A blast from the past

Mad Fact rises again for annual Markstock fundraiser

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff Writer

Somewhere, Micki Gebel still has the article a local newspaper did in the 1970s on the band known as “Mad Fact.”

The group started with Mark, David, Mike and Micki Anderson, along with two other members in the basement of the Anderson family home in Honey Creek.

But after four years of touring – and at one point, doing four shows over one weekend – the group was burnt out and ready to stop.

“After four years of fairly heavy touring, that was that,” said Mike.

Twenty-five years later, though, Mike and other members of the band started getting questions about the band’s, well, “reunion tour.”

“We thought, ‘well, let’s do the reunion,’” said Mike.

Now, the group enters its fourth year as one of the headliners for the annual Markstock, a two-day event that is the single largest fundraiser for the Transitional Living Center of Burlington.

When the group got back together, there was a definite emphasis on helping others.

“We really believe in what (TLC Director Cristen Chafee) and so many others are doing there, in finding ways to help people to help themselves,” said Micki.

The group has evolved. Two other members are gone, one having died at the age of 29. In their place have stepped Neil Gebel – Micki’s husband – and Burlington Area School District music teacher Rod Stoughton.

Neil Gebel literally learned how to play the guitar in order to fill a hole in the band.

“I married into the family,” joked Neil. “I’m ‘band-in-law.’”

And Stoughton isn’t related in any way – except, perhaps, through adoption. He plays the guitar for Orange Crush (the Burlington High School pep band that will open for Mad Fact Saturday night), and the band’s lead singer is Micah Gebel – Micki’s daughter.

“I’m not related in any way, shape or form,” said Stoughton. “Last year, there was a situation where they wanted another (guitar) player to come in.

“They adopted me.”

Together, the band’s performances have turned into a labor of love. Mark Anderson comes down from the Black River Falls area to practice. David lives in West Virginia, and has flown up two times in the last two months to practice, and will make the third trip for the concert this weekend.

And Micki, who was originally the sound crew for the band in its initial incarnation, is now one of the vocalists, along with Mark.

“I wasn’t a very good singer back then,” said Mark. “I couldn’t sing then, I really can’t sing now.”

Quickly, from a few feet away, Micki contradicted, “It’s not true.”

In fact, Micki has an easy way to sum up her own voice.

“I always say I love to sing, but Micah is truly a singer,” Micki said.

For the all-in-the-family effort, though, it’s as much about sum of the parts being greater than each individual part that works.

“For the Andersons, this is kind of natural, and what we do,” said Mike. “But nobody’s paid for this. It is a tremendous amount of work. It takes months to put this gig together.

“It’s a labor of love that I appreciate very, very much.”

If you go…

                  What: Markstock, a two-day fundraising festival featuring music, a softball tournament, a motorcycle poker run and beer tent for the benefit of Burlington’s Transitional Living Center

                  When: Friday, Aug. 2, and Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Burlington ChocolateFest grounds between Milwaukee Avenue and Maryland Avenue.

                  Lineup – Friday: 5 Minute Rule at 6 p.m. and Lunch Money Bullies at 8 p.m. Saturday: Orange Crush at 6 p.m. and Mad Fact at 7:30 p.m. The softball tournament will begins Friday evening at the Congress Street diamond and the poker run will begin at 11 a.m. on Aug. 3.

                  Tickets: Will be available at the music event for $10 each. Poker run entry is $20 per biker and $10 for riders.