Ultrea / Blog
Ultrea/LOR Family Rocks Rockford!
Rockford, IL was great to us this weekend. We are so grateful for the opportunity to expand the range of our message and our music. We joined Six Hour Sorrow, ShallowSide and our extended family from Left of Reason. We have had the pleasure of playing with LOR previously and have plans to play many more shows together. It is refreshing to find another band that represents similar values. Family, Honor, and Loyalty are just a few things that we like to represent and influence others to do so as well. We pulled off the most epic of photo bombs yet. As LOR was setting up Jason snuck up behind the drum set to a platform high above the stage. Well into their first song they were not expecting to see a shirtless leprechaun gazing down at them… and the awaiting cameras. Check out our photos to witness us pull into the lead of this photo bomb war. We will have the opportunity to play with ShallowSide again this Thursday at The Cub Tavern. They bring some incredible energy to the stage I hope you all can make it out to experience it. Yesterday was Mother’s Day and although there are more dads in Ultrea this day is really another day to celebrate family. Many people don’t know that between 5 of us we tally 11 little ultreans. One of the reasons that we are so determined to continue our dreams is to lead by example. So, that one day our kids can see what we’ve done and not only be proud but inspired to reach their own goals, and dreams. This can not be done without love, teamwork, and sacrifice. We want to wish all of our Ultrea mom’s a happy Mother’s Day and thank you for your support and sacrifices. “We will not waiver, we will not faulter”… we will not fail you. Love Jen
MayMayhem2013
Last night may have been the most amazing Ultrea experience. I have never felt a better sense of community than sharing the Regent Street Retreat with 11 amazing bands. Faith Hills Have Eyes, Breech, Stux, Divyded, Mind Drop, Two Ton Anvil, Murdercore, 3Left, The Reserve, and The Mended Dead it was an honor and a privilege to play along side you. A huge thank you to 301 productions for putting this event together. I never realized the amount of work that goes into an affair such as this. After hours of prep, set up, tear down and loading I have a new appreciation for what you do. Also thank you again to Apex Sound Solutions, Andy Knutson, Dan the Man, Behind the bar Brandon, all the Bands and most importantly all the fans. The energy was palpable and only motivated us further to bring it full force! Moshing, head banging, throwing up the rock fist is what we love to see. We are forever humbled by your support. Afterward I got a chance to meet some great people. We sold out of our EP Always Persevere so we will have to get another order in for those. Anyone interested in ordering Ultrea gear online should contact us at ultreaband@yahoo.com We currently have t-shirts sm-3lx. Can Coozies, and 4 color high quality vinyl stickers. (great for your car) There is hope in beginning when we rise through the ashes, for when the storm rages on all around to break you down, just find strength and remember your life is worth it. We’ve got to balance our life around our dreams, but through thick and thin we have each other and we will always persevere. ~Jen
For a Just Cause
Generosity filled Rev. Jim’s Saloon last night in Stoughton. Over 100 people participated in the event to benefit the family of Jessica Frank. It is crowds like this that really embody the message that we are so desperately trying to convey. Hardship, heartache, sacrifices, and perseverance is the journey of so many. It is our goal to inspire and motivate others to always strive toward their goals and fight for what they believe in. In this case; love, family, and security is what really matters. We want to thank Left of Reason, and Two Ton Anvil for sharing the stage with us. Also all those who donated, bought raffle tickets, donated raffle prizes, worked the event, and of course those who attended to support this deserving family. Our sound engineer Luke unveiled his brand new PA system under Apex Sound Solutions. We are excited to have his expertise and his sound support. Look for him tonight as he runs the small stage at the Regent Street Retreat. Hope to see you all there. ~Jen
Bruised but not Broken
I woke up Sunday morning with fist/elbow sized bruises. These are but temporary battle scars that give you that good kind of soreness only felt after a weekend of good rock’n. The Wisco was packed from wall to wall Saturday, but there was just enough room for a small but intense mosh pit during The Gunderson Project’s last song. The Gunderson Project, a 5 piece Metal band from DeForest, had their live debut opening for us. Murdercore also brought intensity with their new bassist “Wookie.” Greg even commented, later on Facebook, “I’m surprised The Wisco is still standing.” But let’s back up just for a minute. Before brutalizing Willie Street, we were at the Badger Bowl stage, with One Last Run and Left of Reason. These are two unbelievably fun bands to play with. We will be playing with Left of Reason again Friday May 3rd at Rev. Jim’s Saloon to benefit the family of Jessica Frank and May 11th at Bar3 in Rockford. One Last Run will join us again Saturday June 8th at Frank’s Power Plant in Milwaukee with BREECH. During rehearsal this week we began work on ballad composed by our own Greg. You can expect to hear this mixed into our normal set soon. We also got a chance to stage an impromptu photo shoot to display our new T-shirts available for sale at all of our shows small-3X large for $10. They will soon be available for online purchase here on Reverbnation.com. As you go about your business this week I hope you think about how much you impact others. We are constantly in debt to everyone who supports us as musicians, as people, and as a family. We only hope that we can impact others with our message of positivity, patience, persistence, and perseverance. This is our life. This is our journey. We hope you will join us on our journey to change the world. ~Jen
Living the Dream
There is nothing like getting to spend time doing what you love with people you love. The performances that feel the best always leave us wanting more and this weekend was no exception. Thursday we were up at UW Oshkosh Reeve Union for their Local Live Music feature at the Titan Underground stage. We had a blast playing with Final Motive, a heart stopping rock quartet, whose members include UW students. We want to wish them luck with their future endeavors. We also want to thank Vinney, Steve, and Mersadies for hanging out with us we hope to see you at more shows! After our set we weren't quite ready to call it a night so we moseyed on into a local watering hole called the Twisted Karma. Decorated garland made from bras tied together and artful dollar bills as backsplash to their inventory we unwound with a few beverages and bar dice with bartender, Jessica. We hope to get back up there to perform sometime this summer. Saturday night was a unique experience for our girl Jessica. We traveled back to her hometown of Monroe to Papa Don's Horseshoe Saloon. "Monroe was such a great experience for me, still overwhelmed at the crowd that came out," says Jessica. We shared the Stage with Grey Matter Mechanics, a high energy pop rock 4 piece. They have a groovy signature sound that kept us all moving. I recommend everyone check them out. Keeping the party rolling was Sexy Ester a Hot alternative rock band from Chicago. Front woman Lyndsay commanded the stage and packed the dance floor. I could see the look of envy on several faces. These guys were amazing! Ultreans united onstage soon after. Along with our usual set we had a special feature spot for miss Jessica. She sang a sultry version of Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box" that made Monroe proud. I want to thank everyone who rocked out and moshed to "Through the Ashes" and "In Your Face" that was the best crown interaction I've ever seen! I want to send a special shout out to "BBQ" for his involvement and encouraging words after our set. Playing shows, getting sweaty, meeting great people, together with my friends this is living! See you all Soon ~Jen
Oshkosh and Monroe ARE YOU READY?
Some of us had the weekend off to rest while the rest of us were hard at working putting all the bells and whistles on to 424 Studios. Looks like we'll be up and running shortly. This is great news since we are chomping at the bit to get out some new material for your ears. Last week at practice we ran through a special cover that will feature Jessica on lead for a special performence in her hometown of Monroe this Saturday. I wont say what it is you'll have to come out and see... or check for videos on you tube afterward. But first team Ultrea will be headed up to the UW Oshkosh campus this Thursday to perform for HARD ROCK NIGHT at the Reeve Union. This show is FREE to all students that bring their student ID. Stay Tuned to our Facebook Page tonight as Jessica and I will be debuting pictures of our new Ultrea shirts now available for sale at all of our upcoming performances. Rested and ready to rock out! ~Jen
Pain in the neck? The good kind
You know you’ve had a good weekend when you wake up Sunday morning with a good old fashioned sore body as the result of headbanging ect. from the night/s before. We had two amazing shows back to back this weekend that were like night and day. Let’s compare shall we? Friday night we ventured to Antigo, WI (A) and Saturday we rocked Milwaukee, WI (M). A: A Quaint town in central WI. M: The largest city in Wisconsin. A: Grand opening for bar/nightclub Headquarters II . M: The Rave, A longstanding venue. A: a cozy intimate stage. M: Spacious. A: 31 and snowing! M: 57 and sunny. A: Opened for an up and coming band Dead by 7. M: opened with Breech, Evoked, Headstone, ect. for Candle Light Red, Lacuna Coil, Coal Chamber, and Sevendust. The thread that ties these to shows together is that at both locations we met amazing people that are passionate about music. We had a blast performing at each location and we hope everyone had a great time. Each day that we get the opportunity to share our message and generate positive energy is the best days of our life. We are constantly humbled by the amount of support we get, and are eternally grateful. We are up for some amazing opportunities in the near future that we could not have and can not achieve without your help. Second round voting for MAMA’s (Madison Area Music Awards) has begun and guess what? If you voted in the preliminaries your vote is FREE this round. Also we are climbing the standings for Ernie Ball Battle of the bands for the chance to play Milwaukee’s Warped tour this summer. Please help us spread the good words of positivity, persistence, and perseverance. www.themamas.org and http://www.battleofthebands.com/u/Ultreaband
On a personal note, I am so proud our success thus far and where we are headed. I am blessed to be a part of this amazing band with phenomenal band mates. I love you guys ~Jen
Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better.
We are so honored to be 2013 MAMA nominees in two separate categories. In the hard rock genre we have been nominated for best performer and best song (“Calm Before the Storm”) This is amazing news that we were pleasantly surprised to hear. Thank you to everyone who got us into the finals and please vote for us to win! This has been an amazing year. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to win a MAMA or two. Thank you to all who came to see us at The Wisco to perform our first live acoustic set. Also thank you to those who listened as it was broadcasted over MAXINK radio. It was great to talk to Jimmy K and the boys again, and to support this local media outlet. Next up for us is a trek up to Antigua, WI this Friday followed by The Rave in Milwaukee for Sevendust, Coal Chamber, and Lacuna Coil this Saturday. If anyone doesn’t have a ticket for this show please contact us soon as we are running out. Shirts, can coozies, EP’s, and stickers will be available at that time.. Should prove to be and amazing night. We hope to share it with all of you. A new song is in the works, which is our heaviest yet. I am so stoked to finish it and share with everyone. The guys have been putting on all the finishing touches to 424 Studios. Soon 424 will be home to not only Ultrea but other supporting bands, ETM Records, and 301 Productions. For more information please visit their corresponding Facebook Pages listed here. Thank you all for your continued support keep it up we can’t do it without you. …For the Storm, it rages on, all around, to break you down. ~Jen
Turning down, so Tune In
In addition to regular practice this week, we got together for a casual acoustic jam to prepare for a feature on MAX INK radio. We will be joining the boys from The Jimmy K Show this Tuesday at 6pm CST to discuss our current endeavors and to broadcast the acoustic version of some of our songs. This will all be taking place live from the Wisco on Willie St. Tune in online and don't miss the radio debut of our newest song. Our next plugged in performance will be at The Rave in Milwaukee with Sevendust, Coal Chamber, and Lacuna Coil we will be opening along with our friends from BREECH and Headstone. If anyone is interested in discounted tickets contact us. We have a few left at $20. Jason and I ventured out this weekend to support some fellow local bands: The Killer Dolphins With Rabies, War of Abaddon, our friends from The Faith Hills Have Eyes, Cleobury. (now called The Circuit Theory) From Iowa the opportunist charged the stage, And from Minnesota, Reaping Asmodeia. If you haven’t heard them yet check them out. Props to Midwest Mix Up for putting together such a great line up. And the Reagent Street Retreat for the Free Hopalicious beer. Were putting the finishing touches on 424 studios, we are eager to get back into recording so that we can put out our new material for your listening pleasure. Stay tuned! ~Jen
Sweaters, leprechauns, and can coozies
I hope everyone survived this St. Patty’s Day weekend. We had a blast up in Appleton Sharing the stage with some great bands at Sweaterfest 2013! That’s right, tacky sweaters invaded The Cold Shot to mingle with the lads and lassies celebrating the most famous of Irish holidays. Headstone got the night rolling with there heavy beats and ear catching lyrics that, I think, would complement those of our buddies from 626. We will be sharing the stage again with them at the upcoming Sevendust show in Milwaukee. The energy only snowballed from there with the addition of Ground Zero Warhead. Props to their Guitarist for rocking a sweater dress, accented by a studded belt. Up next was our hosts Antidote for Sorrow, a fellow female fronted group. Mixing feminine melodies with vicious screams from not only singer and guitarist, but also their drummer. We want to thank them for putting together such an entertaining night. We debuted one of our new songs, still a work in progress in addition to our usual set. Everyone gave us great energy and positive feedback, for which we are always grateful. Also a Big thank you to The Cold Shot bar for accommodating us, and Razor 94.7 for taking some great photos and video. All in all, our first overnight road trip was a success. No tires fell off. No one was seriously injured. We can’t wait to continue spreading the words of hope and perseverance all around the Midwest. Back home 424 studios continues to move along with the addition of carpeting and paint. Next up trim and final touches… and equipment. We are writing new material for our next EP. We will begin recording within the next 6 weeks. In other new T-shirts are on order, and we have added stickers and can coozies to our available merchandise be sure to look for these at our next appearance. As always thank you for your support, we could not do this with out you. “you’ve got to balance your life around your dreams” ~Jen
