ZigZag - Milwaukee's BEST jamband! Band info and MP3s

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All photography by Janet Osheim, wlcfs.

A Brief History and Description

Unfortunately, ZigZag played their final gig at the Art Bar on Tuesday, November 23rd. We're profoundly grateful to our fans and friends, who came to our shows and danced or hollered to our music. The impending CD will still become available for the reminiscers among us. Contact us, still, via the email link below, if you're interested.

Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ZigZag performed from the fall of 2000 through winter 2004. Originally a 4-piece with Randy playing drums, various other people were brought in (and later brought out) of the band, but the basic quartet lineup persisted. When Randy decided to retire and become a family man in early 2003, Sean Kennedy came into the band and brought a crispness and jazzy offbeat accent that dovetailed well with the improvisatory nature of the group's music. After Sean's decision to retire from ZigZag, in May of 2004, we met and brought in Mike Eels, who cut his musical teeth on world music, and who created a supremely solid underpinning for the rest of us to pirouette on.

Matt was the instigator and initial organizer of the group. David and Ryan insisted that original music was the way to go and Randy concurred, so Matt went along, and was glad that he did. The new guys didn't get to vote... <smile>

As well as concentrating on original music, the band also focused on group improvisation, not just using the chord progression as a skelton, as in jazz improvisation, but also following each other's noses into uncharted territory, with unpredictable results. Sometimes this led to floundering and undirected sounds, but sometimes to electrifying climaxes, which made all the effort, rehearsal, woodshedding and being in each other's faces worthwhile.

ZigZag rotated a repertoire of about 50 songs, of which around 40 were original. Matt, Ryan and David all composed in differing, yet very compatible styles, yielding an eclectic blend ranging from funk to bluegrass to reggae to ballads to R&B to straight-ahead rock and more.

CDs

CLICK HERE FOR THE POSTHUMOUS DEBUT ZigZag CD, BAD HABIT!
NOW AVAILABLE!!

CONTACT US

ZigZag Booking and other info

ZigZag LIVE! MP3s
Well, what the heck... the band's defunct now, these songs are unlikely to be heard ever again, so here are all the MP3s we've ever had posted on the site, for your edification and, hopefully, enjoyment. Various versions of the songs that seemed to come across least offensively, when it comes to vocals mostly, but instrumental work, as well. We do have many complete shows recorded. Recorded from stereo crowd mics, complete with audience noise, poor mixing and all the major warts and zits in the music that ZigZag was noted for. If some amongst you ever wanted to have copies of the whole shows that are available, email us and we'll negotiate a price for you. By the way, the versions listed below are not in chronological order, just in the order they fell in the file list and got posted here.

Space Jam -> Run Up Top The Mountain - Ryan

Boone's Farm Girl - Ryan

Catfish John - David

Chicken Farm - Ryan

Coming To Your Senses - David
Coming To Your Senses - version 2

Cookin' Up A Storm - David
Cookin' Up A Storm - version 2 REHEARSAL

Days of Daze - Ryan

Eeksnam - Ryan (dedicated to Jason)

Finder's Keepers - Instrumental
Finder's Keepers - version 2 REHEARSAL

Find Your Way -> Wildflowers - David, Ryan
Find Your Way - version 2
Find Your Way - version 3 -> White Lie - REHEARSAL

Get Up, Get Down - Ryan
Get Up, Get Down - version 2

Guaranty - (fades during drum solo) Matt
Guaranty - version 2
Guaranty with Dennis Sindberg on sax - version 3