Events

Whether you're looking for a dark catharsis or seeking joy and light through rock, the Red Rooster has you covered for...that day. As noted about the Dead Johnnys in Isthmus: '“Anti-Facist, anti-violence, anti-racist, pro-creative” was the Clash’s motto. The British punk pioneers are served rowdy and semi-regular tributes by this four-piece from Madison. The Dead… Read More »The Dead Johnnys w/ Compact Deluxe feat. Kayla Kush

The Red Rooster hosts a Blues Jam nearly every Thursday! This week’s show will be hosted by the Usual Suspects. Musician sign-ups begin at 7 and continue all night. The house band starts at 8 and jammers are invited up soon afterward. All playing levels are welcome!

We seem to have a core of '90's and '00's music fans at the Red Rooster - and here's an opportunity to show your love for the music of the era and the musicians who play it! Madison's Fringe Field has been performing together for over a decade; combining eclectic backgrounds through sing-along Here's the… Read More »Fringe Field

Even as they ascended to major festival stages around the country and abroad, the Cash Box Kings have remained connected to the local clubs that helped them build their reputation and repertoire. The ever-present interplay between Oscar Wilson and Joe Nosek continues to fuel the group's top-selling blues releases for Alligator, including last year's Oscar's… Read More »Cash Box Kings

Established within the pandemic era - and during a January 2021 blizzard - Chicago's James Dean Joint delivers a potent mix of garage, soul, punk, and more through original material and obscure covers.

A little bit old, a little bit new, a little bit country, and a little bit rock 'n roll - Dr. Jim Carlson and Rob, the Junkyard Dawg Junceau, delight audiences with acoustic renditions of popular music! Rob plays upright acoustic bass and Jim tickles the keys.

Oshkosh-based pop/rock songwriter/guitarist Cody James has a growing library of material full of catchy riffs and lyrics. He's also got a growing set of fans in music media (see below)! "See the Sights" and "Tear the Sky" are his two most recent releases. “It’s clear that Cody James is a rising star in the music… Read More »Cody James w/ Educational Davis

The Red Rooster hosts a Blues Jam nearly every Thursday! Musician sign-ups begin at 7 and continue all night. This week’s host is Madison blues legend James Earl Tate, host of blues jams across five decades! The house band starts at 8 and jammers are invited up soon afterward. Professional players are encouraged!

Comparisons with the Pretenders aptly position Bing Bong as heavily influenced by the power pop of the early MTV years. However, the group's individuality and creativity shines in lyrics, instrumentation, and even video production - as witnessed in this stop motion "Jurassic Lego" accompaniment to their song "Bouncing Ball." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG9NdAyocUw&t=169s

Joe Stamm's voice grabs you from the first note - a sound tailor-made for truck drivin' and sawdust-floored honky tonks. His songwriting turns phrasing with an honesty seldom heard from the derivative brigades of Nashville factory songwriters. The group labels its sound as "Black Dirt Country Rock," plowed and seeded with more than a decade… Read More »Joe Stamm Band w/ Harlow

Since its inception in 2019 by then 10 year old identical twins Isaac and Lucas Deitz, Candy Cigarette has been bringing a unique blend of blues and straight-up rock n' roll to audiences across their home state of Wisconsin and beyond - playing shows at the the Genesse Theatre, Turner Hall Ballroom, the High Noon… Read More »Candy Cigarette

Janes Travis is one of the anchors of the Monthly Country Jams at the Rooster - and the Americana/roots band Dogtown Hollow. His Wednesday evening performance will feature his multi-stringed talents along with vocals - and even some harmonica

The Red Rooster hosts a Blues Jam nearly every Thursday! This week’s show will be hosted by the Usual Suspects. Musician sign-ups begin at 7 and continue all night. The house band starts at 8 and jammers are invited up soon afterward. All playing levels are welcome!

It's been almost a year since Madison's favorite roadhouse blues trio graced the Red Rooster stage - and we're excited to have Aaron, Eric, and Z back in OUR roadhouse! Musical scion Aaron Williams composed most of the group's material; it ventures from deep and edgy to explosively energetic (especially when the cigar box slide… Read More »Aaron Williams & The Hoodoo

The Hungry Williams is, pure and simple, a band for dancers. The group, all veteran Milwaukee musicians, raids the raucous R&B of 1950's/60's New Orleans with a set list of deep cuts from the Imperial, Specialty, and Minit catalogues. Even if you're not a dancer, you're sure to feel the joyful rhythm and pulse of… Read More »The Hungry Williams

If there's something that could be called "Midwest Alternative Rock," the Fox Valley's Kyle Megna & the Monsoons embody it perfectly. With a full sound - comprised of keys, horns, harmonies, and warm lead vocals, the group is a two-time winner of the Wisconsin Area Music Industry Alternative Rock/Rock Artist of the Year Award; Megna… Read More »Kyle Megna & the Monsoons

Update - show moved to 3/5! Through nimble fingerwork and warm, flowing vocals, the country blues of the pre-WWII era literally resonates from Lou Shields. His vintage steel resonator guitar and banjo serve as platforms for Shields' original songs, which are as much inspired by his rural homestead near Viroqua as by Reverend Gary Davis,… Read More »Lou Shields

Grand National Champs vs The Also-Rans @ Red Rooster One night only! A showdown for supremacy! The Grand National Champs make their debut in Madison. While they are a collective of Madison music scene veterans, will they live up to their name? The aptly named The Also-Rans are another new group of music veterans, who… Read More »Also-Rans w/ Grand National Champs

NOTE - NO BLUES JAM THIS WEEK. The Distractors playlist reads like a comprehensive album collection from the late '60s to the early 2000s - you're bound to hear songs you recognize (and songs you enjoy)!

AS OF JANUARY - NUMBER ONE ON THE LIVING BLUES RADIO CHART!! With no-nonsense grit and stamina, Chris O'Leary has built a following both in his home area of New York's Hudson River Valley and here in Southern Wisconsin. O'Leary's incisive lyrics and solid harmonica instrumentation landed the attention of Alligator Records in 2023 -… Read More »Chris O’Leary Band – CD Release Party