Concerts

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DIIV delivers eclectic show for lively Majestic audience

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.

Bronze Radio Return to bring love of music to The Frequency

To some, music is a mission, with each chord dripping in politics and each bar directed at some critic’s praise or curse.

Mac Miller to bring new hits to Orpheum stage

He’s already released two studio albums and 10 mixtapes.

Madison's weekend entertainment

It’s the weekend, so get your dancing shoes on; this week’s options includes ballroom, swing and even “Magic Mike.”

Shakespeare-inspired band comes to perform at The Frequency

“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.

Crowd dances to the sounds of Zappa

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.

Zappa Plays Zappa pays tribute to the legendary Frank Zappa

Madison's weekend Entertainment

Welcome back weekend, we’ve missed you old friend. 

Live on King Street provided shelter from the storm with the sounds of Benjamin Booker

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.

Madison's weekend entertainment

It’s the weekend and that means dancing, singing and entertainment galore. 

Lizzo perfoms powerful set at Majestic

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.

Ratatat lights up the Orpheum Friday night

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. 

The sky's the limit when the price of admission is free

Feeling free at summer music festivals

Sasquatch!

Kiesza showed off her moves to small crowd at the Majestic

Why do people go to concerts? It seems like a superfluous question considering the answer should be quite obvious. Live music holds a certain appeal. What’s more, seeing an artist you know perform a song that you remember intimately right in front of you is an unrivaled experience. But this holds true for all genres of music. Some concerts, though, are more than just the sum of the music the artist will put on a show for. Some attract the crowd because the artist is also the performer. Some concerts are frequented because you want to feel the music. You might hope that you get such a concert from most dance music artists, but with Kiesza, you go in knowing that. And that alone is a gift by itself. 

Foxygen nailed it at The Sett last Friday

Foxygen made a stop at the Sett this past Friday on their “Farewell Tour” and brought arguably the most entertaining show our campus has seen in 2015 thus far. The nine-piece band, which includes three mesmerizing back-up dancers, played a set that consisted of songs off of their two most recent albums, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic and …And Star Power, enticing the crowd to dance around to favorites such as “Shuggie” and “How Can You Really.” 

Prepare for AlunaGeorge’s unique sound at Revelry 2015

While likely known most in the United States for their collaboration with Disclosure on “White Noise,” this duo from London has been making waves overseas ever since their debut album Body Music was released in 2013. As EDM, hip-hop, alternative rock and folk have their respective representatives this year at Revelry, the rising prominence of electropop and R&B will be expressed at the festival by a duo cut from the same cloth as Sylvan Esso and CHVRCHES. 

Guster blends 25 years worth of music at the Orpheum

Last Wednesday Guster came to the Orpheum stage and performed a concert that transcended nearly 25 years worth of music. With their newest album Evermotion having just been released, the group was back with a multi-generational set list that had the audience reminiscing about the good old days and swaying to the beat of their new laid-back sound. 

The Pines perform to small audience

While people across Madison fixed their eyes on the Badger game Saturday night, a meager but appreciative crowd settled into the High Noon Saloon to hear music from folk band the Pines. 

Rapper Lil Dicky provides entertainment for Majestic crowd

Professional Rapper Tour was not something to be overlooked. This past Friday Lil Dicky was watching the Badger game while preparing for a sold-out crowd at the Majestic Theatre. They played the Badger game with an open bar before the concert. They have a nice screen that proved to be useful later in the night. My best friend was downtown and ready to see his first show ever at the venue. I was pretty impressed by how hyped the crowd was when arriving.