Photos and review by: Jason Robey
Fort Collins, CO – Nestled along the Poudre river, just outside of Ft. Collins lies the breathtaking Mishawaka amphitheater. Shows at the venue require riding their shuttle bus a half hour up the canyon from town, getting the party atmosphere started well before a concert. Friday’s show was no different, with fans of the Magic Beans and the other bands meeting and proving that getting there can be half the fun.
Once there, the show began with a 45-minute set by Denver’s Amorphic. With the sun setting behind them and river flowing next to the stage, the picturesque scene was the perfect complement to the melodic funk the four-piece provided. They got the crowd dancing right away with jams like “Patty May,” featuring a rare appearance of a flute in rock music, that felt perfectly in place. Following their set, there was little time wasted before Cycles took the stage and kicked the energy to an even higher gear. Their mix of funky jam music twisted with prog rock and metal influences made for a musically interesting soundscape, while remaining easily danceable for the growing audience. One highlight of their set was a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Estimated Prophet” that they really made their own, without losing the heart of the original.
Next, Juno What?! took the evening further into electronic territory, with a keyboard heavy and largely instrumental performance. The side project of Joey Porter of The Motet, the group had taken aing break from performing together, which made their vibe even more exciting as they explored the musical themes of songs like “Take Control of Your Body.”
The headlining Magic Beans hit the stage around midnight, kicking off their musical journey with “Sharon is Karen,” from their Slice of Life album. The group then brought Joey Porter out to join them on the crowd favorite “Handshake or Hug.” After an tempo version of The Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek,” they kicked into a block of music with seamless transition jams that lasted almost an hour, starting with “Contraband” and eventually coming full circle to end on the same.
The band, who is currently riding the excitement of being picked to play on the 20th anniversary Jam Cruise in February 2024, balanced impeccable musicianship and well-crafted songs with exploratory jams and fun stage personality. As the clock reached 1:30am, the band closed the show with an energetic run of “Do Your Thing,” from their 2018 Casino Cabaret album, before the crowd made their way to the shuttles back to town. Follow The Magic Beans on social media for upcoming shows, they are a band to be experienced.
