Fire Retarded, Big Eyes, Dumb Vision
Mickey's Tavern 1524 Williamson St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Free.
press release: Brooklyn-based quartet Big Eyes, the brainchild of Kait Eldridge, toes the line between a punk band with pop sensibilities and a power pop group with a hard rock edge.
In late 2009, after the split of the collaborative pop punk and rock & roll bands of her late teens (Cheeky and Used Kids), 21 year old New Yorker Kait Eldridge began to channel her post-adolescent frustrations into a handful of solo demos that would become the first Big Eyes 7”. Now at age 28, Eldridge shows growth and maturity while harnessing the attitude and energy of her youth. The upcoming LP Stake My Claim exhibits the songwriting evolution from a discontent kid to an introspective adult, showcasing a newfound confidence and tenacity in Kait’s guitar playing, vocals, and lyrics.
Kait’s passion for rock and roll began at the young age of 12 when her very first guitar teacher, who was obsessed with hard rock and heavy metal, taught her the riffs of Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne. With Big Eyes, Kait's pop punk adolescence, alongside her hard rock roots, shines through in her songwriting. This combination creates records full of broken hearted and pissed off rock songs that are catchy, gritty and energetic.
“It’s Big Eyes at their best, with Kaitlyn Eldridge’s taking over as one of the more powerful instruments of the ensemble.” – Stereogum
"Big Eyes borrows from its 1970s power-pop forebears, but the candor of Eldridge's voice and bright, punky guitars make this the sound of summer vacation in a teen movie." - Pitchfork
"Elements of their sound are present, but I’ve basically never heard another band like Big Eyes, and that’s a good thing." - BUST
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Linda Falkenstein