No Question, Disease, L.I.B., Infernal Trench at Mickey’s Tavern

No Question has gouged a lasting mark into Madison’s music community over the past eight years, channeling the corroded fury of ’80s hardcore into sets that reliably turn venues into churning, sweaty messes. But this, sadly, will be the band’s last show. It helps that No Question is the kind of band that actually works best in the packed confines of Mickey’s, and this band deserves a chaotic, cathartic send-off. It also leaves behind two very good releases: 2017’s self-titled debut EP and 2020’s Internal Bleeding. The second one captures the solidified lineup who will play this show: Vocalist Lauden Nute, drummer Anders Totten (the two start-to-finish members), bassist Maggie Denman, and guitarist Mike Berte. (Nute and Denman have both made editorial illustrations for Tone Madison.)

Through a few lineup changes, No Question has kept it to-the-point, thrashing through most of its songs in a minute or so. Plus, they’ve always been able to pack a good few rhythmic shifts into those short, relentless bursts. While the songs are never flashy or technical, they’re flexible enough to turn your usual hardcore pummeling into a lurching, unpredictable groove. That flexibility, paired with Nute’s acerbic screams and growls, help songs like Internal Bleeding‘s “Inside Voice” draw people deeper into spirals of rage and anxiety. 

—Scott Gordon