If there was one word to summarize the night of music performed by Sylvan Esso and Collections of Colonies of Bees, it would be the word- "mesmerizing." Being a teacher by trade, I looked up the verb, "mesmerize" and found the following definition on Dictionary.com "to hold the attention of (someone) to the exclusion of all else or so as to transfix them." Those reading this who were in attendance at this performance will most likely agree that both acts had the audience glued in from the first note to the last cheers of the encore.
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
Sylvan Esso, an indie electronic pop duo hailing from Durham, North Carolina consisting of Wisconsin native/ electronic sampler Nicholas Sanborn and singer Amelia Meath, performed their first of two sold-out shows at the Pabst Theater this past Saturday. Fans were ravenous to experience Sylvan Esso in the gorgeous venue of the Pabst and lined-up well before doors opened for the best spots in the house. The venue was packed when opener Collections of Colonies of Bees went on, and fans stood and danced during Sylvan Esso's entire set.
In the three years since I last saw Sylvan Esso, they have released a stellar record What Now in 2017 and have grown from a buzz band to bonafide indie superstar status, selling out shows across the country, including the majority of their current summer tour which took the duo to places such as Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado before making their two night stop in Milwaukee. Their performance, which has always been one of the highest energy acts touring today, has been turned up to eleven, and now includes a state-of-the-art light display and a new level of precision and tightness as a duo.
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloc
Never before have I been part of a show that started as a dance party from the first song and kept the high level of bouncing and grooving going throughout the whole show. Musical highlights included an early set placement of "Dreamy Bruises" (off of 2014's self-titled record) which fired up the already electric crowd with its Meath's flowing vocals and Sanborn's drum programming and beats. Newer material from What Now also translated well live including the poppy and upbeat "The Glow," which appeared mid-set. "Parad(w/m)e," the duo's latest single released this year was a great groover and featured many fans singing along with Meath's lyrics, which continued for the bumping series of tunes that closed the show including "Hey Mami," "H.S.K.T" (both off of Sylvan Esso) and "Radio" (from What Now). During the encore, Meath invited Chris Rosenau from opener, Collections of Colonies of Bees, to come on stage and play guitar with the duo for one of the rare slower numbers, "Slack Jaw." Sanborn and Rosenau have been long-time collaborators, with Sanborn being a one time member of Collections of Colonies of Bees before moving to North Carolina.
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
Speaking of Collections of Colonies of Bees, the eclectic Milwaukee-based ensemble has recently released Hawaii this month, an amazing record full of creative soundscapes, lush instrumentals and bright timbres, and have added vocalist Marielle Allschwang into the mix as well. Allschwang is no stranger to the Milwaukee scene, performing regularly with Americana act "Hello Death," among other projects. Allschwang's vocals have become another instrument to the Collections of Colonies of Bees' arsenal and when not singing, her dancing paired well with the large sound created by the band. Collections of Colonies of Bees' set featured numbers from Hawaii, all ofwhich came off fresh and energetic. Band leader and guitarist Chris Rosenau had a big grin throughout the set as the band reinterpreted its album live. At one point on "Ruins," Milwaukee multi-instrumentalist and rapper, Klassik, came out and rhymed over the tune as the band jammed. This was a tremendously high energy performance, anchored together in great part by drummer Ben Derickson's work behind the kit, keeping the rhythms going and tying the whole performance together.
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
Collections of Colonies of Bees and Sylvan Esso proved to be a great musical pairing that created a purely mesmerizing evening of music that will be fondly remembered for years to come.
Over the past twenty years guitarist Chris Rosenau has used his project Collections of Colonies of Bees to experiment with creating lush, textured, and nuanced soundscapes. The band has evolved tremendously since its inception, paving new ground with well-layered instrumental numbers. If there is one thing that is consistent about Collections of Colonies of Bees as a musical project is that it is a group that continues to evolve by recreating and redefining its sound, and is never afraid of change in pursuit of making art that is both esthetically pleasing to the listener as well as creative and fresh for the artists.
Currently, Collections of Colonies of Bees is comprised of Ben Derickson, Chris Rosenau, Daniel Spack, Matt Skemp, and Marielle Allschwang— and is making perhaps its biggest jump yet- adding vocals into the mix. Marielle Allschwang, whose deeply emotive and gorgeous vocals have stood out in her work with Americana outfit Hello Death, along with several other projects, has added yet another instrument to the Collections of Colonies of Bees hive. While vocal arrangements are new to the ensemble’s sound, they fit like a glove thanks to drummer Ben Derickson’s rig that helps pair Allschwang’s vocals with Rosenau's guitar grooves and has helped make the band’s latest release, Hawaii, a true masterpiece album- showcasing an incarnation of Collections of Colonies of Bees as fresh and innovative as ever.
Rosenau and his group received some marquee sets recently. Some of these have included a late afternoon set at Eaux Claires III in 2017 where the band debuted material from their latest release Hawaii. In addition, the ensemble performed a jaw dropping opening set for Bon Iver’s For Emma: 10 Years sold-out show at the BMO Harris Bradley Center this past February. With an amazing new record out and sold-out gigs in Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Chicago touring with the indie pop-electronic darlings Sylvan Esso (which contain former Collections of Colonies of Bees keyboardist Nick Sanborn), 2018 finds Collections of Colonies of Bees on the verge of breaking though to a wider audience showcasing their art of soundscapes to a whole new group of fans.
Recently, MKE Rocks had a chance to catch up with Chris Rosenau to talk about the band, its new record, and the evolution of music in Milwaukee and beyond.
MKE Rocks: You have an amazing new record, Hawaii, that was just released. What are you most proud of about this record? Rosenau: I think the total reinvention of the band is something that I’m really proud of. There are two key factors that contribute to this. The first is the vocal aspect-- clearly that has had a huge impact on our sound as well as how we approach song writing. I’m pretty proud of that because I think we took an approach that fits with the aesthetic of what we’ve historically done as Collections of Colonies of Bees. We didn’t just start by having someone sing. Instead we invented a new instrument for Marielle to perform with. I think it’s really resonating with people and is fun to see her vocals pair with my guitar work and function in many interesting loops as part of our collective sound. The second thing that I am really proud of is that Ben Derickson and I came up with a new guitar rig where I can set the loops that you hear at the start of the songs on my guitar. The vocals and loops performed off of my guitar have made a significant contribution to the overall sound on the record.
MKE Rocks: As a listener, Hawaii functions very well as a whole-piece from start to finish with recurring themes and sounds that pop up in different places. When creating Hawaii did you envision it as a larger piece of music? Rosneau: The simple answer is yes! All of the songs were originally created solely to perform at the third Eaux Claires music festival in 2017. Since we had a finite goal it really added to the cohesiveness of the project. The material for Hawaii was written over a couple of months instead of a couple of years. All of the players were working towards the same goal and mindset at the same time, which helped to create a very fluid and unified sound throughout the record.
MKE Rocks: With your eclectic ensemble of musicians, how do you go about the songwriting process?
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
Rosenau: Throughout much of my life, my natural inclination has been to start the songs and write a lot of my parts first-- kind of wanting to be in control of the whole songwriting process. However, as I’ve learned over many years of doing this, my original thought process is the complete polar opposite approach of how you should write a song.
I think for me, in general, over the past 10 years or so, I’ve definitely gotten better at understanding the extreme amount of talent that surrounds me, and I have started relying on my friends that are in these bands to make the music sound way better than how I originally imagined it. As an ensemble of musicians we are constantly reworking and tweaking things to make them sound the best we think they can.
MKE Rocks: Many members of Collections of Colonies of Bees have also been part of other bands linked to Eaux Claires curator Justin Vernon, and to other bands in Milwaukee. How has the Eaux Claires community of musicians and musical community of Milwaukee impacted and influenced you and the group?
Rosenau: I have been a musician in Milwaukee for over twenty years. What’s always struck me has been the collaborative approach that everyone has taken in Milwaukee. As long as I’ve been playing, the total spirit of collaboration happening in Milwaukee was different than some of the scenes found in other cities we visited. There were always people making music together in Milwaukee and bands take an active interest and pride in helping one another out. When I met Justin Vernon, it was 5 years before Bon Iver existed, and we played many shows with DeYarmond Edison. It started way back at this time where we shared the same collaborative effort of having musicians sit in on each others’ sets between our band and Justin’s. We wanted to expose others to bands that no one had heard of yet. The Eaux Claires festival project is definitely the culmination of this collaborative spirit that has been part of Justin Vernon’s schema as a musician since his early days. Eaux Claires has really solidified the sense of collaboration and spirit of bands working together.
In terms of helping each other out as bands, it’s been just part of what we do since our early days playing and creating music. When we were in a band called Pele, back what seems like a thousand years ago, good friends of ours, The Promise Ring brought us on tour. When Volcano Choir (a band featuring Justin Vernon and Collections of Colonies of Bees) went on tour, we invited two good friends of ours, Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath to come out, who many folks had never heard of. Nowadays, Slyvan Esso is selling out great venues and have us along for their midwest tour. The scene is very collaborative and inclusive and we honestly just want to get good people to discover and enjoy good tunes. In Wisconsin it’s this huge generational machine that is trying to help us get recognition in both the United States and the greater world.
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
MKE Rocks: You recently have landed some high-profile gigs, including opening for Bon Iver in February, and a sold-out midwest tour opening for Sylvan Esso this summer, including a two-night run at the Pabst Theater this weekend. Can you comment on how you approach these shows which will have many fans in attendance who may not have experienced Collections of Colonies of Bees before?
Rosenau: There are two approaches that we take, and we have to walk a tightrope between these two approaches. On one side, we want to use the technology that we used to make the record to ensure that the listener at the performance experiences the full record. On the other side, the primary focus is us really loving playing these songs and that doesn’t happen when you are too preoccupied with tech. From my perspective we do as much as we can tech-wise to recreate the songs but the main focus is enjoying what we are doing. The spirit of the song is always what’s most important.
If you are lucky enough to catch Collectives of Colonies of Bees opening for Sylvan Esso this Saturday (July 21st) or Sunday (July 22nd) at the Pabst Theater, make sure to get there early for some great tunes and surprises from Collections of Colonies of Bees-- a truly unique and innovative ensemble that helps both recreate and revitalize its sound.
Arcade Fire might be one of the most innovative and interesting live acts out there. The group which is comprised of seven core multi-instrumentalists have always found a way to incorporate pomp and pageantry into their music, not unlike one of their heroes and influences, David Bowie.
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
Sunday night's headlining set at the American Family Amphitheater to conclude Summerfest 2018 was a show full of passion, energy and surprises. Walking to my seats right at the start of the show, I was detained by security entering the American Family Amphitheater. "What the heck," I thought to myself, wondering if the red-shirted burly guard found me to be a shady character based on my Eaux Claires t-shirt, blue plaid dad shorts, and Birkenstock sandals? Looking over my shoulder I did spot some interesting dressed folks being ushered past me and had a gentleman in a black suit coat and black fedora give me a pat on the shoulder and wide eyed smile as he and his group moved past. My concert buddy had snuck past the security guard and high-fived the fedora-clad Arcade Fire front man Win Butler and his traveling "band of gypsies" collective as they entered the show from the crowd! Before taking the stage, Butler and company declared that this is a show that is best enjoyed on your feet and beckoned the crowd to stand up and remain standing throughout the set. What followed was two-hour, controlled-chaos, spectacle of a performance, the likes of which I have never seen before.
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
Arcade Fire, as a band, exudes energy and power on stage. The group consists of the husband-wife front couple- Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, along with a crew of multi-instrumentalists including William Butler, Richard Reed Perry, Tim Kingsbury, Jeremy Gara, Sarah Neufield and touring members percussionist Tiwill Duprate and horn/woodwinds player Stuart Bogie. Bass, guitar, drums, synthesizers, piano, keyboards and violin only scratch the surface of Arcade Fire's musical arsenal. At times during the set band members played glockenspiel, tambourine, accordion, a plethora of different saxophones and woodwind instruments, samplers, mandolins, a theremin, a hurdy-gurdy, and even a ring bell and an assortment of glass wine and liquor bottles, among a host of other instruments I surely forgot about.
Each song was well-choreographed with unique lights and video arrangements that rivaled some of the best concert production I've ever seen. The trade off in lead vocals between Butler and Chassagne was outstanding, and on this tour Chassagne emerged as a true star, performing like an unlikely pop diva with bodacious sequined attire and multiple costume changes. Notable tracks where Chassagne shined (both literally and musically) included "Sprawl II (Mountains Upon Mountains)" off of 2010's The Suburbs record, and "Reflektor" off of 2013's more dance-inspired and produced record Reflektor. Other stand out tunes spanned the band's catalogue. Early set performances of tracks from the band's 2004 debut smash Funeral included a rousing rendition of "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" and "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" which Butler recalled was the first song the band played the last time they were in Milwaukee in 2004 at their now famous Mad Planet show. Newer material from 2017's Everything Now was also well-done and well-received. The title track "Everything Now" had the crowd up and moving to start the show, and "Creature Comfort" towards the end of the show saw the audience swaying to the incredibly poppy but dark track.
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
The days of Arcade Fire playing small clubs are certainly in the past, the band's continual connections to the crowd make them an act that still comes off as intimate in large venues. On multiple occasions, Butler and Chassagne went into the audience, performing, high-fiving fans and just exuding joy. I think that's what happens when you have a band who continues to both reinvent themselves and love what they do as a core of musicians making poignant music.
Setlist (courtesy of Setlist.Fm)
Everything Now Here Comes the Night Time Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) The Suburbs The Suburbs Continued
Ready To Start Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Electric Blue Put Your Money On Me We Don't Deserve Love Keep the Car Running No Cars Go Reflektor Afterlife We Exist Creature Comfort Rebellion (Lies)
Encore: Neon Bible Everything Now (Continued) Wake Up
Bluegrass music is special and timeless. No other genre can get folks up and dancing from the youngest of concert goers to the youngest of heart. No other genre provides a better soundtrack to laid back vibes and good times, or in the case of Chicken Wire Empire's performance this past Wednesday, a truly picturesque summer evening in downtown Milwaukee's Pere Marquette Park.
Milwaukee's own Chicken Wire Empire delivered an on-point, stellar performance that saw the quintet play two sets of music comprised largely of original numbers with some well-placed covers peppered in. Chicken Wire Empire's progressive bluegrass sound puts them on par with many of their regional or national bluegrass contemporaries. Summer in Milwaukee provides a myriad of musical options for folks, and the attendees who came to Pere Marquette Park for their River Rhythms concert series were treated to an all-star performance from a band who is hitting its stride as one of the best contemporary bluegrass acts around.
photo by Will Piper
While Chicken Wire Empire has been a staple in the Milwaukee scene since 2014, this past year has found the band tighter than ever with a line-up of players who are able to vibe off of each other musically to create masterful jams and give the old-timey sounds of bluegrass a distinctly modern flavor. In late 2017 the group released a film All it Takes that showcased the individual and collective talents of the five unique musicians who comprise Chicken Wire Empire. With a solid and consistent line-up, of Jordan Kroeger on upright bass and vocals, Ryan Ogburn on mandolin and vocals, Greg Brundage on guitar and vocals, Jon Peik on banjo and vocals, and Ernest Brusabardis IV on fiddle, the band has continued to progress, push, and gel as both individual pickers and as a collective unit. What may be the best quality about Chicken Wire Empire is the way that each of the players gives the others the space to soar and improvise within their tracks. Like many great contemporary bluegrass groups, Chicken Wire Empire varies their sound and performance so that no tune is ever played exactly the same way.
photo by Will Piper
Highlights of the group's two set performance at Pere Marquette Park included classic Chicken Wire Empire numbers like "Joe Eddy," a great narrative story tune sung by Jordan Kroeger, that emerged in the second set and got audience members of all ages engaged and dancing. In addition, "Shotguns and Doublewides," a tune primed for the group's upcoming new record, found Ryan Ogburn tearing it up on lead vocals and mandolin, and the group providing a multi-directional jam in the central part of the tune. Well-placed covers like Bruce Hornsby's "The Way it Is," the traditionally arranged "Jack A Roe," and Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" were well-received and given the contemporary bluegrass treatment that only masters like Chicken Wire Empire can deliver.
If you are a fan of bluegrass, or just great music in general, please make an effort to check out this exceptional group of world-class musicians who are picking at a festival or venue near you!
Setlist (compliments of Chicken Wire Empire): Set I You Were On My Mind*, Reckless, Throw Me A Rope, Still In Love With You > 9lb Hammer, Jack-A-Roe > Jam > Jack-A-Roe, Ballroom Girl, Lumpy Bean Pole & Dirt, The Way It Is, Meet Your Maker
Set II Happy Birthday, Vincent Black Lightning, Joe Eddy, Dont Think Twice Its Alright, Summer And Me, Girl Of My Dreams, Shotguns > Jam > Doublewides, I Ain't Broke, I'm Badly Bent, You Belong To Me, Easy Chair, Wheel Hoss
“On the First Bell” greets you with sense of welcome, joy and invitation. The opening notes of the bowed upright bass and infectious melody performed on mandolin instantly hook the listener into the profoundly honest, intimate and soulful nature of Buffalo Gospel, the Milwaukee country-soul-rock-Americana quintet. The band’s latest release On the First Bell dropped last month, and marked the group’s first full-length release since 2013’s We Can Be Horses. In that time, singer-songwriter, Ryan Necci and his crew of musicians has changed, rotated and evolved as both performers and people. At the heart of Buffalo Gospel, however, is a supreme earnestness, a sense of compassion, and also the raw emotion of creating music that is soulful and above all real.
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
On the First Bell, is a record that focuses on themes of dealing with loss and sorrow approaching these topics with soulful conviction. Much of On the First Bell came out of Necci processing the loss of close friend and band mate, Josh Tovar. However, this is by no means a down-trodden release. Instead of a mourning record, Necci embraces remembering his close friend with a sense of both love and compassion. This is seen most in “Lonestar,” a song that in many ways serves as a linchpin to the record. In it, Necci writes: “This is gonna be the last I write; Dressed head to toe in this neon light; There’s a lone star and it’s shining down; I’m a Polaroid in a landlord’s town. There’s a lone star; A good one’s better than no one when you have no one left at all.” In classic Necci fashion, he blends elements of narrative storytelling and clever use of metaphor to give the listener a story, but also leave blank space for the listener to add in her/his emotions and live in the song.
photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch
Another highlight of the record is,“High Time to Hang Fire.” This track showcases Necci’s bellowing vocals like never before, which have gotten him noticed as one of the premier vocalists in Milwaukee and beyond. “High Time to Hang Fire,” in many ways takes on an aura of a gospel-bluesy number and is infectiously raw and emotive.
The gentle mandolin picking and subtle guitar work that opens “Homeless” is a modern take on classic country stylings. Repeated listens make this track particularly rewarding as there are so many musical nuances there to enjoy from Necci’s easy-to-sing-along-with refrain to Nick Lang’s brush drumming, to the steady grooves of Kevin Lowe’s thumbing upright bass.
“18 Wheeler” is another new track that sounds like a juke-joint classic for Buffalo Gospel. With a great tale of love on the road, Necci and the boys cut loose on this fast-picked number and made a great video as well.
From start to finish On the First Bell is a record that burrows into your soul and is worth revisiting often. It is both beautifully simple and wonderfully complex simultaneously. If you have the opportunity to see Buffalo Gospel live- do yourself a favor and go. Their performances live bring these stories and songs to life in a truly remarkable fashion.
This Saturday, two of Milwaukee's premier musical treasures take the stage together as Buffalo Gospel and Joesph Huber join forces at Anodyne Coffee Roasters in Walker's Point to celebrate Buffalo Gospel's album release of On the First Bell, the band's much anticipated new LP. While rooted deeply in Milwaukee, the music produced by both Buffalo Gospel and Joseph Huber make these artists two of the most soulful Americana acts out there today. Both of these bands approach music with such honesty and earnestness, and their songwriting excels beyond the borders of the Americana genre. While Buffalo Gospel and Joseph Huber are uniquely different sonic entities, the sincerity and passion for their craft comes through in every tune. There are good ones, and there are great ones, and the songwriting, lyrical delivery, and overall "realness" exuded by both Buffalo Gospel frontman Ryan Necci and Joesph Huber is nothing short of remarkable.
Recently MKE Rocks had the chance to catch up with Ryan Necci of Buffalo Gospel and Joseph Huber to talk about tunes and their upcoming concert at Anodyne Coffee Roasters in Walker's Point:
MKE Rocks: What are you the most proud of right now about playing with Buffalo Gospel and your new record On the First Bell?
Necci: Truthfully, I’m most proud of the way the band has been performing lately. We’ve always had a bit of a rotating cast and it’s made it difficult to do much more than simply learn the songs. Recently, we’ve had a much more consistent line up and it’s allowing us to grow together musically - something that was very difficult when we were only playing sporadically and with different folks in the past. I love that the songs are starting to shift and morph a little on stage as we learn more about them. We know how they’re played on the record and we’re certainly proud of the album -- but they’re living organisms on stage and we’re always tweaking and tightening. We’ve been having a great time together on stage and off. It’s a really good feeling.
MKE Rocks: Anodyne Coffee has been such a special venue for many of your past performances. Could you please share you thoughts about having your album release show in the Anodyne venue? You've pulled out some special performances there in the past... any special treats in store for Saturday?
Necci: Anodyne has always been very kind to us in the past. I’m a very loyal person and when somebody does me a solid when they don’t have to, I tend to stick with that person. Matt and the folks at Anodyne took a chance on us when nobody knew who we were and they certainly didn’t need to. That meant and continues to mean a lot to me. It’s also just a great room. You know you’re always going to get a crowd that’s there to listen to music.
We definitely like to mix things up from show to show - especially, here in Milwaukee. Sometimes those moments work really well and sometimes they fall flat. I think that’s part of the fun for us. We certainly have some some special plans for Saturday.
photo by Brooke J. Billick
MKE Rocks: You've been touring more recently and have had some great gigs supporting alt-country icon Robbie Fulks in Minneapolis and performing at the sold out Back Room at Colectivo for the Field Report album release in Milwaukee, as well as other shows. Can you reflect on these performances a bit?
Necci: Minneapolis was wonderful. Any time you roll into a town you haven’t been to or haven’t been to in awhile, you don’t really know what you’re getting yourself into. There can be a little excitement and anxiety, at least for me, around those types of gambles. That crowd was in it to win it, though. They treated us very, very well. Robbie is one of the best around. It was a real honor.
The Field Report show was a really special one for me. Their music has meant so much to me since that first album -- if you’d have told me we’d be supporting them and that they’d be good friends of ours a few years ago, I’d have laughed in your face. The audience was great, the Field Report guys couldn't be sweeter and that room is a lot of fun -- it was a great evening.
photo by Brooke J. Billick
MKE Rocks: You have a new video that you just released for “18 Wheeler,” an incredibly catchy and fun track off of On the First Bell. In the video you have Fox 6 anchor Ted Perry acting as a bartender, and Joseph Huber and his wife in there too. Can you please share about the music video and how it was made?
Necci: It was a really fun, really quick process. I approached my friend and coworker, Rick Ebbers, about helping us out with a few videos for the record a while back. He’s done the majority of the bands’ press photography over the years and we all feel very comfortable working with him. I knew Rick had wanted to get more into video so it seemed like a great excuse to do a little experimenting.
I basically sat down and wrote out what I thought it could be. Rick took that document, ran it through his supremely creative brain-filter and turned it into the video that you saw. He did all the filming, directing and editing.
We were lucky enough to enlist Kat Wodtke as the lead. She’s a very talented stage actor, musician and teacher here in Milwaukee. I played a truck driver and Kat played my love interest. Her acting definitely made the whole thing. I just drank beer and looked sad - something I’ve been rehearsing for a quite a while.
There’s a bar scene at the end and we needed to fill the room with people so we enlisted a bunch of our friends. Ted, Joe and Michelle happened to be in that crew. I thought they knocked their parts out of the park. It was a really fun evening. We got the shots we needed and then all sat at the bar and celebrated.
I want to give a quick thanks to Sue and the Cedar Lake Motel and Pub. I’ve passed by it so many times and wondered what it was like. It’s a really special place and Sue takes a lot of pride in maintaining the history and integrity of it all. She also makes a damn fine burger.
MKE Rocks: On Saturday May 5th you're sharing the stage with Joseph Huber who shares a lot of similar qualities to Buffalo Gospel in terms of aesthetic and song writing. Can you share a bit about what it's like to play with Huber?
Joe’s a treasure. To me, he embodies the blue-collar, hard-working gritty spirit of this town that I love so much. His songwriting is fantastic and his band is a bunch of killers. We all have a great deal of respect for Joe and what he’s done for this style of music. It’s always an honor to share a bill with him and a privilege to watch him perform.
We also had the chance to catch up with Joseph Huber who has had a busy 2018 so far touring around the country including a recent run in Texas.
photo by Stephen Bloch
MKE Rocks: 2017 ended with a bang for you guys, opening up for Horseshoes and Handgrenades at their New Year's Eve show at the Pabst Theater. You have been on the road quite a bit so far this year. Can you share how things have been going for you and he band.
Huber: We've been touring pretty heavy since the release of The Suffering Stage. It's been about a year since the release date, and, actually, the Anodyne show this week will be exactly one year to the day that we did 'The Suffering Stage' release party there also. So it's an anniversary or sorts. We had so many great opportunities within that year's time, that I feel things are still on the up and up for us. Heck, even just since the New Year we've played shows with the Hackensaw Boys, Charlie Parr, The Tossers, and so many more. Also, in the meantime between touring, we're working on recording and should have a new group of tunes for everyone really soon. MKE Rocks: The show coming up at Anodyne is poised to be a real special one. Can you share what you're looking forward to the most about this show and playing with Buffalo Gospel?
Huber: We're all looking forward to the release of the new Buffalo Gospel album. I, of course, know how long it takes to organize releasing an album. These guys are professionals and I knew they would take their time and get it right. I've had the pleasure of hearing the new album already, and I can certainly say that taking their time paid off, and it is truly worth the wait. As far as the upcoming release itself, I'd say that this group of fellas has always been good at slowly building the intensity in their live shows. So, with an album release show, where the intensity is always a little bit more amped-up and more natural, I'm expecting it to be an evening where folks will be extra ready to feel those highest highs and lowest lows that make the Buffalo Gospel sound so great!
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.
