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Together, the Flobots rise

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Contributed by: John Eisel/Yourhub.com on 4/17/2008

Editor's note: Visit our Faces of Denver page, where YourHub.com staff and readers will introduce you to more people who make this part of the metro area what it is.

As they've done since 2005, the Flobots passed into the detached garage-turned practice studio on April 17.

The garage, and the adjacent turn of the century house in north Denver, belong to guitarist and vocalist Andy Guerrero's parents. The walls are covered with foam egg cushions and old concert posters and plastic totes are piled up to the ceiling.

Two months ago, KTCL 93.3 FM started playing Handlebars. The thought-provoking hip-hop/alt-rock song soon exploded across the country. A national record deal followed and now a cross-country tour is in the works. But the success hasn't affected the bands' lives - yet.

"I still live in my apartment and drive my car," said bassist Jesse Walker. "The only thing that's different is now that I live in a world of numbers. "I don't know how to wrap my head around the fact that we're on 75 radio stations."

Guerrero, a music business major at University of Colorado at Denver, has been handling some of the dollars and cents for the band. He used to send out 10 CDs from orders through their Web site. Now, it's 10 a day. Instead of talking to local promoters and musicians, he talks tour dates and sales numbers with national record executives.

"Before Handlebars broke, I still spent two to three days doing e-mails, sending letters ..." Guerrero said. "Now it's times 50."

While Guerrero's been able to avoid the dreaded nine-to-five with some kind of music-related gig, either working with a band, at a theater or for concert promoters, the rest of the Flobots are slowly leaving their jobs or finishing their obligations.

April 17 was the last day for drummer Kenny O at Developmental Disabilities Resource Center in Lakewood, where he had worked since 1991.

The sudden stardom is certainly appreciated, but it wasn't the band's focus.

The band's lyrics are filled with activism not heard in the mainstream, and band members try to live their lyrics. They work with the Student Peace Alliance, the Colorado Progressive Coalition and the Denver Children's Home. At the children's home, Guerrero gives guitar lessons, lone female member Mackenzie Roberts shows kids how to play the viola and the group has set up a music producing class. Before he came to the day's practice, vocalist Jonny 5 was giving a poetry workshop at Kepner Middle School as part of the Art from Ashes program.

"It was a goal to affect change in our community and make a living playing music," Guerrero said. "That's what any musician ever wants."

The Flobots will be playing at the Mile High Musical Festival in July in Commerce City and will be one of the opening acts for Metallica in May out in Arizona.

Walker says Handlebars is about the scope of human potential, both positive and negative.

The Flobots are in the midst of finding out what their potential is.

Official Flobots site
Flobots' MySpace page

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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

John Eisel

Denver , COLORADO

John Eisel has posted 2865 stories and 12 comments since joining on 9/14/2005. John Eisel's average story rating is 4.39.

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