Friday, May 10, 2024

The Mad Caddies, openers: Beyond the Lamplight, Jon Snodgrass

There are some bands that seem made for the WOW Hall. Some that have played the venue so often they might as well have their own mailbox in the office. The Mad Caddies are the definition of this familiar band, and through show after show at the WOW Hall they have earned a large and loyal audience.

The evening began with a very energetic and enthusiastic performance by Beyond the Lamplight, a band that carries the punk aesthetic but play with such exuberance and positivity that they came across almost more as a pop outfit. Think if Walk the Moon played punk rock. They were a ton of fun, and the crowd responded accordingly matching the band’s enthusiasm.

Next up was Jon Snodgrass performing solo, another performer with familiarity to the WOW Hall stage. Jon, best known for Amrchair Martian, Scorpio, and Drag the River, also performs solo regularly. He’s a favorite of some WOW Hall staff, and was a pleasant surprise addition to the lineup. For a stretch Jon grabbed one of his vinyl records and started going down the track listing as if he needed a guide for what song to play next, which drew laughs.

As The Mad Caddies hit the stage I ran into a friend who also grew up going to shows at the WOW Hall in the 90s often, and we did our best trying to count how many times we had seen the band play here since the 90s…5? 6? 7? 10? Neither of us could recall the exact number, but for a time it seemed like the Mad Caddies played the WOW Hall about every 2-3 months, so that range seemed more accurate than hyperbole.

There’s a clear reason why the Mad Caddies play the WOW Hall so often — they are LOVED here. A huge and boisterous crowd packed the WOW Hall floor by the time the Mad Caddies started into their first song, and enthusiastically stayed until the final note. The band ran through plenty of classics, and for a stretch tried to play a series with no breaks back-to-back trying to squeeze 10 songs in a row with no banter. They tried, but clearly were having too good of a time to just blitz through their set without joining in some laughs with the crowd.

Based on the huge reaction and how much fun the band was clearly having, we look forward to hosting the Mad Caddies again in their second home…give it a couple months. Thanks everyone who came out for the 3,472nd time the Mad Caddies performed at the WOW Hall (okay, that probably IS hyperbole), and we’ll see you back here again soon. Also a big thank you to Punk Rock Saves Lives for setting up a table and providing information for our audience. They are a wonderful nonprofit organization that provides info booths at shows promoting health, equal rights, and human rights. More information about Punk Rock Saves Lives is available here: https://www.punkrocksaveslives.org/

-Kurt

WOW Hall Marketing Director