GOLD HILL -- No matter who you are, a lot changes between your high school years and your adult life. As people move both physically and emotionally, transitioning into a new phase, the most important parts of their formative years may not transition with them.
This isn’t universal, though. Sometimes, a core aspect of your formative years moves forward and changes with you, constantly developing in new ways. In Spencer Crawford’s case, he is still performing with a band he started in high school: That Damn Sasquatch.
“We’ve had a number of lineup changes,” admits Crawford, but “it’s still a pretty old-school lineup, even after all that time.”
Crawford serves as the primary guitar player and songwriter of the band, also bringing in banjo, accordion, and the occasional fiddle accompaniment. The current lineup includes Chad Curtis playing the mandolin and additional guitar, Jim Fischer playing the bass, and Zach West playing drums and percussion.
“Everybody in the band, I would consider a pretty good friend,” says Crawford. “I’ve known everybody in the band around 15 or 20 years – or longer.”
The original lineup of the band, including Crawford, lived and performed in Kansas, playing their first shows in the Topeka, Lawrence, and Kansas City areas. The majority of those members moved to Colorado in 2011, where the band has since settled.
“If you see That Damn Sasquatch, you’re likely to hear a ton of different styles of music,” says Crawford, who cites influences in jazz, country, traditional, bluegrass, Zydeco, and even hip-hop. “I think that’s one of the things that makes us pretty unique.”
The fun energy and elusive musical stylings of the band are evident in its name, taken from a line in the 1995 film Billy Madison. In the film, the line references characters played by two of Crawford’s favorite comedians, Chris Farley and Norm MacDonald.
Seeing crowds embrace their eclectic stylings is one of Crawford’s favorite aspects of live shows. From the bands’ beginnings in his high school years, That Damn Sasquatch has cemented itself as a group of close friends.
“It’s always a lot of fun hanging out with my friends, going different places, meeting new people,” says Crawford. “It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve been doing it a long time.”
That Damn Sasquatch will perform the first live show of the season at The Gold Hill Inn, located at 401 Main Street in Gold Hill, on Friday, May 1st, 2026, starting at 8 p.m.
