Madcity Nights - September 2019
Show Previews in Madison and surrounding areas
by Max Ink
September 2019
Black Mountain
Ancient Futures 3
Saturday September 7 @ 3:00 PM
The Crucible
Feeling doom-y? It’s time to blow your mind with this festival of Midwestern as well as national psychedelic acts. Jason Hartman from VANISHING KIDS has been putting together this festival for the past couple of years and with ten acts from all over the country, this is going to be their biggest show yet. A full day of heavy and intense bands, if you like this stlye of music, this is pretty much your Woodstock. Tune in, turn on, and drop by for a once-a-year special event. By Mike Huberty
Willy Street Fair
Sat & Sun, September 14-15
800–1100 blocks of Williamson St.
The last big outdoor bash of the year (already?!?!) has grown in the past several years to encompass the World Music Stage on Saturdays – this year includes acts from Madagascar, Honduras, and the Tuareg region of Niger. Sunday offers a more home-grown way to get down – from the Milwaukee funk & R&B of Valerie B & the Boys, to the feminine ferocity of the Twin Cities’ Toxenes, to the blues super-group blender of the Jimmys and the Cash Box Kings. By Dave Leucinger
Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials
Saturday, September 14 @ 9:00 PM
Knuckledown Saloon
For more than three decades, Lil’ Ed Williams has been the frenzied, energetic, dynamic slide guitarist fronting the same seasoned team - including cousin Pookie Young on bass guitar, Michael Garrett on guitar, and Kelly Littleton on drums. Need proof of their prowess? The group took home the Living Blues Award for Best Live Performer in 2011, 2012 and 2013. They also won the prestigious Blues Music Award for Band Of The Year in both 2007 and 2009. By Dave Leucinger
Tycho w/ Poolside
Saturday, September 14 @ 8:00 PM
The Sylvee
Blowing into town on electronic waves of luminous grooves, Tycho’s Weather tour pours dreamy atmospheres over polyrhythmic chill for undulating rainbow bliss. Weather has the studio wizard’s vision is assisted by a live band and vocalist Hannah Cottrel. L.A.‘s Poolside’s frisky daytime disco opens up the night. By John Noyd
STRFKR w/ Das Kope
Sunday, September 15 @ 8:00 PM
Majestic Theatre
Get ready to get down and get real when STRFKR riding high on the recent single, “Fantasy,” shows up bringing slithery glitter inside cosmic bop and contagious outrageousness cosmic tossed into hip trips. Brazilian left-field pop artist Das Kope kicks off the cybertronic conga-line.
By John Noyd
Generationals w/ Gemma
Wednesday, September 18 @ 6:30 PM
High Noon Saloon
A bright, beat-driven New Wave street parade, Generationals’ new, “Reader As Detective,” teases and pleases promising a lively show drawn from ten years perfecting groovy loose-limbed whimsy and smart urban hustle. Don’t miss New York’s Gemma’s sublime mirror-ball funk starts the party. By John Noyd
Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
Thursday & Friday, September 19-20 @ 8:00 PM
North Street Cabaret
Wisconsin has been a strong supporter of this Orange County (CA) quartet for decades – dancing to their blend of western swing and rockabilly tunes craftily written by Robert “Big Sandy” Williams. The good news for Madison is that you have your choice of evenings to see them (or choose both)! The bad news is that NSC’s otherwise optimal intimacy gives scant room for any dancers. By Dave Leucinger
Twichard w/ Birth of Tragedy, All Meridians
Friday, September 20 @ 9:00 PM
The Crucible
With the new TOOL album released, you should be in the mood for some proggy metal and Madison’s math-metal duo BIRTH OF TRAGEDY has been creating has been dishing out headbangers for nearly two decades. Yeah, it’s two guys, but don’t think this sounds like THE BLACK KEYS, it’s the sonic equivalent of those old Metallica “metal up your ass” t-shirts. Madison experimental rockers ALL MERIDIANS plays 8 minute doom rock anthems and TWICHARD features the drumming monstrosity of KILL JUNIOR’s Brian Martinez. If you like metal where dudes are screaming and the distortion pedals don’t have an off-switch, you’re gonna love this show. Mike Huberty
Godsmack with Halestorm
Saturday, September 21 @ 7:00 PM
Alliant Energy Center
You can’t do better than this duo. Enjoying the success of their seventh album When Legends Rise, Sully Erna and the Godsmack crew bring their high energy show to Madison with an opening band that cannot be missed – Halestorm. Lzzy Hale, with her steamy and sexy vocals sets the stage early for Godsmack to blow fans away with their 90’s post grunge rock mixed with their modern heavy metal sound, going back more than twenty years of rock. From their debut multi-platinum album up to their current chart topping hits “When Legends Rise” and “Bulletproof”, this is a concert paring that can’t be missed. By Tommy Rage
Black Mountain
w/ Dommengang, Majeure
Sunday, September 22 @ 8:00 PM
High Noon Saloon
Heavy riffs pitch furious curves and psychedelic sludge in a triple bill that tips the scales and crushes the competition. Between Black Mountain’s warped, scorched stampedes, Dommengang’s lean dark-edged abandon and Majeure’s post-industrial electro-apocalypse, the thunderous wonders’ madcap mayhem will set your stone-cold spirit free. By John Noyd
The Melvins w/ Red Kross
Wednesday, September 25 @ 8:00 PM
High Noon Saloon
Formed in Montesano, Washington, in 1983, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more storied and band than the famous grunge predecessors who were a noted major influence on Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. The group is largely considered to be huge influences on both the grunge and sludge metal movements in the late-80s early-90s and have been driven by the creative influencers of mainstays Buzz Osbourne (vocals/guitar) and Dale Crover (drums) since 1984. By Adam Benavides
Ben Harper
& the Innocent Criminals
Friday, September 27 @ 8:00 PM
The Sylvee
Known for his eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock, Ben Harper has led a hugely prolific career which has seen the Californian tour internationally, release 14 studio albums and garner three Grammy Awards. Harper is a multi-instrumentalist, regularly playing an array of acoustic, slide and electric guitars for his albums and acclaimed concerts. HIs insightful lyrics and soulful music mixed with an undeniable guitar talent sees him switching from acoustic folk music to arena rock anthems with impressive ease. Harper’s latest effort, No Mercy in This Land with Charlie Musselwhite was released last year. See Harper with his most-tenured backing band, The Innocent Criminals. By Adam Benavides
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