This Saturday it will be extra festive around the Barrymore Theatre..it's Atwood Summerfest time again!
This is one of Madison's great summer festivals, with tasty food, refreshing beverages..and great live music. Local bands make up this year's lineup, with a little something for everybody.
Proceeds benefit the Goodman Community Center (which used to be the Atwood Community Center). They've got great programs for kids and adults and really do great work. This is one of their major fundraisers, so let's hope it's a big success.
Now I know it's going to be HOT this weekend, but here's another great thing about this festival. It's located within convenient walking distance of several air conditioned bars.
Here's the lineup for 2011!
Harmony Bar / Capital Brewery BLUES Stage
12:00 pm The Roddys: a duo that mixes country with the blues
1:10 pm Cris Plata and Extra Hot: original Tex Mex
2:20 pm Sigourney Weavers:Â original rock/alternative
3:30 pm David Hecht and Primitive Culture: funk, blues, tropical
4:40 pm Kyle Henderson and Blue Eyed Soul: soul & blues from an original member of the Producers
5:50 pm The Jimmys: 8-piece Chicago style blues led by rock-n-roll farmer Jimmy VoegeliMaximum Ink / Ale Asylum ROCK Stage:
12:00 pm Unity the Band: reggae
1:20 pm Lova Nova: get your groove on
2:40 pm Soul Shaker: rock n roll, blues
4:00 pm Baghdad Scuba Review: progressive rock
5:30 pm VO5: funk/disco/dance
Before I start telling you about my experience seeing Blue Oyster Cult at Summerfest last week, I'd like to point out that the percussive instrument you hear in "Don't Fear the Reaper" is a wood block, not a cowbell, no matter what Christopher Walken tells you.
Mike and I only made it to Summerfest one day this year--but at least we kept our streak alive, attending the festival with each other for the past 15 years. Mike was very excited to see Blue Oyster Cult, but since I was only familiar with two of their songs, I wasn't quite as fired up.
Mike and the rest of the crowd (mostly guys) really got into the show, and I have to admit that they sounded great. I really liked an instrumental piece that features guitarist Buck Dharma. It's called "Buck's Boogie," an obvious homage to Jeff Beck and "Beck's Boogie."
But I must rant for a bit about one aspect of Summerfest that I HATE. For some reason, when the show starts, everybody stands up on the benches to get a better view. Don't they realize that when every one stands up on the benches, they're going to get the same exact view as if every one stayed safe and sound on the ground?
I don't have the best sense of balance, so this was my view at the concert:
Somebody with a video camera certainly had a better view than I did. Here's B.O.C. with their classic '70's hit.....
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.
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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...
We just received word of what this weeks twist is, and...oh boy. We need to take our "signature song" and cut it to only 2:30 without going over. Amberstein does not simply play 2:30 versions of our songs...so this could be interesting.
Last...
In 1984, Rockwell rose to number 2 for 3 weeks in 1984 with "Somebody's Watching Me." The backup singer for the song was Michael Jackson. How did Rockwell get Jackson to help him? Well, Rockwell's real name is Kennedy William Gordy and he...
Have you heard the song "Rumble and Sway" yet on Triple M?
The singer sounds like a raspy blues dude who's definitely been around the block a few times....but surprisingly, Jamie N. Commons is only 23 years old!
He was born in England, but...
