Local lyricists make you Listen

If you’re looking to catch a group on the way up to the top make

sure not to blink Friday night at the Aggie Theatre. The lyrically

eloquent hip-hop talent Listen will light up the mic Halloween

night when they let loose with their live performance.

“We just got back from touring so we want to come out and have a

great night in Fort Collins,” said Cory Eberhard, aka Y-Roc, the

drummer for the group. “We haven’t played a show here in two months

so this is going to be funktastical.”

Funktastical, though a cooked-up word, means a blend of

well-rounded instrumentals with a hip-hop flavor inspired by

everything from Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin to Atmosphere and

Radiohead. When mixed into the Fort Collins local scene and

seasoned with a recent tour through Southern California, you’re

left with the group Listen. And to think this band has only been

baking for two years. Having formed in late 2001, it’s exciting to

think just how much they might rise.

Coming from local roots, three of the group’s four members grew

up in Fort Collins. Eberhard feels this might explain some of the

reason behind the bands quickly growing popularity.

“We try to keep the lyrics as real as possible,” Eberhard said.

“They’re about where we were raised. The lyrics are a reflection of

where we are.”

Recently Listen has started to garner some West Coast interest

after hiring a booking agent in December of last year. The group

has just returned from a two-week tour through San Francisco, L.A.,

San Diego and parts of Arizona.

“Fort Collins is definitely our favorite place to play,”

Eberhard said. “But we’ve also been getting good responses in

Northern California.”

Another factor boosting Listen’s popularity is the opportunities

they’ve had to play with some diverse popular musical acts such as

Atmosphere, G. Love and Special Sauce, and Maceo Parker.

“Our versatility enables us to open for different groups which

gives us exposure to all different types of crowds,” Eberhard

said.

Casey Kraning, a 22-year-old marketing major, liked how down to

earth the group seemed to be.

“I was surprised, I was rockin’ out next to this kid at a show

and then he jumped on stage and started flowin’. I was really

impressed,” Kraning said.

OUTBOX

Listen will be performing Friday night with Sonar at the Aggie

Theatre. They have a new album dropping in late November or early

December and samples of their music along with bios and other

information is available at www.listencrew.com .