Rockin' the Rankings
UW-Madison recently added ”Campus Scenes That Rock” to its repertoire of awards and recognition from national publications. So what does this honor mean for Madison's music scene?
By Natasha Kassulke
Madison is a great place to live, earn a degree, work, and raise a family — but most UW grads knew that well before the rest of the country began hearing about it in “best of” lists from Forbes, Child, Ladies' Home Journal, and other publications. Today, this well-kept secret is just as difficult to keep under wraps as its resident university, which, for years, has held its own in collecting honors from popular publications, even as administrators caution about how little such rankings really mean.
There are the academic accolades, like being listed for five years in a row above number nine on U.S. News and World Report's “America's Best Public Colleges.” And, of course, the unsubstantiated rumor that's been circulating for decades about landing a spot on Playboy's Top Ten Party School list. And the most recent, where UW-Madison earned top billing as Sports Illustrated's Best College Sports Town, and was listed in Backpacker's Top Five Outdoor Colleges.
By Natasha Kassulke
Madison is a great place to live, earn a degree, work, and raise a family — but most UW grads knew that well before the rest of the country began hearing about it in “best of” lists from Forbes, Child, Ladies' Home Journal, and other publications. Today, this well-kept secret is just as difficult to keep under wraps as its resident university, which, for years, has held its own in collecting honors from popular publications, even as administrators caution about how little such rankings really mean.
There are the academic accolades, like being listed for five years in a row above number nine on U.S. News and World Report's “America's Best Public Colleges.” And, of course, the unsubstantiated rumor that's been circulating for decades about landing a spot on Playboy's Top Ten Party School list. And the most recent, where UW-Madison earned top billing as Sports Illustrated's Best College Sports Town, and was listed in Backpacker's Top Five Outdoor Colleges.
But somewhere between Monday's 8:50 a.m. classes and Saturday's 1:05 p.m. kickoff at Camp Randall is Friday night. And UW-Madison has earned some recognition there, as well.
In February 2003, Rolling Stone ranked UW-Madison among America's top “Campus Scenes That Rock.” Based on criteria that included venue, rising talent, and total party volume, Madtown clinched the number five spot ahead of such music meccas as Eugene, Oregon, and Berkeley, California.
Madison's immediate reaction was mixed. While some felt it was fitting that the capital city made the list, there were naysayers, too. Those interviewed in a Badger Herald article called “Local Musicians Dispute Rolling Stone Claim” strongly disagreed with Madison earning such honors. Subsequent feedback on Herald message boards went so far as to blame UW students “who refuse to travel off campus or journey into a new scene.” Could America's premier rock 'n' roll magazine be wrong?
In February 2003, Rolling Stone ranked UW-Madison among America's top “Campus Scenes That Rock.” Based on criteria that included venue, rising talent, and total party volume, Madtown clinched the number five spot ahead of such music meccas as Eugene, Oregon, and Berkeley, California.
Madison's immediate reaction was mixed. While some felt it was fitting that the capital city made the list, there were naysayers, too. Those interviewed in a Badger Herald article called “Local Musicians Dispute Rolling Stone Claim” strongly disagreed with Madison earning such honors. Subsequent feedback on Herald message boards went so far as to blame UW students “who refuse to travel off campus or journey into a new scene.” Could America's premier rock 'n' roll magazine be wrong?
Indeed, Madison has become a city where increasing restrictions are being placed on local club owners in an effort to curb binge drinking. And many students are too busy trying to stay competitive to seek out an evening of live entertainment. While neither scenario seems like a formula for success, and while it's important to note that rock 'n' roll is just one genre among many offered in such a diverse city, many local experts agree that Madison has earned its new reputation — only in unexpected ways.
Vanishing Venues?
Cathy Dethmers '94 moved to Madison from Milwaukee to go to school, but, she says, “Part of what drew me here was the music scene.” Dethmers owned Madison's legendary O'Cayz Corral for seven years before it was destroyed on New Year's Day 2001 in a fire that ignited in the adjoining Comic Strip bar. That day, her popular club joined a growing list of Madison venues that had closed, been shut down, or burned, including Headliners, the Paramount, and Club de Wash.
Beyond the loss of O'Cayz, Dethmers has seen many changes in the live music landscape, and admits she was surprised to see UW-Madison surface in Rolling Stone. She estimates that a mere 10 to 20 percent of the crowds at her alternative club were students. “I think that's part of why Madison is unusual ... [There are] so many young people with the opportunity to see live music, yet it seems like they don't really take advantage of it.”
Aaron Honore x'04, program manager at student radio station WSUM, agrees. “Ten to 20 percent will seek out activities outside of football Saturdays or other obvious entertainment,” he observes. “But there's always something going on. It's just a matter of knowing where to look and who to talk to.” Honore says a lot of the shows he attends are in people's basements — the kind of thing you learn about through those in the know. He finds others on message boards such as www.madhc.com. And some, he hears right on WSUM.
Beyond the loss of O'Cayz, Dethmers has seen many changes in the live music landscape, and admits she was surprised to see UW-Madison surface in Rolling Stone. She estimates that a mere 10 to 20 percent of the crowds at her alternative club were students. “I think that's part of why Madison is unusual ... [There are] so many young people with the opportunity to see live music, yet it seems like they don't really take advantage of it.”
Aaron Honore x'04, program manager at student radio station WSUM, agrees. “Ten to 20 percent will seek out activities outside of football Saturdays or other obvious entertainment,” he observes. “But there's always something going on. It's just a matter of knowing where to look and who to talk to.” Honore says a lot of the shows he attends are in people's basements — the kind of thing you learn about through those in the know. He finds others on message boards such as www.madhc.com. And some, he hears right on WSUM.
The station hosts a show on Sundays that plays only local bands. WSUM's general manager, Dave Black MA'03, points out, “Students don't need to go out to hear what they want to hear — it's all over the place. And a lot of that good stuff gets on CD and winds up right here. That's part of our mission.”
Opening the eyes of UW-Madison students to quality music is part of the mission for the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD), as well. This student-run organization books more than two hundred shows a year at the Memorial Union Terrace and Rathskeller, and at Union South's Club 770, and relies on the knowledge and research of its volunteers to bring successful new acts to campus. “There's constantly new input from UW students, so the Union plays a big part in helping make the scene,” says Student Music Director Jenny Ng x'04.
Natasha Kassulke MA'93, WUD's music adviser, adds, “We always say you can see new bands here first. We take a lot of pride in our history and the fact that Phish, the Indigo Girls, Jimi Hendrix ... all played the Union before they became huge.”
Opening the eyes of UW-Madison students to quality music is part of the mission for the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD), as well. This student-run organization books more than two hundred shows a year at the Memorial Union Terrace and Rathskeller, and at Union South's Club 770, and relies on the knowledge and research of its volunteers to bring successful new acts to campus. “There's constantly new input from UW students, so the Union plays a big part in helping make the scene,” says Student Music Director Jenny Ng x'04.
Natasha Kassulke MA'93, WUD's music adviser, adds, “We always say you can see new bands here first. We take a lot of pride in our history and the fact that Phish, the Indigo Girls, Jimi Hendrix ... all played the Union before they became huge.”
That legacy of bands on the brink playing in small venues is what a lot of UW grads remember about their years here. Ken Adamany of Last Coast Producing has been booking bands around town since he was a student at the UW. “In the sixties and early seventies, we had a thriving music scene,” he says, recalling clubs like the Factory and Dewey's on Gilman Street, which held the first Wisconsin shows for performers such as Fleetwood Mac and Rod Stewart. “There were a number of night clubs, and I think a lot of people were more interested in seeing live music in those days. And then it sort of went away with the disco phase.”
But Adamany says there was a resurgence in the eighties. “Almost any act that came through the Midwest that wanted to play in Madison appeared at Headliners or The Boardwalk.” When asked about today's atmosphere, he says it's surviving. “It seems to be improving now, although a slow economy affects the number of times people go out in a week, let alone in a month.”
Kassulke adds that those in search of good, live music also have other options. “A lot of people look back on the ‘good old years' when we had some of those other clubs, but there are efforts under way to replace some of those. Also, events like Blues Fest and all of the neighborhood festivals have really stepped up, and I think sometimes we take them for granted. They may not be nightclubs, but you can see free music and a lot of local bands.”
But Adamany says there was a resurgence in the eighties. “Almost any act that came through the Midwest that wanted to play in Madison appeared at Headliners or The Boardwalk.” When asked about today's atmosphere, he says it's surviving. “It seems to be improving now, although a slow economy affects the number of times people go out in a week, let alone in a month.”
Kassulke adds that those in search of good, live music also have other options. “A lot of people look back on the ‘good old years' when we had some of those other clubs, but there are efforts under way to replace some of those. Also, events like Blues Fest and all of the neighborhood festivals have really stepped up, and I think sometimes we take them for granted. They may not be nightclubs, but you can see free music and a lot of local bands.”
You Have to Start Somewhere
The Rolling Stone article recognized local acts Birth of Tragedy, the German Art Students, and Phat Phunktion as bands on the rise in Madison. If nothing else, Birth of Tragedy drummer Ryan Peterson '99 and singer/guitarist Cory Divine credit the magazine with helping to give a name to up-and-coming musicians.
“As a result, we signed a management deal with a company called Anger Management,” says Divine. “Through that, we're working on a new demo and have generated some interest throughout the industry.”
But Jason Braatz x'05, bass guitarist for Phat Phunktion, had a slightly different reaction to being referenced in the music mag. “The Rolling Stone thing is cool because we can say we've been mentioned, but as far as opening any doors that hadn't already been open ... it kind of happened at a bad time,” he says. The band, which has performed with Rick James, The Temptations, and Earth, Wind, and Fire, has slowed its booking schedule while keyboardist Tim Whalen '01 attends graduate school at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. That, in essence, gives Braatz the freedom to explore a different style of music with his latest group, Bon Pantalon.
“As a result, we signed a management deal with a company called Anger Management,” says Divine. “Through that, we're working on a new demo and have generated some interest throughout the industry.”
But Jason Braatz x'05, bass guitarist for Phat Phunktion, had a slightly different reaction to being referenced in the music mag. “The Rolling Stone thing is cool because we can say we've been mentioned, but as far as opening any doors that hadn't already been open ... it kind of happened at a bad time,” he says. The band, which has performed with Rick James, The Temptations, and Earth, Wind, and Fire, has slowed its booking schedule while keyboardist Tim Whalen '01 attends graduate school at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. That, in essence, gives Braatz the freedom to explore a different style of music with his latest group, Bon Pantalon.
Thankfully — especially for bands without as many credentials as Braatz's — the number of small venues willing to move pool tables to accommodate live music is increasing. Places like Mother Fools on Williamson Street, Café Montmartre, and the Tornado Club on the square — and even Atwood Avenue's Glass Nickel Pizza Company — are offering alternatives for those willing to seek out nontraditional venues. Glass Nickel owner Brian Glassel has hosted Tuesday night open jam sessions featuring acts such as The New Recruits and the Cork 'N Bottle String Band for about six months. But Glassel admits his restaurant will never be a major venue. “We offer our customers live music because we can. But there are no plans in the works to grow offerings to more than once or twice a month,” he says.
Even Luther's Blues, a major venue that books five to six national acts every week, offers space to local talent on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The club's marketing director, Mike Haight, says, “We do a lot with trying to bring new bands up. We'll take a chance on a local act and let them play and see how they do. Bands like the Kissers, Love Monkeys, and Know Boundaries that started out on Tuesday nights now draw to capacity on the weekends.”
Even Luther's Blues, a major venue that books five to six national acts every week, offers space to local talent on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The club's marketing director, Mike Haight, says, “We do a lot with trying to bring new bands up. We'll take a chance on a local act and let them play and see how they do. Bands like the Kissers, Love Monkeys, and Know Boundaries that started out on Tuesday nights now draw to capacity on the weekends.”
Meanwhile, some of Madison's old favorites are expanding their ability to support live entertainment, as well. The Union's Open Mic series still takes place on Thursday nights, but now runs until 1:00 a.m. as part of its Fashionably Late campaign. These extended hours offer an alternative to bar-hopping, while giving more new bands a chance to be heard.
And today, after almost three years of struggle with the city and local developers, Dethmers is finalizing plans to open the long-awaited High Noon Saloon in February on East Washington Avenue. It will still offer a variety of music with an intimate feel, but at twice the size, Dethmers hopes to draw high-profile touring bands, filling a niche she feels is missing in Madison. “The larger national bands are recognized and draw more people out to see live music than would normally search it out on their own,” she says. “The more that happens, the more they get exposed to local bands. It helps bolster the whole scene in general.”
And today, after almost three years of struggle with the city and local developers, Dethmers is finalizing plans to open the long-awaited High Noon Saloon in February on East Washington Avenue. It will still offer a variety of music with an intimate feel, but at twice the size, Dethmers hopes to draw high-profile touring bands, filling a niche she feels is missing in Madison. “The larger national bands are recognized and draw more people out to see live music than would normally search it out on their own,” she says. “The more that happens, the more they get exposed to local bands. It helps bolster the whole scene in general.”
There's More to Madison
So is a Rolling Stone ranking enough to make local residents — especially students — fork over five dollars at the door or comb the Isthmus to find good live music on a Friday night? Maybe. But there's even more to Madison music than the Rolling Stone story tells.
By virtue of being a university town, there's a certain transience that breeds variety and creativity. And that's not a given on every campus. In Ann Arbor, Michigan (rated number seven in the Rolling Stone article), one student griped, “The venues import decent national acts, but the scene still lacks progression and imagination.”
Not so in Madison. Students meet in UW-Madison residence halls. They pick up drumsticks and guitar picks and really give it a go for three or four years before moving on. Rolling Stone editors favored cities that pumped out more than thirty new acts per year, and Madison's influx of fresh talent no doubt propelled it ahead of those cities where the same ten local bands stick around for years and years.
“I suppose every music scene is diverse,” says Braatz, “but [in Madison] there are a lot of bands that are great in a lot of different genres. The quality is what's unique about Madison. For the amount of bands, the majority of them are really good.”
By virtue of being a university town, there's a certain transience that breeds variety and creativity. And that's not a given on every campus. In Ann Arbor, Michigan (rated number seven in the Rolling Stone article), one student griped, “The venues import decent national acts, but the scene still lacks progression and imagination.”
Not so in Madison. Students meet in UW-Madison residence halls. They pick up drumsticks and guitar picks and really give it a go for three or four years before moving on. Rolling Stone editors favored cities that pumped out more than thirty new acts per year, and Madison's influx of fresh talent no doubt propelled it ahead of those cities where the same ten local bands stick around for years and years.
“I suppose every music scene is diverse,” says Braatz, “but [in Madison] there are a lot of bands that are great in a lot of different genres. The quality is what's unique about Madison. For the amount of bands, the majority of them are really good.”
Surprisingly, the amount of talent in a town of Madison's size seems to lead to more camaraderie than competition. Kassulke, who spent ten years covering local music for the Wisconsin State Journal before working at the Union, notes that as a positive change in Madison. Cross-promotion is big among bands, which often fill in for one another at the Union and other venues in a pinch.
Madison's well-insulated economy may even play a factor. “I think part of why this scene is so good locally is that there are the kinds of jobs that musicians can have to pay their bills and still go out and create music without making a lot of money at it,” says WSUM's Black. “There's the way the local economy is set up, and then there's a built-in fan base, so you have all of these things coming together in a semi-urban environment that really, really works.”
Whether the UW and Madison should even be considered one and the same, and whether either should have made the list at all (or risen higher than five) is of little consequence — it seems that the local scene really does work. And with any luck, Rolling Stone will join the list of publications that have exposed yet another one of Madison's best-kept secrets, creating new focus on rising stars, new venues, the local economy, and appreciation of the many types of music Madison has to offer. That is, until the next top ten list is released.
Madison's well-insulated economy may even play a factor. “I think part of why this scene is so good locally is that there are the kinds of jobs that musicians can have to pay their bills and still go out and create music without making a lot of money at it,” says WSUM's Black. “There's the way the local economy is set up, and then there's a built-in fan base, so you have all of these things coming together in a semi-urban environment that really, really works.”
Whether the UW and Madison should even be considered one and the same, and whether either should have made the list at all (or risen higher than five) is of little consequence — it seems that the local scene really does work. And with any luck, Rolling Stone will join the list of publications that have exposed yet another one of Madison's best-kept secrets, creating new focus on rising stars, new venues, the local economy, and appreciation of the many types of music Madison has to offer. That is, until the next top ten list is released.
In her career as a Wisconsin State Journal reporter and as music adviser for the Wisconsin Union Directorate, Natasha Kassulke has seen hundreds of live performances in the Madison area. But when it comes to her all-time favorite music memories, you might be surprised to find that her loyalties lie with one venue.
Read about Kassulke's favorite music moments — and post your own — on the Madison music memories message board at uwalumni.com/musicmemories. The best stories will be published in the Summer 2004 issue of Insider Magazine.
