Above: artist's rendering of a
Drunken Rooster show.

Putting together a music album is typically a long process, sometimes taking years, full of creative action, negotiation, and possibly some name calling. Well, an unprecedented blend of local musicians from various Eau Claire bands has created an original album in just under three weeks. The result: Drunken Rooster, a musical experiment. Altogether, eight musicians make up the band: Eric Thompson and Nick Fennel from Dead Dogs, Eric Rykal from The Gentle Guest, Jesus Landin-Torrez III and Josh Prock from Chattahoochee Soulfood, Phil Jodus from EasyChair, Levi Felling from Snifter, and Chad Rykal.  

The band itself evolved out of necessity – an opening band for an upcoming show at The House of Rock was needed, and Drunken Rooster was created. Instead of playing existing music, band members decided to try a more artistic route and write their own music for the unexpected gig. They’ve spent the last few weeks writing music for the album, tentatively titled Thursday Night Cock Fight. The album will see its one-time release on Thursday, August 4 at the Mousetrap, after Drunken Rooster performs their set. If you’re interested, you’d better get on it, because this is the last planned Drunken Rooster performance and the only album release. After the show, you can purchase merchandise and CDs, which may be the only proof you’ll have that the band ever existed.