At the Back Stage Concert Series, the bands, the audience, and the bar are all right on the State Theatre stage among the bricks, rigging, and lights -- a space theater patrons rarely get to see. The usual auditorium is curtained off to create a unique back-stage environment where music lovers of all ages can gather to see performances from some of the best Chippewa Valley bands. Join us and experience a fresh take on live music.
at: The State Theatre
Stage Door Entrance
316 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire, WI 54701
ALL AGES can enter, 21+ to drink
Doors at 6:30pm, Show at 7:00pm (Beer, wine, & soda available)
The Videos
Recorded live at a special Back Stage Concert on
Labor Day 2009.
Smart minimalist mixture of punk, classic rock and jerky post-punk; over-driven bass, heavy guitar & drums with a rural vibe. Already into its SECOND DECADE delivering rock and roll (and collective crowd hangovers) to the regional club scene, the rambunctious Wisconsinites don't look like they'll be slowing down musically any time soon.
Noel Hanson: vocals, bass guitar; Christopher Ramey: keyboards, guitars, and backing vocals; Matt Florence: lead and rhythm guitars; Joseph Gunderson: drums and percussion.
The Gentle Guest plays backwater, stomping indie rock with a countrified tinge. Featuring old-world instrumentation, Eric Rykal and friends bottle their music in Eau Claire, WI, for the most part, near the Chippewa River in the living room of a little blue house. Their sound can be found somewhere between the Great Depression and 2009.
The New North String Band is a bluegrass act out of the Chippewa Valley that is quickly rising through the national bluegrass scene and placing in songwriting competitions across the country. Formed in June of 2008 and releasing their debut album nearly a year later, the group plays a variety of original and traditional music.
Meridene returns for its second round. After a year and a half of lineup adjustments. resulting in a so-close-to-becoming-a-completely-new-band transformation, they're back, ready, and armed with a brand new full-length, You're Not Pretty, You're Worse; the long anticipated follow up to their previously released EP.
The Jim Pullman Band has received numerous accolades and recognitions since its formation in 2001: JPB's debut album Shed My Skin is being sold at Best Buy, Borders ,Barnes & Noble, and many other retailers thanks to the worldwide distribution by All Indies Inc. JPB has performed opening sets for national artists Willy Porter, Angie Aparo, Ben Arnold, Ike Riley, & Ronnie Milsap. WB Television Network named JPB "The Best Artist You Should Be Listening To," and hosted The JPB on their national morning show, The Daily Buzz.
The Long Beds are a cast of characters who basically consent to stare at the backside of Michael Perry so he can pretend he's a musician, which he's not. He likes to write songs and sing them, and knows maybe five chords, but he plays his guitar with all the nuance of a man cutting brush. The Long Beds, on the other hand, are real pros. And charitable.
Think blues meets stomping acoustic folk rock. A band of three sisters united to bring their self-taught musicianship to the live stage. Together they deliver bright explosive vocals and harmonies, colorful lyrics, bursting djembe beats, and rhythm acoustic guitar with a rock flare.
The familiar-but-fresh sound of South Farwell is formed around the gravely vocals of Bill Boles. With a solid base of guitar/bass/drums and peppers of piano and saxophone, they create impressive resonance. The end result is along the lines of a one-night-only show of The Black Crowes covering a set list transposed by Amos Lee.
Over the past two years, The Walk/Klenz Jazz Sextet has become a fixture on the Eau Claire jazz scene. The Sextet consists of some of the most prolific musicians in the Chippewa Valley today. Led by trumpeter Jeff Walk and vocalist Adrian Klenz, The Sextet is a powerhouse group that plays original compositions, classic and mainstream jazz and everything in between.
The Excellent Adventure is lead by Bill Hamilton and Dan Sebern who have become a namesake in the music scene of Eau Claire. They have performed in groups such as Day Old Bread, Spacerangers, and Three Amigos. Accompanying the Bill and Dan are guitar rocking musician John Nietz (also member of Downers Grove), organ enthusiast Bill Angell (also performs in the Eau Claire Blues All-stars and Little Willie), and drum enthusiast Beau Brantner (who previous performed with Aura Satori and Ultimate Frisbee Orchestra). The group mixes unique and rare covers as well as some diverse original compositions with rock, blues, funk, reggae, and even some electronica/techno.
Dead Dogs is a project influenced by the scorn of love and the bite of the bottle. The simplicity of the music flows from jazz, blues, and stomp that tells stories of true life experiences and visions of what's to come.
THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 7pm, $5
Irie Sol
Irie Sol's music is a blend of reggae, dancehall, ska, jazz, soul, funk, rock, and hip hop. Such an eclectic blend reflects the diverse origins and influences of bandmembers who hail from Canada, Jamaica, Korea, the East Coast, Minneapolis, and northern Wisconsin. Melodic vocals and Jamaican-style rap are backed by a full horn section and band. Classic tunes from Stevie Wonder to Wayne Wonder are revisited over a reggae backdrop. Don't miss this fusion of your favorite musical genres.
Duncan Ninja is a recently formed funk group comprised of two suave singers, five hot horns, and a ripe rhythm section. They play music by artists such as Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, KC & the Sunshine Band, and more. Several members of our group play in other bands around the area, including The Eau Claire Blues All-Stars, The Walk/Klenz Jazz Sextet, Meridene, and The Procrastinators.
