Van Halen in Milwaukee

Word from the Van Halen show was that Michael Anthony's back up vocals were pumped through the p.a. system last night. I think that Van Halen made a deal with M.A. before going out on the road. The deal included the "use" of his back up vocals. Eddie played hard, David shaves his chest, and the rest of the band did a workmanlike job. There were tickets all over the street. When the show got moved to a Monday night, the party was over. To follow up on my Kraftwerk post, it was a great show. We were the test market, but they booked a pre show for Minneapolis. It was solid, the sound was great, and the Rave was tolerable.

Nuna and Crumpler

I stopped by the Brat Stop to see two Milwaukee bands. Crumpler, (in the men's room the poster was misspelled "Crumbler", headlined. They have a tight drummer for sure. In fact, the three-piece band is altogether a group of talented guys. Their set was short, but solid. Nuna played a bit longer, and their band includes a keyboard player who smokes while playing. That's a mystery to me. Is it a bigger rush to smoke and play a song at the same time? In between those two bands there was Binky Tunny and the Farmland Chokehold. It was Binky's birthday. That is the same day as the pope, and she mentioned that a number of times throughout the high quality set. Binky managed to get a drunk fan up to sing "meows" for a song called Pussycat. Her DD friend just stared. The Brat Stop has great food, a nice bar staff, and it's a huge place! I stayed sober the entire night, so the coppers had nothing on me, should they stop me on the way home to Milwaukee.

Playing on the Iroquois in Milwaukee

The Iroquois is starting their summer cruises for the year 2008 in late May. The boat has been refitted top-side with a tent like atmosphere. The bands play up on top, and the bar is on the deck below. The cruise around the lake is a two-hour event. You can see rock bands, dj's, or cover bands, depending on the weekend. The boat docks along the Milwaukee river at Michigan St., on the west side of the riverbank.

You have been Spoofed!

Fleetwood Mac, Oasis, Yes, The White Stripes, Smiths, and supposedly The Village People all performed on one stage in Cudahy last Saturday. The egos were kept in check, and the boys from Oasis hardly fought at all. It was worth the whopping $10 entry fee to see this mega event.

Milwaukee rock bands get together in different forms to do their best imitations, and it doesn't disappoint the crowd, ever.

I heard a rumor that next year the Misfits might show up. That would rule!

Thanks to V'nuks for another great spoof fest.

Shag at State Fair

It's a Shaggin' ritual to see Shag a State Fair. They are the nicest bunch of guys, and they play quality rock tunes in an unpretentious style. It's a pit stop you must make when you walk the grounds of state fair. Chuck Travis Jr. is a master musician, and the rest of his band is up to the task. Perhaps I'm just dreaming of summer while the snow still melts this late into spring. Check out Shag when you get to State Fair.

Summerfest shows

The major concert announcements for Summerfest have started. So far, I haven't found a band that I want to see. I'm going to see the Police play after Summerfest, in late July. I wonder what Stevie Wonder will be like. That might be my old school gig for Summerfest. I hear that he brings a super tight band with him. That would do nicely. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is still cold and grey. If the temps hit 60+ we might get excited about seeing rock and roll shows in Milwaukee. For now, it's not even on the mind. Who wants to freeze by the lake? Not me. I'd rather be comfy in some warm venue like The Riverside Theater, as the city thaws out from a long, cold winter.