AtwoodFest 2018
A Preview of Artists Performing AtwoodFest
by Rökker
July 2018
Mississippi Cactus plays the Madison Heritage Stage AtwoodFest 2018 on 7/28 @ 6:15PM
Here is a quick preview of the music lineup for AtwoodFest 2018 happening July 28 & 29 on Atwood Avenue in Madison. The festival also features a KidsFest, MakerMarket, arts & crafts vendors and plenty of food! Go AtwoodFest.com for more.
Format: Band - Time - Hometown - Description
Saturday, July 28 @ Clyde Stubblefield Stage
Immigré - 12:15pm - Madison - An 11-piece funky, Afrobeat band will open AtwoodFest and get your feet moving right away. Featuring Jamie Kember of the Big Payback on trombone this band could easily be a headliner. (by Rökker)
Read about Immigré from a previous interview in 2018
Wurk - 2:15pm - Madison - A 6-piece group that characterize their unique sound as “funk-fusion”, which is a way of saying they are informed by a multitude of genres and allow their performances to travel in to many intriguing musical territories. Who else would start a set with a sequence of songs that translates cabaret-style jazz into melodic jam rock into So Cal 70s pop to NOLA soul-funk to reggae-injected rock to acidy-Euro-prog (and then some)!? Showcasing organ, sax, flute, and trumpet as soloing components of their otherwise guitar-bass-drums foundation, WURK’s concerts are educational as well as entertaining. Expect inspired choices of cover material to enhance the bands originals, written by guitarist Frank Laufenberg and keyboardist Miles Morkri. Some of the artists WURK lists as influences make an eclectic list including John Scofield, The Meters, Umphrey’s McGee, Weather Report, Jimi Hendrix, Oz Noy, Michael Jackson, and Santana. Consider this Atwoodfest set as Not-To-Be-Missed and I-saw-them-before-they-broke-big. (by Sal Serio)
Porky’s Groove Machine - 4pm - Appleton - The intergalactic ambassadors of the silliest nerd funk, PGM employs a three-piece horn section and an auxiliary percussionist on top of a traditional rock rhythm section, their sophisticated musicality is balanced only by their not-so-sophisticated humor. They are a lot of fun. (by Rökker)
Read about Porky’s Groove Machine from a previous interview in 2017
VO5 - 5:45pm - Madison - VO5 have played AtwoodFest or Atwood Summerfest since 2009 and are now considered one of Madison’s “Super Groups”. It is why we use the subtitle Dancin in the Streets! Join the tradition and get down and shake that booty! (by Rökker)
Read about VO5 from a previous interview in 2008 and 2012
Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal - 8:15pm - Lincoln, NB - (read interview by Teri Barr)
Saturday, July 28 @ Madison Heritage Stage
Kelsey Miles Band - 12:15pm - Madison - A little country, a little folk, and a little rock, Kelsey Miles has a big voice and great band. (by Rökker)
Valerie B & the Boyz - 2pm - Milwaukee - With a take-no-nonsense stage presence and strong vocal projection, it’s no surprise that Valerie B., leader of Valerie B. & the Boyz, works as a schoolteacher in Milwaukee. The band has been building its following in southern Wisconsin for over five years, with regularly-scheduled shows at the Knuckedown Saloon and Come Back Inn. Her vocals exhibit her gospel church roots, but take a ride on the Soul Train through a set list that covers R&B from the 1970’s to present. The band’s train engineer is bass guitarist, arranger, and vocalist Vince Chambers, who complements Valerie’s prowess with his own finesse and flash. (by Dave Leucinger)
Paul Filipowicz - 3:45pm - Jefferson - He’s earned his spot in the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame, but Chicago native (and Jefferson County resident) Paul Filipowicz’s style is more closely matched to the Texas roadhouse blues sound he absorbed while working alongside the recently-departed Will “Smokey” Logg across North Texas decades ago. Flipowicz’s rough-and-raw sound is showcased in his just-released CD, Unfiltered, which offers homage to Magic Sam and other artists he heard on tavern jukeboxes along Canal Street in Lemont, Illinois as a kid. He’s also known for a flashy sense of fashion, and a gift for resurrecting old Ford “flathead” V-8 motors. (by Dave Leucinger)
Read previous Max Ink interviews with Paul Flipowicz in 2013 and 2008
DJ Trichrome - 5:15pm - Madison - Willy is the house DJ for the band 311 and this year he will spin some crazy vibes to change the mood between bands. (by Rökker)
Mississippi Cactus - 6:15pm - Milwaukee - Roots based in-your-face Rock ‘n Roll founded by brothers Mike and Brian Kasprzak and Mike Friedl in 1995. After a lengthy hiatus the band has gotten together for a few high-profile shows but this is their only Madison appearance. Think the Crowes meet the 70’s Stones with a high-engery, modern rock feel. (by Rökker)
Jaedyn James and the Hunger - 8:15pm - Minneapolis (read interview by Mike Huberty)
Sunday, July 29 @ Clyde Stubblefield Stage
Baghdad Scuba Review - 12pm - Madison - Jam band day starts with a reunion of Madcity’s longest running jam band. They don’t get together too often so get down to the fest by noon .
Mr. Blotto - 1:45pm - Chicago - Last year’s headlining band is back for another great performance of Chicago’s longest running jam band. This talented band has great originals and are also known to pull a Grateful Dead or Pink Floyd song out of their amzaingly large repertoire. (by Rökker)
Steely Dane - 3:45pm - Madison - Madison loves it’s Steely Dan, and this group of 20+ all-stars from Madison’s music scene do a stunning tribute in this their 5th year @ AtwoodFest. (by Rökker)
Natty Nation’s Bob Marley Tribute - 5:45pm - Madison - Every February Natty does the Marley tribute on Bob’s birthday, but AtwoodFest is going to get the boys out in the prime of summer to bring that Rastafari vibe and get everyone skankin and groovin. I couldn’t think of a better atmosphere for this tribute, AtwoodFest, Madison, late July….sublime. (by Rökker)
Sunday, July 29 @ Madison Heritage Stage
West of Mars - 12pm - Madison - If you have been lucky enough to catch Bryan Drewyor busking down on State Street then you know why I booked his band WOM. He is a very talented performer solo and with a band promises to be a great way to start your AtwoodFest Sunday. (by Rökker)
Nooky Jones - 1:45pm - Minneapolis - You know this Minneapolis artist is gonna bring the Funk, it’s not lost on Nooky that he hails from the home of Prince and Sonny Knight. He’ll bring a 6-piece band that blends soul, jazz, R&B, and funk to get the crowd, shall we say, in the mood? (by Rökker)
Kris Lager Band - 3:45pm - Omaha, NB - (read interview by Tommy Rage)
Stackhouse featuring Xavier Lynn & Jimmy Voegeli - 5:45pm - Madison/Cleveland - For fans of jazz and blues around Madison, Xavier Lynn has become nearly a household name - emerging with electrifying jazz-swing prowess while still in high school through showcases such as the “Strolling” series. Now on summer break after his freshman year in college, Lynn has been honing a grittier, funkier blues/R&B sound through his band Stackhouse, in which he’s accompanied by composer and keyboard master Jimmy Voegeli (The Jimmys) and the Family Business rhythm section of bass guitarist Garrett Wartenweiler and drummer Derek Hendrickson.
(by Dave Leucinger)