糖心Vlog传媒

Anthony Wahl 

糖心Vlog传媒 musician Seth Lambert discusses pre-gig rituals, his favorite Muppet and where he would most like to perform if given the chance.

Editor鈥檚 Note: Kicks presents 20Q, a feature that introduces readers to people involved in the area鈥檚 arts and entertainment community. Compiled by kicks Editor Greg Little, each piece will include a short bio, photo and answers to questions that provide insight into not only that person鈥檚 artistic interests but also his or her unique personality.

Seth Lambert

Music is life for Seth Lambert.

For the last 11 years, the 糖心Vlog传媒 man has been the driving force behind The Leptons, a local rock trio that also features McKenna Dodson and Justice Toberman. Along with its first release, 鈥淗urricane Gospel,鈥� the band last year dropped a second album, 鈥淧seudonym,鈥� that features songs Lambert penned.

鈥溾�橮seudonym鈥� comes from the nature of the project. I recorded all the instruments myself,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very much a reflection of me, and reflections are distorted versions ourselves. It鈥檚 not a perfect image of me; it鈥檚 an image of my id.鈥�

Along with the album, The Leptons also released a music video for their first single, 鈥淏allad of an Evil Twin,鈥� and for鈥淓xtraordinary People,鈥� which also features other local musicians performing in front of the city鈥檚 former General Motors plant as a tribute to the 10-year anniversary of its closure and as 鈥渁 celebration of our city鈥檚 resilience.鈥�

Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Lambert has lived most of his life in 糖心Vlog传媒. The 2008 Parker grad鈥檚 family includes his wife, Danielle; their four children, Henry, Margaret, Daisy and Nora, and two dogs, Haiti and Digger.

The Leptons鈥� albums are available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Bandcamp and other streaming services, and Lambert also is known to hand out free, handmade CDs at performances. To learn more, search for 鈥淭he Leptons鈥� on Facebook.

1. According to your band鈥檚 Facebook page, your music is 鈥渇or bitter, anxious weirdos.鈥� What genre does that fall into? Everyone who is in music kind of bats around the same influences, and we end up getting subdivided into these ideological camps. If I say we鈥檙e punk, there are kids that will say we鈥檙e not hard enough. Garage rock bands tend to be a little more kitschy than we are. To me, it just seems like a good message to let people know if our music is for them. Anxiety is something I deal with daily, and I have a tendency to feel uneasy in a room full of people. And bitterness is a state none of us like to be in, but sometimes it takes a lot to get away from those feelings of cynicism and powerlessness. Our songs鈥攚e play them too fast. It鈥檚 confrontational, but I mean to take people on a trip with us. We鈥檝e got a song that says, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e all extraordinary people, but you鈥檙e killing me.鈥� It can be exhausting just to step away from the rat race, and if you want someone to commiserate with鈥攕omeone who identifies with that鈥攚e might be the band for you.

2. When did you first become interested in music? My earliest music memory is when I found my dad鈥檚 Boston CD. I remember hearing 鈥淢ore Than A Feeling鈥� and just being astounded by the sound of it. The vocal harmonies and the propulsive guitar riff transported me a million miles away. I remember somewhat timidly approaching my dad with the CD in hand and saying, 鈥淲hat is this? Can I keep it?鈥�

3. What do you do for a living outside of music? I鈥檓 a computer programmer. I graduated from UW-Whitewater with a computer science degree. Engineering and programming specifically are creative disciplines. It鈥檚 about meeting requirements within limitation. In that way, it鈥檚 very similar to what I do musically. I have a tendency to be limited in my musicality, you could say.

4. Do you have any pre-gig rituals? We always wait to write the set list until about an hour before we go on stage. I usually drink a few cups of coffee. I鈥檓 very competitive when it comes to performing, and my anxiety level depends on the bands that play before us. For example, if we鈥檙e sharing the stage with The Red Flags on a particular night, I鈥檓 like a prisoner preparing for an execution. They bring it so intensely at every show, I just can鈥檛 compete.

5. Name a musical act you enjoy that might surprise fans of your music. I think people mistake us for lunatics a lot of the time because of the speed and the intensity we play with. They might be surprised to learn how much I love Lady Gaga. My 2-year-old daughter demands 鈥淏ad Romance鈥� almost daily.

6. Do you understand music theory or do you perform by ear? I studied music theory in high school and college. I鈥檓 incredibly pretentious about it, as well, even though I鈥檓 a terrible piano player, and my grades were not exceptional. Eventually, I鈥檇 like to get a real music degree, but it鈥檒l most likely be in my 70s. If I鈥檓 lucky enough to make it that far.

7. What are you most afraid of? Excluding anything excessively grim, I鈥檓 unreasonably afraid of misremembering someone鈥檚 name. There was a span of several years where I refused to say anyone else鈥檚 name because I fully believed I would blurt out the wrong one.

8. Name a skill you wish you had. I often oversell my skills as a carpenter. Growing up, we always had construction projects around the house, and my dad and I would build these complex models for school projects. In my adult life as a homeowner, it鈥檚 a lot of duct tape and quick fixes. I鈥檇 love to have skills to craft some ornate furniture or beautifully detailed pieces like you see in historic homes.

9. Most people are surprised to find out that I: Am a musician. I鈥檓 not especially outgoing in social interactions, and I鈥檓 not a flashy dresser. I don鈥檛 self-promote well, and I prefer to fade into a crowd. On top of that, people are sometimes shocked to hear my songs. I have a modesty in life that melts away when I鈥檓 in a performance. Once, while performing at The Looking Glass鈥� open mic, the emcee declared me a 鈥減unk rock dark horse鈥� because my on-stage volume is nothing like my social voice.

10. Name a musical act today that is quite popular but doesn鈥檛 at all appeal to you. I鈥檓 not really into tearing down other people鈥檚 music, but I can say I just don鈥檛 get what鈥檚 going on with Greta Van Fleet. Some people are hailing them as rock 鈥榥鈥� saviors, but you鈥檙e not going to 鈥渟ave鈥� rock music by reheating Zeppelin II in the microwave. They鈥檙e great musicians, but it鈥檚 just a tribute band.

11. Do you collect anything? I have a little collection of coffee mugs. My most recent addition is covered in Kurt Vonnegut quotes.

12. If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? Pete Christmas. It鈥檚 got a good ring to it. I picked it out a long time ago. I don鈥檛 even like the Christmas holiday; I just like the sound of it.

13. Name your favorite Muppet. I鈥檓 a Kermit fan. 鈥淩ainbow Connection鈥� is a really moving song. I love the first Muppets movie. I think we have very few totally perfect things in the world, and that鈥檚 one of them.

14. What was the first concert you ever attended? My dad took me to a Cher concert during the 鈥淏elieve鈥� era. I remember the show was bombastic in a Cirque du Soleil style. It also was the first time I saw someone in drag, which was amazing.

15. What is your most prized possession? I鈥檝e got a beautiful Fender Jazzmaster that was given to me by my mother-in-law, who passed away in 2016. She was a monumental figure in my life. She showed me how to truly care for your family, and how essential that is. That guitar was the last gift she gave me, and it is my most sacred possession. I play it daily and, in a lot of ways, my guitar playing is my true voice. In a fire, the first thing I鈥檇 do is save my family and my pets. The next thing I鈥檇 grab is that guitar.

16. How many instruments do you play? I played saxophone in school through my first year of college, but it never moved me when I played it. I idolized Clarence Clemons and jazzers such as (John) Coltrane and Ornette (Coleman), but the stuff they play in school isn鈥檛 like that. A lot of composers use saxophones tonally as filler, chordal tones. It鈥檚 an essential element, sure, but when you鈥檙e 16, you鈥檇 much rather learn to play 鈥淛ungleland鈥� or 鈥淭equila.鈥� I sometimes sing well, must mostly not. The words and the feeling are always most important to me in the vocal delivery. My main instrument is guitar, preferably played through a fuzz pedal at high volumes. On the new record, I also play drums, bass, organ and harmonica ... all with varying degrees of tunefulness.

17. If you could perform in any venue in the world, which would you choose? It鈥檚 my dream to perform on 鈥淪aturday Night Live.鈥� My family watches every episode together. My son鈥檚 favorite thing is when they introduce the cast members. He has all their names memorized. It would blow his mind to be there live.

18. Would you rather be a poor band playing the music you love, or a rich band playing what the record label tells you to? The Leptons is therapy for me. It will always be a platform for making exactly the music I want to make, regardless of any business interests. For something else though, I鈥檇 very happily gig with a professional band. To be able to make a living entertaining people with music would be an awesome achievement.

19. If it weren鈥檛 for music, how else would you express your creativity? I like to draw little cartoon characters. There鈥檚 a few I鈥檝e created based on our songs. Sometimes I post them on social media. Recently I鈥檝e been bouncing around ideas of different ways to feature them. Could be animation or a comic strip.

20. What is your ultimate goal as it pertains to music? I plan to write and play music until I die. The goal is to live a life that allows that to happen. Whether it鈥檚 to a huge audience or at home with my kids, I鈥檒l never stop. Music is the only thing that I have in my life that could come close to being considered a religion. I think it鈥檚 the purest and most sacred human art, and it鈥檚 elemental in its beauty and grace. There鈥檚 very little chance I鈥檒l ever get to call music my career. I don鈥檛 make money from my art now, and I probably never will, but creation is a reward in itself. Unfortunately, those that own the channels that funnel money and power to the smallest groups of people know artists feel this way. The 鈥渟tarving artist鈥� cliche is one our society views as the norm. That probably won鈥檛 change in my lifetime.

Angela Major 

Nikki Fae, right, plays the role of Diana in a scene with Riley Parkhurst, left, who plays Gabe, during rehearsals for "Next to Normal" at UW-Whitewater at Rock County in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Angela Major 

Chloe Attalla, right, sings while playing the role of Natalie in a scene with Colin Lee, left, who plays Henry, during rehearsals for 鈥淣ext to Normal鈥� at UW-Whitewater at Rock County in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Angela Major 

Nikki Fae, right, who plays Diana, glances at Austin Brummett, left, who plays Dan, during rehearsal for 鈥淣ext to Normal鈥� at UW-Whitewater at Rock County in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Angela Major 

Riley Parkhurst plays the part of Gabe during rehearsal for 鈥淣ext to Normal鈥� at UW-Whitewater at Rock County in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Angela Major 

Nikki Fae, right, who plays Diana, glares at Austin Brummett, left, who plays Dan, during rehearsal for 鈥淣ext to Normal鈥� at UW-Whitewater at Rock County in 糖心Vlog传媒.

JANESVILLE鈥擳wo themes rarely seen in musicals are center stage in 鈥淣ext to Normal鈥�: bipolar disorder and depression.

The contemporary rock musical burst onto the scene in 2008 to critical acclaim. It snagged three Tony Awards in 2009 and the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2010.

The s praised the show for focusing 鈥渟quarely on the pain that cripples the members of a suburban family, and never for a minute does it let you escape the anguish at the core of their lives.鈥�

鈥淣ext to Normal鈥� runs April 5-14 at the Kirk Denmark Theatre at UW-Whitewater at Rock County. It is the university鈥檚 second and final production of the 2018-19 academic year.

Director Trevor Rees said he chose the gripping musical partly because of its portrayal of mental illness against the backdrop of the opioid epidemic plaguing Rock County and the country.

鈥淚t has a lot of reverberations to what鈥檚 happening today,鈥� Rees said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good story that needs to be told.鈥�

The musical centers on Diana Goodman, a suburban mom coping with her son鈥檚 death, bipolar disorder and depression. Her family鈥攈usband Dan and daughter Natalie鈥攁lso are forced to grapple with Diana鈥檚 suffering.

As Diana explores treatment for her illness, the family鈥檚 relationships begin to crack and fragment, exposing the toll mental disorders can inflict on a family.

Rees said bits of humor are sprinkled throughout the emotionally-charged and, at times, dramatic musical.

Rees said the music is 鈥渁bsolutely fantastic.鈥� Members of the UW-Whitewater at Rock County Music Department will perform the pop-rock score, which Rees said will sound and feel contemporary to audiences.

鈥淚鈥檓 a huge fan of using live music,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 very important when you鈥檙e doing theater, particularly a musical, because it鈥檚 a collaboration between lots of artists.鈥�

Five students and one community member star in the two-act musical, which features Nikki Fae as Diana and Chloe Attalla as Natalie.

In addition to tackling pressing social issues, Rees said the musical will add to students鈥� performance repertoires. In fall, the department staged Oscar Wilde鈥檚 farcical comedy 鈥淭he Importance of Being Earnest,鈥� a classical British play.

Staging a contemporary rock musical along with Wilde鈥檚 classic comedy in the same year allows students to have a diverse production experience, Rees said.

Rees said the university鈥檚 production of 鈥淣ext to Normal鈥� has been entered into the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. An adjudicator will attend a performance and provide feedback, and the show also will be eligible for the center鈥檚 regional festival.

People in the production can be nominated for outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance. Five students from the university have been nominated for past shows, Rees said.

鈥淚n general, it鈥檚 just a really, really good musical,鈥� Rees said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot of plays and/or musicals dealing with mental health, so this will hit home. People can understand what individuals go through and how they deal with what鈥檚 going on with them.鈥�