Meet Jordan Armijo | Musician, Nutrition Coach, Mixed Martial Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordan Armijo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordan, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I always admired musicians and artists growing up for their ability to spill their heart out on a stage in front of strangers. However, I became enamored with Bob Marley at a young age when I learned that his music had literally helped liberate Zimbabwe, and how he impacted Jamaica politically during his career, as well as his ability to unify people that were otherwise not allies. When I realized music could impact lives in these ways I decided I wanted to write impactful music.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Although I grew up enamored with music in various forms, I was not musically inclined growing up. I didn’t pick up a guitar until the age of 17 when one was left at my house, and a friend told me to go ahead and play with it. I instantly became obsessed. However, it wasn’t until the age of 20 that I finally decided to take a crack at making instrumentals. I had no intention of ever playing on stage, but I would play my instrumentals for people and upload them to soundcloud, so many people began encouraging me to write songs with lyrics and start taking it seriously. I had a friend who went by the name MindState and asked me to make him hip hop beats, and so I did, and then he asked if I would perform them live with him, and next thing I knew we were opening for Twista, and Devin The Dude just months later. I would eventually book my first show at the age of 21 where I would debut my own songs live and sing for the first time in front of people.

I absolutely did not have an easy time when I started, even though it seemed to many people that I booked shows easily, I just believe I worked harder than many others. I can honestly say I wasn’t well received by the other musicians in the Colorado scene right away, and felt like I spent years trying to earn the respect of my peers. I don’t hold a grudge or carry a chip on my shoulders for any of this because I also had the imposter syndrome and never felt like I belonged on stage until very recent years.

At the end of the day, I’ve had incredible opportunities, and even when I wanted to give up, the industry wouldn’t let me quit. I told myself I was done at the end of 2017, then got the opportunity to play with Jon Bon Jovi early 2018, followed by a big opportunity with my band in August of that year on a major festival in Utah. I knew I had to keep going from there.

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’m an outdoor person, so first and foremost I’d suggest hikes on some of my favorite trails in Evergreen or up in Summit county. If it’s one of my skateboarding friends coming to visit then we’re hitting a tour of all the awesome local parks in downtown Denver, Arvada, Golden, Parker, etc. If it’s a friend who likes weird stuff, then we’re going to Meow Wolf for an adventure and maybe catching a walk through the Denver Art Museum.

As far as food and entertainment goes, hands down Ophelias Electric Soapbox is a must for brunch or dinner. They always have amazing food and drinks, and great live entertainment. Regardless of where we go for dinner, I’m taking them to Comedy Works downtown for some stand up comedy, and we’re either getting more food there or just having our 2 drink minimum. I’m also a fan of Denver Improv for stand up comedy too so that’s an easy second option.

As far as the best place to catch a show in town, we’d end up at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom/Other Side for whatever music is playing there. I love that place and they were the ones who helped get my music career off the ground so I’ll always name them as my favorite venue in town.

If my friend is a beer fan, then we’re hitting Raices Brewery and Denver Beer Co for sure.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I couldn’t simply pick one person that has impacted my story or helped develop it. The most obvious pick is my parents, who have supported me chasing my dreams since day one. My grandparents were a pivotal part in my musical influence growing up, so I have to give due to them for playing their records for me when I was little. My brother and sister were also big musical influences for me because they both had different tastes in music and we would always jam out to different groups. I could also shout out Steel Pulse, for being arguably the biggest influence on me musically speaking as far as reggae music goes. Their lyrics, message, and groove are something I cannot separate from and are the reason I eventually wanted to pursue making the music I do today.

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