Meet Finn San Agustin | Musician at Mannequin, GM at Icons

We had the good fortune of connecting with Finn San Agustin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Finn, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
There have been so many phases of my life where I’ve tried do something else or get a “real” job. I tried coding so that I could make better money, I thought for a while I wanted to teach or do marketing or a dozen other things… but nothing has brought me the fulfillment and joy that performing has brought me. To be honest, I was no good at any of those other career paths, and I feel so confident on a stage.

I also found that no matter how long I tried to stray away from performing, I would always find my way back to it. I had a band before COVID, we were starting to play around the country, but with the pandemic members left. The disappointment of “failing” with that venture and the fear of trying to pursue a career in music when it felt like such an uncertain profession kept me away for a couple years. While I was working on a different career path, I found myself joining a little local singing competition at ICONS, and the joy and purpose that gave me pushed me to jump back in. I started singing for events with Mannequin in Devner, and now I work in Colorado Springs at ICONS as the General Manager! I’m performing every night, and I curate the concerts through the season, so my life revolves around music.

Running Icons in Colorado Springs has been my dream job! Not only do I still get to perform and work around music daily, but connecting with the queer community in Colorado Springs and helping curate a safe space has been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in my life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think the thing about music is that a career in this field can look like a lot of different things! I wanted to be a singer songwriter for a very long time, and I realized I didn’t particularly have the skillset for writing excellent songs. But I am great at performing a lot of different kinds of music, so I pivoted into singing for events and musicals! I’ve found a lot of joy doing just that, and singing at our awesome queer bar.

The hardest thing for me is getting past the imposter syndrome that enters my brain on occasion. I’ve definitely had to work on not asking myself “why would anyone want to hear me perform” and not feeling good enough. The best cure for that has been feeling prepared for any show that I’m doing, and giving myself props when I feel proud of a particular project.

My biggest brand is bringing the party! Anytime I hit a stage, my biggest goal is to bring a smile to people’s face. Whether it’s performing for a wedding and getting everyone to dance, or performing at the gay bar in green face paint and a Wicked West costume for Wicked night. Last year I did a Taylor Swift Eras Tour show and came out dressed in different Taylor Swift costumes. My artistry is FUN, I have a lovely time performing and. my biggest hope is that people have just as much fun watching!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I know Colorado Springs is known for… not necessarily being the place you’d go for a good time. But I grew up in this city, and I love my hometown!

I’d probably start the day taking advantage of our unbelievable scenery, I would probably head to Gold Camp Road for a hike, or take a little day trip to Manitou and go to the top of the Incline.

For food I’d take advantage of some great spots we have downtown, T-Byrds and Saigon Cafe are some personal favorites.

At night, we would of course go to Icons! It’s the only place I’ve ever worked where I want to be there even when I’m not working. You will hear some of the most INCREDIBLE singers that you’ve ever heard in your life, and both the customers and the staff are so kind. The perfect place to grab a drink.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Absolutely have to shoutout the owners of Icons, Josh Franklin and John Wolfe. Not only did they help me rediscover my love for music, but their love and the incredible space they’ve created help me feel comfortable with my queerness. I grew up very religious, and it’s amazing what a space like Icons where everyone is living so authentically and where I see loving queer relationships daily did for my mental health.

Icons means the world to me, I came out to my dad here (by accident… he surprise came to one of my shows), I’ve met incredible queer people from all different walks of life, and daily I get to hear the stories from our amazing queer community in Colorado Springs.

Instagram: @finn.savo