Day 27: Madison, WI
Welcome
Yesterday we played our first ever show in Madison, WI.
It was a big drive day, so we left Detroit at 8.30am with Tristan behind the wheel of our Ford 350 Transit van. Ninety-four was our Interstate of choice, taking us west across the lower part of the state of Michigan, this large peninsula squashed in between three Great Lakes, Eerie, Huron, and of course Michigan. After a few hours on the road, we stopped for breakfast in the town of Paw Paw, deciding that Jimmy John’s was the best option in this strip of fast-food restaurants. I ordered an 8” vege, which came with hand-sliced provolone cheese & tasty avocado spread, topped with mayo, fresh-sliced lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, and then I added jalapenos and peppers.
Enjoying a break from the drive in Jimmy John’s carpark.
We continued along I94 to where it curves around the southern shores of Lake Michigan and then passes up through the western suburbs of Chicago. From there it was northwest on I90, leaving Illinois to enter Wisconsin and arriving in the state capital of Madison to complete our seven-hour drive. Immediately upon entering this new city we discovered that on an isthmus, an exciting development for the four of us that usually reside in one of the world’s great isthmi, Tāmaki Makaurau. The old part of Madison lies in between Lake Mendota, and Lake Monona, and our venue was on this thin strip of land, no more than ten blocks wide.
The show was a bit later than usual so with an hour up my sleeve before needing to report for soundcheck I headed out to see the water. Less than ten minutes of walking later I found myself in a nice lakeside park where quite a few locals were enjoying the afternoon warmth, relaxing in the shade with the comfort of an mp3 or a book. While I was exploring the north side of the isthmus Liz was on the south side, I found out later. This pristine location was being equally exploited in the pursuit of summer joy with, ducks, and dogs, and pleasure craft, out in numbers.
Our venue was The Sylvee, a 2500 capacity ‘rock box’ with plenty of standing space on the floor, a large seated mezzanine that runs around the edges of the room, and then VIP boxes right up the top. There was an elevator to get from the stage up to the green rooms and if you were hoping to operate this elevator yourself you were shit out of luck because there was a lady sitting on a chair inside the car for the entire evening pressing the button to travel between floors. We got to know this elevator operator very well over the course of the evening and I think we had the pleasure of her company for about fifteen or twenty ten-second rides.
The show was sold out and it felt pretty full when we walked out for our set at 8pm. We enjoyed our 45 minutes out under the spotlights, had some great interactions with the crowd, and performed some first-rate versions of our songs.
This room sounded less echoey than some of the large theatres we have been in so it was a great opportunity to watch The National’s set from beginning to end. They delivered an energetic and compelling performance and their fans were rapturous, screaming, singing, dancing, and filming on their phones. I was one of those with my phone out towards the end of the set so I could capture this next video and take home a memory from a very fine evening. If you are a fan of brass you will enjoy the ending of this song which features some very fine playing from the band’s trumpeter and trombonist.
The Horace E Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain is a very complex shape to comprehend, even if you have been lucky enough to see a photograph, or evening better, catch a glimpse in person. That is why I was so impressed by the two submissions I received in response to my challenge to sketch this structure/sculpture, using only the crude verbal description that was provided. I have awarded each of these contestants 1000 boints, and if you have the means I invite you to award them with your own merit recognition system.
Credit: Sam Santangelo
Credit: Graham Fox
I couldn’t decide which of these decade-old youtube videos did a better job of showing fountain in action so please enjoy them both.
This week in art corner we look at a piece hanging in the dining room of The Sylvee. It depicts a triumphant moment during a music show, pieces of falling confetti catching the light in this photograph which is presented on what I believe is laser-etched steel.
Today Tristan finished editing another video and I leave it here for your viewing pleasure.