Germ Theory, a DIY punk band from Longmont, Colorado, consists of guitarist, Alex Casano, drummer, Jacob Morales (‘26), and vocalist and bassist, Will Leyden. While Casano and Leyden have been making music together since 2020, Germ Theory formed just under a year ago once Morales (‘26) joined, and in that time, they’ve hosted eight concerts.

One of which was this month (Jan. 6, 2024), and it was incredible.

Germ Theory debuted with their first EP—Glum Demo Tape—released on April 6, 2023, and as of Jan. 5, 2024, their newest EP Fleas is out on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms. 

They’ve held eight shows so far, and I think that their most recent show was one of the best I’ve been to. There is something so special about their sets. They make you want to jump off the stage, push the person nearest to you, and head-bang until you can barely move your neck. I woke up the next day with what felt like a ton of bricks on my neck, and yet I still thought, when’s the next show? 

Reagan Urynowicz (‘27), a fan of Germ Theory since day one, rated the show on Saturday a “10 out of 10,” and highly recommends you go to their next concert, which hasn’t been announced yet. 

Germ Theory continues to grow its fan base by having shows in towns other than Longmont, such as Denver, Fort Collins, and even as far away as Colorado Springs. 

Urynowicz (‘27) also mentions that she loves how Germ Theory interacts with the crowd. She says “That’s another good thing about [Germ Theory] too, is the interactions with the crowd.” Off of their new EP, Fleas is a song called “Political Handjob,” and during that track, they teach the crowd how to sing and clap along with them. 

I’ve gone to all of Germ Theory’s shows except for the Colorado Springs one, and every time I go, I see more and more people there to support them. Not only are they booking shows often, but they also post frequently on their Instagram and YouTube to let their fans know what they’re currently working on. Germ Theory has posted some covers of songs that they put their own spin on, and that helps their fanbase grow as well—especially because they’re usually clever, humorous covers.

Casano explained that his favorite part about their fans is how much they “show out.” The crowd sets the energy for their shows and keeps the energy high the entire time. Fans, like myself, start mosh pits, jump off the stage, and scream the lyrics as loud as possible.

The local punk scene needs to stay alive, and Germ Theory has done nothing short of that. They persist to keep the punk community thriving, put on an unbelievable set, and have lots of punk fun.