Blacktop (Release Show) • Maximiano • Bitch Creek • JR Wesley
Sat 06/21/25
6:00PM
All Ages
music
$15 ADV // $20 DOS
Show Lineup
Blacktop
(Milwaukee, WI)
Genre: Alternative Folk
Blacktop is the Milwaukee-based writing and recording project of multi-instrumentalist and producer, Austin Wood. Resting gently between the genres of folk, surf rock, and dream pop, Blacktop’s sound is adorned with soft-spoken vocals, washed-out guitars and synthesizers, acoustic percussion, and field recordings.
When not working full-time in public health or mixing/producing for other artists, Wood writes/records music for Blacktop while drawing inspiration from spiritual philosophies of presence, mindfulness, and impermanence. The project incorporates a DIY- and analog-based approach to music creation, embracing the creative limitations and hands-on experience of recording to tape. Sonically, Blacktop draws from a large pool of influence ranging from Ethiopian jazz and Latin rhythms of the 1960s-70s to contemporary artists such as Florist, Loving, Alice Phoebe Lou, and Sam Evian.
For live performances, Wood is supported by a rotating cast of close friends, including Jordan Taylor, Jacob Olson, Jeremy Robinson, and Jacob Greenberg. Blacktop’s debut album, Gardening is a Practice, Not an Idea, was released independently in September 2023 with a deluxe re-release through Nice Guys Records in February 2024. Blacktop’s sophomore album, Modern Spiritualism, is slated for release on June 18, 2025.
☮︎
Maximiano
(Milwaukee, WI)
Genre: Alternative, Americana, Folk
Ever since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, “The Real Truth”, Maximiano’s music has reached indie, folk, and americana scenes all across the country. The Milwaukee, WI based singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist toured extensively in support of “The Real Truth,” which The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel named the 3rd Best Album of 2024, calling it “one of the most piercing and emotionally resonant collections of songs… a towering artistic achievement.”
Maximiano performed 107 shows in 28 cities across 15 states in 2025 while still finding time to produce, mix, and collaborate with 30 artists and bands. In the midst of this hard work, Maximiano had a brief period of rest when their friends asked them to dog sit in the Hudson Valley region of New York. During that ten day span, Maximiano wrote their new album, “Rokeby,” named for the area that inspired the songs.
“Rokeby,” which Maximiano wrote, produced, arranged, recorded, and mixed, expands upon the lush production of “The Real Truth” in its first half before refocusing around the raw intimacy of performance in the stripped back second half. Every song on the album, no matter the production style, is driven by Maximiano’s trademark songwriting style: “honest, vulnerable, and altogether beautiful,” (Milwaukee Record).
The album is rooted in peace, community, and opposition to technocratic fascism so, in line with these beliefs, it will not be released on Spotify. Additionally, in solidarity with every artist who suffers under the streaming model, only the first half of the record will be available on other streaming platforms. The full record will be available on Bandcamp, vinyl, and CD on April 1st.
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Bitch Creek
(Milwaukee, WI)
Genre: Folk
Midwest independent folk fivesome with moody dark country and traditional celtic influences. Queer.
Bitch Creek’s first single “Animal” is out now on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms.