Les Breastfeeders | The Frequency | Jul 12

False 45th's Senior Midwest Correspondent, TK, caught one of my favorite bands, Les Breastfeeders, at The Frequency in Madison, WI last weekend and sent over this review. By the way, Les Breastfeeders will be back in Montreal at Le Divan Orange on Tuesday, Jul 22.

Note: photo is from a show this week in Harrisburg, PA (courtesy of imingall)

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Les Breastfeeders
July 12
The Frequency, Madison

Five weeks into its existence, The Frequency was featured in the Wisconsin State Journal under a bit called "Know Your Nightclub" last Saturday.

If The Frequency continues to get shows like the one Les Breastfeeders put on that night, it will quickly become common knowledge on the Madison music scene.

Described as garage rock (yes, there must always be a label) by multiple publications, I would go more with Quebec surf music (they 'fessed up to it before one song) for the Montreal outfit. In any instance, I'll thank my dumb luck that I found they were going to make a Madison appearance.

OK, so it was three appearances. They played an afternoon set at Friday's La Fete de Marquette festival and taped a bit for Wisconsin Public Radio before playing The Frequency that night.
The Frequency is a tiny place with a bar in the front and a walkway to the small room and stage in the back. It was a relatively cool night so the fact that the air conditioning was broke didn't make the room overly oppressive with heat but rather brought the place to a boil.
I made the decision to get up toward the front because I don't see how you can watch a band with their infectious energy and just stand in the back. Several patrons had the same idea and the band wasted no time whipping the place into a frenzy, even though they sing every song in French.

They played mostly songs off of Les Matins De Grands Soirs, their latest release, and just tore the place up. They even got coaxed into an encore to cap the set with both sides clearly reluctant to let the night end.

One of my favorite interludes of audience interaction came when the lead singer said the next song would be a sing-along. He then proceeded to give the instructions in French.
There were plenty of other chances to share with the band. I got the chance to help pass around World's Greatest Tambourine Player Johnny Maldoror and one of their guitars and other lucky fans got to yell into the microphone during one frenzied interlude.

Out of curiosity, I lingered around afterward to see what kind of reception they've gotten in the States. Multiple band members said the show was without a doubt a highlight among live shows, a sentiment echoed by a couple of locals afterward.

One band member was startled that some audience members were actually singing along (I'll take partial credit for that one, having had their two CDs coming in). In talking to guitarist/vocalist Suzie McLelove afterwards, she said that music and energy are universal.
I couldn't have put it any better. For an $8 ticket at $8 worth of PBR, it's tough to imagine having a better time for $16.

Opening acts: Local act Fermata, who described themselves as acoustic chamber rock, just wasn't my cup of tea. I wasn't sure what exactly The Protomen were trying to accomplish because their Halloween dress rehearsal stage persona distracted way too much from the music. Then whether it was intended or not, their cover of Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone made me laugh so hard I cried.

Next up: The start of a busy month. Next weekend it's my third straight trip to the Pitchfork and two weeks later, it's my first trip to Lollapalooza.