The Cabin Concert Series, which is located in Davies Student Center, has provided free entertainment for students, staff and the community for over 60 years.
From 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15, an Eau Claire-based cover band called Gaff Mountain will be performing in The Cabin. The band members include Matthew Fritts, Caleb Doyle, Zachary Swenson and Matthew Fitzgerald.
Doyle, who is the drummer, vocoder and synthesizer, said they play well-known covers that everyone can enjoy — mainly a wide variety of funk and pop music.
“We play songs you know in ways you’ve never heard them before … spreading our love for music to a wide audience and allowing people to enjoy live shows in local businesses,” Doyle said.
Fritts is the lead singer and guitarist of Gaff Mountain. He is a fourth-year supply chain management student. According to Fritts, the whole group met through their involvement with the Event Production Crew on campus. The name for their band was inspired by this job.
“Gaffer tape — gaff for short — is commonly used to tape down cables, label items and affix things to walls and other surfaces,” Doyle said. “At the end of large events, there is a lot of used gaff rolled into a large pile — a ‘mountain’ if you will.”
Swenson is a fourth-year applied physics student and plays the keyboard for the band. According to the band’s Instagram page, he also enjoys learning classical piano.
Last but not least, Fitzgerald is the bass guitarist. He is a third-year music education student who also plays the trombone.
According to Doyle, the group began playing together in the summer of 2023. They started as an act in a talent show and have continued to grow ever since.
“It was all uphill from there,” Fritts said. “Making, playing and recording music has always been my main hobby. It’s so great that I can finally share it with my friends and an audience.”
Doyle said the band typically rehearses for two hours weekly, depending on their other commitments such as school and work.
They have played various local gigs, including a reunion party at the Ojibwe Ballroom in Davies Center earlier this year. On Oct. 24, they performed at the Shift Cyclery and Coffee Bar in downtown Eau Claire.
Fritts said he is feeling confident about their upcoming show in The Cabin and the band is excited to see the crowd’s reaction to their music. Their goal is to let the audience have fun — to dance and laugh.
Doyle said they have been looking forward to this show all semester. The group doesn’t want to reveal too much about their set list, but they believe their last songs are sure to inspire “dancing and grooving.”
According to Fritts, one of the songs they will be performing is “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton.
“I know that everyone is on their work grind, and we are appreciative of those taking an hour out of their Friday evening,” Fritts said. “I hope that everyone who comes to our show feels like they had a good time in a great environment.”
Matczak can be reached at [email protected].
