Do414 has a knack for throwing events by putting together great bands in fun venues. Tomorrow will be one such event at Stonefly Brewery, with two Milwaukee acts, The Delta Routine and Calliope along with Chicago-based band Mutts. All three bring it with the best of ‘em, each providing a different brand of rock’n'roll.
Having 13 people performing on one stage in the same night can be a significant challenge to any promoter. Particularly if half of those people are comedians and require the attention of everyone one in the room to be effective. However, Ryan Holman has quite a bit of experience at comedy/music fusion and has certainly found the equation for success at this point. Step one: Book bands that can absolutely captivate even the most passive of audiences; Step two: Find the perfect mix between local and out of town comedic talent; Step three: Find someone to MC the show leaving yourself feel to handle anything else that comes up.
Although I listed it as the 3rd step having another person MC the event is a great place to start. Lara Beitz did a great job of MCing the even. She opened up the evening with a few minutes of her own act that got the night off and running. After joking about getting attacked in Riverwest and saying the best rape defense would be to mention your AIDS medication, Lara introduced Ryan Mason. Ryan suggested that the scariest guy in your neighborhood would ride a children’s bike, wearing pink bows in his hair. Next, having recently won the Milwaukee’s Midwest Comedy Competition, came Dan Ronan who, as a recovered drug addict from Chicago, commented that the closest he ever gets to the rush of drug use these days was Nyquil. Also from Chicago, Jonah Jurkens provided the ultimate exclamation point to the first part of the show recounting a jealous fantasy about his girlfriend as a Fantasia fountain of fifty dicks. I’m sorry if you don’t understand what that means, I guess you will have to see Jonah in person to find out.
And as long as I am suggesting your future entertainment possibilities I can not speak highly enough about the first band that played Way Yes (check out wayyes.com to find out more). This four piece band out of Columbus, Ohio brought it with a high energy albeit short (25-30 minutes as to fit the flow of the evening) set. Way Yes brings an intriguing mixture of Calypso and rock’n'roll together through their use of prerecorded samplings, and their stage instruments including two guitars and two drummers which allows them to bring a lot more of a powerful sound to the stage than perhaps the previous description implies. Recording all the samples themselves, with a few other musician friends, the band was quick to distance themselves from the word “sampling” when I approached them after their set, not wanting to be grouped with artists like Girl Talk who as fun as they can be are really just pointing and clicking on a Macbook on stage. And rightfully so, the talent at work on stage is definitely worth your time and a couple internet clicks if you ever get the chance.
After a short break Lara Beitz got a second crack at the audience telling several more jokes before bringing the Host Ryan Holman to the stage. He was clearly excited to be able to focus on his comedy having just come off of hosting the aforementioned Milwaukee’s Midwest Comedy Competition. Ryan’s admittedly hairy body and less than triathlon fitness sets the backdrop for much of his comedy. From his proposed company “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes” to the visualization of giving a raspberry to his hairy torso, Ryan brings a witty blend to his stage presence. Finishing off the comedy section of the night, Tony Tudor takes a somewhat different approach to comedy often leaving the audience muttering “that is so wrong” or “I can’t believe he said that”. Bringing the audience to tears of laughter at times Tony Tudors mixture of pedophile and masturbation humor hits on the darker side of humanity while leaving most in the audience happy to be laughing about such dark topics.
The final performer of the night was Wisconsin’s own and West Bend product Blessed Feathers who, with their unique blend of melodic guitar and banjo strumming along with beautiful harmonies, felt like an outro to the rest of the evening. Although contrasting with the rest of the performers in tone, and despite having gotten a chance to record in New York with Thor Harris (Swans, Shearwater), and with songs about Florida Blessed Feathers do not feel like some far off unrelatable act. Their captivating performance that included a four day old song showed them for exactly what they are: The perfect companion to a Wisconsin autumn. Check them out at blessedfeathers.com or when they return after several weeks of touring, which includes a handful of shows in New York, for a Oct. 25th show at Club Girabaldi with Seawolf.
Well another great weekend has come and gone again! This Saturday was pretty unique with Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, and the “Supermoon”, bringing all the crazies out to Stonefly Brewery for some local Milwaukee music. Do414.com organized Milwaukee bands Calliope and Ivy Spokes to play with The Small Cities from the Twin Cities for a night of rock’n'roll. All three bands left some pretty big shoes to fill when it comes to entertainment and we have no doubt we’ll be hearing more from all of them.
If you are a regular Local Playlist blog reader, you would know that Calliope earned the position of Featured Talent of the month of April and they deserved it. The best way to describe their sound to put it most simply is progressive oldies with a flavor of the psychedelic. “La Catalina” features mystical spoken word from Al Kraemer combined with the gritty electric guitar sounds of Victor Buell, the song made you feel like you time traveled to a Doors concert in the 70’s, all from the comfort of Milwaukee. On bass, John was consumed with his instrument in almost a meditative state. At one point Jeremy Rogers of Do414 turned to me and said ”He is such a good bassist.” I quickly agreed, nodding my head to the music. Calliope did a fun and unique cover of Acapulco Gold as well as paid tribute to Adam “MCA” Yauch of the Beastie Boys who passed away on May 4th by covering (You Gotta) Fight For Your To Party! Go to their Facebook page or Localplaylist’s YouTube channel to see a clip of the band nailing this classic song. Towards the end of the set, the band called local musician & friend Jack Tell on stage to hold up a Sponge Bob Square Pants pinata for audience members to take a swing at in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. Check out Calliope on Facebook for up and coming show dates and make sure you check out this unique Milwaukee band.
The Small Cities, all dressed in plaid, (except for the drummer who apparently didn’t get the memo) from Twin Cities MN, took the stage next. With a tough act to follow, the guys definitely rocked out and set themselves apart from Calliope with their more modern, indie-rock which infuses just the right amount of pop while still remaining “alternative” enough for this Riverwest crowd. Some of their songs were a little more laid-back a la Jimmy Eat World but most of the set had an upbeat tone to it, reminiscent of early Kings of Leon. This four-piece is made up of Leif Bjornson and Wes Burdine both on vocals & guitar, Jimmy Osterholt on bass and David Osborn on drums, contributing heavily to vocals as well. Their set ended all too early but I hope this talented group makes it back to Milwaukee sometime soon because everyone at Stonefly thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Check out their website for music, videos, shows & more!
To cap off the night was the headliner, Ivy Spokes, a trio made up of Brandon Arndt on lead vocals, synth, keys and guitar, Hans Blanc on drums and Phil Cowen on bass. This trio continued the rock’n’roll theme of the night but with a dance-y flair that fit perfectly for the end of the night spot. Their most poppy song, “Shake it Off” on their Chaos To Cosmos Ep is simple but super catchy I feel like it will fit well on the radio and become a top single. Take a minute next time you are on a computer to check out their Facebook page for their EP and upcoming show dates!
Edited & Co-Written by Anne Conway
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Stylishly encompassed with local talent, Riverwest’s Stonefly Brewing Company hosted the Milwaukee Odyssey event on April 21st, 2012.
Following the previous evening’s annual Gallery Night, the Odyssey crew and Stonefly staff carried on the artistic movement into Riverwest and offered the crowd an earful and eyeful that evening.
The Stonefly Brewery houses a unique stage placed diagonally to the main bar area, and can be viewed from the upper seating deck, the pool lounge area, and the main floor. This set up allows patrons to view the works of art, engage with one another, and order a drink without missing any of the performances. Located near the south wing of the bar is a large French door that opens up to a large courtyard with tables, chairs, and benches used for smoke breaks and fresh air.
Locally-based art Curation Company: MKE Odyssey’s president Christopher Roze greeted each guest at the door, welcomed performers to stage, and mingled amongst the mass. This event was put on to highlight local musicians and artists and to bring together cultural connections through various mediums of art.
This event was a compilation of various artists from different backgrounds, with assorted influences, and diverse talents. The Odyssey crew does an outstanding job of creating interest and making all feel welcome. The variety of talents and out-of-the-box marketing strategies keep the fans revolving, drawing in a mix of young professionals, like-minded artists, families including children, and others who may not otherwise been informed.
The Milwaukee Odyssey crew also co-sponsored a city-wide beach cleanup in observation of Earth Day that took place Saturday prior to the event.
Kicking off the evening was a fresh acclaimed and soon to be Milwaukee phenomenon, The ‘NewlyBreds’, including drummer, Rick Carlson, of Undercover Organism, and former Undercover Organism bassist, Carter Manley, along with guitarist, Jack Beyler. This was the groups’ first official show in the Milwaukee area. The classical rock group performed an intimate mach show in Madison for a few sacred die-hards, and now will begin obtaining presence in the Milwaukee region. The show held a simplified feel with intricate melodies, beat change-ups, guitar rips, and with the overt emotions from the bassist the band shows signs of accomplishment and structure.
Taking the spotlight following the NewlyBreds was a local South Milwaukee, three-piece metal infused alternative band, Test Pilot. All of their music is available for free on their website; “they do not believe in charging people to listen to music.” They would also like “Bigger straws for everyone,” in regards to the petite coffee straws served in cocktails at bars. There was an apparent energy throughout the entire event, and this group did nothing to slow down the pace. It gave the impression of being at a Fourth of July Beastie Boys firework show with the intensity from the instruments to the stage presence, this trio definitely creates awareness through their edgy tone and thrash out mentality.
Fresh faces continued to find their way into the brewery, despite the Ifdakamp pre-party going on right down the road at Mad Planet; many may have had a harsh decision when making plans for that evening.
Next up on the ballot was a Milwaukee and Madison local Indie-Rock group, Animals in Human Attire. This spunky, fun-loving bunch showed their wild sides Saturday night. This six piece freight train came around the mountain with just enough momentum to rock the socks off the Stonefly Brewery. Following an act with such an upbeat performance, these six individuals hailed copious amounts of exhaustive liveliness. The lead vocalist presented himself to the stage wearing an animal costume head with a rubber face similar to that of a monkey with a hairy fray exterior. During this act the host handed out FREE DJ Puffin’ Vinyl containing tracks from the Innocuous Records label Volume 15: Milwauskweee.
One of the guitarists spent more time off the stage communicating through his instrument with such justified emotion to the audience giving many front-rowers a sense of being on stage. Carrying a retro Sum-41-esque vibe, one drummer utilized a few empty couple gallon buckets and a propane tank as his drum set. With their unique style and fast-paced Irish sounding jams these hooligans kept the crowd jumping. There was even a brand new song played that evening dedicated to the elderly folk. The encore seemed out of place for their set with a slower easy jam feel, but led into a grand cool down for their energetic, humorous routine.
Nearing the end of the event, D’AMATO takes the stage. This funky, outlandish, blues, hip-hop crew attracts the attention of all. This group is comprised of a celebratory lyricist, a ‘White Jesus’ on the keys and computer, two female tap dancers, and an oversized Sasquatch mascot. Now picture this all going on simultaneously. For such a diverse set-up, the precious vocals pierce the Stonefly aura and take the breath away from the viewers leading into D’AMATO’s change-up taking hold of his bass guitar.
This comedic, yet funky portrayal led the vocalist to drop his drawers for a good ol’ fashion pants-off-dance-off! He continued his act, as if everything was normal, as the gorilla-suited man strutted his furry ass along the stage. During this soulful merge of blues-funk and hip-hop, curator, Chris Roze, began handing out “Funk Trophies.” These were given to anyone who deserved a lil’ somethin’ extra for gettin’ a lil’ extra funky with the dance moves. Carter, bassist for the NewlyBreds, received one…of course.
As we venture to the late night scene, two DJ’s have yet to make their statements. DJ Puffin received some time in the spotlight shortly after D’AMATO to give the night owls something to rage to. His set held a reserved vibe. Reserved does not always convey a negative message. The beats were simple, which in this day and age of revolving electronic music is important. It was a safe set, and the DJ seemed to with hold his emotion while on stage, which is very rare these days. The tone had a relaxed, yet constant vibe, and went well with the atmosphere of the building at that time. There were a few kids in front wafting laser gloves swiftly and smoothly to portray wavelengths of distorted colored lights that seemed to leave lingering trails long after the motions have been completed.
The Gimp (DJ) polished the night cap with one last breath of exiting bass. His quick arm motions toward each turn table showed his comfortable familiarity with the equipment. His style was poppy, but original, utilizing rap samples and off-set beat lay downs. His grind mode mixed with a laid back approach dilutes the need for much consideration when he slows the disco dance jams to a drawn out trance feel and just lets the track ride.
The pleased, comforting, and passionate emotion across Christopher Roze’s face at the end of the event was that of accomplishment. As the night came to a new beginning, and the Stonefly staff began guiding customers to the door members swapped stories on the smoker’s patio, photographers shared pictures, and no one really wanted to leave. I’d say that speaks for itself in calling this a successful display of hidden local talent.
Milwaukee was dressed in her finest on Friday; draped in white with slushy streets that made the lights streak on the concrete. Stonefly in Riverwest was sporting a good sized crowd considering the state of the streets. It was only my second time at the bar to see a show, and as an intimate venue, I’ll definitely be coming back. Their bartenders are always quick and friendly and serving Stonefly’s craft brews which are mighty tasty.
Local Playlist has featured Kane Place Record Club before, but just in case you haven’t caught the buzz, I’ll fill you in. KPRC is a six man band with the traditional drums, bass, guitar set up, but they add an electric violin, harmonica, sax, keys and tambourine to liven up the mix. While it’s obvious each member is a sensational musician in their own right, their ability to seamlessly blend together speaks volumes for their talent as a band. Energy was pouring out of each of the band mates and as soon as the first chord was struck they demanded the audience’s attention. People started hopping and bopping immediately and I swear there wasn’t a single face without a smile on it. It was so positively delightful I couldn’t stop laughing. Their most beautiful moments came from their ability to move from jazzy crooning to raw rockabilly funk, sending everyone lucky enough to be in the building into a dancing frenzy.
I was so stoked about this show that I was up by 8am the next morning (thanks guys) with their songs lodged in my head and had their EP downloaded by 8:15. Check it out at their website-it’s a great way to get a taste of their music before you catch their next performance. Believe me, if you live in this city and haven’t seen these guys yet, you’re missing out on a sonic bonanza.
I’d guess the Stonefly reached full capacity at some point during this Milwaukee Odyssey-produced show, as I overheard someone saying that a hundred people were told to vacate the premises due to overcrowding. It was an eclectic line-up, and an eclectic crowd as well, with a thirty-year age range.
I arrived a little late, pleased to hear Prince playing on the P.A., and I was just in time for the Gina & Olivia Duo, one clad in a black skirt, the other in orange, who opened with a cover of “Stormy Weather.” A vocal duo whose breathy voices work well together, they were accompanied by nothing but an understated keyboard, and it took them a few bars to settle in, but they rose to the occasion. And they let everyone know this show would be something a little different. Their version of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” displayed their vocal talents so well that according to one concert-goer, “It gave me goosebumps.” Their set was short but sweet and I’m sure we’ll hear more from them soon.
By this time, the bar was about three or four-deep, so I wandered around, talked to a few friends, and shot some video footage with my mini-handicam. As part of their mission, Milwaukee Odyssey curates local art of all kinds, and at this show they displayed original artwork from twelve very different artists. Stonefly was filled with art, with pieces hung anywhere there was adequate wall space. Throughout the show, a young couple also painted a picture, just to the side of the stage. Live art is usually present at Odyssey events, a unique touch.
After squeezing my way back through the mass of bodies I found a good spot to camp out and to my surprise, Dana Coppa (or Coppafeel), from King Hell Bastard, appeared on stage, joined by Kiran, from Fresh Cut Collective, collectively called Know Flight Zone. Having never seen KHB live (I know, I should be ashamed) I wasn’t aware how much Dana has a natural oddball presence as an MC as he bounces around, and he definitely took over the stage for a few minutes on this particular night. While Kiran played the drums Dana delivered a good, hard two minute-long breathless intro, and Kiran jumped in on the next song; he and Dana handing vocal duties back and forth, with Kiran playing some keyboards as well. Dana always sounds high-strung, and slightly atonal, and Kiran’s smoother sing-speak vocals are a good counterpoint. It’s impossible to know how much of their set was rehearsed and how much was free-styling, but however it came together it felt spontaneous and fairly seamless.
The Milwaukee hip-hop scene has long been sorely underrated, partly due to the fragmented nature of the various musical communities. It gets virtually no local media coverage, and that’s a real shame because a lot of these guys work hard and create consistently good music. Of course, there’s nothing new there, as that’s the case in many communities. The segregation and poverty throughout the city of Milwaukee is the ideal breeding ground for a do-it-yourself, on-the-fly, with-the- resources-at-hand, underground hip-hop movement. Hopefully this set exposed some people to an aspect of the local hip-hop scene they had not experienced before and they’ll take it upon themselves to check out something else.
Dana mentioned during their set that an artist named D’Amato was coming up after them, and I hadn’t heard of him but, boy, he got my attention, and much of the crowd’s as well. He suddenly popped up on stage between two female dancers, dressed in black with suspenders and a medallion around his neck, for an opening dance sequence. When D’Amato picks up the guitar and starts playing a solo that sounds like Roy Buchanan on acid, I’m thinking, “what the…?” Then a man dressed in a white tunic, (I later found out he’s called White Jesus) who up til this point looked out of place on stage, hands him a microphone and he busts out this quick-time rap verse, showing off some serious vocal gymnastics in the process. By this point he was reeling the audience in, and as I glanced around I saw people stop what they were doing to turn and get a look at this guy. A short time later he’s stripped down to his black muscle shirt and he’s delivering a talking-blues/rap about a girl. He changes gears mid-stream and slides into a slinky vocal, asking the subject of the song, “How many boys have you had inside your bed?” The transition was so casual, just like it was nothing. Impressive. D’Amato’s singing/rapping and guitar playing is an amalgam of influences, and he’s all over the place with his mix of hip-hop-soul-R&B-funk-rock. A born story-teller, he knocked it out of the park and sort of knocked me over. I talked to him after the show and I mentioned that he reminded me of a young Curtis Mayfield. One of the coolest musicians in Milwaukee right now, he’s reportedly working on a new record. Stay tuned.
Shepherd Express included De La Buena’s most recent album among the best Milwaukee recordings of 2011, and I was curious to see them live. It took them quite a while to set-up and it was cozy for their ten members on the relatively small stage, and the first thing that jumped out was the percussionists positioned right up-front. Their Latin-fusion is peppered with rock-isms, like a hodge-podge of jazz fusion and some 70s progressive-rock, along with various strains of Latin music, and they showed off some chops right away as they traded solos while alternating between instrumental and vocal-driven parts. Even as they pulled back from an upbeat dance song and played a slower number, their swirling, seductive syncopation held the crowd’s near-complete attention. I observed more guys dancing than one might ever see at a non-rave/electronica show. The only female in the band, Holly Haebig, even came out into the crowd & danced salsa with a few lucky men. Despite the late hour, from my vantage point, no one was leaving yet. De La Buena was a fine compliment to the wild stylings of D’Amato.
Last, but not least, Zigmortius (aka Ben Z) ended the night sometime around 2 a.m. with a set consisting of a blast of noise and his idiosyncratic, partially-improvised, mind-bending, tribal-industrial, man-machine drumming. A statuesque man covered in tattoos, Ben cuts an imposing figure even without the tribal facepaint he wore for Friday’s performance. Alongside of him sat a giant picture of a baby. He seemed to be fidgety as he kept getting up from the drums to pound on his Korg pad, and then, suddenly, just like that, he was done, and just as matter-of-factly as it all began it was over. Wow! What a show.
As I headed out the door in a bit of a daze, toward an after-party across the street, a light snow was falling in Riverwest. I was still digesting everything I had just witnessed, and I was thinking about how much credit Milwaukee Odyssey deserves for having the vision to pull off such a feat, especially the ever-industrious Chrisopher Roze, who brought all the artists and bands together. It makes me hopeful that this kind of energy can be captured again. Localplaylist can’t wait for the next Odyssey show and we hope you can’t either!
