MAD TOAST LIVE!

Episode 171 - PurgAtory Hill (Pat MacDonald & Melanie Jane)

First reaching national recognition through his powerhouse duo, Timbuk 3 (remember "Future's So Bright I've Got To Wear Shades"?, Pat, along with his friend, Jackson Browne, has established The Steel Bridge Songfest--now one of the country's  hot-spots for the best up-and-coming songwriters to work alongside some of music industry's top pros to create visionary new music and raise money and awareness to help save a remarkable Wisconsin landmark.

purgatoryhill.com

Episode 170 - Dave Tamkin & Chris Webb

(part 2)

Chicago-fueled (and now Colorado-located) nationally touring acoustic rock artist, Dave Tamkin maintains his own popular blog, Head Above Music, which was created as a free resource for musicians to find tips about gear, touring, travel, health and other important interests related to the working musician. Denver is where Chris Webb calls home and performs ferociously in the Metro area. A graduate of CU-Boulder’s School of Music Webb’s musical accomplishments include sharing marquees with Sister Hazel, Leftover Salmon, The Big Wu and The Samples.

chriswebbmusic.com

davetamkin.com

Episode 169 - Dave Tamkin & Chris Webb

Chicago-fueled (and now Colorado-located) nationally touring acoustic rock artist, Dave Tamkin maintains his own popular blog, Head Above Music, which was created as a free resource for musicians to find tips about gear, touring, travel, health and other important interests related to the working musician. Denver is where Chris Webb calls home and performs ferociously in the Metro area. A graduate of CU-Boulder’s School of Music Webb’s musical accomplishments include sharing marquees with Sister Hazel, Leftover Salmon, The Big Wu and The Samples.

chriswebbmusic.com

davetamkin.com

Episode 168 - Okham's Razor

Based in the Platteville, WI area, Okham’s Razor is the acoustic folk/rock duo of Roy Schroedl and Eric Fleming or Kevan Norin. Their four original CD's are a collaboration of the band's influences which range from Tom Petty, Chris Smither, John Mellencamp and the Black Crows to Hank Williams, Sr., Gene Autry, Jimmy Rogers, The Beatles, Jethro Tull, Dave Matthews & REM. Active in southern WI for many years, their vocal harmonies are top-shelf.

okhamsrazor.com

Episode 167 - Frank Sommers

A songwriter whose catalog of hundreds of songs include folk, pop, musical theater, gospel, country, Big Band and other genres, Frank X. Sommers has also been a writer/producer in several different mediums, including theater, music and television. His musical theater adaptation of the Miramax movie "The Englishman Who went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain" was showcased in the Disney/ASCAP workshop program in New York.

facebook.com/pages/Frank-X-Sommers

Episode 166 - Harris Lemberg & Johnny Widdicombe

A NJ native, Lemberg studied Philosophy at the UW-Madison while earning a living playing gigs.  I gig-meister still, Harris' award-winning 2007 release, "Lost In My Own Little World" features (in Lemberg's own words) "funky childlike piano jazz in the the style of Vince Guaraldi".  Joined by another great jazz-philosopher, Mr. Johnny Widdicombe (Piper Road Spring Band), on bass. These are all old friends of ours, so this show promises to be a great reunion!

harrissimo.com

Episode 165 - Laurie Lang-Croasdale, John Becker & Sally DeBroux

Lang-Croasdale, Becker and DeBroux have been creating beautiful new yet classic jazz sounds together for many years--often heard at the Orton Park Festival and other great Madison venues. Upright bass, keyboard, drums and vocals.   sallydebroux.com

Episode 164 - Dirty Shirts

Their new CD, "Two Dollar Turpentine" just hit the streets, though the Dirty Shirts have been blazing their own honky-tonk trail for several years.  "Burkhart writes songs that would make Kristofferson reach over to turn up the radio..." (WI Public TV's Andy Moore--"30 Minute Music Hour")

www.thedirtyshirts.com

Episode 163 - Catfish Stephenson

www.myspace.com/catfishstephenson

A.V. Club-Madison says, "...one of Madison's most unmistakable musicians...you'll be hard-pressed to find a better acoustic bluesman in town. Even when Stephenson is right in front of your face, you can almost imagine the tunes are streaming off an old 78."  We second that emotion.

Episode 162 - Daniel & The Lion

Based in Baraboo, WI, Daniel & The Lion's lead-man, Jimmie Linville, recently won 105.5 WMMM's Project M contest.  Katjusa Cisar (77 Square) says, "...Daniel & the Lion's songs evoke power in their spareness, similar to Eau Claire indie darling Bon Iver."  Currently on their Midwest Tour, we're excited to have them back on the show!

www.datlband.com