If some good old fashioned rock music is what you’re into in this chilly fall weather, then you won’t want to miss Obits and Bottomless Pit at 10 PM in the Sett this Saturday!
Pitchfork describes Obits’ sound as “dueling guitars that have refined the echo and twang of surf and rockabilly into a sharp edge, basslines that are less walking than swaggering, drums too respectful and too evil for elaborate fills” and Bottomless Pit’s newest album, Blood Under the Bridge, met a sea of positive feedback after its release. The two acts are a perfect match for some classic rock music. If you’re looking for gritty, energetic rock, you’ll love Obits. If you’re looking for something a little more laid-back, then Bottomless Pit is for you. Together, you can’t go wrong!
Got a great weekend in store for you! Including some amazing bands who will be playing in Chicago at/during the Pitchfork Music Festival this weekend and a wonderful evening of salsa.
THURSDAY NIGHT: PS I LOVE YOU and UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA (9:30 PM start time) -
Kingston, Ontario’s quick-rising duo, PS I Love You, unleashed their brilliant debut album on October 5th, 2010. The ten-track album titled, Meet Me At The Muster Station, is a relentless listen that grips and pulls the listener through just under thirty-minutes of squalling Marshall feedback, searing solos, soaring melodies and rock-steady beats and will surely be considered one of this year’s finest debuts.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra will also be performing, they first dropped into the world in late 2010 as a bandcamp account carrying a single, sweet little dose of ear candy called ‘Ffunny Ffrends’.
‘Ffunny Ffrends’ was everything you imagined it might be – alien beatnik pop music that echoed 60s psychedelia and krautrock minimalism with just a hint of gentle weirdness that suggested its roots might equally lie in the verdant indie of the equally distant New Zealand scene.
‘Ffunny Ffrends’ was immediately feted on hundreds of blogs worldwide. By the time a self-titled UMO 7” EP was then released from behind a veil of secrecy on the UK label, Sounds of Sweet Nothing, ‘who is Unknown Mortal Orchestra?’ was more than just a question on people’s lips, it was a full scale clamor for the unveiling of one of the most exciting new bands of the moment.
Check out this jam:
Ruban Nielson is a New Zealand native who had transplanted to Portland with his band Mint Chicks. UMO was a project conceived as Ruban’s escape hatch to a new musical dimension where his vision of junkshop record collector pop could be realized in a sound that recalled Captain Beefheart, Sly Stone and RZA jamming on some kids tv theme too dark to ever be broadcast.
Out of the home studio, Ruban was joined by local Portland producer Jake Portrait on bass and teenage prodigy Julien Ehrich on drums. They have been on the road all year, sleeping in ditches and running drunkenly from venues when needs be, curling ears and turning heads with their intoxicating sound all the way.
The eponymous UMO debut album was released on June 21st. It’s probably something you should listen to, both on record and on the Terrace!
FRIDAY NIGHT: MADISALSA (9:30 PM start time) -
MadiSalsa, an 11 member ensemble devoted to the musical traditions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and The Dominican Republic has been serving the Midwest from its home base in Wisconsin’s capital since 1992. Its members bring a diverse wealth of experience to the group from their previous Latin music activities in such centers as San Juan, Los Angeles, and New York. With a repertoire ranging from traditional island classics to original material from within the band, each performance offers a wide variety of musical expression. From mambo to merengue, bolero to bomba, MadiSalsa’s exciting array of moods and grooves is guaranteed to please.
Vamos a bailar en la terraza!
MadiSalsa
SATURDAY NIGHT: MADFORK 3! – BATTLES w/ THE FRESH AND ONLYS and DELICATE STEVE (8:00 PM start time) -
Battles are an amazing New York based experimental rock-band who has put out some of the most progressive, unique and enticing music of the past decade. This is one of our most exciting shows of the summer, and we are honored to be bringing them to the Terrace! Despite the loss of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Tyondai Braxton, the band really brought it with their second long-anticipated album, Gloss Drop. Don’t let the pile of silly string on the cover fool you, this stuff is tight and technical. It was tough to follow the critically acclaimed debut, Mirrored, but the amazing drum, guitar, and keyboard compositions which are the core to their music has only become more diverse and interesting. I dare say I much prefer their instrumental music to those with vocals.
Check out their video for the track “Ice Cream”. It really will blow your mind and is extremely visually stimulating, one of the best videos of the year due to that quality:
San Francisco’s The Fresh & Onlys will be joining Battles on the Terrace. They play their own impressive brand of shimmering pop. Truly not to be missed, get out to the Terrace early! If you need any reason at all, check out this fantastic track and video! Perfect Terrace tunes:
“Steve Marion, a.k.a. Delicate Steve, is not your average 23-year-old musician. His complex tunes flirt with tropicalia, polyrhythms and pop, but the overall instrumental sound is not quite as straightforward. With waves of sound effects and electronics, Delicate Steve’s music is far more dense than it is delicate” -NPR
This is an absolutely unmissable show (an amazing value too), and remember that all 3 of these shows are out on the Terrace and FREE! Rain location is Der Rathskeller for all 3 shows. Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!
Ever look at the WUD music schedule only to think, “gee, I don’t know ANY of those bands!”? Well, it’s happened to this blogger as well, so fear not, but keep in mind you may want to get to know them if you want to be ahead of your peers when it comes to the latest awesome music.
How can I make such a boastful statement? Let’s cross-compare WUD’s most recent booking year with the August 2011 Lollapalooza lineup:
Friday 4/22: Higher Education Records Showcase @ 9 PM
Come out to Der Rathskeller tonight and check out some local rap at the Higher Education Records Showcase. Expect Phonetic ONE, Sleepy, G DeLo, Bonnie and Korim to show up. DJ Illy Holiday will be DJing the event as well. Should be a great time, come get your freak on!
Here’s some video of Phonetic One performing at Mifflin Street Block Party last year:
Saturday 4/23: The Selfish Gene with Christopher Porterfield @ 9 PM
For Saturday night we have Madison band The Selfish Gene in Der Rath. This great group of alt-rockers have been around Madison for a while now, they won the Isthmus’ Band to Band Competition back in 2009. Here’s a little taste:
Opening up for them will be Christopher Porterfield, of Milwaukee’s great Conrad Plymouth. He’s sure to start things off on a softer, more peaceful note. Why not have a peaceful Saturday in Der Rath before next Saturday’s madness that is Mifflin?
Don’t forget, Owen Pallett will be performing in the Sett at the new Union South this Saturday, April 16th at 9:00 PM. This is a concert that we are very excited about! Remember that the concert is free and open to the public (18+). Take this opportunity to see a wonderful free show in the new music venue at Union South, the Sett.
Land of Vandals, a local Madison band, will be starting the show off for us. They were fantastic when they opened up for My Brightest Diamond in der Rath, so get here early!
Our friends at the WUD Publications Committee kicked off LitFest today. Besides this concert there is a great deal more to get excited about! LitFest celebrates and promotes literacy and writing in all of it’s forms. They will be having a variety of events going on through April 19th. Check out the LitFest website for more info.
Don’t forget, we have a show this Sunday. Henry Rollins, formerly of the legendary punk band Black Flag, will be speaking in the Great Hall at the Memorial Union at 7:30 PM on Sunday, March 27th. Our friends at True Endeavors are co-presenting this show with us, and we are very excited to have the show in the Great Hall.
Tickets for the show are $35 for the public and $25 for anyone with a student ID. Get your tickets here. They can be picked up from the Wisconsin Union Theater Box Office and tickets will also be available at the event on the day of show.
Check out this sample:
This show will be very different from what fans may expect from Rollins’ hardcore punk past. In recent years he has been touring as a spoken word artist and comedian. The tour is titled ’50′, the age which Rollins turned last night. Come see Rollins weigh in on everything from growing older, the experiences of his music career and anything else that crosses his mind. His spoken word is heavily informed with the rage of hardcore punk and the humor of no-nonsense comedy.
See you all there! Don’t forget to get your tickets!
EXTRA! EXTRA! New and exciting news from the best music committee on Earth: folk favorites The Felice Brothers traipse their way to Madison to play the Sett at New Union South on Saturday, May 7th a las nueve (9p.m.).
giddyup
We’re pumped. Their studio was built from an old chicken coop but there’s no cooping up these boys. They’ll join us in Madtown after playing the likes of Coachella and several other venues across the country, and bring with them sounds reminiscent of the Catskill Mountains and backyard BBQs. Those whom have had the pleasure of hearing them live say concert-goers cannot help but leave the show converted. Come and embrace the conversion.
Tickets go on sale Friday March 11th at 11am!!! $15 ($12 for UW students with ID)
Maps & Atlases will be returning to der Rathskeller this Friday, March 4th. The Chicago based indie-rockers headlined WSUM’s Snake on the Lake festival in September 2009 and this show looks to be just as exciting as the last. Come on out for a fantastic night of live music.
Maps & Atlases
Perch Patchwork, the band’s debut album, was released in June 2010 and saw the band transition into a softer sound. Their distinct math rock style blends astoundingly with the new folk and pop influences. Having just wrapped up a tour of Europe, Maps & Atlases will be opening for Menomena for several dates and then the band heads down to Austin for SXSW.
Local act Bears Climb Mountains will also be performing.
Pepper Rabbit of Los Angeles will be visiting der Rathskeller on Saturday, March 5th. They are touring in support of their October debut album, Beauregard. Formed by Xander Singh and Luc Laurent, Pepper Rabbit is a fusion of both musicians’ unique experiences. According to their Kanine Records bio, Pepper Rabbit sounds “like a patchwork quilt woven from their adventures, whether it be featuring the horn section from a Bayou funeral procession or a chord progression borrowed from Southeast Asia.”
Pepper Rabbit
Although the band just released their first album in October, they have been diligently recording and plan to release a second album this summer, so Pepper Rabbit could bring some brand new songs to the table. They have recently toured with Ra Ra Riot and will be stopping by SXSW and then be opening for the likes of The Rural Alberta Advantage, Telekinesis and Miniature Tigers after their stop in Madison.
Local act Jeremiah Nelson has quickly been garnering more popularity and press.
This Friday come out to der Rathskeller for a night of unique Midwest jam-band tunes and funk. Bowser will be headlining and their blend of musical styles truly needs to experienced to be appreciated. Hailing from Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Bowser has been performing in a wide variety of music venues throughout the state of Wisconsin since 2000. ReverbNation describes their sound as “rock n roll blues rooted, abound with emotion and soul and blessed with a tinge for classic rock.” The one thing that bleeds through while listening to this band’s music is just how much passion they have for their tunes. This is even more evident in their live show, so don’t miss this great opportunity to witness Bowser!
Be sure to come early and double the fun of your night with opener Midwest Hype. Another great Midwest jam-band (Jazz/Funk/Reggae) from Indiana that also utilizes a melting pot of musical styles and has a clear passion for what they do.
“By the time I was done jumping & headbanging, I was a sweaty mess and heading home with a charged up soul. The music had won me over again.” -Chicago Jam Scene
Saturday, February 19th 9:30 @ Der Rath: Trivia Night hosted by Nick Marx
Come win prizes at our trivia night on Saturday! Here are some details:
- Come with friends or meet new ones to form groups of 5 people.
