Despite the approaching horror of finals week, accompanied by the advent of another daunting Wisconsin winter, we Badgers always seem to be on the lookout for an escape from our day-to-day grind.
The first time I heard the eccentric whirlwind of words that defines San Fransisco native George Watsky’s flow, I was a sophomore in high school and his YouTube video “Pale kid raps fast” had just gone viral. As millions of views rolled in, I strayed to the related videos and became enamored with a few singles from his first EP. Followed by his collaborative EP with Kush Mody and full-length albums Cardboard Castles and All You Can Do, this odd sampling of homemade music videos and novelty fast raps was more than enough to keep me hooked.
Thursday, hip-hop fans young and old headed east, at least a few miles, and packed the High Noon Saloon for a night of passion and energy lead by the one and only Brother Ali. Supporting Ali on the bill were Bambu and MaLLy, all three backed by the sounds of DJ Last Word.
To Brother Ali, hip-hop is about more than music. It’s a culture, a lifestyle, a community and an account of the social and cultural issues that the evening news can only speak of in the third person. This Thursday, Nov. 13, Brother Ali returns to his hometown for an eagerly anticipated show at the High Noon Saloon. I spoke with the artist about his upcoming show, what music means to him and the potential it has to change the world, one listener at a time.
For almost a decade, The Glitch Mob have been on a mission to bring their unique brand of electronic music to life on stage, on their own terms, in a way that seems to reach out to a wide variety of music fans. Sunday, Oct. 19, they brought their new live show to the Orpheum Theater. The moment I entered the Orpheum, after walking past the monochromatic display of black clothing at The Glitch Mob’s merch table, I was greeted by an audience that was as eclectic as it was energized. Neon and tie-dye-clad EDM fans shared a dance floor with mohawk-sporting punks in black leather jackets, everybody equally excited for a show that had been preceded by months of anticipation.
The city of Madison and the community of music fans within it have attracted a wide variety of electronic musicians this fall, on stages both big and small. From the Orpheum to Segredo, from trance to trap, Madison loves to revel and dance amidst electric vibes. Yet, some performers stand out from the rest, shattering the mold of dance music in favor of a more creative and expressive concert experience.
Last month, Porter Robinson’s Worlds helped popular electronic music to take a step in the right direction, encouraging a shift in focus from the loud, formulated nature of big room dance music to an emphasis on meaningful and emotional songwriting. When he began writing Worlds, Robinson may not have always had ambitions of grandeur, but it was clear that he was on to something special. “All along, I knew I was going to write something deeply personal,” Robinson told me, regarding his songwriting process. However, the culmination of Robinson’s vision extends far beyond the album itself. Last Saturday, the Orpheum Theater was home to the Worlds Tour, a monumental production that brought the album to life more vividly and cohesively than I could have ever expected. “I definitely wanted it to feel like the most beautiful version of the music,” Robinson told me. “It was such a high-octane effort to try to get the show right aesthetically.”
In a world dominated by main stage dance music, where the success of an electronic musician is too often defined by their ability to make a crowd “rage,” a select few artists have been making strides to break out of the EDM prototype and bring fresh, meaningful ideas to the table. Porter Robinson is one of them. This Saturday, the Orpheum Theater will host Porter Robinson’s “Worlds” tour, an extravagant and cohesive live show centered on Robinson’s new album Worlds, which dropped worldwide last month.
On Friday, Sept. 19, the Capitol Square was alive with music as Madison enjoyed the final installment of this year’s Live on King Street concert series, featuring Seattle indie-folk band The Head and the Heart, with support from Bare Mutants and Count This Penny. The weather was perfect for the occasion; a cool evening with temperatures in the low sixties helped usher in the fall and allowed concertgoers to showcase their best sweaters, flannel shirts and beards.
Last weekend, Nashville electropop duo CHERUB graced the Majestic Theatre with two back-to-back, sold-out shows. I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for both of these legendary nights.
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Solutions by The State News
