Blog Fast frequin' friends

The first time Decider stepped foot in The Frequency, it was still a few weeks and coats of paint shy of opening up. And maybe a few more holes to punch in the walls and a couple more speakers to hang. Not long after that, owner Darwin Sampson and friends had  Awesome Car Funmaker and a few other local play a pre-opening party. The air-conditioning wasn't on yet, and it was awesome. The space felt right. The sound was good, and before long, the venue's schedule had fattened up. It's been a year now, and The Frequency's friendly energy and well-rounded lineup has created a lot of memories for us here at Decider, so in honor of its The Frequency's first birthday show on Saturday, we'll attempt to round up some of them here.

The snowballed chaos of January's performance from Milwaukee band Pigs On Ice remains etched in our memories. The Pigs' bludgeoning Albini-incarnate music—which stands up on its own—was wrapped in a barbarically transgressive performance. From crowd members shielding their eyes from the Pigs' blinding homemade light-box to the drool running down vocalist Joseph Peterson's chin as he howled and spewed at a wide-eyed audience, the show won't be easily forgotten.

Other favorite moments include a young couple dressed up in full badger-gear peaking into the stage room like scared mice at the bizarre sonic ritual of Burial Hex, Larkin Grimm trying to guide a group of stiff Madisonians through a “cosmic orgasm,” and watching the multi-tasking Revolving Doors plowing through its CD-release show from within a towering fortress of gear. Not to mention Shane Shane showing off his collection of theatrical headgear, an utterly weird show from Richard Lloyd, and way too much more to jam into this little blog post.

We'd guess that part of The Frequency's staying power has been its savvy in racking up regular events, namely happy-hour ones. We have inspected these offerings and found them to be enjoyable, from the comedy-variety Dan Potacke Show every other Monday, to a now-monthly blues jam, to another zany variety show courtesy of The Gomers. It's not just what's onstage though: The venue is one of the most welcoming in town, and we can't complain about how much fodder it provides for our weekly concert calendars, either. Sampson and his nice, capable crew behind the bar and soundboard have filled a void, and now we can't imagine Madison without them.