Interview Jonathan Bitz and Jonathan Alonzo talk Meadowlark’s Act So Big Forest residency

Jonathan Bitz writes and publishes Syntax, an online literary magazine, and has been the talent buyer for the Meadowlark bar for about four years. Meanwhile, Jonathan Alonzo plays in a handful of bands and runs Act So Big Forest, a Ft. Collins-based collective dedicated to the best experimental music that the front-range has to offer. The common denominator? Music, and now the two Jonathans are working together to show Denver what Ft. Collins has to offer with an ASBF residency at the Meadowlark.

For three Thursdays in February, Bitz and Alonzo are bringing the best of Act So Big Forest to Denver audiences. It kicks off tonight, Thursday, Feb. 3, with the twang of Sour Boy, Bitter Girl and Sam!! Well Hell; the experimentation of The Kevin Costner Suicide Pact; and the songwriting of Eliza Boote. The A.V. Club spoke to Bitz and Alonzo about the collective, the residency, and Colorado’s music scene(s).

The A.V. Club: Alonzo, you probably could have held an event like this in Ft. Collins. What excites you about having it in Denver instead? When it comes to playing music, what do you like about both towns?

Jonathan Alonzo: I love working with the Meadowlark, and I’m very excited to have some of these bands play for their first or second time in Denver. 

I love that both towns are very supportive of bands from all over. Touring [bands], [bands from] down the road, or across the ocean. I’m excited to see what may happen for some bands in Denver after these events.

AVC: Bitz, what do you love about the Act So Big Forest label? What about it excites you?

Jonathan Bitz:: With Act So Big Forest, I love the idea of community—their cohesion. I love the diversity of the acts. I love the motivation and passion that is apparent. I love the idea that some of them are playing on a couple different acts and, mostly, I just love the entire roster.

AVC: Alonzo, how did you choose these artists for each night? Is every artist a part of Act So Big Forest, or do these bills simply represent Ft. Collins overall?

JA: Act So Big Forest is the common element for these bands. I think that there is a larger group of music going on in Ft. Collins, but the bands playing for the residency have a very diverse range of musical styles. 

Also, there are some awesome bands from Denver playing these shows: Kevin Costner Suicide Pact, Fellow Citizens, Spires, All Liver No Onions, and Eliza Boote, [even] Galaxies from Colorado Springs. 

AVC: How do you two feel about the local music scene these days?

JA: I feel like it’s flourishing. I love seeing that more and more Colorado bands are utilizing the internet and are promoting community, family, and personal connection that way, as well. 

Mike Marchant recently gave away all of his music for free. The guy’s talented and has a huge heart. Bad Weather California and Akron/Family [had a] three-night residency last year [that was] real heart warming. The dudes in Bad Weather California curated the whole thing and really shared some awesome times with so many great local bands that weekend. I think that the local music scene is gaining creativity every day. It’s very exciting.

JB: I feel, as I have for the last many years, [that] Denver is still on the rise. I think that, on any night of the week, one can venture out and see a quality show. This is different from a decade ago. Nearly every night of the week, I challenge anyone: Find a whole show—or just even one set—that will break your heart. I bet you can find those shows.

Where a lot has happened to shine the national music spotlight on our state, there’s still room for growth in elements of professionalism and creation. Really, while any musician you talk to would love to make a living at [music], I still get the sense that most of the musicians just fucking love to play. Those are the people I respect: Whether there’s 20 or 200 people at their show, they drop their drawers and put on a show. That’s what local music is: intimacy and honesty. I see a lot of that around these parts.

AVC: Bitz, do you feel like there is a strong link between the music of Ft. Collins and Denver?

JB: We all have myths that we grow and then propagate. Ft. Collins is not that far away. Really, it’s a short drive. But no, I don’t think there’s a really strong link between Denver and Ft. Collins. It seems that Ft. Collins is always an afterthought on the Denver bands’ radar—it should be abundantly clear that it shouldn’t be.

AVC: Alonzo, do you think the music of Ft. Collins has already received a good response in Denver?

 JA: I think some of it has. It’s great to see the welcome mat in Denver.

AVC: Bitz, you’ve touched upon “receptiveness.” Would the link between Ft. Collins and Denver be stronger if music fans within each town were more receptive to outside acts?

JB: As with anything, I think that people need to be educated. There are tons of great bands in both towns, and they need to be exposed. This residency is an explicit attempt at that. People will figure it out; they simply have to. There’s just too much goodness occurring for folks not to slowly catch on. There’s a ton of diversity too [and] a lot of talent in all arenas. Name acts, people, venues, radio stations—in both towns, it’s obvious.