CU grads West Water Outlaws plan graduation show at the Fox Theater

For college students, spring brings many great experiences. For some, the prospect of summer trips and the great outdoors are gleaming bright in the sun. For others, there is the practice of getting together with friends and playing music. For those are lucky enough to graduate this spring, the trials of entering the real world to do what you love have come around. For three lucky current CU students and one former, the prospect of doing all of those is right around the corner.

The Boulder-based band West Water Outlaws has been putting out some the best local rock, proving in fact that rock and roll is not dead but in a full-on revival.

In celebration of hree of the band members graduating this spring, West Water Outlaws will perform a Graduation Bash at the Fox Theater on May 9. (Courtesy of Patrick Fort)

Meeting in class during the start of their careers as CU students, West Water Outlaws seemingly came together by accident.

“I met Will [Buck, lead guitar] freshman year in the dorms,” says Blake Rooker, lead singer and rhythm guitar player. “We jammed a couple times, acoustic, in the dorms, but he took off and went abroad. I had been experimenting with various outfits and Boulder. I had a trio going when I met Will again. I was in a statistics class, and I walked into the wrong one and was totally flustered and pretty out of it. He started talking about starting a band and how he was looking for a  singer, that we should jam sometime. We had another guy who was going to come jam with our trio at the time, but he flaked that night, so I called Will. He was ready to go, so I went and got him and it went pretty well.”

“It was probably two and a half years before we saw each other,” said Buck. “I was pretty much day dreaming in that exact class about how to start about right when he walked in. And [Rooker] walks in, and I was like, ‘Oh I remember that kid from way back! I wonder if he still sings.’”

With Buck graduating last spring, and Rooker, drummer Andrew Oakley and bassist Vincent Ellwood preparing to do so next week, the group proposed an idea to play a graduation party for not only themselves, but for all other CU students. This isn’t your typical party, though. This graduation bash became a concert for the band and other students to celebrate at Boulder’s own Fox Theater on May 9.

“To throw a show in any of the two or three weeks prior to when we are doing it is kind of hard, with all of the people trying to get done with all of their projects and school, because we have a big student based audience,” Ellwood said. “Also, at the same time though, Blake and I graduate that same day, so what better way to celebrate than to play at your own hometown venue. I mean, it is less than 100 yards from my house, so I intend to have a great, great night.”

With Rooker leading the charge with their classic, blues-inspired sound, West Water Outlaws looks to blow the doors off of the Fox and whatever other venues they come across on their upcoming tour. Channeling Led Zeppelin, Cream, Queens of the Stone Age and Stevie Ray Vaughn, these young guns look to blaze through their set and many more in the future.

Be sure to check out West Water Outlaws on Wednesday, May 9 at the Fox Theater with openers Na’an Stop and Branded Bandits.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Patrick Fort at [email protected].