Mile of Music
Illiterate Light
Clip: Special | 11m 1sVideo has Closed Captions
Illiterate Light, an indie rock duo, performs live at Appleton's Mile of Music festival.
Illiterate Light, a Virginia-based indie rock duo, brings high energy to the 2024 Mile of Music festival. Jack Cochran plays the drums (standing!) while Jeff Gorman plays guitar and synth bass pedal. Both musicians add vocals during "Blood Lines," "Heaven Bends" and "Light Me Up" at the Gibson Community Music Hall in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Mile of Music is a local public television program presented by PBS Wisconsin
Mile of Music
Illiterate Light
Clip: Special | 11m 1sVideo has Closed Captions
Illiterate Light, a Virginia-based indie rock duo, brings high energy to the 2024 Mile of Music festival. Jack Cochran plays the drums (standing!) while Jeff Gorman plays guitar and synth bass pedal. Both musicians add vocals during "Blood Lines," "Heaven Bends" and "Light Me Up" at the Gibson Community Music Hall in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Mile of Music
Mile of Music is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
[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] [rhythmic rock music] [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 ♪ ♪ These blood lines ♪ ♪ 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 ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do ♪ ♪ 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 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 do ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do ♪ ♪ 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.
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 12m 49s | Americana musician Abby Posner performs three songs at the 2024 Mile of Music festival. (12m 49s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 3m 33s | "Love in the Underground" by Bandits on the Run at the Mile of Music festival in Appleton. (3m 33s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 8m 1s | Barnaby Bright performs alt-Americana live at Appleton's Mile of Music festival. (8m 1s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 12m 39s | Bella's Bartok performs live theatrical indie rock at Appleton's Mile of Music festival. (12m 39s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 5m 6s | Ben Mulwana and The Village perform Afro-soul rock, "Levitate," at Mile of Music 2024. (5m 6s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 18m 43s | Mile of Music festival performance by six-piece modern folk/Americana band Buffalo Rose. (18m 43s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 7m 43s | Milwaukee native and folk artist Cassie Boettcher makes her Mile of Music festival debut. (7m 43s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 12m 55s | Folk singer-songwriter Christopher Gold shares two songs at Mile of Music 2024. (12m 55s)
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 3m 38s | Grammy-nominated Cory Chisel brings Americana roots to Mile of Music 2024. (3m 38s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 28m 11s | Minneapolis-based Dan Rodriguez plays live Americana music at the Mile of Music festival. (28m 11s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 3m 51s | David Robert King plays "Cold-Hearted Woman" during a live acoustic set at Mile of Music. (3m 51s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 6m 32s | Garage-style rock band Diet Lite from Milwaukee performs at the Mile of Music festival. (6m 32s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 26m 35s | NYC supergroup Fantastic Cat performs live pop/rock at Appleton's Mile of Music festival. (26m 35s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 20m 31s | Grammy-nominated Appleton native Hillary Reynolds performs live at Mile of Music 2024. (20m 31s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 14m 29s | Jeremie Albino and The Rosehall Band blend Americana and blues at Mile of Music 2024. (14m 29s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 21m 56s | Americana singer-songwriter Joy Clark performs live at Appleton's Mile of Music festival. (21m 56s)
Leon Timbo and The Family Band
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 9m 4s | Atlanta's Leon Timbo and The Family Band perform live country-soul at Mile of Music 2024. (9m 4s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 28m 14s | Chicago's indie rock band Marina City performs at the 2024 Mile of Music festival. (28m 14s)
Mile of Music performers share 'A Song Before We Go'
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 21m 37s | Mile of Music artists perform closing songs at the 2024 festival finale. (21m 37s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 12m 55s | Australian folk duo Minor Gold performs live at Mile of Music 2024. (12m 55s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 27m 44s | Chicago's Nathan Graham blends blues and Americana at the 2024 Mile of Music festival. (27m 44s)
Preview: Special | 1m | This concert documentary offers a front row seat to Appleton's community music festival. (1m)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 21m 59s | California’s Rainbow Girls blend folk and rock at the 2024 Mile of Music festival. (21m 59s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 25m 45s | Blues artist Sarah Potenza brings bold vocals to the 2024 Mile of Music festival. (25m 45s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 7m 57s | Scott H. Biram merges blues, country and punk at the 2024 Mile of Music festival. (7m 57s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 11m 22s | Banjo innovator Tall Tall Trees plays psychedelic rock at the 2024 Mile of Music festival. (11m 22s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 26m 59s | Singer-songwriter Tommy Prine performs live to a packed house during Mile of Music 2024. (26m 59s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 9m 48s | The Oshkosh band rocks Houdini Plaza at the 2024 Mile of Music festival. (9m 48s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 3m 18s | Milwaukee hip-hop artist Twan Mack performs one of his final sets at Mile of Music 2024. (3m 18s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 15m 49s | Folk trio Valley Fox plays live at Mile of Music 2024 with mandolin, bass and guitar. (15m 49s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 15m 47s | Folk singer Willi Carlisle plays banjo, fiddle and guitar at the Mile of Music festival. (15m 47s)
Writer's Round: High Tea, Jamie Kent and South for Winter
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 49m 49s | Folk rock and Americana songwriters perform in-the-round live at Mile of Music 2024. (49m 49s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSupport for PBS provided by:
Mile of Music is a local public television program presented by PBS Wisconsin