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.
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Illiterate Light
[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.
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