Presented by WSUM 91.7 Student Radio and Wisconsin Union Directorate Music, the Snake on the Lake Fest is slithering back Sept. 9 with one of its strongest lineups to date.
The lineup for this year’s festival includes Carroll, Hoops, Madison’s own Trophy Dad and Chicago duo Whitney as the headliner.
Festival organizer Karolina Barej said the lineup was picked with two criteria in mind: to include a mix of local and emerging talent, and bands that have a strong listener base within Madison.
Also notable about this year’s festival (aside from it being free!) is it will be held off-campus for the first time ever at The Frequency. Barej said this was done to further integrate the Madison community as a whole, while still serving to introduce incoming students to the music scene.
This year’s fest also includes a sponsorship from Wisconsin’s own Colectivo Coffee, in addition to being financed by WSUM’s board, Friends of Madison Student Radio.
Barej advised attendees to get to The Frequency early on Sept. 9, as it has limited space, and doors open at 8 p.m.
Below are The Badger Herald’s own thoughts on the bands that should make this year’s festival one to remember, as well as some embedded tracks to jam out with beforehand.
Whitney
Crafted from indie royalty, it was no surprise when Whitney’s debut album, Light Upon the Lake, made big waves with critics upon its release in June. Featuring a duo made from Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Smith Westerns, Whitney’s sound can be characterized as having a sweet indie-pop shell and a gooey country filling. It’s sweet, but not saccharine, song-writing at its finest, and should take full advantage of The Frequency’s intimate setting.
Carroll
Minneapolis-based Carroll have been steadily establishing themselves as one of the Midwest’s most promising indie-rock acts. Their 2015 self-titled LP contained convincing college rock, and should thus resonate well with Madison’s student-heavy populace.
Hoops
Another mid-western band out of Bloomington, Indiana, Hoops has emerged lately as one of the brightest talents of what seems to be a national obsession with lo-fi surf-pop. Vintage, but never derivative, Hoops is set to release an EP a few days before the show as well.
Trophy Dad
Formed by University of Wisconsin students, Trophy Dad should be familiar to anyone even remotely familiar with Madison’s DIY/basement concert scene. Wearing their hearts on their sleeves, TD root their sound in harmonized vocals and dreamy guitar licks.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Friends of Madison Student Radio as Friends of Wisconsin Student Radio. The Badger Herald regrets this error.
