The otherwise quiet Lisa Link Peace Park became the beating epicenter of the Bone Chilling Bash Friday afternoon — Black Salt Productions’ debut show featuring Midwestern talent.
Black Salt Productions, based in Madison, focuses on recording and editing albums, as well as hosting concerts and promoting new music.
“We’re here in Madison to cultivate a better music scene,” Nate Dehner, Black Salt Productions co-founder, said.
Harsh and harmonious vocals and instrumentals of bands Raine Stern, Left Field, Bien Bien and Denim Matriarch washed over State Street between Gilman Street and Gorham Street for five hours. The band attracted indie music-lovers and curious onlookers, before a series of DJs took turns at the stage for the rest of the evening.
Bien Bien, made up of Javi, the lead vocalist/guitarist, Marshall Arts on guitar and Coniferous Wallace on drums, took the stage in the afternoon and didn’t fail to give Madison “a little groove, a little soul, a little bien bien.” The local, indie-soul group played several of their smooth, head-swaying tracks including crowd favorite “She Grooves Me” and instrumental “Whereabouts,” both off of their latest EP which was released this past July.
Self-proclaimed “stoner rock” group Denim Matriarch of Minneapolis was the last to take the stage from the main list of band performances, and they surely did not disappoint.
Raspy vocals from lead vocalist Nathan Levit paired with booming instrumentals from Sam Ruff, Jon Lindquist and Will Burnton gave a whole new meaning to “bone chilling.” The group’s set list included many tracks from their first full-length, self-titled studio album released last August.
Despite the lack of a budget for their first show, Dehner said local musicians, producers, engineers and others in their network pitched in to make Bone Chilling Bash possible.
“Everybody came out of the woodwork to help out on this,” Dehner said.
He said Telesound donated staging, and Gorham Street Productions donated the mixer and PA system. Dehner also said he “can’t wait until the future when we get a [real] budget. It’s gonna be great.”
Raffles were drawn throughout the show, with prizes including a $140 vapor. Attendees could also purchase band merchandise and a CD with songs from the various artists who performed at the show.
Lead vocalist, Javi, of Bien Bien killed it Friday afternoon.
Denim Matriarch was the last band performance of the afternoon.
Caleb Eckel, Cidney Lange and Mike Russell (left to right), friends of the artists and Black Salt Productions, helped run the booth and collect donations.
