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Madison Rising

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Musicians

The Resume

    (2011- )
    Hard Rock/post-Grunge band
    Formed in Hoboken, New Jersey
    Dave Bray - Vocalist (2011-2016)
    Rio Hiett - Vocalist (2011- )
    Sam Fishman - Drums (2011- )
    Tom DiPietro - Bassist (2011- )
    AJ Larsen - Guitarist (2011- )
    Alex Bodnar - Guitarist (2011-2014)
    Released studio albums 'Madison Rising' (2011) and 'American Hero' (2013)
    Performed the theme song for the Sportsman Channel's 'Amazing America with Sarah Palin' (2014-15)
    Known for their reworked renditions of 'The Star Spangled Banner,' 'America the Beautiful,' 'The Marine's Hymn,' and 'God Bless America'
    Original singles include 'Right to Bear,' 'Amazing America,' 'Where Are You Now,' 'Soldier's Christmas,' and 'Walking Through That Door'

Why they might be annoying:

    They were called The Monkees of conservatism.
    They billed themselves as 'the most Patriotic band in America.'
    They came together by answering ads on Craigslist and YouTube.
    They have been accused of using their music to promote right-wing political messages (referring to then-President Obama as 'the Antichrist' and 'a liar' in their song, 'Come to the Ready').
    They are less known for their original work as they are for their - shall we say - 'unique interpretations' of classic patriotic anthems.
    Most famously, they drew harsh criticism for doing a 'grunge rock' spin on The Star Spangled Banner at the opening event for 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series at the Daytona Speedway.
    The cover was almost universally blasted, including by driver Brad Keselowski who said he just wanted them to 'sing the damn song.' Respectively, The Huffington Post and USA Today bashed it as 'cringe-worthy' and 'spectacularly awful.'
    Alex Bodnar initiated a civil lawsuit in Brooklyn against band manager Richard Mgrdechian for 'owed wages, royalties and credit' (Apr. 2014).
    They have performed at Occupy protests, pro-Cliven Bundy rallies, and are featured on the soundtrack for a Dinesh D'Souza film.
    They never actually performed at pro-Donald Trump rallies, but expressed interest in performing at his Inauguration, saying that they 'would have if asked' (but for some reason they objected to lead singer Dave Bray singing individually at Trump events).
    Their brand suffered when they parted with lead singer Dave Bray, filing a lawsuit against him describing him as a 'violent, binge-drinking lout,' and accusing him of carrying on an extramarital affair with then-Sen. Scott Brown's daughter (Dec. 2016).

Why they might not be annoying:

    They toured with Brantley Gilbert and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
    Dave Bray and Rio Hiett are both military veterans.
    They have cited Nickelback, Stone Temple Pilots and Creed as influences.
    Their name is a tribute to 4th President James Madison (but also came partly from the street name of the office they were formed in).
    They performed at opening ceremonies for The Special Olympics and the Military Bowl, both in 2014.
    They dedicated their second album to military members, police, firefighters, and other first responders.
    The 'American Hero' album, released via CD Baby, made Amazon's Top 100 and reached #1 on its Classic Rock list (2013).
    They performed a free concert in Philadelphia in front of Independence Hall, in celebration of Constitution Day (Sept. 17, 2014).
    They recorded a music video jointly with Kid Rock and Missing Stateside to honor the 239th Birthday of the U.S. Marines (Nov. 10, 2014).
    Their 'Star Spangled Banner' cover was meant as homage to Jimi Hendrix's better known instrumental sample performed at Woodstock in 1969 (their cover did at one point reach between 1-5 Million YouTube views).

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 109 Votes: 47.71% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 28 Votes: 53.57% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying