Many people believe in cryptids: the Jersey Devil, the Loch Ness Monster — the list goes on and on. According to a 2021 poll, about 24% of the American public believes in Bigfoot, also known in parts of the U.S. as Sasquatch. And on April 16., Aggie Theatre brought the man, the myth, the legend himself — and his saxophone — to the people of Fort Collins.

Saxsquatch is a concert persona and exactly what the name implies. Sasquatch plays the saxophone. He is currently on a tour across the nation, with his last show at the 4848 Festival in West Virginia July 19., and has been performing for around six years.

“My whole life is a performance, really,” Saxsquatch said.

His shows are high energy, where dancing and being loud are required. In fact, there are a few rules for these performances, which can be found on his Instagram page. These rules include the aforementioned requirements and treating everyone with respect.

The first thing people see when they walk into the Aggie is the stage. Lights are set up, and disco ball hangs from the ceiling. A table sits on the center of the stage with all kinds of equipment while trees dot the stage, indicative of Sasquatch’s native habitat.

The visuals of the show are done primarily by Saxsquatch and his team, and Saxsquatch himself programs the lasers from the stage. This allows for lasers that fit the show and the music, so Saxsquatch knows exactly how and when they should go on. They also use cryo effects, which are made of compressed carbon dioxide, to add to the energetic atmosphere.

“It’s quite an experience,” said Nic Ten Grotenhuis, Saxsquatch’s manager.

The behind-the-scenes work of Saxsquatch and Ten Grotenhuis is what pulls the whole show together. Ten Grotenhuis is the right hand man to Saxsquatch and takes the lead on when releases will happen, suggests new songs, finds new artists to collaborate with, works with booking agents for tours and essentially ensures all goes well during the show, to name a few.

“We’ve put a lot of work into the show,” Saxsquatch said. “We’ve got a really awesome team.”

Prior to Saxsquatch coming onstage, the show was opened by T Biscuit. His performance consisted of guitar solos, as he is a member of the band Steady Flow Funk. T Biscuit will open for Saxsquatch at the Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, shows.

“It’s a really great, magical time where we all get to believe in each other and be together,” – Saxsquatch, performer and entertainer

The audience is a major factor in these shows and one of Saxsquatch’s favorite parts of touring.

“I love it when the crowd is loud and we get to go back-and-forth together,” Saxsquatch said. “It’s about everybody.” 

The energy of the crowd was palpable when Saxsquatch entered onto the stage. People danced and sang along to the music, which was a combination of original works and covers.

“Saxsquatch shows are really just a place for people to come together and dance and have fun and believe in something,” Ten Grotenhuis said.

This includes ravers, believers, old fans, new fans and everyone in between. People in wizard costumes and light-up costumes and even babies all jive to the music, with one thing in common: They are there to have a fun time with good music and surround themselves with people looking for the same thing.

These shows are very popular and frequently sell out, or get close to it. The crowd demonstrated their love for cryptids by dressing in things they believe in, leading to a high-energy atmosphere filled with like-minded people.

“It’s a really great, magical time where we all get to believe in each other and be together,” Saxsquatch said.

These shows are made for people who like the strange, supernatural and fun.

“Put on a fun outfit, get ready to move your hips (and) move your feet a little bit, and you don’t have to have expectations of the show because the show will be good,” Saxsquatch said.

Saxsquatch is a space for all: people who like to dance, people who like music, people who like cryptids and, most importantly, people who like fun.

Tickets, merch and other information about Saxsquatch can be found on his website, Instagram, Facebook or Youtube, and his songs can be found on Amazon Music, Spotify or Apple Music.