Behind the Scene: Lextasy Productions

While touring musicians step down from their tour buses like Greek gods descending to Earth to headline shows at the Overture, across town, a dingy Sprinter van unloads a mismatched drum kit up two flights of stairs to a dive bar. The stage is a foot high, but to the nameless musicians, it feels like a mountain. They’re dizzy from cheap booze and excitement as their buried voices rattle off new tunes. The melodies will be forgotten in a day, or remembered around the world for years to come. They’re only twelve inches off the ground, but their potential (and their blazing guitars) blows through the ceiling.

Lextasy Productions finds its place supporting these local musicians. Lex Dahl, founder of this “company in quotes,” does everything related to helping these musicians play their music.

“I’ll make flyers, I’ll book the shows, I’ll promote the shows. I was recently talking about a band that I had booked. Their vocalist was nervous about the banter, and I was like, if you need me to, I’ll go do your banter.”

Lex found his start in music when his brother introduced him to punk rock, starting with Green Day and Blink-182. When he was a teenager, his older brother took him to one show a month, so his list of touring bands grew quickly. Then, a week after his eighteenth birthday, he fell into the local Madison scene.

“My first 18-plus show—my birthday is March 10th—[was] March 17th, St. Paddy’s Day, literally a week after.”

Lex turned from fan to promoter when his own band, This Is My Tragedy, was on hiatus. All it took was a moment. Talking about it, he pointed to his love for live music and said simply, “I could do this, because I like doing this,” and Lextasy Productions was born.

You may have spotted some of his flyers on telephone poles and poster boards around town. Local bands use them constantly to promote the whens, wheres and whos of their shows with some flashy artwork. State Street is peppered with advertisements for world-touring bands stopping by The Sylvee, themed trivia and singles nights at dimly lit bars, and, of course, the spirited shows of our neighbors. If you see that “Lextasy Productions Presents:” watermark loud and proud at the top of the poster, you can be sure it’s Lex’s own handiwork.

Madison’s bands are like cheese curds at the farmers’ market: counting them is impossible, but it never hurts to try a few. The music, too, is as varied as our dairy. Some are sweet, some are sour, some have a strange bite that tickles you just right, and all of them are made with love.

Each poster is a new face, but not necessarily a new place. DIY venues, also known as house venues, rise and fall like the waves of Lake Monona lapping the shore below Monona Terrace, but a few names are anchored in the Madison scene.

The Rigby is Lex’s top Madison haven. Named in reference to The Beatles, The Rigby hosts live music one to three times a week, with a particular specialty for burgeoning rock acts. You’ll also find him putting on shows at The Crucible here in Madison, and using his skills to help acts in Milwaukee, Cudahy and as far away as Texas.

“The goal is to book a tour,” he says, and the goal is well within sight. Though he’s based in beautiful Madison, Wisconsin, Lex has contacts across the United States, but it didn’t start that way.

Lex started from humble beginnings as just a fan of music, and recommends others do the same. Whether you’re a visual artist, a musician yourself, looking for something to do on a Friday night, or just want to deepen your understanding of your city and the people in it, Lex recommends becoming a fan first, the way he did. A new face goes a long way with a humble group. Plus, you’ll be the first with a backstage pass when they make it big.

Many musicians dream of the big stage, but for Lex, Wisconsin will always be home. With him around, Madison is a touch louder. Thanks, Lex, for sitting down and talking with me about what you do for our musical community.

Stay tuned for more in the Behind the Scene series, and keep rocking!