Tashi Dorji and Tyler Damon at Acme Records in Milwaukee on April 8, 2017

One of the early uploads to this blog was a late 2017 performance by Tashi Dorji and Tyler Damon at Acme Records. At that time I felt the need to explain who Tashi was and the story behind me discovering his music when he had only one or two releases to his credit. Nine years later, I don't have to educate folks about this Bhutanese free improvising guitarist.

This April 2017 show at Acme was my first chance to see Dorji perform in person, and I wasn't disappointed. This was a lengthy, intense, mind-shattering set of music, sixty-six minutes of free jazz spread over three pieces.

Purchase their music here.

Recording information:

TASHI DORJI

TYLER DAMON

2017-04-08

Milwaukee, WI

Acme Records

Tashi Dorji: guitar

Tyler Damon: percussion

Setlist:

01 Improvisation (16:29)

02 Improvisation (29:03)

03 Improvisation (19:44)

Total time = 65:16

Recorded with artist permission by Richard Hayes

Microphones: Church CA-14

Recorder: Sony PCM-M10 at 24/44

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads 

(these will automatically download when you click them):

  

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (404 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CD, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (160 MB)

highest quality mp3 files possible

 

video of Tashi and Tyler in September 2017 in Bloomington, IN:

MANAS at Acme Records in Milwaukee on January 8, 2020

In the relative calm of the final few weeks before a novel strain of Coronavirus came to the United States, Bhutanese guitarist Tashi Dorji and Vietnamese-American percussionist Thom Nguyen traveled to Milwaukee as part of a short tour. Together they are MANAS, the name of which seems to be a reference to the Buddhist concept of the mind, specifically the thinking mind.

Dorji's last appearance on this blog -- a fiery 2017 set at Acme Records with Tyler Damon -- was also a guitar and drums duo. This presents an interesting chance to compare the duos.

Buy their most recent album here.

Recording information:

MANAS
2020-01-08
Milwaukee, WI
Acme Records

Tashi Dorji: guitar
Thom Nguyen: drums

Setlist:
01 First (4:45)
02 Second (23:12)
03 Third (12:11)

Total time = 40:08

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog 

Microphones: Beyerdynamic MC930 in ORTF
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6 at 24/96
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (247 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (121 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible

Derek Monypeny at Acme Records in Milwaukee on April 3, 2026

Avantgarde world music performer Derek Monypeny made another appearance at Acme Records a few weeks ago as part of a national tour with banjoist Kelby Clark.

Last time, Monypeny provided massive and dazzling psychedelic oceans of sound produced with a shahi baaja -- this time he came with a bulbul tarang, a related stringed instrument from India which features repurposed typewriter keys which are pressed down upon the strings, creating an etherial effect.

Buy his most recent release here

Recording information:

DEREK MONYPENY
2026-04-03
Milwaukee, WI
Acme Records and Music Emporium

Derek Monypeny: bulbul tarang
Kelby Clark: banjo (track 4)

Setlist:
01 One (20:48)
02 Two (8:36)
03 Three (6:18)
04 Four - with Kelby (8:38)

Total time = 44:20

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF at stage lip
Additional source: mono SBD feed
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (204 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (67 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible

Kelby Clark at Acme Records in Milwaukee on April 3, 2026

Kelby Clark is an experimental banjoist who is originally from South Georgia but is currently is based in Los Angeles. He came to Acme Records a few weeks ago as part of a tour with Derek Monypeny. His music was atmospheric with an emphasis on textural components. It was an interesting approach to this traditional country instrument and seemed right at home for the typical adventurous Acme audience.

Purchase his most recent release here.

Recording information:

KELBY CLARK
2026-04-03
Milwaukee, WI
Acme Records

Kelby Clark: banjo

Setlist:
01 Entire performance (35:47)

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF at stage lip
Additional source: mono SBD
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96
Software: Audacity, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (142 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (91 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible

video of the performance by our pal Andrew Lyon

Steve Gunn at Acme Records in Milwaukee on December 30, 2025

My first recordings of Steve Gunn for this blog were in April 2018 at Acme Records, both solo and in his duo with percussionist John Truscinski, so it seemed appropriate when I heard that Steve would be returning to this amazing performance space just before New Years' Eve for a solo show.

A lot has happened with Gunn since this first recordings; he signed and eventually moved on from Matador Records, and then released albums on Three Lobed and No Quarter. This past week he released an EP as well.

Gunn's performance was peppered with more distortion than I had expected and some noisy yet subtle electronics as well. 

It seems that before the show, he noticed a patron purchase a Velvet Underground box set and slipped in the lovely cover song, "I'll Be Your Mirror" into his set.

I was very fortunate to be sitting next to local photographer Ryan Sarnowski at this show, and his very much appreciated images are as follows:

Purchase his latest release here.

Recording information:

STEVE GUNN

2025-12-30

Milwaukee, WI

Acme Records

Steve Gunn: guitar and vocals

Setlist

01 Jam (1:50)

02 On the Way (8:29)

03 Morning on K Road (6:16)

04 Way Out Weather (7:14)

05 I’ll Be Your Mirror [Lou Reed] (3:56)

06 Hadrian’s Wall (4:27)

07 Another Fade (10:33)

08 Old Strange (8:00)

09 Nearly There (8:10)

10 Morning Is Mended (9:03)

Total time: 67:58

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

Source: SBD feed

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (406 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (178 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible

Nicholas Elert at Acme Records in Milwaukee on December 12, 2025

Nicholas Elert has been busy recently with producing both sequencer-driven synthesizer music and soundtrack music for indie horror films. In the last few months I was able to record several of his performances of dreamy, atmospheric synth music, several of which I will be sharing on this blog in the coming weeks. A nice example of his film music is his recent score for the film "Black Mold" which can be found here. 

Nicholas took an unexpected (to me) turn for this opening slot at the Dryhouse Ruins album release show at Acme Records, by focusing on guitar-based music. The pieces ranged from ambient soundscapes to energetic loops. 

Buy his most recent album here.

Recording information:

NICHOLAS ELERT
2025-12-12
Milwaukee, WI
Acme Records

Nicholas Elert: guitar and electronics

Setlist:
01 One (13:46)
02 Two (5:29)
03 Three (12:03)

Total time = 31:18

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF at stage lip
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (155 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (96 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

video of a performance at X-Ray Arcade in 2023:

Dryhouse Ruins at Acme Records in Milwaukee on December 12, 2025

After more than ten years of performing around Milwaukee with their improvised rock instrumentals, Dryhouse Ruins has finally released a studio album -- in this case a double LP recorded by Beau Sorenson.

The band is made up of four music scene veterans who have worked in a plethora of great bands ranging from Field Report to the Frogs, and including Testa Rosa, Death Blues, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Sometime Sweet Susan, and the Lovelies. This band is something different, though -- completely improvised music which can and will be unique each time.

For their record release show, there was only one possible choice of venue -- Milwaukee's legendary Acme Records, where a capacity crowd showed up to witness this marvelous show. In 2014, the band played their first show at Acme (as a trio) and have performed there often since. 

Sitting next to me in the front row was local photography phenomenon Ryan Sarnowski who graciously supplied the following photos:

An infamous set at Colectivo Backroom in 2017 opening for Ryley Walker (where the audience was talking atrociously throughout the entire evening) was my introduction to the Ruins. A much more positive experience for me was their powerful set opening for Chris Forsyth in the hot depths of summer 2019, which can be downloaded here. I'm hoping there will be another show announced soon.

Purchase their album here.

Recording information:

DRYHOUSE RUINS

2025-12-12

Milwaukee, WI

Acme Records

Jeff Mitchell: guitar

Jim Warchol: guitar

Damian Strigens: bass

Ben Derickson: drums

Setlist:

01 D Jam (14:25)

02 B Jam (14:45)

03 C Jam (14:23)

04 E Jam (11:03)

05 Bm Jam (6:48)

Total time = 61:24

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF

recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (366 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (166 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

Flowting Clowds at Acme Records in Milwaukee on November 15, 2025

Jeff Mueller and Sean Meadows are perhaps best known for their work in the Louisville post-rock band June of 44. Mueller was fresh from a stint in post-hardcore outfit Rodan and eventually would work in Shipping News, while Meadows was a veteran of Lungfish and would go on to be a member of The Sonora Pine.

They have reunited as Flowting Clowds and have released one single. Last month they came through Milwaukee on their first tour.

Buy their latest release here.

Recording information:

FLOWTING CLOWDS

2025-11-15

Milwaukee, WI

Acme Records

Jeff Mueller: guitar and vocals

Sean Meadows: guitar

Setlist:

01 Future Echoes (5:24)

02 Still (2:48)

03 Olive Trees (7:45)

04 Contents of a Landfill [Shipping News] (6:25)

05 You Are Not Hollow (4:44)

06 Earth, Sun, Moon [Love and Rockets] (3:29)

07 There Are Rivers (3:52)

Total time = 34:27

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF

Additional source: mono soundboard feed

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (173 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (95 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

Ethan WL at Acme Records in Milwaukee on March 8, 2025

Boston-based guitarist Ethan WL came through Milwaukee in March and performed a very tight 40-minute set of originals. 

Ethan's approach to guitar playing can perhaps best be described as a branch of "American Primitive" guitar, a style pioneered in the 1960s by John Fahey. Certainly far from being "primitive" in musicianship, this guitar style focuses on tapping into the raw, untutored, and “primitive” rhythms of early American folk and blues.

His compositions were riveting and I am very much looking forward to seeing him perform again.

  

Recording information:

  

ETHAN WL

2025-03-08

Milwaukee, WI

Acme Records

Ethan WL: guitar

Tracklist:

01 Washed in the Blood of the Lamb (5:25)

02 Requiem for Jayne Mansfield (1:44)

03 Black Cat Breakdown (5:24)

04 The Angels Start Singing (5:43)

04 My God is a Consuming Fire (7:05)

05 The Ely War (15:04)

Total time = 40:25

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

Purchase his album here.

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (243 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (112 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

video of "The Ely War" from a performance in Birmingham, AL in September 2024:

Wooden Wand (James Toth) at Acme Records in Milwaukee on October 10, 2024

James Jackson Toth is a busy person. A member of One Eleven Heavy and James and the Giants as well as the person behind the moniker Wooden Wand, he has also found the time to write about music for NPR, Stereogum, The Wire, Aquarium Drunkard, The Quietus, and others.

His music ranges from avant garde experimentation to dreamy "New Weird America" gothic Americana. A recent collection of cover versions of his songs shows the breadth of the people who admire his songs, with contributions from Meg Baird, Ryley Walker, William Tyler, Marisa Anderson and Zachary Cale as well as Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore.

   

    

    

This evening he was alone on stage at Acme Records for a short set with just an acoustic guitar, opening for Universal Light. It was a delight and I can only hope he will return to Milwaukee soon for a longer exploration of his body of work.

Buy his most recent album here.

Recording information:

   

WOODEN WAND

2024-10-10

Milwaukee, WI

Acme Records

James Toth: guitar and voice

Setlist:

01 The Mountain (4:39)

02 Sacrificial (3:51)

03 Collateral Damage (4:09)

04 Spitting at the Cameras (3:16)

05 Days This Long (2:31)

06 Oasis vs Blur (4:34)

07 Outsider Blues (5:08)

Total time = 28:08

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF at stage lip

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes

downloads:

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (164 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (158 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

Universal Light at Acme Records in Milwaukee on October 10, 2024

Universal Light is a trio composed of guitarist Jesse Sheppard (of Elkhorn fame), violinist Mike Gangloff (Pelt, Black Twig Pickers) and cellist Kaily Schenker (Solar Hex). Like so much of the great music I have seen at Acme, it's difficult to pin down a category for this music. It is too mesmerizing and monumental for bluegrass, too experimental to be folk music. There are times it sounds like modern classical. The virtuosity shines through, however, at every moment.

  

  

It was an incredible experience to listen to that night, and I hope you will take a chance and download it to experience it for yourself.

Buy their limited-edition album here.

Recording information:

UNIVERSAL LIGHT

2024-10-10

Milwaukee, WI

Acme Records and Music Emporium

Jesse Sheppard: guitar

Mike Gangloff: violin

Kailey Schenker: cello, harmonium, voice

Setlist:

01 Autumn For Now -> Triode -> April Is Passing -> Freedom -> Universal Blues (26:27)

02 The Squirrel Is A Pretty Thing (8:40)

03 Lullaby -> Summer Field (9:57)

Total time = 45:04

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 pair in ORTF

Additional source: mono soundboard (vocals)

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

Recorded with explicit artist permission by Richard Hayes

downloads:

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (232 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (122 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

Bill MacKay at Acme Records in Milwaukee on October 17, 2024

Some musicians have such a profound command of their instrument that everything they do seems effortless, like a simple musical thought is all that would need to occur and their fingers will follow. This can be exhilarating to watch, but can also sometimes make it seem like what the musician is doing is easy and simple.

Bill MacKay is one of those musicians, and I am glad to see that he is continuing to rise in prominence in the independent music scene. This past year has seen the release of Locust Land on Drag City and it has garnered quite a few very positive reviews.

Bill has been seen and heard on this blog since the very start and probably is the most documented musician here. Luckily, he brought two excellent musicians along with him -- bassist (and superb pedal steel guitarist) Sam Wagster and wonderful jazz percussionist Michael Zerang -- who I first saw in 1994 as part of the Vandermark Quartet. I spent my time living in Chicago (1994-96) seeing as many avant jazz shows as I possibly could, and a great number featured this multifaceted drummer. Zerang is just as comfortable with hand percussion (both Western and Eastern) as dominating a drum set, and it was incredibly enjoyable watching him throw in tasty fills at every opportunity. 

Buy the new Bill MacKay album here.

Recording information:

BILL MACKAY

2024-10-17

Milwaukee, WI

Acme Records and Music Emporium

Bill MacKay: guitar and vocals

Sam Wagster: bass

Michael Zerang: drums

Setlist:

01 Pre-California (3:47)

02 When I Was Here (3:45)

03 Half of You (6:04)

04 Glow Drift (4:38)

05 Radiator (7:08)

06 Keeping In Time (4:12)

07 Grapes on the Vine/Locust Land (10:02)

Total time = 39:36

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF

Additional Source: mono soundboard

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

Recorded with explicit artist permission by Richard Hayes

https://billmackay.bandcamp.com/

https://acmerecordsmke.com/

downloads:

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (243 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (199 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible