On Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, a local house called the Fence Line hosted an evening house show featuring the bands Mandible, Midriff, and Clementine. The event highlighted the power of the local music community and the bright future for the up-and-coming venue.
Dean Allsman and Josh Baquero are two friends from the Fort Collins area. Allsman is a current Colorado State University student, and Baquero is a local who returned from his studies at the University of Denver. Lifelong friends since they were five, both have felt a deep connection to the local music community.
Baquero said he was a part of local bands at School of Rock and Arcwave. When he lived in the area, he hosted multiple house shows a month, sometimes nearly every week. Allsman followed his friend into the community and found an equal love for the feeling of being in the audience and the power of live music.
“Josh kind of thrusted me into the local music scene, like, halfway through high school, and I never went back,” Allsman said.
The organizers shared some of their favorite house show moments and spoke about why they want to host events as often as they can. Allsman said he found a true love for the community at his fourth house show while seeing the band Third Turn. He described it as dreamlike and freeing in a way nothing else could replicate.
“Like all my responsibilities went out the door, and I was just like, free to move, and I didn’t have anything to think about, but just the music,” Allsman said.
The venue itself, the Fence Line, is a house owned by Allsman and his roommates. Allsman and Baquero handle the logistics and formal planning as managers of the official venue, while Allsman’s roommates help manage and set up the house shows. For this event, roommates pitched in by hauling amps, mics, guitars, and other gear.
The venue features a unique backyard setup: no grass, just dirt packed down by recent attendees. Behind the house sits a storage shed and an elaborate hammock setup for guests to relax during the show. The venue projects a relaxed feel, offering enough space for people to sit and listen as well as stand and mosh. Allsman and Baquero want to make the space comfortable for everyone, a goal reflected in the backyard’s details.
The show unfolded like a movie. As the night progressed and the crowd gathered, Mandible delivered an explosive, high-energy set that set the tone for the night. Before the show, lead singer William Larson said he had no stage fright or fear of the performance going poorly.
“Even if two people show up today, we’re all gonna have such a good time,” Larson said. “We all get to watch each other play.”
Mandible was followed by Midriff, which performed a full set for the audience, played its newest single, “Pulling Teeth,” three times, and filmed the crowd for a music video. The audience gladly provided energetic support for the video, showcasing the connectivity of the local scene.
Clementine closed out the night with an eclectic set that ran smoothly from start to finish. Each member brought life to the stage and delivered fiery performances that kept the crowd engaged until the end. Caleb Crowe, Clementine’s drummer, said the event drew an amazing turnout and that performing on the venue’s stage felt like pure fun.
“Like really fun, and like, where I’m supposed to be,” Crowe said.
The show wrapped up after each band completed its setlist. Allsman and Baquero excitedly celebrated with the audience over a major milestone: the cops had not been called. The turnout was strong, every band performed exceptionally, and the night concluded cleanly—full of music, connection, shared experience, and community.
The Fence Line has more in store, alongside the bands that performed.
“Going from one show to the next, you start to see the same people, and you grow that connection, and it really is just like a big community,” Baquero said.
Both organizers demonstrated through Friday’s event that they hope to continue bringing that sense of connection to their audiences.
Thumbnail photo credit belongs to Gavin Whelan.