Jeremy Porter Road Blog

Road Blog: Sunday October 18, 2026 - Fort Collins, CO

Road Blog
October 18, 2026
Fort Collins, Colorado

We enjoyed some extra sleep at our comfy AirBB in Commerce City, Colorado, just east of Denver before rallying and heading out late Sunday morning. First stop was Stephanies Cafe, here in CC. It’s a sort of step into the past with a super retro (like real retro, not fabricated) vibe and look. Lots of paneling and 1970s/early 80s photos and artwork, a couple deer head mounts, old sports trophies, and dark lighting. I got a grilled tuna melt on the count of trying to rein in my digestive system and John and TrooperGirl22 are all up in my face to eat better out here (in a scolding but concerned and very loving way of course! ??). It was good and as the day unfolded, provided some stability in these unstable guts. Not sure a tuna melt counts as “eating better,” TG22 didn’t seem to think so when I proudly boasted to her that I was basically a health freak now.

We headed southeast towards Lookout Mountain Park, with an incredible overview of the city and the valley facing north. It was a warm, clear, and sunny day and you could see forever. Buffalo Bill’s grave was right there and we checked that out, but we were in the foothills and JakeE Jacob was like “I need real mountains damnit.” So we hit the Lariat Loop National Historic Byway that loops around some mountains, through some cool but mega-touristy to varying degrees mountain towns, up and down along some creeks, and provides some amazing views. We had the sunroof on the van open, the mountain air tasted awesome, and it was one of those moments where we really felt fortunate to be able to do this sort of thing between the chaos of the gigs. As we circled back around to where we started about an hour later, JakeE’s quest to see some real mountains was fulfilled and we headed north towards Fort Collins. Finally we got out of the Pink Floyd weeds (despite that it’s Tommy‘s sweet spot) and got into Dark Side of the Moon. I probably don’t need to recap this one for you, just that for me, and us I think, it was a major step forward in listenability, songwriting, production, and just about everything else.

We stopped at Buc-ee's between Denver and Fort Collins for gas, and because Troy hasn’t yet been to one. If you don’t know, it’s about the closest thing to hell on Earth that there is. Basically a Wal-Mart with 100 gas pumps outside. Gas was cheap, and to their credit they do have an amazing fresh jerky bar, so I stocked up, Troy got to witness the spectacle, and we got the hell out of there. I know Buc-Ees has also become problematic in recent months with some shady shit in Ohio, and that sucks. I wish their jerky didn’t rule.

We pulled into Fort Collins and parked by our venue for the night, Surfside 7. We checked out the room, said hello to the staff, and bopped around the area for a couple hours before load-in. We hit a couple record and vintage stores, got a couple little things, had a pint at the Gilded Goat Brewing Company, and loaded in. Surfside 7 is a cool bar I’ve been wanting to play ever since I was supposed to play there in 2014 with Those Crosstown Rivals before our show got moved to a much less appealing venue nearby. I’ve been there before, seeing Micah Schnabel and Vanessa Jean Speckman about a decade ago when TG22 and I were out there for a Jason Isbell/Lucero show at Red Rocks (the one where the Angie story from yesterday took place). I met Chris, our contact and sound engineer, and we had a great talk about his experiences touring through Detroit, and how he feels it’s the only real rock and roll city in the USA. He and the staff were all really nice. It’s a small, but long room with a stage at the back, bar on the side, and booths towards the door. Opening band Lowfive came in and we met them, and later The Low Stakes, all super nice people.

I went for a walk to get a little more of that mountain air and clear my head before the show and had a quick whiskey at the High Point Bar, where I got a brief NFL fix and saw the Cowboys getting owned by the Packers (sorry Jeff - I was pulling for Dallas!). Back at S7 I saw my old pal from Marquette Kurt who brought out a crew to see us. It was great to get caught up after a few decades! He looks great and seems to love it out here.

Lowfive went on around 9 and played a great Americana-pop set with a cool Tom Petty cover and some clever songwriting. Chris had their sound dialed in about halfway into the first song, and that little room sounded really good! We played second to a respectable-enough Sunday night crowd, and felt like we did pretty good, except for a few moments where my fingers weren’t communicating with my brain. It sounded great up there, and it was the shortest set of this tour, so we poured it all into it. The Low Stakes batted cleanup with a nice rowdy set of Americana/rock with great harmonies and some cool slide guitar work.

After the set we sold a surprising amount of merch, packed up, loaded out, and said our goodbyes (you probably know the drill by now if you’ve read this far). There was a little bunny outback who offered to help carry gear, then walked away like he really had no intention of helping after all, but it was ok, he was cool. JakeE was driving, so he cranked some Primus (not my fav but ok, driver picks sometimes), and Troy and I dozed in and out during the hour trek south to Commerce City, getting into some of the Buc-ees jerky along the way. We’re into the valley of the tour now – Sunday through Wednesday, where the shows can be weird, unpredictable, and thin in attendance. Last night was cool for a Sunday, and it helped a lot seeing some friends and getting to play with these great bands. Big thanks to them, Surfside 7, Chris, the staff, and everyone else for being a part of it with us!

I am up and at it early today, getting some business done on very little sleep, while the boys rest up for another marathon drive, turning back east for the next 6 shows, back to the Central time zone, where we’ll play Topeka, Kansas tonight at the The Legendary Boobie Trap Bar. Thanks for reading, more soon! Xx