UW-Madison will be rocking out at the third annual Madison Pop Festival Nov. 8-10.
Madison PopFest is a music festival hosted by the Wisconsin Union Directorate music committee, featuring music performances, workshops and films.
The festival will kick off in high gear Thursday, Nov. 8, 8:30 p.m. at Great Hall, Memorial Union with an opening convocation from Andrew W.K. According to Andrew W.K.’s official website, the musician/producer will be giving a lecture titled “How to Party,” but it wouldn’t be surprising if Andrew W.K. decides to take a new direction. Andrew W.K. has recently taken part of a lecture series at various campuses, no two lectures exactly same.
“Topics have kind of varied, so expect the unexpected,” Jamie Hanson, Madison PopFest curator said. However, Andrew W.K. will engage the audience no matter what he has in store.
“His style is very bombastic—very over-the-top, vibrant, full of life,” Hanson said. “He keeps on going, giving 110 percent of what he’s got.”
Friday and Saturday are lined up with performances by locals Pale Young Gentlemen, the Selfish Gene and more. Both Pale Young Gentlemen and the Selfish Gene have risen in popularity over the past few years, and, according to Hanson, are “a very great representation of Madison and its vibrant music scene.”
Although the Madison music scene is thriving, this year’s Madison PopFest seeks to expand its horizon with other activities catering to different ways of experiencing music.
Saturday morning is sure to be kicking with a couple workshops on circuit-bending, which is a do-it-yourself art about finding new sounds within existing electronic toys and machines. It involves taking apart any battery powered toy or device—from talking dolls, to Tickle Me Elmos, to synthesizers—and connecting different circuits to create unique instruments.
The workshops accommodate different levels of experience and provide all the materials.
“[Circuit-bending] is its own subculture,” said Kyle Pfister, workshop organizer and local blogger of justsayinisall.com. “It’s really a great opportunity to make music yourself.” Circuit-bending is a skill anyone can master and a great way for students to be more hands-on at the festival.
“It’s really just more of a play than a skill,” Pfister said. “The No. 1 thing that you need is just to be curious.” And if students want to shovel deeper into their curiosity, circuit-bending artists will perform right after workshops. These performances include Talking Computron (Iowa City), Roth Mobot (Chicago), Beatrix*JAR (Mineapolis) and Life As Number Five (Madison).
Circuit-bending workshops and performances aren’t the only new edition to the festival. This year, Madison PopFest will also include music-themed movies such a Daft Punk’s “Electroma,” Sigur Ros’ “Heima” and “The Hip Hop Project.”
Madison Pop Festival 2007 is free and open to the public. This year’s festival is the most diverse yet in terms of experiencing music—whether it’s through a lecture, a performance, a hands-on workshop or a movie—and is bound to pique the tastes of all types of music fans.
