5 Places to See Live Music In Fort Collins During the Fall
Correction. The Armory is not currently having live performances of music. They are having a Livestream Virtual concert for Suzanne Vega on October 7th, 2020 and do not have any scheduled performances until March. For more information about the Armory and their performance schedule visit https://www.armoryfoco.com/
In Fort Collins and around the world, local businesses, venues, and musicians have been forced to adapt to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Many venues are struggling to adapt to the pandemic culture as some venues have recently shut down permanently. Recently on the 15th of September, Pinball Jones Campus West announced it would be permanently closing it’s doors. This adds the list of venues that won’t be reopening as Hodi’s Half Note permanently closed at the end of July.
Most live acts like to currently play outside to try to prevent transmission of the Coronavirus. The reason being the safety to the band and the members of the audience. Evan Forsythe from new local band Mega Fawn has expressed that, “It’s a really tough ethical dilemma if you play at a show and people get sick. But finding gigs as an artist is tough.”
But as the weather gets colder the viability for outdoor concerts gets harder because patrons and artists do not want to be in the cold.
If you miss live and local music and want to support these venues and artists (safely) here are five places to see live music in Fort Collins while the weather is still nice.
If you want to see a band on a lawn and a movie immediately afterwards? The Lyric with an outdoor screening option gives for more opportunity to support local businesses. “It’s totally rad that we are still allowed to play for people. The Lyric was one of the only places we could get a gig at.” said Steve Garrison, band member of Cactus Cat. Plenty of space on the lyric lawn allows for social distancing guidelines. The cost for a movie includes the free show which is an hour before the film.
Seeing live music from your car is a surefire way to keep distant from other people. The Holiday Twin Drive-in are all about seeing live music from your car. This venue normally is all about drive-in movies but they are having a concert series at the drive-in theatre. Cars are parked in a checkboard pattern to maintain six feet social distance between cars.
Down by Bellvue Colorado, The Mishawaka Amphitheater is perched on rushing banks of the Poudre River. The days of general admission are no longer safely viable. So the Mishawaka evolved by having a table reserve system in place where you purchase an entire table for a night. There tables are socially distanced and fulfill the county recommended guidelines. Tables sell pretty quickly due to capacity limits at the Mishawaka.
Avogadro’s number has an outside patio with tables. Some performances are free and some are not. The paid performances have a reserved table system with outside tables. Many of the upcoming acts are Shovelin Stone and for free the Just Jazz Quintet will have a free show.
Avogadro's employee Noah Dayton says that “Covid has made everything more difficult than it should be, but having music outside again is nice for the artists and the people who are holed up.”
5. Fort Collins The Music District
Behind the Ally Cat Café, The Fort Collins Music District lies. The Fort Collins Music District is supporting local artists and trying to keep the local music scene alive. The music district has been putting on digital events so that people can enjoy musical experiences at home with zero risk of spread. Their next event is hosting Groundwaves which is their hip-hop open mic which will be streamed on Twitch.
