Collin Schmidt

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Borgeous drops by Liquid Friday night

After transformative years, Kid Cudi returns to Madison

Liquid vibes on Sunday night

For all the sad souls that were stuck in the library this Sunday, I express my sincere apologies. With the streets as dead as ever, The Chainsmokersshow was invigorating at Liquid nightclub and made for the perfect Sunday funday. Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall are the members of this electronic duo based out of New York. Many see their mainstream releases, such as the single “#Selfie,” as being for the “basic” listeners in the audience. However, The Chainsmokersare setting trends and making simple ideas into wonderful mixes. The entire lineup for the night was stacked with impressive talent, so I made sure to arrive early to see the entire event.

Record Routine: Calexico blends cultures in 'Edge of the Sun'

It’s sometimes hard to recognize greatness. Nowadays it’s more likely for a book to be judged by its cover. This is the same for albums, as people get more and more busy and distracted and as music is moving through different phases of popularity, bands are transforming their sound. I hear a busy tone from most of Calexico’s songs off of the new album Edge of the Sun. I feel a lot of this comes from the Latin influence, but also the fact that these guys are working on so many different projects. They’ve been experimenting with new members and influences since the start. Calexico was formed back in the 90s when Joey Burns met John Convertino and Howe Gelb in Giant Sand. After the band had moved to Tuscon, Arizona, Burns and Convertino formed another band. This band, Friends of Dean Martinez, became sort of a band for hire until they finally formed Calexico.

José González sells out Majestic before Saturday performance

After José González’s parents fled from Argentina at the beginning of a military junta known as the “Dirty War,” they ended up in Gothenburg, Sweden. This was the birthplace of González as an uplifting songwriter, where he grew up listening to artists like Bob Marley and Michael Jackson. González began his performance career with a hardcore punk band named Back Against The Wall and began performing around the ripe age of 17. After ending his time with this band, González took on a very new sound. 

The MadHatters are getting ready for home concert

It’s that time again to round up your friends and head to a concert put on by our talented and entertaining student a cappella group, the MadHatters. Many people may think of “Alice in Wonderland” when hearing the name and while they may not be insane, the Hatters have some tricks up those jacket sleeves. 

Rapper Lil Dicky provides entertainment for Majestic crowd

Professional Rapper Tour was not something to be overlooked. This past Friday Lil Dicky was watching the Badger game while preparing for a sold-out crowd at the Majestic Theatre. They played the Badger game with an open bar before the concert. They have a nice screen that proved to be useful later in the night. My best friend was downtown and ready to see his first show ever at the venue. I was pretty impressed by how hyped the crowd was when arriving.

Mat Kearney, Parachute spark exciting Orpheum show

At the top of State Street, past bars and The Hub construction site, there is a thriving community of music lovers, late night owls constantly looking for entertainment. Mat Kearney’s performance at the Orpheum March 18 provided just that.

Mod Sun brought loving vibes to the Sett

As the warm air finally found it’s way to Madison everyone came out of hibernation. Between the Big Ten tournament hype and wonderful weather on the Terrace everybody was looking to take to the streets at night, but if you weren’t headed to Union South Friday night you missed out on a good show. Mod Sun based out of Bloomington, Minnesota brought his crew of rappers in the good old RV as part of their “Look Up” tour. It was hard not to like the vibes rolling through the crowd the entire night with the hippy-hop that was going on. Some kid's mom was even in the back of the crowd jamming the entire show.

Cakes da Killa shines at Sett performance

As the lights dimmed in Union South, the Sett began to settle into a slow thump that reverberated through the building like a heartbeat. Last Thursday was a night to celebrate completed midterms and the LGBT movement, with rapper Cakes da Killa’s 2Lit2Quit Tour. Crowds of people powered through the bitter night to get their groove on to DJ Uniiqu3. While wandering around the crowd, I had a weird urge to shake my butt. My friend standing next to me came up with this new term for genre that mixes rap and trap music, titled “Twerk-house.” Everyone was in for a treat with these two artists, both of whom are from New Jersey. As the show progressed, Cakes da Killa finally stepped in.