Top Ten Stages From a Drummer's Perspective

As a drummer of 26 years, I have walked across so many stages here in Milwaukee and beyond. Some stages have been just a few inches off the ground, tucked away in a corner. Other stages have been so large that I got lonely while playing away, say at a summer festival. I want to take a moment to reflect upon my top ten favorite stages in Milwaukee (And a few extras.) Be advised, this top ten list does not mean that they are the ten BEST stages, just my top ten.

The Lost Dutchman's Mine 1983: I have to pick that one because it was my first club gig, and my first actual stage. The Lost Dutchman's mine was a club that looked like an actual mine. There was a groovy conversation pit, booths tucked into the walls, and fake support beams in narrow halls. The stage was a rotting pile of crap in the corner of the largest room of the bar. The lighting was red upon red. That red light helped to highlight the dirt colored walls. When I set foot in the very corner of the stage, I fell through a rotting plank. Still, it was a great place to play two note punk rock.

Teddy's on Farwell:

The stage was big, the club had lights, the second floor was used as a giant band room, and you felt like a rock star when you played there. The stage was at least three feet off the ground, and it was solid. That meant no swaying cymbal stands, and no wandering bass drums. This was before the fire, and change in ownership. Today, the stage faces to the west, and the club has a different name and feel. I can't say that I enjoy it anymore.

Zippo Rock Stage at Summerfest:

This was not the largest stage I have ever played on, but it's close. If you want to feel like a superstar, that stage will do the trick. Everything about the Zippo stage says "pro." All you have to do is get 2000 of your closest friends to fill the bleachers in front of the stage, and you are set. One year when we played there, we were a total of seven band mates with four belly dancers. There was room to spare. On another occasion, it was just the four of us, and I felt like I was miles away from my band. That's when you just have to play it up for the crowd, and hope that you come across as a guy having a great time, all alone on that big drum riser.

Trieste "Beer Hall" Italy, just west of Slovenia:

This was by far the largest stage I have ever played on. This "beer hall" was just west of the Italy/Slovenia border, close to Trieste. The venue was enormous, and included at least 50 heavy wooden picnic tables with matching benches. The stage was easily eight feet off the ground, and 70 feet wide. My band was a three piece rock outfit. We looked like dots to the folks on the other end of the building.

The Eagles Club:

We were one of the very first bands to play at the Eagles Club. That was back in 1986. For the next ten years, I would find myself on that stage every few months. Yes, the power went dead during some shows, and many times the mix was horrid. The club is large, and if you are lucky, you get to open for a national touring band. (This was before the days of pay to play at the Rave.)

The "35 House" basement:

I built my own riser at the "35 House." We had many house parties there. It was a huge basement, and our home base. Who could ask for more?

The Crystal Palace Ballroom:

This is another huge venue on Milwaukee's south side. At the height of my punk band's popularity, we found ourselves on the bill with bands like the Circle Jerks, DRI, and more. The Crystal Ballroom was not as big as the Rave ballroom, but it has better acoustics. The neighborhood didn't like the punk kids coming around, but that was in the 1980's. The new order was firmly established by then. They still have shows, but I must admit that I haven't been there in years.

The BBC on Farwell:

Yea, there is a support beam right in the middle of the stage. Yes, the stage is low and not square, but something about that place makes me happy. When I play there, the staff treats us like kings, and the fans are always in a good mood.

Miramar Theater:

The stage is perfect for large and small shows. If a small crowd shows up, move the gear to the front of the stage. If you have a big gig, move everything back. Load out is easy, there is a room for the bands to hang out, and the manager is a great guy. Milwaukee needs more Miramar Theaters.

The Pits, Kortrijk Belgium:

This stage was the smallest I think I have ever played on, and a show I always looked forward to when touring Europe. It's in a tiny bar, where the urinals are in plain view of the patrons as they enter and leave the club. They cover the windows with foam, and the P.A. system is run from behind the bar. The stage is so short that there is no elbow room for the drummer. It doesn't matter. The management treats you to a great meal before you play, and the tiny club fills up easily. The shows start early, so you get a chance to party after the gig ends.

If anyone wants to add to this "top ten" leave a comment.

Best Live Music Venues in Milwaukee

I figured that it was about time that I put my two cents in about which Milwaukee venues are the best place to see live music. I will try to be honest, and unbiased. It really doesn't matter that much since I am only one person in a city of 500,000 people.

Guidespot.com lists Sauce as the best venue, but when I read the sentence "Fashion-conscious sophisticates flock to this upscale restaurant/bar in the trendy Third Ward," Sauce loses all rankings in my book. I'm not one to dress like a slob at a show, but c'mon, the words Fashion, upscale, and trendy are all jammed into the description. I'll pass on that one.

They list the Bremen Cafe as number two. That's a realistic ranking.

Some put Shank Hall at the top of the list. I guess you could say it's in the top 20, if that's a good thing to be one of twenty clubs to see a live band. I have to say that the sound has been great there, but the venue has not changed inside very much.

Others prefer to put the BBC at the top of the heap. Yea, the staff at the BBC has been nothing but professional when I go see a band. A nice waitstaff makes you feel so welcome. If I had any criticisms of the BBC it would be that the sound is hard to dial in. The place is big, there is a post in the middle of the stage, and the windows reflect so much sound, that you wonder if putting up some baffles for live shows wouldn't be a bad idea. The only other hurdle is loading all the gear up and down those stairs. If it is a rainy night, you risk a hard fall. Yea, the BBC gets high marks.

Some prefer to head to Bay View's Cactus Club. Sorry, I stopped giving that venue my money a long time ago. Who wants to go to a club to be treated like dirt by the owner and his staff? The regulars sit on their butts and stare into their beers. What fun!

I have to say that Mad Planet gets high marks. The staff is nice, there is plenty of room, the stage may be small, but you don't feel like you are crammed into the hall. I like the risers along the east wall. You get a chance to stand above the crowd.

Points East is another one of those friendly clubs. Hang out front and have a beer before the show starts. The stage is angular, but tall. The parking has never been a problem at Points East.

Looking back at my choices, it's safe to say that I lean towards the rock venues. Milwaukee has so much more to offer than what I posted here. I barely scratched the surface. I left out all the large venues on purpose, but if I had to list just one, it would be the Milwaukee Theater. When I have Milwaukee Theater tickets to a show, I know that the sound will be great, the entertainment top notch, and it's easy to sneak out to get a drink. The Riverside is a close second, but Milwaukee Theater goers will agree with me.

The Used Music Store Stocked to the Roof.

I don't usually shop for complete drum kits at Music Go Round in Greenfield. I go there quite often just to look around and see what grabs me. In the past year, I bought a small p.a. board, microphones, cymbal stands, a throne, cases, skins and sticks. (I had to change my original post, after I realized that I do drop the cash at MGR.) When I do go there, I scour the store. I don't play guitar, but I look at their stock. I don't need an amp, but I look at all of them. I just like to kill time there while my wife shops at the spice store.

In the weeks before Xmas, the place is crowded with drum stock. It's mostly used starter drum kits that crowd the front end of the store. The used cymbal stands fill the window, no matter what season it is.

I stopped in the store last week, and it was amazing. There were more amps than I could ever remember seeing in past years. There were more guitars, drums, cases, etc. What gives? This was just weeks after Christmas, at a time when the store has usually been picked clean by mom's and dad's and the staff is a few days away from restocking.

Was it related to the economy? Was every spare amp sold off to Music Go Round to cover utility bills, or to make ends meet? The place was busy with customers, and if you had the cash, there was product to buy, but I was wondering what was up with all that juicy gear?

Perhaps it was just a fluke. Perhaps I came at a time that had nothing to do with this sagging economy. I don't know.

Many musicians struggle financially, even during the best of times. They are devoted to their craft, and many don't have steady jobs. Some of my friends sell off gear when they are in trouble, but I doubt that this was why MGR was stocked full.

I think it's my paranoia about the economy, and I just caught the "gear wave" at its crest.

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.

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!

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.