We have a lot of gripes with our neighbors to the south. Their domestic beer preference. Their professional sports franchises (or maybe just their fans). Their autocratic insistence on particular hot-dog condiments.
One area that requires us to tip our caps to Chicago, however, is the music scene. Just the artists who have visited Studio Milwaukee alone should be enough to convince you of the Windy City’s excellent musicality. Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Ratboys, Dehd, Kara Jackson, Whitney — they’ve all made special stops at Radio Milwaukee and really earned that adjective by putting on memorable, skillful, highly entertaining performances.
Now, you can add Friko to that list.
Nevermind the Chicago of it all, this is a band I’ve been desperate for us to book ever since the February 2024 release of their excellent debut full-length, Where we've been, Where we go from here. The album is a nine-track demonstration of how the band’s core duo of Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenberger can shift gears seamlessly from loud to quiet without losing any emotional punch.
Their set for this Summerfest Studio Milwaukee Session — just a few hours before playing the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard — was a showcase for both ends of the volume spectrum. “Crimson to Chrome” and “Where We’ve Been” jump decibel levels within the songs themselves, and closer “Get Numb to It!” earns that exclamation point by hitting the ground running and never letting up (related note: It’s an excellent addition to any workout playlist).
In the middle of that three-song afternoon snack, Kapetan and Minzenberger — along with guitarist Korgan Robb and bassist David Fuller — chatted with 88Nine music director Erin Wolf about all things Chicago (and a little more besides). They covered their untalkative years at Evanston Township High School, their relationship with iconic venue Metro Chicago and their undying love for basement shows.
“We played a really packed basement to the point of it, like, almost being kind of a fire hazard,” Minzenberger said of a recent DIY show in Urbana. Kapetan quickly added, “We made it a goal of ours to at least play one basement DIY show a year. It just kind of brings you back to why you did it. … It’s also way easier.”
That last part came with a laugh, but after seeing Friko make themselves at home in our moderately upgraded version of a basement venue, you get the sense it’s the ideal environment for band and fan alike.
Hear for yourself using the player at the top of the page, and reserve yourself a seat at all of the Studio Milwaukee Sessions we have coming up by becoming a Radio Milwaukee member today.
Studio MKE: Friko set list
- “Crimson to Chrome”
- “Where We’ve Been”
- “Get Numb to It!”
