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Filed under: Sounding Board Blog | Comments Off
By Steven Spoerl
After hearing leaked tracks and seeing a few of the new ones performed live last year at Milwaukee’s gorgeous Pabst Theater, I had very high expectations for The National’s High Violet. After finally getting my hands on a copy and giving it an inaugural listen, I was completely satisfied with the fluidity and strength of the record, but wondered about its staying power as it hadn’t gripped me as intensely as Alligator or Boxer did.
Then I thought back to Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers and was a little uplifted as I had the exact same trepidations after listening to that record for the first time. It was one that I ultimately revisited almost as much as Alligator and Boxer. With that in mind, I found myself being pulled back in for another round, to give High Violet another try.
Filed under: Indie, Music News & Reviews | Tagged: album review, CD Review, High Violet, record review, the national | Leave a Comment »
Heads up, all you Spearheads! We’ve got the details on Michael Franti’s ticket presale in our True Endeavors Newsletter (subscribe here).
Tickets go on sale to the public this Saturday, July 31st at 11:00am.
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Filed under: Jam, Music News & Reviews, Reggae | Tagged: michael franti, capitol theater, presale, Spearhead | Leave a Comment »
Bill Maher has been injecting his signature side-splitting wit into his politically-charged TV programs, movies, books, activism, and stand-up routines for years. We’re thrilled that he will be making a Madison stop on his comedy tour this weekend and can’t wait to hear what he has to say. If you’re just as amped as we are, read on to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to Maher’s August 1st stand-up performance at Overture Hall.
Filed under: Comedy, Free Madison Concert Tickets & MP3 Downloads, Music Shows This Week in Madison | Tagged: Ticket Giveaway, Win Tickets, Overture Hall, Free Tickets, ticket contest, Bill Maher | 17 Comments »
Interview by Shelley Peckham
When I was a kid, visits to 701 East Washington Avenue were not what they are today. Before it became one of the coolest music venues in town, the space was occupied by The Buy & Sell Shop, where I spent countless hours reluctantly trolling behind my parents as they searched for treasures throughout the labyrinth of Madison’s used miscellany. Shopping for kitsch among piles and piles of musty tossaways in varying shades of browns and grays wasn’t exactly a preferred activity for my seven-year-old self.
That bored little girl probably never imagined that she would end up frequenting the building again on her own terms in her adult years, but the changing times have indeed created an infinitely more appealing incarnation of the space. Where there were once shelves of oddly shaped jars, broken cameras and vintage scuba gear, there is now a stage which has supported the stomping boots and throbbing amps of some of music’s most thrilling artists. Gone are the days of dust and mothballs. Enter the rock dragon: The High Noon Saloon.
Since 2004, the venue has become a musical sanctuary, housing some of the most beautiful, brutal, and brilliant sounds to hit the city. Ask any Madison music fan what their favorite rock club is, and you’re likely to hear “High Noon Saloon” echoed ad infinitum.
The woman behind this treasured venue is Cathy Dethmers, an engaged, creative, intelligent force who has ruled the roost with a punk rock D.I.Y. ethos and an uncompromising dedication to being an honest businesswoman.
I recently sat down with Dethmers to talk about how she got to where she is today, her beginnings at O’Cayz Corral, her views on the Madison music scene, and what the future might hold for The High Noon Saloon.
Filed under: Interviews, Sounding Board Blog | Tagged: High Noon Saloon, Interview, Cathy Dethmers | 2 Comments »
Ha Ha Tonka (originally Amsterband) have spent years on the road, honing their craft and releasing two of the best southern-fried Americana albums ever. Their music on record, as strong as it is, barely even holds a candle to their blistering live show. I saw them when they stopped at the High Noon a few months ago with a large group of people who had little-to-no knowledge of Ha Ha Tonka and we all left as massive fans. We had just as much fun watching them as we did the headliners (Murder By Death), who they nearly outplayed—no small feat.
On Friday, July 30th, they’ll be at the High Noon Saloon opening for Lucero—a band with a continuously rising profile, as well as a very strong reputation as a live band. Over the course of seven albums they’ve become somewhat of a perennial underdog band, surprising listeners with each new release. They’ve built up a loyal following, toured with (and gained comparisons to) The Hold Steady. Listeners may also find their sound akin to bands like The Gaslight Anthem, but the most prevalent comparison all along has been to Drive-By Truckers. Just imagine a band with an even more gruff-voiced frontman and whose stylistic emphasis leans decidedly more towards the punk/rock n’ roll thing than southern rock, and you’ve just about got it.
Lucero formed in 1998 and has spent much of their time since 2001 on the road (150-200 shows a year). Everyone I’ve talked to that has seen the band live at one time or another have all described that transcendent visceral in-the-moment feeling every band yearns for their audience to palpate. That should tell you something. What should tell you even more is that, despite all their time on the road, they’ve somehow managed to release seven outstanding albums – each of which could easily be considered a modern day classic, right up to their most recent: 2009′s 1372 Overton Park.
Now when considering Friday night’s show, Ha Ha Tonka alone is well-worth the price of admission, but seeing as how they’re opening for Lucero, there’s absolutely no reason you shouldn’t go to this. Get your ticket now. It’ll be the best purchase you make all day.
-Steven Spoerl
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Filed under: Country, Music Shows This Week in Madison, Rock | Tagged: High Noon Saloon, ha ha tonka, lucero | Leave a Comment »
Saturday, October 2
The Annex, 9:30pm
$12 adv $14 dos, 18+
Tickets available on our Music Calendar soon!
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Filed under: Indie, Music News & Reviews, Rock | Tagged: The Annex, The Thermals, cymbals eat guitars | Leave a Comment »
Saturday, September 18
Barrymore Theatre, 8pm
$20 adv $25 dos, all ages
Tickets available on our Music Calendar soon!
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Filed under: Music News & Reviews, Singer-Songwriter | Tagged: Barrymore Theatre, brandi carlile | Leave a Comment »
Thursday, September 30
The Annex, 9pm
Tickets: $10 adv and dos, 18+
Tickets available on our Music Calendar soon!
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Filed under: Indie, Music News & Reviews, Rock | Tagged: The Annex, The Boxer Rebellion, Amusement Parks On Fire | Leave a Comment »
