If Automatic Lover is a concept band, the concept is simple: bring together a lifetime of inspiration to make music that moves.

It’s a sound that can change on a dime. Like pulling from a wall full of vinyl, the band slides from deep groove to backbeat, from driving rock to soca, to find music that revels in surprises.

Page through their influences and you’ll hear strands of the Budos Band and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Khruangbin and Deep Sea Diver. They can be as electric as early Police, as funked out as the Brand New Heavies, and as joyful as Manu Chao.  

The band grew up onstage with some of the midwest’s best funk, hip-hop, and acid-jazz bands. Singer Uriel Lopez-Rodriguez honed his latin pop and hip hop sensibilities through years writing and producing artists across Mexico City, California, Arizona, and Wisconsin, including The Prolé, where he first played with keyboardist Matt Reif. Brett Farrey (bass) and Shanan Galligan (guitar) were the rhythm section in the hip-hop/acid-jazz combo Smokin’ with Superman and alt-rock Little Earthquakes. Joey Banks (drums) carries on the legacy of his close friend and mentor, Clyde Stubblefield as well as a wide portfolio of projects from Steely Dane to the Funkee JBeez. The horn section featuring Nick Bartell (sax), Jamie Kember (trombone), and Mike Boman (trumpet) are among the area’s most in-demand musicians, gracing the stage with Panchromatic Steel and the Youngblood Brass Band. 

Started in 2024, the band spent their first few months writing and recording on a small farm in south-central Wisconsin. Their first self-produced album is slated for release in 2025. 

Tickets $12 in advance/$15 at the door