SV Presents: Knifeplay w/ Smut, HUMID at Cactus Club (MKE)

$12 Adv, $15 Dos + Fees | 18+

This show is at Cactus Club, located at 2496 S Wentworth Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207. Knifeplay is a band that eludes definition, existing somewhere between the nihilistic detachment of shoegaze and the emotional honesty of folk songwriting. They’ve made a slow and careful shift from being the solo bedroom recording project of songwriter, Tj Strohmer, to a collaborative, production-focused studio-recorded band. Through their ever-expanding genre palette, range of fidelities, and a long list of collaborators runs a unique mood that ties everything together.

Smut is the collaborative project of vocalist Tay Roebuck, guitarist Andrew Min, bassist and synthist Bell Cenower, guitarist and synthist Sam Ruschman and drummer Aidan O’Connor. Originally based in Cincinnati, OH, Smut have conquered national tours with Bully, Swirlies, Nothing, and WAVVES since their founding. Now based in Chicago, IL after lineup and genre shifts, the band aligns on an underlying pop mentality. In the winter of 2020 Smut released their tidy 3-song EP ‘Power Fantasy’ on Bayonet Records. Where ‘Power Fantasy’ dips its toe into the experimental, ‘How the Light Felt’ dives head-first into the band’s vast pool of 90s influences–brit-pop, shoegaze, and trip-hop–taking their sound to new heights.

HUMID returns with their first full length album titled “One Dimensional Hell”. A sprawling Shoegaze album of alternative dirge and ethereal daze. Coming forth is a collection of songs reflecting on life’s most chaotic moments and desires. Written and recorded in less than a year. HUMID’s latest effort shares a louder and harsher endeavor than before. Utilizing bright distorted guitars and hushed vocals brings the sound of HUMID’s latest album full circle in its natural form.