Concert Review: Boom Forest,
Daniel and the Lion, PHOX, Sonntag

High Noon relocated to Baraboo, WI last Wednesday night. Every soul up on stage was a Baraboo native, as was almost everybody on the floor. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a tad of an outsider, but by the third time I was asked “You’re from Baraboo, right?,” I felt so at home I may as well have shouted back a “yes.”

Boom Forest took the floor first, literally playing in the middle of the crowd. Their name was nothing if not fitting as the short set was dense with forest-y imagery, powerful vocals, and frequent booms courtesy of a floor tom drum. Daniel and the Lion were second to start and the first to formally take the stage. They opened with a few stripped down numbers featuring solely keys and acoustic guitar. Think Josh Tillman sings in the style of A.A. Bondy. Their strongly sung set was rounded out with a few full-band tunes as members of PHOX joined the duo on stage.

The crowd was three beers deep when a dressed-to-impress PHOX began blaring their horns. Monica Martin snazzily slid on stage and had the crowd salivating from the moment she opened her mouth. This is in no way meant to slight the rest of the band, as their beatifying backing harmonies and instrumentation were wonderful throughout the entirety of the performance. PHOX played a good portion of their freshly released Friendship, as they bounced back and forth between their upbeat numbers and their downers. To my pleasure, the quiet/loud dynamic showcased on Friendship was in full swing, and the band killed it. Album standout “Laura” was their closer of choice, and even though they played it for eight-plus minutes they left the crowd chanting for more. Simply stated, PHOX was (all apologies) phocking great.

But more Baraboo was to be had. Sonntag closed out the night to a room where too few bodies remained. It was the project’s (brainchild of Zach Johnston) first ever set, but it was a dazzler, as every previous performer from the night (along with Johnston) filled the stage. Incredible vocals, an innumerable assortment of instruments, and starry-eyed banter were the defining features of the show. Johnston’s delicate voice craftily contrasted with the loud, sometimes brash instruments, and shouts from the other nine members. Johnston ended the performance stating how satisfying it was to play music on a stage surrounded by all of his childhood pals, and I honestly can’t think of a more fitting way to describe the night.

The traveling troupe of Barabooians will be maneuvering their way through the Midwest during the remainder of September. I highly suggest downloading PHOX’s Friendship and Sonntag’s In Paths Too Dark for Seeing, as they are both free (!!!) on Bandcamp.