You’re looking through your iTunes replaying your favorite songs over and over again, wishing you had some new music for jamming, or you’re grinding through another week of classes thinking that you owe it to yourself to let loose at a live show soon. Look no further than The Frequency, a venue that can satisfy both of those hungers without forcing you to travel great distances or spend too many precious dollars.
The Frequency resides at 121 West Main St. where it meets with South Fairchild, a slight jaunt off of the Capitol Square. From the outside, The Frequency looks nondescript and similar to any other tavern in Madison. Stepping inside, there is a well-stocked bar on the left hand side with room for around thirteen bar stools placed in front of it. On the opposite wall there are a few bar tables lined up against it that extend into the back of the room, at which point the room opens up and you’re left with some breathing room. On the back wall, there is a single doorway that marks the entrance to the stage area. This is where The Frequency catches you off guard by transitioning seamlessly from a bar to a concert venue.
There are bar tables spaciously placed around the back three walls and a small but cozy sound booth on the wall opposite the knee-high stage. Band posters, flyers and stickers add splashes of history and color to the walls and two angled windows above the stage let sun and moonlight pour onto the dance floor. The floor area here seems relatively small in terms of your typical concert venue, but regardless, The Frequency can comfortably fit around 150 audience members for its most high profile shows.
The Frequency has all the flair, personality and uniqueness of a dingy underground punk rock club minus the sticky floors and smell reminiscent of a high school locker room that typically accompanies those places. Since its opening in June of 2008, the venue has hosted everything across the spectrum of pop, indie, hip-hop, hard rock, and nearly everything else imaginable.
“We do a little bit of everything well, but the heavier stuff we tend to be a little better at,” said owner Darwin Sampson in an interview with The Daily Cardinal.
Punk bands often take the stage at The Frequency and those shows are generally a big hit. This month Teenage Bottle Rockets, Toys That Kill, The Jetbirds, Government Zero and a few local acts will be rocking the house. For those who are not avid punk fans, David Liebe Hart Band (a frequent guest on the Adult Swim show “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!”), bluegrass band Black Prairie, indie-rock band Hey Rosetta! and cello-driven rock band Rasputina (both presented by Majestic Live), experimental-electronic band Little Spoon and many other extremely diverse artists are also billed to play this venue during the fall concert season.
“The focus is trying to have the best quality music every night.” said Sampson.
The Frequency also works closely with Madison based community events such as the annual Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival as well as the annual Madison Hip-Hop Awards. It will be hosting fundraising shows for both events this week.
But the most standout thing about The Frequency, besides its diverse selection of shows, is the fact that you can basically see shows for dirt cheap. Rarely will ticket prices exceed more than $10. Bigger and more widely known acts may fetch around $15, but this is generally the maximum amount and on average, tickets run around $7.
A night at The Frequency will have all excitement of a night at a larger venue that may boast more critically acclaimed bands without the budget-breaking prices that come along with the approval of said critics. Chances are, you may not have heard many of the bands that will be playing at The Frequency during any given month, but if you need a break from the monotony of school and are itching to see a great live show (and aren’t afraid to take a risk on a new band) for a great price, then The Frequency should move to the top of your list of local places to check out.
