On Friday April 28, The Middle Ground graced the Dreyfus University Center’s Encore stage to perform up-beat music surrounded by the enthusiastic cheers and dancing from the audience.
The Middle Ground is an alternative-rock group consisting of four band mates: Joe Neary, guitar and vocals, Chris Halbauer, drums, Jordan Burmeister, bass and vocals and Zach Grusznski, lead guitar.
While the band is currently based out of Nashville, Tennessee, it originally formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
According to the band’s webpage, “Their music delivers catchy hooks that are bound to get trapped in your head, touching on the groups’ varied musical interests while staying rooted in pop sensibility.”
The Middle Ground performed two sets, the first consisted of playing songs such as, “Never Needed Me” and “Lake Michigan” off of their first two albums. The second set was dedicated to performing cover songs that the audience would recognize like, “Stay With Me,” by Sam Smith and “Sweater Weather,” by The Neighborhood.
Joe Neary, guitarist and lead vocalist, joked about changing the lyrics of “Sweater Weather” to, “Get your iced cold beer here,” instead of “It’s too cold for you here.”
Neary said that he knows what Wisconsinites like to hear.
Paulette Salazar, senior communication and Spanish major and club and variety coordinator for Centertainment, said what she enjoyed most about The Middle Ground’s performance was the positive energy that fueled them.
“With their cheesy jokes in between songs and their personality it was hard not to dance,” Salazar said. “I talked to them after the show and they were excited to have a Wisconsin college tour since they are from Milwaukee. I enjoyed the cover songs they played with a taste of their own style, which almost made it better.”
The Middle Ground currently has two albums up for listener’s grabs, “The Middle Ground,” and “Start Again,” For more information about the band and their tour dates check out their website at http://www.wearethemiddleground.com/.
Lhea Owens
Arts and Entertainment Editor
lowen721@uwsp.edu