Wurk, The Civil Engineers, Karate Chop, Silence

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Nicholas Fish

The Civil Engineers (left to right): Kyle Rightley, Becky Lipsitz, Garrick Rohm, Molly Fish, Tim Lopez, Jason Buck, Carl Rettke.

Madison sextet Wurk mixes many genre flavorings into a jam rock stew. So it makes perfect sense that the group is hosting a residency featuring guests from a mix of styles: rock (The Earthlings and Modern Joey, Jan. 7); funk (The Civil Engineers and Karate Chop, Silence, Jan. 14); and hip-hop/neo-soul (D'Funk and the Grease Monkeys and K.I.L.O. aka SkitL'z, Jan. 28. Oh, and for good measure, a night of bands with lots of members (The Big Payback and Sneezy, Jan. 21). Advance tickets are available at the Harmony.

media release: The Harmony Bar will ring off the new year with an innovative take on the concert residency:  They have invited Wurk to take the stage every Friday in January to host “OCCUPATION”, a four-night series showcasing a huge breadth in genre and talented supporting acts. Wurk, voted the 2019 MAMA Artist of the Year by Madison music lovers, is known for their wide range of influences and musical stylings including funk, progressive rock, pop, jazz, and jam band.

Each Friday night will focus on a different genre of music and showcase two additional performing acts. Each show begins promptly at 9pm at the Harmony Bar in Madison. On Jan. 7 they will “Rock in the New Year” with two rock bands. On Jan. 14 fans can expect to groove to “Nothin’ but Funk”.  Jan. 21 showcases bands with eight+ members for a larger-than-life night. Lastly, Jan. 28 drums up a rhythm with some hip-hop and neo-soul.  The featured bands, as announced on social media (@wurktheband):

(1/7): The Earthlings and Modern Joey

(1/14): The Civil Engineers and Karate Chop, Silence

(1/21):  The Big Payback and Sneezy

(1/28):  D'Funk and the Grease Monkeys and K.I.L.O aka SkitL'z

Tickets are $12 in advance at Harmony Bar or $15 day of show.  Alternatively, all four show tickets can be bundled for $40, which also includes a signed festival-style poster featuring art from Carolyn Adkins Art & Design.

Wurk is a six-piece funk-fusion group which formed in Madison in 2016. Inspired by Snarky Puppy, Umphrey’s McGee, The Motet, Herbie Hancock, and many others; their innovative original songs and ambitious interpretations of popular covers offer an impressive multi-genre exploration of funk, jazz fusion, prog rock, reggae, and more. Described by Isthmus Magazine as “summer-jam-perfect”, their sound seeks to employ a musically educated tone; Wurk fills the gap between complexity and groove, impressing fans and keeping them dancing all night. The Madison Area Music Association (MAMA) Awards recognized their rapid ascent to stardom in 2018 with the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award; then only six months later Wurk won five more awards including the coveted 2019 MAMA Artist of the Year Award. In 2020 their release Animation was named the 2020 MAMA Jazz Album of the Year.