By J.R. Hoffman
Hey Guys! How did you all find each other in the beginning?
Face started busking on the Pearl Street Mall 18 years ago! Prior to forming a band, we had all known or sang with each other at some point and despite different twists and turns in collegiate studies and professional paths, we all shared a common bond for loving performing, especially performing a capella music. Because of that love for performing and a capella, we knew we wanted to start something with a different energy than most groups in the space so we decided to craft our own style of “all-vocal rock.” It took us a while to hone in on that sound, but it’s been a non-stop journey that has taken us to national TV, touring internationally, playing our state’s beloved Red Rocks Amphitheater twice, and being able to support ourselves and our families by just playing music….and in many ways, we feel like we’re just getting started!
It does seem like you guys have a pretty busy touring season going on outside of the country?
We are currently in the midst of a European tour in Sweeden and Austria before coming in hot back to Colorado and kicking off our holiday run at The Lincoln Center in Fort Collins on 11/29. Our stops have included Pitea, Lulea, Jonkoping, Vaxjo, Kristianstad, and Malmo in Sweden and Vienna, Austria.
Touring can be tiring, but we continue to be humbled by the experiences of meeting people around the world and sharing our music. It’s remarkable how diverse cultures are in the places we’ve seen. But, music is a unifying medium and even when we don’t speak the same languages, we all share the human language of music. It’s also fun to try new foods and drinks in far away places. Sweden has these wonderful breaks in the day called a fika (fee-ka). During a fika, you grab a coffee or tea and something sweet to eat (a group favorite are the cardamom rolls – basically a cinnamon roll with added cardamom). You sit around, talk about life and enjoy a nice fika…it’s wonderful!
Tell me more about the holiday run of shows you have coming up for Colorado?
We started our annual holiday run back in 2005, but it really began to gain traction in 2007. Like all of our shows, every performance is different and we are committed to feeding off the crowd’s energy. In the past, we have had visits from Santa on stage, cameos by Alan Roach (former voice of the Denver Broncos), and you can expect LOTS of audience participation. This year, we are honored to play our hometown Boulder Theater for the first time and we can’t wait to feel the energy from our hometown crowd in that beautiful room. As always, expect A LOT of surprises!
How does it feel to be playing these shows in your home state?
This year is going to be extra special because we will be coming off of our European tour. As much as we are grateful to share our music all over the world, there’s no place like home and our audience who has supported us since the beginning. This will be a fantastic homecoming and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been rehearsing for this run that’s unlike years past and will keep everyone on their toes. We’re lucky to kick off in the gorgeous Lincoln Center in Fort Collins, stop in our hometown of Boulder, then cruise all over the state in Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Longmont, Loveland, and capping the run off at the incredible Paramount Theatre in Denver. We’ll all be playing the Cheyenne Civic Center in Cheyenne, WY on December 20th.
What big plans do you have for the new year and the beginning of the new roaring ’20s?
We will be playing one of the biggest shows of our career at the esteemed Carnegie Hall in New York City in March. This show is extra special because we’ll be bringing members of Face Academy of Music’s Rock Choir to perform with us. Offering opportunities to those in our community choirs and ensembles we lead is super important to us and we feel lucky to get to share the stage with members of this group. We will continue to tour on both a national and international level and will be releasing our first album of ALL-ORIGINAL material. Make sure to follow along and stay updated on our social media profiles and website (facevocalband.com). There is A LOT in store next year and we’re looking forward to making 2020 our best year yet!
