This was the 31st year of Decadent Cabaret, but my first time to attend. The show bills itself as "A tradition of fishnet stockings and notoriously memorable musical performances", to which I would agree on both counts. It is close to musical overload, eleven bands in one long night. And, there were two other nights I didn't attend. It was a variety of music, starting more mellow early in the evening and spanning to blasting, roaring heavy metal by the end. What made it personally very cool for me, was not only my first experience at the Decadent Cabaret, but also, with the exception of Excellent Adventure, it was all new bands to me.

We arrived a touch late. The Wife had misplaced THE fishnet stockings. You know the ones. They were the fishnet stockings that tied the whole outfit together. Not THOSE fishnet stockings, or even THE OTHER fishnet stockings. She had to have THE fishnet stockings, which were finally found about the time we should have been standing in the audience. They had fallen in behind the dresser drawer. We walked in just at the end of Excellent Adventure.

Our first full band was Meridene, who played a fantastic, too short, one song, Meat Loaf set of I Would Do Anything For Love. Note perfect, vocally perfect, sadly lead singer Trevor even looked a little like Meat Loaf, but if you can get by that point, they were great. Meridene is on my must see again list.

• Check out the rest of the Decadent review (including some video) over at the Freaks & Geeks blog, originating from somewhere in Chippewa Falls, Wis.
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In case you didn’t know, former Eau Clairian (and Memorial HS alumni) Adam Hurlburt heads up the guitarin’ operations for super popular Minneapolis electro/glam/rock band Solid Gold. (He’s also party to the Gayngs party.) The band’s doing well, headlining shows all over the place. They just played a festival sponsored by the Chicago Reader and, most biggest, will be doing SXSW this month.

Also of note, MTV2 (the cooler MTV?) aired Solid Gold’s music video for “Matter of Time,” which we will now air immediately following this sentence.

Proving that last November wasn’t a freak alignment of dead stars, metal night returned to the Mousetrap last weekend. My friend Nesbit and I braved stiff winds and stiffer drinks to witness. Opening act Purge the Woods, from EC, was truly impressive. My awareness of the band, I confess, had been no deeper than its nomenclature, but according to sources close to Purge the Woods (read: the band), that was probably a good thing. However, based on Saturday’s performance, all dull edges have been suitably sharpened since the band’s inception. Vocalist Andy struggled a bit with the high end of his screeching, but the guttural bellows were utterly convincing. Their (new) drummer Brett was seemingly hydra-handed, perfectly in synch with Zak (guitar) and Bones (bass), two of the nicest guys in the scene by the way. Sheesh, kids these days. When did they get so good at playing their instruments? Growing up as I did on the sounds of Repulsion, early Napalm Death and early Carcass, and Old Lady Drivers, grindcore was a sloppy business. Though no doubt informed by said bands, Purge the Woods channels the technical ferocity of current grinders like Origin and Pig Destroyer. With a demo on the horizon, I predict big things for these boys.

Two things I have to get out of the way regarding Minneapolis' Thrash Compactor: 1) You do not name your band Thrash Compactor; and 2) If you do name your band Thrash Compactor, you should actually thrash at some point. I’m part of the old guard; you start bandying the word “thrash” around and I’m thinking 1988 when I was listening to Testament and Death Angel on steady rotation. Ok, minor gripes aside, the band played solid, blistering hardcore. The vocalist got right in the audience for the set’s duration, jabbing a few fingers into obnoxious crowd members. Plus, they count (ex-) members of the godly In Defence in their ranks. Great performance guys, just change that name.

Intermission: The “Whoops, wrong night” award goes to the gaggle of people who wandered in wearing North Face clothing and dangling designer bags from their arms.

Eau Claire's Desolatevoid headlined (again) and reaffirmed the adage of leave ‘em wanting more. In a set over more quickly than a Republican “nay” on health care, Desolatevoid stomped their way through “classic” cuts from both long players, while providing a teaser for the epic three way-split, with Appleton’s The Parish and South Carolina’s The Last Van Zant, out late March. The band sounds absolutely feral right now, truly the bleakest light in our cold constellation.

Will Anderson (Weed) plays a brand of pop that seems to hide behind a wash of guitar effects, but still seems to permeate the mind. It’s the kind of music that will be stuck in your head for days after first listen.

... for more videos and photos of Will Anderson, check out The Valley.

• The Valley is a collection of musical performances with the Chippewa Valley as a backdrop. The project is headed by three students at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire who may have only minimal experience, but a passion for their community and the art that surrounds it. (The Valley is inspired by Vincent Moon's Takeaway shows, available at La Blogotheque.)
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Cool. Half of the Eau Claire duo Farms – drummer Andy Todryk – got a track review on Pitchfork’s “Forkcast” blog. The track’s called “Hemp Scented Body Lotion” and it’s from Andy’s side project Vacation Dad (full-length album forthcoming). Says reviewer Chris Bosman ...

• Hazy and cavernous, it fills its chillwave sound with otherworldly vocals and thunderous percussion.

Check it out.

Collaborations between visual art and music seem to be on the rise in our area, with new events popping up every day. Students at UW-Stout have created a venue for this with Gallery 111, a new art space in Menomonie, Wis. Ben Teegarden, who I’ve known from the open mic circuit in Green Bay, has been active in the creation of the gallery, providing tracks for a benefit album and playing at the opening. It made sense, then, to film where he would be comfortable.

... for more videos and photos of Ben Teegarden, check out The Valley.

• The Valley is a collection of musical performances with the Chippewa Valley as a backdrop. The project is headed by three students at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire who may have only minimal experience, but a passion for their community and the art that surrounds it. (The Valley is inspired by Vincent Moon's Takeaway shows, available at La Blogotheque.)
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It was an evening of firsts.  I feel somewhat ashamed admitting this, music fan that I am, but this was the first time I have ever been into the Mousetrap.  It is a great venue for music!  I really like the layout, where the people who want to sit at the bar, are away from the people who are there for the music.  The Mousetrap, with its combined storefronts allow this ability.

It was also my first time to see this band.  And, Deedles, on tour from their home in Kansas is an interesting band.  Sometime back they visited the Mousetrap somewhat regularly as the band DeWayn Brothers, a more traditional bluegrass band. Their sound now, I want to call it sort of, country/bluegrass meets punk rock.  I really liked it.  Vocals from lead singer Jamie Briggeman were crystal clear, perfectly on key, and flawlessly timed.  On top of it, where many musicians play their music and sing, Briggeman adds facial expressions. When she is singing, you find yourself there for her.

• Check out the rest of the Deedles/Webb review (including some video) over at the Freaks & Geeks blog, originating from somewhere in Chippewa Falls, Wis.
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When they were playing, the harmonies were flawless. And, when they were playing, the flute, the guitar, the drums, the vocal solos, were all fantastic. But, QuinnElizabeth had some technical issues. Compounded by adjustments, guitar passing, sisterly bickering, and trivia questions. So, sadly, we didn't get as long to enjoy the three sisters actually playing music. What we did hear, I enjoyed very much. This is only the second time I have seen the band. And I enjoyed them equally each time. The two shows were very different of course. The State Theater with its perfect lighting and focused audience compared to music over coffee and conversation at the Acoustic Café. I wish I would have gotten a little more music for my forty minute roundtrip, what I got I certainly enjoyed.

I don't mean to make it sound like I feel short changed. I mean, it was virtually a free show after all. I bought two beers, two cookies, and four ice waters. That seems pretty close to free for me. And, I got to witness all this incredible music talent. So I really feel like I have a hard time complaining about anything as it is. But, I feel like musicians I write about will go on to bigger and better things. And at those bigger, better venues, things make a difference. I think musicians hear their own music, experience their own talent, and the talent around them, and begin to take it all for granted. But to us talentless oafs in the audience, musicians are amazing. Performers don't really realize just how precious their time is to the audience. We get to hear them for such short periods.

• Check out the rest of the QuinnElizabeth review (inclusing some video) over at the Freaks & Geeks blog, originating from somewhere in Chippewa Falls, Wis.
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According to Snout music director, Chad Kruger, Str8up has never drawn a crowd in the three times they have played the bar.   A little surprising, because as far as bands go, Str8up isn't bad.   I saw them last in March of 2008.   At that time the lead guitar was quite new to the group.  So they had some rough edges.  Still though, despite those rough edges, Shelby Martin, lead singer provided me with my musical highpoint of 2008.  She sang the Four Non Blondes Whats Up?.  It was fantastic.   Breath-taking really. I requested it (something I almost never do) this trip,  knowing it could never reach that pinnacle.  Before, it was so totally out of the blue, this time I would know it was coming.  Shelby admitted when I talked to her, she hadn't sung it in a while.  She did a good job.  I was pleased.   It's a great song, and a great song for Shelby's range ...

• Check out the rest of the Str8up review (inclusing some video) over at the Freaks & Geeks blog, originating from somewhere in Chippewa Falls, Wis.
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Northern Howl came out of nowhere, and yet that seems fitting. All That’s Under the Night’s Sky, the band’s debut album, is more a friendly handshake than a high-five. It is a warm cup of cocoa while watching the snow fall in the streetlamps. Layers upon layers of melodies, harmonies and rhythms subtly slip into your subconscious, leaving you humming for the rest of the week.

... for more videos and photos of Northern Howl, check out The Valley.

The Valley is a collection of musical performances with the Chippewa Valley as a backdrop. The project is headed by three students at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire who may have only minimal experience, but a passion for their community and the art that surrounds it. (The Valley is inspired by Vincent Moon's Takeaway shows, available at La Blogotheque.)