5 Free Must See Shows At The Magic Rat This February
This live music venue, located in the Elizabeth Hotel in Old Town Fort Collins, is an experience on its own. Good times and making memories is encouraged with their signature cocktails, enthusiastic music lovers, and variety of music for all.
The vibrant and laid-back local venue is buzzing with life every Wednesday-Saturday from 4 pm to closing. 21 and up? Come and enjoy a free performance with alternating musical sounds from folk, to pop, to indie and so much more.
If all of this interests you, then you need to come experience it for yourself.
In February, there will be a wide variety of bands performing for free at the Magic Rat and I want to suggest the top 5 bands you should see
1. Stillhouse Junkies
Genre-bending, interchanging instruments, and unparalleled vocals. This is the best way to describe the vibe of the Stillhouse Junkies. Band members Alissa Wolf, Cody Tinnin, and Fred Kosak released their newest EP last February and are expected to drop a new album called “Calamity” on March 7th.
Bass player Cody Tinnin talks about his excitement for their upcoming show at the Magic Rat on Thursday, Feb 13; “we’ve got a lot of love for Fort Collins and we always have a blast playing shows there.”
2. Patrick Dethlefs
Patrick Dethlefs melodies and lyrics suggests a hint of nostalgia, innocence, and genuineness in his music. Since beginning his music career at a young age, Dethlefs has won Best Teen Songwriter from Swallow Hill Music.
Although he considers his music to be folk, Dethlefs “idea of folk music as a genre is pretty wide, and it doesn’t just have to be someone with just an acoustic guitar.” He is bringing his American folk sound to the Magic Rat on Friday, Feb 14.
3. Crescent City Connection
This powerhouse of all things groovy never fails to get the dance floor up and moving. Crescent City Connection “brings the funk straight from New Orleans and the Louisiana swamps to the mountains of Northern Colorado”. The Fort Collins based band is returning to the Magic Rat Saturday, Feb 22, to serve up some of their iconic Mardi Gras style sound to the audience.
4. Ian Ferguson
Solo artist Ian Ferguson’s grungy yet wildly edgy personality really shines through his music in his most recent EP “State of Gold”. The talented artist not only played all of the instruments himself, but recorded and produced it while giving listeners an inside look at his own history and personal beliefs.
In a Billboard interview about his new album, Ferguson explains that it’s “important to explore your own creative tendencies and let yourself get a little wild with nobody there to pull you back in”. You can get a glimpse of Ian Ferguson’s creative genius on Wednesday, Feb 26 at the Magic Rat.
5. J Calvin
Jazz. Funk. Soul. Separately, these sounds are great. Together they make up the soul-gripping sound of J Calvin. Within the two years the band has been together, they released their debut album “Heart Glow” and toured across the Western United States at some of the most exceptional venues.
One enthusiastic fan, Tobiah Tillman, explains the band “had me dancing all night long!” at a show in 2018. Now there is much anticipation for their performance at the Magic Rat on Thursday, Feb 27.
Interested in seeing any of these artists? Or creating unique individualized experiences that the atmosphere of the Magic Rat has to offer? Visit the Magic Rat website for more details about upcoming events, shows, or bookings that are truly out of the ordinary.
