Celebrate the Season at Summerfest

We just celebrated the Summer Solstice, so that means it's almost time for Summerfest. Eleven Days - Twelve Stages - One Million Attendees - "The Big Gig" they call it. Have you attended lately? If not I encourage you to find a date where the side-stage acts interest you, and go enjoy live music. It's a lot of fun - a carnival atmosphere - inexpensive - and right here in our backydard.

I rarely buy tickets for the Ampitheater. Instead, my preference is to get there mid-afternoon, listen to whatever appeals on the various free stages, crowd watch and "take my place in the freak parade." Of course, I pick the date because I want to see a particular band, and in the early evening I try to get myself situated for the big act.

My plans for this year are to attend on July 3rd and 4th - with a stayover in Milwaukee with friends. I'm very excited to see Thievery Corporation on Thursday, and then enjoy the Fourth of July at the festival grounds. It should be a crazy night with Phil Lesh and Friends taking the stage at 8:00pm; following a set by old favorites, Lotus. (The Roots are also scheduled to perform that night, but I suspect I'll have to wait until their Madison appearance in September to see them again.) Other dates that tempt me include:

Thurs June 26	Gnarls Barkley Eric Burdon and the Animals
Sat June 29	Galactic
Sun June 30	Matisyahu James Brown Tribute featuring Bootsy Collins
Tues July 1	Zappa Plays Zappa
Wed July 2	The Crystal Method
Sun July 6	Mickey Hart Band

TIP: For those weeknight return drives to Madison, I usually pull out before final encores. This will get you home an hour sooner - or more! And you will appreciate that when you get up for work the next day.

- Mister Bill

Pictures from Bob Weir/Ratdog @ Summerfest '07

- pics by malliman/AM

Live Review - Son Volt at Summerfest, 07-07-2007

In some circles, Jay Farrar (Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt) is regarded as a living legend and a father of what some people took to dubbing alt-country; a movement that featured much of the instrumentation of classic country music but left behind the high-production of the Nashville-dominated pop country and took on more artistic and sophisticated subject matter.

On Saturday night I witnessed Farrar with the 2007 version of Son Volt. He has now managed to put together an exceptional new version of Son Volt (a.k.a, SV 2.0) which included bassist Andrew Duplanits, drummer Dave Bryson, keyboardist Derry De Borja and newcomer and standout touring guitarist Chris Masterson.

The crowd at the Potawatomi Stage seemed a bit under the heat at first, but came alive after the band broke into Satellite (from The Search) .. Those fans that came to see the early version of Son Volt (v1.0) were in for a surprise. Although their sound has stayed true to the original format, the band hardly made their way through the early Son Volt catalog. Jay and the boys managed to start out heavy from their latest release and Okemah and the Melody of Riot dealing a hot and sweaty Summerfest crowd electrifying versions Jet Pilot, Picture, The Search.

Some of the setlist stand outs were the new SV take on Voodoo Candle (solo Farrar), Methamphetamine, Highways & Cigarettes, the unexpected cover of 2000 Light Years From Home (Rolling Stones) and a blistering version of Afterglow. After the set, the band left the stage for about 10 minutes and headed back out for an encore laying down Windfall, which has now become reliable crowd sing-a-long. The band then moved into two of the night’s only Uncle Tupelo songs; Life Worth Livin’ done with reggae overtones and an intense but expected Chickamauga. Overall Son Volt put on a good show and was able to display this new, strong

lineup. I look forward to catching them again and so should you. Be sure to check out The Search (March 2007), Transmit Sounds Records/Legacy Recordings.

-fs

(all photos fs)

Pictures from Cat Empire @ Summerfest '07 (07/05/07)

Pictures from an evening with Cat Empire @ Summerfest 2007

Pirates of the Caribbean meet Cat Empire

- pics by malliman/AM

Live Review - Ratdog at Summerfest, 7.05.2007

As usual, I had worked myself into a state of high anticipation by the time Ratdog took the stage at Summerfest. I’m always excited to hear what songs get chosen for that night’s setlist. However, there was much more unfolding this evening. Not only was this the first night of Ratdog’s summer tour, but health issues took long-time lead guitar player Mark Karan off-stage just days before. Luckily, Steve Kimock agreed to fill in . . . and amazingly the show did go on! The band came on to a very warm reception and got a litle jam going before breaking into Shakedown Street. (This opening hearkened me right back to one of my most memorable Dead shows... Did you see my "Countdown to Summerfest" post?)



Here was the night's setlist:
Jam > Shakedown Street > Maggie's Farm > Queen Jane Approximately > Crazy Fingers > Brown-Eyed Women, Blackbird, Friend of the Devil, Victim or the Crime, Even So > October Queen > The Deep End > Milestones > Stuff, Standing on the Moon, Sugar Magnolia, Touch of Grey, Ripple (encore)

Bob was in good voice all night (although I thought the vocals could have been a bit higher in the mix). The only weak point in the set for me was the acoustic "Blackbird." I've never been a big fan of the song for one thing, and this performance just seemed too forced. But this was more than made up by a number of personal highlights. For one, this was the first time I'd seen them play "Even So" and it was great fun to hear Bobby howling at the end! "Milestones" was really cool too.

As Kimock fans would guess, Steve did a very fine job fitting in with the Dogs. I really like his clear tone and his leads were tasty. In general, the jams were sweet- and the entire band played their hearts out in a long, single set. (I couldn’t make myself leave, and so will have to wait to catch Spoon at Lollapalooza.)

After the encore performance of Ripple, the band took their bows and sent good vibes to Mark. (Please take a moment to do the same!)


Ratdog will next be in this region at the Aragon Ballroom on July 19th and at 10KLF on July 21st.

Upcoming Shows - Son Volt @ Summerfest

I have been a fan of Jay Farrar's music since the days of Uncle Tupelo and I have seen Jay's first tour with Son Volt at the Bluebird Theater in Denver, Co and it was a memorable performance.

Often considered the closest continuance of Uncle Tupelo's alt-country/Americana sound and musical legacy, Son Volt (w/opener Old 97's) will be stopping through Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest on July 7th (Potawatomi Bingo Casino Stage & Pavilion).

Check out Son Volt's latest release: The Search (March 2007), Transmit Sounds Records/Legacy Recordings.

This Saturday night show is not to be missed!
[phred]

News and views from the pit - Summerfest '07

The Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage is a tricky mouthful - actually one of the 10 music stages at Summerfest 2007 and the scene for performances by one of the world's premier Afrobeat and reggae bands - Femi Kuti and his band from Nigeria followed by The Wailers from Kingston, Jamaica.

Thousands were jammed into the stands beneath the overpass, sheltered from a sky that threatened to burst any moment. But with mother nature showing mercy, the crowd bumped and gyrated (with the occasional falling off the bench) to a an evening of pulsating horns, throbbing drums, rock steady rhythm and bass, and the energy exuded by the dancers on stage.

Femi Kuti and dancers


Backstage at the Big Backyard stage
Backstage with Aston 'Family Man' Barrett
and Abongy (Mr. Drummer man)



The Wailers

Send me a note and I will fill you in on a karmic experience from the show... let's just put it as giving a helping hand to the band. In any case, tons more pics to come so keep watching - and listening to some live music.
- malliman/AM

Ratdog to be joined by Steve Kimock in July

BREAKING NEWS - It has just been announced that Steve Kimock will be sitting in on lead guitar in place of Mark Karan this month. Best wishes to MK for a quick return to full health!

As you might already know, I am a long-time fan of Bob Weir. But I first caught Ratdog just two years ago at the Orpheum Theatre on 29 Mar 2005. I was very impressed - actually transformed - by this specific show. (A story for some other time perhaps.) But I loved the way that Weir was “playing with” the song canon of the Dead. The entire Ratdog lineup was just extremely enjoyable - tight, jazzy and trippy. I liked it . . . alot.

So last year I saw two Ratdog shows - both fantastic. At Summerfest, the boys played a really great long set opening for String Cheese Incident at the Marcus Theater (the "cheesedog tour"). The band was on, the sound was good, and the crowd was way into it. I actually felt a little sorry for SCI to have to follow this set – because Ratdog was “en fuego.” This show also offered the treat of watching Bobby sit in with Keller Williams to play “Cassidy” and later playing Dylan’s “Quinn the Eskimo” with SCI.

Bob Weir and Ratdog will again be at Summerfest on July 5th and headlining at 10KLF on July 21st. So do catch them if you can.

Deadheads (and boneheads!) know that Weir has always admired Bob Dylan’s work, and Dylan songs show up regularly in his setlists. If you want to get a sense of Bob Weir and Ratdog, there are a few tracks on iTunes.including their cover of “Masters of War.” (How can that song still be so powerful?!)

By the way – I do recommend Weir Here/The Best of Bob Weir. It’s a real good collection of Weir’s work with the Dead and his other side projects. (I got mine in the used CDs section at Madcity Music Exchange. . . But I find lots of treasure there.)

Ratdog sells high quality soundboard recordings of each of its shows. The three-CD sets can be obtained in person, by mail or download. For existing fans, I recommend these shows from ratdoglive.com:

2005 Mar 29 at the Orpeum Theatre, Madison
Opens with a great Tomorrow Never Knows, and Dark Star runs throughout; but it was the final jam that was just amazing : Come Together > Dark Star > Lady with a Fan > Terrapin > Astronomy Domine > At a Siding > Terrapin Flyer > Dark Star (Instrumental) > Two Djinn

2006 Jul 06 at Summerfest
Here’s how it starts – Terrapin>Easy to Slip>Supplication>Birdsong>Book of Rules. After 45 minutes, the first “selection” came to an end. It was very good, indeed.

2006 Oct 21 at the Rave, Milwaukee
Bob put the whole show within a “Help on the Way > Slipnot> Franklins Tower” suite – including a set break. It was cool.

Rock on!

Opening Night at Summerfest 2007

Rylee, Todd and Eric from Matador were at Summerfest last night for the opening. Here is a paste from Rylee's blog:

Headed over to Milwaukee to see the opening night of Summerfest. Arrived around 6:30 to a very cool but beautiful night on Lake Michigan along with some great music and even fireworks. Our four year-in-a-row German guest and musician extraordinaire, Chris, was really excited about seeing grunge/rock bands Flyleaf and Puddle of Mud. Of course, I had never heard of them, but I'm a believer now. I really liked Flyleaf - the woman's voice is amazing. Puddle of Mudd was Seattle-grungy. Good sound but jeesh, the singer looked to be channeling Cobain right on stage.....

read more at Rylee's page at: http://www.wisconsinvoices.com/blog/2007/06/summerfest-in-milwaukee.html

Upcoming Shows - Spoon

One thing I like about going to see live music is that I always get energized and excited by the anticipation of the show. And when I’m already a fan of the band, I pull out my whole collection of their music and listen to it again in preparation. So naturally I’ve been recently listening to my Spoon albums - Girls Can Tell, Kill the Moonlight and Gimme Fiction – and enjoying them all thoroughly. . .

As some of you already know, Spoon is one of my favorite bands and "Gimme Fiction" is one of my favorite albums from last year. It was definitely part of my Summer ‘06 soundtrack! Their new album - “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga” - holds that same potential for me! It's scheduled for release on July 10th, but for the time being it is being streamed in its entirety at http://www.mergerecords.com/gagagajuke/ So check it out! (I think its great, and have already placed my pre-order with Merge.)

Spoon plays on Thursday, July 5th at 10pm on the U.S. Cellular Connection Stage at Summerfest. Highly recommended.


http://www.myspace.com/spoon

Countdown to Summerfest!

Milwaukee's Summerfest claims to be the “World’s Largest Music Festival,” but it is also certainly among the most venerable music fests – this year celebrating its 40th year!

Phred, Malliman and I will be going to several nights of Summerfest this year – as we do most years. One of the dates I’m most excited about is July 5th featuring Ratdog, Umphreys McGee and Spoon (and a host of other good bands).

Summerfest includes popular music at the 23,000 person Marcus Amphitheater. But I’ve always preferred the “free shows” occurring at the other 10 permanent stages. The grounds offer a real good selection of food & beverage vendors – and includes craft beers, in addition to the ubiquitous Miller brands.

And it’s all set against the Lake Michigan shoreline and the downtown skyline, creating a fun, festive environment. Here’s a good map of the Summerfest grounds.

Bob Weir and Ratdog
I've been a fan of Weir's for 30 years – and a big fan ever since I had the good fortune to score front row seats for the Dead at the Uptown Theater in Chicago (17 Nov 1978) – They opened with a mind-blowing Shakedown, and my seats were right in front of Bobby. . . Needless to say, I paid a lot of attention to his playing at that show, and it gave me a huge appreciation for his rhythmic versatility and creativity. I have never listened to him or the Dead in the same way since.

Coincidentally Ratdog’s stop at Summerfest will be almost one year to the day since their appearance at last years festival. Hopefully this will become an annual tradition for the Dogs!


Ratdog will be on the Big Backyard stage at 8:30pm on Thursday, July 5th. I'm already getting excited, and I hope to see you there!

Here are photos from Ratdog’s performance at Summerfest 2006

Summerfest 2007

Here's some of the artists we hope to catch at Summerfest this year!

• 7.02.2007 - The Wailers
• 7.02.2007 - Femi Kuti
• 7.05.2007 - Donna the Buffalo
• 7.05.2007 - Ratdog
• 7.05.2007 - Spoon
• 7.07.2007 - Son Volt

How about you?