The celebratory concert for Band Hoppers Nation’s 7th year at the Goldfield Trading Post on Oct. 19 was an incredible experience. The energy in the crowd was so exciting, and getting to hear all these very underrated local bands for the first time was an absolute blast.
The location was very spacious and the building itself had a strong western aesthetic. Comfortable lighting created a calming environment that allowed people to relax before the show started.
The first band on stage was Nova Sutro, with their opening song, “Off Your Knees”. The energy that they put into their performance was electrifying, with the audience all screaming and singing along with the band. Overall, it was a fantastic opening performance from Nova Sutro.
Next up was Wendell and The Puppets, who made their performance not just amazing, as they all were, but incredibly fun with lots of audience participation and interaction. Wendell and The Puppets opened their performance with their song, “Psycho Killer”, which immediately showed off the high-energy performance style they had in not only their music, but also their physical way of showing off their performing skills. An amazing second show from Wendell and The Puppets was thoroughly enjoyable.
The final band that I was able to stay for, as they were only at band 3 out of 6, was The Babylon Gypsies. They had an amazing performance despite their lead singer and drummer having gotten sick or injured just before the show. Due to this, I was unable to figure out what their opening song was, but despite their missing members, they put their all into their performance, even with a backup drummer. For their final song of the night, they invited someone from either the crowd or another band coming up to fill in for the vocals. But, they were a fantastic ending to my first experience with these bands, and if the opportunity came up, I would recommend others to give them a shot.
All in all, it was so much fun and it was a fantastic experience with all these bands that genuinely deserve more recognition for their work. So, keep a lookout for Bandhoppers Nation concerts in the area, if you’re interested in supporting some local bands and listening to some new music.
You won’t regret it!
