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.

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.

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.

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.

Summerfest 2007 Headliners

What Summerfest Marcus Amphitheater acts will you go see, and do you have your tickets yet? Will it be the teen-age girl attracting John Mayer, will it be Ludacris, will it be the old farts known as Styx, and the ever annoying Foreigner? For me, it would have to be Roger Waters, or Tool. Panic at the Disco is a total pass, no interest in that one at all. Perhaps my 15-year-old nephew would like that show. Toby Keith, the war whore is out. Bon Jovi is not my style, but that band has the dedicated fan base that will buy tickets. Any musician would love to have that many fans. The Fray with OK Go, is a lightweight in my opinion. Steely Dan would be one of those shows that would be ok if it were on a side stage, and the sun were still up and you had a huge pile of food in front of you. That would be a good warm-up show for the band you really want to see that night. I'll comment on the side-stages once they are fully booked.

WMM out.