The OuttaToons took the stage first, playing a few bars of the opening number to coax lead singer Adam Zar into taking his place at the mic. A concept band in the truest sense, The OuttaToons play nothing but "cartoon songs" -- from series themes to South Park manifestos to Schoolhouse Rock tunes.
While that may seem restricting, The OuttaToons have made the concept work very well. They've done their homework, winnowing through mountains of potential material to uncover quite a few less familiar (or forgotten since childhood) songs to go along with well-remembered ones. Anyone who's owned a television in the past few decades probably knows "Meet the Flinstones," but how many recall "The Bedrock Twitch?"
Besides just dusting off the likes of the theme from "Hong Kong Phooey," the band has created unique arrangements for some of the often snippet-like songs ("Scooby Doo" being one example), giving them a chance to put more of their own personality into the music. Hey, not all songs can be 20 seconds long.
It's always an event these days when Swill reappears for one of their infrequent "reunion" shows since retiring from active club duty a few years back. White has one of the most distinctive guitar styles in Madison, attacking his instrument with chunky power chords and Van Halen-esque cascades of notes, and his ability to move between varying styles fits Swill's songs well.
Whether it's the crowd favorite "Super Mother/Mother Fucker" or the almost prog-rock "Rumor of War," they're almost always catchy and will hang around your brain afterward.
During their time away much of popular indie rock and punk has continued a slide into a prettier and more image conscious version of hell, and to these ears that development has made Swill sound better than ever. After bassist Helena Handbag's apology for the band being a tad rusty at times, White responded, "It's pretty much the way I remember it" -- a perfect description for a very entertaining performance.