What's your favorite Kinks song? All Day and All of the Night? Lola? Come Dancing? Sunny Afternoon? I'm Not Like Everybody Else? Chances are, Ray Davies will sing it for you Sunday November 6th when he plays theBarrymore Theatre.
I've never been lucky enough to see the Kinks, but I have had the opportunity to see Ray Davies live three times, and he does not disappoint. The guy can still sing and entertain..demonstrating that he's still got what it takes to be a fantastic frontman. The first time I saw him was probably more than a decade ago when he was on his Storyteller tour. That show was also at the Barrymore. The small but devoted audience got to hear all the great Kinks songs..and the stories that went with them. How did his brother Dave Davies get that signature tone on "You Really Got Me?" He stuck a knife in his amplifier. And all the stories were told with wit and passion.
I got to see Ray again when he played the Barrymore to start off a 2006 U.S. tour, and then later in the tour at Summerfest. Mike and I sat right next to the soundboard at the Barrymore show, so we could see the setlist..and it was a great one! He included lots of hits, some chestnuts for hardcore fans, as well as songs from his new album...and those were great too! He's funny, he's a talented songwriter and performer..and he has more charisma than the average Well Respected Man. If you're a Kinks fan and have never seen him before..make sure you see this show. If you have seen him before, chances are you've already bought your tickets. --Previewed by Kitty Dunn
For a lot of people..the Willy Street Fair is bittersweet. It's one of the city's best, most unusual neighborhood festivals, but it also marks the end of summer. If you've never been there..it's hard to explain. Mix in some tie-dye and political activism with great live music, food and beer, and throw in some bubbles for good measure, and that might give you a bit of an idea.
Saturday, the Willy Street Fair features 3 stages with a variety of live music options on the 800 block of Williamson Street. This year, the Fair is continuing its relationship with the Madison World Music Festival to bring some really outstanding entertainment our way. Click here to see the entire World Music Festival schedule. (It actually gets underway Thursday at the Wisconsin Union Theatre).
As I looked at the list, one act really jumped out at me as one to see. Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars are a group of musicians who escaped the horrific violence of Sierra Leone's civil war, landed in a West African refugee camp and formed a band to keep their spirits up and their hopes alive. You can catch their performance Saturday at 7:15pm.
Sunday the fun continues on the 800 to 1000 blocks of Willy Street, starting off with the world's coolest parade at 11am. This is not your typical "bring out all the fire trucks and Shriners' kind of parade. In fact, any one can join this rag-tag assemblage! Look for Triple M's Gabby Parsons and some lucky Triple M listeners waving to the crowd from a super-snazzy convertible.
There are five stages filled with a wide variety of acts on Sunday. Here are my picks:
The Jimmys 4pm on the Main Stage. Led by Triple M's favorite rock and roll farmer, the newly married Jimmy Voegeli on keys, the Jimmys are guaranteed to get our mojo working!
Wayne Baker Brooks 5pm on the Main Stage: Wayne continues the rich heritage of his dad Lonnie Brooks, with a "liquid fire" guitar style and passionate vocals.
Purgatory Hill w/Pat MacDonald + Melanie Jane. 5:50pm on the Underground Stage. Yes, that Pat MacDonald, whose future was so bright he had to wear shades back in his Timbuk3 days. But don't expect to hear that song. This band's music is described as "a shocking reinvention of blues and rock music."
That's just a tiny sliver of what you can experience on Saturday and Sunday. There's also a kids stage, a folk stage and a culture stage. See the complete schedule here.
The Willy Street Fair is a benefit for Commonwealth Development and the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center, so you can have a good time and know you're doing good at the same time. See you there!
--Kitty Dunn..Willy Street Fair attendee, 20 years and counting! (Thanks to Gabby for the pics)
Today is World Goth Day, a day to celebrate the post-punk, anti-establishment, dark clothes-wearing subculture.
I'm pretty sure I was a Goth for at least for little while, for two reasons.
1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
Hello to all from Nfusion. Another round of challenges has moved beyond us all. Congrats to those of us lucky enough to have survived to this point. Sad to see the others eliminated as they were all very creative and talented. Good Bye to our new friends...
This morning it seemed like just about everyone was in the mood for some Funky Cold Medina...except Kitty. This ridiculous song made it all the way to number 3 in 1989. Jonathan says any song that references advertising dogs from the 80's has got...
Madison's summer music festival season kicks off this weekend with Brat Fest at Willow Island, where there are more bands than you can shake a bratwurst at! Check out the Brat Fest website to plan your itinerary.
Next up is the Marquette...
John Fogerty is making the talk show rounds this week, stopping in to see David Letterman Tuesday and Wednesday, and the ladies of "The View" on Thursday.
He's promoting his new album, "Wrote a Song For Everyone" which comes out next Tuesday...
It's a miracle that both Jonathan and KItty wanted to hear Barry Manilow this morning. They were not alone. Plenty of Fanilow's called in to vote yes. One caller claimed to have seen Manilow in concert 25 times!
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, it is another gorgeous Monday, fit for another great show at the Crystal Corner tonight.
Through locking ourselves in the barn on Irish Lane, tossing some ideas around, as well as a few choice beverages to...
Hey everybody, we were thrown for a loop by the twist this week, but were able to make one of our "oldie but a goldie" songs fit the mold.
We have a few songs that we have played consistently over the years, and we are very happy that we will be...
Today is World Goth Day, a day to celebrate the post-punk, anti-establishment, dark clothes-wearing subculture.
I'm pretty sure I was a Goth for at least for little while, for two reasons.
1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
Hello to all from Nfusion. Another round of challenges has moved beyond us all. Congrats to those of us lucky enough to have survived to this point. Sad to see the others eliminated as they were all very creative and talented. Good Bye to our new friends...
This morning it seemed like just about everyone was in the mood for some Funky Cold Medina...except Kitty. This ridiculous song made it all the way to number 3 in 1989. Jonathan says any song that references advertising dogs from the 80's has got...
Madison's summer music festival season kicks off this weekend with Brat Fest at Willow Island, where there are more bands than you can shake a bratwurst at! Check out the Brat Fest website to plan your itinerary.
Next up is the Marquette...
John Fogerty is making the talk show rounds this week, stopping in to see David Letterman Tuesday and Wednesday, and the ladies of "The View" on Thursday.
He's promoting his new album, "Wrote a Song For Everyone" which comes out next Tuesday...
It's a miracle that both Jonathan and KItty wanted to hear Barry Manilow this morning. They were not alone. Plenty of Fanilow's called in to vote yes. One caller claimed to have seen Manilow in concert 25 times!
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, it is another gorgeous Monday, fit for another great show at the Crystal Corner tonight.
Through locking ourselves in the barn on Irish Lane, tossing some ideas around, as well as a few choice beverages to...
Hey everybody, we were thrown for a loop by the twist this week, but were able to make one of our "oldie but a goldie" songs fit the mold.
We have a few songs that we have played consistently over the years, and we are very happy that we will be...
