Music Capital of the North (Volume One) by Volume One Magazine

www.VolumeOne.org Keep on rockin’ in the free world.

OUR CULTURE, OUR ECONOMY, & OUR ESSENTIAL STEPS FORWARD

E X P L O R I N G W H AT W E M E A N W H E N W E C A L L T H E C H I P P E W A V A L L E Y “ M U S I C C A P I TA L O F T H E N O R T H ”

ur theme issues are among the things we’re most proud of at Volume One. In recent years, these community-minded editions (in print and online) have included “Reinventing Our Streets” in 2010, “Rethinking Our Rivers” in 2012, and just last year, “Rebuilding Our Neighborhoods.” All three were timely and impactful discussion-starters aimed directly at shaping how our community thinks about important civic issues. So now, just weeks after the first-ever Blue Ox Music Festival and on the eve of the first-ever Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival (not to mention perennial favorites Rock Fest, Country Fest, and Country Jam), we’ve partnered with the homegrown and esteemed community brewery, Leinenkugel’s, to launch an all-new theme issue exploring an often unspoken though rapidly emerging identity for the Chippewa Valley: Music Capital Of The North. The two brand new, national-level music festivals mentioned above expand an already robust lineup of highprofile festivals and weekly concert series, which you can then add to an impressive list of performance venues, music-based businesses, special schools, and more – all right here in the Chippewa Valley. With multiple Grammys and Grammy nominations, strong music programs from kindergarten through college, and a diverse and vibrant local music scene, the area’s reputation for music is growing throughout the country – and it’s time our entire community takes ownership. We can’t deny that music (in all its many forms) has a massive and growing impact on our region’s culture, economy, tourism, and businesses. In short, it helps to drive everyday life here in the Chippewa Valley. This issue attempts to navigate the deep, enveloping currents of our music scene and beyond. But what do we mean when we say Music Capital of the North? Calling a place the Music Capital of somewhere is generally clear enough. It means music is a big deal there, perhaps more so than in the rest of whatever geographic area it’s the music capital of.

In such a place, there’s more music, a greater number of hard-working musicians, and a more influential culture and economy rooted in the making and celebration of music. But in this instance, the geographic connotations aren’t necessarily meant to be taken literally, and there’s a lot more packed into that phrase than boundaries and borderlines. That of the North part – that’s where things get interesting. North of what exactly? What size northern region are we talking about? Northern Wisconsin? The Northern Midwest? The whole top half of America? Depending on your perspective, you’re more than welcome to pick your own response. But instead of focusing too tightly on the geography of the North, we ask you to consider the broader imagery, emotions, and

adding fuel to the local economy, and demanding the attention and investment it deserves. However, none of this means the evolution of our music scene (or economy) is complete. It simply means the stage is set – that we now have the makings of something extraordinary. Organically, our musical trajectory has been on the right track for many years, but we have a decision to make. We must decide if we support this evolution with a more hands-on approach, making investments aimed at the next level. Because there’s plenty more work to be done. And there always will be. To explore these concepts, we’ve dedicated the entire 68 front pages of this huge issue to six critical areas – our vibe, our roots, our craft, our seeds, our growth, and our investment – and we’ve invited some of our good friends to weigh in. Threaded throughout these sections you’ll see an array of voices from inside our community as well as those on the outside looking in. But the stories and essays you see in these pages are only part of the narrative. Online you’ll find much more at VolumeOne.org/MusicCapital. There we layer in video, audio, and data, creating a deeper exploration of what being the Music Capital of the North means. And please, feel free to add your thoughts to that mix – it will be better because of it. This month, with the sweeping, international facets of the new Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival, added to the already huge draws of Rock Fest and Country Jam, the eyes and ears of the globe will soon turn toward our humble community. More than 100,000 people – music lovers – will flood into the Chippewa Valley from throughout the country and abroad. Music and arts media from all over the world will point their lenses in our direction. Many will try to put a finger on exactly what’s happening here, trying to define this place, its music, and its people. Really, what they see here and the opinions they form probably don’t matter. Because here in the North, we’ll just keep doing our thing, quietly building the best version of our community we can possibly create.

the geographic connotations aren't necessarily meant to be taken literally – there's a lot more packed into that phrase than boundaries and borderlines. .

recollections that the North conjures up in us all. The land, the woods, the water. The vibe, the attitude, the work ethic. In that sense, The Music Capital of the North is a bit less tangible, and a bit more true. It’s more a way we go about things – a sort of unspoken collective understanding of our cultural place in the world. No, we are not Austin, Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, or even Minneapolis – nor do we yearn to be. Contrasting our music scene and economy with what we see in those cities takes you well outside the conversation. We simply strive, day after day, to be the best version of our community we can possibly be. And in doing so, we’ve gradually evolved into a serious music town – one that’s somewhat surprised by its suddenly growing national reputation. A music town with its own pace and energy up here among the woods and fields of Wisconsin. A music town that, more than ever, is

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PRESENTED BY

In 1990 I was a bumbling knucklehead who thought he wanted to be a writer (this status remains unchanged). That same year, Larry Barr try Jam USA music festival in the Town of Union. The following year, I wrote a magazine piece about a country band in Hayward. It was the only article I’d ever written about country music. Wasn’t long, and Country Jam USA started attracting national attention. An editor from Nashville-based Country Weekly called Eau Claire Leader-Telegram entertainment editor Bill Foy and asked if he would write about the festival for their magazine. When Bill said he already had his hands full, the editor asked if he knew anyone else in the area who covered country music. Having seen that one single piece of mine, Bill mentioned my name. A short time later my phone rang. “Are you the guy who writes about country music?” “Yes I am.” It was the only answer. What followed was a series of assignments – beginning with brief pieces

house, start a family, maintain a small busi– always in the Chippewa Valley. When it comes to numbers, others can make the case more aptly and more mathematically than I. And I’m just grizzled enough to say the minute you start euphonizing a “scene” you are one step closer to euthanizing it. Nor is it useful to pin the scene on any one person. Any one the musicians (anyone who thinks music is all soft hands in la-la land might wish to spend time lugging gear with a sound crew, or crawling the rigging after wayward lighting, or replacing the u-joint on a band van in a snowdrift at 3 a.m.). I hearken back to the rented pastures of 1990 because there is more to the examination of a music “scene” than leveraging local Grammys (that in fact are already history). When I instruct my New York publisher to direct their funds toward reserving a Chippewa Valley studio and a Chippewa Valley engineer when it’s time to record audiobooks, I am drawing on a tangible, fungible thread passing from the birth of Country Jam to the post-For Emma Age. How grateful I am to have observed and

when i mentioned meeting mcgraw and his (now wife) faith hill years ago at a country music festival, his eyes lit up. "was it eau claire?"

interviews conducted backstage at Country Jam – that led to other stories (about country music singers, country music bus drivers, country music truckers, and pretty much anything tangentially related to country music) that wound up in other music publications, newspapers, regional and national magazines, trucking magazines, business magazines and – clear back in 1997 – an interactive multimedia piece (as in, the GIFs worked on dial-up if you had time to wait) for Discovery Channel Online. cant portion of my self-employed survival was obtained via writing drawn on that fortuitous Country Jam assignment. Early on I spent that music-writing money on Eau Claire rent, Eau Claire groceries, an Eau Claire dentist (maybe you couldn’t tell?), and – somewhere in there – something called a mocha in a brand new joint called Racy D’Lene’s Very Coffee Lounge. The income born out of those Country Jam assignments also allowed me to work on other writing projects, including the self-published books that eventually led to my being able to buy a

words by

visions of others. And how important for me to learn – over and over and now at the age of 50 – that if I keep singing the same old chorus I might fail to hear the sound of the next generation writing a new bridge. These days I don’t write about country mudown to Nashville to interview Tim McGraw for a magazine piece. When I mentioned meeting McGraw and his (now wife) Faith Hill years ago at a country music festival, his eyes lit up. “Was it Eau Claire?” Yes it was, I said. “Well I’ll tell you what … Faith and I, we’d that festival too and during my encore she ran onstage right behind me – I turned, and instantly I knew I was in love with her. That was the moment that set up the rest of our lives.” Music in the Chippewa Valley. You never know what it might lead to.

MICHAEL PERRY

After so many months of snow and sleet rushing down onto the rooftops and side theaters and bars and our own little living rooms, a blue sky and some green grass seem to be the very best venue. But honestly, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take our tunes in any room, in any season. Because without the nighttime, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really understand the sun. In the chill winter, we hold each other up with lyrics, riffs, and heartlong cold months, like a sleeping animal. Then, when the ice sinks away, we get outside and we play. We show each other what the winter has taught us. Because no matter what falls from the clouds, we always grow.

PRESENTED BY

THE SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES IN DOWNTOWN EAU CLAIREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PHOENIX PARK SEES WEEKLY CROWDS OF 2,000 MUSIC FANS ENJOYING ALL-LOCAL ACTS.

SUMMER WHEN THE WEATHER WARMS UP IN THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY, OUTDOOR MUSIC SERIES PROLIFERATE WITH THOUSANDS OF FANS

by lindsey quinnies / photos by andrea paulseth

ife in the north isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for the faint of heart. We endure lengthy winters and our summer skies are short-lived. Our northern lifestyle looks like toughness, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just being tough. We believe hard work leads to good times. Perhaps thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why when the weather is beautiful, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s truly beautiful to us here â&#x20AC;Ś weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve spent the prior months inside, working hard and enhancing our dreamy interpretation of northern summers and what that means. When summer finally arrives, we look forward to one of the most significant aspects of summer living â&#x20AC;&#x201C; outdoor music. Over the past few years, the abundance, attitude, and accessibility of small-scale outdoor concerts in the Chippewa Valley has become a sincerely extraordinary, distinctive experience. There are currently 15 weekly outdoor concert series on six different nights of the week throughout the Chippewa Valley (not including regular venues that offer outdoor performances sporadically, larger outdoor festivals, and indoor concert series). Depending on the day of the week, there could be more than 3,000 people attending an outdoor concert series per night and up to 10,000 attending per week from June to September â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all within about

MUSICIANS FROM OUTSIDE THE IN THE PLACE WE CALL HOME

a 40-mile radius of one another. Since weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re no big city here, such numbers are notable. For a listing of them all, visit VolumeOne.org/MusicCapital. The ability to attend an outdoor music performance on a near-daily basis has become fundamental to life in the Chippewa Valley â&#x20AC;Ś and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lucky to have that. Many communities have embraced outdoor music culture and offer it in some way, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different here. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only that concerts exist in abundance, but also the quality and aptitude of the artists performing and the way these events are put together. For these weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not talking big-time festivals, but local venues featuring local musicians organized by local people. Artists are beyond eager to participate, and more often than not they perform original material. Coordinators are passionate about offering something beneficial to their communities and showcasing the talent of the people within them. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like we have the magic formula for creating outdoor musical awesomeness. If you look back 10 years ago, this wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the case. Most of the series we have now were developed in the last decade by dedicated individuals who saw the potential and/or recognized the growing demand brought on by the suc-

cess of other series in the area. Many of the concert series organizers shared a common idea that the success of one series seems to inspire the next, which probably contributes to the fact weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen the number of series grow in a snowball effect over the past several years. The success of larger ventures led to more demand for that type of entertainment close to home. Each concert series definitely brings its own panache, but together they create a synergy that shows off the richness of musical styles represented in this area and the talent possessed within each. From blues to indie, jazz to folk, big bands to rock â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the mix. Just to touch on a few, Mondays youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find ParkBeats at Central Park in Osseo, presented by The Heartbeat Center for Writing, Literacy and the Arts. Tuesdays offers Tuesday Night Blues at the Owen Park bandshell in Eau Claire, which greets crowds of 500-plus nightly and has been put on by the Chippewa Valley Blues society for the past seven years. The Volume One Sounds Like Summer Concert Series on

Thursdays in Phoenix Park is now in its 10th anniversary season. The crowd has grown to roughly 2,000 each night and the series has evolved into a weekly festival. Several series sharing the name Music in the Park take place in Altoona, Durand, Chippewa Falls, and Colfax at various venues. Music Over Menomin is hosted in Menomonie by the public library and greets crowds of as many as 400 nightly. Wine Down Saturdays at Autumn Harvest Winery, Summer Concert Sunday at Riverbend Winery, and Hoots and Happening at Bullfrog Fish Farm offer music alongside their refreshment selection throughout the week. I could go on â&#x20AC;Ś A contributing factor to all of this, besides the multifaceted music culture, is the setting. The picturesque landscape is here year-round, but only offers amenable outdoor weather on a shortterm basis. This exclusivity emphasizes our need and adoration for this kind of entertainment when it is obtainable and, I think, contributes to the amount of outdoor music we find readily available here in our home among the woods.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think when you are in a place where you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to look too far to be overcome with nature, isolation, and wonder, it keeps you humble. Humble not because you might have a healthy attitude about your art, but because you might realize how small the things we do really are. And in that smallness, something important happens. A creativity based on true interests occurs, instead of competition and scenes. I consistently sense this in people Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve met there, from instrument builders and musicians, to people working in restaurants and retail. I hope Eau Claire retains this character as it continues to grow. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there, in people and things, should be amplified, so those of us in other places can understand what we might be missing.â&#x20AC;?

- Jon Mueller Milwaukee

s 6/,#!./ #(/)2 0%,% COLLECTIONS OF COLONIES OF BEES

crunching 149

Number of venues with occasional music in the Chippewa Valley *

SAYTH RAPS OVER NORTH HOUSE’S BEATS AT THE HOUSE OF ROCK.

Number of venues with regularly-programmed live music *

EAU CLAIRE’S

Average number of original local bands who play for a crowd of roughly 2,000 people on Thursdays each summer in Phoenix Park

152.4

Average number of Chippewa Valley music events per month *

39.2

Average number of out-oftown bands playing in Eau Claire per month *

$69,670

Successfully pledged on Kickstarter to local music projects to date

44,026,467 Views on the top two YouTube versions of “Skinny Love” combined

Number of bands with deep Eau Claire ties that have received recent national media attention from major music media (NPR, Pitchfork, MTV, etc.), 17 of whom did not include Justin Vernon.

*according to the Volume One event calendar, over the last 6-12 months

ULTRA-FRIENDLY MUSIC CULTURE LEANS ON COLLABORATION

by zack katz / photo by eric christenson

ou’re in your childhood bedroom closet recording a new EP, rapping over your best friend’s beats – it’s on your own time, and that’s good because there’s not much money to throw around on studio fees anyway. That’s just how Sayth (Eric Wells), one of many local show hounds, has it in Eau Claire’s all for one, one for all music scene. Around here, there’s always a collaborative opportunity, a bill to fill, a helping hand extended to pick up instruments at your lead. And that’s the way it’s always been. The name of the game is collaboration and support. “If I could go to a show for free every night I would … I guess I do most of the time,” Wells said laughing. “There will always be the idea that if it’s local it probably won’t be good – that’s completely wrong.” Look at Paul Brandt. The multiinstrumentalist and jack-of-all-trades is a member of probably a dozen local bands like Meridene, The Frenettes, The Jim Pullman Band, The Rattlenecks, The Gentle Guest, etc. Similarly, Dave Power can be found behind a drumkit with Aero Flynn, Meridene (with Paul), Adelyn Rose, PUNCHER, Terminator Jeans and more. The point is: Just because you’re in one band, it doesn’t exclude you another. And the same can be said for many other musicians in the Valley who aren’t tied to just one project. You could maybe chalk it up to the abstract “Midwest-nice” idea, but the culture of Eau Claire’s scene is ultrafriendly – and ultra-active. Most of the musicians in town are friends with many of the other musicians in town, and everybody’s trying to throw shows all the time, be it house show or bar gig. The first law of Eau Claire shows:

If you want people at your own, you’ll have to make your way to theirs first. And that’s no new principle. Crowds at the Mousetrap or the House of Rock are routinely peppered with lead singers, guitarists, drummers: Musicians who might catch a little inspo from their peers on stage. Chances are, even some of the city’s newest faces have overheard a pseudohistorian cool guy name dropping spots like Nate’s Dungeon between cigarette drags outside of The Joynt. The “dungeon,” a uniformly glorified punk basement venue that reached its peak in the mid-2000s, is one prime example of what sort of creative effort Eau Claire has always been so graciously galvanized to produce. All it takes is one good idea to create something cool like the Dungeon, when there’s so many kids in the scene that are actively ready to support it along with their friends. Nobody in Eau Claire is afraid to get their hands dirty if it means a cool show can happen. These sort of places come in waves; there always seems to be a surprise when one venue dries up with its lease contract, but never a surprise when the next gathering of musically-inclined housemates make their splash. And, along with the collaborative nature comes this friendly oomph that makes for a terrifically comfy “solo artist culture,” as Wells describes it. Lots of folks are doing their own thing, waiting to collaborate on remixes or partnering up for a track or two. But nobody is trying to just do their own thing in a void. In our scene here, it’s all about doing it together. “I struggle with the saturation ... throwing too many shows,” he said. “But when your friends are constantly doing cool stuff, it’s easy to do.”

ACTS FROM VINYL SHOPS TO SCREEN PRINTERS, BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS ARE CRUCIAL TO MUSICAL SUCCESS

by laura lash / photo by mariah hamm

e are all familiar with the philosophical posturing/ party joke, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?â&#x20AC;? Many a musician will create music for the pure love of it and the need to express themselves in this language. More often, however, musicians are eager to share their sound and way of filtering life through their instrument and voice. This musical expression is in turn supported by a community of audience members, fans, and other talented artisans who help spread the word. Here in Eau Claire we have our own scene: There are businesses and actions in place to breathe life into the bands and musicians who call this place home.

revival records Passionate music aficionados have embraced vinyl â&#x20AC;&#x201C; collecting classic records as well as purchasing new releases on vinyl â&#x20AC;&#x201C; insisting that certain things simply sound best on vinyl. Revival Records is a wonderful environment for sampling music, getting exposed to local acts and picking up new releases (head in for â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Release Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;?). Their inviting space asks you to browse and flip through the titles, to stay for awhile taking in the visuals of the packaging around you as familiar music flows from their speakers. Take a seat by the record player, don the headphones and listen to the album you want to take home. Gig posters on the wall let you know of upcoming local shows and announce in-store performances of acts passing through. Revival also participates in Record Store Day (this year it was April 18), an annual international event in which droves of dedicated fans flock to their local record stores to show some love and pick up special Record Store Day releases.

ambient inks Ambient Inks + Knorth Studios work together to create promotional materials for local and national acts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Honestly, the rich music scene has been extremely instrumental in our continued growth, and a big reason why weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve decided to call this town home base,â&#x20AC;? says Aaron Brice of Ambient. Founded six years ago by Aaron Brice, Ashley Raymond, and Tim Brunner after they graduated from UW-Stout, the business has now grown into their dream location on Water Street. Ambient Inks provides merchandise production, design, and online fulfillment while keeping a homegrown and personalized feel, working with all bands, regardless of their size. They will be producing all of the Eaux Claires Festival merchandise, including creating a gig poster gallery onsite that will provide, among other things, an Eaux Claires/band inspired gig poster thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exclusive and specific to a few bands they have hand chosen. Knorth provides various creative services for bands, such as branding, interactive design, animation, web development, photography, and videos. Bands they have worked with include Sylvan Esso, We Are The Willows, Hippo Campus, Lizzo, S. Carey, and many more. Knorth is running point on branding the festival, alongside Aaron Draplin and Michael Brown. Soon the Water Street location will include a retail space

"honestly , the rich music scene has been extremely instrumental in our continued growth, and a big reason why we've decided to call this town home base." AARON BRICE owner, Ambient Inks

where artists can sell their hand-crafted merch. Brice concludes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;All in all, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to establish an environment that gives our clients the opportunity to collaborate, create, and grow.â&#x20AC;?

even more local support Nick Carroll, who books bands for House of Rock, has been part of the local scene for more than 15 years. He spent many of those years running the label Crimes Against Humanity Records,

â&#x20AC;&#x153;My friends and I used to drive up to Eau Claire (we lived in Eleva) whenever Another Carnival would play at The Stones Throw. We were too young to get in but there was a concrete planter positioned in the perfect spot outside the venue, if you stood on it you could see the band performing and more importantly hear the band perfectly! The drummer would chat with us between songs and he even threw me a drumstick once. I still have the drumstick ... itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nerdy I know but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care! These guys were our heroes! I thought back on those moments every time I played there.â&#x20AC;? FROM THE LOCAL SCENE

- Jim Pullman

s 4(% *)- 05,,-!. "!.$ THE RAT TLENECKS

working with a few dozen bands and releasing around 70 CDs/records. With his business Superior Screen Printing he’s now focused on producing merchandise for bands across the globe including Raw Power (Italy), Deathwish (Wisconsin), Wartorn, Vitamin X (Holland), Contagium (Canada), and many more. Driving around town, listening to the radio, you may have scanned by 96.3 WHYS. This nonprofit community radio station has international and local sounds flowing to your ears. Shows such as Hmong Hour, Saturday Night Dusties and Soul Hour, and Jambalaya Shack are spread across their diverse schedule. Backing away from mainstream and ascertaining that we need diverse and under-recognized music reaching us, WHYS is doing a great service for our local musicians and music lovers. Following the example set by the likes of Amanda Palmer and Juliana Hatfield, bands are using online fundraising to raise money for production, release, and touring for new album. Often the funding comes in from local fans, friends, and family once the goal is launched and the dollar amount

SUBMITTED PHOTO

REVIVAL RECORDS (ABOVE) AND AMBIENT INKS (BELOW) ARE TWO OF EAU CLAIRE’S PROMINENT MUSIC BUSINESSES.

pinpointed. Kickstarter has been a go-to for our Eau Claire bands. In 2014, the Dust of Men were able to fund a tour from Iowa to California by raising money through Kickstarter. The Arco Sessions, “a series of in-studio films featuring musicians performing new orchestrations of their songs in Eau Claire,” was fully funded in 2013. Earlier this year, Evergreen Grass Band reached its fundraising goals for releasing a second album. As always, The Local Store is here to sell a library of local artists’ music on record and CD. Local acts perform well-attended and intimate shows within the gallery. Often music is bought because of the sound coming over the speakers in the store and warmly reverberating off the brick walls. Every song sounds like the soundtrack to our life here in the Valley. Moving forward, we can continue to build on the optimism of Aaron from Ambient: “There’s so much untapped creative potential with this city, and I think this type of momentum has to be exponential in force. This goes for bands and all creatively-minded individuals.”

AERO FLYNN PLAYS SOME NEW SONGS FOR A PACKED CROWD AT THE HOUSE OF ROCK IN EAU CLAIRE.

DIFFERENT VENUES COVER EAU CLAIRE’S MUSICAL MOMENTS

by eric christenson / photo by lee butterworth

he ground from which our music scene grows can be sticky with spilled drinks, or carpeted underfoot. The walls can be adorned with ornate columns and patterns just as often as rock ’n’ roll paraphernalia. Our venues are more than a setting and a sound system; they’re the liaison between music and moment. Between sound and emotion. Whenever you see a mind-blowing show, you can always remember where the band was playing. After crunching the numbers, we discovered that there are 68 venues in the Chippewa Valley that are constantly programming original live music. We’ve got so much music being made here, we need these special places to exist – each with their own individual niche in our ever-growing and steadily diversified scene. There are spaces and venues all over the Valley (and in the rural spaces in between) that understand the magic of live music, whether its covers, tribute acts, or local originals – and the music scene simply wouldn’t exist without these places to foster its growth. The House of Rock on Water Street routinely hosts rock, hardcore, and indie shows in a truly vintage space (my mother used to go there when she was a student in the ’70s, back when it was the Oar House) with a legit rock club vibe. While the bartenders are whipping up their notable Bloody Marys, the House of Rock’s stage is shared by a true cross section of local musicians, in genres from bluegrass to death metal.

The Water Street mainstay gets some choice bookings with the help of their promotion company, True Endeavors, while also being wonderfully accessible for local acts wanting to bring their hometown sound to the club. The Mousetrap in downtown Eau Claire is a modest stage in a long room next to the bar. They’ve been hosting shows there forever – and they’re always free! It’s a cool room decorated with acoustic guitars and Leinenkugel’s collectables hanging over the stage. The townie vibe is essential to your good time. The Mousetrap is really good to local bands and has even hosted a secret show or two, so this is not a venue a to sleep on. Just down the street, The Plus has risen as a hotbed for great live music, utilizing its giant back room for stuff like battle of the bands competitions, charity events, comedy shows, and versatile stage set-up for different types of music weekly. The Plus’ Tuesday night open mic was voted the Best Open Mic in the Valley according to our 2014 Best Of reader poll, and it’s a great weekly training ground for area musicians to show off their stuff in front of a crowd. And many

rising local stars like Sayth, The Millenium, and Lauren Anderson have made good use of the mic, which routinely draws a happy and decent-sized crowd. The Acoustic Café in Eau Claire offers a deep pool of different kinds of live music on a regular basis, everything from jazz nights to string bands, ethnic and world music to acoustic songwriters, and more. It’s a big, echo-y room, but fill it with music and it warms up instantly. Other spots like Menomonie’s Acoustic Cafe and vegan spot The Raw Deal are regularly game to throw a live performer on stage in a welcoming, comfortable setting and warm ambience. Nearby, the State Theatre is constantly having huge touring performers swing through. Everything from enormous country stars like Clint Black to nostalgia trips like Rusted Root to tribute acts to standup comics. The State is able to secure some pretty cool touring groups to come through its 1,100-seat space every month, while hosting local theater, art, and more in between. Other local theaters like Menomonie’s gorgeous Mabel Tainter Theater and Eau Claire’s Grand Little Theater have hosted live music in addition to their regularly scheduled theatrical productions. When you’re watching and hearing live music, the setting matters. Our theaters, cafes, bars, houses, basements, and parks are all facilitators of the musical experience and the sound of our city. If there’s room to sit, sit. If you have to stand, stand. If you want to dance or sing along, go ahead and do both.

whenever you see a mind-blowing show, you can always remember where the band was playing.

ADELYN ROSE CRAMMED INTO THE BASEMENT OF GLASSWORKS PLAYHOUSE FOR A SHOW BEFORE THE VENUE SHUT ITS DOORS LAST YEAR.

SOUND D.I.Y. HOUSE SHOWS PLAY A SIGNIFICANT UNDERGROUND ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ARTISTS – AND THEY’RE ALL AGES

by eric christenson / photo by jesse johnson

ust a few blocks off the beaten path, Eau Claire’s house show scene is quietly making a ruckus. House venues and DIY spaces have long been a critical part of Eau Claire’s indie and hardcore scenes. For the past decade or more all over our city, driven and brave souls have opened up their living quarters for local and touring bands to perform in. By turning houses, basements, and living rooms into show spaces, hosts provide a stellar (and all-ages!) training ground for new artists to play for friends of friends. Despite light tendencies toward underage drinking, noise complaints, and some inherent shoddiness, these are places where young musicians can be nurtured into prevalence in a loving community of performers and show-goers under the warm glow of outof-season Christmas lights. Nate’s Dungeon was one of Eau Claire’s legendary basement venues, operated by Nate Sorenson for an entire decade (and then some) of sweaty hardcore and punk shows. Putting out the word with Xeroxed flyers and sly word of mouth, Nate’s Dungeon had over 100 shows in Sorenson’s mother’s Eastside Hill basement throughout the Aughts until running out of steam just a few years ago. Last spring, Softly House (a house venue operated members of the band Softly, Dear) closed its doors after the dudes graduated, picked up, and moved. Similarly, the Glassworks Playhouse (an all-ages spot run by the guys in Glassworks Improv) – which regularly had comedy and music acts – shut down as the renters moved out. After that, it looked like Eau Claire’s indie scene would be without a single house venue. But soon after those closures, a few new ones – Lake House, House of Broken Mirrors, and Hudson

House – came into existence simply because the scene needed them to. And the Softly, Dear dudes have since ramped up their own house venue in Minneapolis called Green Greens, where a bunch of Eau Claire artists have already been able to play, making it a sort of subtle extension of Eau Claire’s DIY network. What’s amazing is that as soon as a house venue in town calls it a day, it only takes a matter of months before somebody else takes the reins and hosts someplace different. They just keep popping up; it’s the pure nature of rental housing, combined with our resilient DIY scene. Usually about every year or two, there are one or two new basements throwing shows and one or two closing their doors for good. Chalk it up to members of the music scene realizing that they need venues like these to get an entirely new subset of people engaged, involved, and creating. What makes Eau Claire’s house show scene unique and cool isn’t each venue individually, but rather the resilience of the house show idea. No one would consistently go through all the work of booking, promoting, cleaning, managing sound, talking to neighbors, and organizing everything if it wasn’t worth it, right? Nobody risks inviting people (and strangers) into their homes – even temporarily – to throw serious basement shows unless it’s completely essential to the well-being of our little arts community. No, house shows will never completely replace “legitimate” venues, but for their purposes, they’re 100 percent necessary. These are comfortable, safe, all-ages spaces that allow for community, expression, the freedom to be completely experimental and to have fun, and – most importantly – to make good art freely accessible to those who long for it.

tilt your ear to the valley A NON-MUSICAL REGULAR JOE FINDS HIS NICHE IN THE SCENE |

here comes a time in every teacher’s life when one’s commonalities with one’s students becomes the wedge. When one learns that a line like, “You guys hear the new Phil Collins jam?” no longer holds the cultural cachet it once did. When my day came, when I knew I risked losing those students forever, I did what any concerned teacher might do: donned my coolest pair of cargo shorts and loitered the local record store. It was time to join the 21st century; which, coincidentally, looked a lot like the 20th century in regards to the renewed popularity of vinyl. I joined that wave of

tion of some rare bootleg I was allegedly in search of. But the truth was nobody was interested in why I was there, only that I was. Though I’d initially stepped foot inside to enhance my street cred, even in the moments when I didn’t (see: my Huey Lewis and the News collection), nobody much cared. The store’s owner certainly didn’t,

months and doing my best to blend in. By

just consumers of music, but creators, too.

with a furrowed brow, made frequent men-

but they also loved making the music that would one day create that groove. I suppose I shouldn’t have been sur-

perhaps our musicians know this lesson best, foregoing the usual self-aggrandizing trappings of the rock star life and focusing instead on using their gifts to give us one.

just seemed happy to share their longtime love of music with a guy falling for it for Soon I became a regular, and once I dropped my brow-furrowing act and began engaging in honest conversations, I learned

arriving in the Chippewa Valley four years back, I was immediately informed that I now lived in a place with an “unexplainably vibrant music scene.” I didn’t buy it – at least not the “unexplainable” part. Surely, I thought, there had to be a reason. And by what measure, I wondered, were people making this claim? Grammys per capita? Music festivals per acre? The abundance of open mics? Today, I wonder if proof of our music scene’s vibrancy might be gauged by a more unconventional indicator: the fact that a guy like me could be welcomed into a record store, fall in love with the scene, and then, for reasons beyond his understanding, be asked to write an essay such as this. I was anxious to do so, anxious to give back to the musicians who have given me so much. Previously, my primary contribution to the music scene was two ears and a will-

ingness to listen. Though today I can offer something more – an explanation for our so-called “unexplainably” vibrant scene. Last spring, while waiting in line to hear local superstar S. Carey perform, I struck up a conversation with the guy next to me. I’d heard he’d played on a Sufjan Stevens album, and as a fan, I was anxious to hear more. We chatted for a bit while we wove through the line, though as we approached the ticket taker, he excused himself. “Nice meeting you,” he called before vanishing. “Nice…” but he was already gone. Half an hour later when S. Carey took the stage, so too did my buddy from the line. He was a member of the band, though as humble as he was, he hadn’t thought to mention it to me. In a single encounter, he solved the mystery: Our scene’s vibrancy is a result of our musicians’ humility. It’s easy to stay humble here in the Chippewa Valley. The landscape makes sure of it. From the hundred-year-old pines to the thousand-year-old rivers, every natural wonder reminds us that our time here is brief. So brief, in fact, that we know better than to waste a moment doing anything other than our art. Perhaps our musicians know this lesson best, foregoing the usual self-aggrandizing trappings of the rock star life and focusing instead on using their gifts to give us one. Those of us who receive it have an obligation to give something, too. Not only two ears and a listen, but an interest in spreading the good word about great music when our musicians are too humble to do so. Though I can’t play an instrument, I can sure toot a horn. And I promise you that the buzz is real, our musicians are real; tilt your ear to the valley, take a listen.

B.J. Hollars is the author of several books, including the forthcoming From the Mouths Of Dogs: What Our Pets Teach Us About Life, Death, and Being Human

TH E H ISTORY & TR A DITIONS OF A RI CH LOC A L SCE NE

About how all they are is history. That’s it. They did their job, and now brittle picture frames sitting atop your Grandma’s tired farmhouse piano. Roots are memories. That’s the idea. And we need to kill that idea. Because roots are always there, planted below us, holding us steady, constantly toiling, feeding us exactly what we need to survive and to grow. Not then. Now. For years, decades, and even centuries gone by, the music venues, the bands, the movements and the scenes and the shows we’ve loved. We’re not simply built on top of all that. We’re a part of it, above ground, and branching out. If you think a tree’s roots are in its past, well ... you don’t know much about trees.

PRESENTED BY

THE LUDINGTON GUARD BAND HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR OVER 120 YEARS. BASED IN MENOMONIE, THEY PLAY CLASSIC BAND MUSIC ALL OVER THE REGION.

THE VALLEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MUSICAL TRADITIONS RANGE FROM BRASS BANDS TO ROCK â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ROLL DECADENCE

by scott morfitt

he music tradition is built into the DNA of the Chippewa Valley. This is not meant to be a flip comment or an easy intro sentence to keep you reading through the next few paragraphs; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simply the truth. The more you dig into our music landscape and try to decipher what is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;little tâ&#x20AC;? tradition versus a â&#x20AC;&#x153;big Tâ&#x20AC;? tradition you become immediately aware that we have a community so willing to musically collaborate that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tough to make this distinction. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not confining ourselves stylistically whatsoever in our traditions. Our traditions are not just steeped in history and high art. Some of our traditions are also sweaty and smell a bit of lager, though what truly makes this so poignant is you get to see the same musicians and fans enjoying this wide spectrum of musical traditions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sometimes even crossing through both ends of the spectrum in one night.

MUSICIANS FROM OUTSIDE THE IN THE PLACE WE CALL HOME

bands and bandshells One of the oldest of these is Menomonieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ludington Guard Band. Officially founded in 1888 after supporting a cavalry regiment of the same name, the band was organized by Charles Ingraham. Over time the band has grown from 11 to 70 members. From its early days on, this band played throughout this region bringing soaring music to warm summer days. Keeping Eau Claire covered in both patriotic standards and cinematic scores is one of our oldest community organizations, the Eau Claire Municipal Band. This band not only provides free entertainment to fans throughout the summer months in the historic Sarge Boyd Bandshell at Owen Park but also is a great example of inclusivity: Membership in the band is open to musicians of all ages, and musicians are encouraged to just bring their

instruments and music stands and the band will help with the rest. However, ensemble traditions are not limited to Sousa marches and Fantasia orchestrations. We also are privileged to have an amazing choral ensemble, The Master Singers; traditional orchestra music from the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra; symphonic masterpieces from the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra; and a cornucopia of jazz stylings from the Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra.

a night of decadence Next, we get to the part where our tradition wears fishnets: the Decadent Cabaret. This staple of the Eau Claire music scene has featured a definitive listing of rock bands from this area. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking pretty much every band thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever lived in or near this town. Making it even better for one night only

these original bands are playing cover tunes. To complete the fungasm, this is also a costume party. Throughout its 35 years this festival has been held at many former venues like the Golden Chair, Brat Kabin, and Stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Throw before finding its current home at the House of Rock for the last 11 years. What keeps this tradition alive is simply the wealth of talent from Eau Claire bands and a labor of love from the many people who have organized it. This festival attracts the whole gamut of sub-genres that we use to divide rock â&#x20AC;&#x2122;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll. This is not just three days of amazing music; this is a musical reunion that unites many scenes and crosses age boundaries. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the bridge that a sustainable scene needs. Organizer Brent Kuechenmeister does have one critique: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see more people coming out in costumes. The whole thing is intended to be Halloween, Mardi Gras, and New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all rolled into one.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eau Claire and our hometown of Duluth are like twin sisters â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both in the shadow of the larger â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;rest of the world,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; seeming at times to be at the very edge of civilization â&#x20AC;&#x201C; cities and sophistication to the south, east, and west, while the vast emptiness of the north looms at our backs. Always welcoming, humble, but hopeful. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve played here many times, and for better or worse, it always feels like home. May Eau Claire continue to be an inspiration and proof of what a small town can produce, with just a little faith and a lot of work.â&#x20AC;?

- Alan Sparhawk Duluth

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holiday togetherness Another holiday tradition that brings together Eau Claire is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Eau Claire.” This annual online mixtape brings together lo-fi recordings from all sorts of Chippewa Valley musicians. The idea is quite simple: Artists email their homerecorded songs to organizer Andy Plank and he creates a playlist at VolumeOne. org in the order the songs were received. What is crazy is the process results in one of the most listenable holiday compilations pretty much ever. The songs move between experimental dissonance and reverential beauty without a pretense that the compilation be anything other than a grouping of gifts under the Eau Claire music tree. One thing that all of the above traditions have in common is the fingerprint of the UW-Eau Claire music program. Every one of these traditions involves musicians who spent hours plying their craft in the practice rooms and recital halls of the Haas Fine Arts Center. That tradition is seen most publicly in the jazz program at the university. The program has produced Grammy nominees and hosts an annual Jazz Festival that fills every venue in downtown Eau Claire. This festival features performances from nationally renowned artists at historic venues such as the State Theatre. It includes the 52nd Street event, which fills every possible space in

our traditions are not just steeped in history and high art some of our traditions are sweaty and smell a bit of lager.

downtown with performances from area jazz ensembles of all styles and sizes. It’s the closest thing to a jazz-based South by Southwest I’ve ever seen. In the end, all of these traditions have the same aim: to make great music and make this a better place. That’s what keeps many of us here year after year, consistently blessed and amazed at the wealth of talent that runs deep in the Chippewa Valley. If I missed your tradition that was not my aim at all. Either let me know in person and I’ll buy you a beer at The Joynt or, even better, post it below the online version of this article so we can all learn more. MIKE O’BRIEN ANNA MATEFFY

THE EVERGREEN GRASS BAND CHANNELED THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS AT DECADENT CABARET 2012 (ABOVE) AND HEADLINER TERELL STAFFORD LIT UP THE STAGE AT THE EAU CLAIRE JAZZ FESTIVAL THIS SPRING (BELOW).

PHIL COOK (LEFT) ANDREW NEESLEY (RIGHT) STILL FIND A PIECE OF THEMSELVES IN THE VALLEY

SUBMITTED

SCOTT HARRIS

other uprooted musicians

UPROOTED

THESE FOLKS (& MORE) GREW THEIR MUSICAL ROOTS HERE

MUSICIANS WHO FIND SUCCESS ELSEWHERE STILL KEEP THEIR HEARTS HERE

by ken szymanski

hen musicians leave the Chippewa Valley, we wish them the best. Really, we do. But if they achieve success by leaving this place, what does that say about those left behind? That you can’t make it in Eau Claire? Justin Vernon’s success proved that this place is not a dead end. You don’t need to escape to a coast or a metropolis. But sometimes you do. Take two Chippewa Valley musicians who left town around the same time as Vernon … but unlike Vernon, they never migrated back: Andrew Neesley and Phil Cook. Neesley (The Andrew Neesley Quartet, Jesus on the Mainline) moved to New York and Cook (Mount Vernon, DeYarmond Edison, Amateur Love, Megafaun, The Shouting Matches, etc.). moved to North Carolina. Over a decade later, each is still in those respective places, happily making a living creating music.

"it's only the last five, six years that i've gotten that kind of playing time that i had in my time in eau claire. that's where i figured out how to be a professional." ANDREW NEESELY former Eau Claire musician

Neesley, as an award-winning UW-Eau Claire music graduate, created a popular weekly live jazz gig at The Stone’s Throw in downtown Eau Claire. Now in New York, he’s producing, writing, and playing music and for himself and countless others. He’s been nominated for a couple of Grammys for live albums on which he’s played trumpet. And the schools he works with – such as the Manhattan School of Music – and all of the businesses and musicians who hire him are often a simple train ride away. “In a city of millions there’s a lot more ‘work’ work,” Neesley said in a recent phone interview from New York. “Everybody likes to pretend they’re doing the creative stuff all the time, but you gotta make the doughnuts sometimes. And here, there’s just a ton of nuts-and-bolts work. There’s a lot of people here with a dollar and a dream. So life is good. I’m staying busy. Living the dream … or grinding away – take your pick,” he said, laughing. With those types of opportunities sometimes unavailable in the Chippewa Valley, Neesley’s new home makes his time in Wisconsin nothing but a pit stop on this way to success … except that it’s not. “I might be a New Yorker now, but I left my heart in Wisco for sure,” he says. “I still consider myself a Wisconsinite. If I didn’t have to be in New York to make a living, I’d be having a Berghoff at the Joynt and talking shit with Manas right now. I will come back the hell I want.” And he recognizes that his special Eau Claire experience is what enabled him to do what he does now. “The day-in and day-out of playing in Eau Claire … not a lot of other music scenes can afford a growing musician that kind of playing time,” he said. “You just six years that I’ve gotten the kind of playing time that out how to be a professional.” For Phil Cook, proximity, too, played a role in his successful move to North Carolina, where most of

This Chippewa Falls songwriter moved to Nashville in 2009 following winning a fullride scholarship to St. Paul's McNally Smith College of Music. Since then she has released four albums featuring her own style of Americanameets-pop.

This Eau Claire pianist and composer calls California his home now, but since then Geoff has been nominated twice for Grammy Awards: Best Latin Jazz Album (for Aurea) in 2009 and for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist (for singer Denise Donatelli's “Don’t Explain” in 2010.)

Born in Madison and majoring in music at UW-Eau Claire, Worf later moved to Nashville and became one of Music City’s top session bassists, recording and/or touring with the likes of Shania Twain, Billy Ray Cyrus, Toby Keith, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, and many more.

REID ANDERSON Reid Anderson is a bassist and composer originally from Minnesota who came to UW-Eau Claire to hone his skills before co-founding the critically acclaimed genresmashing jazz trio The Bad Plus back on the other side of the Mississippi in 2000.

“I have been lucky enough to be witness to countless incredible musical moments in the Chippewa Valley, both from the stage and in the audience, but the one that always pops into the ol’ noggin first is DIY Daisy’s set at Decadent Cabaret 2012. I remember losing my MIND when Nick came out in an oversized suitcoat, set down his cassette player, and launched into the Talking Head’s Stop Making Sense performance. He totally embodied David Byrne, and the whole band’s attention to detail– back-up dancers and all– makes me shake my head to this day.” FROM THE LOCAL SCENE

- Sarah Bodeau

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the East Coast can be reached by car within a day. “The access is undeniably more appealing,” he said by phone from Raleigh, N.C. “When we lived in the Midwest … Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Madison were our four options. Beyond that it was like, ‘Where ya’ gonna go?’ You’d have to really haul somewhere.” With Megafaun, Cook toured the country and Europe several times over, promoting several albums. He became a go-to instrumentalist in the Raleigh music scene and beyond. The diversity of the music projects available is what drew him to North range of gospel, Appalachian, blues, and R&B, combined with a mix of cultures and traditions, North Carolina instincts. He’s there to stay. Still, he considers Wisconsin home – and he’s fully aware of the impact of his formative years here. “You know, it’s immeasurable … it’s immeasurable,” he says. “I would never in a million years and for a million dollars trade the upbringing that I had and where I grew up.” The long isolating winters – often viewed as negatives – have a way of

what your hobbies are,” he says. “People have hobbies in Wisconsin like nobody’s business. It’s like Hobby Zone, man! It’s a hobby land!” he laughs. “The climate

joy, and people really cling to that. And it becomes a big part of your identity. And me, and Justin, and the Mount Vernon crew, we found that common love of jazz when we were 15 and explored that all together. And it’s pretty remarkable that they’re still my group of best friends now, 20 years later.” And Cook couldn’t say enough about the support he received from the people of the Chippewa Valley, from musical mentors to supportive audiences starting when he was a teenager. With fewer entertainment options, people appreciate the music more, he says, and support those who are creating it. Now, with a new band, The Guitarheels, his debut solo album ready for release, and a spot on the line-up of Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival, organized in part by his former bandmate, Cook has a chance to move forward while still embracing his roots. “I kinda look at it like this, man: Mount Vernon was summer camp, DeYarmond Edison was high school, Megafaun was college or graduate school, and what I’m doing with The says. “It took a long time. It took almost 35 years to get this point.” And he’s bringing it back here, where it all began. Or, as Cook puts it: “That is some looong arcing full circle shit …” he says, with that Wisconsin laughter, echoing all the way from the coast.

FYI, A WHOLE LOT OF PROMINENT TWIN CITIES MUSICIANS MAINTAIN STRONG TIES TO EAU CLAIRE.

IT’S ONLY MANY TWIN CITIES MUSICIANS HAVE EAU CLAIRE ROOTS, BUT THE ROAD GOES BOTH WAYS

by thom fountain

lot of musicians have driven the stretch of Interstate 94 between Eau Claire and Minneapolis, sometimes on tour, but other times to move their lives and try their luck and their craft in a new locale with a new crowd. That’s what brought Drew Christopherson and Mel Gibson and the Pants to the Twin Cities in 2001. “I think we hit that point where not only did we want to grow our musical

level, we wanted to try a new audience,” he said. “It wasn’t necessarily that we wanted to leave. We wanted to spread out to a new place.” Since that move, Christopherson has done pretty well for himself. He and Mel Gibson member Ryan Olson1 have gone on to become stalwarts of the Minneapolis music scene as members of Polica2 and working with a number of the city’s well-known hip-hop artists. Other Chippewa Vallians have found similar success like Solid Gold3, Peter Miller4, Savannah Smith5, Feng Meng Vue6, Vacation Dad7, and far more than my editors have space for me to list. The relationship between our two – OK, three (I gotchu, St. Paul) – cities obviously starts with the big lights syndrome that strikes almost any teenager or 20-something living somewhere without a skyline. That’s what brought Kyle Frenette to the Twin Cities for college, and then brought him back in 2013. Frenette, the late 20s music industry pro who owns Middle West Management and has managed Bon Iver through its meteoric

rise, said the allure of Minneapolis is its the communities. For example, Eau size – big, but not too big. Clairian Ryan Olson met Minneapolis “For a kid from Chippewa Falls, Minrapper Lizzo after moving to the city and neapolis is the big city, but traveling as I brought her back to record at April Base have in the last few years I realized it’s a – Justin Vernon’s studio in Fall Creek – pretty small city and feels different from where she ended up collaborating with other major metro areas,” Frenette said. Vernon on that record. “It feels like a small community, “It’s all connected now,” Frenette but there are skyscrapers. And said. “And it’s no one person’s that’s how the music scene doing. That’s just the natural here feels. Everyone knows Midwestern invitation to each other and everyone’s collaborate.” supportive of each other.” Moving forward, ChrisBut like any selftopherson hopes more conscious younger sibling, Chippewa Valley artists what we really want to will make the jump and EAU CLAIRE know is what Minneapolis join in on those collaboraCONNECTION thinks of us. tions, from wherever they “I think mostly people are might end up. surprised there’s so many (Eau “Eau Claire has always been a Clairians),” Christopherson said. “When really strong arts community, but I don’t I tell people I’m from Eau Claire they’re think people should be afraid to leave like, ‘Wow, you too?’ ” it,” Christopherson said. “I guess what The stretch of I-94 is of course a I’m saying is keep them coming. The two-way street, which is great news for more Eau Claire musicians that spread Eau Claire. Frenette talked excitedly across the country, the better for Eau about the bridge that’s built between Claire. And for the country.”

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success across the mississippi

JUST A FEW OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLIANS MAKING WAVES IN MINNEAPOLIS (Spoiler: There are a lot more than this)

RYA N OL SO N

GAYNGS, Polica, Digitata, Marijuana Deathsquads, Mel Gibson and the Pants, literally everything “Olson has been the creative force behind some of the

P OLICA Drew Christopherson, Ryan Olson

Adam Hurlburt, Zack Coulter

P ET ER MILLER We Are The Willows, Red Fox Grey Fox

“The seriousness shown when performing nicely balances her jazz-informed cooing and displays a talent for lyrical

Sloslylove, Vandaam, Dogi

Andy Todryk

BUDDY HOLLY (BELOW) PLAYED EAU CLAIRE’S FOURNIER’S BALLROOM (LEFT) ON JAN. 26, 1959, DURING THE WINTER DANCE PARTY TOUR. JUST DAYS LATER, HOLLY, RITCHIE VALENS, AND THE BIG BOPPER DIED IN A PLANE CRASH BETWEEN TOUR STOPS.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY MUSEUM

HISTORY

PHOTO COURTES

Y OF DON LARS

FROM THE JOYNT TO FOURNIER’S, OUR EARS ARE RINGING WITH THE MEMORIES OF THESE CLASSIC LOCAL VENUES

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NEVER A COVER

Facebook: The Mousetrap Tavern

ou had to be there to understand what it was like,” shares a former Eau Claire hourly high tech worker, who requested not to be identified, describing the live music scene in Eau Claire in the 1970s and early ’80s. “I’d leave my job at the end of my shift (midnight) and head straight to Water Street, every night, and I mean every night. Close was 12:30am until it changed to 1:30am. In every bar, there were live bands, beer, and babes. And, I was getting laid just about every night,” he says, chuckling. Yes, to understand the roots of live music in the Chippewa Valley during the 20th century, you need to talk to people, because no one has written the book about them … yet. And the “book” would likely have several volumes, probably one for each decade. A post to Facebook’s “You Know You Are From Eau Claire When” group on the topic drew nearly 100 responses, with as many opinions as individuals answering the question about their favorite memory of local, historic live music venues. And, to understand what happened at the start of the second half of that century – the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s – you need to listen to your “elders,” who age-wise are in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. Among them is Eau Claire native Jim Hoehn – a guy who as a sports reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, picked up a guitar, wrote a few songs, and gathered a following of Parrot Heads – dashed off a quick note from the press box at a recent Milwaukee Brewers game: “A couple of

places come to mind for live music: Pine Point on Tainter Lake near Menomonie, and in Eau Claire, the London Inn and The Barr before it became Fanny Hill.” Larry Barr opened The Barr in 1969 specifically for college students. Anyone under the age of 21 could legally drink because it was located on Crescent Avenue, in the Town of Washington, outside of the Eau Claire city limits. On weekend nights, buses drove back and forth from UW-Eau Claire’s Towers Dorms to The Barr. Over the years, local bands and national acts like REO Speedwagon, Bob Seger, Chubby Checker, Gary Puckett, New Colony Six, and Muddy Waters played there. When the drinking laws changed, the place became the recently defunct Fanny Hill – known for dining and dinner theater – and the future grounds of the Country Jam and Eaux Claires music festivals blossomed nearby. A few years later in 1971, The Joynt – which has been immortalized by (among other people) best-selling author Mike Perry – opened at 322 Water St. From that time until 1994, it hosted approximately 100 national acts, most of whom now look down at patrons from posters on the club’s walls. They included such notables as classically trained jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd; musician and songwriter Corky Siegel; famed folk singer and civil rights activist Odetta; blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist John Lee Hooker; and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal.

ON AND THE CH

IPPEWA VALLEY

MUSEUM

by barbara arnold In downtown Eau Claire at the corner of South Barstow and Eau Claire streets, The Stones Throw was once a hotbed of blues, jazz, and other live music. Located in the famous Barnes Block, it was opened in 1980 by Frank Stone as a fine dining establishment. When it could not make a go, Stone shifted gears and brought in live music with the help of bluesman James Solberg, a local native. Solberg himself eventually owned the place between 1987 and 1993 (legend has it he won it in a card game!) and through the 2000s The Stones Throw was a popular spot for local musicians and touring acts booking gigs between Chicago and the Twin Cities. No discussion of historic live music venues would be complete without Fournier’s Ballroom, which grew from a small dancing academy in the 1900s to a rock ’n’ roll dance hall in the 1950s and ’60s. Located at First Avenue and Ann Street, it closed in 1971 and was torn down to make way for the parking lot of the Eau Claire County Court House. Local acts, such as Paul Marcus and the Pied Pipers, The Thundermen (billed as the Midwest’s original rock ’n’ roll band), or country-western and polka groups, played there on Fridays, while out-of-town groups played on Saturday nights. Fournier’s is best known as the place Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Richie Valens played a week before their fatal 1959 plane crash – “The Day the Music Died.”

old songs in our hearts M U S I C A L T H R E A D S A R E W O V E N D E E P I N T O T H E VA L L E Y ’ S H I S T O R Y |

hen he was but a lad, my friend Noah Taylor asked the adults assembled, Wouldn’t your life be better if you had your own personal soundtrack? Why yes, Noah,

yes it would. Fortunately for Eau Claire, its people have always had songs in their hearts, and I’m not talking about the downtown background music that emanates from a windowless bunker underneath what’s laughingly called the Opera House building (Barstow, Main, and Graham). Speaking of the Opera House, the real one (torn down in 1939 if memory serves) was a building so grand, it and its offerings drew people from Minneapolis and St. Paul. Each roof truss ran 72 feet, giving everyone in the room an unobstructed view. In the 1880s, every one of its 350,000 bricks spoke of Eau Claire as a city that was serious about music. Its heyday represented one peak – there have been many – in Eau Claire’s musical and cultural life. John Barrymore (of those Barrymores) trod the boards there, and Broadway a youth. She’s one of Eau Claire’s many musical daughters and sons. The Opera House came from a local tradition that had raised a Music Hall before it (sadly destroyed by one of Eau Claire’s concert in 1870, that violinist Ole Bull, one of the greatest violinists in world history, rekindled a spark lighted earlier in Madison with a young Eau Clairian named Sara Thorp (the “Thorp Drive” family). Much later, she would help introduce America to Swami Vivekananda and help popularize Indian religious thought in America, but that’s another story.

here, we had german singing societies, norwegian choirs, irish and people supported them by attending, and their kids ran through the crowds like water, just like they do at phoenix park today. Forward towards our time, Grammy nominee, blues guitarist, and former Stones Throw owner James Solberg, raised in Eau Claire, collaborated for decades with Luther Allison, often played alongside John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed. Geoff Keezer has a dozen albums, recorded with Diana Krall and Chick Corea, played the Hollywood Bowl. Peter Phippen has a Grammy nomination for Native American Carnival each came to within an inch of

the big time, and Randy Sabien started his now-long career. These days, I understand from friends that Justin Vernon makes something of a living at the craft. Then there’s the local lore: As every local knows, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper played one of their last concerts here. As quite a few locals know, Bob Seger wrote “Turn the Page” in an Eau Claire hotel room. (I’ve heard he was playing The Barr out on Crescent Avenue, the place that turned into the now-dearly-departed Fanny Hill.) Insane Clown Posse got arrested outside Houligan’s. Tanya Tucker gave a local waitress a $100 tip. Someone I knew saw Poison at Kwik Trip. I personally believe the fact that Eau Clairians have succeeded (relatively quietly) in so many musical genres has something to do with the fact that we have always been (relatively and quietly) tolerant of diversity. Diversity? some of you laugh, I know. There was a time, however, once upon a time, that ethnic diversity meant something in America, a time when people paid real attention to whether you were Irish or Swedish or German, and not just when they were eating dessert at the Christmas table. Here, we had German singing societies, and Norwegian choirs, and Irish camp them by attending, and their kids ran through the crowds like water, just like they do at Phoenix Park today. In a oneLutheran-church town like Porter’s Mills, three miles south of Eau Claire, you either heard a sermon and some hymns in Norwegian, even if you didn’t speak Norwegian, or you didn’t hear any sermon and hymns at all. We were surrounded by different voices, some raised in song, and we just kinda grew up that way.

books. He’s currently the director of the Coos History Museum in Coos Bay on the southern Oregon Coast. He lives in a ramshackle house with his beautiful bride Valerie, eight rescue cats, and service dog named Finn. Before that, Smoot spent 14 years as an editor and re

and then we stretch strings from one end to the other. We hack apart vintage lumber to hear the percussive thwack vibrating through a polished snare lick. Like mad scientists, we wire up calculated, aggressive distortion. We make bluegrass, and of course, we make rock ’n’ roll. We sing the blues, we croon, we rhyme. We improvise bandshells with music composed centuries ago so the people out on the grass can close their eyes and connect. We put it all down on vinyl, on hard drives, and on tape – for the record. For the primal satisfaction of taking that sound we have locked inside our skulls and breaking it free. We do this with each other. We do this for each other.

PRESENTED BY

BEFORE MUSIC CAN BE MADE, SOMEONE HAS TO MAKE THE INSTRUMENTS, AND THREE LOCAL CRAFTSMEN ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR WORK.

by rob reid

ew musicians make their own instruments and equipment. Even fewer make them for other musicians. The Chippewa Valley is home to three businesses whose owners, all musicians themselves, craft fine products for musicians throughout the world.

GORDY BISCHOFF CONSTRUCTS A CUSTOM GUITAR MADE FROM A BUSHMILLS WHISKEY BARREL (ABOVE). BEN HINZ OF DWARFCRAFT DEVICES SHOWS OFF SOME UNIQUE PEDALS.

bischoff guitars If you mention instrument makers in the Chippewa Valley, luthier Gordy Bischoff’s name always comes up first. This is the 40th year Gordy has been making guitars. Bischoff guitars will most likely be well represented at the Eaux Claires festival. Justin Vernon owns three, including a whiskey-barrel guitar and the guitar featured on the song “Holocene” from the Grammy-winning album Bon Iver, Bon Iver. Gordy also builds ukuleles. A guitar-player himself for the past 50 years, Gordy says the ukulele is now his playing passion. He shared a great anecdote about receiving a call from April Base Studio that they had a ukulele emergency. A small group arrived at his shop including a quiet, unassuming man. Gordy lent him a ukulele to finish the recording. That man later asked if he could purchase the instrument. Gordy started writing his name down: “S-u-f-j-a-n Stevens.” In addition to building stringed instruments, Gordy repairs them. He spends long days on both aspects of his career, segmenting his work: a few hours repairing, then setting that work aside to build guitars, sometimes working on a few at a time, and then going back to finishing up the repairs. When not in his shop, Gordy hits the guitar festival scene, having recently showcased his work at the Memphis Guitar Festival. His products can be seen at www.bischoffguitars.com. Gordy compared today’s music scene to what it used to be back in the 1970s when he first moved to the area. It was a bit slower back then but easier for musicians to play enough to pay the rent. He’s upset that venues won’t support them enough today to enable most of them to quit their day jobs. That said, Gordy feels there is a certain “humming” going on today. When he talks to folks outside of the area, they often equate Eau Claire with music.

oliver snare drums Drummer and visual artist Eric Lee began making drums because he hated playing on crappy drums and couldn’t afford the cost of quality instruments. Since that first drum, his business – which is named after his son – has been a viable addition to the Chippewa Valley these past three years. Eric’s snare drums are custom-built specifically to a drummer’s needs and budget. Eric crafts only snare drums, although he did admit that this summer he will build his first kit for himself. Eric is also a visual artist, and one can see that skill reflected in the drums on his website: www. oliversnaredrums.com. Eric is a family man – early to rise, early to bed – which isn’t really conducive to a musician’s schedule. Although a musician himself, he tends to stay on his woodsy spread south of Eau Claire, working on his various projects. Eric is pleasantly surprised how many area drummers will order from him when quality drums can be bought more cheaply from international sellers. Eric has begun showcasing his visual artwork in New York. An art dealer learned about Eric just as he was showing at the Volume One Gallery. His exhibit was followed shortly thereafter by a feature on Wisconsin Public Television. Eric is also busy building a “quirky” play set for the Eaux Claires Festival. The details are “mum’s the word” for now. The finished product is supposed to be a surprise for concertgoers, but a major performer will be showcased on it. We actually sat on the unfinished play set while conducting this interview. There’s a lot of work left to be done on it, but Eric was very calm about the enormity of the project that faces him. Once that’s done, it’s back to the drums.

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dwarfcraft devices Dwarfcraft Devices, a company owned and operated by Ben and Louise Hinz since 2007, specializes in handmade effects pedals and synthesizers. Ben, who also considers himself a musician foremost, created demonstration videos on YouTube and word-of-mouth led to breakthrough sales from a California music store. Ben and Louise have gone on to sell their products all over the world, including Japan, Australia, Switzerland, and Germany.

“We’ve been visitors to Eau Claire on several occasions now and each time we’re struck by the open and unpretentious vibe of the people there. We relate to it being from a town on the outskirts of London, you have to build your own community. There is undoubtedly a very high standard of musicianship, in a very modest way, and it also seems like a real desire to collaborate and be involved in multiple creative projects. Eau Claire has been quietly winning for a while and the festival will draw attention to that.”

- The Staves London

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Musicians who use their products include Weezer, Low, and Justin Vernon. They obviously have fun with their business, proudly proclaiming on their website (www. dwarfcraft.com) that their products are “Built in Eau Claire, WI, while we watch cartoons – because we have the best job.” Most of their business takes place outside of the Chippewa Valley. Louise feels that they learned from those artistic communities to be the artists they are today. That said, Ben and Louise are proud of the local music scene. Ben stated that there are a lot of talented people who choose to do their best work here with no hope of financial reward, yet they continue to make their music. “It is a rare thing that a really good band will play to an empty room in Eau Claire,” Louise notes. Their latest product is the ECX1, “a combination of four pedals worth of stuff plus mixers and oscillators in one unit.” The Wizard of Pitch, a new pedal, is the integral component of the ECX1. Ben will be premiering it at the Eaux Claires Festival, mostly at an onsite interactive demo featuring sound and videos. He claims this new item is a compendium of everything they’ve worked up to this point. Ben says, “It’s like the feature film adaptation of our bestselling book series.” He’ll be able to showcase all of his skills and roles on a grand scale at the festival: musician, engineer, and businessman. The ECX1 will be available for purchase later this summer.

NOBUYOSHI YASUDA HAS CONDUCTED THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY SYMPHONY SINCE 1993

HOW DOES THE VALLEY SUPPORT SO MANY ORCHESTRAS? IT’S THE FANS

by tom giffey

‘W

hen you look around at a community of our size,” music professor and an accomplished violinist. “They support Nobuyoshi Yasuda observes, “they usually don’t orchestra, jazz, choir – anything.” even have one orchestra.” Ivar Lunde Jr. also has conducted a number of those ensemBy contrast, the Chippewa Valley is home bles. A professor emeritus of music at UWEC, Lunde is artistic to more than half a dozen orchestral director for the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra, having ensembles, some of which Yasuda recently stepped down as the ensemble’s full-time con– usually known simply as “Nobu” – conducts. ductor after more than a decade; previously, he conThere’s the Chippewa Valley Symphony (for ducted the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra whom Nobu wields the baton), the Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley Youth Symphony. Chamber Orchestra, the Chippewa Valley Youth “Ever since I came to Eau Claire (in 1968), I ORCHESTRAL Symphony, the Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra, have thought that the scene here has been rathENSEMBLES IN plus the University Symphony Orchestra (Nobu er high quality,” Lunde says. The university’s THE CHIPPEWA again) and the University Chamber Orchestra music program has been key, he says, noting that at UW-Eau Claire and the Red Cedar Symphony many graduates and retired faculty stay in the VALLEY Orchestra in Menomonie. It’s safe to say you won’t region and continue to enrich the music scene. find so many ensembles in one place in the Midwest “What’s unique about Eau Claire,” he adds, “is we outside of a major metro area. don’t have a lot of the (concert facilities), but we’re still There’s no simple explanation for this trove of classical very active.” Because of this, Lunde is excited by the prospect of riches. UWEC’s strong music program certainly plays a big role, a new performing arts center as part of the Confluence Project. but Nobu is quick to credit the loyalty of audiences and other So is Nobu: “For 20 years I have dreamed of this new financial supporters. “The people here love music and just home,” he says of the Confluence Project. Today, he says, “I enjoy going to the concerts,” says Yasuda, who is also a UWEC really feel that our cultural life has really, really developed.”

SUE ORFIELD IS A TITAN IN OUR MUSIC SCENE. ALWAYS DOWN TO COLLABORATE, ORFIELD HAS HER OWN PUBLIC ACCESS TV SHOW WHERE SHE FEATURES (AND PERFORMS WITH) OTHER LOCAL MUSICIANS.

SCENE VETERANS CONTINUE TO SHAPE THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY SOUNDSCAPE

by andrew patrie / photo by andrea paulseth

s music scenes grow, musicians come and musicians go; however, certain acts and artists endure through the alchemy of timing, tenacity, and talent. They exhibit a certain quality, like fine wine or good literature, that distinguishes their sound from the rest, simultaneously, and paradoxically, providing a foundation for the scene and establishing a ceiling for younger artists to climb toward. As it is human nature to sometimes fail to see the entire structure for the surrounding walls, this article’s intention is to highlight some of those whose sturdy shoulders helped build the bandshell within which we raise our glasses, our hearts, over voices today. (Please note this list is not meant to be comprehensive but rather a small sampling of artists, each with more than two decades of musical background of varying styles: jazz, blues, metal, rock. There are many other veteran voices out there: Brent Kuechenmeister, Noel Hanson, and Adrian Klenz, for example, and those well off this writer’s radar, and there is only so much space.)

sue orfield A veritable titan on the tenor saxophone, and lynchpin of Eau Claire’s own Sue Orfield Band, Orfield has established her name on both coasts and beyond. A quick scroll through her band’s website reveals a succinct, yet intimidating, resume, including numerous awards and performances alongside such luminaries as Bo Diddley, Bobby McFerrin, The Indigo Girls, Ann Wilson (Heart), and Dizzy Gillespie. But while her skill is obvious, there is a refreshing absence of ostentation; she takes the stage with such playful abandon it is easy to mistake her for one of us and not the artist we’ve been drawn together to revel in. I asked Orfield how, with all her experience, she ended up calling Eau Claire home. “I moved to Eau Claire, after living in Seattle, because I’d moved back to the Midwest in 2004, to Menomonie, where I grew up,” she said. “And a year later, it was a no-brainer to move to a city with such a wonderful music scene chock full of musicians. I loved it, and I love it more now, as the music scene has blossomed since then.”

joe gunderson You can’t throw a splintered drumstick around these parts without hitting a band Gunderson has played for/ helped out in some capacity. Seriously. The dude is that eager, friendly, and a workhorse behind the drum kit. “I taught myself to play drums at age 21, after really getting into the EC music scene in 1995,” Gunderson gushes. “I went to almost every show I could: Voodoo Love Mint, Venison, Three Liter Hit, Touch Is Automatic, and Ben Shaw. I used these bands as measuring sticks as to where I should be musically and creatively.” An Eau Claire native, Gunderson was drawn back to the music of his hometown after moving to Florida: “I make music here for two reasons: the lifelong

friendships I have made over the last 20 years, and the feeling I get when all band member brains are locked in on a live performance.” Catch Gunderson perform with the Jim Pullman Band, Stare Across, and others.

jim schuh “My first musical trip to Eau Claire was to compete in the Jaycees’ Regional Battle of the Bands at Regis High School on April 12, 1969,” recollects drummer Schuh, who has been playing live music since 1965, most of it right here in Eau Claire. “Two weeks later, our Marshfield-based high school rock band, The American Tea Company, played at The London Inn, a beer bar serving people 18 and older. Shuttle buses ran students back and forth to UW-Eau Claire. I moved to Eau Claire in July 1971 and eventually joined an established band, Saddle Tramp, that played country rock and bluegrass music, followed by Willow Creek, Working Class, The Woodtick Brothers, Sneaker (19851993), Live & Kickin’ and Delta Blues Duo: Howard ‘Guitar’ Luedtke & Drummer Jim Schuh.” Framed by full, flowing locks and a beard of silver tinsel is an affable smile that perfectly characterizes this scene veteran. Anyone who has seen Schuh Fly, one of his current bands, play out knows this burly bear of a man is more teddy than grizzly and has no trouble getting audiences eating out of the paw of his hand.

michael schlenker Though you’re more likely to find Michael Schlenker playing guitar with the Sue Orfield Band today, back in the 1980s “Schlenk” was shredding for Eau Claire based heavy metal band Axis, whose only album, No Man’s Land (1988), is worth seeking out. An eclectic at heart, Schlenker just loves to strum his guitar. Period. Genre be damned. So why not help out a bunch of teachers in need of a guitar player for their all night lock-in graduation gig? (True story.) “My par-

ents always commented that ‘He will grow out of that.’ I guess I haven’t grown up yet,” laughs Schlenker. “I play every day, write, whatever. I really do love it. I am thankful to be able to do it and have people enjoy it.” Schlenker is also proprietor of Speed of Sound, “for all of Eau Claire’s audio/visual equipment needs,” which extends beyond making a band sound great: Schlenker has helped amplify many a high school poet as well. Clearly an integral part of the community here, Schlenker demurs, “I am not real big on talking about myself, and it was never my intention to stay in the area, but things like this (article) make me feel blessed that I did.”

jon olstadt Jon Olstadt has the distinction of playing in not one but two “legendary” Eau Claire rock bands: the first was Venison (sadly, now defunct) and the second is the Drunk Drivers (still chugging). More importantly, it was an Eau Claire band that first inspired a young Olstadt. “One night, many moons ago, I found myself in The Stones Throw. A band called Another Carnival was playing,” he explains. “I had never seen an Eau Claire original act, so we decided to stick around. It was fantastic. I had a lightning rod moment – standing there in front of the stage, I decided this is what I want to do ... I’m going to get into a band! And I’m still having the time of my life playing music with my best friends in the Drivers.” If you run into Olstadt in public, he is apt to engage you first in conversation about what is going on in your life. What is most striking is his gratitude to be making music as part of the community: “This city has a wealth of talented groups and it has been that way for decades. There are always opportunities to play music around town and those opportunities are growing. I’m fortunate to count so many as friends and have learned a lot about music (and beyond) through these connections. I’ve been able to get an education, make a living, raise a family, send my kids to good schools, catch a big muskie, boat beautiful lakes, paddle scenic rivers, hit endless bike trails, look up in the heart of the city and see the northern lights all right here in Eau Claire.”

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THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE MAKES THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY AN ATTRACTIVE RECORDING ENVIRONMENT

by tyler griggs

e spend a lot of time talking about local musicians, but the studios and audio engineers who record our performers are critical to the music scene, too. The people behind the mixing boards at Chippewa Valley recording studios have great talent, but why is that? Perhaps there is something about this area that enables the Chippewa Valley’s sound engineers to do what they do best. “You don’t have to live in New York, Los Angeles, or Nashville to have a successful (music) career,” says local audio engineer Evan Middlesworth. Evan records, mixes, and masters music at Pine Hollow Audio, his own studio just outside of Eau Claire. “A lot of people, especially people coming from the (Twin) Cities, feel like this is a small location. People say ‘X-Y-Z’ studio is great, but they step outside and they’re distracted by the busyness of it all.” The warm, earthy setting at Pine Hollow helps performers let go of whatever’s bothering them and just make music. The ability to disconnect from the grid is a quality Pine Hollow Audio shares with April Base, the Fall Creek studio founded by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. He recorded his Grammywinning sophomore album there with sound engineer Brian Joseph. Brian reasons that the natural stillness and quietness of recording away from the city helps performers

"you don't have to live in new york, los angeles, or nashville to have a successful (music) career." EVAN MIDDLESWORTH proprietor, Pine Hollow Audio

connect on a deeper level. “People that are similar in what they feel is a good time or what they values as far as family and friends … appreciation of beauty and nature … that’s the studio feeling.” As quoted in Volume One’s “The Sound of Eau Claire” feature last Autumn, Bon Iver percussionist and the eponymous S. Carey songwriter Sean Carey said “there is a certain level of … unpretentiousness” to musicians around here. So when musicians leave their troubles on the other side of those studio doors, they are more easily able to leave their ego there as well. Brian Joseph also noted that the

AUDIO ENGINEER EVAN MIDDLESWORTH IN HIS RECORDING SPACE, PINE HOLLOW AUDIO. HE’S HELPED TRACK COUNTLESS LOCAL ALBUMS.

economics of this area helps contribute to the Chippewa Valley’s creative class. “The cost of living around here is reasonable,” he says. “It helps make it possible to carve out a modest living” while you achieve your dreams. Perhaps it’s that the Chippewa Valley breeds a kind of musician

who goes into a studio and records with an uncommon sense of honesty and camaraderie. Plus if a musician connects to nature and the studio naturally reflects that vibe, it seems those are the winning conditions for bringing out the best in our local creatives in our local recording studios.

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LOCAL MUSICIANS HAVE THE FREEDOM AND TECHNOLOGY TO RECORD AND RELEASE ON THEIR OWN TERMS

YOU DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T NEED MUCH MORE THAN TALENT, SOME GEAR, AND AN INTERNET CONNECTION TO MAKE A SPLASH WITH YOUR MUSIC, SOMETHING TONS OF LOCALS HAVE DONE IN RECENT YEARS.

headway with independent releases (without a management company, record label, or PR company behind oneself), but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible, and it happens.â&#x20AC;? This lone-wolf style of indie production and distribution is important to cities of all sizes. It promotes musical diversity, allowing artists to create what they want without all the mess that comes with big budget practices. In Eau Claire alone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a smaller city than music heavyweights Minneapolis and Chicago â&#x20AC;&#x201C; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting the expected singersongwriter folk aesthetic, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also seeing the influx of more hip-hop, electronic, punk, noise-rock, and metal: artists like Sloslylove, churning out waving synthpop, or Adelyn Rose and Hemma with complex, melody-driven alternative rock. Coming to the Chippewa Valley from Minneapolis, I never thought anyone would pay attention to my music, considering I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it was in tune with the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more easygoing vibe. But

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eleven years ago my 13-year-old-son, Toby, asked me to listen to some music. I was a tired single mother, both working and going to school. I had no interest in his teenage music. But wanting to be involved in his enthusiasms, I listened. He played me Big & Rich and System

- Jennifer Hazen

FENG VUE

roducing music was strictly a hobby for me in grade school. Something I could do to feel productive. Instead of parking in front of a television and playing â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mario Kartâ&#x20AC;? for hours, I could channel my creative tendencies into something cool â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something more exciting than piano lessons. Back then I never really thought of recording studios, collaborations, distributors, publishers, or engineers. A few years later, and now everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talking about websites called Soundcloud and Bandcamp. Places where you could release music for free, no third party and no maze-like iTunes distribution. Just make a profile and start uploading. It was a revelation. Instead of producing songs and throwing them on my iPod, I could just send my friends a link. Promoting got easier, publishing was a breeze, and the satisfaction of watching the â&#x20AC;&#x153;playedâ&#x20AC;? stats rise was nothing short of exhilarating. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become fast and efficient for artists to record at home and gain a modest following solely through online connections. This is especially true in my own genres of electronic and hip-hop production. Kids sitting in dorm rooms, lights off in front of laptops, are now some of the biggest names on the Internet. In the past, getting yourself out there took a team of professionals, seasoned and ready to watch you write a fat check for their expenses. Of course, this hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t gone away completely, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a heck of a lot easier for kids with limited funds to promote themselves. Not to say itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to get recognized, however. Dave Power, an Eau Claire-based musician currently drumming with Aero Flynn, has been putting out independently produced music for years, by himself as White Dune, and in the noise rock ensemble Terminator Jeans, among others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When a local musician releases something independently and sees a certain amount of success with it, it teaches their peers and other fellow musicians that releasing stuff on oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own can work, and they will then want to do that, too,â&#x20AC;? Power said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is very, very, very hard to make any sort of

by alex tronson

what I discovered was that, with only a handful of people producing electronic music, people took notice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at least to a certain degree. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt word can spread fast in small towns, though Power doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe this makes it any easier to catch fire. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With my own experience and observations, it can be very hard to selfrelease oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own stuff in small towns because such a small number of people see it,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it is easier to make strides with independent music in bigger towns, because there is a much larger audience, and in comparing Minneapolis to Eau Claire, a larger ratio of excited music listeners, show-goers, and music buyers.â&#x20AC;? Regardless, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeing something cool happen here in the Valley. With the ease and number of independent artists creating and releasing new art, everybody is chipping in to put the Chippewa Valley on the musical map, and I really hope it never slows down.

of a Down. I was electrified and went out searching for more. After that was my first step into the local music scene and I was astonished by our local talent. I want all the local musicians to know that you have enriched the quality of my life. Thank you for the work you do.â&#x20AC;?

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GEOFFREY KEEZER, SHOWN AT THE EAU CLAIRE JAZZ FESTIVAL, HAS PERFORMED WITH THE LIKES OF DIANA KRALL AND STING.

LOCALS WHO GRAB RECOGNITION IN THE INDUSTRY

by mike seitz / photo by andrea paulseth

au Claire is an area bursting with local talent in the music industry. Whether you enjoy the sublime sound from a record or the energy of a live show, the quality of music Eau Claire offers is high. So high, in fact, that some of our own have been noticed on a national scale. A Grammy award is something every musician dreams of and to be recognized on that level – be it as a winner or nominee – is something few have the privilege to say. Here is a list of some local artists who have earned that privilege.

bon iver: Justin Vernon’s

name has become something of a local legend and his band caught a lot of attention in 2012 when they won two of the prestigious awards (after being nominated for four). Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album went to Bon Iver at the 54th Grammy Awards. The often smooth and mellow tones of their music will put anyone at ease; a fresh genre-bending sound, straight out of the Valley.

peter phippen: Peter Phippen is a man

who bought his first flute on a whim and played it for an hour and a half. His only accompanist was the thunderstorm that night. After more than two decades, he has become a master of the instrument,

both musically and knowledgeably. The relaxing style of his music is somber and beautiful, which earned him a nomination for Best Native American Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

geoffrey keezer: Keezer, an Eau Claire

native, is a master of the 88 keys on the piano. When his fingers dance across them, they produce a sound simply enchanting, and that’s what earned him two Grammy nominations. Áurea was nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2009, and the following year he received a nomination for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist for his work with singer Denise Donatelli.

uwec jazz 1: UW-Eau Claire

has one of the nation’s most prestigious jazz programs and only the best perform in the Jazz I ensemble. It’s no surprise they have been nominated twice for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. The up-tempo melodies that Jazz I produces are superb from year to year.

james solberg: James Solberg has

a gift when it comes to the blues. His kickin’ melodies produce a groovy sound whether it’s with his guitar or voice. Along with one Grammy nomination, Solberg’s band has also won the national W.C. Handy Award for “Best Blues Band of the Year” twice.

three chords and a dream NOTHING ELSE TO DO? WELL, FORM A BAND, OF COURSE |

stories past, I thought better about asking from whence he had gathered such sundry parts and instead focused on bringing new life to the creation. We practiced at my place. Friends learned basic chords on bass and rhythm guitars, and microphones picked up what we hoped passed for vocals. My parents and

a bus bench, late enough for the routes to have stopped running, not yet late enough for curfew to make of us a curiosity, across from 2 S. Barstow Street. No longer a physical space today – and known in its last incarnation as the “mural building” – back in the early ’90s it was used for “adult entertainment,” dubbed the “mini-cini” by locals. Its patrons were our targets as we cawed and heckled, from the cobwebbed shadows cast beneath the one jaundiced streetlight, at the lonely men who, cowled in shame, quickened in their footsteps away. I remember one of us saying, “This can’t be all there is to do in this city.” At 16, we wanted desperately to believe him, but all evidence

emptied for errands that suddenly needed to be accomplished during our “jams.” swapped members as often as guitar strings, and tended to render their names iambically: Hot Dish, Milk Truck, Sam Hell. However, our frustration at not being able to play for an audience was all-consuming and overwhelming, and after graduation I only really stayed in contact with a couple

bands sprung up like amplifier stacks swapped members as often as guitar strings and tended to render their names iambically hot dish milk truck sam hell.

seemed to point to the contrary, unless you were 21 and old enough for the bar scene. “Why don’t we start a band?” another offered. We considered this suggestion, deemed it worthy the status of “genius,” and ing like wings, in spite of the fact none of us knew how to play a single instrument. stein’s monster: pieces assembled from other kits, which showed up in my basement one day courtesy of my friend Orion, and like those graverobbers employed in gothic

of the Sam Hell guys: Ryan and Stephan. In 1994 the three of us started playing together in a new band: Curious Jorge (managing We shifted practice pads from my parents’ place to the ear-bleeding, concrete contours of a friend’s college rental. We wrote one song immediately: “Trailer Park Girl,” our sound a bizarre commingling of three-chord pop punk and Amphetamine Reptile-style aggro-rock; covered a song by The Rubinoos, an American power pop group from the ’70s; and re-worked two Sam Hell songs, “Jerry’s

Girl” and the infamous “Wood Cock.” Ryan was also “scratching records” for, at the time, Eau Claire’s most entertaining rock (and carnival) act, Three Liter Hit, which afforded us one of those “right place/ right moment” opportunities (TLH frontman Keith Killoren was rather fond of the song occur on the UW-Eau Claire campus in “The Cabin,” a small, dim room lined with tables and chairs, during the 15-minute intermission between Three Liter Hit’s two live sets. We took the stage that night and opted to open with The Rubinoos song. Ryan played the main riff while I alternated closing the hihat, and kicking the bass drum, with my feet: shh, shh, da-dum, shh, shh, da-dum. … Then the snare/kick four count (ba-tum, ba-tum, batum, crash!) signaled Stephan to hit the lowend and Ryan’s voice shortly followed. Man, this was it, the big time, the inchoate dream, South Barstow, about to be actualized. mere silhouette through the stage lights, risa second, a third, another, and another, people standing not in any kind of solidarity with the band but to leave. his eyes with his hand while uttering, “That cleared the place out.” I should mention the name of that Rubinoos tune: “I Think We’re Alone Now.” We can’t always choose our audience. I go back to those poor dudes emerging from the “mini-cini” to our adolescent jeering. And it’s true that most in attendance the Jorge. But, some people stayed, through “Trailer Park Girl” and the Sam Hell songs. Even those who left lent us an ear for a minute before deciding they had better things to do. I remain grateful for both.

Andrew Patrie teaches English language, literature, and creative writing at North High School in Eau Claire where he lives with his wife and son. He has self-published two poetry collections: Nights, Grace (2006) and Half-Life (Fall 2015). He also writes for the underground Polish metal zine, Burning Abyss.

And when you take a good hard look at what it takes to grow something downright spectacular, it’s enough to make you abandon the

the delicate combination of light and liquid and earth, teetering on a handful of hope, and they get spooked. Some won’t pay the cost. And some people just can’t stand the wait. But this is what we do. Season over season. The simple act of imagining what such a tiny thing can grow into, and what music it might make. It takes relentless grace. Our people have this grace. We plant it with our seeds.

PRESENTED BY

TEACHERS AT THE EAU CLAIRE MUSIC SCHOOL GIVE HANDS-ON LESSONS IN GUITAR AND PIANO FOR YOUNG LEARNERS.

TALENTED TEACHERS, WIDE PARTICIPATION FOSTER A QUALITY MUSIC EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE VALLEY

by eric rasmussen / photos by kelsey smith

nderstanding a music education system that has produced locally and nationally notable musicians for decades, that encompasses public schools, private instruction, and nonprofit organizations, and that enjoys broad community support is an incredibly complicated task. Identifying what elements established the quality of music education in the Chippewa Valley might be all but impossible. So is predicting the effects of emaciated public school budgets versus increased civic engagement in music. Or maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not. Maybe it all comes back to one guy, Donald â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sargeâ&#x20AC;? Boyd, who directed the Eau Claire High School band from 1929 to 1963, and who took over the Eau

Claire municipal band in 1934. According to local lore, he carried a yardstick during marching band practice, and whoever fell out of step received a sharp swat to the back of the knees. Maybe a legendary educator who was committed to excellence in his students created a whole generation of high-quality musicians, which taught the next generation, and which developed a reputation that attracted other gifted educators. Giving Sarge credit for the entire music education system oversimplifies history and ignores a lengthy list of educators and musicians who have established Eau Claireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stature as a destination for music instructors and students. But Sarge is at the center of a theme that describes the training of young musicians in this area better than

any other. As stated by Eric Dasher, current director of Memorial High Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s band program and the Chippewa Valley Youth Symphony, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Success breeds success.â&#x20AC;? And it has been in the Chippewa Valley for generations. One measure of that success is participation in our music education programs. According to Dasher, â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I went to the Macyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parade, all the chaperones were band directors,

and the biggest question from everybody was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How big is your program?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Most of the answers were from 150 to 225. When I said I have 330 kids, with another 120 in jazz, their jaws dropped. The participation here is huge.â&#x20AC;? Rae Schilling, one of the owners of the Eau Claire Music School, agrees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a higher demand for music lessons here than in other similarly sized communities,â&#x20AC;? Schilling says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our enrollment has doubled since ECMS started and is poised to double again.â&#x20AC;? While that level of interest is nice, it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be notable if it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t crescendo into some level of achievement. Our students have that covered, too. UW-Eau Claireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jazz program is often awarded and widely renowned for its quality, the bands at North and Memorial high schools frequently win national honors, and individual students regularly earn scholarships and other recognitions for their musical talents. While plaques and certificates are nice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and trips to New York for the Essentially Ellington festival or the Macyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thanksgiving Day Parade are even nicer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dennis Luginbill, DeLong Middle School band director and longtime participant in Eau Claire music education, cites a measure of success that is simpler and perhaps more profound than anything else: Our community values our student musicians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just look at the visibility of our bands, like at the Memorial Day Parade,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to have events like that, that make studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; music experience in school meaningful.â&#x20AC;? Even if Chippewa Valley musicians and fans are enjoying the output of some complex and inexplicable feedback loop, identifying the contributing factors is critical to maintaining that cycle for the future. The first factor is the simplest, according to Shawn Smets, former director of the Eau Claire Music School: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parental involvement is highly influential in promoting student success, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see any changes coming in that proven truth of parenting.â&#x20AC;? The next major factor is the community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Think of all the places you can go to see music: Acoustic CafĂŠ, Phoenix Park, Owen Park, Stones Throw, the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre,â&#x20AC;? says Dasher. Then, young students need role models, and we now have plenty of locals and former locals making livings from music. Also, as Luginbill points out, several environmental and cultural factors also make big contributions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The weather can be a unifying factor,â&#x20AC;? he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a work ethic, a sense of delayed gratification, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still in place.â&#x20AC;? The Chippewa Valley would be a very different place, at least musically, without any of these elements, but there

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eau Claire is fundamentally a formative nexus of communal and artistic realization. The pathways, in which its inherent nurturing continues to birth, string together narratives far and wide. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only a bedrock of my musical form, but a continual trajectory that constantly evolves and inspires my art. Eau Claire is panoramic ... an unbroken view of past, present and future. Its musical tributaries reach from coast to coast. But drawn from its inimitable source, this reach is tethered to the richness of its people ... the clear waters that have and will continue to spring from it.â&#x20AC;?

- Josh Scott Minneapolis

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MIKE O’BRIEN

EAU CLAIRE MEMORIAL’S JAZZ PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE STATE’S BEST.

is consensus that one factor is the most important. As Smets puts it, “Integral to this system and its success is that here in the Chippewa Valley it has been our privilege to enjoy a considerable number of deeply committed, highly gifted music educators.” The names come quickly off the tongues of anyone discussing music education in the area, and they are referred to like old friends. “Sarge” Boyd, Marv Kuehn, John Mills, Howard Lehman, Bruce Herring, Steve Wells, Peter Haberman, Bob Baca, Nobuyoshi Yasuda, Ivar Lunde Jr., and many more are all musicians, directors, and educators who have worked with thousands of students apiece and have built a reputable music education system in Eau Claire, lesson by lesson, period by period, and performance by performance. This biggest piece of the puzzle is also the one most in jeopardy: State politics has local ramifications, one of which is that Wisconsin is having a harder time retaining talent. Luginbill explains: “The problem with the university in town is that they don’t pay very competitively. The jobs are attracting fewer applicants.” The Chippewa Valley has a rich musical

history, with a lot of people in place who are working harder than ever to maintain those traditions. But, Dasher states, “I’ve never been more worried about it all. We’re hitting a point very soon where we have to start cutting bands. Then all of a sudden everything is in danger. Then it’s not inclusive any more.” For now, though, Eau Claire is still a destination for music, music students, and music educators. Many bright spots remain. Susan Ayres, elementary curriculum coordinator for the Eau Claire Area School District, points out that elementary schools in Eau Claire recently eliminated traveling positions, so each school has its own music teacher and more students are spending more time in music class. Schilling of the Eau Claire Music School says, “We think that the current momentum will continue, especially with the cross-fertilization between the schools, university, Volume One, the growing number of summer music festivals, and local business community.” The lesson rooms are packed, and the school bands are full. If all those kids keep practicing, the success will continue.

the chippewa valley has a rich musical history, with a lot of people in place who are working harder than ever to maintain those traditions.

INSPIRING CHILDREN TOWARD A LOVE OF MUSIC THROUGH AN AWARD-WINNING KIDS MUSIC SCENE

by rob reid / photo by kelsey smith

t would be a shame to discuss the area’s music scene without mentioning the topic of children’s music. There is a national award called the Parents’ Choice Award for best children’s musical recordings. This is like winning a Grammy in the children’s music industry. Chippewa Valley artists have the last few decades. “SPOONMAN” PERFORMS AT ALTOONA’S LIBRARY Bruce O’Brien won a Parents’ Choice Award for his recording Love Is in the Middle, featuring the song “Owl Moon,” done in collaboration with national Their newest album, out later this sumCaldecott-winning (for best illustrated mer and is called Sing-a-Move-a-Dance children’s book) author Jane Yolen. at The Three ‘R’ Ranch. Colleen explains Bruce’s recording can be found at local that the “three Rs” are rhythm, rhyme, libraries. and repetition, the duo’s hallmark talents Colleen and Uncle Squaty, a.k.a. Colwhen working with young children. Indeed, aside from school music have won four Parents’ Choice Awards for programs and the occasional children’s their recordings 1,2,3 Four-Ever Friends; musical put on by local theater groups, Rumble to the Bottom; Sing-a-Move-athe local public libraries are a family’s Dance; and Shake It Down, Turn-Around. best bets for hearing live and recorded

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children’s music. Shelly Collins-Fuerbringer and Ashley Bieber of the children’s department at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire make sure that a professional children’s musician gets on the library’s summer program calendar annually. Shelly says that music, more than any other type of children’s performance, captivates the crowd and gets them involved. Ashley agreed and noticed that during the library’s own story time programs, music pulls the kids back in if they start getting a little squirrely. Eau Claire’s library has hosted several prominent children’s musicians over the years, including Jim Gill, The Teddy Bear Band, The Okee Dokee Brothers, Pint Size Polka, Stuart Stotts, Tom Pease, Bruce O’Brien, and Colleen and Uncle Squaty. All of the children’s staff members who conduct the story programs incorporate some music to go along with the books and song “Hello Neighbor” by Dr. Jean to open her programs. “It’s engaging, loud, and long,” she says, “and latecomers often join right in the moment they walk through the doors.” The children’s department’s staff puts together a setlist of children’s recorded songs to play during each eight-week story program series. The kids get to know the songs and a few weeks into the series will often shout out, “Hey, I know that song.” The parents themselves ask the staff about the songs which leads to a great opportunity to showcase the library’s children’s recorded music collection. about music at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library: Musical instruments are in rotation for the children’s department’s Play and Learn area. Many kids will grab an instrument or microphone and do a little performance. Shelly states that even the shyest kids get on stage and belt it out. She does admit that she and her staff do get a little weary of hearing “Let It Go” sung dozens and dozens of times, hence the rotating schedule. But overall, music and libraries go as well together as books and libraries.

ROBERT BACA, THE CONDUCTOR OF UWEC’S JAZZ ENSEMBLES, GREETS THE CROWD BEFORE A JAZZ I PERFORMANCE

UWEC JAZZ PROGRAM REACHES LEGENDARY STATUS ON STRENGTH OF ENSEMBLES, FESTIVAL

by tyler jennings henderson / photo by zach oliphant

W-Eau Claire’s Jazz Ensemble 1 has been making Baca, who joined the music staff in 1986. “Anytime there’s a folks tap their feet for more than four decades, raising new instructor, there’s a change in culture,” he said. “So it just the bar for small college jazz programs everywhere. took a little while for our new culture to take over.” Robert Baca has built a program that reflects his own Since that time, the program has reached new heights, expertise in the “big band sound.” regularly having three to five ensembles each year. The 1990s “It creates a certain kind of emotion,” Baca said. and 2000s were the best times for the ensemble, which was “And that’s why people like listening to these bands.” nominated for Grammys in 1997 and 2001. But Baca doesn’t The top jazz band at the university, “Jazz 1” and its membelieve the talent has dropped off since then. “It all depends, bers have been nationally recognized on many occasions: quite frankly, on one or two musicians in the band,” he said. “I They’ve garnered six Downbeat Awards for best college big guess my biggest job is to get the band to believe. There have band, “countless” DownBeat awards for been outstanding musicians that come individual students, and two Grammy out of (the program) ... but all 18 have to nods. Baca says the band has been invitbelieve.” ed to play at “every national venue eduWhat makes this ensemble different cational groups are invited to play on.” from other college big bands could be The jazz program is one part of a a number of things, but the Eau Claire successful and sizable music departJazz Festival has something to do with ment: With 257 majors last fall, UWEC it. Since 1967, the popular event has had the third largest music department been drawing high schoolers, guest artin the UW System behind Madison and ists, and jazz enthusiasts to Eau Claire Milwaukee, said department chairman to embrace the genre through competiand professor Alan Rieck. tion and performance. ROBERT BACA In the 1970s, the department was at The festivities have expanded, with DIRECTOR OF *AZZ 3TUDIES 57%# a peak. Thanks to a supportive chancelhigh school attendance reaching an all-

"it creates a certain kind of emotion. and that's why people like listening to these bands."

lor and encouraging culture, it reached more than 500 majors. Baca attributes that to former trumpet professor, Dominic Spera. “Mr. Spera was not the one to start the program,” Baca said. “But just as in jazz, Louis Armstrong didn’t start jazz, but Armstrong brought it into the limelight where it became a staple of American culture. And I think Dominic Spera did that for this program.” Baca said the program hit rock bottom in 1984, when four jazz ensembles deteriorated into one-and-a-half big bands. Participation was down in the music department due to a concerted effort to cut numbers. But help came in the form of

time high last spring. More than 2,000 students performed in 122 jazz ensembles during the 2015 jazz festival, and Baca sees the figures continuing to go up: “There are opportunities for much larger growth.” But the program amounts to more than numbers. A triedand-true approach to jazz has turned a small college into one of the top jazz universities in the world. “A component that we have that’s very rare is that the faculty thinks about the students as human beings, and not just based on their musical content,” Baca said. “We produce holistic, confident human beings … not just musicians.”

“I think I had some idealistic notion of Eau Claire in my head before I started visiting there somewhat regularly in 2009 – I imagined a town surrounded by lush Wisconsin farmland and forests and lots of water. It’s pretty much as I imagined and the city is charming, but what makes Eau Claire stand out for me is the community. There is a warmth and familiarity in the way people greet each other... Everyone seems to know everyone and there is a genuine, humble kindness in the way they treat each other. Getting to know Justin and his Eau Claire community, it was clear from beginning that he is not an anomaly – there are many incredible musicians who grew up in Eau Claire and remain part of the tightly knit and supportive community, whether they live there full time like Justin or not. Everyone plays with everyone and the doors are always open to collaboration. The musical spirit is open and generous and creativity flourishes in this environment. It is not so surprising then that truly great music is being written and recorded in Eau Claire all the time.”

- Aaron Dessner Brooklyn

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THE UKULELE KLUB OF EAU CLAIRE IS JUST ONE OF THE AREA’S ACTIVE MUSIC GROUPS.

DIVERSIFYING THE SCENE WITH CHORAL GROUPS AND MUSIC CLUBS

by mike seitz / photo by nick meyer

hen we talk about Eau Claire’s music scene, there is plenty of activity to cover. We always hear about local bands and the gigs they’re playing, but another aspect that often goes under the radar is the profusion

41ST ANNUAL

Whether through concerts they offer, the opportunities they provide for community members to perform together, or the way they reach past our area to share the Chippewa Valley’s talent with others, these groups are a valuable part of the musical ecosystem.

choral groups

AUGUST 2, 2015

Performing with a choir is often only an opportunity people get while in school. However, Eau Claire is home to a several choirs open to community members, such as the Eau Claire Male Chorus – which, having been founded in 1946, is the region’s longest-running performing arts group – and the Master Singers. The latter choir, now in its 23rd season, was created by Gary Schwartzhoff of UW-Eau Claire and is still directed by him. “I began this choir to offer the opportunity to people, after they’ve graduated from college, to still sing in a quality choral ensemble,” he said. (There are a few spots open on the choir, so contact Schwartzhoff through www.themastersingers.net if you’re interested.) Groups such as the Master Singers put on concerts for the community, often in collaboration with other groups such as the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra. However, their reach stretches beyond the Chippewa Valley. The Master Singers perform on the national level and

sometimes travel abroad. Next April, they perform at their largest venue ever: the Four Freedoms Choral Festival in Washington, D.C, an event inspired by the four freedoms outlined by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his 1941 inaugural address.

music clubs Learning how to play an instrument can be intimidating, but it’s something many people strive for. Local clubs that help musicians master their instruments are also part of our music scene. The Ukulele Klub of Eau Claire is one such group, and club founder Gordy Bischoff loves that this can be a group for people of all levels. “This is a pathway back to music for some people,” Gordy told me. Group members range from those who have never played a ukulele to seasoned veterans of the instrument, and new members are always welcome. In this way, the group has really reached to the community and given folks a chance to play music while having a lot of fun doing it. Since the ukulele isn’t an intimidating instrument, it’s a great way for people to get into the scene. “It shows you don’t have to be an amazing musician and still offers a satisfying experience,” Gordy said. Music clubs often perform for the community as well, and U.K.E.’s performances are often tied with community fundraisers. However, as Gordy put it, “If it were a band, I wouldn’t see it as a community thing.” While bands are made up of community members and often play for the community, groups like U.K.E. (www.ukewis.com) are different. Music clubs include a wide variety of people and form a real sense of community.

PIANO LESSONS AREN’T AS ODIOUS AS EMPTYING THE GARBAGE |

took piano lessons the old fashioned way, in Mrs. Skutely’s dim basement. With sheet music tucked under my arm I biked to her house, then let myself in through her garage door. I sat on a

area farther down the wood-paneled room my teacher’s personal space, with a bar and family photos, and I felt like I was trespassing until my turn to sit at the piano arrived. devices for remembering notes and “Oneee-and-ahs” until the music was so familiar that I can sit down, 20 years later, at any piano anywhere and play “The Pink Panther Theme,” or “Linus and Lucy,” or, if you give me a minute, Chopin’s Prelude in E Minor. My son’s lessons look a little different. While I was convinced I was the only unfortunate child forced to bear the agony of piano lessons on beautiful summer days, Gordon takes lessons in an old

YouTube to watch footage of his new teacher play in several of his different bands. I liked Mrs. Skutely, Mrs. Skutely did a fabulous job teaching me the piano, but, man, I wish I had Paul for a teacher. Sometimes he and Gordon jam for part of the lesson, or through the door I hear Paul pull out his guitar to accompany Gordon’s hesitant, one-handed, novice songs. Of course, Gordon is as unexcited for piano lessons as I was. On the ride there, he often explains that he has a hard time deciding which is his least favorite day of the week, Sunday – because we make him collect all the garbage, unload the dishwasher, and take a shower – or Tuesday, because we make him go to piano lessons. I accuse him of being overdramatic and

for a few more years. This past spring Gordon participated in sign-up sheet went up earlier in the year, he declined because he felt he was too young and too nervous, but then he changed his mind. Perhaps one of those brain synapses sprang into existence on some random late winter day, or maybe Paul was more persuasive than me. On the day of the performance, Gordon was nervous and antsy all morning. While we waited for the program to start, he couldn’t sit still and bounced around the school’s little theater until I threatened to rescind my offer to go out for pizza after with the other students, some accompanied by several degrees of relatives, others by just Mom and Dad. The performers were of all different ages, playing all different instruments. When it was my son’s turn, he walked fast to the front of the room and rushed to introduce himself and played his song, which required both

for now, he just needs to trust me that progress will occur until one day it will all have been worth it. and absent that trust, he still has to do what I say, at least for a few more years.

is joined by kids of all ages popping in and out of converted exam rooms for instruction in all sorts of instruments. The building throbs with a constant symphony of growth and learning, violins from one end of the hall, piano and guitar from the other, and in the middle, an earnest young girl whose weekly progress on Annie’s “Tomorrow” is as measured as a staff on a page. Mrs. Skutely certainly looked the part. She was a middle-aged woman back then, with big glasses and conservative clothes, with impeccable posture and pristine handwriting that still decorates the piano music Gordon now uses. His teacher is not Mr. or Mrs. anything, it’s just Paul, and before Gordon started taking lessons, he and I visited

comment that what he actually needs is acting lessons, but I understand. At his age, the pride inspired by playing a piece well never compensates for the frustration of refuse to cooperate and fail to produce the sounds he expects. The parts of his brain that handle those connections have yet to develop. For now he just needs to trust me that progress will occur until one day it will all have been worth it. And absent that trust, he still has to do what I say, at least

His smile and bow told me that he knew he had done well, and he noticed that his was one of the harder songs in the recital, even though several of the other kids were older than him. He is still a long ways from grasping the idea of hard work as investment, or recognizing the unnoticeable, glacial progress that will accompany his lessons as long as I make him go. But his apparent pride as he sat back down must have made his piano lesson Tuesdays better than his Sundays, at least for a little while. His performance is on YouTube now. Maybe someday his students, or his fans, will look him up, and maybe they will get excited about learning the piano, too.

Eric Rasmussen is a long-time townie who teaches English at Memorial High School, writes for fun, and really, really wants to be in a band. He can offer mid-level piano and harmonica skills. Please call. Visit theotherericrasmussen.blogspot.com for more of his work.

But let’s be honest. Local

Industrious There is a path forward. And it’s paved in green.

PRESENTED BY

SUBMITTED PHOTO

DOZENS OF MUSIC LEGENDS, FROM JOHNNY CASH TO AEROSMITH, HAVE PERFORMED ON THE MASSIVE STAGE AT THE FESTIVAL GROUNDS NEAR CADOTT.

HOW THE VALLEY GOT HOOKED ON BIG-TIME SUMMER MUSIC FESTS

by tom giffey

"it's really a one-of-akind festival site. it's so much different than plopping it in a farm field."

- JIM BISCHEL,

Country Jam president, on the Country Jam grounds outside Eau Claire

“When I had my first gig in Eau Claire I had no idea that in this small, north-central U.S. city I would happen upon one of the grooviest music vibes in the country. I got the same feeling I had the first time I discovered Austin, TX. Like LA (where I live) and other major cities in the country there is music everywhere, but UNlike LA and other major cities in the country there are people who seek it out, understand, and appreciate it! Eau Claire is a special place – can’t wait to get back.”

- Sam Lloyd Los Angeles

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THE BL ANKS / T V’S “SCRUBS”

LUONG HUYNH

SUBMITTED PHOTO

KIMBERLY PERRY OF THE BAND PERRY PERFORMED AT COUNTRY JAM 2014.

chippewa valley COUNTRY JAM Location: Foster Farm, Eau Claire

ROCK FEST Location: Festival grounds, Cadott

BLUE OX Location: Whispering Pines, Eau Claire

COUNTRY FEST Location: Festival grounds, Cadott

EAUX CLAIRES Location: Foster Farm, Eau Claire

EC JAZZ FESTIVAL Location: Various venues, Eau Claire

Dates: July 23-25, 2015 Year founded: 1990 Average attendance: 24,000 Attendance from >60 miles: 19,680 Economic impact (total): $9.44 million Economic impact (per day): $3.15 million Major performers (2015): Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Lady Antebellum

Dates: June 25-28, 2015 (June 16-19, 2016) Year founded: 1987 Average attendance: 20,000 Attendance from >60 miles: 14,000 Economic impact (total): $8.96 million Economic impact (per day): $2.24 million Major performers (2015): Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Toby Keith

Dates: July 16-19, 2015 Year founded: 1994 Average attendance: 20,000 Attendance from >60 miles: 14,000 Economic impact (total): $8.96 million Economic impact (per day): $2.24 million Major performers (2015): Shinedown, Judas Priest, Avenged Sevenfold

Dates: July 17-18, 2015 Year founded: 2015 Average attendance: 25,000 (expected) Attendance from >60 miles: 21,250 Economic impact (total): $6.8 million Economic impact (per day): $3.4 million Major performers (2015): Bon Iver, The National, Spoon

Dates: June 11-13, 2015 (2016 date TBA) Year founded: 2015 Average attendance: 3,500 Attendance from >60 miles: 3,045 Economic impact (total): $1.46 million Economic impact (per day): $487,000 Major performers (2015): Yonder Mountain String Band, Pert Near Sandstone, Del McCoury

Dates: April 17-18, 2015 (April 22-23, 2016) Year founded: 1967 Average attendance: N/A Number of participating high school musicians: 2,000 in 122 ensembles Venues taking part in â&#x20AC;&#x153;52nd Streetâ&#x20AC;?: 11 2015 Major performers: New York Voices, Terell Stafford, Nachito Herrera

Source: Visit Eau Claire

OUR MUSIC SCENE IS BECOMING BIG BUSINESS, ATTRACTING NOT ONLY TOURISTS, BUT ALSO PEOPLE TO LIVE AND WORK HERE

by tom giffey, / photo by luong huynh

T -

THE BRAND NEW BLUE OX MUSIC FESTIVAL, HELD IN JUNE JUST OUTSIDE EAU CLAIRE, BROUGHT IN TOP-TIER BLUEGRASS ACTS IN ITS FIRST YEAR.

"[music] is what eau claire is becoming known for. it's why you want to make a special trip and spend some time and money ." - LINDA JOHN, executive director, Visit Eau Claire

crunching $35.6 million

$5.6 million

estimated economic impact of five major Chippewa Valley music festivals (2015)

direct spending generated by the 7 largest arts nonprofits in Eau Claire County (2010)

11 percent

224 jobs

share of total annual vistor spending ($338.8 million) in Eau Claire, Chippewa, and Dunn counties attributed to those festivals

number of local jobs attributable to nonprofit arts spending in Eau Claire County in 2010 alone

Sources: Visit Eau Claire, Americans for the Arts

Expansive effect

Nonprofit impact

“It’s quite a trip to reminisce through all the sweaty basement shows, smoky barrooms, and sunny park concerts trying to pick a favorite musical experience I’ve had in the Chippewa Valley. One night that stands out is the first time I saw Clyde Stubblefield play with Howard Luedtke at The Stones Throw. You could feel the electricity in the air as soon as you entered the place. Clyde had brought an energy to the stage I had never seen before. Howard was on fire while Deb & Clyde kept the whole place dancing. It was a good night.” THE RONALD RAYGUN / NICK FOY TIK BAND / THE BUG / AND MORE

"music, and the arts in general, have a huge impact on economic development. people want to live in places they can have great experiences..." ZACH HALMSTAD,

co-founder, JAMF Software

Quality of life

THE MIXED-USE COMMERCIAL HALF OF THE CONFLUENCE PROJECT IS GOING UP QUICKLY IN DOWNTOWN EAU CLAIRE.

CONFLUENCE PROJECT WILL STIMULATE ECONOMY, ATTRACT NEW PERFORMERS, SUPPORTERS SAY

by tom giffey / photo by mariah hamm

every $1 spent on the performing arts center will generate a minimum of $3 in nearby private investment -

you have to listen to see MUSIC CAN SET A UNIQUE TONE IN THE HEART OF DEVELOPMENT |

“When you hear me singing I’m working on the building…”

let's remember the deeper reason thousands of us here are playing or listening to live music every week. let's give a nod to growth not registered in GDPs or demographics. let's honor the growth of human spirit that the arts make possible.

Max Garland is a former rural letter carrier, and author of The Postal Confessions, Hunger Wide as Heaven, and Apparition. His writing has appeared in Poetry, New England Review, Best American Short Stories, and other journals and anthologies. He has received the NEA Fellowship for Poetry, a Michener Fiction Fellowship, a Bush Literary Fellowship, the Tara Short Fiction Prize, and fellowships from the Wisconsin Arts Board in

the work

the investment in the art gasp

We have the talent. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get to work.

PRESENTED BY

AN INTERNATIONAL REPORT OUTLINES WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A MUSIC CITY. LOCAL MUSICIANS TELL US IF WE MAKE THE CUT

compiled by thom fountain / photo by corey drivas

n our effort to look at the Chippewa Valley’s potential as a music destination, we turned to experts for guidance. Just this June, a comprehensive report titled Mastering a Music City was published by the international music association, IFPI, and Music Canada. We’ve excerpted and contextualized the main concepts here, but visit VolumeOne.org/MusicCapital for the full report.

what makes a music city? This is where we start:

THE WEEKLY SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES IN DOWNTOWN EAU CLAIRE, SANDWICHED BETWEEN A BEAUTIFUL RIVER AND BIG DEVELOPMENT.

One of the first steps to building our Music City is determining how close we are to being one. We looked at the Music City report for guidelines, then polled more than 50 local musicians of all experience levels and genres to see how we were doing on a scale of 1-10. These circles show the results. success.

investment goes outward EDUCATION/NETWORKING PROGRAMS

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BIG GAINS CAN BE ENJOYED FROM SMART PUBLIC & PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN OUR SCENE

Why does it matter if we have a strong music community?

now how do we make it happen?

GREG BAUWENS

EAU CLAIREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STATE THEATRE, PACKED WITH MUSIC FANS.

why invest now? (cont'd)

nesses -

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Making of a Music Cityâ&#x20AC;? is a report published in June 2015 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and Music Canada. The report is used with permission.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a local musician, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get much better than playing for the community at the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series. Playing in front of this very alive audience gives many of us local musicians a chance to feel what it is like to play in front of over a thousand people. One show, with my band QuinnElizabeth, I wanted to take advantage of this size crowd so I did a call and response, â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I say Quinn you say Elizabeth. QUINN!â&#x20AC;?, and to my delight nearly the entire audience yelled back â&#x20AC;&#x153;ELIZABETH!â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; twice! It was beautiful.â&#x20AC;?

- Jerrika Christianson

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flint local 432

OMAHA’S SLOWDOWN OPENED IN 2007 AFTER A $10 MILLION INVESTMENT FROM PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SOURCES, AND HAS BEEN AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HOMERUN FOR THEIR DOWNTOWN.

FLINT, MICHIGAN

MALONE AND COMPANY PHOTOGRAPHY VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

slowdown

OMAHA, NEBRASKA

SIX AWESOME AND SUCCESSFUL MUSIC / COMMUNITY PROJECTS FROM FESTIVALS TO VENUES TO DECISION-MAKING MUSIC COMMISSIONS

by eric christenson hen you invest in a city’s music scene, that doesn’t mean you’re just simply paying for CDs and cover charges at shows (though you should still do that!). Some places have taken steps to bring their music scenes to the forefront of business and economic development by partnering with the music community in really awesome and creative ways. And it wouldn’t be terribly hard to imagine some similar stuff happening here in the Chippewa Valley. Check out some of the coolest projects we found:

mile of music

35 denton

APPLETON, WISCONSIN

DENTON, TEXAS SEATTLE’S “PIANOS IN THE PARK” IS JUST ONE OF THE CITY MUSIC COMMISSION’S MANY PROJECTS.

APPLETON HAS LEVERAGED SIGNIFICANT PRIVATE SPONSOR DOLLARS AND PUBLIC TOURISM GRANTS TO CREATE THEIR “MILE OF MUSIC,” A MASSIVE DOWNTOWN MUSIC FESTIVAL NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR.

music makes us & ryman lofts NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

the seattle music commission SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

RYMAN LOFTS IN NASHVILLE CATERS TO RENTERS PURSUING CAREERS IN THE ARTS.

" MEYER:

VERNON: -

NICK MEYER

VERNON (FAR RIGHT) AND OTHERS TOUR THE DEMOLITION OF DOWNTOWN EAU CLAIREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FORMER GREEN TREE INN. A GROUP (INCLUDING VERNON & MEYER) ARE WORKING TOWARD RELAUNCHING THE PROPERTY AS A BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND BAR.

MEYER:

VERNON:

IN THE MIDST OF EAUX CLAIRES FESTIVAL PREP, JUSTIN VERNON STOPS TO TALK ART, MUSIC, BUSINESS, AND CRAFTING EXPERIENCES IN THE HEART OF OUR CITY

interview by nick meyer

ustin and I have been friends for roughly a dozen years. Back in the early days of Volume One, for a while I also handled booking and promotions for The Stones Throw, and he would play our stage at least once a month. This was during the heyday of his band DeYarmond Edison, as well as local notables such as Amateur Love, Easychair, and others â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it was a formative time for Justin as well as a number of other local musicians whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone on to considerable success. In those days and still, Justin and I have had many heated discussions about how to invest in a community and scene. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just say the man has strong opinions, as do I. But one thing thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constant is that Justin always demands more. More effort. More vision. More from the businesses and individuals that make up our town. And in this way, we always see eye-to-eye. In the midst of Eaux Claires festival prep, we stopped to take stock of the role music plays in the Eau Claire community. NICK MEYER:

JUSTIN VERNON:

something in the water

MEYER:

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over a decade ago, I was lucky enough to witness Dessa open for P.O.S., who was warming up The Stones Throw stage for Mel Gibson and the Pants; in retrospect, it reminds me that not only Doomtreeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s branches, but also roots extend to Eau Claire. More recently, as I was loading in for Irie Solâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set at Decadent Cabaret 2014, the sounds of MeriQueen (Merideneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Queen tribute set) were wafting backstage, and it sounded like Mercury, May, & Co. were rhapsodizing most beautifully and bohemianly just on the other side of the door.â&#x20AC;?

- Joel Pace

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SUBMITTED PHOTO

"the creativity in our music and the quality of the people who've made it . there's something going on here... and music is a strong part of that intangible aesthetic." - JUSTIN VERNON, on Eau Claireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vibe

VERNON: -

MEYER:

VERNON: -

MEYER:

MEYER: VERNON: VERNON:

THE ORIGINAL IDEA LOUNGE, HOSTED BY VOLUME ONE & DOWNTOWN EAU CLAIRE INC.

AN IDEA LOUNGE THIS FALL WILL BEGIN A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ABOUT AMPING UP VALLEY’S MUSIC SCENE

by tom giffey

"as a community , it is time to establish a research-based brand and stake our claim to being the music capital of the north, and explain why ." - LINDA JOHN executive director, Visit Eau Claire

: exporting eau claire INVESTING IN AND SHARING OUR MUSIC, WORDS, & IDEAS |

A -

but I'm here to tell you that the 21st century passion that we should be embracing, investing in, is exactly what is incubating in eau claire right now...

That’s

anti-business

passion

Nickolas Butler is the internationally bestselling author of Shotgun Lovesongs and

. He is the winner or France’s

SEVEN

In addition to this issue’s event articles:

Upcoming must-see events

NORTHERN WISCONSIN STATE FAIR

fullSLATE WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 Northern Wisconsin State Fair

Picturing the Past (Children’s Painting Party)

M.Y. Life Fest is the Valley’s only Christian music festival, featuring some of the top local Christian artists including The Dust of Men, 513Free, The Michael Rambo Project, and Honeytree.

SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: MERIDENE + J.E. SUNDE + SAYTH & NORTH HOUSE

The Sounds Like Summer Concert Series is Volume One’s Thursday night gig in downtown Eau Claire’s Phoenix Park. Local bands play to crowds each night on the banks of the Chippewa River in June, July, and August. Enjoy a pre-show set from area singer/songwriters at 6pm. Multiple vendors will have food for sale.

WEST SIDE STORY

MARIEKE GOUDA 5TH ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE

CLEARWATER CON

The Chippewa Valley Geek & Gamerati are teaming up to put together Eau Claire’s newest gaming convention, focused primarily on tabletop gaming: RPGs, board games, and collectible card games.

Annual fair with livestock, crafts, homemaking and educational exhibits, and outstanding 4-H displays. More than a mile of midway thrills, great food stands, and free grandstand entertainment.

Presented by guest artist Cyndi Kortbein from The Paint Shack kids will learn to paint their own masterpieces along with decorating a fun “Picasso Cupcake” for a snack. The featured painting, “Keep Dreaming” is a colorful rendition of a dreamcatcher, complete with wispy feathers and beads.

River City Ramblers Bluegrass music. Bring a lawn chair, grab some food and a cool drink. Then sit back and relax in our outdoor courtyard.

Open Mic .

REN IN THE GLEN: A RENAISSANCE FAIRE

Journey back in time to a place of magic and wonder, of chivalry and knights, of tradition, dancing, music, and ancient delights. Possibly the closest Renaissance Faire in our area this summer, take advantage of this weekend of renaissance and medieval festivities and pageantry.

Got Game? Grab a team of 3-6 people to scour the city. Have fun earning points for your team by visiting local establishments, completing epic team tasks and capturing every moment on camera to win a cash prize. Register online or call.

Sounds Like Summer Concert Series: Michael Perry & the Long Beds + Troppo Big Band + John & Rose The Sounds Like Summer Concert Series is Volume One’s Thursday night gig in downtown Eau Claire’s Phoenix Park. Local bands play to crowds each night on the banks of the Chippewa River in June, July, and August. Enjoy a pre-show set from area singer/songwriters at 6pm. Multiple food vendors will have food for sale.

Concessions available.

Jazz Session Josh Gallagher and guest artists continue our new Wednesday Night Jazz Session. Jazzers are welcome to bring their horn and sit in on a tune or two. This big band features local musicians playing sax, trombone, piano, bass, drums, and more.

Eau Claire Municipal Band

The oldest community musical organization in the city, the ECMB has been entertaining thousands of patrons since its inception. Now in its second century, the band continues to provide high-quality, free entertainment for audiences of all ages. The band is under the direction of Mr. Brad Stoughton.

UWEC Summer Cinema: How to Train Your Dragon Popcorn and punch provided. Activities start at Viking who aspires to hunt dragons becomes the unlikely friend of a young dragon himself, and learns there may be more to the creatures than he assumed.

school gym: “You sound just like Gordon Lightfoot… only zippier!”

FRIDAY, JULY 10 Northern Wisconsin State Fair

ern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 225 Edward St., ChipSee July 8 description.

Warriors & Warlords XXII -

The 39 Steps Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python, and you have a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre. This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with non-stop laughs with over 150 zany characters played by a ridiculously talented cast of four. Admission includes dinner and show. Cash bar available.

Music Over Menomin: Howard “Guitar” Luedtke and Deb Klossner

Ski Sprites Water Ski Show

While the music made by Perry and the Long Beds has been variously described as ‘country folk,’ ‘roughneck folk,’ ‘folk-twang,’ and Americana, they prefer the description given by an audi-

Enjoy live music over Lake Menomin. Howard Luedtke has been playing guitar since the arrival of the Beatles in 1964. Featuring a rockin’ blues sound.

Paul Bonstrom Acoustic solo performance blending folk, country and soft rock hits from the likes of James Taylor, Glen Campbell, Gordon Lightfoot, Jimmy Buffett, Eagles and many others.

Chasing Mabel any stage: Chasing Mabel! This 5-piece band is ready to rock the Valley with your favorites from the 90s to today.

Colfax Music in the Park: Turpentine Wine

Turpentine Wine featuring Bronson Bergeson and Lisa Rowland, singer songwriters, and their close harmonies which Bronson describes as similar to The Civil Wars duo.

Open Stage Available instruments include drums, hand drums, bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboard, mandolin, plus four microphones.

Michael Perry & The Long Beds

See July 9 description.

Kid Kubb 2015 (U.S. Junior Kubb Championship) Kid Kubb is the only kubb event in the the world along with at the Swedish Championship. All teams are guaranteed three matches.

Top Notchmen Live music. See contact info for details.

Higbie’s BBQ and Barn Dance We have Dickey’s BBQ catering amazing food. Food service from 6-8pm. All American Pie Auction featuring delicious desserts made fresh right ral, and even a jail. International renowned dance caller Dan Sahlstrom will get our boots stompin’ and kick off the dance following the pie auction. Proceeds go to The Higbie Family Adoption Fund.

Tunes at the Tasting Lounge

Every Friday you can enjoy our locally produced wines and spirits while listening to an array of local musicians. Check out swinging down for updates and musician details.

Artist Reception - Romantic Landscapes by Marcus Clark Painting is in Marcus’ blood. Famous or notable paintings created by Marcus’ ancestors can be found during each generation dating back to the founding of the United States. His work is a testament to the

THURSDAY, JULY 9 Northern Wisconsin State Fair Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 225 Edward St., See July 8 description.

Warriors & Warlords XXII -

A four-day-long Society for Creative Anachronism camping event in the heart of the Kingdom of Northshield, in scenic Osseo, Wisconsin. Featuring a number of classes, skill showcases, vendors, and much more.

Physical Comedy and Improv Workshop

Presented by A Touch of Magic.

UW Eau Claire Surplus Store Public Sale

The UWEC Surplus departments is having a public sale. We have a computers for sale at unbelievably low prices. Help us pus furnished by stopping by and looking at our large stock of surplus.

Where in Eau Claire Scavenger Hunt

ANDREA PAULSETH

This Thorp creamery has won dozens of awards for its cheeses over the years, including the aged gouda that made them U.S Champions in 2013. Enjoy samples, goods from local vendors, a petting zoo, cooking demos, wine sampling, live auction, and more at this open house.

Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 225 Edward St.,

Pizza Plus Big Band

Got your tough guy finger snapping all warmed up? Presented by the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre, relive this classic musical about Tony and Maria, two idealistic lovers caught between two warring street gangs, The Caucasian “Jets” and the Puerto Rican “Sharks.”

All events are subject to change; call ahead for details. Listings in the calendar are free. If you have an event that you would like included in an upcoming issue, go to our website at www.volumeone.org or call (715) 552-0457.

YOUR EVENTS CALENDAR FOR JULY 8-26, 2015

A massive annual fair with livestock, crafts, homemaking and educational exhibits, outstanding 4-H displays, more than a mile of midway thrills, great food stands, and free grandstand entertainment. M.Y. LIFE FEST

CHIPPEWA VALLEY MUSIC, THEATER, SPOKEN WORD, COMEDY, SPECIAL EVENTS, & MORE

STEP RIGHT UP, STEP RIGHT UP! Midway games and carnival rides are just part of the fun at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair in Chippewa Falls, July 8-12. There are also free grandstand shows and plenty of exhibits.

VolumeOne.org 70 July 8, 2015

fullSLATE MUSIC

CHIPPEWA VALLEY EVENTS JULY 8-26, 2015

BELOW: The National will headline Friday night on the Lake Eaux Lune stage.

THE EAUX CLAIRES EXPERIENCE

Championship is the largest kubb tournament outside of Europe. It is one of three, two-day tournaments in the world, along with the World Championship in Sweden and the Swedish Championship.

Warriors & Warlords XXII -

year one will already be something completely unique

See July 9 description.

Water Street Races: Mile & 5K

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Once the inaugural Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival kicks off on July 17, it’ll prove to be an event the Chippewa Valley has never quite seen before. It’ll be loaded with experiential art from worldrenowned artists and songs from artists in a dizzying number of genres, everything from electronic to hip hop to jazz to blues to country to Japanese noise rock. There will also be film premieres, sound installations, and two parades rolling around the grounds throughout the day: The No BS! Brass Band and Sam Amidon’s “Fa So La Guitarkestra Parade Choir.” There’s a dedicated family area called the “Piddletractor Zone” that’s curated by Grandma Sparrow. Not to mention this festival marks the ever-pinedafter return of Bon Iver. On the banks of the Chippewa River, you’ll hear performances by indie rock elite, blues legends, up-and-coming experimental acts, hardened folk, brash hip-hop, and maybe a little something you’ve never experienced before. We’ll meet you there. –Eric Christenson In order to get to the festival, you must take a shuttle bus, unless you paid extra for special on-site VIP parking. You’ll need to park at one of the dedicated parking lots around Eau Claire and take the free shuttle to the festival. You can also walk if you want, but unfortunately the festival can’t accomodate bicyclists.

Register on race day morning 7-8am. Starting line is on the corner of 1st and Water Streets. Find registration info on Active.com.

Chippewa Valley Cars and Coffee Chippewa Valley Cars and Coffee is an informal gathering of automotive enthusiasts. Don’t worry if your car isn’t fast, or if it isn’t a show car. Show up anyways.

Join Jayne & Katrina to Celebrate: Drop the Puck, It’s Hockey Season From the State of Hockey, “Drop the Puck, It’s Hockey Season,” an early reader chapter book, released Memorial Day 2015 scores a hattrick for its ability to help teach young readers to be a good sport.

Ager Association Open House An Ager Association member will conduct tours in the house and provide background about Waldemar Ager, whose house is now a museum and meeting place for members and the general public. Another member will be present to assist people interested in looking through and doing research in a substantial library of Scandinavian materials.

1st Annual Beer Olympics Games include Beer Pong, Relay Chug, Flip Cup, Beanbags, and if a tie is involved the tie breaker will be Dizzy Bat Chug. Sign-up now to secure your spot. Registration ends July 1. Sign-up sheets will be at Pete’s Restaurant and Spirits. Live music TBA. Part of the proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project.

M.Y. Life Fest M.Y. Life Fest is the Chippewa Valleys only Christian Music Festival, featuring some of the top local Christian artists. Local vendors will be on site.

Cornell Area All School and Community Reunion This great get-together only happens community loyalty has made this 5 year event a great success in the past and open to everyone. For 2015, a golf outing, kickball tournament, music and more.

Brewfest and Ribfest Taste the

ANDREA PAULSETH

Live music will perform. $30 admission which includes a commemorative mug. Preregistration is recommended as only a certain amount of attendees are permitted. idea that some painters are born with a gift inspired by genetics. Marcus has a love for the painted image and a desire to share his vision. In this show, the New Americana project are painted from early and new historical photography. Marcus currently resides in Rice Lake.

Enjoy music by a local acoustic duo.

Divided Highway Covering a wide variety of classic to

Outdoor Acoustic Show feat. The Sixes + Shane CofThe Sixes return to rock Hipps Pub’s outdoor stage. They will be joined by: Shane Cof-

modern rock.

Granite Rose + Harakiri + Kick

Jerrika Mighelle + Lizzy Diane

Granite Rose is a high energy alternative rock band based in Eau Claire. Harakiri is a progressive, indie, rock band hailing from Saint Paul. Kick is an indie power trio from Minneapolis. Doors at 8pm.

com After a few years hiatus, tonight marks Jerrika

Noel Hanson’s Bachelor Party: Den Barstow Ludders + The Catastrophe

The 39 Steps See July 9 description.

Some of you may remember her from the sister trio, QuinnElizabeth, but now she is stepping out on her own to share her haunting solo tunes. Lizzy Diane has earned much deserved attention for her hypnotic voice and lyrics that will guide you through your dreamscapes.

Liscio Blue eauclaire Liscio Blue is local Jazz masters performing classic jazz, Latin and Blues They are made up of Dave Mueller on trumpet and bass guitar, George Upthall on keyboards and vocals, Brad Stoughton on percussion, guitar and vocals, Ken Rogers on guitar and vocals.

Acoustic Mayhem

Den Barstow Ludders features Jodi Lantz on vocals, Patrick Bedard on drums, Matt Florence on guitar/bass/vocals, and Noel Hanson on guitar/bass/vocals/percussion ... plus some beer and Jagermeister.

SATURDAY, JULY 11 Northern Wisconsin State Fair

ern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 225 Edward St., ChipSee July 8 description.

U.S. National Kubb Championship The U.S National Kubb

VolumeOne.org 71 July 8, 2015

Pinterfest: Superhero T-Shirts Use tape and bleach to turn an ordinary t-shirt into something extraordinary. Bring your own plain, solid-colored shirt (nonwhite) and super symbol ideas. Registration required.

The Thundermen

com The Thundermen take the stage at Gilligans in Chetek. Stop in for a drink or dinner and take in your favorite tunes.

HOVER Fest 2015 This is a fundraising event for the Freedom Honor Flight organization featuring stage entertainment, facepainting,

John Brunstad Memorial Walk/Run & Kids Dash Raising awareness about Type 1 Diabetes with this 10K 2 mile walk/run. Registration opens at 6pm.

The 39 Steps See July 9 description.

Secondhand Hearts Marjorie Craemer and Daniel Zerr, playing guitars and ukuleles.

fullSLATE

CHIPPEWA VALLEY EVENTS JULY 8-26, 2015 skill showcases, vendors, and much more. The event site features lush shade in both loud and quiet camping, an on-site restaurant, and RV amenities. Visit online to learn more.

Guest Tom Luer & Project Popular See contact info for details

crowdedheads

Bumpin’ Out Hunger

Join the crowd in the Tiki bar at Jake’s for a great variety of music featuring classic rock.

wagnerslanes.com A volleyball tournament fundraiser-

Last Open Road

Steaming by the Water: Eau Claire’s Outdoor Train Show

A four piece Classic Rock & Blues.

Divided Highway Covering a wide variety of classic to modern rock.

Sunset Strip 80’s hair metal lives.

Hobbs Observatory - Public Observing Hobbs Observatory is open for public observing most clear Saturdays about an hour after sunset. Because of volunteer availability, the schedule varies month to month. Please check the CVAS website (cvastro.org) before visiting.

Myles Malice + Genre Treason + Conway Pity + Symphony + Cyco Mico + Psycho Child Myles Malice is a horrorcore rapper from Eau Claire. Genre Treason is a genre-defying duo from the Twin Cities. Conway is hip hop, R&B, and rap from St. Paul. Symphony is local songwriter Charles Morgan. Cyco Mico is hip hop from Forest Lake. Psycho Child is hip hop from Eau Claire. Doors at 8pm.

SUNDAY, JULY 12 Northern Wisconsin State Fair Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 225 Edward St., ChipAnnual fair with livestock, crafts, homemaking and educational exhibits, and outstanding 4-H displays. More than a mile of midway thrills, great food stands, and free grandstand entertainment.

U.S. National Kubb Championship The U.S National Kubb Championship is the largest kubb tournament outside of Europe. It is one of three, two-day tournaments in the world, along with the World Championship in Sweden and the Swedish Championship. It is also the second largest tournament in the world with painted kubbs and kings.

Warriors & Warlords XXII

A four-day-long Society for Creative Anachronism camping event in the heart of the Kingdom of Northshield, in scenic Osseo, Wisconsin. Featuring a number of classes,

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Visit Eau Claire Fun Patrol throughout the day.

Featuring operating layouts, model train swap meet, toy trains from around the world, live steam demonstrations, plus local railroad and manufacturing history.

Chippewa Falls Music in the Park: Paul Bonstrom Acoustic performer blending folk, country and soft rock hits from the likes of James Taylor, Glen Campbell, Gordon Lightfoot, Jimmy Buffett, Eagles and many others.

The Wisconsin Literacy Music Sampler: Celebrating 30 Years of Literacy Featuring

UWEC Summer Sounds Concert Series featuring members of the Chippewa Valley American Guild of Organists Organ music by members of the Chippewa Valley American Guild of Organists. In its 11th year, the UWEC Summer Sounds delivers concert music to the Chippewa Valley with free weekly concerts from June 28th-Aug 2nd. The series includes solo and chamber music by UWEC faculty, talented students, and community members.

Afternoon Tea at the Louis Smith Tainter House 2As part of the Mabel Tainter 125th Anniversary celebrations please join us for an Afternoon Tea at the Louis Smith Tainter House. As the older brother of Mabel Tainter, and heir to the Tainter Fortune. No reservations required.

Mickey Lynnes Mickey Lynnes does his one-man band on the deck at Pokegema. Stop in by car or boat to have a burger and listen to some tunes.

The Reluctant Dragon From the author of the Wind in the Willows comes the story of a brave young boy who decides to pursue the dragon that the villagers are concerned about having around. But what he discovers is a very friendly dragon. The children’s play is great for all ages.

Schuh Fly Schuh Fly plays a variety of popular

fullSLATE 50s, 60s, 70s Classic Rock & Country music and some more current hits. Many songs covered were number one on the charts. Performing Beatles, Buffet, CCR, Cash, Clapton, Diamond, Eagles, Orbison and more. Join us for live music that you’ll love to dance to.

The Paul Tweed Band Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter Paul Tweed plays tunes that take you from the north woods lakes to the tropical islands, with a short layover in Nashville. The band features originals and songs you should know. Jim Phillips plays bass and Jeff Hilgert plays drums.

CHIPPEWA VALLEY EVENTS JULY 8-26, 2015

Live Band Karaoke with Jenny and The Jets auclaire.com Jenny and the Jets is a karaoke band with Nick Foytik on guitar, Billy Angell on keyboards, Bentley Harder on bass, and John LeBrun on drums. These music veterans team up with Jennifer Hazen, for Eau Claire’s unique live karaoke band. Come to Pizza Plus, get on stage and join in the fun.

Alien Ant Farm + King Shifter + Run 2 Cover

Alien Ant Farm is known for their smash hit remake of “Smooth Criminal” and are a Grammy nominated band with much radio success. Doors open at 6pm, music at 7pm.

htm

See July 12 description.

Dunn Dulcimers All skill levels and all stringed instruments welcome.

1st Annual Rendition Car Show

TUESDAY, JULY 14

Bluegrass & Old Time Jam Session All bluegrass and old time pickers are invited to jam with the host band. Please bring your own instrument.

The Reluctant Dragon

directions for the count and receive a route assignment. The results are forwarded to the North American But-

The theme is “rendition,” so come dressed in your interpretation of your vehicle! The event is FREE and will feature a live DJ, Davis Dogs food truck, and, of course, cars! New and old vehicles of all makes and models are welcome at the event. Please RSVP to the event on Facebook if you are attending, and leave a comment if you are bringing a car.

Bastille Day on the Lawn

Bastille Day promotes the French heritage and culture, and celebrates the undying ties between French and American

Ski Sprites Water Ski Show Concessions available.

Open Mic .

MONDAY, JULY 13 The Reluctant Dragon See July 12 description.

Altoona Music in the Park: Howard “Guitar” Luedtke Local blues legend.

Bring Your Own Fandom: Paper Cosplay Contest Teams will compete to dress their model in their best paper cosplay. Materials provided. Teen judges will vote and prizes will be awarded. No registration required.

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fullSLATE citizens. In France, Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789, marking the beginning of the French revolution. Join us and bring a dish to pass.

Gettin’ Down on the Farm: Rich Schroeder

CHIPPEWA VALLEY EVENTS JULY 8-26, 2015

A massive rock n’ roll festival featuring national and international performers. Thursday performers include Shinedown, Killswitch Engage, Finger Eleven, Nothing More, Islander, and Vaudeville.

Tales From the Brothers Grimm Great music, great food, and great fun.

Tuesday Night Blues: Special Guest Charlie Parr Charlie Parr has trav-

A series of short plays based on familiar tales from the Brothers Grimm including The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Golden Goose and The Bremen Town Musicians.

banjo, his voice and his foot. Many reviewers have referred to Charlie as one of the last few traditional bluesmen. From the grit in his voice to the stop of his feet, Charlie makes music true to his heart and the origins of blues.

Children’s Movie

Chippewa Valley Corvettes

Family Fun Carnival

A club for the Corvette enthuties each year. We drive, dine, sightsee, attend car shows and parades, and discuss the Corvette brand. If you have Corvette interest, come check us out.

Drop in for caricatures with Jeremy Provost, balloon creations with Kevin Schwartz, carnival-style games and contests, snacks, and more! All ages are welcome to attend.

Musician Gathering & Open Mic

Local Authors Present New Books

Beat the heat and enjoy a children’s movie on Thursday afternoons. Call the library for spe-

Ludington Guard Band A community roots going back to 1877. They play a variety of classical band music, marches, overtures, show tunes and novelty pieces.

Sisters Mary Riordan and Elizabeth Mentzer have edited their travel letters from Europe in the 1960s as “Goodbye Forever.” They will talk about their travel and sign books during Ladies Night Out.

Lucy Sanna Book Presentation Lucy Sanna, who grew up in Menomonie, presents her new book “The Cherry Harvest” about German prisoners of war put to work in the orchards in Door County. The complications of war and a coming-of-age story are intertwined. The book event occurs during Ladies Night Out in downtown Menomonie.

Open Mic Night .

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 Magician Glen Gerard

Burger King Classic Car Show: Nifty 50s 5:30-8:30pm .

West Hill Wednesday Auto Rally

Free appetizers provided in the Bowlwinkles pub. All cars that would like to register on these nights are asked to register their car with at least 2-nonperishable items.

Bear Creek Band Bear Creek Band is a well established four piece “extreme variety” band featuring an excellent female vocalist and covers popular tunes ranging from Lady Antebellum to Lady GaGa.

Clearwater Connection and Sir Arthur’s Court-et A cappella music. Bring a lawn chair, grab some food and a cool drink. Then sit back and relax in our outdoor courtyard.

Everyday Heroes!

Meet Altoona’a Police, Fire,and EMT Personnel. This is an outdoor event located behind the library.

Ski Sprites Water Ski Show Concessions available.

Layne Yost

Pizza Plus Big Band This big band features local musicians playing sax, trombone, piano, bass, drums, and more.

Eau Claire Municipal Band

UWEC Summer Cinema: The Theory of Everything Popcorn and punch provided. Activities start at 8pm. Film begins at dusk. The Theory of Everything provides a look at the relationship between the famous physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife.

THURSDAY, JULY 16

Eau Claire Artist’s Drawing Night

Join the Eau Claire Artist’s Drawing Group for a night of uninstructed sketching local illustrator & animator Monica Bruenjes. Email or visit online for more info.

Sounds Like Summer Concert Series: Meridene + J.E. Sunde + Sayth & North House The Sounds Like Summer Concert Series is Volume One’s Thursday night gig in downtown Eau Claire’s Phoenix Park. Local bands play to crowds each night on the banks of the Chippewa River in June, July, and August. Enjoy a pre-show set from area singer/songwriters at 6pm. Multiple food vendors will have food for sale.

Music Over Menomin: Jayson Collins Septet Enjoy live music over Lake Menomin. Jayson Collins and his band have been a part of the Chippewa Valley music scene since 2004 playing jazz and big band styles.

The Lady With All The Answers

com Singer-Songwriter covering the likes of John Prine, Neil Young, and John Denver... A little something for everyone.

Rock Fest 2015

siccarshows.com Featuring twist contests, kids activities, “pin-up” photo ops, specialty nights. All our favorite classic cars, plus special spotlight on feature era cars.

In this one-woman comedy praised from New York to L.A., Ann Landers own heartaches. Don’t miss this funny, heart-warming show starring Alice Bayerl and directed by Lucy Weidner.

Colfax Music in the Park: White Pine Dixieland Ramblers Dixieland music.

Open Stage Hosted by local songwriter Greg Fox with a ten piece band ready for you to pick up and play. Available instruments include drums, hand drums, bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboard, mandolin, plus four microphones. Happy hour 10pm-midnight. Open Stage usually goes on until 12:30am/1am.

Sayth & North House Present: The Fire House TakeSayth & North House are taking over The Eau Claire Fire House and playing a three hour long superset. There will be banging beats, surreal raps, freestyles, dancing, and a whole bunch of guest appearances. Featuring: Sayth, North House, and Wealthy Relative with help from special guests Two

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CHIPPEWA VALLEY EVENTS JULY 8-26, 2015 and Ratsak. Alleyway is thrash punk from Oshkosh. GGWW is riff rock from Chetek.

bby, and more.

FRIDAY, JULY 17

SATURDAY, JULY 18

Rock Fest 2015

A massive rock n’ roll festival featuring national and international performers. Friday performers include Three Days Grace, Black Stone Cherry, Jackyl, Starset, A.D.D., and King Shifter.

A massive rock n’ roll festival featuring national and international performers. Saturday performers include Judas Priest, Breaking Benjamin, Hinder, Adelitas Way, Shaman’s Harvest, and TBA.

Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival

Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival -

The Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival is a gigantic two-day arts festival at the Country Jam grounds curated by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National. Visit online for full details.

com The Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival is a twoday arts festival at the Country Jam grounds curated by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National. Visit online for full details.

Tales From the Brothers Grimm

Discussing Bishop Bo Giertz’s classic The Hammer of God. Books available to purchase at the church for $8. Email eclutherans@ gmail.com for more information.

org See July 16 description.

Opening Reception - Celebrating the Chippewa River: Photography Exhibit Guest Curator Claude Schilling is assembling an art exhibit by top area photographers to capture the amazing Chippewa River and many ways it impacts the Chippewa Valley. This is part of a wider collaborative theme that recognizes the need for conservation offers important steps we can take to preserve it.

Concordia Book Club

One Glamorous Afternoon to End Diabetes Stop by at this event where you can shop with companies like Jamberry Nails, Thirty-One Purses, Arbonne, and Tastefully Simwhat it is like to live with Type 1 Diabetes. This event raises money for diabetes research.

The Paul Tweed Band

Summertime Southern Ball

Join us for an evening of English Country Dancing - no experience necessary. Live music by: The Boxelder Band. Delectable buffet. Attire: PreCivil War or Civil War era blues/grays or formal period ensembles admired or modest formal evening wear required (email astepintyme@gmail.com).

Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter Paul Tweed plays tunes that take you from the north woods lakes to the tropical islands, with a short layover in Nashville. The music consists of originals and songs you should know. Band performs outside in the new pavilion.

Songwriters Showcase Songwriters Showcase is a musical

Liscio Jazz Group The Liscio jazz group consists of six musicians, including active and retired music instructors, along with professional musicians from the greater Eau Claire area. They play a wide range of straight ahead jazz as well as New Orleans-style jazz.

Chippewa Valley unplugging for an all age evening of creative song and verse. The show will include local high school and college age singer songwriters on piano and guitar.

Tom Nutting Record Release

The Belle Weather

Thomas Nutting a local musician is releasing

The Belle Weather is a hurricane of acoustic folk and rock, resonating the pounding beat of a kick drum, the deep pulse of a bass guitar, and the siren’s wail of an over-driven tube amp.

Oklahoma!

Two Way Street

tion.

Mick and Dave play your favorite dance tunes at The Moose. Come on

The Thundermen

Oklahoma! Set in the West just after the turn of the century, the high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the colorful background against which Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their love story.

Choose Your Poison + Caveat + Good Guys Wear Wolf + Alleyway Choose Your Poison is a “party thrash” band from Appleton, on tour with Alleyway, a thrash and roll band from Oshkosh. Eau Claire crusty sludge metal band Caveat makes their return to the Mousetrap after almost a year. Rounding out this solid bill is the incredible Chetek riff-rockers Good Guys Wear Wolf.

Caveat + Alleyway + Choose Your Poison + Good Guys Wear Wolf

See July 17 descrip-

The Thundermen take to the stage to help Sand Creek celebrate it’s 150th anniversary. The band will be playing all the best songs from the 50’s 60’s and 70’s with a little country too. Why not drive up and join in on the fun, food and music.

When Particles Collide scollide.com Featuring Southern Rock choruses, New Wave (a la Blondie) vocals, lightning speed Green Dayesque drumming, classic Motown grooves and Queens of the Stone Age-style riffs. When Particles Collide were the Boston Music Awards’ 2014 New Artist of the Year.

Caveat is crust/doom metal from Eau Claire. Choose Your Poison is crusty party thrash from Appleton featuring members of Wartorn

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CHIPPEWA VALLEY EVENTS JULY 8-26, 2015

BELOW: Avenged Sevenfold, probably on their way to avenge something. METAL HAMMER MAGAZINE VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

MONDAY, JULY 20 Movie Marathon Mondays org Bring a packed lunch to the Library (if you would like) and watch a movie about folks with super powers and super bravery. For a complete list of each day’s movie(s) and rating, visit the Library or website. A limited supply of beverages will be available.

Music Over Menomin: North of Dixie A special Music Over Menomin event as part of the Menomonie Chamber’s Business After Hours. Everyone is invited. North of Dixie is foot stomping Northwoods music. Original music, old time mountain songs and a little swing thrown in.

TUESDAY, JULY 21

CHOCK FULL OF ROCK

Gettin’ Down on the Farm: Paul Bonstrom

Avenged Sevenfold, Shinedown lead Rock Fest lineup

Great music, great food, and great fun.

Tuesday Night Blues: Howard Luedtke & Blue Max

It’s that time of year once again; when rock ’n’ roll fans from all over the Midwest come together and burn off a few calories head banging to their favorite bands. Rock Fest, the fourday music festival held 30 miles from Eau Claire in rural Cadott, is returning for its 22nd incarnation. From July 16-19, some of rock’s biggest names will be performing for an estimated 20,000 fans. The 2015 lineup features a solid list of bands including modern rock groups like Shinedown and Avenged Sevenfold as well as some classic bands like Judas Priest. (Nickelback was slated to be the headliner July 17, but had to cancel because lead singer Chad Kroeger needed voice box surgery; a replacement is still TBA.) With the full list of bands exceeding 50, rockaholics of every variety will have plenty of music to jam out to on the giant main stage and four side stages. And because the Rock Fest occupies 320 acres, there will be plenty of room for any mosh pits you start up. The grounds include nearly 7,000 campsites, so put down stakes with your buddies and enjoy a few days in the sun. There’s a wide variety of food and beverage items on the concert grounds when you need a bite to eat (don’t worry, Ozzy’s bat isn’t on the menu), as well as plenty of other attractions such as interactive games, bean-bag toss, and misting stations to take the edge off the heat. This is one event that no rock fan wants to miss! For more information on tickets as well as campsites, go to rockfest.com. –Mike Seitz

Valley Gospel Choir Concert Advance tickets available from choir members, Festival Foods, and Gordy’s Markets in Eau Claire. Hear the beautiful voices of the Valley Gospel Choir and their band, under the direction of Merlyn Aude. You’re sure to feel their enthusiasm and love of gospel music. Doors at 6:30pm.

Musician Gathering & Open Mic .

Ludington Guard Band A community roots going back to 1877. They play a variety of classical band music, marches, overtures, show tunes and novelty pieces.

Open Mic Night

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Dunn County Fair

concerts from June 28th-Aug 2nd. The series includes solo and chamber music by UWEC faculty, talented students, and community members.

SUNDAY, JULY 19 Rock Fest 2015

The Dunn County Fair provides entertainment, rides, live music, tractor pull, races, demo derby, and 4-H events for all visitors.

Duke Otherwise

MOJO Blues

A massive rock n’ roll festival featuring national and international performers. Sunday performers include Avenged Sevenfold, Chevelle, Pop Evil, All That Remains, Kyng, and Emergent.

Carson Park Train Ride

A one-quarter sized steam train gives one-half mile rides through Carson Park. On July 19th we will be hosting the Badger Blacksmiths in addition to running trains noon-5pm. Anyone interested in seeing blacksmiths in action should come for the fun.

UWEC Summer Sounds Series

One of the most versatile band’s around, Howard “Guitar” Luedtke & Blue Max is a Western Wisconsin rock blues band, that performs all over Wisconsin and Minnesota. Many who have seen Howard and Blue Max have become fans of Howard’s talented slide guitar playing and the band’s rockin’ electric blues sound.

Christa Garvey, oboe and Lori Cruciani, piano. In its 11th year, the UWEC Summer Sounds delivers concert music to the Chippewa Valley with free weekly

MOJO heats up Jake’s Tiki Stage with a tasty mix of searing blues-rock-’n-soul.

Bear Creek Band Bear Creek Band is a well established four piece “extreme variety” band featuring an excellent female vocalist and covers popular tunes ranging from Lady Antebellum to Lady GaGa.

Classic Country Sunday Jam Session Offering attendees the opportunity to either sit in with the house band and perform, or to listen to great classic country tunes. Backline is provided, including drums, keyboards, and amps but please bring your own axe. The Corral Bar & Riverside Grill offer a different live music jam every Sunday.

Ski Sprites Water Ski Show Concessions available.

Open Mic .

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CHIPPEWA VALLEY EVENTS JULY 8-26, 2015 Surplus departments is having a public sale. We have a

Musician.

The Threshold Singers of Eau Claire The singers are women who sing healing and comforting songs for people who are seriously ill, dying, or grieving. Members of the group will discuss their work in homes, hospitals, and nursing facilities, and demonstrate some of their songs.

The Cutaways Oldies/ classic country/bluegrass music. Bring a lawn chair, grab some food and a cool drink. Then sit back and relax in our outdoor courtyard.

Open Mic

computers for sale at unbelievably low prices. Help us pus furnished by stopping by and looking at our large stock of surplus.

Burger King Classic Car Show: Trick Your Truck 5:30Featuring twist contests, kids activities, “pin-up” photo ops, specialty nights. All our favorite classic cars, plus special spotlight on feature era cars.

LP3 lite (Larry Past and Al Julson)

Come listen to Al and Larry’s melodic folk/rock/ american music at the Pokegama Inn overlooking the lake. Great setting, food, beverages and view.

Ski Sprites Water Ski Show See

Sounds Like Summer Concert Series: Liscio + Equinox Jazz Group + Dan Zerr

Josh Gallagher and guest artists continue our new Wednesday Night Jazz Session. Jazzers are welcome to bring their horn and sit in on a tune or two.

The Sounds Like Summer Concert Series is Volume One’s Thursday night gig in downtown Eau Claire’s Phoenix Park. Local bands play to crowds each night on the banks of the Chippewa River in June, July, and August. Enjoy a pre-show set from area singer/ songwriters at 6pm. Multiple food vendors will have food for sale.

ECCT Presents: West Side Story

Music Over Menomin: Evergreen Grass Band

July 19 description.

Jazz Session

In New York between two warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice makes West Side Story one of the most heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

Pizza Plus Big Band This big band features local musicians playing sax, trombone, piano, bass, drums, and more.

Eau Claire Municipal Band

UWEC Summer Cinema: The Duff Popcorn and punch provided. Activities start at 8pm. Film begins at dusk. In The Duff, a high school senior instigates a social pecklabeled the DUFF - Designated Ugly Fat Friend - by her prettier, more popular counterparts.

THURSDAY, JULY 23 Country Jam 2015

Country Jam USA is the outdoor music festival that you won’t want to miss this summer. It’s a weekend full of friends, fun, and the best live country music. Big stars, big hits, big fun. Thursday performers include Lady Antebellum, Hunter Hayes, Sam Hunt, and Granger Smith (more TBA).

Dunn County Fair

Enjoy live music over Lake Menomin. EGGB is unapologetic anti-grass from Eau Claire.

Colfax Music in the Park: Rick Schroeder Rick Schroeder from Menomonie playing country western music on his acoustic guitar. The Colfax Women’s club will sponsor Brat Sale as part of the evening activities.

ECCT Presents: West Side Story In New York between two warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice makes West Side Story one of the most heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

org The Jaggernauts are an indie rock band out of Eau Claire that have been playing together since 2005. Their Led Zeppelin.

Equinox Jazz Group

com Equinox Jazz Group, led by Freddy Sklenar on piano and saxophones traditionally features Todd Bartlett on Trumpet, Flugelhorn and Mellophone, David Barney Barneson on Drums and Karl Anderson on bass playing straight ahead jazz including some original tunes.

FRIDAY, JULY 24 Country Jam 2015

Country Jam USA is the outdoor music festival that you won’t want to miss this summer. It’s a weekend full of friends, fun, and the best live country music. Big stars, big hits, big fun. Friday performers include Blake Shelton, Kip Moore, Cassadee Pope, LoCash, and The LACS.

The Dunn County Fair provides entertainment, rides, live music, tractor pull, races, demo derby, and 4-H events for all visitors.

Jamboree Days

Crazee Daze

Tunes at the Tasting Lounge

See July 23 description. -

wi.com Downtown Durand sponsors Crazee Daze. Businesses and vendors line up the streets and near the Durand Courthouse Museum with sale items, food, drink & many crafts, fresh produce etc.

Every Friday you can enjoy our locally produced wines and spirits while listening to an array of local musicians. Check out

Live Animals with Zoozort

swinging down for updates and musician details.

See contact info

for details.

UW Eau Claire Surplus Store Public Sale

The UWEC

Book Reading and signing with author Ryan Johnson Ryan Keith Johnson is conducting a book signing tour across Poetry, and more. Meet him in person and support local authors! Books will be available as well as prints.

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CHIPPEWA VALLEY EVENTS JULY 8-26, 2015

Kateri Farrell Jazz Combo

focused primarily on tabletop gaming - RPGs, Boardgames, and CCGs. Visit online for more details.

Kateri is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, is currently a part of several groups specializing in Jazz/funk/soul/pop music, and performs often in the greater Eau Claire area and Twin Cities.

Ager Association Open House

ECCT Presents: West Side Story See July 23 description.

Bear Creek Band

org An Ager Association member will conduct tours in the house and provide background about Waldemar Ager, whose house is now a museum and meeting place for members and the general public. Another member will be present to assist people interested in looking through and doing research in a substantial library of Scandinavian materials.

Mt. Simon Trilogy Challenge

Bear Creek Band is a well established four piece “extreme variety” band featuring an excellent female vocalist and covers popular tunes ranging from Lady Antebellum to Lady GaGa.

Intelescope Progressive dance rock from Madison.

Eric Sommer + TBA com Pop, folk, acoustica and some experimental elecDoors at 8pm.

SATURDAY, JULY 25 Country Jam 2015

com Country Jam USA is the outdoor music festival that you won’t want to miss this summer. It’s a weekend full of friends, fun, and the best live country music. Big stars, big hits, big fun. Saturday performers include Eric Church, Gary Allan, Jerrod Niemann, Ashley Monroe, Sasha McVeigh, and Elizabeth Lyons.

Dunn County Fair

An annual Disc Golf event where everyone throws 3 pre-released Westside/Dynamic Disc/Latitude discs, and only those discs, for the entire round. Participants play two rounds of 9 at Mt. Simon anytime between 10am and 5pm on Sat 7/25. Participants receive 3 discs to throw and keep, mini-scorecard clipboard, mini sharpie, & trilogy mini. Prizes to winners.

Ren in the Glen: A Renaissance Faire in Glenwood City Journey back in time to a place of magic and wonder, of chivalry and knights, of tradition, dancing, music, and ancient delights. Come join us for a weekend of Renaissance and Medieval festivities and pageantry.

Customer Appreciation Day with Live Music and Food Autumn Harvest Winery invites you to a customer appreciation day in honor of its 11th anniversary. Enjoy live music from one-man-band Jerry Teclaw from Thorp. Light appetizers and Firewoods Traveling Pizzeria. Souvenirs, door prizes, and complementary wine tastings and 5-minute chair massages available.

Book Reading & Signing: Ryan Keith Johnson Author Ryan Keith Johnson will be doing a reading of his

See July 23 description.

Jamboree Days See July 23 description.

Marieke Gouda 5th Annual Open House Learn more about the creamery through free tours. Enjoy free samples, shop the store and the goods of local vendors, visit with Alice in Dairyland, enjoy the petting zoo, bouncing pillow, cooking demos, wine sampling, live auction, and caricature drawings. Free shuttle from Thorp High School.

Clearwater Con The Chippewa Valley Geek and Gamerati are teaming up to put together Eau Claire’s very own gaming convention at The Plaza from 9am to 11pm on Saturday, July 25. This convention is

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Memories and Short Stories” and “The Legacy Anthology”. The author will have free refreshments available as well. Go to http://ryankeithjohnson.blogspot.com to

Wine Down Saturdays - Live Music Autumn Harvest Winery invites you to Wine Down Saturdays this summer. Live music, specials and great camaraderie! This is an outdoor event with limited seating. Feel free to bring a chair.

Bluegrass Rendezvous A jam for acoustic string players. Listeners welcome.

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CHIPPEWA VALLEY EVENTS JULY 8-26, 2015

The Pumps The Pumps... Buck, Jason & Frank will be playing good rockin’ blues outside by the pond.

See July 25 description.

Chippewa Falls Music in the Park: Mark Healey

Live Music, Jerrika Mighelle & Elizabeth Steans Live Music, Jer-

Original Contemporary “Classic -

rika Mighelle & Elizabeth Steans.

ger.

Eggplant Heroes

ECCT Presents: West Side Story

Eggplant Heroes is an Americana collaboration among Duffy Duyfhuizen, Max Garland, Joel Pace, Olaf Lind, Caleb Horne, Dan Zerr, and Lucas Fischer. Mixing original tunes with songs by others that we like to play, EPH tries to bring a rich and eclectic musical experience (with an occasional poem by Wisconsin poet laureate Garland thrown in).

ECCT Presents: West Side Story In New York

See July 23 description.

original music that spans many genres from blues, rock and funk to jazz and bluegrass with a little ethnic vibe thrown in. Their music grooves with high energy and unexpected improvisations. Their melodies will sometimes amuse you and often move you.

between two warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice makes West Side Story one of the most heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

Layne Yost

Live DJ

Summer Sounds Concert Series

See contact info for details.

Hobbs Observatory - Public Observing org Hobbs Observatory is open for public observing most clear Saturdays about an hour after sunset. Because of volunteer availability, the schedule varies month to month. Please check the CVAS website (cvastro.org) before visiting.

Moxie + Mr. Pizzy + Lambs To Lions + K-Holla + Rumor Local and regional hip hop. Doors at 8pm.

SUNDAY, JULY 26 Dunn County Fair See July 23 description.

Singer-songwriter covering the likes of John Prine, Neil Young, and John Denver ... a little something for everyone.

Alex Widstrand, bassoon and friends. In its 11th year, the UWEC Summer Sounds delivers concert music to the Chippewa Valley with free weekly concerts from June 28th-Aug 2nd. The series includes solo and chamber music by UWEC faculty, talented students, and community members.

Jeff White Enjoy a beautiful afternoon of alternative country by the river with Jeff White.

Schuh Fly Schuh Fly plays a variety of popular 50s, 60s, 70s Classic Rock & Country music and some more current hits. Many songs covered were number one on the charts. Performing Beatles, Buffet, CCR, Cash, Clapton, Diamond, Eagles, Orbison and more. Join us for live music that you’ll love to dance to.

Anything Goes Open Mic

Jamboree Days

Comtournaments, kids activities, charcoal chicken dinner, live at noon on Sunday.

Ski Sprites Water Ski Show -

23 description.

Unique family, friendly event! A Wisconsin tradition, everyone should spend at least one night at the beach, watching the Ski Sprites perform on the water. Concessions available.

Ren in the Glen: A Renaissance Faire in Glenwood City

Open Mic

Breakfast at B-Side See July

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THE REAR END

BIG IN JAPAN JANAE BREUNIG

ONE GUY ONE NIGHT

the bar looks empty, but it’s definitely full of it WORDS: MIKE PAULUS

here were not many people in the bar, I remember that. And if I’d been the one stage, I’d have been disappointed. But seeing as I have no musical ability and the stage presence of a drowsy wildebeest, I am not one to talk. I’d seen the band a few times before, as my one local musician friend thought they were amaaaazing, and he showed up to every show. Yes – they were fun to watch. They usually did a cover of the techno cover of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” and I’m a sucker for that special kind of musical mess. When they played, you could tell they were having a blast. No one was dragging me along. The band – which was huge, with at least eight people stuffed onto the stage and way too much equipment – was an earnest bunch of kids. Some of them were still in high school, and it seemed as though, as long as they had this stage in this bar tonight, they were gonna damn well make something of it. You’d think they were playing in front of packed-n-sweaty house at The Bowery Ballroom.

were taking advantage of their stage time. Back then, it was one of the most popular venues in town. When was this going to happen again? I cringed a little. I’m Midwestern Mike, and these kind of touchy-feely moments are rarely my thing. If you’re going to embrace your bandmates, en masse, do it during the final bow. But actually, don’t do a final bow. Unless you’re U2 or Aerosmith or Beyonce’s backup dancers or ... Queen. Just don’t do it if you’re a band of barely graduated high school kids in a bar in downtown Eau Claire with about 20 people listening. No matter how good you are. So the piano solo was rolling on and a smattering of fans near the stage had fallen silent, staring up, lost in the magic. My friends and I were listening. Despite the Up with People vibe, I liked it. I liked how much the band liked it. The rest of the room was pretty much invisible to them, and that’s cool to see. But there was a guy. This one guy standing at the bar, pushing 40, had absolutely no clue as to what the hell was happening around

I’m Midwestern Mike, and these kind of touchy-feely moments are rarely my thing. If you’re going to embrace your bandmates, en masse, do it during the final bow. But actually, don’t do a final bow. Unless you’re U2 or Aerosmith or Beyonce’s backup dancers or ... Queen. It was getting late and they were in the middle of a long, jam-riddled song of their own design. The entire thing boiled down to one guy playing piano for about five minutes. He was really good, but the whole band gathered around him and put their arms around each other as if they were closing their last, hours-long show after a marathon North American tour. Like I said, they

him. I doubt he knew real, actual, live music was blossoming on stage 20 feet to his left. He had not showed up for The Show. He had showed up to get buzzed and blather at a pair of his lady friends. The lady friends were perched on bar stools, and they absolutely had a clue as to what the hell was happening. As the guy boisterously slurred, the ladies tried to hush him down, with

nervous laughter, stealing glances at the otherwise quiet audience. To recap: Epic piano solo. Sincere band. Quiet bar. Drunk dude positively on fire with clever quips for the ladies. I don’t know how this guy became aware of his surroundings. Maybe his friends finally got through to him to shut up. But even then. Even when the only sound in the entire building was a furiously heartfelt piano player. Even when every eyeball in the bar was focused on the stage. Even then, he had no idea there were actual live musicians at work. He closed one eye and leaned back. Bewildered. He swiveled from left to right and back again. Perplexed. Then, like some lazy preacher, he raised both arms, and hollered out, “What’s the matter? Isn’t this a bar? Come on, make some noise!” Come on, make some noise. He was a drunk donkey kicking over a curio

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cabinet crammed full of French horns and jars of marbles. He was gale force awkwardness. He was a howling black hole of dirty looks. Midwestern Mike over here cringed a super-cringe. Realizing no one was going to make him some noise, the guy shrugged and got back to drinking. The song spiraled to a close. We all clapped, finished our beer, and floated on home. I wish every local show was so packed with people the old brick walls of the bar would buckle and split. It can’t always be that way. But here I am remembering a hardly attended performance from more than 15 years ago, because somehow it’s totally gummed into my brain. It was a good show. If I had been the one on stage, maybe I’d have been disappointed. But I was in the audience. And I have nothing but gratitude for everything I heard that night.

JANAE BREUNIG

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OLYMPIC FLAME S BEST GYRO

the

CARDBOARD