CARTWHEEL AT STONES THROW. Hotline TNT has been ripping onto the scene for a couple of years, and Eau Claire will soon experience the band – fronted by Chippewa Falls native Will Anderson, pictured – this fall. (Submitted photos)

“Hometown Boy Does Good” would’ve been doing way too much as a headline, but there’s some thread of truth there that will get a whole lot more tangible on Friday, Oct. 18, when Hotline TNT plays Eau Claire’s Stones Throw.

Folks tuned into the local music scene – or people who used to be – are likely to recognize Hotline TNT frontman Will Anderson as a former member of Eau Claire indie-rock band Laarks and the Vancouver-based duo Weed. Anderson’s current project, Hotline TNT, is perhaps his most successful to date, signing to Jack White’s label Third Man Records in 2023 and receiving critical acclaim.

The shoegaze-y power-pop band is managed by The Glow, the North Carolina management company that also works with regional favorites Sylvan Esso, Hippo Campus, Wednesday, and Phil Cook (also a Hometown Boy Who Does Good). Somewhat coincidentally, Hotline TNT’s show at the Stones Throw is one of a few bringing The Glow musicians to the area, presented by local radio show Farewell Transmission Radio (FTR).

FTR host Jordan Duroe and I met up for some coffee so I could pick his brain about the show’s ramped-up efforts to bring killer acts to Eau Claire. In October alone, FTR is presenting three shows: The Dead Tongues at the Pablo Center on Oct. 10; MJ Lenderman & The Wind at Stones Throw on October. 13; Hotline TNT on tour with Disq & Dusk also at Stones Throw on Oct. 18.

Discussing the latter, Duroe said he couldn’t take credit for what will surely be a kickass show. “I can’t pretend I was the one who tracked (Hotline TNT) down; Will wanted to do a hometown show and actually talked to Brian Moen (Shouting Matches, Peter Wolf Crier, Orchid Eaton, Laarks), who was the one to facilitate the first conversation between Hotline and I,” he explained. “The chance to rein somebody with community ties back to play, and with his pedigree and momentum, made it a no-brainer.”

Hotline TNT is currently made up of four members – Anderson; Mike Ralston; Lucky Hunter; Haylen Trammel – and has seen a rotation of members around Anderson since its debut project Nineteen in Love in 2021.

After signing with Third Man Records and debuting with Cartwheel in 2023, the band also announced its Fall U.S. tour. Thanks to Moen’s connection, FTR is presenting the band’s gig at Stones Throw this fall.

“Presenting,” to FTR, is a bit different than how other people or orgs might do it: FTR and Duroe – the show is part of local nonprofit Converge Media – don’t take a cut from ticket sales. To “present” is really all about connecting with and bringing musicians to Eau Claire and spreading the word, so locals can get in on the magic.

Duroe described Hotline TNT as heavier than what typically plays on FTR – the radio show leans toward indie-folk and alt-country – and likened their sound to My Bloody Valentine.

Secure your spot at the Hotline TNT w/ Disq & Dusk show for $15/ticket. The 21+ show starts at 8pm with doors open at 7pm.

Listen to Hotline TNT anywhere you stream music and learn more about the band online • Buy tickets to the Hotline TNT w/ Dusq & Disk show on Oct. 18 online 

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