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Economists Reveal their Rock Star Side in a Performance at the King Club

April 3 , 2007

A rock-band comprised of leading economists from around the nation. Sound boring?  Only to the un-initiated! The Contractions, featuring University of Wisconsin Real Estate Professor Morris Davis on bass, will offer a high-energy evening of classic rock hits at Madison’s King Club on Thursday, April 26 at 9:30 p.m.

The band formed 10 years ago at the University of Pennsylvania, when Professor Randy Wright and four of his graduate students decided to have a jam session. Soon the number crunchers were building a loyal fan base and jamming on classic charts such as Blister in the Sun, Sweet Jane or Frankenstein. Today, Wright’s students have branched out into successful careers in academia. Vocalist Randy Peter Norman is a professor at University of North Carolina; vocalist/guitarist Adreai Shevchenko is a professor at Michigan State, bassist Morris Davis is at UW-Madison, and percussionist Martin Schindler works as an economist at the International Monetary Fund.

Despite the distance, the group continues to reunite and perform gigs at economic conferences around the globe - entertaining fans in Costa Rica, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada and England. It is rumored that leading economists along the likes of Fynn E. Kydland (co-Nobel Prize winner, 2004) and Robert E. Lucas (Nobel Prize, 1995) have been spotted dancing and crooning at gigs by The Contractions. 

The Contractions’ performance concludes to a special two-day renaming event at the UW Center for Real Estate. Leading alumni from around the country will gather in Madison to pay tribute to former UW Professor and real estate pioneer James Graaskamp and discuss current trends in the industry. The public is invited to join in the festivities and dance to the music of The Contractions.