Live on the Lanes: June Recap
Armchair Boogie at 830 North
Madison Wisconsin based jammers, Armchair Boogie, swung through 830 North this past month while on the road and gave Fort Collins a taste of their grass influenced jams. Graham Good of Graham Good and the Painters got the night started as a duo with his bass player, Cameron. If you’re in FoCo and haven’t caught Graham and his band yet, then you are seriously missing out.
Graham calls his band a “FEEL-GOOD, FUNK-ROCK, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, CHANGE THE WORLD kind of music”. Definitely a mouth full, but when you see Graham’s smile, hear his uplifting lyrics and songwriting, and see all the energy that he brings to the stage there really is no other way to describe it.
Armchair Boogie came on right after Graham and despite this only being their second time to Northern Colorado, were received by a very excited and appreciative room full of fans. Their music, while deeply rooted in traditional Bluegrass, is an eclectic mix of genres. Their instrumentation would also imply bluegrass, except for their slamming drums driving the band along at a furious pace. We can’t wait to have this high energy crew come back through.
- Written by Caleb D’Aleo
Switchman Sleepin’ at 830 North
The weekend before Dead and Co were to play 3 nights in Boulder, Fort Collins own Switchman Sleepin’ played 2 sets at 830 North and got everyone jazzed for the impending jams. Switchman’s derive their name from a lyric in the classic Dead tune, “Casey Jones”, and has been paying tribute to the music that never stopped for almost a decade now.
Switchman’s took a heavy hit in the beginning of this year with the passing of founding member Dana Harris. Filling some awfully big shoes left behind by Dana, local singer and guitar slinger Max Mackey joined the ranks of vetted Dead heads and has brought new life and energy to the band. The music runs deep in the veins of these fans/musicians and they manage to bring the spontaneity and reverence that is often associated with the music. This show also saw the return of former member, Lauren Parsons, who is nothing short of a powerhouse vocalist. She stepped away from music for awhile during COVID times, but the room was buzzing at her return.
The highlight of the show had to be the second set. It started with a jam that teased “The Other One” only to side step to a “Bird Song”. The set continued with heavy jams on “Playing in the Band” and “Shakedown Street” only to finally come back around and finally deliver the other one that was teased in the beginning. The Music is truly alive in these folks and if you find the need to get that fix, they got it for you.
- Written by Caleb D’Aleo
Workingman’s Wednesdays w/ Seeing Stars Band at 100 Nickel
The Seeing Stars Band is always a pleasure to have at 100 Nickel. They are an awesome Grateful Dead cover band with 6 members. They always keep the crowd smiling and get support from their friends and fans. The guitar player always looks awesome in his Tommy Bahama shirt at every show and the rest of the crew keeps it stylish too. They even have a new handmade poster that they put on the front of the stage to advertise their name. They played a great show this Wednesday with lots of classics, like Casey Jones, Althea, and Touch of Grey. This band is definitely one to see, so if you like Grateful Dead, or if you just like good music then make sure that you come and attend the next Workingman’s Wednesday at 100 Nickel.
- Written by Saige Dean
Shwilly & Friends at 100 Nickel
This Saturday we got to enjoy 6 different DJ’s at 100 Nickel. Arkaenum started the night out and was here all the way from Memphis. He did a set with some older hip-hop and a lot of heavy bass. His set started the night off on a great note and got people excited for the rest of the DJ’s. Khepri was the second DJ of the night. He played a very bass heavy trap set. The audience was enjoying his set and his energy. Delusional Ferg had an awesome set and he got a few people up dancing which was fun to see. It was heavy bass with some newer music mixed into it. The next set was from Dimethyldreamz and everyone really liked him. He had a psychedelic type of set with some really cool cultural influence in it. It was fun to listen to his set and see everyone vibe with it. Kial came on next and had a great set for the crowd. His set was filled with house music and some cool remixes. It was different from the rest of the sets and a nice change of pace. Lastly, the headliner Shwilly came on to close out the night. The crowd really enjoyed his set and he had most people head banging. The DJs put on great sets this Saturday and we hope to have some of them back here again sometime.
- Written by Saige Dean
Rock Bottom String Band at 2454 West
This concert was a two-set performance from The Rock Bottom String Band. The San Antonio-based bluegrass quintet put on an electrifying show full of original compositions, interspersed with a few unique takes on well-known pop songs. Their distinct sound was defined largely by their instrumentation, making use of a fiddle and mandolin, along with a percussion section ranging from a washboard and spoons to pots and pans. Their quirky lyrics and energetic instrumental solos kept the crowd dancing through the night.
- Written by Tim Falin
Blast N Bowl at 2454 West
This concert was another performance put on by local non-profit Blast ‘N Scrap. The show began with a set from Jonah Ausbern. Jonah’s solo act consisted of a series of original pop songs, with catchy melodies over relaxed, house-influenced beats. Jonah’s set was followed by local pop-punk outfit Peach Trees. Their energetic performance introduced a heavy rock sound to the evening and kept the audience invested throughout. Finally, the night finished off with a performance from Big Aluminum, a math rock band whose intricate riffs and complex meters provided the perfect end to a night of fun music.
- Written by Tim Falin
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