Joe Kaether
Joe Kaether is a man who, with help from some close friends, has created a music scene in Evansville that has been a welcome addition to our community.
Joe Kaether is not a native of Evansville, although he was born in Madison and raised nearby in the Village of Brooklyn. Joe falls into the category of people who moved to Evansville later in life and made a mark on our community. Some people might call him EvansvilIe’s Bill Graham (not the evangelist, but rather the famous concert promoter from the ’60s). In the short time he and his wife Jessica have lived here, Joe has created a music scene that attracts the young and young at heart to hear the eclectic group of musicians that he brings to town. Why and how did he accomplish this goal?
The story of Joe’s youth provides a glimpse of how Joe evolved into a concert promoter. He is the second of five children who grew up in Brooklyn and attended school in Oregon. His father was a carpenter and a handyman. As a youth, Joe was very interested in music, but his family couldn’t afford to pay for music lessons. So he spent his time practicing wrestling, martial arts, working, and getting into trouble.
As a Middle Schooler, his life changed forever when he discovered and listened to Punk Rock and Hip-Hop music. In High School, his favorite bands were “obnoxious” high energy, independent/DIY, loud & fast punk bands such as Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, and the Beastie Boys. During High School, he worked at the Jewelers Workshop in Madison and after graduating he moved to Milwaukee to continue his jewelry career and begin college. In 1990, Joe enrolled at UW Stout. While there he found his Art & Music friends who were all supportive of the Alternative DIY/Independent Music lifestyle/scene. He joined a group called CMP (Campus Music Productions) that organized & hosted LIVE Alternative/DIY/Independent music shows at UW Stout. The next year he served as VP and learned the business side of music: including booking and contracts. During this time he spent a semester in London where he studied Art and music and English History and then finished by traveling through Europe with friends. His return to Stout was a defining time in Joe’s life; in addition to school, his experiences included Joe’s performing in bands and seeing shows in Minneapolis. He self-taught himself how to play a few instruments but one day his guitarist said, “Joe we love you, but you really can’t play an instrument. However, you’re a “FREAK” so you can jump around and be our singer. That was how the infamous punk band ‘Big Minnow’ started and rocked the college town while Joe learned firsthand the performing side of music.
He graduated from Stout with a BA in Art Education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He was also a K-12 licensed teacher. From there he taught as a substitute in several places. For a time he worked at the Hubert Humphrey Job Corp Center in Minneapolis. It was a last-chance home for troubled youth. For many, if they couldn’t straighten out there, they could be sent to jail. But it was a part-time job for Joe, so he moved on from there, working at various nonprofits, primarily with troubled youth.
Then Joe began to get some valuable experience in the entertainment and security business. He started out as a bouncer at a fancy nightclub where he earned a wage and received tips from the eclectic group of patrons. Joe was smaller than the rest of the bouncers but had many years of martial arts training, including training with professional MMA fighters. Even so, he preferred to use his words first before fighting. He once refused admission to the famous NBA star Kevin Garnett because he wouldn’t remove his baseball hat! Of course, Kevin also had an entourage with him. This incident indicates Joe has nerves of steel.
Joe met his wife Jessica in Minneapolis. After they were married, Jessica’s father told him about a nearby house for sale. Joe and Jessica bought it for $5,000, totally remodeled and sold it for $60,000. So they started looking for more houses to remodel and possibly flip.
After they had a baby, the two of them decided that a small town was the place to raise him. They eventually decided on Evansville in 2006. So they bought a house on N. First St. and Joe went to work at UW Madison/Wisconsin Public Radio supervising the mail room. Here he made a lot of Madison contacts and attended many concerts.
In 2019, Joe created the volunteer-run music collective called ‘Evansville Underground Music’ (EUM). It was an idea that first occurred to him in 2006. He envisioned hosting music shows in Evansville and after years of talking about it, he finally made it happen. While at his favorite DIY music festival (Muddy Roots) in the hills of Tennessee, he invited musician friends to come to Evansville and perform. With only 3 days advance notice, the friends came up to Madison to perform a private show at a skatepark and then to Evansville where they performed in his living room. After this show, Joe and his friends were so excited and wanted this to continue, so EUM was born. Soon Joe put together a team of 5 other local friends to help organize the performances. This core group is Abner Reyes, Einar Floan, Jeff Rottier, Mark Schnepper, Ry Thompson, and a recent addition, Clay Blohm. They had attended concerts together and shared the same dream.
The first public music performance that Joe hosted in Evansville was in the old Rex Theater, which at the time was the Blue Devils Arcade. He began working to organize and bring in musical performers, but after the first performance, the family-friendly Arcade was forced to move and make way for new tenants. So he began looking for a new venue. He initially considered Emma’s Table, which is located 2 houses away from his house and/or the local VFW. A few concerts were held at Emma’s Table and in backyards and they were well received. But then the pandemic hit in 2020. He kept in touch with his music contacts. He and his core group decided to figure out how to safely continue hosting shows and booking outdoor concerts because people still needed musical entertainment and the musicians needed to perform and make money in order to continue their lifestyle.
So how did Joe convince the City to approve outdoor concerts in a residential area? He made contact with City officials and began a dialogue. Although the city ordinances had changed with the onset of COVID-19, the City of Evansville saw how beneficial and important EUM was to the community and offered to help however they could. He and his team measured out the space needed to accommodate people safely, organized smaller shows with fewer attendees, and looked out for everybody's safety so they could continue. He built good relationships with all his neighbors and then approached each one, explaining what he was trying to accomplish.
As the number of attendees started to grow, the seating expanded out into the terraces and finally onto the street. When the listeners started filling up the street, Joe realized he needed to make sure it was safe. Joe and the City agreed upon street usage for attendees as long as the area was cordoned off; so he applied for and was granted a barricade street permit. The next hurdle was a beer permit. Again, he approached city officials and was granted a permit with some conditions. To drink beer in the street, the beer had to be purchased from a distributor and the drinking area had to be within a roped-off area in the street. Otherwise, people can continue with BYOB as long as it’s on Joe's or his neighbor’s lawn. The concerts are normally held in front of Joe and Jessica’s house, although they are occasionally held in friends’ yards and even in Leota Park.
Joe’s list of contacts continues to grow. He and his core group attend many concerts in Wisconsin and the Midwest. The musicians come to Evansville from as far away as New Orleans, Minneapolis, Kentucky, Chicago, Washington, DC, Seattle, and Portland.
So what is the draw that attracts bands to a small town in Wisconsin? First of all, Joe is, among other things, a salesman for LIVE independent music. He has heard most of the bands that he solicits and usually knows the band members as well. And he is a very sincere and persuasive man. His pitch to them includes the safety of a small town, as opposed to the raucous atmosphere of the big city streets and stress of the possibility their equipment might get stolen. They are able to perform for a new group of enthusiastic and open-minded people, which helps to get their name out and sell their merchandise. They are encouraged to bring their art & merchandise, jewelry, t-shirts, and of course vinyl and CDs of their music. Another important factor is that many times the bands are on tour or on their way to their next gig, so they carve a day out of their schedule and perform in Evansville. The touring musicians receive free food and drink. Another strong draw is the ability to sleep in Joe and Jessica’s basement. At many venues, bands are paid a percentage of the door, which can be stressful because they have to worry about how much money they will actually make at the end of the night and they have no idea if they are actually getting their cut. EUM offers the bands a solid guarantee of the amount of money they will be paid.
So how does Joe and his core group finance these events? They decided to rely on the traditional method of passing the hat instead of charging admission. Although there is no pressure to donate, a suggested donation is sometimes mentioned on Facebook. Some local businesses have also chipped in. All of the donations are used to pay for the music. Joe also gives each band a solid guarantee on the amount of money they will receive.
So how does one categorize the music genre that Evansville Underground Music offers? It’s an eclectic mix of music, sort of punk/folk. Think Peter Paul & Mary meets Sid Vicious. Most of it is amplified, although not excessively, but it varies with the style of music being performed. Although some amplification is used, it’s not excessively loud. Many punk and folk-punk bands have appeared, and the crowds loved it.
The genius and appeal of these concerts is readily apparent. Attendees don’t have to leave town or stay up late and they can bring their kids. Another benefit to Evansville is that the shows bring people into the community, which can help the economy and showcase our city. These types of shows are uncommon and not widespread in the US. This is evident when you hear the musicians talk about this during their performance on Kaether’s front porch while enjoying a beverage and dancing in the street with family & friends.
Has there been any opposition in the neighborhood? Very little, it seems, as the shows end at 10:00 PM. Joe tries to keep in contact with the neighbors and ask them for feedback. Also, they have dropped the frequency of the shows at Joe’s house to one per month, while adding Emma’s Table, Lake Leota Park, Weirdo Thrift, and the VFW as regular venues.
Joe has added another dimension to life in Evansville by offering musical entertainment in a comfortable and safe environment. People can contribute as much or as little as they like. Does everyone enjoy every music performance? No, probably not, many people attend just to check out new music with family and friends. But you won’t know until you attend. And you might like one of the eclectic performers and not the others. There are usually three musical performers in each show and they range from a solo act to a full band. Additionally, you’ll find that these shows are very convenient because not only are you being exposed to a wide variety of music, you soon realize how nice it is not to have to travel far, spend money on gas or hotels and you're supporting your local community and its businesses.
Joe and his friends have added another dimension to life in Evansville. Don’t forget to thank Joe and his team for providing another alternative way to have fun in Evansville, WI.
And throw a little money in the hat.
