Enter through the Lotus Gate

Welcome to the growing world of 'Kainalu' as we step through the 'Lotus Gate' into his lost world. After following the artist 'Kainalu' aka Trent for a couple of years now, I have seen his impact and music grow organically in the local scene. It has been a joy to soak in his soft hypnotic rhythms at every live show and to finally see him release his first body of work, the album 'Lotus Gate'. This eight track album/EP showcases his best work to date and has already been getting national attention, being compared to 'Tame Impala' & 'Tycho' to name a few. It was amazing to see him pull in a great crowd to watch him release this audio baby into the world at the High Noon Saloon on the 20th of June. 

Starting the night off was a funky foursome from Minnesota that went down a storm on the unsuspecting crowd. They fired through songs of their debut album and new EP, 'Glow' including the very catchy 'SMS' making sure everyone was involved with their grove. As the crowd grew so did their energy as they made a great impression for this first ever successful Madison show.

With that said most people were here to watch the rise of 'Kainalu' putting out all the stops to make this not just a show but an experience everyone can feel from start to finish. From older songs 'Folds Like  Origami' to newer ones, 'Lotus Gate' you are drawn through the 'Louts Gate' into the open yet peaceful world of 'Kainalu'. Trent and his amazing live band delivered a mesmerizing set full of highs, my personal favorite from the night was, 'How Do I Let Go Of You' receiving rapturous applause from everyone present. To me the set and his album are not just a bunch of songs they are full pieces of art flowing with passion and charged energy. It will be exciting to see where his path goes next, now I invite you to step through the Louts Gate and get lost in this secret world.

Always A Day To Remember

I could be biased but 'A Day To Remember' are one of the coolest band on the planet. They have become one of them rare bands to rise from their own scene, "metal" and create a unique sound which appeals to everyone. From the heavy breakdowns to soothing ballads, singalongs to all round fun guys. This was the third time seeing the band but first time headlining their own show and it seriously was headline worthy.

The day for us started with some drinks in the sun and food at 'The Old Distillery' which could do with some improvement when it comes to food, it was either bland or overpowered garlic, but $3 beer is always helpful. Once we finished up all fresco we took the small walk to The Slyvee, still in its infancy as a venue but certainly not from the acts that have come through the doors, selling out shows every week it seems! Tonight was no different with the 'Raising Hell In The Heartland' tour. 

The first band to start the show was a UK band, 'Boston Manor', who I have interviewed many moons ago on a street in my home town, it is good to see how far they have come. There show reflected that ethos as well, working as a tight knit group of brothers playing passionate radio friendly rock. Second support tonight was, 'Knocked Loose' a raw energetic bunch of guys looking to cause trouble. Their sound is heavy and rough around the edges, not something i can get into live but okay to have briefly on a playlist.

Then it was time for the show to get kicked up a notch! From the get go, 'ADTR' were not going to take this tour/set lightly, they went all out playing hit after hit from their full discography. What excited me most was the amount of tracks they played off their official debut album, 'Homesick' an amazing and ever playable album to play on full. The band had everyone in the small venue captivated and on board with letting loose, giving out t-shirts, getting a fan on stage for their birthday and an emotional acoustic sing along for good measure. The show was one of the most memorable I have ever been to and I was drunk! Thanks to 'ADTR' for giving us a night to remember. 

 

Famous Last Words from The Annex

The mid west is hotting up this summer season, there are lots of huge shows for 2019 coming through the Madison area, especially at The Annex/Red Zone which recently saw, 'Famous Last Words' grace the doors. 

Celebrating the 10th anniversary as a band, 'Famous Last Word' lead vocalist (JT) feels "like [it has been] a long road, that has tested" him but still would not give up the feeling of writing music, being on the road and playing to crowds of fans. JT's passion for music started with the discovery of musicals and continues to adore them to this day, "my favorite musical would be a hard one to pick but one that inspired one of our albums was Phantom of the Opera". Just like the dramatic production of musicals, JT likes to ramp up the adrenaline when putting on their own show.

The show at The Annex was no small show, housing six bands on one stage. The local openers were 'Waiting For Reason' & 'Of Brighter Skies' two strong acts that I will be checking out in the near future as they made their presence known. The start of the travelling acts was, 'At My Mercy' a very young band both physically and on the scene they sound like they are still finding their sound and stride but a valiant effort. 

The next support was looking to steal the show, 'Awake At Last' arrived with their huge hooks and chorus, similar to the likes of early 'Set It Off' and later 'Slaves'. We spoke to the front man (Vincent) about what makes the band tick. "The music [we play] comes from us as a band wanting change, we want people to do the same as us, to follow their dreams, to keep pushing themselves froward, to hopefully make the world a better place." Like the last few words dictated, they are not about changing little things they want to make a big difference to a lot of people, not just from the music but though their live shows as well, "the real connection with our music is through the live shows, where we can hopefully build a movement". They more than proved that with their set tonight, although it was short they delivered on every level connecting with a lot of fans.

The final support act to play was the veterans called, 'Dayshell' a well rehearsed show drawing in a large crowd, as per usual they delivered a great set. Then it was time for the headliners, 'Famous Last Words' to wrap the show up with a career spanning montage of scream along tracks. It will not be long again before they are ready to rock the stage as they will be back here in August for another hot show with Oh, Sleeper. 

There is only one thing i can say, with these famous last words... it would be, pre-order Awake At Last debut album, out June 25th!

A Believer of Brat Fest.

The World Famous Brat Fest returns to the sacred grounds of Alliant energy center for a fun weekend for all the family. Thankfully, the weekend remained dry and warm for the thousands that came to eat up their brats with all profits going to local charities, they managed to sell upwards of 200,000. Awesome figures, as always there was also a large number of attendees at the site as well as Brats at work day, again raising so much money for amazing causes.

As well as the great brats there is the great music of local and national talent. Due to working I was only able to soak in the Friday highlights. A band that I have wanted to see for a while, Smashmouth headlined the main stage of the night bringing everyone together in a mass singalong. Although the band has gotten older since their nineties and naughtiest fame, they did not bring out an old act. They played an exciting show full of energy, delivering tracks from their whole back catalog, as well as some fresh new sounds. The highlight from the night was the double singalong whammy from, 'I'm A Believer' & 'Allstar'. With the famous Shrek song of believer bringing in a flash mob of people dressed up as Shrek characters. This will be a night families will remember together until next year.