One of the things I love most about Madison is its great summer festivals..and now the first one has already come and gone! I had a blast at the Marquette Waterfront Festival, even though it was a little cloudier and windier than I had anticipated. Note to self: how hard is it to throw a sweatshirt in the car?
I'd never seen Robbie Fulks before and was very excited..but have to admit it was not what I expected at all. I missed probably the first half hour..but the songs I heard were not the twisted hard drinking alt-country songs I was expecting. And I certainly didn't think he would cover Michael Jackson (This Girl Is Mine). He did do "Let's Kill Saturday Night," so I had to let him off the hook.
I didn't really pay attention to the Campbell Brothers..although I could tell they were very talented musicians and singers. I guess I just wasn't in the mood for gospel.
The Bottle Rockets did not disappoint. Totally balls to the wall alt-country/rock and roll. They did most of the songs I was hoping for, including Radar Gun, I'll Be Comin' Around, and of course..Radar Gun.
I can't wait for the next summer neighborhood festival. I'll keep ya posted!
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My summer was book-ended with two great music festivals---the Crossroads Guitar Festival in June, and then Farm Aid 25 this weekend. Even though Farm Aid didn't have quite as many musical heavy hitters, we had a fantastic time.
Some of the highlights:
The Bodeans: it was great to see the some locally grown talent on the big stage at Farm Aid. I was kinda bummed they only got to do three songs (Runaway, Good Things, and Closer to Free)...but a lot of the early acts only got short sets as well. I'm sure Kurt and Sammy were just happy to be there--and heck their band's name made the program, and the t-shirts!
New artist to watch: Lukas Nelson and the Promise of Real. Lukas is Willie's son..but sounds nothing like his dad. He's an incredibly talented blues guitar player..and he and his band really ripped it up. We only caught the end of his set, but he did get to come back near the end with his dad and play another song.
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: they kicked off their set with All Along the Watchtower, and followed with acoustic versions of familiar DMB hits. Willie Nelson joined in on Grave Digger. Tim Reynolds guitar abilities are fantastic!
Neil Young: You never know what to expect from Neil Young. He used up a lot of his time talking about the plight of family farmers, which really ticked off some 20-something guys ahead of us. Hey..that's what the day was all about! Songs included "Down by the River," "Ohio," and "Long May You Run."
Steven Tyler: The Aerosmith front man was in town for American Idol auditions and came onstage to sing one tune with Willie Nelson. But he was smart enough to know it was Willie's day and exited the stage quickly.
The all-star jam: Okay..so musically it wasn't great. But it was cool to see every one back on stage singing along with Willie and Neil. It seemed Willie had no desire to go home.
Here are some pics from the day's adventures:
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.
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...
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...
