Is there ever too much of a good thing? Apparently not, when it comes to Kopp's Frozen Custard or Nikki Lane in Milwaukee. One could argue that she might do well to rent an apartment in River West, as Lane has brought her country troubadour show to Milwaukee four times this year- although this was her second headlining performance (the other two stops saw her open for Jenny Lewis this spring and Social Distortion this summer).
Lane has experienced a large and steady growth in her fan base due to her constant touring, support slots with a variety of different bands and different genres, and her consistently outstanding performances. With steady band mates Eric Whitman (bass), Ben Eyestone (drums) and Alex Muñoz (guitar), Lane provided her fans with a diverse set of country tinged rock once again. While Lane certainly is the focus, the fact that she allows her bandmates to show off their skills is a real draw to the act. Bassist, Eric Whitman is about as good as anyone in the business, and keeps a steady groove for a band that often runs without a setlist. Likewise Muñoz's licks on guitar are impressive and add a lot of dimension to Lane's songwriting. Simply put, you won't hear a Nikki Lane song performed exactly the same twice, and this is a key reason fans, myself included, keep coming back.
Munoz, Lane and Lee on "You Ain't Going Nowhere." photo by Will Piper
With the show announced literally days before, and no advertising aside from social media and word of mouth, it was amazing to see a near capacity crowd at the Cactus Club on a Thursday. Local country-influenced singer-songwriter, Frankie Lee opened the show. Lee, backed by Whitman, Eyestone and Muñoz proved to be quite a hit. During Lane's set she invited Lee to join her on stage and take the duet spot normally reserved for Hugh Robert Masterson on "Love's on Fire." Lee also joined the band on a rousing cover of the Byrds "You Ain't Going Nowhere." Lee is another example of Lane surrounding herself with top quality musicians. Simply put, based on Lane's shows, if she was to play tonight, I'd gladly pay $10 to see her and her band once again.
Appleton's third annual Mile of Music festival featured over 200 bands performing over 800 shows over a four day period in downtown Appleton, in what is dubbed a "hand crafted, artisan festival." Early estimations, as of Monday, August 10th, project that over 50,000 people descended onto Appleton for the festival-- a record attendance! There was literally music everywhere from bands performing on the city buses, to acts packing local establishments for indoor and outdoor shows, and even playing shows in alleys and surrounding parks. Musicians from Lawrence University, a local liberal arts college, provided clinics on music education as well, a standard that separates Mile of Music from many other festivals.
Attending the event for the first time, it was clear from the start that the city of Appleton takes great pride in hosting bands from around the country and welcoming visitors from near and far. First off, everything was either free, or very reasonably priced. Parking in the ramp lot closest the the "main drag" cost all of $2 for instance. One bar, the Fox River House even had the #AppletonPartyGorilla manning the Patti-O! The sentiment of community was palpable from the servers in the establishments, to volunteers scattered throughout the Mile of Music, to even the civic leaders of Appleton attending Cory Chisel's set. Appleton built what is essentially becoming a Midwest South-by-Southwest festival to showcase up-and-coming artists, and fans are coming by the droves to take part in the event.
Downtown Appleton was hopping on Saturday, and the eclectic music fans of all ages got a chance to see a myriad of different performances throughout the day. With so many acts to choose from, it was hard deciding what to see and when. Below is a recap of my day at Mile of Music.
1:40 p.m.- The Ghost Wolves:
Hailing from Austin, Texas, this two piece band featured drummer (Jonny Wolf) and guitarist (Carley Wolf). As with other notable duos with similar instrumentation (The Black Keys and White Stripes) I am often amazed with how much sound two people can produce. With ruckus raw energy, which featured Carley frequently jumping into the packed area around the stage for their early afternoon set at Emmett's Bar, and a sound that is a mixture of punk, garage rock and Americana, the Ghost Wolves set the bar high for day, and were one of my favorite acts of the day.
photo by Will Pper
2:50 p.m.- Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons
Current Nashville resident and Appleton native, Cory Chisel, certainly received a hero's greeting at Jones Park. Chisel is the driving force behind the Mile of Music event, and Appleton's favorite son drew the largest crowd of the day, filling Jones Park to the max. Appleton's Mayor Timothy Hanna even introduced and thanked Chisel for his contributions to the city. Chisel focused his afternoon set on his more well-known material and the park eagerly sang along with Cory and the Wandering Sons.
photo by Dan Powers, Post/Crescent Media
4:20 p.m. Fort Frances
Performing for the third straight year as part of Mile of Music, Chicago's Fort Frances has developed quite the following in Appleton, filling the Fox River House Patti-O to capacity. Playing a high-energy, upbeat and enthusiastic set, Fort Frances's performance featured a lot of their most recent songs which showcases the evolution of the band as they continue to cultivate their craft.
photo by Will Piper
5:40 p.m.- Stone Cold Fox The Brooklyn, New York indie rock quintet proved to be perhaps the biggest surprise of the day-- literally. Knowing nothing about the band, my friend and I went to The Bar to take a load off, since we'd been standing the majority of the day, and stumbled on a great indie rock outfit. With a sound that fits somewhere in the realm of The Shins and Built to Spill, Stone Cold Fox exudes energy and a joy for playing music. Their spacier soundscapes and jams were a welcome treat.
photo by Will Piper
6:50 p.m.- Water Liars As I wrote about recently, Water Liars are, in my opinion, the best band you've never heard of. Playing at Jones Park, Water Liars delivered an even more riveting performance than they did two nights prior at the Cactus Club. The trio gave the audience, which was heavily populated by musicians from other bands, as you could tell by their black performer badges, a full-throttle performance, even going over their allotted time for an encore.
photo by Will Piper
8:20 p.m.- Patrick Sweany A self-proclaimed musical omnivore, Patrick Sweany delivered a great set that highlighted blues, soul and good ol' rock 'n roll. A prolific axe man, Sweany's blues style and staccato riffs allowed him to jump genres, showcasing his skills. No wonder he's had gigs opening for The Black Keys (which feature his longtime friend, Dan Auerbach) and The Tedeski Trucks Band.
The Cactus Club welcomed a triple bill of indie folk/rock goodness with Christopher Porterfield, Twin Brother and Water Liars, providing what would be the best $8 I've spent all summer. These acts, while not household names for most, provided one of the best evenings of music I can remember- with each act delivering a passionate set and showcasing their unique songwriting skills.
The evening kicked off with Porterfield, performing a set of Field Report songs along with Barry Clark on upright bass. Solo, Porterfield's songs are performed with equal, if not more intensity, than when he's backed by the full Field Report band. Armed with an arsenal of effects pedals, Porterfield and Clark were able to expand some of the beautiful sonic nuances found on Field Report's brilliant 2014 release, Marigolden. In the same vane as master songwriters, Jason Isbell and Jeff Tweedy, Porterfield crafts his narratives and characters in a way that the songs resonate in different ways when heard again and again. The set highlight was a stripped down version of "Fergus Falls" with Clark delivering some exceptional licks on the upright bass.
photo by Will Piper
Up next was Twin Brother, the eclectic five piece rock outfit fronted by Sean Raasch. Twin Brother's current incarnation features Raasch on guitar and vocals, along with a drummer, bass player, keyboardist and trumpet player. The addition of the keys and trumpet provided a rich sonic fullness to Twin Brother's music. Raasch's brooding tales and moody soundscapes came across dynamically. Much of the material of the night came from last year's excellent Swallow the Anchor release. This is a band that continues to improve and refine its craft, and gets better every time I see them. Musically, their darker sound provided a perfect support act for the evening's headliner,
Headlining the bill was Water Liars, a trio from Water Valley, Mississippi. Water Liars are perhaps best described as, "the best band that you've never heard of." They are an act that your music-inclined friends hip you to (thank you Aaron Schliecher and Stephen Bloch), and then you end up loving and sharing with others. The crowd had thinned considerably when Water Liars took the stage slightly before midnight, but the folks who stuck around were in for a real treat.
Water Liars' music is a modern personification of the Southern Gothic style, equal parts reflective, dark, passionate and brooding-- all in way that works seamlessly. The band delivered big time, with a roaring set of tunes highlighting many tracks off the group's stellar 2014 self-titled Water Liars release. Water Liars are a truly unique band who can deliver ruckus guitar licks one minute and then slow things down into soaring sweet vocal harmonies the next, all within the same song. Water Liars are true troubadours of the road, who are constantly touring, and frequent Wisconsin especially for a band hailing from close to 1,000 miles away. Closing their set, Water Liars played two brand new tunes which were exceptional and showcased the continual evolution of this outstanding act.
