[reverberating electronic sounds]
- Jake Cochran: It's, like, every audience,
there's gonna be a couple people who know us,
but a lot of it is new people.
A lot of it are people who have just heard
that we're a cool band to see, or a friend said,
"Go check these guys out," or whatever.
And we definitely come from a perspective of,
we wanna win every audience over.
Every show really, really matters to us.
And to, like, watch the faces of people
who are seeing us for the first time
kind of light up throughout the show
is really a special thing.
["Blood Lines" by Illiterate Light]
[rhythmic rock music]
? Brother holding brother ?
? As our tears fall from the open sky ?
? Give me one good reason ?
? Why one man lives and one man dies ?
? Carrying his body ?
? Broken, cold ?
? Like it was that night ?
? Brother holding brother ?
? And I'll never turn my back ?
? Hard times ?
? Will never break ?
? These blood lines ?
? Hard times ?
? They'll never break ?
? These blood lines ?
? No one's perfect ?
? Hell we get our demons tattooed on our arms ?
? Early in the morning ?
? Hit the bottle ?
? Then again at lunch ?
? Make your promise ?
? Broken promise ?
? Lying, cheating, gone too far ?
? Brother holding brother ?
? And I'll never turn my back ?
? Hard times ?
? Will never break ?
? These blood lines ?
? Hard times ?
? They'll never break ?
? These blood lines ?
? No ?
? Okay ?
- Jeff Gorman: We have a very unique performance style.
I'm playing a synthesizer with my feet,
and then I'm playing guitar and singing
and really jumping around the stage as much as I can.
And then of course, Jake is standing up
while he's playing drums,
and he's at the front of the stage with me.
We're fully right on top of the audience.
? Stay strong, I'm coming for you ?
? Running through the night ?
? Hang on, I'm coming for you ?
? Running through the night ?
? And I said hard times ?
? They'll never break ?
? These blood lines ?
? Hard times ?
? They'll never break ?
? These blood lines ?
[audience cheering]
So I think one of the things that we're able to bring here
is just some high-energy rock and roll, y'know,
for lack of a better term.
We like to go really hard.
And even if you've never heard our music before,
we're just gonna give it everything we've got.
We really just kinda roll with the moment.
Whoo!
["Heaven Bends" by Illiterate Light]
[hard rock music]
? Birthday, panic attack ?
? With friends that forgive and forget ?
? Screamed so loud, the whole town heard ?
? It was raining, and I was sunburned ?
? And the barn was burning bright ?
? There was nowhere to run, there was nowhere to hide ?
? And I've broken down before ?
? But this time ?
? Something in me died ?
? Yeah, something in me died ?
? Oh yeah ?
? Something's died ?
? Heaven bends ?
? Beyond the light of day ?
? Resurrect ?
? My spirit from my pain ?
? Yeah ?
Whoo!
[hard rock music]
[audience cheering]
- At the end of all of it, it's about connection for us.
So, like, it's connection between the two of us.
When we play, it's a really special moment for us.
But then to do that in a way that invites the crowd into it
is, like, why the live experience
is so important to us.
There's nothing like being with a band that you love
in the moment and feeling it all together.
["Light Me Up" by Illiterate Light]
[steady rock music]
? Do do do do do do ?
? Now after all I've said and done ?
? What the hell have I become? ?
? Virginia, carry me ?
? Take me back home ?
? Back east ?
? The world is turnin' ?
? It's upside down ?
? And I'm a stranger to myself ?
? Can't shut up ?
? I can't sleep ?
? There's no silence ?
? Inside of me ?
? Another nightmare ?
? Another ghost ?
? I'm just a shadow on my own ?
? I'm waiting on the sun to light me up ?
? Waiting on the sun to light me up ?
? Waiting on someone to light me up ?
? Waiting on someone ?
[steady rock music]
? My prayer is simple ?
? These days ?
? Lord have mercy ?
? Don't look away ?
? I'm sick of sadness ?
? I'm sick of pain ?
? I need some honey in my veins ?
? Hallelujah ?
? Hell yeah ?
? Well, I'm one step closer ?
? Then I regress ?
? A bitter dreamer ?
? A bitter man ?
? A shadow shaking in your hands ?
? I'm waiting on the sun to light me up ?
? I'm waiting on someone to light me up ?
? I'm waiting on someone ?
? Yeah ?
[heavy rock music]
? Still waiting on the sun to light me up ?
? Waiting on the sun to light me up ?
? Light me up ?
? Oh ?
? Waiting on someone ?
? Do do do do do do ?
? Do do do do do ?
[audience cheering]
How we feeling? [audience cheering]
All right?
We're so glad to be here in Appleton, Wisconsin with y'all.
We're Illiterate Light.