Bronco (Album Release) • Rat Bath • Jacob Slade • The Keystones
Thu 01/02/25
6:30PM
All Ages
music
$15 ADV // $20 DOS
Show Lineup
Heavy Bend
(Milwaukee)
Genre: Indie
Heavy Bend is an alternative folk rock band from Milwaukee, WI. In 2024, the band surfaced in the city’s DIY music scene under the name BRONCO. They released their debut project For Friends and Family in early 2025 after amassing a local following. Ephemera at National Aquarium quickly followed, and the live album captured a stripped-back set of songs both new and old. Notes of the Violent Femmes’ emotional drive, The Microphones’ layered intensity, and Big Thief’s sincerity appear in their recorded and live material. The quartet punctuates intimate lyrics with instrumental gut-punches. Following in the footsteps of folk tradition, many of the songs speak deeply, yet directly, about the tension between selfhood and togetherness. As fuzz saturated guitars, blunt drums, and melodic bass lines swash forward, Heavy Bend forges their own path into the contemporary rock landscape, but not without reverence to their sonic forefathers. Vocalist and guitarist Slater Gutierrez, guitarist Noah Skilling, bassist Gage McNew, and drummer Ollie Battista’s performances meld to make something earnest, full, and evocative. After recently releasing two singles, “Scared to Know” and “Sidetracked” under their new name, Heavy Bend is working eagerly on their sophomore studio album.
Rat Bath
(Milwaukee, WI)
Genre: Punk
RAT BATH is a band of all trans-gender individuals that reclaim queer-coded villains from their childhood as heros in their storytelling and strive for visibility in the music industry. They describe their sound as “Post-Everything Rat Core” but have also been called Bubble Grunge, Alternative Emo, Dirt Americana and Melodic Hardcore. Which ever way you slice it; they are fast, loud, and have a unique ability to seamlessly blend influences together.
Their freshman album Rat From Hell is considered to be Vocalist, Fred’s autobiography and was named one of The Milwaukee Record’s best albums of 2022. The shift in sound between tracks highlight the different ways trauma manifests in one’s life ranging from anger, vengeance, grief, romanticism, and finally, catharsis.
Their second studio album Call Me a Monster, otherwise known as their “Murder Country Rock Opera,” showcases inspiration from both mid-century Outlaw Country and Y2K style Emo and Post-Hardcore.
The sophomore album once again earned Milwaukee Record’s recognition as one of the best albums of 2023 as well as national recognition, marking a new era in the quickly expanding “Y’allternative” movement in 2020’s independent music.
Jacob Slade
(Milwaukee, WI)
Genre: Indie, Recording Engineer, Speaker
“You could not pay Jacob Slade to leave the Midwest” says Madeline Schultz in her review of the Milwaukee-based singer-songwriter’s 2023 album Soft Spoken. The essence of life in the midwest pervades not only Slade’s music and lyricism, but also his work ethic. Over three million streams and placements on Spotify’s Juniper, Morning Acoustic, and Fresh Finds editorial playlists is something few independent artists can claim. Further, Slade has shared the stage with nationally touring acts such as The Hails, Hotel Fiction, and David Wax Museum. While Slade’s music has drawn comparisons to contemporary indie-folk artists such as Noah Kahan, Richy Mitch & The Coal Miner’s, and Mt. Joy, he continues to explore a sound that is uniquely his.
The Keystones
(Milwaukee, WI)
Genre: Indie Rock
The Keystones are an alternative rock group based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born in Waukesha, the very same place as the electric guitar, the members of this 3-piece outfit pay homage to the biggest names in 2000s modern rock — Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, The Strokes, Wallows and Catfish and the Bottlemen — all while carving out a distinct, indie-alternative stadium sound that brings something entirely new to the genre.