Milwaukee band Castle Thunder celebrated their upcoming debut EP Wolf in Sheepskin with the release of their first single off the record – a two-track disc containing the featured track “The Observer” along with “Rest Your Head.”  Both tracks are well produced and, along with the performance, gave the small yet boisterous crowd something to look forward to in the near future, aside from rain.

While Moe Akhter’s tempos create a building backdrop behind their upbeat sound, the enchanting vocals from front man Cory Gorman grab attention and the band proves they’ve got some fresh air to breath into the scene with their upcoming EP, for which the release party will be held May 27 at Cactus Club. But the band was also preceded by two other acts worthy of more than just a sole mention.

Opening the show, Milwaukee’s The Vitrolum Republic took a meager crowd by surprise – if I may speak for everybody – with an incredible display of well-composed, self-described “Gypsy Noir” talent.

The classically influenced blues/folk/bluegrass medley at times brought a 19th century Norway feel to the old wood floors of Linneman’s, filling the room with a tale-telling sound, which combined with stage presence, painted vivid old-timey imagery. Jordan and Nick Waraksa command attention with impressive fiddle and piano talent, respectively, not to mention great vocals from both brothers, and a bit of guitar and accordion to complete their original, well-defined sound.

The band performed a large handful of shipwrecked ballads and sagas off of their album For Highbrow Sideshows and Rowboat Serenades, encoring to audience demand with the appropriately mellow segue track “Willow Song,” the opening track of the album.

Reinforcing the spectrum of talent, Chuck Lawton – the third of the official three-piece – held up the rhythm on bass (and occasionally guitar) backed by first-time-Vitrolum-drummer Benjamin Schaefer, whose passionately-animated performance and enjoyable finesse on his hodgepodge kit had him nearly stealing the show on more than one occasion.

Enter the night’s second set of brothers, Wolfgang and Benjamin Schaefer. Wolfgang Schaefer has a knack for emotionally driven, poetic sentiment, which fits his sound well as he softly picks his way through his set on acoustic guitar. Armed with a raspy, standalone voice, Schaefer’s offstage personality only reinforces his genuine performance, putting nothing but true feeling into a relaxed sound.

Covering a handful of songs off of his self-titled album Wolfgang Schaefer, he also threw in a beautiful rendition of Phosphorescent’s “Mrs. Juliette,” as well as a song or two from his humorously self-described upcoming album “Typewriter Two” (a reference to the artwork on his current album, and not the actual title).

Schaefer and his brother work together well with their dedicated attention to detail, and crafted a lovely yet somber set that served as a laid back segue into the Castle Thunder performance that ensued.

Video courtesy of Jack Packard.