[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]

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]

Jeff Gorman: 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.

Jeff Gorman: 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

Jeff Gorman: Whoo!

[hard rock music]

[audience cheering]

Jake Cochran: 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]

Jeff Gorman: How we feeling? [audience cheering] All right? We’re so glad to be here in Appleton, Wisconsin with y’all. We’re Illiterate Light.