Dave Maupin
Discovering a new band at a live show may seem old-fashioned when there are apps that can instantly supply you with music that appeals to your tastes. But a number of groups are seeking to broaden their fan bases by using a method that doesn’t rely on 21st century technology: teaming up to co-headline tours.
METZ and FIDLAR (May 23) and Nothing and Merchandise (May 30) are four bands performing at upcoming High Noon Saloon shows. They don’t identify as punk bands, but they do play intense, raucous rock. And by regularly touring with like-minded acts for co-headlining tours, they follow the tradition of punk musicians of the late ’70s and ’80s, who promoted and distributed music through alternative means.
For concertgoers, these double-billed shows are affordable opportunities to catch two compatible bands in one night. And they offer the artists a shot at new fans and a chance to fill up venues in larger cities.
“It’s cool because you’ll get a weird, interesting cross of people there,” says Alex Edkins, guitarist and primary songwriter of Toronto’s METZ, a three-piece wrecking crew that makes guitar-fueled music that’s as noisy as it is satisfying.
His band has joined forces with FIDLAR, a Los Angeles skate punk group that made waves with the 2012 delinquent anthem, “Cheap Beer.”
“I think some of the people who really dig FIDLAR’s music have heard of us,” says Edkins. “And some of them have definitely not heard of us.”
Having friends to help pass the time while touring the United States (where you can’t avoid driving through vast, bare stretches of scenery) is essential. “It makes the agonizing pain of being on the road for five weeks straight a little bit easier,” says Nothing lead singer Dominic “Nicky” Palermo. “Eight-hour drives, sleeping in different hotels, missing your own bed and toilet.”
Palermo is happy to visit Madison as summer approaches. His Philadelphia-based band’s last appearance here was in January 2014 for FRZN Fest, an event fittingly named since it fell during the coldest winter in 35 years. “I was never as scared to death as I was coming from Chicago to Madison,” he says. “We were driving 25 miles per hour on the highway, watching cars ahead of us skid into ditches.”
Nothing is currently on tour with Tampa’s Merchandise. Their connection dates back several years to when Nothing drummer Kyle Kimball met Merchandise drummer Dave Vassalotti while each played in other bands. “I’m looking forward to hanging out on the road now, as older men,” says Vassalotti.
“We’re pretty good friends with most of these bands [we tour with],” says Palermo. “We feel like a lot of the time we’re in the same [musical] range.”
And Nothing’s range is expansive. The band’s album of loud, shoegaze-inspired rock, for instance, was released by a primarily metal record label. That’s why hitting the road with Merchandise, another group that bucks traditional rock genre tags, seems like a match made in heaven.
The hope is that Merchandise fans will come to a show to see Merchandise but go home having enjoyed Nothing’s set as well — and vice versa. The musicians are also focused on the fun.
“It’s good to travel in a bigger pack. You end up making more friends,” says Vassalotti. And Edkins looks forward to befriending FIDLAR’s band members during METZ’s tour. “We run into them all over the place,” he says. “I think it’s going to be a blast.”
[Editor's note: Due to a medical emergency, Nothing was forced to cancel some tour dates. Madison garage punk band Fire Retarded has replaced them at High Noon Saloon on May 30.]
