Van Halen coming to Milwaukee in April 2008

Van Halen, is coming to the Bradley Center on April 7th, 2008. You could see that they were booking tour dates to extend this current foray. I think that this show will be good for them. Some dates on their current tour weren't spectacular as far as ticket sales. Milwaukee is an old-fashioned rock and roll town. I'll bet it's close to a sell out show for Van Halen. I know that they could sell enough Milwaukee Theater tickets, but they play in the cavernous BC. I haven't looked at any grainy, shaky camera, cell phone video's on Youtube, featuring the aged Van Halen. I would rather see them live, and make my judgements afterword. This great photo came courtesy of Anandamide, the blog.

Who would you like to see at...

Do celebrities draw too much attention when they show up at a show? I guess that it depends on the show, the size of the venue, such as a Bradley Center or Rave and how much of a distraction that person may be. I would certainly be distracted if a pro athlete showed up. Consider first their size. Many of them are tall and huge. They might stick out. Say for example, what if Donald Driver of The Green Bay Packers showed up at Points East last Saturday night. He'd be the biggest guy in the club. How does a band compete with that? That's why I'm all for the celebrity zone at a club. They get to relax, and the distractions are few.

Celine Dion

She's coming to Milwaukee September 29th and the Bradley Center tickets are moving fast .

She's spent a lot of time in Las Vegas, and I can't blame anyone for hitting the road if your home base is that city. There is a long time to wait, plan, and age before she gets here. This show is 10 months away. Celine Dion's shows in Las Vegas brought in lots of cash. She was a top attraction there for sure.

Feist the band

I picked up the Feist disk, The Reminder. Yes, the Ipod Commercial got to me. The hit song (in my opinion 1,2,3,4) is buried down half-way into the disk. You gotta love the Bacharach style horns in that tune. I don't quite understand how the label picked the order of the songs. Song #1 is pretty dark, then it picks up for a while. What's up with the experimental vocal mixes? Some of those vocal mixes took away from Feist's power. The drum mixes were solid. The kick drum was pulsing through my truck. If Feist makes it to the Pabst Theater or Riverside Theater, I'll consider making a go at attending.

Dust in the wind and Kansas brings 38

Just announced: Kansas comes to the Pabst Theater with a huge orchestra. I'll guess the demographic on that one is 45+, white, and living the 70's. Speaking of 45+ and white, Bon Jovi just announced a Bradley Center date. February 21st Bon Jovi rolls into Milwaukee. Bon Jovi could play here every month and still not satiate the thirst of their devoted female fans. I'm going to go forward in time. It's 8 degrees outside, and the ladies are lining up to see that short guy sing hits from nearly three decades back.

Ghost town in Milwaukee next Thursday

My boss has to entertain friends this coming Thursday. He asked me to search all the larger local venues for something to do. I started with The Pabst Theater and worked my way down to Shank Hall. Nothing. If he was talking about a Friday night, there are plenty of things to do. They Might Be Giants are in town. The Music of Led Zeppelin performed by the MSO on Friday and The Wallflowers are in town on Saturday night. If you are touring the country, I guess Milwaukee is the last place you want to be on a Thursday night. Speaking as a touring musician (over the years), I wanted to be in large cities on those off nights. That increased your chances of a good crowd. Ok, I found something to do on Thursday. Get a Milwaukee Admirals ticket. They actually play Houston on Thursday.

Binky Tunny at Points East Pub November 17th

Usually I comment on national bands coming through Milwaukee. This time, I have to mention that Binky Tunny is finally playing a venue that doesn't involve strippers. In fact, I think Heartbreakers stopped booking bands for good. Binky Tunny, Crumpler, and a few other bands hit the Points East Pub stage starting at 10pm on November 17th. Support local music and come on down. I'm bringing a friend from Germany to see the show. She's dying to get out and leave the 2 year old with a sitter.