Sleeping in the Aviary is currently one for two when it comes to playing sober shows at the Memorial Union Terrace, and until they hit the stage on Friday night, which direction this ratio turns is currently up in the air.
Natives to Madison but currently enjoying the less crunchy and more urban life of Minneapolis, Sleeping in the Aviary promises to bring a perfectly poppy sound with just a hint of distortion to ruffle listeners' feathers as they kick off their tour and debut their new album, You and Me, Ghost.
When asked if the sounds of this latest journey into the world of musical creation have changed from their latest album, lead singer Elliot Kozel said they've truly remained a pop band from the beginning.
""It's all about trying to be catchy, trying to come up with some neat hooks and laser guided missiles, you know?"" he said. ""Things that people will hopefully have stuck in their head when they're in the shower or whatnot.""
Part of this pop presence draws its sounds from 50's doo-wop, detectable in guitar riffs that may occasionally prompt listeners to break out in the pony. So what's the source of this inspiration?
""Madison actually has an awesome oldies station that's hidden, it's 1550 WHIT-AM and it's like, the best oldies station of all time,"" Kozel excitedly explained.
The band apparently searches for this 608-range gem every time they get within 40 miles of the city.
This influence also went into the recording process. The band completed their latest album in only four short days at Science of Sound studios here in Madison, the same place all but one of their previous three have found fruition. Kozel compares this process to the way bands used to do it ""back then"" when they would ""just rock it out pretty live and then it's done.""
He appears very happy with this approach that left them with a lot less overdubbing than the last album.
""We just wanted it to represent kind of where we are and the live band, so if people would see us and buy the album it would sound like that,"" he said. ""Whereas in the past, the albums have all been a little bit misleading as to what we do live.""
Word in the Cardinal offices confirms their shows can get pretty goofy, and the band wants their normal performance chaos to show in their recordings.
Though it sounds like no show could have ended more chaotically than their first on the Terrace. To explain the drunk:sober ratio aforementioned in this article, Sleeping in the Aviary's first gig on the shores of Lake Mendota was actually an open mic night, because they couldn't get any other gigs around town.
After getting signed up in a slot, the band decided to celebrate their good fortune with a bottle of gin, unfortunately leaving them ""way too drunk to play.""
""I mean we went and got up on stage and, my guitar was just like… I broke a string on the first song. It was out of tune. Our drummer's drums fell over, and I think Phil [Mahlstadt, the band's bassist] probably puked,"" Kozel recalled (Phil later confirmed this incident of spewing).
However, they have played a legitimate show at the Terrace since, and Kozel reports things actually went well the second time around. As for what BAC attendees can expect of the band for today's show? It could go either way.
What concert attendees can brace themselves for, however, is an indie pop band with varying hints of garage, rock—and even a pinch of psychedelic—sounds. That, and a band that seemingly never fails to entertain—just check out their website.
On second thought, don't check out their website, its neon colors and trippy pictures could potentially blind any viewer. Their Facebook page is a much safer venue for information.
But what Sleeping in the Aviary lacks in html finesse, they make up for in quirkiness and a commitment to creating catchy tunes.
Friday's show on the Terrace is a great opportunity for Madisonians to catch Kozel and his crew at their first stop on their tour of Wisconsin and various other states. It's almost a guarantee they'll be in for an interesting night.
Sleeping in the Aviary will be at the Memorial Union Friday night, hoping to continue their streak of shows sans vomit. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. and is free. Nico Savidge contributed to this report.
