Breaking Bands

What is Breaking Bands?

Breaking Bands is a monthly local and regional band showcase. At each Breaking Bands showcase, MadLife will present 3-4 new and rising bands who are making their mark on the music community.

This event is an evening dedicated to local and regional musicians, aspiring and professionals alike, giving them the opportunity to take our stage and present their performance and songwriting talents to an audience comprised of people who truly appreciate great bands, original music and live performances.

Breaking Bands, is an event for musicians presenting all musical genres. There are no age limitations, but all those taking MadLife’s stage should be skilled musicians. We encourage featured bands to perform original music, although that is not an absolute requirement.

Come out to MadLife to experience inspiring regional bands rising to take their place in the music industry. Support live and local music!

This Month Featuring:

The Lost Boys

Sly Grave

Sterling Barrett & The Tics

The Lost Boys

Original rock ’n roll band from the year 1599!

Somewhere between a forgotten history book, a busted jukebox, and a rock ’n roll fever dream, The Lost Boys have apparently traveled through the centuries to deliver their particular brand of original music to the modern world.

Led by Mathew Trautwein, the band doesn't seem particularly interested in following the rules of time, genre, or common sense. What they are interested in is rock ’n roll — the loud, strange, rebellious, gloriously imperfect kind that makes you turn it up and wonder what the hell just happened.

With an identity as unique as their origin story, Mathew Trautwein & The Lost Boys bring an irreverent spirit and an unmistakably original approach to every performance. They're not trying to recreate yesterday's rock ’n roll.

They've apparently been doing it since 1599.

And judging by the evidence, they're still not done.

Sly Grave

emale co-fronted alternative metal band. Founded in 2025, Blending haunting melodies with heavy, aggressive soundscapes, drawing from their nu-metal and dark alternative influences.

Sterling Barrett & The Tics

A North Georgia original band bringing together gritty songwriting, infectious melodies, and the kind of live energy that makes a room feel a little less like a venue and a lot more like a party.

Fronted by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Sterling Barrett, The Tics have become a familiar presence throughout the Woodstock and North Georgia music scene, delivering a sound that draws from rock, Americana, country, blues, and everything in between. Barrett's songwriting has a distinctly personal edge, with songs that explore life, love, loneliness, freedom, and the complicated business of simply being human.

Sterling's catalog includes original material such as “The Cold And Lonely Life Of An Outlaw,” “Just A Prayer,” “Sunny In Seattle,” “Never Have Been Sane,” and “The Type Of Person That I Am,” showcasing a songwriter who isn't afraid to embrace both the darker corners and lighter moments of life.

Onstage, Sterling Barrett & The Tics are all about connection. Whether playing an intimate brewery patio or taking the stage at a full-scale venue, the band brings a loose, energetic approach that keeps the audience engaged from the first song to the last. Their appearances at venues and community events throughout Woodstock have helped establish them as part of the area's growing original music scene.

There is nothing overly polished or manufactured about Sterling Barrett & The Tics. It's honest music, played by musicians who clearly love what they do. It's music for the people who have lived a little, lost a little, laughed a lot, and aren't afraid to sing along with a song that tells the truth.

For Sterling Barrett & The Tics, the goal is simple: write good songs, play them loud, and leave people with something worth remembering.