Field Report- The Back Room at Colectivo, 4/20 and 4/22/18

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Field Report performed two sold-out shows in the Back Room at Colectivo this past weekend, garnering a hero’s reception both Friday and Sunday night in celebration of their outstanding and critically acclaimed third record, Summertime Songs, that was released last month.  A palpable buzz wafted through Colectivo like the aroma of the coffee roaster’s “Blue Heeler” blend, as many of Milwaukee’s music aficionados packed the Back Room to the gills to commend a band who has been able to catapult themselves beyond the wall of Brew City and, in the process, have established themselves as a bonafide national touring act.  While Field Report’s popularity has increased both locally and beyond, the earnest humble nature of singer-songwriter Christopher Porterfield and his band mates, Barry Clark (bass), Thomas Wincek (keyboards and vocals), and Devin Drobka (drums), shines through. While I have been lucky enough to see Field Report perform many times throughout the years, there was something really special about these Colectivo shows- and that is seeing the band truly grooving together and having a great time on stage in the process while reinterpreting their songs live.  When I recently chatted with Porterfield for an earlier piece, he mentioned, “records don’t change, but songs can change and morph all the time when performed.”

photo courtesy of Brian Norman

This was inherently evident in the live performances given on Friday and Sunday night.  The set opener, “Healing Machine,” was delivered with an ethereally mechanical intro that brought to mind material from Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot era or a War on Drugs show.  Other stand out tracks included, “60 Second Distance Run,” which featured Porterfield, Clark, Drobka and Wincek utilizing a variety of effects to give the song a dynamically moving effect.  Despite having a cold from the first leg of tour on the road, Porterfield was able to howl the refrain, leaving his soul on stage in the process. “Summertime,” an infectiously iconic track off of Summertime Songs does not have a regular refrain, but has a big sound that pays homage in a way to big arena rock from everyone from Journey to Springsteen to U2.  “When we think of summertime songs, we needed a big sound, so we put the vocals on this one on the back of a mighty ox,” Porterfield stated with a wide-eyed smile Friday night as he introduced Milwaukee singer extraordinaire, Mark Waldoch, who provided powerful guest vocals to make “Summertime” rattle the rafters in Colectivo and echo beyond into Prospect Avenue!  

photo courtesy of Brian Norman

photo courtesy of Brian Norman

While these powerhouse numbers were great, slower more reflective tracks reminiscent of past Field Report shows were also well-received.  Porterfield took time away from the whole band to deliver a solo performance and request portion of the evening which showcased some of his older material.  “Wings,” (from Marigolden) and “Fergus Falls,” (from Field Report) were both played on Friday, and Sunday’s set included “Fergus Falls” again, along with “Summons” (off of Marigolden) which was delivered with earnest emotion and heartfelt longing.  Both nights featured a performance of “Pale Rider” (from Marigolden) with opening acts Caley Conway and Ryan Necci (from Buffalo Gospel) providing accompanying vocals with Porterfield.

Speaking of opening acts, Porterfield was able to curate both of his Colectivo performances, choosing acts that inspire him and his band from Milwaukee to provide support.  Caley Conway was picked by Field Report to support on Friday night. Conway was joined by a bass player and drummer. Her set increased in intensity as it progressed from start to finish and she wowed the crowd with some serious guitar jams and pedal work.  Highlights included, “Middle Child Syndrome,” which featured some crazy-good drumming, and “Funk,” which offered Conway room to stretch her guitar prowess.

Buffalo Gospel, a five piece country-soul-rock outfit, had the crowd ruckus and jamming one minute and silent and reflective the next, as they delivered a powerful support set on Sunday evening that had the capacity crowd at Colectivo yearning for more.  Singer-songwriter, Ryan Necci has one of the finest voices in the city and was able to belt it out on numbers like the classic Buffalo Gospel track and set opener, “Song of the Ox,” and newer number, “Son of a Gun,” from their forthcoming release On the First Bell which drops on May 4th.  Porterfield, who used to play more regularly with Buffalo Gospel sat in and provided some guitar jams on “Lonestar” and “Mule,” in the middle of their set.  

photo by Will Piper

While Field Report may be reaching rock star status in Milwaukee, their humble nature, honest songwriting, and love for promoting others made this weekend’s shows at Colectivo feel like both a rock  concert and a big ol’ family get together all at the same time. Field Report certainly did a great job bringing the Milwaukee music loving community together to rejoice in Summertime Songs.