Photo Credit: We Got Flavors
PaperStacks
While the recent return of live music was enough to celebrate on Saturday night in Bay View, the night had a buzz of long-anticipated energy from every act at Cactus Club. A mixed-genre bill featured rappers Mo’City, PaperStacks, WillOnWater and King Myles, along with R&B crooner Clayton and indie rock notables Will Pfrang & The Good Land Gang. While many of the acts spent the duration of the pandemic maintaining an online presence, Saturday night felt like a chance to finally get together and properly commemorate their hard work.
The bill was headlined by organizers PaperStacks, celebrating a birthday, along with Mo’City, who was finally getting an opportunity to tout the material of his highly regarded Benchwarmers project in front of a live audience. While they took the stage late in the night, there was no shortage of enthusiasm from the lively Cactus Club crowd, many of whom were just happy to inhabit the venue’s back room once again.
“It’s really cool, because everybody has so much to say, because they couldn’t say anything for a year and a half” said Mo’City. “Everybody has a new wave of energy, everybody is ready to work, coming out with this and that project. It’s a dope time to be an artist in the city right now.”
Similarly, rapper WillOnWater was going through the same experience. His T(r)ap Water album was one that met local acclaim when released online last year, and its impact only was fully realized with his energetic set. Dozens of fans jumped along to the hook of singles “Stripes” and “Fixyourenergy,” making for the feeling of a breakout moment in the works.
For King Myles, the show was his second of the day, after performing in the Appleton area on Saturday afternoon. Myles was one of the first to return to live music, already notching a handful of shows under his belt since venues have begun to reopen their doors. In many ways, he’s looking forward to shows like Saturday night as a step forward out of the pandemic.
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“It’s actually been really encouraging. People seem like they want to get out and have a good time” said Myles. “Everybody is ready to spread their wings and stretch their legs again. There’s been good energy at the shows. It’s been good to see some sense of normalcy again.”
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Photo Credit: We Got Flavors
WillOnWater
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Photo Credit: We Got Flavors
Mo'City
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Photo Credit: We Got Flavors
Will Pfrang
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Clayton
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Troy Tyler
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Photo Credit: We Got Flavors
King Myles
The night was augmented by indie rockers Will Pfrang and the Good Land Gang and Clayton, who added a more melodic component to the show. Clayton felt like more of a natural fit, with his songs having some hip hop ethos to them, but Pfrang’s songwriting plays well in just about any setting, and that was evident Saturday on the mixed bill.
“I think it’s a testament to the Good Land Gang and the stuff that we make” explained Pfrang. “With the energy that we bring to shows. We have the ability to play all sorts of bills.”
Relative newcomer Clayton was in an interesting position, having only performed a handful of times before the world began to shut down. His stage presence and vocal chops felt natural, though, with an immense amount of potential being displayed on stage. He was eager to make his presence felt through his performance.
“I used to sing in choirs and perform solos, so I have some stage experience” said Clayton. “It’s always a much better performance when it’s my own personal stuff. I would do covers and things like that, but the confidence is there when it’s my work.”
While the talent was young, all of the acts shined on Saturday. It’s a positive sign for the future of local music, with any of the acts on stage having the potential to lead the way and create something special.
