“Essential Sounds,” a serious of performances, allow gritty rock bands to explore the creative process of translating their hard-hitting songs into intimate, equally compelling acoustic versions.

The Mishawaka Amphitheatre has partnered with Fort Collins’ favorite Road 34 to present a new live music series at the Campus West bar and bike shop. KCSU is proud to collaborate with the series and The Mishawaka to help promote and celebrate a staple of Fort Collins’ culture. The Mishawaka Amphitheatre presents “Essential Sounds,” which premiered November 4th, with a two-hour set by a local band, I Am The Owl. The band rose to the challenge to craft their first ever live acoustic performance. The crowd was incredibly receptive to I Am The Owl’s stripped down, occasionally politically charged, and progressive rock sound interspersed with enjoyable covers. The intimate venue was well packed with casual listeners and dedicated fans, enjoying the vibrant energy emanating from the stage.

Road 34 eliminated concerts from their regular offerings in the summer of 2014, leaving new generations of students without as much accessible opportunities for live, local music discovery. But ownership changes sparked a renewed interest in the music venue potential of the restaurant/retail space in hopes of expanding Fort Collins’ music scene outside of College and Old Town.

“Bringing back music to Road 34 was the number one request from customers and friends when I told them I was going to be taking over ownership,” Schuyler Gantert, Road 34’s newest owner said. “Partnering with the Mish made for an easy way for us to get our feet wet and see what kind of demand there was for music at Road 34; I think it will allow us to put on bigger and better shows than we could on our own.” Gantert has been a Road 34 employee for 10 years, and assumed ownership in March 2017.

Cassie Cowan, currently the Venue and Transportation Manager for The Mishawaka Amphitheatre, was actually a staff member at Road 34 during previous managements and was devastated when music was discontinued from the space. When the establishment revealed that it was once again interested in hosting music events, Cowan was quick to make the idea her passion project due to her long history with Road 34. Cowan and the entire staff are incredibly invested in inclusive teamwork with various organizations in the Fort Collins’ music community, such as KCSU, to cultivate a caring and collaborative creative landscape for all.

“At the Mish, we emphasize the importance of supporting live music — not just at our own home in the canyon, but in the larger community we love,” said Dani Grant, Mishawaka Amphitheatre owner and general manager. “Mishawaka presenting the Essential Sounds concert series will help reinvigorate Road 34’s music offerings, and it gives us an opportunity to help foster their endeavor, as like-minded music lovers.”

Lineup

Mishawaka Presents: Essential Sounds at Road 34, continues with:

Shatterproof – December 9

Bandits – January 13

Wire Faces –    February 3

To find out more about the Essential Sounds concert series lineup and buy tickets, visit www.themishawaka.com.

Photos from the first “Essential Sounds” session with I Am The Owl.

Photos by: Sunny Side Production