Hotel Wi-Fi opened the show for Dada at the Aggie Theatre, Fort Collins, August 2, 2024.
Johnny’s SongJam, Avogadro’s Number, July 11, 2024
Photos and Review by Tim Van Schmidt
I don’t know what I enjoyed most- the flavorful, soulful music being blasted from the stage at Avogadro’s Number by a shifting supergroup of NoCo musicians or the fun of being a part of a warm, friendly community brought together by a love for music. Live music, that is- some of the very best in the region.
The event was “Johnny’s SongJam,” a new monthly gathering at Avo’s being organized by keyboardist John Magnie. Magnie is known internationally as a member of the Subdudes, a group that got their act together in Fort Collins in the late 1980s, then took it out far and wide. But regionally, Magnie is also known as a longtime spark plug for excellent events and top notch bands as well as soulful songwriting and adventurous recording projects.
On stage at Avo’s on July 11, the first event in the SongJam series, Magnie was also a powerful performer- on keys and vocals- besides being the MC and band leader for the ever-shifting group combinations that took the stage. By the end of the show, even audience members were getting in the act.
Things got kicked off with another debut- by the Russ Hopkins Band. Hopkins, a longtime NoCo figure as a musician and a recording ace, is now recording with Andy Blanton on bass and Jess Amedee on drums and the Avo’s show was among their first on stage.
Amedee then stayed, ably doing the drumming chores for the entire evening. Then came Magnie, bassist Tim Cook (headlining a show at Avo’s on July 20), guitarists Timmy Zann and Jay Clear, and vocalist Peaches Embry. Also add singer-songwriter Liz Barnez and bassist Marty Rein. Other guests included vocalist Rhonda Merrick and harp player Thomas McCardle- and that bunch of vocalists from the crowd who filled the stage during the evening’s climax. Amedee and Clear in particular seemed to be having a great night.
You don’t know all of those names? Well there’s that many and more great musicians in our town and if anyone will find them, it’s John Magnie. Magnie announced that the next SongJam date would be on August 8 at Avo’s. I’d have to recommend it- they’re just getting started.
Al Chesis and Robert Wilson jammed during a Delta Sonics gig for the High Plains Blues Society at Avogadro’s Number, Fort Collins, June 15, 2024.
Izcalli at Global Sounds festival in Old Town Fort Collins, May 18, 2024.
Neoma at Global Sounds festival in Old Town Fort Collins, May 18, 2024.
Beyond Blues: When R & B Met Pop Music
Tim Van Schmidt
It all started in 1959, when producer Berry Gordy Jr. formed Tamala Records – the first major African American owned record label. In short order, it became Motown Record Corporation and so began a tsunami of irresistible hits that dominated the record charts for years afterwards.
Flash forward to March 6, 2024 and the power of Motown would turn the Fort Collins Senior Center into a happy dance hall thanks to a super group of Colorado musicians calling themselves the FoCo Motown Revue.
The event was a musical celebration as part of the extensive five-day Founded in FoCo conference focusing on local entrepreneurship.
Honestly, I hadn’t even heard of Founded in FoCo, but I saw a poster for the FoCo Motown Revue’s show in a local coffee shop and I knew that this would be fun. Not just fun, VERY fun.
“Shotgun,” “Dancing in the Streets,” “Tears of a Clown,” “Superstition” and so many other great tunes just kept blasting from the stage at the Senior Center, with a little bit of history thrown in for good measure. And, well, I just couldn’t keep my seat. Neither could the rest of the crowd, who were easily coerced into forming a “Soul Train line” and otherwise absorbed the upbeat vibes from the stage.
I recently saw an online article that wondered if the music of rock artists like Joni Mitchell and The Eagles would ever hold a place in the “American Songbook” like the standard tunes of previous generations. I don’t know about those artists in particular, but the Motown hits the FoCo Motown Revue cranked out have and will stand the test of time.
All you had to do is look around the room. If attendees weren’t dancing, they were singing along as though the music was just a part of their DNA. That’s proof positive that Motown music is not just a case of nostalgia, it remains a creative engine that makes the heart pump and the feet move. Thanks to the FoCo Motown Revue for that!
Out of the Box: Unique NOCO Musicians