The National Lights & The Bland Allisons w/ Aaron Nathans

Art in the cafe...

Members of Red Pine


"Permutations of Red Pine"


September 2026



A Red Pine tree was planted at the corner of 212 Merry Street in the late 60s that evolved over the decades into a cooperative household. We are making it a place for comity and creativity; Clarity and the imagination; we change detritus of early 21st century late stage capitalism into art, shrine, paintings, music, sculptures, urban Permaculture and homesteading experiments. We appreciate the used, the worn out, ever crumbling and reassembling; as we all are all the time.
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Friday, January 6, 2006

The National Lights and the Bland Allisons (the sister projects of Jacob Thomas Berns and Ernest Christian Kiehne, respectively) write songs about mid-western wife killers, zombies, Hamlet, man-eating grizzlies, and the destiny of the human soul. They are staunch proponents of traditional songwriting elements: beautifully orchestrated acoustic guitars, pianos, organs, banjos, and pedal-steels surrounding tightly wound harmonies; song structures concerned more with immediate and enduring beauty than eccentricity or dissonant charm. They are sinister and beautiful and hopelessly refreshing.

Aaron Nathans is famous for writing songs about nothing. And yet, they're clearly about something. This Madison songwriter picks small things to write about, like grapefruit, squirrels and politicians. He deftly evokes a sense of place, balancing emotion with a wicked sense of humor. He's supporting his debut album, "Same Old You," released this spring.

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