Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Harlem Globetrotters a Milwaukee New Year's Eve Tradition

The Harlem Globetrotters have come to Milwaukee on New Year's Eve for as long as I can remember. The young ones might not know about the Globtrotters of the 1970's. Fred "Curly" Neal, Meadowlark Lemon, and Wilt Chamberlain all played for the Globetrotters when I was a child.

They claim to have a winning percentage of over 98. I didn't know that the team played actual exhibition games in addition to their shows. Those games are competitive, and usually won by the Globetrotters.

I found a picture on their website that shows them playing in a bullfighting ring in Spain. Their history goes back to the late 1920's. Milwaukee Bucks fans might like to see the Globetrotters play each other. That would be more entertaining than watching the Bucks play real opponents.

The Globetrotters play two shows this year. Tickets are still available as of this post.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Long Neglected Eau Claire for Rock


I don't often post about shows in Western Wisconsin, so I thought I would take a look out west. House of Rock is a nice venue for local and regional acts. They are home of the "world's best bloody Mary."


They have a couple of pool tables, darts and Foosball. This venue is home to local artwork as well. The place is spacious, and the stage is high enough for the bands to be seen with no problem. This is a clean and friendly club.


If I were to hit that club in December, I suggest going to the Crumpler show on the 19th. This band is not to be confused with the Milwaukee Crumpler. On New Year's Eve, they are going for one of those eight band nights. There will be lots of Chippewa Valley entertainment to choose from. It starts early that night, as the doors open at 7pm.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

George Strait plays Summerfest 2009

It was as if Summerfest had read my dumb blog. George Strait is the first concert announcement for Summerfest 2009. This long lasting country artists will perform on June 29th. George hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards for three years, twenty years ago.
He came back as a host in the mid 1990's.

This entertainer literally has too many awards to mention. He has broken too many attendance records to list here. He's just one huge star in the country music scene. He has sold 58 million albums to back that up.

His sponsors are a mix of Resistol Hats, Wrangler, Justin Boots and Chevrolet.
Summerfest tickets have not been released yet, it's months from spring, and now we have something to look forward to.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Dead of winter, but Marcus Amphitheater bookings to start

Yes, it's November. There is a layer of light snow on the Summerfest grounds. Marcus Amphitheater tickets from shows in the past are stuck to my cork board. By March of 2009, we might have our first Summerfest concert announcement. Tom Petty stated that he likes to work his tour around the Summerfest show. Usually we get a flavor of the day band, a few classic bands, a couple country acts, and a surprise act for the Summerfest run.

The announcements are spaced out through the spring, and some come as late as May.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Leo Kottke, another local favorite

Leo Kottke performs at the Barrymore Theater on February 6th, in Madison Wisconsin. This wise performer is touring the south and west coasts during most of this coming winter. What a great plan. He's lived in many places, most notably Minnesota. We consider Leo to be a Midwestern man.

Kottke has the strange picking style, he fought off tendinitis, and he has worked with many of the greatest guitar players of the past fifty years. He's been around so long that he has started to rework his older recordings from the 1970's. With over thirty five recordings to his name, why not go back around and redo the oldies.

The Barrymore Theater is a perfect place to see Leo play his songs. I haven't been there in years. I wonder if the Barrymore still has the tiny lights in the ceiling. It looks like the stars come out when they turn the house lights down.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Kenny B's for the wild times


I had trouble getting out of there last Halloween. Kenny B's in Manitowoc was open late because daylight savings time pushed all the clocks back. There was this killer rock band from Milwaukee on stage. They were all in pirate suits. The club was hot and sweaty.


When I needed a break, I went over to the karaoke side of the bar. There, I found a good pizza and a cold brew. I put my name in to sing a Devo song. The only ones they had were Whip It and Peek A Boo. I chose Whip It. Some woman wanted to sing the parts with me. When the song started up, she chickened out and I was on my own. After the first few lines, I was in the zone. It was great.


The stage is not huge, but that's nice. You feel like you are right there with the band. The pole in the middle can be a distraction, or an added prop. I met a couple of farmers last time. They were both chicks who worked on diary farms. They were tough women who wanted to drink and dance to the music.


The place is worth the trip if you are within an hour of the club. I'm renting a room the next time I go up there. It's not worth the effort of driving back to Milwaukee after going through the ringer at Kenny B's


Friday, November 7, 2008

Beatallica pulls a Spinal Tap

I have a friend who plays bass in the Milwaukee band Beatallica. Their rise to fame is something of a Hollywood script. A few years back, the band formed as a joke for a one-off gig. They mixed the Beatles and Metallica, forming Beatallica. Someone video taped the show.

When it was over, the guys in the band thought nothing of the gig afterwords.

Then it exploded. The tape ended up on the web, the video caught fire in Germany, and the boys in the band were told of their cyber-success. They reformed and started playing out.
The gigs drew big crowds, and the attention of the lawers representing The Beatles.

They demanded that Beatallica stop performing.

Of all people, Lars Ullrich came to the rescue of Beatallica. He found a way to get the Beatles lawyers off the backs of the Beatallica boys. Their novelty style is a hit in Japan. Sony records released the latest Beatallica album, and now they are even bigger.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Sleeper show and AC/DC crawls up from the dirt

One would think that after all the years, all the albums, and the Napster debacle, Metallica would have called it quits. Apparently the opposite holds true for Milwaukee fans. The show is sold out in the lower level, and people are still looking for good Bradley Center tickets for that show.










AC/DC came out with their album this week. It hit the charts at number one in thirty countries. Walmart reported sales topping 750,000 in the first week that Black Ice filled the store shelves. This is album number 15 for the old men of rock and roll. It beat out High School Musical 3 in sales. That makes this music fan very happy. Spin Magazine gives this one two devil horns up. Other reviews compliment the production. Musicradar.com calls this one a "Rock and Roll masterpiece."



Other words that I hear on the street is that this cd came out at just the right time. I guess that waiting eight years works for this aged group of legends. It works for me.

Even though this album was leaked out prior to release, it still blew through the charts, and that is just another testament to the quality of the songs. Some reviews have pointed out that there are three songs with the words "rock and roll" in the title. So what? That's what this band is all about.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Another Halloween Option


A friend tipped me off to a gig you may want to check out on November 1st at The Annex in Madison Wisconsin. Guido's Racecar performs with others that night. That same friend told me that Guido's Racecar has upped the harmonies, and tightened up their music since playing Summerfest this past season. Who knows, you may have to actually pony up the cash for a Marcus Amphitheater ticket to see Guido's Racecar.

You never know who will make it big someday. All the parts are in place for this band. Let's see what happens. If you do drive back from Madison that same night, take it easy and don't drink and drive. You wanna live to see another great Halloween.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Gwar on Halloween

What a great show to go see on Halloween. Gwar will be coming to the Rave on Oct. 31st. I got sprayed with fake blood at that same venue, from that same band back in 1988. Gwar is a visual buffet to say the least. Costume after costume, cool licks, great music is all Gwar, all the time.

We played a show in Janesville last year. A dude came up to the stage and he was covered in paint. He had been to Gwar that same night, and he looked quited burned out. He still rocked hard at my show, but clearly, the first act he saw that night took the most out of him.

Imagine the costumes, the people, the fun at The Rave this Friday night. If you can't think of anything to do this weekend, you are already part of the undead. Be safe, and have fun.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

I didn't know that the Gufs had been playing music that long

The Gufs have just announced another show. They are performing at the Turner Hall Ballroom this Saturday night. The strange thing about the ad is that it states that The Gufs have been playing together for 20 years. I had to look that up. Yes, they started as college kids, and made a splash nearly ten years ago. Within two years of that splash, their relationship with the record label that they were on went sour, and The Gufs were released from their contract. They fell off the map by 2001.



My coworker, Jimmy The Bear, loves the Gufs. He's been to at least twelve shows since they first hit the stage. They have never been about the money, the fame, the album sales, the recognition, the accolades, the respect, the status, or anything that comes with success. They only do it for the fans. That's a good thing, because the Gufs really aren't known outside of Milwaukee anymore. Those Milwaukee fans are as solid as a block of hard cheese.



When you take seven years off, and then come back to the music scene, you can pretty much forget about fame. Unless of course you were a superstar prior to your departure. In the case of the Gufs, an album charting at #33 back in 1999 is not superstar territory. Being tagged as a band that made trouble for their label is going to put you in the permanent penalty box as well.
Right on their own website, they state that they are only in it for the fun. I'm not trying to rip them a new one.


In 2006 they were recognized as having the second most downloads for an unsigned band on Purevolume.com, a website that allows artists to post their own DIY projects. The Gufs might crawl their way back to moderate success in the music business. You never know.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

A bad weekend for Wisconsin teams


On a side note, when I didn't go out to see any bands this past weekend, my thoughts drifted over to sports. The weekend where the Brewers lost to the Phillies, the Packers lost, and the Badgers got crushed, gave me pause to think. I took these losses as an opportunity to get to a game for a reasonable price. What would Wisconsin Badgers tickets cost, now that they have lost three big games?

The collegiate atmosphere is so much fun at Madison. The band got punished last week, but they will be at Camp Randall for the next home game. I'll be there too. I just have to get a dose of the college spirit.

College players have such emotion. I suspect that the Badgers will be hungry for a win too. It's homecoming week, but I didn't go to Madison. I stayed closer to home for my degree, but I still feel like I'm welcome when I go to see the Badgers football team.

I will give music the week off. Go Bucky!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Heading across the border to see Bob

In my last post, I mentioned that Dylan is coming to Milwaukee. After two pre-sales, and the early "on-sale," he sold out. Someone crying about not getting tickets made a big enough impression on the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel that they featured her plight in print. The problem I have with that story is at the very end of the article. She has hopes that some kind ticket broker will sell her some tickets at face value, so she can go to the show.

There is a problem with that. The venue he's playing in Milwaukee hates brokers. If a broker sold her tickets at face value, the venue manager would be waiting for her to show up so he could kick her out of her seats, and keep her from seeing the show.

I doubt that the Journal/Sentinel would report that part of the story, but it's the sad truth.

That's why I'm heading across the border to get Northrop Auditorium tickets for the show. They don't have some rabid stage manager that wants to keep devoted fans out of the venue. Once a show is sold out, I don't understand why someone would try to keep people from reselling their tickets. Believe it or not, some people actually have to change their plans the night of a show. Sometimes a person will buy a four-pack of tickets only to have two friends back out, leaving someone holding the bag. Putting the tickets up on Craigslist will just get you a hornets nest of trouble.

I'm not going to say more than that. I'll just give my money to another venue.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Bob Dylan not playing the Rave this time.

The fans of Bob Dylan are happy to know that he is not playing at the Rave this time. He's has played there a number of times, and it is just not the best venue for his style and sound.

This time, he's playing in an old theater. That should make the show more acoustically favorable. When the house is full at The Rave, it is still an echo chamber. A co-worker commented on the fact that it is very rare when a band can get a good sound at the Rave.

For an artist like Dylan, I think it's better to have a place where the sound is absorbed by cloth seats, carpets, and an incline that can kill the echo. Dylan's catalogue is so enormous, that one could only guess which songs he will be playing on the night of November 6th.

I also think that most of the folks at the show will be above the age of 40. At least Bob shaved the pencil moustache. That hair thing was not appealing to me. Old guys should not try to pull off the stylish thin mustache. Grow the thing out first, and then see if it works. Sorry for the delay in any posts, I have been very busy doing my real job.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

B52's coming to the Riverside Theater


The B52's played The Palms back in the 1970's. That was an old movie theater-turned club. I was too young to go to that show, but I heard that people were dancing everywhere. Although some of their later works seem to be more like a parody of themselves, they are certainly worthy of a mention.


I found their early works to be like siren songs. I couldn't stop listening to them. They spoke directly to me. At least the cuts on Wild Planet did. The singer in my band loves them too. She will do a karaoke marathon of B52's if given half a chance.


If the band plays the classics, I suggest that you get yourself a ticket and go see this band before it's too late. No, they are not that aged, but you never know who will get sick of it all and walk away from music before too long. They play on October 18th. It's coming up fast.


Thursday, September 11, 2008

Metallica, I want 2.5 hours of my life back.

As I write this, I’m listening to Devo. Auto Modown to be exact. This is classic house cleaning music. Even though I’m listening to classic New Wave, my thoughts are all about the DVD I saw last night. It was Metallica’s Some Kind Of Monster. It took the band over seven hundred days to make the album St. Anger, and the cameras rolled through the entire torturous, tedious event.

My wife left the room at day 388. About that time, I started to wonder if the stupid album would ever be finished. As a musician, I cannot fathom taking that much time, spending that much money, and swinging around all that baggage in front of a camera crew. James left for rehab in the middle of making the album. He came back a year later, and when he did, there were new rules. The band could only "create" from noon to four pm. Nobody was to listen to tracks after he left for the day.

The forty-thousand dollar per month performance enhancement therapist got so involved in the band that he didn’t want to leave after the band decided to give this guy the boot. In my opinion, he crossed the patient-doctor boundary.

Who wouldn’t want to live the rock and roll life vicariously though one of the biggest metal bands to ever grace the stage? After all, he was pulling in nearly half a million dollars a year to coddle these worn out buggers.

Highlights of the DVD would include the art auction Lars so bravely put himself through.
Poor guy had to rake in millions for his paintings. Most of it resembled cookie cutter college art, or mock ups of worn out themes from previous decades. None the less, he got drunk to numb the pain of watching his bank account grow even bigger. He justified the auction by stating that “others park their money in the bank, I put it on the wall.” Whatever makes you feel better in front of the cameras Lars.

Another intensely annoying aspect of this marathon of a documentary was having to listen to Lars’ snare drum. As a drummer, I couldn’t help myself. His snare sounded like the pinging of a 1950’s submarine radar that you hear in those old B-movies. Ping, Ping, Ping, make it stop!! Apparently nobody had the guts to tell Lars that his Tama Signature snare sounded like complete garbage. Thank the earth for Pro Tools. That was the only thing saving that horrid snare tuning.

As I mentioned, James took some time to dry out, and that’s a fine thing to do. He came out of rehab with all the tools that one would expect. He blamed his callous manner on abandonment issues. He found his old life of being smashed most of the time to be boring. Good point. Anything can get old after a while. It was still hard to watch him cast away Jason without a thought, and then never ask him back when sober.

Ok, back to highlights. I loved the scene where the therapist handed James lyrics on a post it note. This old fart (my opinion) decided it was perfectly acceptable to join in the task of writing for Metallica. I loved it when Lars’ dad rejected some of the songs with honestly. I loved the bass player auditions.

Lastly, I’m still blown away at how these guys don’t seem grateful after all the years. They have millions upon millions of dollars, and they want for nothing. They do the typical “get away from it all” crap on their ranches, or their land, or while driving in their monster hot rods, or on jet skis. Get over yourselves guys and just make a freaking album! Other bands would have made four or five albums in that same time span. I did feel a bit robbed at the end of the DVD. I wanted 2.5 hours of my life back.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Cake on New Year's Eve anyone


It's the Cake party at The Riverside Theater on New Year's Eve. Cake put out a their first album, Motorcade of Generosity back in the 1990's. The have never looked back since that first CD. Later in their musical life, they signed on with Columbia Records. They were one of those bands that appealed to the fans across the Atlantic before they made a splash here in the United States.


There have been numerous line-up changes over the years, six to be exact, but John McCrea still sings, plays a little guitar, an organ and vibraslap. What would the band be without the big personality of John.


One day, John may start living the farm life. For now, he is still touring with the band.

There will be more than just music on that night. I suspect that there will be a Midnight balloon drop.


Get your Riverside Theater tickets sooner, rather than later. This is one fun place to be on New Year's Eve.


Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Metallica to play at the Bradley Center


Staying power. That's what Metallica has. Respect. That's what you get when you tell a Metal-Head that you like Metallica. They are a cornerstone band that continues to impress the fans. On January 12th, the stallwarts come to the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. This show is in the round. I wonder if the stage will slowly spin counter-clockwise throughout the night.


My buddy had a Ride The Lightning key chain. He blasted Master Of Puppets on his car stereo as we cruised the north woods of Wisconsin.


I can't say that I love the later works, but that does not diminish the quality music that the band put out in the early years. They didn't switch to disco. They didn't write music for a Broadway play. They stayed in the genre that made them famous.


As for line-up changes, yes a few came and went, but the band didn't lose it all with the transitions.


Another friend suggested that I rent the movie Some Kind Of Monster. I received the disk via NetFlix, only to find that I rented the "bonus" disk. Argh! I sent it back, and I'm ready to view the real DVD this week. It will get me fired up to buy the Bradley Center tickets for when they come to Milwaukee in January.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Harleys rumble into town

Can you hear them coming? The Harley Davidson 105 reunion starts this weekend. The entertainment for this event is spread out all over the city. You can catch Kid Rock at Miller Park if you are a H.O.G. member and you can prove that. You can head to the lakefront with a Summerfest ticket or pass as it is known. That pass will get you into the grounds to see at least fifty bands on five stages. Z.Z. Top is one of the top name acts performing on Friday.

Water Street will host a biker rally with entertainment galore. Brady Street will feature some great Milwaukee Rock Bands as well. Don't forget the Harley Davidson parade on Saturday. After all, it's all about the bikes. Thousands and thousands of chrome horses will ride across Wisconsin.

Yes, Waukesha has some events too, but don't be fooled, the action is in Milwaukee. Bruce Springsteen will hopefully put to rest the issue dating back five years, when Elton John performed in the park. No distrespect to Elton, but that is not a Harley themed top name act.

For the younger audience, Foo Fighters will also perform in Milwaukee this weekend. This seems to be one of the biggest last hurrah's of the short summer here in Wisconsin. Take some time and soak up the sun. Before you know it, the cold and snow will be with us, and the Harley Festival weekend would make winter a tiny bit more tolerable. At least in your memories.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Eddie Vedder in Milwaukee

Much to my surprise, I didn't see people getting booted out of their seats last night. The most rabid anti ticket reselling musician performed at a venue famous for kicking rules-abiding fans out for the slightest hint of skulduggery. Don't even think about reselling your tickets, or the manager will come down hard on you. I think his life is devoted to peaking around corners, and searching Ebay for the infamous ticket scalper.

Two points: If a show is already sold out, what's the harm of reselling your tickets? The venue made all that they can make from the show. If I refuse to sit in the balcony for a show, then I am going to buy a ticket from a broker or I'm not going to go. The venue owner can cry and stamp his little feet, and throw a temper tantrum, but there are consumers out there who won't spend the money on a lousy seat.

With that, everyone was warned about the scalpers, Eddie Vedder played his show, nobody left before it started, and the venue made plenty of money since it sold out months ago.

History doesn't make something a lawful act, but ticket brokers or ticket services have been around for over two thousand years. The Romans would pay people to get to the coliseum early to sit in a prime seat. Once the rich person came to the venue, the first person would leave after being paid a small sum. Some men would use their slaves to do the sitting. I guess this venue manager is a slave to his theater. He should lighten up and let it go.

Enjoy the show, sit as close as you can, and don't worry about the crabby little man standing by the sound board.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Alpine Valley


How does Alpine Valley stay in business? Alpine Valley holds nearly 36,000 people. There are VIP decks, lawn seating, and more. What is interesting to me is that there are so few shows each year. Sometimes, Alpine Valley may have only eight events for the entire summer. Half of those events might not sell out.


Live Nation has a great interactive venue map on their site. You can view seating charts, upcoming shows, and overhead maps.


Rumor has it that there is an undercover cop sitting on top of buildings in downtown East Troy. These guys look into people's cars and try to see if people have beer cans tucked in their laps.

These same guys will have someone on the street corner with a can in hand. They see a car pulling up to a stop light and tip their can as a toast. They hope to get the people in the car to reveal their cans and tip back. Then, those people are busted.


Other interesting traps would include the parking situation. If you think about it, there are not enough spaces for all the cars, if everyone came just two to a party. So if you show up late, you end up paying $25 to park in a farm field. Funny thing, the sign at the entrance to the farm lot may say $10, but once you get all the way to the person taking the money, it's $25 to park, and there is no way to turn around if you don't like the strong arm tactics.


So you paid $25 to park, you are a quarter mile from the venue, and you have your cooler full of beer. Don't even think about bringing it into the real lot. The border between private land and Alpine land is not marked. Some cops will give you a very friendly warning and let you know that you have to ditch the brew. Others may wait until you cross the line, and then give you a ticket.


So you are now in the venue and you are having a great time. The show ends, and now you are stuck in a massive traffic jam. You are joined by thousands of people from Wisconsin and Illinois, all trying to get the heck out of the woods.


I went to an Alpine show that ended at 11pm. It took 2.5 hours to get out of the lot, and another 45 minutes to drive the rest of the way back to Milwaukee. When I was a kid, my crappy Chevy overheated while waiting in line to get out of the parking lot. I paid $10 for a gallon of water and poured it into my radiator after the engine cooled down. Finally, after the hellish trip back home, I got busted for bringing my girlfriend home so late.


What do you want to take away from this? Don't drink and drive. Be ready to pay $25 to park in a field far, far away from the venue. Be careful when walking around with a can of beer. The most important thing to do is to leave before the final song. Give yourself a break and get out of there before the encore at least. Missing one or two songs will save you hours of headaches.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Metal in its full glory in Green Bay Wisconsin

Coming to Wisconsin on August 9th is a metal lineup sure to please all the Green Bay head bangers. Liquid 8 will host the following bands: Anal Blast, Eternal Silence, Sentenced to Die, Dichotic, Scofflaw, Praise the Fear, A Sum of One, etc. The names are so important when it comes to metal. I know what its like to be in a band that has a crazy name. My band's name couldn't even be announced on the radio.

The promo photo (If they have one,) has to show how tough the band mates are. You know the drill.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Flying under the radar, Wisconsin State Fair has music

Tonight, the Wisconsin State Fair tickets will be scanned, and people will be walking through the turnstiles. Aside from the food, the animals, the crazy looking people who only go to state fair, there are bands playing on the race track.

The bands are mostly nostalgia acts or smaller draws, but for the die hard fan it matters not. For example, REO Speedwagon performs tonight. When I was in high school, REO was the biggest band on the freaking planet. I am certain that they have followers who are totally psyched up to see them perform tonight.

When I scanned their web page, I looked over their tour, and I must admit that they set up a sweet tropical leg that includes Aruba, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Puerto Rico. Those dudes are hanging out by the beach for sure.

For the faithful, Jeremy Camp performs at the Wisconsin State Fair later in the week. Camp has many solo albums, and is an ordained minister. You know what that means. If you go see him perform, you get to skip church that week.

From his website, he has stated: “If one person were to accept Jesus through my death, it would all be worth it. I said that in [this] interview and right when I said that, this whole fog of everything that had been going on in my life finally cleared.” Jeremy would like to join the ranks of Male deities like Osiris, Adonis, Tammuz, Zalmoxis, phoenix, Jesus, Baldr, and Odin. He has reached the final stage of letting go of his personal life, and living the spiritual life. Judging by the picture of him with outstretched arms, in crucifixion style, he is leaning towards the deity of Jesus.

But I digress. Check out the cows at State Fair, have a baked potato, avoid the freaks who hope to be the next Jesus.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Second tier bands in all their glory


Cruefest is this weekend. The Marcus Amphitheater will be "Rockin' so hard." Papa Roach with be there. So will be Buckcherry and Trapt. REO Speedwagon will be "Lovin' so hard" at the Wisconsin State Fair on July 31st. Queensryche will be "Rulin' so hard" on August 1st at the fair as well.

Speaking of old, Alice Cooper is creeping back into town on July 25th. He will be performing at the Riverside Theater. Continuing with the aged, The Police and Elvis Costello perform at the Marcus Amp. on July 25th.

Get your fill of oldies, classics, rockers, and more. We have every genre you could ask for.
Seriously, the Wisconsin State Fair is more fun if you grab a cream puff, corn on the cob, ride the sky glider, giant slide, and a ferris wheel. The bands are a side note.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Ready to rock the boat?

I tried to see what I think is a great Milwaukee Rock Band on June 7th. They were to play on the Iroquois for a sunset cruise. The rain started falling about 4:30pm, and by the time it stopped, the cruise had been cancelled. The sheriff's office told people not to drive downtown, and I decided that it was a good idea.

Standing water kept the rock and roll crowd from making it down to the boat, not to mention pride fest.

Now we're looking at the rescheduled date for the Binky Tunny rock and roll show on Lake Michigan. That would be August 1st. What are the odds that the rain will cancel that gig too?

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Summerfest and who's seeing what


My 20 year old nephew wants to see Gnarls Barkley on the Briggs stage. My favorite Milwaukee Bike Messenger is going to see Debbie Harry. My coworker Joe is going to see the Love Monkeys. I can't seem to talk him out of that. My best friend is going to see Zappa plays Zappa, but he will stop at the M and I stage to check out a few songs from Pat Benatar first.

Some of you should check out Guido's Racecar at the tent next to the Marcus entrance on the night of Tim McGraw. There is a problem with that tiny tent. They didn't match style for style. The cowboy hat wearing guys might find Guido's singer visually risible, but their music is a far cry from country. That's not to say that there has to be a match, but when you perform at a tent where the only traffic will be the people going into the Marcus Amp, it wouldn't hurt to play a style that closely matches the fan base. That tent show starts at 9:30, so most of the cowboys will already be in their seats. G.R. will have to pull in their own crowd. With the lineup of veteran Milwaukee talent in that band, Guido's Racecar is the best of the lot at the Cascio tent.

Another coworker wants to check out Mountain on July 4th. I think that they had another hit aside from Mississippi Queen. Before that show, he could check out the Summerfest Strongman Contest at the Sentry Sports Zone.

Playing their annual show is Jackyl. The chainsaw solo will be going strong on the Zippo stage yet again. Lastly, a very close friend said that they would like to see Cheap Trick before one of the members goes to the great beyond. She will have her chance on July 5th.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Racine Music venue

One of my favorite road trips is just a 30 minute drive down to Racine. McAuliffe's Irish Pub books an enormous variety of musical styles, and the crowds come out in big numbers to see who J.J. found to grace the tiny stage. Looking back, I must hit that club at least five times a year.
When you have a drink at McAuliffe's, you feel like you are part of a group of people that welcome strangers as much as the regulars.

I caught the Barrettes at McAuliffe's a few weeks ago. The are playing the Cascio tent at Summerfest this year, but a much bigger feather in their cap would be the commercial featuring the band. The Barrettes will be promoting mass transit in Milwaukee.

I can't imagine how this eclectic band will fit in with that task, but I'm sure it will be interesting.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Alice Cooper is back

Alice Cooper, the one and only, comes back to the Riverside Theater on Friday, August 8th. My co-workers went to the last Cooper show and really loved it. It was one of the loudest shows that they had ever been to. I wonder if those Db's did anything to the old Riverside Theater.

Alice is known for the famous song "School's Out" and many others. Cooper loves to golf. He's a republican. And that goes to show you that just because you love to perform the rock, you can still be a conservative dunce.

Catch him before he's too old to impress.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Bradley Center presents "New" Kids on the block


The New Kids On The Block will be performing at the Bradley Center on October 22nd. It all started in 1984, as the casting call went out for talented young men. Maurice Starr acquired Jordan, Jonathan, Joey, Danny, and Donny. Well established boy groups had come along years ahead of New Kids On The Block. This assembly was to tap into the spending power of a new generation of preteen girls.


After a few more casting calls, the group was finally formed. Their first album tanked. Their second album nearly tanked, but leave it to Florida to proclaim their love of bubble gum pop. The fans requested their songs in high numbers, and they had a hit. That was followed up by many more hits. They went on to sell millions upon millions of records.


The "Kids" are in their 40's now. I'll bet the Bradley Center Tickets for this show will mostly sell to their 40's fans. This is a reunion tour.

Monday, June 2, 2008

What to do after Summerfest


The Rave is a perfect venue for shows like the following event. Boys Like Girls, Good Charlotte, Metro Station, and The Maine will all perform on Wednesday, July 09, 2008 at 7pm. It's called The Soundtrack Of Your Summer. Words to describe this show: Pop Punk, Hooks, Melodic, garage band. If you are 12, or if you know someone who is 12, you may find this to be the best show of the year. It starts at the kid-friendly time of 7pm.


Good Charlotte was getting some major airplay back in 2002 with the song Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. This hit song came to life in year four of the band's history. They were everywhere. MTV honored them with video of the year for said hit song. Aaron Escolopio, their original drummer decided to join Wakefild just before this CD was recorded. Various drummers picked up the slack, and contributed to the CD that went triple platinum.


Good Charlotte suffered from the third album blues with the release Chronicles of Life and Death. My guess is the album tanked when they decided to add strings, keyboards, and adult themes to their songs. It still boggles the mind as to how many bands depart from a solid formula on album number three, and go on to offend their fan base.


No worries, Good Morning Revival came on strong in 2007, and with some great Itunes promo, the cd started off in the top ten in many countries.


This event could have sold enough Marcus Amphitheater tickets if it were 2003, but the years have passed, and it's now a rave sized show.


Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Les Paul, more guitar!

Les Paul is over 90 years old. His museum is soon to be built. He's still rocking out here in Wisconsin, starting with a show coming up on June 21st at the Pabst Theater. Les Paul, in a way, can be heard every time someone straps on an electric guitar. One of his first attempts at a guitar incorporated a rail from a train track. It didn't take much more tweaking and testing before he came upon the right formula for the electric guitar. He doesn't play too many shows, but they are well attended. Now, if you ask me, Les Paul should have a show for the Summerfest fans. That's a hometown hero that can showcase some of the best that Wisconsin has to offer. Less cover bands and more Les Paul is what I say.

Friday, May 23, 2008

John Mellencamp gets the final Summerfest slot


John Mellencamp gets the last open Marcus Amphitheater date for the Summerfest run. June 28th, the hits like Little Pink Houses, Our Country, Hurts So Good, Jack and Dianne, Pink Houses, and Rain on the Scarecrow will waft over the lake and out towards Michigan. Factoids about Mellencamp include: He reportedly smoked 4 packs a day, he had a heart attack (no surprise,) he's a bit of a lefty, and in 1980 he said that some of his music could be considered to be "stupid little pop songs." He is sometimes considered a champion of the farmer. One must admit that his video "Jack and Dianne" was in heavy rotation, thanks to the desperate need for content on MTV.

I enjoyed watching the parody of him on SCTV back when I was a kid. Marcus Amphitheater tickets for the Mellencamp show go on sale at the end of this month. Stevie Wonder, John Mellencamp, and other established acts make up the headliners. The Jonas Brothers are young enough to be Mellencamp's sons, and they represent the emerging artist for 2008.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Milwaukee Boat Line cruising Lake Michigan


Someone asked me if it was "The Blues Cruise." I said no. Another asked me if they were going to serve tacos. I said I don't think so. The Milwaukee Boat Line has live music on their evening cruises along Lake Michigan, but I don't think that there will be tacos. JJ, the manager of the Iroquois, told me that it can be a DJ on one cruise, and a cover band on the next. Each weekend, running all summer, the Iroquois cruises along the Lake Michigan shoreline, starting at dusk. Local Milwaukee rock bands, or DJ's or blues bands may play on the top deck during the ride. I have yet to take one of these trips, but I think I'm going to go out to sea on June 7th. It's a rock band that night, but again, no tacos. That's the weekend of Milwaukee Pridefest.


I'm hoping that the weather will be nice. You never know in this fine city. It could be 70 degrees at sunset, or we could have rain and 42 degrees. None the less, the boat goes out as long as it's not terrible weather. The lower deck is climate controlled. Milwaukee needs to support things like this. The lake can and should be a focal point for this city. You might not want to swim in it, but you can certainly ride along in a boat. Speaking of swimming, did you ever see those guys surfing the lake? That's got to be cold stuff.


On a side note. Rilo Kiley is in town this weekend. Pabst theater tickets for that show are still available. The tickets are reasonably priced, and it could be a nice kickoff to a long holiday weekend.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Flight of the Conchords took off nicely

For those of you who don't know Jemaine and Bret, check out a youtube video of Flight of the Conchords. The Riverside show was sold out. It ran just over two hours, and my face was sore from smiling and laughing. The opening act was great, and Flight came out for two encores. Is it just me, or has the Riverside theater gotten even nicer? I sat in the 11th row for the show, and that is just about the best row. You get the riser action, so you can see above heads if you sit in your chair. You can still see the facial expressions from that distance too. HBO was right to secure a second season of Flight. I look forward to their new material.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Spamalot


For those of you that missed the Milwaukee shows, it was a great performance! When I was a kid, I used to watch Monty Python on PBS. We had a crappy black and white TV in our kitchen, and that's where you would find me. We had their album too. The touring company of Spamalot was top notch. Gary Beach played King Arthur on this run, and that really made me happy. He was great. Although I have seen every Monty Python episode, and every movie, I still found myself enjoying the show. When touring companies come to Milwaukee, you can expect the "C" cast. Not so on this occasion. I have seen many theatrical shows here in Milwaukee. Spamalot ranks in my top two of all time. The next thing I want to do is buy some Milwaukee Theater tickets and go see something like Blue Man Group, if they ever come back.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Summerfest in Milwaukee step by step.


I'm seeing some good bands lined up for the Summerfest side stages. Yes, you have to sit through what seem to be even more lousy local cover bands, but the headliners at the side stages are pretty good. Long ago Summerfest lost its respect when management decided to dumb down the side stage support acts. Now, it's best played like this: Work all day at your job since there is no point taking off of work to see bands like the Love Monkeys, go home, change, save yourself lots of money by eating dinner anywhere but the Summerfest grounds, bring your Summerfest tickets that you got free from your work, then hit the entrance about 7pm, grab a beer, and walk over to the side stage of your choice. Long gone are the days where you would spend the entire day at Summerfest seeing one national act after the other.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Counting Crows and Maroon 5 at Marcus Amphitheater



"Mr. Jones and Me", famously performed by Counting Crows will be wafting westward from the Marcus Amphitheater on August 23rd. We can dispense with the usual comments about dreadlocks on white guys. Counting Crows have a fan base that you cannot ignore. Hooking up with Maroon 5, another solid band with a younger base is a great idea. Will the fans cross over? Who cares. It's the Marcus Amphitheater, you sit in your seats for the band you like, and you walk up past the lawn seats for the other band you don't like as much. The Marcus Amphitheater is a great venue for getting comfortable up at the top of the hill. Order up a berry flavored beer, and watch the show from a voyeuristic angle. That's what I did for Trent Reznor. After I was done watching Bauhaus, I left my cozy seat in section 2, row x, and walked my way up to the top. Much better.

Monday, April 28, 2008

The classic metal show Megadeath at The Rave


Megadeath plays the Rave on May 7th. Dave Mustaine, the red haired metal maniac will perform in the ballroom to what I am sure will be a large audience. Various musicians have come and gone, but Dave remains the face of Megadeath. Peace Sells, but Who's Buying set the tone in 1986. At first, that album was a small budget and poorly mixed effort. After signing on with a major label, that album was remixed and released. It sold over one million copies. It is now considered to be a landmark thrash metal album. I didn't know that Megadeath was a recipient of the Doris Day Music Award, for their speaking out against canned hunts. Dave Mustaine got sober in the early 1990's. They broke up for a short time in 2004, but reformed in 2004 and have not looked back. Tickets for the Rave show are still available at the time of this posting, but I'm confident that it will come close to a sellout.


Party on!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The Buble Center or Bradley Center?

The Bradley Center was tossing around the idea of selling the naming rights in hopes of generating revenue. Word is that the Bradley Center is already too aged to be able to bring in revenue that will help keep the Bucks competitive. The way that the fans bought Bradley Center tickets to see Michael Buble last night, you could ask him to pony up the cash. We could call it the Buble Dome, or the Buble Center, or perhaps the Buble Megaplex. The review of his show was good. He has the range to hit the notes of the top Motown songs, and can manage to pull of the old standards that Sinatra made famous. I like the name Bradley Center. I don't think it's going to change in the near future.

Monday, April 21, 2008

John Mayer and his devoted fan base


John Mayer tickets went on sale for the Marcus Amphitheater show over the weekend. I hear that his fan club had nabbed many of the tickets in advance. My sister-in-law loves John Mayer. She told me how upset she was that she couldn't get tickets to the show. Last year, Rolling Stone magazine had a feature story about the best rock and roll guitar players of the modern era. John Mayer was on the front cover. Needless to say, there were very unhappy fans of other guitar players who replied to Rolling Stone. They felt that John Mayer didn't deserve to be on the cover. I can't say what I think about John Mayer. I don't know any of his songs, nor do I care. John Mayer played Summerfest in previous years. His wide ranging fan base, and his apparently enormous fan club will sell this show out in no time.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Wisconsin State Fair announces thier shows

The Wisconsin State fair tickets, for shows that run the gamut, are available months in advance. Truly a family event, the Wisconsin State Fair books music that ranges from REO Speedwagon, to Vanessa Hudgens to the Doodlebops. The stage is set on the infield of the Milwaukee Mile. The best seats are on the track, with the worst seats being the grandstand seats. Sometimes, if you are slick about it, you can view the acts from the infield parking lot. It's a view from the side, but it can be done. You just have to watch out for the horse riding cops that patrol the infield lots. They will make you "move along" if you stay too long in one spot. Personally, I haven't seen a show there in many years. I would have to say that the best show I saw at State Fair was Billy Idol back in 1984. He was in interesting shape that night.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Stone Temple Pilots at Summerfest July 4th


Stone Temple Pilots will play Summerfest on July 4th. This is a reunion tour for the Stone Temple Pilots. Scott Weiland, Rober, and Dean DeLeo, and Eric Kretz all make up the band. There is little worry that this will implode. The tour goes on all summer long, and the Summerfest tickets for that show should be out soon. The hits you are sure to hear are Vasoline, Big Bang Baby, Down, Sour Girl, Interstate Love song, Creep, Wicked Garden, Plush, Sex Type Thing, and Lady Picture Show. Their CD "Purple" hit number 1. and "Core" hit number 3.

For the the Independence Day holiday, why not consider this event. Years ago, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra would always headline the Summerfest July 4th date. That situation changed long ago.
Summerfest is the 10 day festival along Lake Michigan. It's got 11 stages, with the Marcus Amphitheater as the main attraction.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Flight of the Conchords


Coming to the Pabst Theater is one of my favorite "shows." Flight of the Conchords, from HBO.

Jemaine and Bret from New Zealand are the sole members of the band named Flight of the Conchords. They struggle to find fame in New York City. Their songs are clever, hilarious, and topical. They land at the Pabst Theater on May 11th. Cheer on Jemaine and Bret as they bring the Kiwi sounds to Milwaukee.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Bruce Springsteen and his fickle fans

After hearing word that "The Boss" will headline the Harley Davidson 105th reunion, Bruce Springsteen's fans rushed to dump their March Bradley Center show tickets for the warmer and possibly more enjoyable Summer show. Bruce Springsteen fans are a loyal, albeit an aging base. His March show at The Bradley Center had strong ticket sales from what I heard. But given the choice of seeing "The Boss" out in the open, and under the warm summer night's sky, with 100,000 other fans, the dumping ensued. It didn't matter much that the Harley show requires membership of H.O.G. itself to acquire a code to purchase a ticket. Fans seem to be jumping through that hoop with ease.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Rock and Roll venue or sports dome. Milwaukee Theater, and more.


The Wisconsin Badgers just finished up their NCAA run at Ford Field this past weekend. I saw a report about how they managed to put a basketball court in the corner of the venue. That got me thinking about rock and roll venues that are converted from sports arenas. Before the Milwaukee Theater came to be, it was the Milwaukee Auditorium. That old venue could hold what looked to be around five thousand people.

But sometimes, the venue would be divided in half with a large 15 foot high curtain. The problem with that set up was the echo. The sound would travel over the top of the curtain and rattle around the back of the venue. It was awful. The Milwaukee Theater is an amazing replacement to the Milwaukee Auditorium. I can't even visualize the old Auditorium anymore. Back in 1996, I played the auditorium. It felt cool to be playing in such a huge venue. I know that there is no shot that I will ever play the Milwaukee Theater. That venue books only top name acts. We were a lowly touring band when we played our rock and roll at The Milwaukee Auditorium.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Joe Cocker and Steve Miller play at Summerfest Milwaukee

June 29th, the old school artists of Joe Cocker and Steve Miller come to Summerfest. All I can say is Huh? What? Did I read that right? Joe Cocker and Steve Miller. Joe Cocker's last top ten hit, was 25 years ago. Up Where We Belong was part of the soundtrack to the movie Officer And A Gentleman back in 1983. His only number 1 hit charted forty years ago!! As for Steve Miller, his last successful album charted back in 1982. That's not to say that these guys don't represent classic rock. It's just a surprise to me to see them on the big stage at Summerfest. That's the issue. Do we need more classic rock? When I find out about these concert announcements, I often wonder if anyone else is on tour? The side stages at Summerfest are host to any number of current artists that deserve to take a shot at the Marcus Amphitheater. If we are going to have Joe Cocker and Steve Miller play the Marcus Amphitheater, why not have them come at a time when Summerfest is over.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Michael Buble plays his super smooth jazz at The Resch Center


Michael Buble managed to nab two awards at the fourth annual Canadian Smooth Jazz awards. He walked away with vocalist of the year and best original composition for his famous song "Everything." I don't know if anyone actually listens to smooth jazz. Smooth Jazz is the music you hear while some cute hygienist is cleaning your teeth. Real jazz is the music you are proud to say you listen too. Smooth Jazz is the music you try to think over when the co-worker in the cubicle next to yours decides to turn up their radio. Mike plays Green Bay's Resch Center on April 23rd. The Resch Center ticket holders for that show are a range of young and old. Perhaps the snow will melt by the time Mr. Buble's dreamy smooth Jazz vocal styling drifts across the Resch Center and into the ears of all those Smooth Jazz fans.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Jimmy Buffet on July 19th at Alpine Valley Wisconsin


Parrotheads unite! Has it been one whole year since Jimmy Buffett graced the stage at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin? They will gather in the parking lots. They will drink fruity drinks in his honor. Some will attempt to pace themselves in hopes of seeing only one Jimmy Buffett on stage at Alpine Valley. Double vision is a bad thing when it comes from all the rum you drank in the hot, hot sun of south-central Wisconsin. The pool, made from the back of a man's pick-up truck will surely be full of babes. The vomit will rise, but you must keep it down. Sun burned, rum soaked, and sweaty, you must file into the venue to bow down in parrothead unison. For your god is Jimmy Buffett. Your overlord sings just a tinge off-key, but no matter, he has more cash than the earth has ocean water. You relish the moment, with your espadrilles flecked with mud and grass, and your eyes squinting in the setting sun. Jimmy Buffett plays Alpine Valley July 19th 2008

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

New Van Halen Date is set for Bradley Center and Bruce Springsteen plays Milwaukee


The new Van Halen date for the Wisconsin Bradley Center tickets you have in hand is April 28th. So the bump over to the new date wasn't too bad, was it? Bruce Springsteen played at The Bradley Center last Monday night, and I heard that there was no big screen above the stage. That is surprising, because The Bradley Center is a very large venue. The Springsteen review for Milwaukee spoke more about the aging of the band, over the quality of the music. Bruce is pushing 60 years old. They can't all be Mick Jagger in their energy. Springsteen's latest disk is more about preaching. What energy to you put into a sermon? I'm still going to get an upper level ticket for Van Halen, just to watch the spectacle.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Stevie Wonder Summerfest


Stevie Wonder opens Summerfest 2008. I think that this is the sleeper show of the Summerfest lineup. Stevie Wonder has a fan base as broad as Tina Turner, or Elton John. The kicker is that Stevie Wonder hasn't played in Milwaukee for years. The Stevie Wonder appetite has not been satisfied. Other side stage shows have been announced as well. My future posts will comment on those shows. For now we leave you with Mr. Wonder. I remember an old clip I found on Youtube of Stevie Wonder playing the drums. He played a workmanlike job, but I prefer him on the keyboard and vocals.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Van Halen tour dates revised


From Mercury News - "A posting at www.van-halen.com, the band's official Web site, says the band is calling off shows so the guitarist "can continue medical tests to define a course of treatment." It also states that "rescheduled dates will be announced shortly." No, it's not about the partying, it's about being healthy. Van Halen wants to be out on the road, in front of their fans. They just need to give Eddie some time to heal. The Bradley Center will be shaking soon enough. Give Van Halen time and they will come to Milwaukee.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Spring shows or sports?


It's hard to think about going to a show this summer. It's hard to think that the weather will be warm enough to hang out along the Milwaukee River, after seeing a show at The Riverside Theater. With the snow piled high, it's hard to think that the Milwaukee Brewers will be playing baseball with the roof wide open. We made it to the top four most snowy winters in Milwaukee history. The snow kept me out of the clubs for the past two weeks, save for one benefit show in Racine. Spring will explode into form, seeing that March is 10 days in and the winter has an iron grip. Lastly, it looks like Van Halen may be rescheduled. It's not official, but that is the rumor.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Rilo Kiley at The Pabst Theater


Rilo Kiley comes to Milwaukee on Friday, May 23rd. It's a general admission show, so I'm fighting my way up to the first ten rows for sure. On the CD, Under The Blacklight, you will find the drummer to be playing some interesting hi-hat notes. Two former child actors are in the band: Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett. When I listen to a Rilo Kiley CD, I hear songs that are fashioned to fit Jenny Lewis' vocal range. That's a good thing. We don't want singers trying to be something that they are not. With that, the song Dreamworld is sung by Senntt, as far as I can tell from the liner notes. Another interesting thing I hear on this disk is the bass drum. I have spent many a day in the recording studio, and I would love to know how they managed to capture the bass drum sound on the cd. It feels live, real, and mighty-good. Yes, the "B" side songs come up rather quickly, but that's ok. The world is full of B-side songs.


Jenny Lewis gets more recognition than the rest of the band. That's bound to happen. But when Sennett got his chance to shine, he certainly did. There are lots of guest musicians on this disk. The list includes Jackson Browne.
The Pabst Theater is a great venue for this show. See you at the Pabst on May 23rd.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

What's up with Turner Hall?


Turner Hall's Ballroom has settled into its own now. Funny thing, I don't know ANY of the bands coming through the venue. I must be getting old. Ok, perhaps I know a couple of the names on the website, but not many. That means nothing really. Just because I don't know who the bands are at Turner Ballroom, doesn't mean that they aren't popular acts. As long as they bands keep coming, I'm sure to find a reason to go to a show at Tuner Hall Ballroom. They have the same booking manager as The Riverside and Pabst Theater. That's a plus. The Riverside management has access to touring acts that just don't fit in the larger venues, but would be a perfect match for Turner Hall.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Jonas Brothers announced for Summerfest


The last night of Summerfest, the Jonas Brothers hope to fill the Marcus Amphitheater. I'm not kidding when I say "hope to fill". Can the Jonas Brothers even fill half the venue? Are you freaking kidding me? The Jonas Brothers "perform" at Summerfest, and they aren't at a side stage? What is Summerfest thinking? Yes, they sold out the Rave, but that's what, 4000 tickets? The Marcus Amphitheater seats 23,000. Marcus Amphitheater tickets will be easy to come by on that night. What a poor way to end the Summerfest run.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Van Halen in the spring


I'm still waiting for the spring to come to Milwaukee. Perhaps when it finally does warm up, we won't even remember how crappy this winter was. I suppose that by the time Van Halen comes to the Bradley Center, the snow will be long gone. I will be sitting in the upper level for that show. I have to see Van Halen one time in my life. Especially since I never liked Sammy. David Lee Roth is the man. It's not that Van Halen Tickets were hard to come by. I just want to sit in the upper level to watch the entire scene. It's going to be better than watching the Milwaukee Bucks
play another sloppy game. Put that Bradley Center to good use.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The Police in Milwaukee at Marcus Amphitheater

July 25th The Police will perform at The Marcus Amphitheater in Milwaukee. The face value is pretty high for the good tickets. I don't know if would spend $200 per ticket just to see The Police. Granted, the venue is perfect. The night should be warm, and the Marcus Amp. has a cover, but $200 each?

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Miller Park as a concert venue


I wonder why there aren't any Miller Park stadium shows? Perhaps it could be that there is no musical act that could fill Miller Park. The Police, which were just announced for the Marcus Amphitheater in July had a few stadium shows booked on their current tour. Miller Park as a venue for The Police, in Milwaukee no less, just wouldn't work. I would suppose some Milwaukee Brewers fans would be very upset if Miller Park would be tainted by a show that could possibly destroy the outfield. The world may never know.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Bruce Springsteen and the HOG


Do you have your Bruce Springsteen tickets yet? He comes to The Bradley Center on March 17th. If you miss that show, he returns to Milwaukee for the HOG and Harley Davidson reunion in August. Coming off of the worst line up for a Harley event, the Harley reuinion folks hit it out of the park for this coming reunion. Some great bands will be on the Summerfest grounds. But the big show will be Bruce in the park.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Rush June 27th at Summerfest

Rush comes back to Milwaukee on June 27th at Summerfest. When rush came through last fall, there was an initial rush to get tickets. Near the end, the fans waited for a bargan before they bought their tickets. This time, one would suspect that there will be a contingent of "been there, done that" fans. It's just too soon for some fans, and who knows how many others will pull the trigger and go since this time the show is during Summerfest itself. I was at Summerfest the night Roger Waters played the Marcus Amphitheater, and the crowd was a mix of stoners and stuck-in-the-70's-for-life zombies. I think Rush brings in a crowd that is smarter.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Summerfest Milwaukee featuring Tom Petty


July 5th, Tom Petty and Steve Winwood will be part of the the Marcus Amphitheater at Summerfest line up for 2008. Tom petty will be the half time performer during the Superbowl on Sunday as well. He claims that the band will be playing "live" as opposed to the past performers who lip sync the event. Whether Tom Petty plays live at Superbowl 42 or not, he's going to be live at Summerfest on July 5th. Also annunced is Rascal Flatts on June 30th. I hope there is no Rascal fiasco this time.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Bands that play at live events

Streetlife used to play at The Milwaukee Bucks games. That's a great gig, if you can get it. When I went to a Minnesota Wild game a few years back, I got to see this band made up of old timers playing up in the rafters of the venue. In the old days, the Green Bay Packers used to have a band in one of the corners of the end zone. I knew the drummer for that gig. It's easy work, most people don't even notice you are there, and I'm sure you get a steady paycheck. Some of us think that the best unsigned rock band can get lots of exposure playing like that. The Milwaukee Brewers should get some band to play it up.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Diversions from Wisconsin Music


If I'm not going to see bands in Wisconsin, I'm watching the Green Bay Packers. Well, it's over. The Packers blew it big time last Sunday night and I'm back to live music 24/7. It was fun to go to a show on Saturday night and wake up just in time to see the Packers crush someone. Again, that day has passed. I look forward to the fall for two reasons: The great weather, and The Green Bay Packers.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Mars Volta the new disk, will they come to Milwaukee


Mars Volta comes out with a disk in late January. I don't think that they have the following to play an Alpine Vally type of venue, but I think that it would be great to see them in the open air on some hot summer night. Their prog styling lights it up. I would think that Mars Volta would play The Rave again, if they come to Milwaukee this year. The picture above is not Mars Volta, they are just some Rock and Roll band.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Spoof fest Milwaukee


Some Milwaukee Rock Bands play at Spoof fest every year. It's a great mix of talented musicians who make up the bands at Spoof fest. It can range from a Led Zeppelin tribute, to a Morrissey band. You never know what you are going to get at Milwaukee's Spoof fest. I hear it's coming up in spring of 2008. Considering how well the Milwaukee Bucks are playing these days, you might want to stick to rock and roll shows.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Summerfest Milwaukee, just X days away.


Summerfest sent out their mass email to any aspiring band that would like to play on the side stages for 2008. Summerfest Milwaukee supports the local music scene by allowing smaller, but popular acts to play. Some say that Summerfest has changed. In the past, you would see much bigger name acts on the stages well before the headliners would wrap up the evening. Time changes everything. Those that complain about the line up should think back to a time when the Summerfest grounds were crap city. I remember winter snow fences, oil drum trash barrels, exposed stages, and a noisy midway that didn't make the Summerfest experience any better. It's a trade off. Do you want a really nice place to spend the day, or do you want to see talent in a more crude venue? I think that there is no turning back for the Big Gig.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Jonas Brothers announce a second tour

The Jonas Brothers played the Rave a few weeks back. Banking on their popularity, Disney has set up a larger tour. My guess for a Milwaukee show would be at The Bradley Center. Hannah Montana's show sold out very quickly, but I think that The Jonas Brothers will have trouble selling out that venue.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Intense Ink at The BBC


I managed to go out to see Harsh Reality at the BBC in Milwaukee. They were headliners for the Intense Ink Showcase. This Minneapolis band features Jendeen on drums. She's great. The snow kept many fans from coming out. That was too bad because there were plenty of prizes to go around. I imagine that there would have been a better showing if the snow wasn't deep and dangerous. Next time I get up to spend time out Minneapolis way, I'll check out Harsh Reality again.