As an Arts & Entertainment writer I get the pleasure of being exposed to many different musicians and artists in our great city of Laramie. I have been very involved in music since I was in grade school and tried to submerge myself in the music scene (or lack thereof) of my hometown, Cheyenne. The music scene in Cheyenne was never consistent and made it difficult to continue participating. My friends and I used to attend shows at The Bananza or Ernie November in high school and could usually bet on seeing hardcore bands or DJs. When I got to Laramie I didn’t expect there to be much of a difference between the two towns. Once I arrived in town and started writing about musicians I was definitely proven wrong.
First things first, if you expect country to be the only genre offered in a town like Laramie, you’re wrong. From my experience, I have learned that there’s a band in this town to fit anyone and everyone’s interests. Whether you’re into hardcore, pop punk, country, electronica and everything in between, chances are there’s a local band for that or UW has brought someone to campus.
My personal favorite band in the Laramie music scene is Harriman Exit. If you haven’t had the pleasure or hearing or seeing these guys play, you need to. Although I saw Harriman Exit in Cheyenne at the Paramount Café, they had one of the most unique sounds I have ever heard. Listening to their music live is one of the most psychedelic things I have ever participated in. Another band that was a treat to watch perform live was PERKS. PERKS came in and did an acoustic set for the online section of the Branding Iron and became one of my favorite Laramie bands because of their energy and interaction.
Another cool thing about the Laramie music scene is that Colorado bands often make appearances since we’re so close to Colorado. Recently I did a feature on Head Injuries, who come from Colorado and are a pop punk group. This group was fun because they entirely embodied what it means to be a pop punk band. I have always been a huge fan of pop punk and even if bands like PERKS didn’t exist in Laramie, I would be able to catch a band from another state that fulfills my needs.
On top of local bands and bands from out of state, the University of Wyoming brings some killer acts to campus. I mean Iron & Wine is coming to campus today, which is rad! Before this year there have been pretty big acts, like Jason Derulo, that have graced our campus with their music. I just wish UW brought even more acts to campus that are signed and have albums out. There are some college campuses that bring bands like All Time Low, Mayday Parade and Twenty One Pilots and I would be so happy if the UW campus became one of those campuses. I understand we live in Wyoming and a lot of people don’t even know that we exist, but it would still be rad to see some of my favorite bands hit the stage here, that’s all I’m saying.
If there’s one thing I have learned from my one year as an Arts & Entertainment writer, who specializes in music, it is that there is something for everyone in the Laramie music scene. If you don’t believe me, take a second to look at Facebook events and posters that are posted all over campus for events. The Laramie music scene is great to be a part of and is still alive, so get involved!.
