Wondrous WUD

Another great tour rolls into this town, this time for free! Thanks to members of the WUD (Wisconsin Union) a special show took place at The Sett (University of Wisconsin) featuring a boat load of punk talent. AJJ, Kimya Dawson, Laura Stevenson and Shell Shag all came together for a joint tour, including Madison as one of the opening shows.  

Starting early was the two piece called Shell Shag, full of energy and chaotic rhythms they put on an interesting and exciting show, especially with their one piece band kit (see images online for more). Next was Laura Stevenson a much calmer performer as she introduced herself but no less powerful, as the first song made people stop in their tracks. The echoes of love and pain were delivered beautifully in her own unique style. You could feel these songs were personal to this individual, as she sang and played guitar you could not help but get lost on her poetry.

From one strong vocalist to the next as Kimya Dawson hit the stage to a rapturous applause. From the Mouldy Peaches to sea chastise, children rhymes to political poetry, Kimya covered it all in this delightful set. Being a fan of the Juno soundtrack for over ten since its release, I was pleased to meet the other half of the Mouldy Peaches, Kimya. Kimya D and Adam Green, aka the Mouldy peaches were pinnacle in setting the movie its innocent and honest tone. It has and always will be a favourite of mine so I was excited when I heard the amazing vocals of Kimya pay tribute to that part of her career. Track after track was delivered in her own beautiful way with confidence and passion.

Lastly, the night was closed by fellow punk stars AJJ, whom earlier this year sold out a big venue in the city. Tonight is no different with the atmosphere hopping and crowd growing as the guys hit the stage. Their set contains only highs in my opinion, as they become masters of their own sound, certainly ones to keep track of when they hit Madison again.

Make sure to keep up to date with events from the University of Wisconsin unions via their social media and websites. They are continuously offering great shows at either a cheap or free rate, so no excuses to check out some new and original sounds!

Brats, Beer And Beats

The world’s largest Brat Fest opens its gates once again, at the beautiful Willow Island in Madison, Wisconsin. The first experience I had with this iconic Wisconsin festival was seeing an unusual bright yellow t-shirt hung up in my wife’s closet, on it was the now recognisable cartoon brat. Ever since then I have been waiting with anticipation to check out the festival full of brats, beer and musical beats.

The smiling brat face is very striking and could even described as timeless in its appearance, as it appeals to the whole family but this is just one of the many reasons why hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the states capitol every year since 1983. The obvious initial attraction for the festival is the food, the famous brat cook out rustles up millions of tasty treats for the masses, including hog and vegan brats. What better way to wash down a brat on a summer’s day, than with a beer, my choice being a local brew from Capitol Brewery. The sweet taste of the golden amber nectar complimented the delicious brat from the first bite.

While chomping down on food and drink, there was plenty of music to sit back and enjoy for free! There were four stages to check out from a verity of artists, from rap to rock. As well as music, there was a grand car show, carnival ground and plenty of activities for the children. After hitting the festival with the in laws on the Saturday I and the wife decided to go back for a second day on Sunday... Mainly because of the free firework show but also more brats and music, how could we resist. Also with it being Memorial weekend it is a good way to bring people together to remember those we may have lost.

If you haven’t been to Brat Fest before or want to experience a taste of real American culture, then this festival should be on your summer to do list. I certainly cannot wait until it rolls around again, however I am hoping for some little improvements in the festival for the future. It would be nice to see more things to do at the festival, more staggered stage times, more food types at better prices such as Brat flavours. With that said this festival is home grown and free, helped along by an army of volunteers and some generous charities.

So next year start the summer right with some beer, brats and beats in the summer solstice.