Rock of the Arts

The cult of Bon Iver may be crossing over into the mainstream, but Justin Vernon will never forget his humble indie beginnings. The Eau Claire, Wisconsin resident has been increasingly more high profile in the last year. Starting with a guest appearance on Kanye West’s headline Coachella show last Spring, followed by the release of Bon Iver’s sophomore self-titled album in June.

The success of the album fueled a sold-out headlong tour of the U.S. and Europe. If that wasn’t enough, four Grammy nominations and a slot on Saturday Night Live rounded out a stellar list of achievements. And we can’t forget a Justin Vernon-curated record label called Chigliak. Yes, it’s Bon Iver mania! Justin and company kept the whole experience in check, even turning down a chance to play on the Grammys.

Los Campesinos! played to a packed house at The Sett in Madison at Union South on Saturday night.  The seven piece band ran through a blistering set that electrified the ravenous crowd. Rock of the Arts braved the masses to bring you the encore "Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks." Watch and enjoy!

Alex Schaaf of Yellow Ostrich may have set-up shop in Brooklyn, but his roots are in Wisconsin. Orginally from Prairie Du Chien, Alex attended Lawrence University in Appleton and played in the Fox Valley-based Chairs band before the emergence of his solo-outing as Yellow Ostrich. Testing the waters of live performance with tape loops, one of the first Yellow Ostrich shows took place at the Gates of Heaven in Madison in May of 2010.
 

Arts and music incubator, The Project Lodge, has a Kickstarter fund raising campaign in progress to meet an $8,000 capital outlay goal for the non-profit DIY upstart. Known as a beacon for Madison's aspiring artists, musicians and all-around creative types, the Project Lodge has hosted a wide variety of events over the last four years in its East Johnson Street location.