Most Madison residents are getting ready for bed to wake up to their 7:00 AM alarms on a Monday at 9:30 PM. However, for Madison-based artists Fred The Black Kid a.k.a. FTBK and Keylime (Fred Steinmetz and Colin Lime, respectively), it means getting ready to perform on stage and greet an audience. 

 

These two Madison performers opened for Milwaukee-based artist NileXNile as special guests on his midwest tour Nostolgia. As their first tour experience, they explain how grateful they are for the opportunity. However, as they near the start of their third concert at the live music venue High Noon Saloon in downtown Madison, touring is not what they expected, especially at FTBK’s first stop in Iowa. 

 

“[The crowd] was five people and three of them were artists,”FTBK said. “I was like, damn, this is not what I expected. I drove four and a half hours, but they were all really cool people, and it was an experience where you just meet people.” 

 

Despite some setbacks, the excitement reverberated off them, calling this concert a homecoming. 

 

“You have your friends here. Some people have family here,” FTBK said. “My ex from high school was like, I’m coming to the show. I’m like, okay, pop out. It’s a crazy vibe to be back home.”

 

This energy stayed as FTBK and Keylime performed songs off their 2022 EP Bucket Boys, Vol.1. Both artists believe this tour has given them more confidence in their music aspirations.

 

“The validation of somebody worked their ass off for the past two weeks and took 15 bucks out of their paycheck to come to see you,” Keylime said. “You know what I mean. That’s really cool that this show was worth that to people.” 

 

They describe how the tour has helped them meet new artists and fans who help them put the midwestern music scene in front of larger audiences. 

 

“The community is awesome,” Keylime said. “The midwest is very underrepresented right now, and it’s really f****** cool to see people who are trying to put it on the map.”

 

It is a short homecoming for FTBK and Keylime as they hit the road again to their next tour date at the cactus room in Milwaukee on Saturday, April 8th.