The Tejon Street Corner Thieves characterize themselves as “fast-paced mountain folk.” As one of the most popular bands in Colorado Springs, you can catch them performing at local bars, Colorado music festivals, and venues such as The Black Sheep and Flux Capacitor. Comprised of Connor O’Neal on the banjo and vocals, Cameron Forbess on guitar, washboard, and backing vocals, and Shawn D’Amario on washboard and backing vocals, these Colorado locals will surely blow you away.
Although they do not have any upcoming shows posted at the moment, they perform quite frequently with high energy and enthusiasm that will make you want to move your feet and dance. If you’ve never heard of them, I recommend listening to their songs “Ain’t Got Trouble” or “Five Foot Two” from their Live at Flux album. If you’re still not convinced, head on over to their Facebook page and listen to “Sugar Hill,” one of their free songs you can easily download, with lyrics such as “want to get your eyes blacked out, want to get your fill, want to get your head chopped off, go to sugar hill.” Despite the rather violent lyrics, the fast-paced music, the fingerpicking of the instruments, and the entire spectacle makes you want to join in and dance.
Each song tells a story, often times a story full of pain or sadness, but regardless, the audience is invited to participate in this story-telling through listening or dancing along. After the experience of listening to Tejon Street Corner Thieves, you do not necessarily feel sad or overwhelmed due to its lyrical content, but rather overjoyed through its cathartic nature and maybe a little exhausted from dancing along. Regardless of if you like folk, country blues, or americana, I definitely would recommend that everyone see this band at least once. Go to a show at Oscar’s Oyster Bar where they routinely have Karaoke Open Mic with the group, go see them when they perform at the Flux Capacitor, or go to Manitou Springs where they can often be seen performing on the streets.