Sheboygan's home for original music
Calendar
August 2010
.357 String Band ($7) (Opening Act: Lady Cannon)
08/13/2010 9:00 PM
The Wisconsin state motto is simple – “Forward.” Milwaukee’s own .357 String Band epitomizes this spirit:
Blasting out of a dark basement in their blue collar hometown, The .357 String Band have spent the last 5 years criss-crossing America and Europe in half-broken down tour vans and busses, paying their dues anywhere and everywhere, from filthy rock and roll clubs to international music festivals. Established in 2004, they have brought their inimitably relentless style of Americana from the West Coast of the United States to as far east as Serbia, playing over 500 shows in 10 different countries, and honing their razor sharp sound and adrenaline-fueled live show with a grueling tour schedule.
Anything but derivative, The .357 String Band pays homage to both the dark roots of Americana – the fatalistic murder ballads, sneering Outlaw Country and unforgiving Gospel – as well as their own background coming of age in Milwaukee’s Punk and Rockabilly scenes. The result is a faster, meaner folk music – something the band calls “Streetgrass.”
Forgoing drums and using only stringed instruments (and the occasional megaphone), The .357 String Band plays with all the fire and fury of Rock & Roll; with an often surprising musical and lyrical refinement. Replete with mythology and mysticism, religious imagery and Biblical reference, The .357 String Band’s music ultimately engages with life here on Earth - the struggle of human beings to reconcile conflicting impulses and emotions is at the core of their music. With lyrics that can be as dark as the human soul at its worst, the music can’t be called negative – rather, it serves as a grim-yet-hopeful reminder that only by fully embracing the demons inside each of us can we exorcise them.
Impossible to pin down to any one genre, The .357 String Band have won accolades from fans of many different styles of music - completely at home sharing the stage with a Punk band in a dive bar, they were also voted “Best Country” by the Shepherd Express’ People’s Choice Awards in 2007, as well as winning “Best Bluegrass” in the 2008 Wisconsin Area Music Industry Awards. They have played with bands from many different genres, successfully sharing the stage with Old Time American string bands like Old Crow Medicine Show and The Hackensaw Boys; Outlaw Country like Hank Williams III, Bob Wayne & The Outlaw Carnies, and Wayne “The Train” Hancock; Blues bands like Rev. Peyton ’s Big Damn Band and The Black Diamond Heavies; Punk bands, including the infamous ANTiSEEN, and The Murder Junkies; as well as many bands that, like .357 themselves, defy easy categorization, such as The Avett Brothers, Wovenhand and Th’ Legendary Shack*Shakers.
.357 String Band Official Site
A singer with the voice of Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) and the ghosts of authentic American folk: Lady Cannon is a fresh take on well-worn traditions. Splitting its time between realistic romance and a jugband's whimsy, Lady Cannon draws from timeless themes—love, loss and the like—and updates the spirit of back porch sing-alongs for the indie-minded. (ERIC LEWEN, freelance writer/music critic)
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08/14/2010 9:00 PM
"Sung with resonant soulfulness, the evocatively melancholy title track [Flatlands] ought to become the Midwest's national anthem." -Village Voice
Flatlands (2008) is the third studio release from songwriter Blake Thomas. The Isthmus calls it "a must for country and folk fans" and picked it as "country album of the year." It rides on the heels of Thomas' two previous releases: 40 Minutes (2006) "a near-flawless balance of excellent musicianship, his gorgeous, occasionally shiver-inducing voice and smart songwriting." -Rick's Cafe; Real Like Theater (2005) the winner of Best Folk/Bluegrass/Americana Album at the 2006 MAMA awards... Thomas, born in Minnesota, literally worked his way up from the bottom when, at 19, he moved east and began his career busking in the subways of Boston. He spent the following years traveling, grinding through the club circuit and honing his craft while sharing the stage with Leon Russell, Greg Brown, Pieta Brown, Peter Mulvey, The Honeydogs, Holly Golightly, Ben Taylor, Tom Russell, Jon Dee Graham & others. Thomas currently lives, tours and teaches out of Madison, WI.
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08/21/2010 10:00 PM
"Schoepp is a distinguished songwriter, with a knack for bold sentiments and an ear for clean melodies." -The Shepherd Express
"After years spent studying at the Bob Dylan/Bruce Springsteen school of songwriting, Trapper Schoepp has developed a knack for crafting lyrically vivid songs that belie his young age." -The Onion, AV Club
"As much Pavement as Parsons, Trapper Schoepp & The Shades create lyrical folk-rock for generations coming of age post Uncle Tupelo." -WMSE Frontier Radio
"Americana whose lyrical authenticity and bold musicality shows a band that stands apart from other groups twice their age." -Rift Music Magazine
"A songwriting talent in the making." -The Istmus
"For someone of such tender years, his voice belies such a young age, and his song writing credentials also indicate that he knows his Americana/indie folk heritage." -Americana UK
“These guys have nailed an indie folk sound that is genuine and fun.” -Shepizzle Indie Music Reviews
"What Bowie would sound like if he grew up in Pewaukee instead of the UK.” -Kiki Schueler, Punk Rock Skunk Blog
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08/27/2010 10:00 PM
The Plutoniates unique sound is hard to define. Although led by Ross Fale's mostly fingerstyle acustic guitar playing, the band has more of an alternative rock sound than one would expect. With Ryan Kolosovski on drums and Steve Bossler on bass, the rythm section continues to evolve to give the Plutoniates a groove all there own. Throw in Dave Telinder playing electric guitar, melodica, and even a theremin, and what you get is a very instrument-driven band.
Though their arrangments are complex, the Plutoniates have the ability to blend together to make it very accessible and catchy music. The reason why they have become one of the most popular and talked about bands in the area.
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Clovis Mann, Derek Pritzl, and Pat Ferguson
08/28/2010 10:00 PM
“His obsesion of music and all things lyrical began with the meeting of Todd Snider’s Near Truths and Hotel Rooms. The influence of the Americana movement and his favorite songwriters pushed him to put his own truths on paper and eventually start playing his stories in local dive bars and coffee houses. Since then, Derek has reached a larger audience in venues across Wisconsin and the Midwest. Derek’s music has been described by The Onion as ‘taking another kind of thoughtful, rootsy detour, at times digging up raggedy old soul sounds, and other times leaning into the quiet barren territory where Gillian Welch fans dwell.’ Derek’s music is captivating in the sense that all walks of life have found solace in his sound.”
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