CORE

ABF Monthly - Mark Mader - March 2026

In this latest monthly update from the Appleton Beer Factory, Mark Mader joins the show to recap a wild month of weather and music in the Fox Cities. The conversation kicks off with a look at how the area handled the recent 27.5-inch snowstorm before diving into a successful St. Patrick’s Day celebration featuring the Third Class Minstrels. Mark shares details on several upcoming performances at the brewery, including Hollyy and the Lunar Ticks this Friday and the five-part harmony Weird Al tribute, Weird Pals, on Saturday. The episode also highlights the highly anticipated return of LOLO next week, which includes a special early show and meet-and-greet package, as well as an upcoming performance from the world-class progressive rock trio The Stickmen featuring Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto.Beyond the immediate schedule, this interview features several major summer announcements. Mark reveals that tickets go on sale this Friday for River Shook on July 1st and the return of The Heavy Heavy on July 5th following their tour with the Black Keys. Other highlights include a heavy June bill with Bronson Arm and Vile B’s, plus a massive Labor Day weekend show at Tanner’s in Kimberly featuring Little Stranger, Tropadelic, and Jarv. Finally, the show announces the return of the British-American Celtic rock band Raines, with tickets available starting this Friday. Whether you are interested in the new Tuesday night open mic comedy series or looking to rent one of the three unique event spaces at the brewery, there is plenty to catch up on in this update.appletonbeerfactory.com0:00 Intro & Welcome0:35 Scheduling Changes & March Snowstorm2:04 St. Patrick's Day at Appleton Beer Factory3:35 Green Beer Policy4:11 St. Patrick's Day with Fox Cities Live5:25 Pump Action & The Retrograde Show Recap6:38 Surprise Visit from Garrett of the Band Feel7:22 Knowing Bands & Building Relationships8:06 Upcoming Lolo Show & Meet and Greet10:50 Are Concerts Becoming Experiences?13:24 Comedy Open Mic Night Reboot16:21 Weird Pals (Weird Al Tribute) – This Saturday18:57 Holly & the Lunatics – Friday Show20:16 Manic Mondays Recap & Upcoming Show22:25 Stickman ft. Tony Levin – Next Month26:39 Table Rentals: How It Works27:57 Break + Teaser for Big Announcements28:24 Elán Johnansen Show Reflection31:38 Announcement: River Shuck – July 1st32:43 Announcement: The Heavy Heavy – July 5th36:01 Teaser: Big Fall Show Coming36:43 Three-Band Bill at Tanner's – Labor Day Weekend38:06 Bronson Arms – June 6th39:15 Private Event Rentals at ABF40:28 Ticket Giveaway: Weird Pals41:10 Thoughts on Tribute Artists44:18 Closing & Final Announcements

Offend Your Friends

Andy McNamara is joined by Kev, Luke, Caleb, and Devin of the Wisconsin-based band Offend Your Friends. After two decades, the band is celebrating a major milestone with the release of a full-length album, aptly titled Almost Didn’t Make It. In this deep dive, the members share the fascinating story of their 20-year journey, from their early days as a skateboard crew in Fond du Lac to their latest recording sessions in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this interview, we discuss:- The Band’s Origins: How a neighborhood skateboard crew and a "party band" with a pink Mohawk evolved into Offend Your Friends.- The "Stock Wars": The legendary story of being blacklisted from their high school’s "Goodstock" festival and starting their own massive counter-event, "Badstock," which drew over 500 people.- The Lost Album: The heartbreaking (and slightly hilarious) story of how their recorded tracks were stolen from a driveway in Milwaukee, leading to a "year-long depression" before they eventually re-recorded everything.- New Music & Sound: Transitioning from their early ska influences to a heavier, high-energy sound filled with gang vocals and "Fake Work Friday" anthems.- Friendship & Brotherhood: Why the band never truly broke up, despite multiple "air quote" breakups and members moving across the country.Support the Band:Website: offendyourfriends.comBandcamp: offendyourfriends.bandcamp.com0:00 Introduction – Fox Cities Core Radio0:27 Welcoming Offend Your Friends to the Studio1:08 How Does It Feel to Finally Release an Album?1:45 Band Origin Story – Fond du Lac, Wisconsin2:21 How the Members All Met3:19 The Party Van & Luke's Iconic First Impression4:11 How Wes Accidentally Became the Drummer5:07 Caleb Joins & the Saxophone Decision5:29 The Fond du Lac Scene in the Early 2000s6:41 Renting Banquet Halls & Building a Local Scene7:33 What Got Kevin Into Music8:40 Kevin's Singing Origins9:16 The Loot – Their Short-Lived Hip Hop Project9:50 Adding the Saxophone & Finding Their Sound10:57 Early Recordings & First EPs11:02 The "Indecisive" EP Era26:23 Recording "Almost Didn't Make It" – The Vision27:03 Gang Vocals & Recording the Album Twice27:35 Kevin Records Vocals in Oakland During Covid28:28 The Stolen Laptop Disaster29:14 Year-Long Depression & Regrouping29:57 Re-Recording Vocals in Tulsa at Gene Pump Studios30:37 Two New Songs Written After the Laptop Was Stolen31:22 Adding "Olive Branch" as the 12th Song31:50 Total Recording Timeline – How Many Years?32:21 Why They Tracked Drums Last33:04 Mixing with Colton Jin33:50 Mastering with Justin Perkins35:17 Any Regrets? Listening Back to the Album36:00 Hidden Layers – Acoustic Guitar, Horn, Double Bass36:50 The Censored Swear Words on the CD51:08 Plans to Keep Going After the Album Release51:43 Bigger Shows & Festival Ambitions (Summerfest, The Fest)52:00 Easter Eggs on the Album Cover & Hometown References53:05 Shoutout to Jinxed and the Fond du Lac Roots53:21 Upcoming Radio Appearances & Promotion54:24 The Falsetto in "Killer Acid" – Where It Came From55:21 Favorite Songs on the Album57:24 How Danny Wolf Joined as Drummer (via Cock Tutor on Myspace)57:32 Favorite Songs – Final Round59:01 Where to Find Offend Your Friends1:00:00 Thank You & Show Info – Passenger Lounge March 28th

Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill

Rock legends Vicki Peterson of The Bangles and John Cowsill of The Cowsills took some time to talk about a wide-ranging series of topics prior to their performance at Round Lake Farms in Brillion.The two talk about their collaborative album Long After the Fire — a heartfelt tribute to the songwriting of Barry and Bill Cowsill — and share the full story of how they met as teenagers at the Sweetwater Cafe in Redondo Beach, California back in 1978. From the early days of the Paisley Underground to sold-out Beach Boys tours, from recording in an 8x18-foot home studio with aging ProTools to working with legendary photographer Henry Diltz (and Pamela Springsteen!) on the album artwork. John opens up about the pressures of stepping into the spotlight as a front man after decades behind the drum kit, his years touring with the Beach Boys and his current work with The Smithereens, and what it's like being married to your bandmate. Vicki reflects on the Bangles' punk roots, the Paisley Underground scene, the surprise success of Walk Like an Egyptian, and why she'd fight the synthesizers all over again. They also dive into their beloved annual performance at Joey's Song — the epilepsy fundraiser in Madison — share memories of Johnny Cash, Minnie Pearl, Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Hugh Hefner's Playboy After Dark, and much more.Long After the Fire is available now wherever you stream or buy music. WCZR Code Zero Radio is an Independent streaming rock, live from Appleton, Wisconsin.

February Episode of Mark Mader on Code Zero Radio's ABF Monthly

It's ABF Monthly on WCZR's Fox Cities Core! Mark Mader from Appleton Beer Factory joins us to catch everyone up on what's happening at one of the Fox Cities' favorite venues — from packed shows and exciting new programming to big upcoming announcements you won't want to miss.We're also joined by Conner and JT from The Dead Buddhas, who stop by fresh off the release of their brand new album Sludge Americana — a two-year project blending the beauty of Wisconsin with a heavy, industrial sound. They'll be hitting the Appleton Beer Factory stage on April 6th for Manic Mondays alongside Smoke Free Home!In this episode:- The Dead Buddhas talk about Sludge Americana and their upcoming shows- Manic Mondays is off to a huge start — and it's not stopping anytime soon- Upcoming shows including Chicago Farmer & the Field Notes, Myles Nielsen & the Arrested, Weird Pals (Weird Al cover band), The Lowdown Drifters, Lo Lo, and a mysterious July 5th return of one of Appleton's most beloved bands- New Thursday night jazz series coming in late May-Open Mic Comedy Night is underway every Tuesday — free to attend!- ABF Happy Hour: Buy one, get one beer + appetizer deals, Tue–Thu, 3–4 PM- Mark's strangest rider request, dream booking (Tesla!), and brewery triviaCheck the full Appleton Beer Factory calendar appletonbeerfactory.com and find The Dead Buddhas on Spotify — search Sludge Americana!0:00 Intro & Welcome0:33 Meet The Dead Buddhas – Conner & JT1:37 Sludge Americana – New Album Overview2:40 Manic Mondays Update5:01 Why Appleton Beer Factory is a Great Venue5:59 Manic Mondays – Biggest Night & Upcoming Shows9:42 Manic Mondays Future – Opening for National Acts10:23 Cooley Boys Sold Out Show & Eddie Danger21:35 St. Patrick's Day Show at ABF22:17 Chicago Farmer & Myles Nielsen Show24:15 The Frustration of Under-Attended Great Shows26:35 Ticket Giveaway – Weird Pals & Lowdown Drifters28:07 Dead Buddhas Upcoming Shows29:47 Lo Lo Show & New VIP Experience at ABF30:47 Live Caller – Weird Pals Ticket Winner31:48 Weird Pals (Weird Al Cover Band) Preview33:41 Uncle Lucius Returning May 14th34:32 Strangest Band Rider Request35:39 Mark's Dream Booking36:53 Has ABF Ever Had to Dump a Batch of Beer?37:43 Beers Named After Artists – Banjo Strings39:03 ABF Happy Hour – 3 to 4 PM Tue–Thu41:22 Open Mic Comedy Night – Tuesdays at 7:30 PM45:54 Wrap Up & July 5th Mystery Announcement47:03 Final Thoughts & Goodbyes

The Dead Buddhas

The Dead Buddhas stopped by Fox Cities Core on Code Zero Radio (WCZR) to celebrate the release of their debut album Sludge Americana.The Dead Buddhas are a band from Oshkosh, Wisconsin — Connor (vocals/guitar), JT (bass/vocals/recording & mixing), and Kevin (vocals/guitar) — who have been playing together since their high school days at Oshkosh West. They describe their sound as "sludge shoegaze" — a genre-bending collision of heavy, abrasive noise, dreamy post-rock atmospherics, and rootsy Americana influences. Think Black Sabbath meets the Grateful Dead, with a healthy dose of Johnny Cash and Korn thrown in for good measure. There's no single frontman here — all three members share vocal duties, which means any given song can swing from delicate, melodic singing to full-on aggressive screaming. Listening on headphones is strongly recommended.Sludge Americana was recorded and engineered at TR's Recording Studio in Oshkosh, a space the guys have deep connections to through longtime Fox Valley music community figure Uri Weber. JT handled all the recording, mixing, and mastering himself — a testament to the band's fully DIY approach. The album was written mostly on acoustic guitars, which is actually how the album got its name: when Connor and JT first started playing those heavy riffs acoustically, they looked at each other and said, "that kind of sounds like sludge Americana." The name stuck.In this interview we get into the full story — from their early open mic nights at New Moon in Oshkosh (where they were influenced by artists like Sarah Vos Winkle of Dead Horses and Nick Raymond of Traveling Suitcase) to their previous projects (Trying Tribals, Everything Went Silent... don't look those up, they said), to the making of Sludge Americana and what's coming next. We talk about the richness of the Oshkosh music scene, the DIY ethics driving the Fox Valley underground, and why they believe this region could become a legitimate hotbed for alternative music.We also get into the deeper themes of the album — nature, loss, urbanization, the anxiety of watching the world change around you — as well as some lighter moments: dream instruments (saxophone, cello, and lap steel), JT's hiccup phobia, the story behind the song "The Stairwell," Connor's dad and his bagpipes, and the band's whiteboard that doesn't have any markers yet.Sludge Americana is available now on all major streaming platforms and on physical CD.Fox Cities Core airs on Code Zero Radio (WCZR) — broadcasting live from Appleton, Wisconsin.