Masses of costume-clad Freakfesters flocked to the Ian’s Pizza stage Saturday night to witness headlining acts MisterWives and Timeflies. Both brought good vibes and high energies that went hand in hand with the spooky atmosphere.
MisterWives embody minions, with outfits and character
After MisterWives came onstage, they never stopped moving — and neither did the crowd.
It’s difficult to not feel good at a MisterWives show. As the band, dressed in full minion regalia, danced around the stage bumping out their unique brand of alt-pop, it just felt natural to smile and dance around with them.
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In this way, the band perfectly fit the Freakfest vibe. Their upbeat instrumentation combined with frontwoman Mandy Lee’s impassioned vocals and happy-go-lucky persona kept the party on State Street raging.
The band played for roughly an hour, playing hits from their 2015 album Our Own House. On stage, MisterWives always acted in a way that felt genuine. Whether Lee was thanking the crowd, giving praise to the city or at one point breaking up a fight that broke out near the front of the stage, concertgoers felt this group really wanted people to have a good time.
Their genuineness made it feel like both the band and the crowd were part of one big happy family, all rocking together.
The band did an exceptional job of layering their funk-inspired riffs and pop drums into deep grooves that made the songs vibrant and full of life.
Moreover, theLee’s vocal performance was, simply put, incredible. She belted every note with conviction and enthusiasm while constantly moving and engaging with the crowd.
Their set took the Halloween energy of the Freakfest crowd and cranked it even higher. It was a euphoric performance that set a high bar for the act to follow.
Timeflies embraces their Sconnie pride
Dressed as Luigi and Pikachu, pop-electronic duo Timeflies took the stage after MisterWives and got the crowd jumping again.
The duo played a number of party anthems off their new album Just For Fun. It’s an album title that, in many ways, provides an encompassing description of a Timeflies show.
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Frontman Cal Shapiro and producer Rob “Rez” Resnick seemed to be in their element with the college crowd Saturday night as they flew around the stage and kept the crowd bouncing.
Their music is poppy. They have the catchy choruses, bright synths and electronic drum tracks that build on verses and drop on choruses. On its face value it’s nothing revolutionary by any means. It’s music — as their album title expresses — that is “just for fun.”
But when they’re playing upbeat, feel-good pop anthems at a festival whose slogan might as well be “just for fun,” it works. The duo put on a performance that had people singing along, dancing and having a good time.
Whether the band was playing their hits like “Monster,” or playing University of Wisconsin classics like “Jump Around” and “Sweet Caroline,” the crowd was always on board.
The performance arguably didn’t quite meet the level of energy as the act that preceded them, but nonetheless, Timeflies still kept the “freak” going at Freakfest.
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Witness Freakfest X’s full energy below. See Timeflies and MisterWives, plus local acts ME eN YOU, GGOOLDD and CRASHprez.
