Are you in desperate need of a good dry hump? Gather up some friends and check out Har Mar Superstar this Saturday night at Club 770 (Union South). Things may just get a bit sex-u-al. Born Harold Martin Tillmann, he explains that the \Superstar"" part of his name ""comes from my dance moves. Nobody's got shit on my shit.""
Expect a whole lot of white chocolate lovin', as Har Mar Superstar will be pumping out some booty bumpin', hip grindin' and quite possibly hilarious dancing as he flows his rhyme on the mic. Even if you end up standing still in sheer awe, bring a camera so you can cherish the memory of just how dope this guy is. Honestly, what else could you want to do with your Saturday night? Oh yeah, bring some extra tissue in case things get a little sticky for you.
The Junkers have become a bit of a country-flavored favorite in taverns throughout the downtown Madison area, and with good reason. The quintet recently released its debut full -length album, Hunker Down, and are appearing tonight at the King Club, 114 King St.
The group is comprised of Ken Burns on vocals and rhythm guitar; Matthew Stratton on lead guitar, banjo and steel guitar; Thomas H. Crofts III on drums; Mark Hopkins on piano and accordion and Dave Junker on bass. These five are decidedly not working-class'indeed, they are all graduate students at UW-Madison'but they stay true to the down-and-out spirit of their country predecessors.
Classic honky-tonk covers abound in their live sets, covering the greats such as Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, but their repertoire doesn't end there. The band has also penned some inventive and lively original songs. From ""It's Hard to Win a Woman (When You're Working for the Man)"" to the crowd favorite ""Susan B. Anthony Dollar Rag,"" the Junkers hew close to the old school country sound while infusing their lyrics with a sense of liveliness and spirit.
More entertaining than a jukebox, the Junkers amply provide the necessary atmosphere for a good night of boozing. So grab a beer and sidle up to the bar: The Junkers will be kicking out the jams, Nashville style.
Madison-area band The German Art Students appear at Ken's Bar and Grill, 117 S. Butler St., tonight. Those in attendance can expect no small amount of their laconic brand of power-pop.
Playing mostly original material, this quartet consists of Anne Howell on vocals, guitar and keyboard; Kirk Wall on guitar; Andy Larson on bass and Randy Ballwahn behind the drums. Together, they craft songs with lyrics that are witty without being smug, intelligent without being pretentious.
Their song titles alone are enough to amuse. Tracks include ""Disgruntled Figure Skating Judge,"" ""Love in the Alps"" and ""Civil War Re-enactor,"" which features the lines ""You drink the whiskey/I'll cut your leg off/You be the monitor/I'll be the Merrimack."" The other songs on their first album, What did you expect? Heartland rock? feature similarly amusing exchanges, all delivered with a barely-there smirk.
Former favorites at the deceased O'Cayz Corral, their live shows especially need to be seen. Joyful and energetic, they exemplify what a pop show should be'a good time. Taking to the stage with the Arts Students on Friday will also be Tangy, whose pop-punk-alt-geek-rock sound should entertain as well.
If there is one consistent complaint about Madison's music scene, it is the fact that there are few powerful and original local acts displayed on stages around the university and the surrounding area. However, Helen Stellar, along with some of the other bands on this page, are doing there best to change that. Their name is a play on Helen Keller, adding Stellar for a ""space rock twist.""
Tonight at Cafe Montmartre, 127 E. Mifflin St., Helen Stellar is giving a CD release party and performance. With its self-described dreamy, psychedelic rock comes a sound which stands apart from other local acts.
Local rock is what Madison needs and local rock is what Helen Stellar is giving. Hopefully the band will stick around long enough to inspire some more acts to join their hard-to-define genre.
