Girl at the Rock Shows

It never fails. My good and smooth-sailing week was spoiled by an insane Friday. Work never stopped, and I didn’t have a chance to breathe at any point in the day– at least that’s what it felt like. By the time Friday night rolled around, I needed a show. I didn’t care what show it was, I just needed a show. I needed to feel alive. I needed to feel creative and inspired. Zhora Darling had the perfect show for that.

Local rockers The Makeouts were first to take the stage and instantly made me feel more at ease when it came to my Friday with their no-frills rock n’ roll sound. Okay, maybe saying that this band is “no frills” is a lie. The truth is, their sound has a lot of razzle-dazzle behind it. After two solo songs from vocalist Make Keene, the rest of the band joined him on stage and presented their unique rock sound. It’s definitely classic rock n’ roll, but there are bluesy influences and a stunning amount of swagger that is woven into that sound. On top of that, certain songs feel very Elvis-inspired, whereas others have an almost pop-punk hue to them. The Makeouts are one of those bands that keep you on your toes, and although this was only my second time experiencing them live, I loved the fact that I felt familiar and cozy with some of their songs. Sure, I still couldn’t sing along, but this band has such a distinct sound that there was no mistaking it. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you like; The Makeouts have something for you, and I suggest you spend some time with this hard-working local band.

Sandwiched between The Makeouts and another local act, The Cold Casuals, was Milwaukee-based Brett Newski. Although the name didn’t sound familiar to me when choosing this as my show for Friday night, the second I saw Brett and he started playing, there was something familiar about him. It ends up that I saw him in April of 2023 when he opened for Ryan Traster at The Turf Club. That fateful night, Brett Newski was part of a trio, but on Friday night, I was treated to just Brett– well, kind of. The set started with just this slightly nomadic songwriter, illustrator, author, podcaster– Brett does it all– his guitar, and a small tambourine strapped to his shoe. The songs he was performing should have felt hollow just due to the lack of band behind him, but the personality that he put into every song made him feel a bit larger than life and like he was playing to a sold-out arena of sorts. On the other side of the same coin, Brett was doing his best to make eye contact with every single person in the room throughout these solo songs. At one point, he left the stage and gave a high five to nearly everyone in the room. It made me feel this undeniable sense of joy for some reason. Although I was already feeling much looser than I had earlier in the day, something about this moment and Brett’s overall aura made me feel like a normal person without crippling anxiety. Instead of standing at a show alone, I was in a crowd full of my new best friends. Okay, that’s a lie- I didn’t talk to much of anyone on Friday night because I just needed this show for me, but you get what I’m trying to explain here… right?

After some solo songs, and after Jane (drummer of the final act of the night and overall amazing and inspirational human) got called out for yawning during Brett’s song that pokes fun and other Americana singer-songwriters, Brett invited a drummer on stage to spice things up. The schtick was that these two guys had just met at the bar, and they were going to try something out. That clearly was not true, as it turns out that these two have been friends for years, but it was a cute moment of the night. After a few songs of just Brett and this drummer (whose name I didn’t catch, and I am so sorry), Brett invited the majority of The Cold Casuals up to perform a few songs. This could have been a trainwreck but, instead, it worked so perfectly. So perfectly, in fact, there were moments when Brett looked pleasantly surprised and even thrilled at some of the intricacies and details these talented musicians were bringing to his songs. I know this is bold, but this combination should be a standard thing for Brett.

Okay, I could go on and on about Brett Newski. It was just such a fun set, and I loved how it seemed to continue with the no-frills attitude that The Makeouts had laid out previously. Nobody is too cool for Brett Newski, and Brett Newski isn’t too cool for anyone. He is a normal guy with a story to tell (and a wild one at that– I suggest checking out his book, Piss In The Wind), and a charm but honesty behind him that is absolutely infectious. I’m not sure what the future will hold for Brett Newski as he welcomes his first child into the world (which was celebrated by a fan crocheting the cutest little baby shoes that Brett proudly showed off during the set) but I know that this is the kind of guy to support and I know that I just bought more than I probably should from his merch store (what can I say, anxiety is a bitch and I was just not in the right headspace to go up to him and buy it in person). I suggest you do the same.

I feel bad, I just talked your ears (or eyes I suppose would be more appropriate) off about Brett Newski and now I feel like I have very little to say about The Cold Casuals, who closed out Friday night at Zhora Darling but please don’t let that lead you to believe that these local rockers are not worth your time because they are. The biggest thing that hooked me about this band was Wyatt Lawson’s vocals. The tone behind Wyatt’s voice is truly dazzling. That’s not to say the rest of this band isn’t great, because they are, but it’s the vocals that had me stuck where I was throughout The Cold Casuals’ set. Playing a mixture of covers and originals, I loved the fact that, even when the band was doing their covers, there was a sense of the Cold Casuals’ personality in them. That could have been due to Wyatt’s distinct vocals, but I’d really like to think that that’s more because this is the kind of band that has such a distinct swagger behind them that there’s no getting away from it.

Friday night was not a raging audience. In fact, it was pretty low-key of a night overall, but I think that’s what made it so perfect. This wasn’t a show that you go to to be seen. You didn’t have to be all dolled up to be welcomed at this show, and you didn’t have to be surrounded by a bunch of friends because, at the end of the night, you surely made some new ones. This was a show that you go to to support musicians that are working their butts off and just trying to spread the word of their sounds and talents. It was just what I needed to shake off my stressful Friday and get in the mood for a sunshine-filled weekend.

Line Up:

The Makeouts

Brett Newski

The Cold Casuals

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 37

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

The Makeouts – 1

Brett Newski – 1

The Cold Casuals – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8 out of 10

Show on Deck — Lambrini Girls / Party Dozen / Surly Grrly

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