focomx

Photographing FoCoMX 2026 – Saturday

Photographing FoCoMX 2026 – Saturday

Romey

After an amazing Friday night, I stayed on the south side of Downtown Fort Collins, starting with the Pamlico Sound at the Colorado Room. It’s always great to check in with them at every FoCoMX, and it was a feat seeing just how many people they could fit on that stage.

The Pamlico Sound

Senorita Sometimes

I then walked over to the Atrium to catch Senorita Sometimes take the stage. They gave a great performance, matching the energy of an extremely packed venue eager to see them. This was the first time taking pictures at the Atrium, which features a skylight over the stage. I found that the musicians in the back of the stage had wonderful natural lighting, but the front of the stage was extremely dark. I did manage to get some cool contrasting shots.

Leah Casper & the LuneAtics

I then drove northward to the Lyric to meet up with Amy (my friend and lead singer) and see our friend, Kimberly, play guitar for Lead Casper & the LuneAtics. They had an eclectic instrumentation, including a harp and melodica. The Lyric’s psychedelic lighting poses a creative challenge for photographers.

Atom Son Of Man

We then ventured to 830 North to see our good friend, Felix, play bass in Atom Son Of Man. This had had a ton of charisma, especially for a three-piece, and was extremely entertaining.

King Crawdad

After having dinner, Amy and I met up with some friends to watch my friends Tucker and Miles play in King Crawdad at the R-Bar. We played this venue a few FoCoMX’s back, and the stage puts all the musicians on the same horizontal plane (as opposed to the drums often being in the back). Once you get adjusted, it’s a fun play, and they rewarded a great crowd with an incredible show.

More Than Physics

Coming full circle, we went back to Wolverine Farm to watch the amazing handpan percussion group, More Than Physics. They provide one of the most unique experiences of the festival, entrancing a full room of music-lovers.

Sorry, Sweetheart

At this point, I was planning to head back, but Amy convinced me to stay out a little longer and check out a few other bands, including Sorry, Sweetheart at Surfside 7. I’m glad she did, as I got one of my favorite pictures of FoCoMX.

CHIEF OJIH

One of the best aspects of FoCoMX is discovering new music and styles you normally don’t see. We ended our night experiencing CHIEF OJIH, an EDM artist, at the Atrium. His amazing set was the perfect way to cap off a surreal weekend of music!

Photographing FoCoMX 2026 – Friday – Part 2

Photographing FoCoMX 2026 – Friday – Part 2

Romey
Check Out FoCoMX 2026 Friday – Part 1

Angels in Electric Chairs

I got to Surfside 7 early to ensure I could see Attack on Venus and caught a good segment of Angels in Electric Chairs, a powerful 3-piece rock band from Denver. I was blown away by the level of sound and energy they projected. It made for some really fun pictures.

Attack on Venus

Attack on Venus took the stage next and maintained that powerful energy level into their set. Having some of my bandmates and other friends in the audience made for an incredibly fun show.

2MX2

I got to experience 2MX2 for the first time when they opened for Ozomatli in the fall of 2024. I was eager to see them again on the colorful Soundbar stage. They made things well worth the wait! It was challenging to move beyond the left side of the stage, confining my pictures to that side for this show.

The Swashbuckling Doctors

As Friday night was drawing to a close, I ventured down to Avogadro’s Number to see the last band of the night, our good friends, The Swashbuckling Doctors! Their shows are always entertaining, and their music is always so catchy! It was the perfect way to end an awesome FoCoMX night 1!

At the end of the day, I logged over 17,000 steps traversing through downtown Fort Collins, but for my music-loving ears, this was one of the best ways to spend an evening. Night 2 is coming up!

Photographing FoCoMX 2026 – Friday – Part 1

Photographing FoCoMX 2026 – Friday – Part 1

Romey

This winter has been extremely busy for me, sucking up time from many of my passions, including drumming and photography. FoCoMX gave me an opportunity to reconnect with both. It was a soul-replenishing weekend that reignited my creative sparks.

Heart Medicine was lucky enough to play again this year. We were one of the first bands of the weekend, playing at Wolverine Farm at 5:30 pm. We were grateful to see so many friends make it out! With our set finished, I put my cymbals (we were backline sharing) away and broke out my camera, setting out to capture some amazing bands.

Eva Rose King, Robin Lewis, and Ingrid Avison

We actually had a little bit of time before our set and were able to catch some talented musicians. We saw Eva Rose King at the Magic Rat, then Robin Lewis on the Wolverine Farm patio. We need to extend our deepest apologies to her, as the proximity of our soundcheck likely disrupted her set. After packing up, I snapped a few photos of Ingrid Avison, who was playing at the Wolverine Farm patio.

Antonio Lopez Band

I popped into Salt Road Brewing to catch the Antonio Lopez Band. Fun fact: Antonio Lopez actually supported us in one of our first gigs, back in 2015, playing an acoustic set between our full-band sets. I love the instrumentation of his full band. I went a little crazy photographing Jonathan on the marimba. The lighting was perfect, his colors were vibrant, and he was playing an instrument that made it fun to capture motion.

Commander Yo and the Plutos

I journeyed back to Wolverine Farm to see Commander Yo, who I was pleasantly surprised to learn is the stage name of John, a bandmate of mine from my time in the Wiseacres Jazz Band! They put on a great show!

Foxfeather

I ping-ponged back to Salt Road Brewing to check out Foxfeather. who was a new “Heartthrob” shout-out band. They really rocked out the place!

Drunken Hearts

As the night wore on, it was becoming harder to pop into packed venues. I had to adjust my game plan by arriving at the venue long before the band you wanted to see took the stage. On my way back to Surfside, I managed to catch part of Drunken Hearts’ set on Old Town Square.

With all the photos I’ve taken, I’ve broken up Friday’s post into two parts. Be sure to check out Part 2.

Photographing FoCoMX 2025

Romey

After a busy winter, I was able to dust off my camera for the first time in months and photograph FoCoMX in April. Aside from being one of the best music festivals around, it’s also a great chance to shoot several bands in a short time span.

However, being that it is an April weekend in Colorado, the weather isn’t always going to cooperate for an indoor and outdoor music festival. Snow ended up falling on Friday, combined with the bitter cold, made it difficult to shoot bands outside. However, I was still able to get some great shots.

Swashbuckling Doctors

I love watching the Swash Docs play, but the previous year, they were playing at the same time as Heart Medicine. Watching them brave the cold weather on the New Belgium Main Stage inspired me to put my raincoat over my camera and capture a few shots. They turned up the heat during freezing weather.

Atom Son of Man

It was such a pleasure catching my friend Felix’s band, Atom Son of Man, rocking the unique space that is the Art Lab. With their energy, they made that small room feel like an arena.

Old Man Saxon

I couldn’t resist the unique lighting of The Magic Rat and took the opportunity to go see the provocative and prolific rapping of Old Man Saxon. He gave an amazing performance in front of a packed room, making it challenging to stake out a photo spot.

Cactus Cat

We stuck around the Magic Rat to watch the Cactus Cat, an eclectic band that features saxophones. Like many FoCoMX venues, Magic Rat remained crowded, confining me to sneak towards the front of the stage to get a few shots.

I had an early morning at work on Saturday, so we called it a night. After working for most of the day, Heart Medicine played our FoCoMX slot at 830 North.

Drifting West

Our good friends at Drifting West played immediately after us at 830 North, and I had my camera on hand to take advantage of their unique lighting. We go far back with this band, and it’s been a pleasure watching their band mature into their fantastic lineup.

The Pamlico Sound

We left 830 North and went to Odell Brewing Co. to see The Pamlico Sound. They always energize the stage, and in addition to their funkadelic music, they had dancers waving colorful fabric. It was one of the most entertaining sets we saw at FoCoMX!

Kind Dub

The weather got cold again, bringing a few of the previously outdoor bands indoors, including Kind Dub. They still rocked out Illegal Pete’s upper room.

Tim Hanauer

I went behind Illegal Pete’s, into Salt Road Brewing, and caught part of Tim Hanauer‘s set. Salt Road Brewing is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Fort Collins to watch live music, it’s such a cool vibe!

Eclectic Pickup

I ended the night by catching Eclectic Pickup at Scrumpy’s Hard Cider. I was thrilled to see my friend Rob’s band get to play FoCoMX. It was a great way to end a fantastic musical weekend!

I always have a blast shooting bands and wish that time and opportunity would allow me to do it more often. FoCoMX fills my cup every spring.

Photographing FoCoMX 2024

Photographing FoCoMX 2024

Romey

Last month, I brought my new Sony A7iv to FoCoMX, the best music festival in Fort Collins. It had been a while since I could photograph bands, and I looked forward to photographing some of my favorite bands.

Common for Colorado, the springtime weather was unpredictable, and Mother Nature brought cold, rain, and snow for the festival. Outdoor performers had to endure the cold, wind, and elements, while the indoor venues all had long lines due to spectators fleeing the weather. When I shot FoCoMX in 2019, it was relatively easy to pop in and out of venues to snap pictures. The long lines and big crowds made it much more difficult this time, and I only managed to capture 6 bands across the two days. Despite all of those challenges, I am happy with the outcome.

Alexa Wildish at Magic Rat

I ventured into the Magic Rat to snap a few pictures of Alexa Wildish. As much as I loved the lighting and stage, the crowded room made it hard to get close enough to take pictures, so I quickly ejected. I look forward to catching her another time.

The 14ers at Equinox Outdoor Patio

The weather cleared enough for me to join friends at the Equinox Outdoor Patio to see The 14ers. I wanted to snap some pictures of their drummer, Clark. The band was playing in a garage, which made for interesting lighting for everyone in the back.

The Waido Experience at Salt Road Brewing

In addition to seeing The Waido Experience, I also got to scout Salt Road Brewing, where my band, Heart Medicine, played the next day. The large garage door cast a large back-fill light against the performers. While not ideal, especially from my angle, I still managed to get some fun shots.

T-Mule vs Nic Clark at Wolverine Publik Farm

T-Mule vs. Nic Clark is one of the few bands I shot back in 2023. They’re a great group of guys; catching their shows is always fun.

Venture Still at Illegal Pete’s

Whether on the patio or in the upstairs bar, I always wish Illegal Pete’s featured more live music. Venture Still rocked that indoor stage while rain fell a few feet away.

Wrenn & Ian with Libelula

These amazing musicians braved the cold to play an outdoor set on the Old Town Stage. Wrenn Van has talent well beyond her years!

This weekend reminded me just how much I love photographing bands and has reinforced my goal to get out and get more musician pictures. If you’d like me to shoot your set, please reach out!