Line-up

Venue

Turner Hall Ballroom

1040 N. Vel R. Phillips Avenue, 53203, Milwaukee, WI, US

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Additional details

Doors open: 20:00

In a serendipitous moment on “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” the radio station KCRW in Santa Monica changed the trajectory of both indie cinema and one of Denver's most distinctive musical voices. When filmmakers Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris heard DeVotchKa's evocative sound drifting through the airwaves, they knew they'd found the emotional heartbeat for their film “Little Miss Sunshine.”

That instinct proved prophetic. DeVotchKa's soundtrack and score for the 2006 film became inseparable from its story. The bittersweet orchestration to the Hoover family's cross-country journey, captured the themes of hope, resilience, and beautifully imperfect dreams. The band's signature sound gave the film its unmistakable soul, turning moments like young Olive's final dance into cultural touchstones.

The work earned DeVotchKa a Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and the film won two Oscars. Introducing the world to the band's cinematic, lush orchestral sound, songs like "Til the End of Time" and "How It Ends" transcended the screen to become anthems.

Now, two decades later, DeVotchKa will be celebrating this landmark collaboration with a special 20th anniversary tour, “A Tribute to the Music of Little Miss Sunshine.” The performance honors not just the music that helped define a generation of independent film, but the unlikely journey that began with a radio station, a perfect song at the perfect moment, and a story about never giving up on what makes you different.

Join DeVotchKa as they revisit the soundtrack and score that launched them into the cultural conversation – a reminder that sometimes the most beautiful twists of fate create the most lasting art.

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DeVotchKa biography

Hailing from Denver, Colorado, USA, DeVotchKa are an indie rock band that formed in 1997. The band are known for their eclectic mix of gypsy punk and dark cabaret.

As a city, Denver, Colorado, USA is known for producing musical acts that are somewhat down to earth. Bands like The Lumineers, and The Fray included.

In contrast to these bands, the quartet are about as alternative as you can get, even beginning their career as a backing band for burlesque shows before creating their own music. Their first album, “SuperMelodrama” was released by the band independently in 2000 and they were immediately noticed off the back of it, touring with the likes of Calexico and Flogging Molly as a result.

Their second album came in 2003, and “Una Volta” saw the band return to their roots somewhat in its promotion. The record was mainly promoted via a tour with burlesque sensation Dita Von Teese, and their music was shown to a wider audience the year after, when their song “How It Ends”, off their third album of the same name, was featured in the trailer for the Liev Schreiber film “Everything is Illuminated”.

In 2006, however, they were to have their first major worldwide exposure. While the band were off the road, they were asked by directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris to score their first film Little Miss Sunshine. The film became a phenomenon, one that led to the band being nominated for a Grammy for their work on the soundtrack.

Since then they’ve played stadium shows supporting Muse, scored another film in the form of 2009’s I Love You, Phillip Morris and released further studio albums. They remain one of the most thrillingly unpredictable bands of our time, and one whose next move will be just as exciting as the ones that came before it.

Live reviews

DeVotchKa fuse Romani, Bolero and Mariachi music with American folk and punk. The four-piece ensemble’s Slavic-sounding name translates from Anthony Burgess’s Nadsat language as ‘young girl’. The band also have intriguing origins, having toured with Dita von Teese and secured fame with their score for the 2006 film, ‘Little Miss Sunshine.’ And yes, DeVotchKa’s performances are just as interesting as these facts would suggest.
The gypsy-punk quartet certainly put on an intriguing show. Their set at Denver’s 2013 Riot Festival drew a large and enthusiastic crowd. DeVotchKa seized the opportunity to demonstrate their enthralling ability to fuse seamlessly various modes of world music.
The band performed tracks from their latest album, ‘100 Lovers’, alongside older favourites. They played the instrumental ‘Sunshine’ early in the set. The crowd rocked appreciatively as the hopeful tune resonated through the evening air. As the night progressed, DeVotchKa upped the energy. We were later bouncing along to the Mariachi and accordion tunes of ‘Such a Lovely Thing.’ During this favourite from 2004, front man Nick Urata commanded some fantastic audience participation. In unison we echoed his crooning vocals.
DeVotchKa provided one of the most musically interesting festival sets I’ve ever seen. It’s impossible to pigeonhole their genre. Perhaps this is why they are almost impossible to dislike.

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