There are an immense amount of bands across the country. These bands vary in all genres of music. Some combine styles to form a unique sound and personality, and some mimic well known professional artists to form tribute bands. Some play their favorite songs from bar to bar, with hopes of having a good time. No matter how these bands follow their musical journey, they are doing what they love.
In each issue of Improper Adult Magazine, we have been bringing you different groups from the Midwest. With hopes of giving our readers new shows to see on the weekends, we feature a variety of bands.
With our first issue, we brought you a music group out of the Chippewa Valley, named The Cragars. They formed back in 2006, and play a selection of songs from country to classic rock to nineties pop. Though members have changed over the years, they are still rocking stages to this day. (Find them on Facebook @thecragars for all show dates and band information.)
In August of 2016, we interviewed Evergreen Grass Band, a bluegrass group that started in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in 2008. They tour around the Midwest as well as Colorado, bringing their talent to stages for every listener to hear. (Find them at www.evergreengrassband.com or on Facebook @evergreengrassband for upcoming concert dates and information.)
With our spooktacular Halloween edition, out last Fall, we chatted with Kory Broda, lead vocalist of the Big Deeks. They are a rock cover band (formed in 2006) that ignites energy with fans around the Midwest. (They can be found on Facebook as a public group called “I LOVE THE BIG DEEKS!”)
Our forth issue, brought with it, an interview with musical group, The Dames. They started as a duo in 2009, and have since expanded to five members. They play a mix of covers and originals, with a modern folk feel, and have recorded two albums. (They can be found on Facebook and Twitter @DamesWI.)
Cover band Contingency spread across the pages of our fifth issue. They tour Wisconsin, with their rock repertoire ready to pump through speakers as they keep their dancers pleased with their lively tunes. The band started in 2011 and can be found at www.facebook.com/fansofcontingency.
Our last issue brought a band out of Austin, Minnesota called Whalen & the Willows. They have been performing around the country for the past three years. Playing mostly original music, their newest album can be found on iTunes: The Passing Days. (They can be located on social media links: www.Facebook.com/whalenandthewillows and www.Instagram.com/joshuacwhalen.)
We thought it would be fitting to feature not one, but a few different bands for our music edition. We sought out different bands from across state lines, to bring you the best entertainment in the Midwest. These groups have a high energy performance with each show they play. Being some of the best musicians around, they combine efforts to form a group and now bring in large audiences from everywhere with their show stopping act. These bands, on the next few pages are worth seeing, if you haven’t seen them already. Nothing beats a live musical performance.
Arch Allies
After ten years of being in a Journey tribute band, Kevin Todd decided that being a part of a ninety minute show was not enough. Having to come in early for each performance to set up just to watch the less talented bands open for them, he decided that they could do it on their own, and formed a three hour long show with REO Speedwagon and Styx in the first set and Journey in the second.
After rebranding the band, Kevin’s wife came up with the name based on the fact that Styx and REO Speedwagon did a tour together: the tour was called Arch Allies. Arch Allies formed around ten years ago in 2008. Being one of the best tribute bands in the country, they perform the most popular songs by Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Boston, and Bon Jovi.
They are a five piece band led by Scott Calderwood on lead vocals, Kevin Todd (founder and owner) on lead guitar, Scott “Gundy” Gunderson on keys, Johnny Gangl on bass guitar, and his son Dylan on drums.
Arch Allies has worked hard to bring their performance to a high caliber level. Kevin hires only the best musicians and uses professional lighting, sound gear, and a 14’x8’ video screen. Concentrating more on the quality of the show, they engage audiences from all over with an age group of twenty to eighty years old.
They travel the country with hopes of meeting new people and selling out shows. People are excited about the bands that Arch Allies performs, so the group strives to keep their fans entertained.
One of their favorite venues, one that they have played at from the start, is the Clear Lake, Iowa Fourth of July Celebration. Being an outdoor event, it is always standing room only. Playing for ten thousand people, singing all of the songs with them, is what keeps Arch Allies performing.
With over 350,000 hits to their website a month, and around eleven thousand followers on Facebook, it is easy to see why this band is worth watching.
Find them on Facebook.com/arch.allies or their website for dates and information. www.archallies.com
Madison County
Madison County is a band that started two decades ago in 1997. The seven piece band, consisting of Mike Zibell (lead vocalist/guitar), Augie Zibell (lead vocalist), Angel Salinas (lead guitar/backup vocals), Dan Mahieu (piano/keys/backup vocals), Scotty Mitchell (bass/vocals), Kevin Hendrickson (drums), and Jess Lex (fiddle/mandolin), draws in crowds from all over with their high energy performances.
Like their name states, the band is based of out the Madison area of Wisconsin. They have been performing at some of the biggest festivals and fairs the state has to offer including Summerfest, BratFest, Country Fest, and Camp Randall Stadium.
With their country renditions of everyone’s favorite songs, they have also recorded thirty seven originals. They enjoy throwing these songs into their sets, along with the cover songs that they perform.
Loving every venue they get the privilege of playing at, a few of the band’s favorite spots come from none other than their hometown pride. Some of Madison’s most notorious events, like BratFest, The Monona Terrace Rooftop, and Taste of Madison, are all on the band’s favorite shows list.
So, it makes sense that Madison County, for the last nine years in a row, has been voted Local Band of the Year at the Madison Country Music Awards. They have had the same high accolade in the Madison Magazine, winning Madison’s BEST Local Band for the past four years.
“We work very hard to keep our show fresh and new, and interactive with the crowd. We’re looking forward to an amazing summer, and we hope that you can all be out there with us.” ~Mike Zibell
The band can be found on Twitter and Snapchat @Madcounty. They are also on Facebook—www.facebook.com/madisoncountyband and Instagram @Madisoncountyy. Look up videos on YouTube and check out their website for tour dates and information. www.madcounty.com
The Milkman’s Sons
The Milkman’s Sons started in January of 2013. The current members have been playing together for a little over two years now. Ken Kupchyk plays bass and performs lead vocals, Mickey Kupchyk plays the rhythm guitar and sings backup vocals, Brett Johnstone sings backup vocals while playing lead guitar, and Terry Anaka is on drums.
The band, formed out of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, has been known as the best cover band in Western Canada. Traveling all over Canada and the US, the band plays anything from classic rock to country. The group toured in 2016 to a total of ten thousand miles in twenty five cities, playing to over fifteen thousand people.
Some of the band’s favorite venues have been Craven Country Jamboree, where they got to perform in front of ten thousand fans, and The House of Blues in Chicago. “This was the first major venue we got to play and this kind of broke things open for us. Whenever a booking agent or venue manager asked us, ‘where have you played?’ We would respond with, ‘The HOB in Chicago, is there anything else you need to know?’”
People always ask how they got their name.
Many years ago, when I was little boy I had a precognitive dream. That's a dream which comes true. In that dream, a raven came to me and spoke. It said, "your aunt is going to die". I was so scared I woke up my parents and told them about the dream. They told me not to worry and to go back to sleep.
The next morning when I woke I was told my aunt Emma had died.
It wasn't 3 weeks later when I had another dream. Once again, the raven came and said, "your daddy is going to die tomorrow."
I didn't know what to do, I was so scared. Finally, I told my brother then I told our dad. Our father said, "don't worry it's just a dream,” but I could see he was rattled.
All day long our daddy wasn't himself. He kept looking around for something that might fall on his head, because the raven didn't say how it was going to happen, just those words - "Your daddy is going to die tomorrow.”
He left home early that morning and was gone a long time. When he finally came back he looked awful - like he was waiting for the axe to fall all day. He said to our mother, "I've just had the worst day of my life!!"
"You think you had a bad day,” Mom replied, "this morning The Milkman dropped dead on the porch!"
Find The Milkman’s Sons on Facebook.com/milkmansons
Or locate their website for information and tour dates at www.milkmansons.com.
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