Eclectic Vibes - June 2015

by Andrew Frey

Dark Star Orchestra plays Madcity's King Street Live

Dark Star Orchestra plays Madcity's King Street Live

The Festival Season is upon us. LET’S GET FESTIVE!

RIP INFERNO NIGHTCLUB


Over the years the Inferno Nightclub has been host to a wide variety of memorable shows and events and was one of the very few dance clubs that Madison offers. But all that is history now. A new building owner plans to level it and rebuild something in that space and the one next to it. However, I was lucky enough to have one last memorable moment in the club a couple days before they closed their doors forever. On that fateful eve, I was lucky enough to catch the hi-jinks of Spaklefuck, which only primed the room for the typically over the top set by Madison’s own Lord of the Trident. Metal anthem after metal anthem was mated with crazy (and cheesy) props ranging from a plastic mace to pirate flags to confetti cannon and sparkle sword, ultimately whirling the crowd into a frothing frenzy. Kooky punk rock headliner’s Peelander Z gave us So Many Mike and Mad Tiger before launching to a tirade of wild audience participation, outlandish posturing, crowd surfing, zany antics and general acts of frolicsomeness. Entertainment to the max! What a great night!

THE BIG O’s OF INFRASOUND


After struggling with crappy weather on days prior, the clouds finally cleared on May 30, the day The Opiuo Band played the Infrasound Festival at Black River Falls, WI. On the day prior, I attempted to catch Freddy Todd, Thriftworks, Bluetech, Androcell and others, but it’s just not fun to dance with a rain poncho on while slopping around in several inches of mud and muck. All this was behind me when The Opiuo Band took the stage and slapped the audience with their amazing electro funk breakdowns. They sounded great, they looked great and it WAS great! The following set by Tipper was also quite good, but lacked the energy of a full live band. And although I was simply too wiped out to actually go see psychedelic legends Ozric Tentacles play after Tipper, their beautiful songs sprinkled soothing etheric swirls and eddies of delight throughout the park, a fitting end to the main stage performers for the weekend and a wonderful aural palate cleanser after all the feedback and distortion heard most of the rest of the weekend when not within a couple hundred feet of a stage. 
opiuo.com  www.ozrics.com

FISHING WITH JAKE


Summer is always a great time get your skank on! With that in mind, the stalwart ska punk band Reel Big Fish will be paddling through the area with the equally stalwart ska punk band Less Than Jake, making for a must see double bill. Both bands have been around and toured around for many years and their antics just keep evolving and getting better. If you are ready to don your checker suit and get to skanking, plan to be at the Majestic Theater in Madison on 6/24 or you will miss it all! www.reel-big-fish.com
www.lessthanjake.com

KING DARK STAR


The Live On King Street events kick off their sizzling summer schedule on 6/26 with the ever amazing Dark Star Orchestra. Since 1997 they have been performing complete specific Grateful Dead shows out of the Dead’s nearly 2500 shows and have themselves amassed over 2000 performances. Come down and get your inner Jerry satiated. FREE all ages show, but make sure to get their early because it will certainly reach capacity. www.darkstarorchestra.net www.liveonkingstreet.com


MICRO REVIEWS:
This Month's Rating Scale is from 1 is Approaching 10 is Definite

Kognitif - Soul Food

Kognitif - Soul Food

Kognitif

Album title: Soul Food
Record Label: Kognitif
Rating: 9

Swinging trip hop jazz simply emanates from this French DJ! Clever samples float over experimental beats and abstract combinations of soul and hip hop grooves, while later, smooth down tempo beats are worked around strangely startling musical eruptions before catapulting to entirely new musical plateaus. Enticing and entertaining.

(1994) Page Views

Kognitif online:
Facebook

Download Soul Food from Amazon


Adham Shaikh - Basswalla

Adham Shaikh - Basswalla

Adham Shaikh

Album title: Basswalla
Record Label: Black Swan Sounds
Rating: 9

Pioneering work in the “global bass” style, Canadian musician Adham Shaikh’s Basswalla release culminates his 25-year dedication to creating and perpetuating the global fusion side of electronica. The suffix “-walla” indicates mastery in a particular discipline in India and so it is used here as an accent to his dedication as well as his return to his Indian roots. Traditional Indian rhythms and beats are spiced up with bass heavy electronica creating sensational palettes of saucy dance delectables to sample and savor.

(2027) Page Views

Adham Shaikh online:
WebsiteWiki

Download Basswalla from Amazon
Purchase Basswalla on Amazon