“Who’s seen us play before?” Ari, lead singer of Yolk, spoke out to the crowd in between sets, “who’s seen us play in a basement before?” This call-out was followed by screams from local fans who had previously relied on Instagram accounts, printed posters, and word of mouth to see their favorite bands play in sweaty, low-ceilinged, unfinished basements near the college campus. As a long time fan, the performances of the night were a breath of fresh air– professional sound systems, good acoustics, dynamic lighting, a real stage.

Gallon of Red, opened the night with a great set. Nolan Tomesh, drummer for the three-piece, sang backing vocals to accompany Leo Dempsy’s main. Talk of the town is that this up-and-coming band is one to keep an eye on, I know I certainly am.

Yolk, the only band on the bill with a female in the main-ensemble that night, stood out. Powerful vocals, incredible guitar riffs, and energy I could feel from the pit opening up in the middle of the venue. It is no secret that Madison’s DIY music scene is male dominated– a photo of all of the bands on stage after the night’s performance puts it into perspective. Yolk’s latest EP dropped this past September, showcasing the band's intoxicating sound on songs like ‘Tim Waden,’ one of my favorite local tracks of the year.

Hush Now, Sweet Halo played a set which I can describe best with a few anecdotes. A man in a Wilco t-shirt crowd-dove off the stage during the third song, starting a wave of crowd-surfing that lasted the rest of the night. In HNSH’s music, the build of the song is vital, during these moments the back of the pit opened up. Once everything builds, perhaps after a slight pause, the drums kick back in, and everyone collapses into one another. It was at this moment I got punched straight in the ear by perhaps a madman, or perhaps just another HNSH fan– hard to tell the difference these days. Maybe the ringing in my left ear enhanced the experience? All to say, HNSH blew the roof off the place.

Cause & Control is admittedly one of my favorite bands in Madison. Pushing to the front row for a set is becoming harder and harder as they only continue to gain more traction locally.

Boxing Day killed it. I’ll never get tired of seeing them.

The Signal hosted a four-band bill on Friday night, including one of my favorites Friendly Spectres , as well as, Charity Work from Chicago, Tollbooth , and Cause & Control. i'd seen most of the bands before, excluding the traveling-band, but was delightly surprised at the sets each band played! some of the best i've seen from all three local bands! friendly spectres brought a fog machine that really amped up the energy, throwing down an experimentally electronic solo guitar set. tollbooth played in a way i haven't seen from them before, they were really in their element, and a harmonica is always bound to be a crowd pleaser. Charity Work left a little bit to be desired, but they played a fun set and I'll never complain about a band who plays a good cover! Cause & Control played a great set, perhaps i am biased, but despite ending after midnight, they always bring the energy. would've loved to see more women on this bill, as the men in the pit at this show got a little too bold for my liking- maybe it was the slippery floors in this basement, but i was certainly tumbling.

i didn't stay long at the Gold Soundz show this Saturday, with Yolk , Social Cig , Sooflay, and Cause & Control, because the vibe of that venue isn't my favorite. with someone as popular locally as Social Cig, the floor-space of this venue just couldn't deliver. Sooflay, however, played a very unique one-man set, with giant cardboard hands on each drum. Singing, playing 2 kick drums and the guitar, while also sometimes controlling these movable cardboards hands, was very impressive. towards the end it began to feel like a party trick, but the energy was great and an enjoyable set nonetheless.

Cause and Control dropped their new single, 'Waiting Game' Saturday night during their set at Gold Soundz, with a cute music video to go along with it. their music video has a similar theme to their previous- personally i think they just like to make their drummer play anything but a drumset- but who doesn't love an outdoor shoot. overall, this single is good and has that math-rock power-pop sound that they are really growing into and making indistinguishably their own. this single is effectively building anticipation as we inch closer to their january 31st ep-release with Hush Now, Sweet Halo at the High Noon Saloon. totally worth a listen!

Madison girl-band, Blush, began the night with a lovely set including Mazzy Star's 'fade into you.' their vocals could never disappoint! as people filed in from the freezing cold, Blush set a lo-fi and chill tone for the rest of the night. the noise of people finding their seats, whispering to oneanother about winter-break plans, and chatting about finals, resonated like a candid backing track.

Cause and Control, a band composed of many music students from UW-Madison brought a jazz element to their set: their lead guitarist opting for a piano, the bassist switched between an acoustic and upright, and really shredded on the lapsteel. Drummer, Scott Lonzaga, really set the tone for their performance, switching up his usual solos on some of the trades. great set, but i would've loved some more scatting...

Hush Now, Sweet Halo followed, and played an incredible set. I would've loved even more acoustic elements to their performance, but as the self-proclaimed odd-one out on the bill, HNSH brought out a new side of their music i haven't heard before. Connor Poster, lead vocalist for the band, was the highlight of this performance, i was wrapped up in their whole set- could really feel it in my bones. one of those times where the live version changes how you hear the recorded one, 'lust enclosure' has certainly been put back on my radar (as if it was ever off).

unfortunately i stepped out for a lot of Faux Beaux's set, but the snippets I heard were excellent and they certainly fit the acoustic bill for the moment. boxing day closed out the night with a cutesy trio. i've actually seen them play an acoustic set before earlier this summer, so i was very excited! the energy that a cajón, trumpet, and harmonica bring, along with the truly otherworldy voice of Chris Norcross, Boxing Day was made for this type of performance- truly incredible set to end a truly incrdible night!

I unfortunately missed Sonic Daphne's album release show at the Cardinal Bar sunday night for a much needed late night study session, but this album is gold!