If you missed the February Album Writing Month showcase at the High Noon Saloon Sunday night, you missed a truly unique Madisonian music moment. Keyboardist Nancy Rost enlisted punk rocker Tim Budziszewski (of B.O.R.D. and Introversion) to help her out on a song she wrote about Marco Pogo. Anyone who has been to multiple shows in Madison has most likely witnessed Marco Pogo in action, bouncing at the front of the stage, not caring if everyone else is choosing to do the standing still. There is more passion for the music in his bounces then in both hips of any scenester.

The song was written incorporating three challenges of FAWM – must have a key change, must only use 30 words and must be about a superhero. Marco was the superhero of choice. As Rost and Tim blasted away at the song, one thing was missing – Marco Pogo. Then something magical happened – Art Paul Schlosser took it upon himself to fill the role. Imagine our State Street icon, famous for songs like “I Love My Mother,” “Pink Pants” and “Another Star Trek Sequel Blues,” pogoing to a song about Marco Pogo. It was a moment that could never be planned in advance. All the planets aligned just right.,

This moment came towards the end of the third round robin set and after Andrew Yonda took the stage. Yonda, who was missing his Buffali better half Clare Fehsenfeld who he wrote most of his FAWM songs with, kept with the spirit by writing a song while sitting in the back of the room waiting for his turn to perform. Yonda has always been inspired by old time folk music, but when he looks at that back catalogue he always finds the songs are often about religion. So he decided to write an old time folk influenced song that reflected his personal belief system called “I Don’t Believe in Jesus.”

Rost, Budziszewski, Burr Settles, Erin O’Brien, Amy Curl and Beth Kille (of Clear Blue Betty) played three round robin sets, showcasing some of the songs they wrote over the 28-day event. Those six musicians each completed the intense objective of writing and recording 14 songs. Schlosser and Yonda took the stage in between the round robin sets.

The stage of the High Noon was set up like a living room. Lamps, a sofa and reclining chairs added a comfortable space for the musicians to sit on as they watched each other perform two songs each round. Occasionally they would help out by picking up an instrument, snapping their fingers or singing back up. The whole experience was incredibly organic and all of the performers - many who come from different songwriting backgrounds – gelled on the stage.

Some other highlights from the night:

Settles performed his song “Bourbon for Breakfast.” As a PhD student Settles found himself taking a test early in the month of February. After finding out he had passed, he celebrated the next morning by skipping class and for one of the first times ever, slinging back some bourbon before noon. As it was FAWM, he also decided to write a song about it.

Schlosser performed a song called “Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be Star Trekkies and sci-fi fan boys.” This song needs to become a cult classic in sci-fi circles.

Tim B.O.R.D. was joined by Wendy Lynn Staats of Sunspot on violin for a “sweet little love song.”

Tim B.O.R.D. explained on another song that contrary to what people had interpreted from the lyrics – he was not in fact an asshole. He said the song was about not being able to say goodbye to someone you love who has passed away, not “fuck you, your dead – whatever.”

You can hire Tim to write you a jingle for anyone about anything under the name T.J. Jingles (note: Dane101 is in desperate need of a jingle).

We learned from Kille that O’Brien has a “potty mouth, but it’s o-kay, so do I. We both swear like sailors.”

Kille said she wrote one song while in a hotel room flipping through television channels. She came across a program about lynch mob and was disturbed and wrote a song, “whenever I get disturbed, I write songs – I write a lot of songs – so what does that say?”

Curl wrote her songs for keyboard but had to record them all on guitar because she couldn’t figure out how to record her keyboard.

If you know where “Alexis Bucy” is, let Curl know. She tried googling her but nothing turned up. Bucy, if you’re reading this because you googled yourself, follow the link to Curl’s website and drop her an email – she wrote a song about you.

Settles had always wanted to write a concept album about Kentucky. He wrote a song about his Grandfather that was also inspired by a book by Wendell Berry. It took place in WWII and he placed it in France. Then he wrote a song about Cinque Terre in Italy and decided the concept album was actually going to be a “virtual backpacking trip across Europe.”

Settles ended the show with an ode to his wife Natalie he was in charge of the merch table. Natalie is an artist and Settles reflected on how he was trying to write a song about her while across the room she was trying to assemble a shelving unit with power tools and covered in saw dust, “it was total carnage.” Thus, his “ode to chicks with power tools” was born with the endearing lyric “dust goggles; you’re the one for me.”

Read our profile of FAWM founder Burr Settles
Learn how to take part in FAWM at the February Album Writing Month website.
Order the album 14 Songs in 28 days at the Rebels Trust website.