Summerfest!!! First of Three
Summerfest 2021 Begins
September is finally here and that means, for this year, Summerfest begins! Instead of running for eleven consecutive days at the end of June and early July, with only one day off somewhere in the middle, we have three long weekends in September, of course, due to COVID. Those of us who dig live music in an outdoor festival venue made sure to meet the proof of vaccination criteria or proof of a negative COVID test. I’d also like to take a moment here to wish Yola (who is vaccinated) an uneventful recovery, as many of us were both sad and understanding she had to cancel after testing positive on the day of her show. We also hope she adds a Milwaukee date on her “Stand for Myself” tour, before heading back to the UK.
Where I started on Day 1 (09/02/21)
Alex Wilson, a local Milwaukee favorite blues guitarist (who is also from a family of great musicians), hit the Briggs stage at noon, which means he was already performing by the time fans made it through the gates. I could not stay long because I had much more to cover.
The next stop was the BMO stage, for Starlifter – the USAF Band of Mid-America. I had checked them out on YouTube a few days earlier and was really impressed with their musicianship. They did not disappoint with their cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up.”
Then it was back to Briggs stage for Reverend Raven & the Chain Smoking Altar Boys featuring Westside Andy, another solid Wisconsin blues band, with Craig Panosh (drums) and P.T. Pedersen (bass), all of which have decades of performing and touring experience with legends.
I was really curious to learn what the new stage sponsor, Generac, had done to the former Harley Davidson stage, which also gave me the opportunity to check out Milwaukee’s progressive rock band, Sacred, and to listen for any difference in how Thea (cello and backing vocals) and Stelio (guitar) were sounding on the new speaker system. Immediately I noticed their quality sound and the way Generac rearranged the photo pit area, which blocked off photographers from being able to easily walk back on the walkway to the soundboard, to capture that prime full stage photography. In other words, I love the sound system improvement and hope Generac/Summerfest can figure out a way to open that walkway up for pit photographers to be able to step back and capture full photos with performing band’s props and special effect lighting.
I made my way to the US Cellular Connection Stage to see Christopher’s Project, led by Chris Pipkins. I literally experienced immediate goosebumps in reaction to Ameerah Tatum’s singing. Chris always has top-performing musicians with him and Ameerah tops that list with her voice and her contagious energy, all of which is obvious she loves what she does.
Ground Stage Headliners
I had started my day listening to Crawl off Renegades, the new album by Riley’s L.A. Guns, before heading to Summerfest, after spending a week listening to several interviews with Steve Riley, all of which was why I was really looking forward to checking them out live. I really enjoy Riley’s L.A. Guns lineup of Steve Riley (drums), Kelly Nickels (bass), Scott Griffin (lead guitar), and Kurt Frohlich (lead vocals/guitar) and they did not disappoint! This is the rock ‘n’ roll I dig so much that I did not want to leave after their third song (dang photographer rules). I hope they return to Milwaukee soon as I need a shirt with their new logo, which I somehow missed as I had to walk the mile to the next stage. Really check out the album, which is on vinyl in a variety of colors, and I ordered mine in clear because purple was sold out. https://laguns.net/
I made the mile walk in time to see Robert Randolph and the Family Band, a Summerfest favorite. Their second song was “Baptise Me,” and I could not get the grin off my face as I bopped around the photo pit, noticing how great Lenesha Randolph’s vocals were with Robert’s pedal steel shredding. I was not the only one bopping around as I saw the first couple dancing in the audience, making me even happier to know people were enjoying the return of Summerfest. http://www.robertrandolph.net/
Time to grab a bite to eat and check out Kurtis Blow, who introduced his wife Shirley after he introduced the band, then shared it was their thirty-seventh anniversary. He also dedicated his Basketball song (released thirty-seven years earlier) to the Milwaukee Bucks and our NBA Champion, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and of course, the crowd went wild celebrating these acknowledgments. My experience with Kurtis does not end here with his show, because I ran into Mr. & Mrs. Blow later in the night while walking the Summerfest midway. I called out to them, and they let me approach to wish them a Happy Anniversary.
I walked another mile back to BMO for the spectacular Vixen. I watched a lot of Vixen videos ahead of this opportunity because I wanted to maximize my experience as a photojournalist. What stood out to me ahead of this show was how hard-working Vixen is and their level of musicianship is really good. In other words, while they are eye candy to many, they are not some surface-level, slap-happy chick band created by a label. Vixen members are Roxy Petrucci (drums), Share Ross (bass), Britt Lightning (guitar), and Lorraine Lewis (lead vocals). They opened with “Rev it Up” with Roxy’s intro setting the pace, followed by “Waiting for the Big One,”` and “How Much Love.” I noticed how much love they have for each other, their music, and their fans, during their show. I also noticed how their fans included several people I see at other excellent concerts, and it was clear they were vibing from Vixen and Vixen responded. I sure hope they return to Milwaukee soon. https://vixenofficial.com/
My next mile journey back to Uline stage for The Steepwater Band, another Summerfest/Milwaukee favorite consisting of Jeff Massey (lead vocals/lead guitar), Eric Saylors (lead guitar/backing vocals), Joe Bishop (bass/backing vocals), and Joe Winters (drums). I have been a fan for the past several years, from the very first time I saw them live. I was glad I had time to sit back and enjoy their show, which included “High and Humble.” What really impressed me was Joe got out from behind the drums and addressed the audience with his recognition and appreciation of Charlie Watts, one of his greatest influences, followed by the Steepwater band’s fantastic performance of “Honky Tonk Women,” which was received by a standing ovation. https://www.steepwater.com/
Jackie Venson performed next and she is a Wisconsin favorite as she routes through Milwaukee and further north at least on a yearly basis. There were also many people who expressed how even though they were unfamiliar with her, they were now instant fans after enjoying her performance. Jackie has such a natural way of connecting with an audience while also showing she’s an incredible musician with a tight band: Marcus (bass) and Rodney (drums). “Vintage Machine,” the title track from her album released in 2020, was the second song. She also performed “Love Transcends,” the title track from her new album which drops on 09/24/21. I could not help but notice a few Wisconsin festival buyers were in the audience, which hopefully means we will see Jackie again next summer at smaller Wisconsin festivals. https://jackievenson.com/
The final headliner for those of us at the Uline stage was Blackberry Smoke. I spotted many loyal fans in the crowd who wore a variety of Blackberry Smoke shirts and hoodies. The first three songs of their setlist were “Payback’s a Bitch,” “Six Ways to Sunday,” and “Live It Down.” The members of Blackberry Smoke are Charlie Starr (lead vocals/lead & rhythm guitar), Paul Jackson (lead guitar/rhythm guitar and backing vocals), Brandon Still (keyboards), Richard Turner (bass and backing vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Preston Holcomb (percussion), and Benji Shanks (guitar). So many people were on their feet dancing while singing each song. https://www.blackberrysmoke.com/
Day 2 (09/03/21)
Craig Omick’s Third Coast Grooves, a creative collection of local musicians who add creativity to cover songs, is where I started my day on the Summerfest grounds.
Jay Stulo Band started at the same time on US Cellular Connection, and the thing about Jay for me is once I start photographing him, I have a hard time moving on to the next band. He is a blues master guitarist with a variety of tricks and techniques, as he makes his guitar perform exactly as he wants, even with the complexity of playing slide. He enjoys what he does, which is clear by watching his face while performing, especially when he grins at his guitar.
Respect! A Tribute to the Queen of Soul was next and their version of “Freeway of Love” really got things moving at the BMO Harris Pavilion.
I made the mile trek to Uline for KB & Dungarees, a really fun cover band of top-shelf local musicians, bringing a collective fan base for a loyal audience.
Ground Stage Headliners
I had some more time to visit with friends, including security and other photographers, before Night Ranger performed. Word of Night Ranger approving all photographers to shoot their entire show spread quickly. Self Disclosure: The first time I saw Night Ranger was their Big Life tour in 1987 and six songs from that setlist made their Summerfest setlist including “Four in the Morning,” “When You Close Your Eyes,”, and “Sister Christian.” This setlist also included two Damn Yankees songs, “Coming of Age” and “High Enough,” due to Jack Blades’ creation of Damn Yankees, plus two more Night Ranger songs, “Somehow Some Way,” and their new song, “Breakout”. This was such a fun show, between knowing almost every song and the memories they triggered, while enjoying this band playing with more energy than I remember them having in 1987. The current members of Night Ranger are Jack Blades, Brad Gillis, Kelly Keagy, Eric Levy, and Keri Kelli. https://www.nightranger.com/
Back to BMO for another Milwaukee favorite, Abby Jeanne, who performs a smashing cover of “Somebody to Love” in addition to several original songs, including Be In The Sun, which she explained is written about those we know who struggle with addiction. She’s definitely a fierce talent to check out. http://www.abbyjeanne.com/
My final show of the night was Leon Bridges, who continues to amaze me. I last saw him in 2016, when he performed at Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater, and that was a great show. He is currently promoting his new album, Gold-Diggers Sound, from which he performed the songs “Steam,” “Sweeter,” and “Born Again.” He opened with “Shy,” from his Good Thing album. He also sang “Brown Skin Girl,” “Coming Home,” and “Smooth Sailing” from his Coming Home album. His audience was the largest crowd I saw for any Summerfest show over the first two days.
https://www.leonbridges.com/
Day 3 (09/04/21)
The reason I started the final day of the first third with Jonny T-Bird & the MP’s, another local blues band, was to see how his new drummer, Jenna Kopitske was doing. The first and last time I photographed Jenna was when she appeared with the Dos Bando Nuevo band at the Wisconsin Area Music Industry’s Youth Showcase in 2018 and 2019. There are many talented youths who participate in the WAMI Youth Showcase, and it’s clear some will pursue music while many will go on with their lives. Then there’s Jenna. Her drumming and energy stood out to me more than anyone else. We spent time talking about her dreams and pursuit of music as a professional career as she prepared to attend UW Oshkosh studying music industry and business, which she is now doing. While my wanting to bring her to Chicago to spend time with blues drumming legends Willie “The Touch” Hayes and Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith has been placed on hold, it sure was great to see her playing on the US Cellular Connection stage as a member of Jonny T-Bird & the MP’s who are lucky to have her. I say remember her name because we are only at the beginning of her journey.
I could not resist getting Inside Out with Eve 6, who brought their set of hits to the Generac stage while collecting a decent size crowd for their early performance slot. I scanned the crowd while observing fans of all ages singing lyrics to so many songs performed during this show. Current members of Eve 6 are Max Collins (lead vocals/bass), Jon Siebels (guitar/vocals), and Ben Hilzinger (drums).
I had to make my way to see The Incorruptibles Band, one of the best Roots/Blues/Rock/Rockabilly bands in the Milwaukee area, featuring Jimmy McCarthy (guitar/lead vocals), Amy Ashby (upright bass/lead vocals), and Bill Siebert (drums/backing vocals), as they played to their loyal fan base and new fans, all of which had smiles on their faces during this show.
I made my way to the Uline stage to see The Bel Airs, a great Americana Rockin Blues band with a whole lot of soul, and we are lucky they include Wisconsin on their tour route. The harmony shared by brothers Dick and Dave Pruitt, backed by drummer Michael Cherry, is a whole lot of why audiences find themselves unable to sit still during any performance by The Bel Airs, and the audience at this show was no exception.
Ground Stage Headliners
If you are a John Waite/Bad English/The Babys fan, like me, then you know there was absolutely no way I was going to miss his performance at the BMO Harris Pavilion. John and his band were fantastic and their setlist was a great collection of songs from The Babys with “Midnight Rendezvous,” “Back on My Feet Again,” and “Head First;” Bad English songs including “When I See You Smile” and “Best Of What I’ve Got;” John Waite songs such as “Tears,” “Bluebird Cafe,” “Missing You,” “Fly,” “Better Off Gone;” and great covers including Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.” This was such an enjoyable performance that many photographers sat in the audience, myself included, after the first three songs ended. http://www.johnwaiteworldwide.com/
When I reached Willy Porter’s show on the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage, I noticed a young boy standing on a bleacher, playing his guitar to Willy, strumming along at whatever speed Willy was performing. I spoke briefly with the parents of this adorable young guitarist, to obtain their permission to publish my photograph of him, as it was clear he is an aspiring guitarist. Meanwhile, Carmen Nickerson and Willy were entertaining their audience with their soulful, playful manner which is also like floating on air as they transition from one song to the next, and Willy would tell short stories about many of his songs, which was well received. Willy’s band includes Dave Adler (keys), Dave Schoepke (drums), Eric Madunic (bass), and Carmen Nickerson (vocals). https://willyporter.com/
I checked out Americana genre performer, Tyler Boone, who performed on the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage. His band had fun interaction on stage making their show fun for the audience. http://www.tylerboonemusic.com/
American Idol’s Season 19 winner, Chayce Beckham, hit the US Cellular Connection Stage right at 6 pm to a happy audience of all ages. His song “23” was already number 1 on iTunes by the time he was declared the Idol winner earlier this year. It was pretty easy to see why he has a wide-open future in his chosen genre of Country Music and fans look forward to when he will release his first album. https://www.chaycebeckham.com/
I really wanted to check out Stef w/ an F, the lead singer of City of the Weak, after reading about her/their increasing popularity on the rock festival scene. She and the rest of City of the Weak, Cody Hoffman (bass), and Brent Lindblad (guitars), are an exciting, not-to-miss rock band with message lyrics, see when they route your way. https://www.cityoftheweakofficial.com/
It has been too long since I last saw Drive-By Truckers and they made their fans at Johnson Controls World Sound Stage very happy with a setlist that included “The Living Bubba,” “A Ghost to Most,” and “Goode’s Field Road.” Matt Patton (bass) had such a blissful grin, making it easy to see how happy he was to play live music! I was also struck by how easily Jay Gonzalez was able to play guitar and keys while sitting at the keyboard. I wish I could have stayed longer before heading to the next stage. https://www.drivebytruckers.com/
I was pretty excited to finally get to see Shaggy, and I had “It wasn’t Me” in my head earlier in the day. He easily drew one of the largest crowds of the day, and he really had a heartfelt look of appreciation when the crowd cheered him at the beginning and during his performance of an extended “Boombastic.” This was a fun show, and his band really does a great job playing along with wherever Shaggy goes. http://www.shaggyonline.com/
The final show of the night, for me, was Rise Against, on the Generac Power Stage. Here’s why I recommend giving photographers access to the runway towards the soundboard, so we are able to capture the brilliant light show and stage props used by Rise Against. This audience was really into the show with a setlist that included “The Numbers”, “Re-Education (Through Labor),” and “Satellite.” Their Nowhere Generation Tour is a must-see for all Rise Against fans! https://www.riseagainst.com/
I’m looking forward to the Second Third of Summerfest, 09/09/21 – 09/11/21! I hope to see you there!
