine Greeley’s live music and entertainment magazine April 2012

A Creative Story By: Zachary Martinez Snow fell heavily in northeastern Colorado, one of Colorado’s not so unusual late-spring blizzards. The radio said it was one of the worst in the last ten years. Jonathan Lang, Marcus Sandoval, and, his father, William were crammed in the cab of a 1987 Ford F-150, and they drove slowly down county road sixty and a half toward William’s cattle ranch, which was just north of Kersey. It was cold, and Jonathan was upset that he’d been woken at one in the morning to go and chase cattle that had escaped through a hole in the corral fence. He’d been having trouble sleeping lately. The motion of the truck as it passed over snowdrifts and potholes rocked him, and his eyelids felt heavy. It was the rattling of the .45 caliber pistol in the glove box –William kept it for coyotes – that kept him from dozing off.

“Damn snow,” Marcus said as he corrected the wheel, keeping the truck for sliding. “Damn them cows too.”

“What the fuck they expect to find in a blizzard, anyway,” Jonathan said.

“We don’t raise cows cause they’re smart,” William said.

“We raise them cause they’re delicious,” Marcus said.

“Ain’t that right Johnny?”

Jonathan was a vegetarian. He’d been a vegetarian since he studied Buddhism in his philosophy class. He began working for William after he dropped out of college. He needed the job because he was engaged to Rebecca Fischer, an English Education major from Westminster. She eventually went on to graduate, while he worked on the cattle ranch. He’d always planned on going back to school, but Rebecca couldn’t find a teaching job, and his hopes of going back seemed less and less feasible every time a school turned her down. So Jonathan kept working for William as a hired hand, which amounted to fixing fence, feeding, branding, dehorning, ear tagging, castrating, and maneuvering the 120 head of cattle on Williams ranch.

Jonathan wasn’t a particularly good cowhand. He and Marcus were friends at Platte Valley High School, and they’d remained friends ever since. William was a man who believed in helping people out; it was the Christian thing to do, so when Jonathan told William that he needed a job so he could marry Rebecca, William was more than happy to oblige. Jonathan had a lot of respect for William. He was a man of a different era. Growing up in southeastern Colorado in the first half of the twentieth century, William lived without electricity for much of his young life and rode a horse to and from the oneroom schoolhouse in Simla. Jonathan had seen William hit a bull in the face with a two-by-four when the bull refused to move in the direction William wanted it to. Of course, it had been Jonathan’s job to keep the bull from going that way, and William was pissed that he had to step in. He quickly for gave Jonathan however. It was the Christian thing to do.

Although he wasn’t the best hired hand, Jonathan was showing improvement at one time, enough that William kept him on at least, but in recent weeks Jonathan had gotten worse.

He daydreamed a lot, which is not a good thing to do when running cattle, and William often scolded him for not paying attention. Marcus even snapped at him a few times. They didn’t know why Jonathan had been acting the way he had, but Jonathan did. He convinced Rebecca to have an abortion a month before. He’d been physically sick a few times in the month that past, but he believed – at least he told himself he believed – that it was the best thing to do.

“I’m just not ready,” Jonathan finally said to her, after an hour of screaming and crying. “There so much I still want to do.”

“Having a baby is going to keep you from doing those things,” Rebecca replied.

“It changes every everything,” he said. “How are you going to work if we have a baby. We can’t afford day care. All this would mean is that I have to continue to work at the farm and not go back to school.”

“Jonathan, I get it. Your career is more important to you than a family,” she said softly.

It was the first time Jonathan saw her cry like that – quiet and hard, almost like she’d had the wind knocked out of her. It was one of the images his mind’s eye tended to focus on when he should have been focusing on running cattle. The other image was of Rebecca in the passenger seat on the way home from the clinic. She cried like she did after she agreed to have the abortion.

The truck slowed to a stop in front of a large cast iron gate with a sign posted on it that read: PRIVATE PROPERTY. SANDOVAL RANCH EMPLOYEES ONLY. TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED. Jonathan got out of the truck and opened the gate, which opened to William’s lower pasture. The

Snowfall pasture was twenty-five acres of fenced in grassland with five small pens on the northwest side, where the cattle were kept while the early spring calves were young and more susceptible to coyotes. Most of the time, it wouldn’t have been a problem if the cattle escaped from the pens, but the early spring was when Jonathan, Marcus, and William worked on the fence that surrounded the pasture, so the fence had many holes in it. A neighbor noticed that the pens were empty, and called William.

As the truck followed the dirt road that ran along the pasture’s edge, Jonathan began to make out dark, four-legged shapes in the fog.

“Stop here,” William said, and Marcus stopped the truck.

“Let’s try and get the herd collected here, and we’ll move them as a group up to the main corral.”

“I’ll check the north corner where we were working yesterday,” Marcus said and he took off down the road.”

“Me and Jonny will be close to here,” William said. “The mothers probably stayed pretty close. Keep and eye out for newborns. We had fifteen yesterday morning, but there’s probably more.”

Jonathan and William hiked through the snow that was beginning to rise above the tops of Jonathan’s boots. Jonathan zipped his coveralls up to his chin and pulled his winter cap down over his ears. It had been a long time since he was that cold. William’s face was cherry red, and a single drop of liquid clung to the bottom of his nose. Jonathon worried about him sometimes. William was old, too old, Jonathan thought, to be out in such cold. He had suffered multiple heart attacks and had open-heart surgery, so Jonathon seriously doubted the wisdom of his choice go out that night.

“Maybe you should wait in the truck,” Jonathan said as they walked behind and whistled at a group of cows and their calves.

“Why? You think I’m too old?” William asked. “I’ve seen worse snow than this. Been out in it too. Besides, I’m not going to let you fuck this up with your daydreaming.”

“I’m more worried about your heart than anything.”

“What do you mean? I’ve got a pacemaker. I’m better off than the six million dollar man.”

William, Marcus, and Jonathan worked for half and hour, finding cows and their calves and running them back to the area around the truck. Marcus brought a small group down from the north. William stood in the truck bed and counted the heard. Jonathan left to check by the windmill where a small water pump fed a water trough.

Jonathan heard a deep groan of a cow as he approached the water trough. She was lying on her side in the frozen mud.

As he approached her, Jonathan whistled and waved his hands trying to get her to move, but she wouldn’t budge. As he got closer, he saw half of a calf sticking out of her. It wiggled a little as it struggled for freedom. Jonathan gasped, and turned to run back to the truck.

“William,” he called, as he ran back to the truck.

“What’s wrong?” William called back.

“I found a cow,” Jonathan said. “She’s giving birth at the water trough.”

William and Marcus ran toward him, and he led them to the cow.

“Shit,” William said.

“What do we do?” Jonathan asked.

“Grab the calf by the hooves and pull,” Marcus said as he tried to calm the cow.

Jonathan took the hooves in hand and pulled as hard as he could, slipping as he did. The cow groaned in pain and tried to stand.

“Watch her leg,” William said. “She’s going to break the calf’s neck.”

“Something’s wrong,” Jonathan said. He noticed that her leg was in a strange position. “What’s wrong with her leg?”

William took a look. The cow continued to struggle and groan. William took her leg and gave it a tug. The cow struggled and Marcus continued to try and keep her calm.

“Her hip is broken,” William said. “If we keep trying to get that calf out, she might break its neck.”

“We’re going to have to shoot her,” Marcus said.

William sighed. “Get the .45,” he said, and Marcus left and headed for the truck.

“We’re going to shoot her?” Jonathan asked.

“Not much else we can do,” William said.

Jonathan felt sick.

“We can’t just shoot her,” Jonathan said.

“Do you want to lose the calf to?” William asked. “We can lose two or one. I’d rather just lose one.”

“You’re not even going to try and save her?”

“I’m getting pretty tired of you,” William said. “What’s with you lately?”

“I’ve been under a lot of stress lately,” Jonathan said.

“I actually don’t care,” William said. “Well what do you think is better, losing two cow or one? I’ve given you a lot of chances at this point, but this is your last one. Do not fuck this up.”

Marcus returned with the .45.

“Give it to Jonathan,” William said. “You’re going shoot the cow, deliver the calf, and carry it up to the truck while we run the herd up to the corral.”

Jonathan was silent.

“Do it or your fired,” William said. “It’s time you show me you want this job, or it’s time that you left.”

“I don’t know how to deliver a calf,” Jonathan said.

“It’s easy. You just pull,” William said. “Once you get the shoulders out, it will be a cake walk.”

Marcus and William left, and Jonathan was alone with the cow and the .45. Jonathan had never shot a gun. He never planed on having to, but he also knew the cow was in pain.

Fragments of his Introduction to Philosophy textbook began to manifest themselves. He thought about Kant’s deontological ethic and whether or not it was his duty to shoot the cow. He thought about Aristotle and the cardinal virtues: temperance, prudence, courage, and justice, and he thought about Bentham and the Hedonic Calculus. Jonathan also thought about Rebecca, about how she’s hadn’t really talked to him in the last month and about their wedding vows. The vows came from Romans 13:8, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.”

The cow kicked up snow and dirt. She was in a lot of pain. Jonathan knelt next to the cow and placed the barrel of the gun on her head, just below the ear, and he did his best to plug his ears. He took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger.

The sound of the gun shoot was louder than he’d expected.

William always told him that it was to scare the coyotes away as much as it was to kill them. A pool of blood formed under the cow’s head, steaming as it grew. Jonathan could smell it.

Jonathan returned to the calf and took it hooves in hand again. Its coat was frozen. Jonathan was afraid it was dead until he began to pull on it, and it wiggled and squirmed trying to free itself. Jonathan continued to pull. He saw the left shoulder emerge and then the right. After the shoulders emerged, Jonathan steadied himself and gave strong tug, and calf slid out in thin, translucent sack that burst as the calf exited the cow. Its ears an nose we so cold, and Jonathan was afraid it would freeze to death in on the quarter mile walk back to the barn. He unzipped his coveralls and removed his jacket and wool shirt, and he wrapped the calf in his clothes, lifted in his arms, and began to walk back to the barn.

The wind blew straight into Jonathan’s face, and the snow began collect on the calf. He thought about doll his sister used to have. Its name was Charlie, and whenever he wanted something from his parents, he would play with Charlie, pretending that it was his child in hope he could get what ever it was he wanted by acting cute.

As he carried the calf through the snow, bundled up and cold, completely dependant on him, he began to realize what he could have had. He could have had a son or a daughter, someone to pretend to be cute in order to get something.

Lights shown from the truck up a head. Jonathan felt a little like it was calling him toward it. He wasn’t sure if the calf would make it. It had been through a lot, and somehow he sympathized with it.

Jonathan approached the truck, and Marcus walked up to Jonathan.

“Throw the calf in the bed,” Marcus said.

“I think it should ride in the cab with us,” Jonathan said.

“There’s not enough room for all of us,” Marcus said.

“Well you can ride in the bed,” Jonathan said.

“I’m not going to ride in the…”

Jonathan pulled the .45 out of his pocket and pointed it as Marcus’ head.

“Get in the back of the fucking bed,” Jonathan said.

“Jesus Christ,” Marcus said.

“Marcus, don’t take the Lord’s name in vain,” William said. “Ride in the back of the truck. We’ll figure this out after everyone cools down.”

Jonathan climbed into the cab, and Marcus climbed into the bed of the truck. William started the truck and slowly pressed on the gas pedal. The truck turned around on the small road that lined the edge of the pasture, and it drove slowly back toward town.

Zachary Martinez is a senior Philosophy Major at the University of Northern Colorado. He was awarded the 2012 Rosenberry Award for fiction. He the assistant editor of the BandWagon. Look for his work in The Sun Magazine and The Crucible.

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