Riding the Magenta Wave

A chatty buzz quickly turns into whistles and cheers at Schweinhaus Biergarten on Friday, Oct. 13 as Bellingham rock band Magenta Wave takes the stage. Every bench in the beer garden is full and an overflow crowd stands on the sidelines. 

By the end of the band’s hourlong set, attendees formed a dance pit in front of the stage, the crowd alive and bouncing to the final riffs. 

“When Magenta Wave comes through, it feels very electric,” said Martijn Wall, co-founder and co-owner of The Blue Room, a Bellingham venue Magenta Wave has played at multiple times. 

The band smiles and waves at their friends from the stage, and laughter fills the venue as they joke around with the crowd between songs.  

It’s akin to a family feeling, where everyone is coming together and celebrating, Wall said.

“That comes from the members of the band and speaks to the energy they create,” he said. “The crowd that comes is coming for that energy.”.

Magenta Wave labeled their sound as forever evolving. They expect their sound will always change based on their environment and how other bands inspire and motivate them, Larsen said.

“Bands and artists that do what they want sonically and creatively as opposed to following whatever is popular at the time is what is unique and stands out to me,” said Nico Sanchez, founder and CEO of Bellingham-based Black Noise Records.