The Civil Engineers and Wurk’s Winter Vacation Tour at Kathy’s Pub

Just in time to spice up your cold January, Wurk and The Civil Engineers pack the heat with their Winter Vacation Tour, an eclectic fusion of funk, rock, jazz, soul, and more coming to several cities across eastern Minnesota. Both bands hail from Madison, WI where their award-winning music has caught the attention of thousands of fans across Wisconsin. Wurk and TCE have performed countless times together and their synergy and collaborations make for a night you won’t forget!

Music starts right at 10pm!

Wurk is a funk-fusion group from Madison, WI, described by Isthmus Magazine as “summer-jam-perfect”. Wurk’s style encompasses several genres with clear influences from bands like Snarky Puppy, Umphrey’s McGee, Tauk, The Motet, Herbie Hancock, The Meters, and many more. Their sound seeks to employ a musically educated yet groovy “Big City” tone. With songwriting by guitarist/vocalist Frank Laufenberg and keyboardist/vocalist Miles Morkri, Wurk fills the gap between complexity and groove. Max Morkri, a 2018 MAMA award nominee for Instrumentalist of the Year on drum set, drives the band with his blend of solid grooving and intricate chops. Coupled with Max’s drumming, Casey Seymour delivers powerful bass lines which pull the band together. Ryley Buchanan (synth/organ), Daniel Haschke (saxophones/flute) and Carl Hipenbecker (trumpet) add to Wurk’s unique tone with horn lines, effects, and impressive solos. Wurk recently won the 2018 MAMAs Breakthrough Artist Competition. Roy Elkins, Broadjam President and competition judge, described Wurk’s winning performance as follows: “(Wurk was) not only on top of their music, they captured the audience during the entire set. Everyone in the room was watching and fully engrossed in their performance.” Most of Wurk’s members grew up in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, just west of Madison. Their shared background creates the band’s closeness on stage and their ability to communicate musically. Wurk released two EPs in 2017 (Wurk, Broken Disco) and is fresh off the September release of their third EP, The Devil’s Wurk.

The Civil Engineers are a rock and soul band based in Madison, WI. Drawing from a broad spectrum of influences ranging from Tower of Power to Vulfpeck, TCE delivers lively original dance music that attracts live music fans of all genres. Molly Fish’s soaring vocals are underscored by one of Madison’s funkiest rhythm sections and hard-hitting horns to produce their signature groove. Their second EP, ‘#’, won the Madison Area Music Award for Best Pop/R&B Album of 2017. They are currently performing throughout the Midwest.

Photo credit Kyle Hilker