As proved by the Districts' Feb. 21 visit to the Isthmus office, just because a performance is acoustic doesn't mean it can't rock.
Though the band stripped down both their sound and members for their live session, frontman Rob Grote and drummer Braden Lawrence still managed to showcase what makes the Districts such a compelling live act: their bold, baby-faced energy.
The Districts' performance peaked with a toe-tapping rendition of "4th and Roebling," the opening track on their recently released album A Flourish and a Spoil. Throughout the song, Grote's vocals manage to sound both innocent and grimy, and you can sense his readiness to rock his hat right off his head (which he managed to do very quickly at the High Noon Saloon later that night).
Produced by Isthmus, the above video was directed and edited by Justin Sprecher, with additional camerawork by James Kraus and audio by Manny Figueroa. The complete four-song, 14-minute audio set is available for listening below. Isthmus Live Sessions is presented by MINI of Madison and Ian's Pizza.