Daytrotter Barnstormer Tour - Attic Sweatfest
Daytrotter.com is one of the most respected indie music sites on the planet. So, when Daytrotter announced the maiden Barnstormer tour of Iowa barns and a Madison attic, we were excited to participate in this unique experience. The Madison gig, featuring four bands, was supposed to start at 6pm, at an old three story house downtown on Henry Street.
Catfish Haven tearing it up in downtown Madison
Earlier in the day, the Barnstormer tour bus petered out in Iowa and the caravan was forced to rent vans for the trip to Madison. Lucky for us that we saw the twitter feed announcing the bus troubles (flat tire), which delayed the start time to about 10pm. A large group of indie music fanatics mingled outside the old house, waiting patiently for the music to begin. The large Henry street attic was on the top floor, complete with unfinished framing for a room, which substituted for a stage.
About 70 people crammed into the space for live music by Catfish Haven, Snowblink, Local Natives and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. The temperature rose as each band played their hearts out. It was a truly cool experience, despite the heat. Band members and the Daytrotter crew were very personable and mixed with the crowd, giving everyone the feeling of a house party with an indie music focus. Barnstormer II is rumoured to be on the drawing board for October and Madison will be on the intinerary. Stay tuned to Rock of the Arts for more details.