Local Showcase: Live Tetherball Tonight
Live Tetherball Tonight is: Ryan Gehrig (guitar and vocals), Josh Rardin (bass and vocals), and Josiah Kuechenmeister (drums and vocals). You can listen to their music here.
Live Tetherball Tonight have only been around for a handful of months, but in that short time, the band released their debut EP You Can Always Stay the Same. The original intention was to just have fun with it, and it’s fair to say they have. Take one look at a Live Tetherball Tonight live performance and you’ll admire the chemistry and cohesion of the three-piece from Milwaukee. You’ll also notice just how much enjoyment they find in playing music together.
In addition to this band, Ryan and Josh play in the melodic hardcore band Deadset. The two have known each other for years but never played together until Deadset formed last December. Ryan and Josiah have been playing music together since high school. As far as other exploits go, Josh previously played in Alta and Ryan also records acoustic sessions under the moniker MilwaukeeTalkie and releases them on Bandcamp.
Live Tetherball Tonight started jamming in May. In late June, the band live recorded the music for their EP. 10 days later, the guys recorded vocals for the songs. One week after, in mid-July, the band officially released their EP. They have another EPs worth of material that they’re looking to play, refine, and record in the foreseeable future. Live Tetherball Tonight is surely showing no signs of slowing down.
They are influenced by a wide array of bands, from The Get Up Kids to Brand New to The Fall of Troy. Emo would be the vague word to describe them, but they’re much more than that. In fact, their style covers the whole spectrum. “Ride the Bus” starts out with a quiet riff and vocal combination but flips to the hardcore side with crashing cymbals and dual screaming vocals following the second verse.
I urge each reader to follow the link at the top of the article and listen to the EP and to support this up-and-coming band. Don’t stop there; support all local bands – go to shows, talk to the bands, and have a good time.
