Freakfest is one of the most anticipated and well-known weekends in Madison.
Freakfest is known for attracting creatures of all types through its gates.
Freakfest provides attendees with an insane variety of options in terms of music throughout the night.While packing yourself against the crowds at the top of State Street may allow you to see a big-name band, it’s the smaller stages that can invoke a stronger sense of community and connection with the performers.
Before I dive into a detailed breakdown of this weekend’s events at The Orpheum Theater, I’ll keep it short and offer this generalization: Man, oh man, the last few days were a great time to be a fan of dance music in Madison. The city’s jam junkies turned out Friday to see their revered heroes in Sound Tribe Sector 9 melt some faces and Saturday, it seemed, everyone in Madison came out for what has become something of a tradition in our city: Cherub’s yearly visit.
It was a crisp October evening in Madison; the leaves were beautiful and the weather was perfect for a warm sweater. I was feeling content, walking down the street towards the glowing sign of the Majestic Theater, visions of the concert to come being entertained in my imagination, as my friends and I enjoyed the warmth of our alcohol blankets. With a few ‘pardon mes’ and only a couple ‘watch it bubs,’ we made our way into a decent position and began to cheer as the lights dimmed. That’s when the crowd began to glow.
The Barrymore was alive with energy and as I approached the flashing sign from the sidewalk there was a line of chattering people winding out the door and a good 5 feet down the sidewalk.
YouTube favorites Igudesman & Joo brought their theatrical and musical mashups with a healthy dose of lunacy to the Overture Friday. Performing their new show “And Now Mozart,” violinist Aleksey Igudesman and pianist Hyung-Ki Joo graced Madison with what can only be described as a comic event that brought together the most unexpected genres of music and elements of theater. Trained as classical musicians from the wee age of 12, the two conquered many grand orchestras and symphonies before they concocted their currently trending madness on stage.
A mere two months after their first appearance in Madison, Family and Friends is returning to town.
State Street may have been dead Tuesday night, but the Majestic Theatre could not have been more alive as the New York City-based band DIIV took the stage. I stepped into the theater without expectation, having only heard of the band because they were playing at the Majestic. Not only was this my first experience with DIIV, it was my first experience in the theater itself. The venue provided an enclosed setting and as a result, I found myself fully immersed auditorily and visually within the spectacle onstage.
To some, music is a mission, with each chord dripping in politics and each bar directed at some critic’s praise or curse.
He’s already released two studio albums and 10 mixtapes.
It’s the weekend, so get your dancing shoes on; this week’s options includes ballroom, swing and even “Magic Mike.”
“I have done a thousand dreadful things, as willingly as one would kill a fly, and nothing grieves me heartily indeed, but that I cannot do ten thousand more.” These are the words Patrick Stickles reads over the mourning tones of “Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ,” the folk-stomper-cum-punk-rocker that introduced Titus Andronicus to the world.
Seconds after 8:00 p.m., Dweezil Zappa and his tribute to his father, Zappa Plays Zappa, strode out onto the Barrymore Theatre stage to the theme from “Star Wars.” The space-y theme was a fitting introduction to the wild world of Frank Zappa’s music. To keep things interesting, both for fans and for themselves, the band is touring behind the 40th anniversary of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s 1975 album, One Size Fits All in the first set and then a selection of tunes from throughout Zappa’s catalog in the second. The first frame opened with the intricate composition, “Inca Roads.” The six-member outfit paid fitting tribute to the complex tune, nailing each segment of the meandering song.
Welcome back weekend, we’ve missed you old friend.
I can’t dance. I feigned my way through grade school talent shows, stumbled over my feet at high school homecoming dances, hoping that one day I would grow out of it.
It’s the weekend and that means dancing, singing and entertainment galore.
Tuesday night the Majestic promised a stacked lineup of female hip-hop artists. First up was Denver-born soul hip-hop songstress Povi. Though at past performances she has glistened on the stages of Denver and her current home Oakland, Calif., unfortunately her Madison performance fell slightly short. While the crowd was hyped up on excitement for the acts to follow, no one was really familiar with Povi’s music, so audience engagement and participation was low. Even with the music itself being relatively unknown, it was nice to bop around to, and I did marvel at the beauty of Povi’s vocal strength, that is until the peak of awkward concert events occurred.
The Orpheum Theater welcomed a sold-out crowd for Ratatat Friday, kicking off what will be an impressive fall lineup at the venue for fans of electronic music.
Read on Issuu
Solutions by The State News
