Chris Porterfield, the man behind modern folk ensemble Field Report, will be playing at the High Noon Saloon this Saturday, and rest assured it is not a show to be missed. After quitting his day job at Marquette University to pursue his music career, Madison is a particularly important tour stop for Porterfield because the show marks his return to his native Wisconsin. On his abrupt career change from university administrator to full-time musician, Porterfield tells Jonk Music, “I never would have believed you if you told me, at this time last year, what we would have the opportunity to do this year.” This may be true in Porterfield’s eyes, though it quickly becomes clear to anyone who listens to his music that beyond anything else, Porterfield is a musician first.
Though Field Report’s debut album is undoubtedly dynamic in its ability to relate, it holds particular resonance within the Midwestern landscape that held so much influence over the record’s sound. Full-bodied and musically rich, the songs are made even more vivid with Porterfield’s use of dialogue, specific people, and named places in his lyrics. When asked about the purpose of this level of specificity, Porterfield told us, “Songs don’t have to tell the truth like journalism. You get to take license with facts and people as long as there is larger truth in the whole. Characters and places and specific things help the listener triangulate where they are in the narrative.” And Porterfield is right — there is little doubt that the encapsulating nature of the songs’ narrating makes the music an altogether more intimate experience.
Field Report seamlessly blends a traditional folk sound with modern electronic undertones, and the result is a kind of music so raw it is almost haunting. “The songs are alive, and they grow and change and can die. I like where these songs are at right now in their lives, but new ones are already being born,” says Porterfield. The emotional poignancy that exists in Field Report’s music is surely not something to be missed live.
Joining Field Report on stage Saturday night are two other stellar Midwestern acts, Cameron McGill & What Army and Dietrich Gosser. Enter here for a chance to win free tickets.