The Feral Catz
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The Feral Catz

Band Blues Singer/Songwriter

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"The Catz Were in Business, and the Energy was there"

Moon Bathes Feral Catz Finale

Bathed in the beauty of a full mon, the Feral Catz closed out their summer schedule with what's now become a twice a year appearance at the Barn Dance in River Hills.

Although there was a bit of a chill in the air this October eve, it was better than weather for past Catz gigs, including a torrential, continuous downpour during an August night in Palmyra and a thunderstorm during another August gig in Wauwatosa.

But this night the Catz were in business and the energy was there. An ensemble cast including tenor sax, congas and keyboards helped the fullness of the sound, but the four-piece had enough on their own. The intricacies were well handled, however, by the rythm section of Three M on bass and Doug Hissom on drums. The two especially coagulated expertly on "You Should Have Called Me," an upbeat bluesy rocker and "South Side," which conjures up images of traveling out in the desert west.

But the real chemistry comes from the two front men--Wiley Wright and Woody Bergholz--who share the song-writing duties. Bergholz's lead guitar plays in, out, and around Wright's solid rythms. "Songwriter," about a class Wright had with the well-know singer-songwriter Jonh Sieger, is straight-forward and aggressive, with the Bergholz twang soaring over the storyline.

The group slowed it down as well, with "Love Showed Us The Way," and "Love Is Real" leading the way in that genre, which is, of course, love songs.

Dan Wood, River Hills Correspondent, October 2007 - North Shore Beacon


"The band brings with it a musical combination of blues, rock and country....."

Snow Banked with the Feral Catz

The Feral Catz appeared for a winter show to help out the effort of Milwaukee County Executive candidate Joe Klein for a fundraiser at Linneman's Riverwest Inn. An early season snowfall kept the crowds at bay, but the Catz made the best of it.

The band brings with it a musical combination of blues, rock and country in a mix that at times seems too intricate for its timing. In one song the lister coud be riding across a bridge on a horse with no name, and in another, intently taking a roller coaster ride with machine-gun staccato rifs and a driving rythm section fueling the way.

The great combination of emotions is courtesy of the two front men-Woody Bergholz on lead guitar and Wiley Wright on rythm guitar and vocals. The two share the songwriting chores and comparisons to Lennon and McCartney woud be absurd, but they have that certain camraderie on stage that one can tell they've been together through some long sessions. Two particular standouts include "Bridge to Nowhere," about that chunk of bridge called the Hoan, and "Songwriter," where Wright tells his story about writing for a class headed by local great John Sieger. It's a good thing too, since the band only allowed itself two cover tunes in the two hours they played here.

The band appeared to come armed with special material for the occasion-including plenty of jokes about incumbent exec Scott Walker-and the foursome had the witty banter going full steam. They even wrote two songs about the candidate Klein, including one with the refrain "his name is like his campaign, thats small in German." Even if one wasn't a supporter of Klein, the stuff was funny.

Denise Rochester, for Linneman's. December 2007 - Linneman's Newsletter


Discography

Slow to Develop, 2008, Recorded by Scott Finch at Velvet Sky Studio, Milwaukee WI, 414.264.8914

Additional cuts on the Feral Catz Myspace page, live performances at www.feralcatz.com

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Bio

With over 100 years of combined music experience between them, the Feral Catz reflect influences from almost every genre of popular music. Their sound is fresh and innovative, while at the same time familiar and involving. When listening to the Catz, one can hear classic singer-songwriter material infused with the blues, western swing, classic rock, jam band, southern rock and R&B sensitivities. Shifting effortlessly between blues, rock, jam type grooves and folk rock tunes, the original Catz material basically defies categorization, other than, say, feral. (Almost rhymes with virile.)

Then again, what would one expect from a band who resides in the oft frozen and otherwise beautiful heartland city of Milwaukee, WI ? Singing about things that touch every day life, there is a Feral Catz song that almost everyone can relate to.

Seeing the Catz live is a special treat. Their chemistry on stage is electric. They are not a slick Vegas style show band, but rather regular folks, playing honest music, without pretense. They are the kind of guys you would like to have a beer or a cup of coffee with.

While seeing the Catz live may not change your life forever, it will put a tap in your toe and a smile on your face. Catch ‘em while you can!