Join Fan-Belt at the Cactus Club Friday

So, you know know how occasionally a music blog will put on a show to promote themselves, and then will make a bunch of posts saying, “hey! Come out to this show where we are going to promote ourselves! Hooray us!”

Join Fan-Belt as we celebrate our bold, audacious relaunch THIS FRIDAY, April 9 at the Cactus Club! We’re gonna celebrate by hosting a pair of our favorite local bands (or at least two bands that our writers are in–hey, full disclosure, amirite?) as well as two of our favorite regional noise-rock bands (neither of which have Fan-Belt writers in their lineups, so you can take that comment with a little more credibility).

White Problems

Photo courtesy MySpace

A noise-punk three-piece spawned from the ashes of other local groups like Freight, Pigs on Ice and Year of the Scavenger, White Problems sing about exactly that–first-world problems like your Netflix coming late and dropping your hot dog while you’re on the beach. Singer Brian Rogers writhes around while (F-B writer) Brian Whitney sends his bass through affected high and low signals and Chuck Engel keeps it all grounded behind the kit. It’s ferocious and immediate and something you need to arrive early to witness, because they’re going first at 9:30.

Waxeater

Imagine a more punked-out Jesus Lizard with songs about baseball and you’d have the fiery guitar abrasion of Bloomington, IN’s Waxeater. These guys are touring fiends who have been to Milwaukee a few times in the last year or so, although this will be their Cactus Club debut. Their full-length debut is coming later this year from Latest Flame Records, but they’ll probably have copies of their Decent Riff CDEP available. Check out this clip of them laying down the serration at Union Rock Yards (RIP) in Chicago:

Bear Claw

Photo courtesy MySpace

A staple in Carbondale, IL before relocating to Chicago a number of years ago, Milwaukee last saw the twin-bass, no-guitar math-rock attack of Bear Claw opening for Shellac at Club Garibaldi last year. Not only are they a sonic treat, but drummer Scott Picco’s orange Vistalite kit is awfully pretty lit up. See for yourself in yet another Union Rock Yards clip:

IfIHadAHiFi

Photo courtesy my hard drive (and by Shannon Corr)

The ear-splitting feedback attack of IfIHadAHiFi is turning 10 years old at this show, which is just absurd. I mean, really, who stays in a band that long without “making it?” Yet they continue to truck along, putting their bodies in even graver danger than in the days of their early, more chaotic, combustible performances (you don’t need to set drums on fire anymore when you get as old as they are; just stepping wrong is likely to knock a hip loose). Full disclosure: this band contains Fan-Belt editor DJ Hostettler, who may or may not be writing this.

The madness starts at 9:30 PM on Friday at the Cactus Club! Hope to see you there! Yay! Fan-Belt! And stuff!