Digging the Well
On legends, blood, metal, and fecal matter.
I know we’re all here for the spooky stuff, but I want to take a moment to talk about some different kinds of Wisconsin legends.
In 2007, I launched a platform called Wisconsin Sickness to showcase the hardworking and immensely talented artists that, to me, represented the unique and unrivaled creativity that runs in our blood.
It was through Wisconsin Sickness that I had the opportunity to talk to drummer Dion Brass of a band called Meth Tooth. He moved here from Australia because of our legendary metal scene.
The reason why the world likened Wisconsin to extreme music was almost entirely because of a man named Jack Koshick, who threw some killer shows back in the day and founded Milwaukee Metal Fest in 1987.
So recently, when my collaborators and I started developing the idea that has become Voyd Studios (Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok) to support and inspire Wisconsin musicians, I knew it was an opportunity to talk to Jack about the history of Metal Fest.
Last weekend we set up our lights and cameras in the back of Rush Mor Records (thanks to owner Dan DuChaine, a long-time friend of Jack’s, for the hospitality) and interviewed Jack Koshick.
Tick that one off the bucket list.
When we wrapped, Dan rang me up for my son’s first ever vinyl—an import of Ride the Lightning he found in the rack—and Dan started telling us stories from his early days with Jack at Milwaukee shows.
Such as the notorious 1989 performance by GG Allin at Koshick’s Odd Rock Cafe, which Dan painted in vivid detail.
Needless to say, the phrase “fecal freckles” will haunt me forever.
All the while, another friend of Dan and Jack’s was lingering silently nearby, letting Dan recall their various mutual exploits playing or attending shows around Milwaukee and beyond in the 80s.
Dan said his friend had been in a band called Die Kruezen.
I recognized the name, and vowed to look them up later.
It’s always been hard to make a name for yourself as an artist in the Midwest. It’s backbreaking, sometimes soul-breaking work. Nothing comes easy.
Dan said they called it “digging the well.”
And well, we’re all digging the well, aren’t we?
Dan pointed to a poster on the wall for the 2006 documentary American Hardcore, recommended it for more stories about what the scene was like back then.
Die Kruezen
Around midnight that night, I looked up the trailer for American Hardcore. There, in a graphic showing influential hardcore bands around the country, the name Die Kruezen appeared over Wisconsin.
A quick search revealed an endless supply of media. That quiet guy was Dan Kubinski, the singer of one of the most influential bands of their time.
Die Kruezen was a band that influenced other bands. Their aggressive hardcore sound evolved over time, bringing in other elements that have been described as anticipating the 90s grunge sound. Kubinski’s vocals brought “intelligence and lyrical diversity to the heavy metal genre.”
The band recorded most of their albums like Cement (1991) and Century Days (1988) with Butch Vig, the Madison producer and owner of Smart Studios who would later record Nirvana’s groundbreaking album Nevermind.
Die Kruezen reunited for a show at Turner Hall in 2013.
Kubinski is currently performing Die Kruezen songs and new originals with his band The Crosses. Check out the new video video for their song “Hate Market” right here.
Wisconsin Music
As an artist and storyteller myself, it’s always exciting to have the opportunity to share incredible things with the world. That’s why I do everything that I do, and it’s one of the main reasons for everything we’re going to do with Voyd Studios.
We have a lot in the works, including the interview with Jack Koshick coming soon. I invite you to join us in the well-digging this Sunday, April 21 at 6:30pm for the premiere of our first show, featuring in-studio performances by a talented new Wisconsin band called Citrine.
BONUS: Watch showrunner Steve Madsen talk about the show on Andrew David Weber’s Five Fire Minutes right here.
And be sure to visit Rush Mor Records this Saturday for Record Store Day!
“Some of the most creative bands I ever worked with came out of Wisconsin. They were marching to their own drummer, and a lot of the bands that came out of Milwaukee or Madison had a fresh take on music, where bands in Chicago were just following the trends.” - Andy Waterman of Lake Geneva’s Shade Tree Studio