Last week, Joanne Cole spoke with Olivia Dawson Vazquez, a recent high school graduate and incoming CSU freshman, who is the host and organizer of Junkyard Jams, a monthly live music event at the Boulder Junkyard Social Club. Olivia shared how she curates performances by emerging college bands from across the Front Range, creating a welcoming space for local music and community connection. The next event, a CSU-CU Boulder collaborative show, will take place on August 30, followed by another on September 21. All ages are welcome, and full event details can be found on the Junkyard Jams Instagram and the Junkyard Social Club website. (Interview: 7/2/25)
Joanne Cole: Olivia, welcome to KGNU.
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Hi. Thank you for having me.
Joanne Cole: Come close, come close. Yeah, don’t be afraid of that microphone. There’s a little scratchiness going on, and I’m not quite sure what that is, but I’m not gonna worry about it. So tell us who you are and about Junkyard Jams.
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: I’m Olivia, and I’m currently going into CSU as a freshman.
Joanne Cole: You’re just graduating high school this summer?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Yeah.
Joanne Cole: My God, girl, you look like you already graduated!
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: I started hosting Junkyard Jams back in March and searched for local college bands to come play.
Joanne Cole: So are you employed by Junkyard Jams in any capacity other than scheduling music?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: I am actually the host of Junkyard Jams.
Joanne Cole: Alright, great. So let’s first start with Junkyard Jams, ’cause it’s a hidden gem. Yeah, on East Arapahoe, right? Just before you get to Foothills. I found it because I had a flat tire, and my flat tire guys who used to be over here on Arapahoe by 28th are no longer there.
They’re in that little complex of old industrial parts of Boulder. Are you a Boulderite?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Ish.
Joanne Cole: Yeah, that’s enough. So there’s this wonderful place called the Boulder Junkyard Social—
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: And it’s huge.
Joanne Cole: Sprawling. They have food, they have drink, they have great places for kids to play and be entertained. And so now you’ve brought this Junkyard Jams to the Junkyard.
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Yes.
Joanne Cole: What is the exact address of the Junkyard, do you know?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Not off the top of my head.
Joanne Cole: So tell us about the music thing and how you got involved. Are you a musician yourself?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: I’m not a musician, but I like hosting events, so I figured I’d take my two favorite things—music and event hosting—and combine them.
Joanne Cole: Perfect. And have you done a couple?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Yeah, I do one every month, and I actually have one coming in August.
Joanne Cole: This month?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Yes.
Joanne Cole: Is it always the same date every month?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: No, it’s different, but all the information is posted on the Junkyard Jams Instagram and also on the Boulder Junkyard website.
Joanne Cole: Yeah. And here, it’s okay—the address is 2525 Frontier Avenue, which is just off of Arapahoe. If you’re heading east on Arapahoe, it’s on your left. If you’re heading west, it’s on your right. Use your device to find it. What day in August is the jam this year?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: This month, it’s August 30th. It’s actually one of our biggest shows we’re having this year.
Joanne Cole: Why?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: It’s CSU and CU Boulder merging—the two top rival schools in Colorado—merging for a jam.
Joanne Cole: Not the football game.
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Right.
Joanne Cole: Good to know. So is it truly a jam where people can join in?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: That would be an open jam—this is not.
Joanne Cole: Got it.
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: This jam is more for up-and-coming Boulder, Fort Collins, and Denver Front Range college students who come to play. I reach out to them and say, “Hey, here’s a free space to play. This is the time you have, and here are some other bands that are joining.” I’ll make all the marketing for it online, and from there, it’s a pretty big hit.
Joanne Cole: So you’ve done a few. Who were the performers previously?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Previously, I’ve had Sniff, Chicken Head, Sunkissed, and Estella.
Joanne Cole: And what type of music was that?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: It’s all over.
Joanne Cole: Like this show.
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Yeah. We’ve got some grunge, we’ve got some pop, we’ve got some folk, we’ve got some indie—
Joanne Cole: Everything.
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Everything.
Joanne Cole: And the one coming up on August 30th, what kind of music is that gonna be?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: The bands are very mixed.
Joanne Cole: More than one band?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Yeah. Four bands every month. And they’re all very different genres. Some of them even write their own music, and some do covers. I have Sniff, The Speaks, Sunkissed, and also—oh no, wait, I can’t say it off the top of my head right now.
Joanne Cole: And it’s open to all ages, I would imagine?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Yes.
Joanne Cole: Do they serve alcohol or no?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Yes, they do.
Joanne Cole: Okay, so you can have your adult beverage, you can have your non-adult beverage. I do believe you can bring your children, ’cause it’s really set up like a playground.
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: You can bring your children.
Joanne Cole: It’s very eclectic. I admire them, and I hope they succeed because it’s a really cool venue. And of course, we need cool venues here in Boulder—and beyond.
My guest is Olivia. We’re talking about the Junkyard Social Club, located at 2525 Frontier Avenue, Suite A, and we’re talking about a jam that’s going to take place in August—August 30th. Are you working on the September one yet?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Yes, I have one for September 21st.
Joanne Cole: Oh great. And so people can find all this information online at the Junkyard Social Club. Or what kind of promotion, Olivia, do you want to push?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: We have a Junkyard Jams Instagram account.
Joanne Cole: Yeah, I don’t even know what that is, but that’s the age difference between you and me. Olivia, I’m thrilled that you took time out of your busy day to join us.
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: Thank you so much.
Joanne Cole: Thank you for having me. Is there anything else you want us to know about these jams, or yourself, or the Junkyard, or politics?
Olivia Dawson Vazquez: The Junkyard Social is just a very inviting community, and it would be amazing if y’all came and supported our local bands.
Joanne Cole: So welcome, Olivia. I think you have a career in promotion. You’re going to go far.
You heard it here first. Alright, we’re gonna get back to the music. Thank you so much. Thanks for coming to KGNU. I hope to see you around, hope you become a DJ, hope you come do the news—I hope all kinds of great things for you. I hope we’re still here by the time you want to make that happen.
