Thriving northern Colorado music scene bolstered by passionate backers
By Kyle Kirves
With apologies to other, more well-known cities, including our state capital, when it comes to live music with a distinctly local flavor, Fort Collins really has no rival on the Front Range.
While live music can be enjoyed in other locales, up in Larimer County, music seems woven into the tapestry of the city’s sometimes quirky identity. It’s part of the culture, part of the town’s DNA, and definitely what makes the city a favorite stop for live, local music fans and musicians. It’s not hyperbolic but is instead rather commonplace to accidentally overhear a conversation about a night out and, regardless of whether it’s a restaurant, brewery, coffee shop, gallery, or any other venue, hear added, “Great idea. Who’s playing tonight?”
Singer-songwriter Michael Kirkpatrick performs at FoCoMX, Colorado’s largest showcase of live, local music (photo by Michael Emanuel of Backstage Flash). Learn more.
It’s music that’s not just piped in through a subscription service, or that comes humming in through a box suspended on the wall. There are actual people you can see strumming the strings, working the kit, singing into a mic, or playing the horn. Yes, there are a lot of music-centric venues on or near College Avenue that showcase acts from both near and far. But you don’t get the reputation Fort Collins has without local businesses opening their spaces to musicians. They know it’s good for business, sure, but it’s good for the soul, too. Many people and organizations pour a lot of time and effort into creating those collaborative and supportive conditions.
“We have a very honest and caring music scene in Fort Collins,” says Peggy Lyle, executive director of the Fort Collins Musicians Association (FoCoMA). “We have this really wonderful way of advocating for musicians no matter where they are on their musical journey. We support musicians who have been playing in our community for decades, as well as uplifting and getting exposure for up-and-coming, next generation musicians.”
FoCoMA started as a grassroots organization whose mission and vision remains throwing the spotlight on the Fort Collins area’s vibrant and diverse talent pool of great musicians. Now nearing its 18th year, FoCoMA continues to create network opportunities for bands and performers of all stripes and types. The group is equally dedicated to underwriting personal needs in the form of medical and dental care – invaluable services to those who may strap on a guitar, but find themselves occasionally strapped for cash.
And with their banner event, the Fort Collins Music Experiment (the rightfully ballyhooed FoCoMX), FoCoMA’s mission becomes a living, breathing, multi-headed musical behemoth every spring.
For the uninitiated, Lyle lays out the vitals of the festival: “FoCoMX is a walkable event in and around our historic downtown area. We have 35 venues in the area and we host over 400 acts those venues over two days.”
It is quite simply a movable feast of sights and sounds that occurs in April and is, without doubt, the largest celebration of locally sourced music in the state.
A lot of work and energy goes into hosting the event every year. “We’re supported by a lot of volunteers and an amazing community. The team and the volunteers work hard to put on that event. It is the hard work of those volunteers that helps us make sure that every single one of those acts gets paid,” Lyle says, underscoring their commitment to the artists.
When you cultivate that mission within a community, she says, the benefits are far-reaching beyond the musicians and the audiences. It creates a spirit and pride-of-place that is culturally significant and that validates diversity on many levels.
“In other places, it can be hard for musicians to get air time,” she says. “Here, we elevate and give musicians performance opening opportunities for others – a kind of act of discovery – and cultivate new fans, connecting with people and sharing their stories and perspectives. It helps create more awareness of the richness of our town.” In short, acts want to play in Fort Collins because Fort Collins is where you get noticed.
Laura Wilson echoes that sentiment. She is the head of live music for the Bohemian Foundation, another local organization seeking to spotlight Fort Collins culture.
“There’s a huge amount of support for local musicians. There are great independent venues that have historically cultivated that spirit,” she says. “And the new ones are really important for fostering a community around live music.”
If anyone knows the value of a venue, it’s the Bohemian Foundation. Two of the venues Wilson alludes to, Washington’s and The Armory, are supported through funding by the Foundation. Both locales bring in acts of all genres – local, regional and national. While ticket prices vary, the pricing is meant to have broad appeal and create inclusivity rather than exclusivity.
“One of our major goals is to make (live music) accessible,” Wilson says. “Our ticketing fees are a fraction of most other venues. We just try and make it an affordable night out so that people can go to see concerts more often and see and hear more music. We want to present new and exciting things that wouldn’t come to Fort Collins otherwise. It’s about discovery and we love introducing new artists to new audiences.”
Alysia Kraft is a prolific singer, collaborator and producer who has played with many other Fort Collins bands (photo by Michael Emanuel of Backstage Flash). Learn more.
No article about Fort Collins would be complete without highlighting the town’s established beer culture, which is deeply intertwined with its love for live music. Because let’s face it: music sounds better with beer, and beer tastes better with music. They’re like complementary condiments.
Local breweries not only serve up craft beer but also host and support music events, creating community experiences that are about as Fort Collinsy as it gets. Odell Brewing, a title sponsor of FoCOMX, celebrates summer with live music on their spacious patio. New Belgium Brewing partners with the Bohemian Foundation to produce summer vibes with the Friday Live Music series, with early evening free performances in their outdoor amphitheater. Thirsty ears abound in Beer Collins.
Between performances, Fort Collins musicians can find space to create, record, and work on the business aspect of being a working musician at the Fort Collins Music District. Yet another program arm of the Bohemian Foundation, the Fort Collins Music District serves as a kind of hub for musicians, music fans, and professionals to collaborate, foster musical cross-pollination, and innovate.
Within the walls of its six-building campus, the budding musician will find practice and recording studios, co-working spaces, a gear-lending library, and much more. The Music District not only supports local talent but also attracts music professionals from beyond the region, reinforcing Fort Collins as a destination for musical innovation and inspiration.
The culture – the wide-ranging support, the sense of being a part of the music rather than just hearing it or watching it performed, the nodding heads and dancing feet of audiences – all of it combined goes a long way toward keeping the working musician, well, working.
“Every musician is a kind of entrepreneur. Our work at FoCoMA helps people realize music as a viable career path,” Lyle says. “Music is worth paying for. For local businesses who invite in musicians, they will oftentimes say ‘There was a lot of traffic this weekend and it was because there was music here.’ And they look to bring in music as a regular thing.”
While listening to music at home on a stereo certainly has its place, it’s not the same as live music. Music at home is something that is “on;” live music at an event is something that you “do.” You may not be playing the notes, but you are an active participant.
Live music is not a spectator sport and Fort Collins is a key destination in the music landscape of Colorado.
Fort Collins is a city where live music lives – and not just when the acts are on stage. It’s part of FoCo’s identity, its shared experience and its heartbeat. It’s a place where the community rallies to support musicians in a way that is uncommon elsewhere. With a great blend of exciting venues, local organizations like FoCoMA and the Bohemian Foundation, and businesses that value music and musicians, music here is always in celebration.
So play on, Fort Collins. Play on.
Kyle Kirves drinks beer, plays guitar, runs trails, and manages projects – all with varying degrees of success. While not a craftsman himself, he is quite content writing about the Colorado artisans who create such wonderful things and memorable experiences.
This story appeared in our January-February print issue of Thirst Colorado magazine. Flip through the full digital magazine here, or find a copy at one of these fine establishments around Colorado.