What Made Milwaukee Famous

From Indie to Outtie
What Made What Made Milwaukee Famous Famous
By Andrew Clayman
Published in The Nashville Scene, July 2008



It’s not easy to sympathize with bands that saddle themselves with unreasonably long and silly names. But halfway through an interview with What Made Milwaukee Famous frontman Michael Kingcaid, I realize it would be downright rude to ask him why a rock quintet from Austin, TX, would choose a seven-syllable, Midwestern beer slogan for a handle. After all, nobody asks Ben Gibbard why he settled on “Death Cab For Cutie” anymore, and that should always be one of the perks of success—transcending your own ill-conceived name.

Perhaps by no coincidence, What Made Milwaukee Famous has been following the Death Cab career blueprint to a tee thus far; signing to the latter’s former indie label, Barsuk, and gradually extending their reach into mainstream markets.

“We’d certainly love to follow that path,” says Kingcaid. “We’ve always wanted to reach as many people as possible, and when you get to that kind of status, like Death Cab, instead of just being an indie band that sells 8,000 records, you’re number one on the Billboard charts. At that point, it’s just a whole different canvas. We go out and cruise around the U.S. and make little splotches, but those guys are global now. We’d love to get there at some point.”

Kingcaid is refreshingly open about his interests in mass appeal—an attitude that’s still readily frowned upon in the world of indie rock. As a result, WMMF’s new album, What Doesn’t Kill Us, has met with mixed reviews. Some critics have called it a “safer” record than the band’s explosive, 2004 debut Trying to Never Catch Up. Even Kingcaid admits it may have a more “accessible” sound, but What Doesn’t Kill Us still delivers a well-crafted blend of power-pop, New Wave, and indie that recalls everyone from Elvis Costello and the Cars to Spoon and the Strokes.

“I think the primary reaction we’ve gotten is that people really like the album and understand it,” Kingcaid says. “I mean, you always kind of worry about how people are going to react. But for the most part, when you’re writing and recording the songs, you already believe in it yourselves. So as long as we, as a band, can convey our belief in it, then I think we can always get the message across to people. And in this case, I think it’s coming across-- hopefully.”

One of the key factors in the more fleshed out sound of What Doesn’t Kill Us is new guitarist Jason Davis, who joined Kingcaid (vocals, guitar, keys), Jeremy Bruch (drums), John Farmer (bass), and Drew Patrizi (keys) in 2007. The re-energized quintet has been touring extensively, particularly on the festival circuit, with 2008 stops at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and back home at the Austin City Limits Festival.

“It’s an automatic audience,” Kingcaid says of the festival gigs. “When you play a small club show, there’s at least a 75 percent chance that everyone there has come to see you or the band you’re on tour with, so you’ve already got a connection with them. At a festival, it’s up to you to catch peoples’ ears as they’re walking by. I mean, they’re music fans and they’re there to hear new music. So, it’s easy to vibe off them, and it’s made for some of our best shows.”

As a Barsuk band with a weird name, What Made Milwaukee Famous (a reference to a Jerry Lee Lewis song, for those who didn’t know) is all too easily categorized as “indie-rock.” Kingcaid, however, has a very different perspective.

“I don’t necessarily like to think of us as an indie band,” he says. “I’d rather be called an ‘outtie’ band. I’m totally game for being an outtie band! We want to play to as many people as possible, and in order to do that, you have to be willing to put yourself out there. There are some bands that don’t want to do that, and I applaud them for their artistic merit, I guess. But we’re trying to make a living. We’ve got credit card bills piling up. So, I’m kind of fine with going outtie. And I think we have the means to get there.”