Summerfest is in Full Swing!
The first thing I noticed about this second part of Summerfest was the crowds picking up to see live music, do a little shopping, and of course, enjoy freshly prepared food and beverages. The only vendors who were still missing are the fresh fruit vendors and that is due to their major workforce being college students who had to return to classes after Labor Day.
The Artisan Maker’s Market
Deadwax Art is owned by artisan Artisan Alex Grimmer who uses both the label and the part of the vinyl between the last song and the label, aka “deadwax.” He has a really great eye for placement of the labels on each piece and they match the subject for each piece, either a musician or band. I spent quite a bit of time admiring how perfectly Alex placed a variety of labels, including coordination of the colors, throughout this piece. There’s no mistaking the creation of a John Coltrane silhouette, including saxophone, even from a distance. Deadwax Art has larger and smaller pieces as well and I cannot think of a medium more perfectly suited for a music festival than vinyl. https://deadwaxart.com/
Golden Reign Jewelry. Full disclosure: I am a repeat customer of Golden Reign Jewelry because they make unique and beautiful pieces of sterling silver jewelry, with and without semiprecious stones. Every pair of earrings I have purchased from them have held up well over the years and that has everything to do with Herb’s Master Silversmith production and eye for design. I think it is absolutely wonderful that his daughter, Bianca, is following the lost Silversmith art footsteps of Herb. If you like sterling silver, then it is important to have a Silversmith you can trust, especially when you purchase pieces from other places and suddenly find you need them repaired. Golden Reign Jewelry values repeat customers by providing a discount when possible. They have also expanded their use of other metals, including stainless steel. https://www.jewelrybygr.com/
Gruber Law Offices Sport Zone
I had to check out the BMX Stunt team, which ranges in age from as young as ten to late twenties. They seem to start just before 9:00 pm and take a break then come back for a powerful finish, which includes a complete flip before landing. The skills on this team are impressive and it is a great break before the ground stage headliners.
Where I started on day 4 (09/09/21)
I consider ourselves fortunate to have blues keyboardist Junior Brantley return to Milwaukee to play Summerfest with Leroy Airmaster. Junior played on the former Milwaukee Blues/R&B club scene from the 1960s, before hitting the road with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Fabulous Thunderbirds in the 1980s, and eventually settling in Las Vegas. Leroy Airmaster is a locally well-established (four albums), and very respected Milwaukee blues band (not a person), and the current members are Steve Cohen (harmonica), Bill Stone (guitar), Dave Kasik (bass), and Marc Wilson (drums). I cannot help but smile whenever I photograph Junior, as he shares his soul while performing a variety of songs.
https://www.stevecohenblues.com/leroy-airmaster
Then came those fun and very talented men from Edmonton, Kentucky, otherwise known as The Kentucky Headhunters. I was greeted by their tour manager who said my name with the deep southern accent I miss hearing from my southern relatives, and I just knew this was going to be a blast! This band has so much playfulness with each other and their audience, in addition to their solid musicianship. If there’s a better cover of “Spirit In The Sky” then I haven’t heard it, and I am pretty sure the crowd agrees as I could not help but notice the dancing, or as The Kentucky Headhunters say “Let’s Go Stumbling.” The big excitement from this performance is we will see their new album, That’s A Fact, Jack, on October 22nd, as Richard Young (rhythm guitar) announced during this show. Look for their first single, “How Could I” drop around September 24th. I can’t wait to receive the new album to review in time for the release!
http://www.kentuckyheadhunters.net/
Next on my list was Tai Verdes, who used TikTok to launch himself in 2020 with “Stuck In The Middle.” After that, he blew up with over 80,000 likes within a few hours and has been able to quit his side jobs to pursue his full-time career in music. His debut album, TV, has such a positive vibe with sincerity, without being manufactured by a label, and his smile is the kind that makes you want to smile right back! He really had the crowd mesmerized as he moved around, even jumping down from the Generac Power stage for a few minutes. Every once in a while he would show us a glimpse of his amazement at the crowd of fans because Summerfest was one of the handful of first festivals he has performed at. https://www.taiverdes.com/
I really could not think of a better local opener for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts than Milwaukee’s Singer/Songwriter Ronnie Nyles. Ronnie sings across genres, whether an original or a cover and she, along with her band, did not disappoint the crowd at BMO Harris Pavilion. It was the husband of a nearby fan who I overheard tell his wife “How did we not know about her before now? She’s incredible and her band is, wow!” https://www.ronnienyles.com
Of course, I had to celebrate 45 years of rock with George Thorogood and the Destroyers, along with the largest crowd I have seen at any Summerfest show so far. It was clear to George we were happy his “Good To Be Bad” tour routed to Summerfest. It’s so much fun to watch George entertain the crowd with his antics, including his side-eye and playful smile, then witness him feed off their energy, while he took us through decades of his music as we sang all the way along with him, while we let him know he’s the one we love!
https://www.georgethorogood.com/
Day 5 (09/10/21)
I started with Milwaukee’s multi-award-winning Celtic band, Reilly, who opened the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage to a growing crowd. Michael Tinker Tierney (guitar, vocals, and harmonica) is also a very entertaining frontman, as he leads the audience by sharing short stories between one song to the next, while Joe Neumann (bass, vocals) and Lyle Brotkowski (drums, vocals) have their moments of playfulness in response to Michael. Larry Guard (fiddle, vocals) puts his distinct fiddle sound on whatever this band performs, including their cover of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold.”
Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to enjoy one of Milwaukee’s best bands, Shonn Hinton & Shotgun, who get to perform when Shonn comes off the road as Mary J Blige’s tour guitarist. Their sophomore album, Reloaded, was released this past November, and this show was the first chance I have had to see them. This band is incredibly soulful, which likely has everything to do with most members growing up performing in church. I caught a few people dancing to what Shonn Hinton & Shotgun were serving!
https://shonnsshotgun.com/home
Fun Baby!
Whoever at Summerfest booked the original Godfathers of Hip-Hop: Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Melle Mel, and Scorpio Furious 5 is a genius! This show was so hot that even Summerfest Security was “rockin’ to the beat without a care,” while the rest of us could not stop throwing “our hands high up in the air!” It’s hard to believe it’s been 41 years since “Rapper’s Delight” was released. This was when Hip-Hop had creative rhyming lyrics, with positive and silly messaging, before the industry took a sharp turn into gangsta rap. Wonder Mike, Master Gee, and Hen Dogg followed the brief intro by DJ C Styles, and the crowd went wild with happiness. This was so much fun, and everyone was on their feet in response to what was happening. As if we weren’t high enough, baby, the first Hip-Hop artists to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Grandmaster Melle Mel and Scorpio Furious 5, made their stage entrance. Their beats, stage presence, and lyrics were absolutely what we needed! They took us out of our worries while we were flooded with memories of how awesome all of these men and their genres are. Hen Dogg made sure to remind us there was no need to be anything other than cool.
With just a song to spare, I made my way to see multi-Platinum recording artist Jesse McCartney perform on Uline Warehouse to a large group of fans. It seemed as if all Jesse had to do was float across the stage to get a good number of his fans cheering him on and he would smile back at them with appreciation. It made me wonder how many of his fans remember his days as JR Chandler on All My Children!
https://www.jessemccartney.com/
Quinn Sullivan, who has been mentored by Buddy Guy, performed on Johnson Controls World Stage, sharing songs from his recently released Wide Awake album. I found it fascinating to experience his own sound, and his own style of Blues Rock, while I have memories of him as a young teen, performing at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago. He was well-received by his audience.
These Singer Songwriting Women Brought it!
Gina Brooklyn and her blend of old soul hippie meets 2021 vibe shared what matters to her, that being to “See The Good” instead of finding faults. What really struck me about her is how much passion she pours into every song she sings, and that was felt by an audience who showered her with applause. Her “Hey, Man!” and “No More Hiding” are also meaningful and it was very clear Gina spreads her joy to her audience.
Amy Lowe is an incredible artist from Chicago who worked with The Sing Me A Story Foundation by writing “Not What I Seem,” inspired by a life story written by then fifteen-year-old Ariella. The audience always can feel how meaningful and genuine Amy is whenever she performs. This show was on the revised Northwestern Mutual Community Park, which is greatly improved from what it was, with new playground equipment and several nice metal picnic tables for families to share a meal while enjoying a variety of all-age shows. Amy Lowe was joined by her supporting guitarist, King Katz.
Torres, who just released her fifth studio album Thirstier, on July 30th, played on Johnson Controls World Stage, and there were plenty of people there, including new fans. Her show featured many songs from her latest album, including the title track “Thirstier” and “Don’t Go Puttin’ Wishes In My Head.” Torres told her Summerfest audience how they are her favorite audience so far, and she followed it up with “I don’t say this at every show I play,” and the Summerfest audience erupted with delight!
https://torresmusicofficial.com/
Headliner
Nelly, a Summerfest favorite, performed on the US Cellular Connection stage to a huge crowd of screaming fans! This was his Hip-Hop show, and it was obvious he was enjoying the crowd as much as they were enjoying him, especially during “E.I.” and “Where the Party At!” The crowd never sat down from standing on the bleacher-style seats during his entire show and that doesn’t happen to many other artists. http://www.nelly.net/
Day 6 (09/11/21)
Klement’s Sausage and Beer Garden is a smaller stage with plenty of metal picnic tables for friends to sit together, drink together, and enjoy Klement’s food together. The first show of the day on this stage was Jim Ohlschmidt (guitar) & Steve Cohen (harmonica), a very entertaining slow blues combo. Both spend time making it personable by sharing small stories about their adventures and the songs, making for quite a nice way to start the day at Summerfest. https://www.jimohlschmidt.com/
https://www.stevecohenblues.com/
Kharma Shotgun with Guitars for Vets performed on Generac Power Stage, and it was Military Appreciation Day on the Generac Power Stage. Guitars for Vets promotes the healing from PTSD and other injuries for Veterans through the power of music, primarily through the Department of Veterans Affairs and other medical centers.
The next band I had to check out was The Ginger’s -Redheads that Rock from Chicago. This band of five headbanging, energetic, and eclectic women started the day of rock’n’roll on Uline Warehouse, by making the theme clear while also having an obvious blast performing to their audience. Definitely a great combination of solid musicians who are also eye candy to many, making them a great regional festival band.http://www.gingerschicago.com/
Huge congratulations to Altered Five Blues Band for their new album, Holler If You Hear Me, reaching number 3 on Billboard’s Blues Albums for the same week they played Summerfest!
This is their sixth studio album and it is their best yet! What a great opportunity for music fans to hear many songs from this album during this show. This was my first time catching up with Altered Five after the whole lockdown without live music. There’s just something so right with the combination of Jeff Taylor’s lead vocals and Jeff Schroedl’s guitar playing which absolutely never gets old.
Toad the Wet Sprocket also just released their new album, Starting Now, and their fans packed the seating area of the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage. How relaxing and fun it was to hear a setlist that included their classics “All I Want” and new music “Hold On” which Glen introduced about how the past year has been filled with endless challenges and we keep going. It’s hard to believe we have been enjoying this band for thirty years, especially when they sound just as fresh now as they always have. It was obvious their fans were very happy with this show.
https://toadthewetsprocket.com/
Take A Picture
Back to the Uline Warehouse for a band, I have always wanted to see, Filter. I had no idea how intense Richard Patrick is live, until this show. It was as if he started out filled with rage, then suddenly he wasn’t, and I wondered if it was the way he got the crowd going as they sang every song right back at him. Filter played “Hey Man Nice Shot,” released 26 years ago, and “Take A Picture,” released 22 years ago, just as fresh as when these songs were first released. We were all smiles by the time Filter finished.
Those in the know dusted off their Gufs t-shirts and made sure to get as close to the stage as seating allowed to record as much of the show as possible, because it has been far too long since one of Milwaukee’s favorite bands, The Gufs, played a live show. It was simply amazing to see all four original members together again and to hear two new songs, “One” and “Hero” in a masterful setlist. Their sound was as if they never took a break, and we all didn’t mind knowing we have been enjoying this alt-rock band for thirty-three years! How “Crash (Into Me)” sounds just as good now as it did in 1996! It would make plenty of people happy if there’s a new album in the works…
Cult of Personality
If you have not seen Living Colour live then you are really missing out on a dynamic performance! It was as if half of the entire Summerfest crowd descended upon the Uline Warehouse to enjoy Living Colour and I am far from alone in saying this was definitely my favorite show of the day! Their energy and passion is unmatched and Corey Glover is literally everywhere on the stage, with Doug Wimbish and Vernon Reid moving along with him and each other. Will Calhoun’s drum kit is as stunning as Corey’s performance. “Cult of Personality” was second to last on their setlist, not that it mattered because this band does not have a bad song. In fact, you can be totally unfamiliar with all of their songs and leave a complete fan of everything you heard them perform.
Milwaukee’s multi-instrumentalist, Klassik, put together quite an ensemble of musicians, including SistaStrings, to support his performance on Johnson Controls Stage. It has been a number of years since the last time Klassik played Summerfest, which is why so many people were not going to miss this! I really appreciate how Klassik treats his performance with tender loving care, for both his fans and himself to enjoy.
Back to Klement’s Sausage and Beer Garden Stage for Delmark recording artist Johnny Burgin, who had Billy Flynn (guitar), Marie Martens (bass), and Stephen Dougherty (drums) as his supporting band, serving the crowd with some of the best Chicago Blues has to offer. Johnny’s cover of Fenton Robinson’s “Loan Me A Dime” was outstanding! https://johnnyburgin.com/
Headliners
Back to Uline Warehouse for Hinder, which was my first time seeing Marshal Dutton as their singer, and I was not disappointed! Cody Hanson (drums) was on fire, as he really stood out with his playing. Fans were really happy the setlist included “I need another drink.” “Up All Night,” “American Nightmare,” and “Lips of an Angel.” There was massive discussion from fans about how much they dug this show.
Summerfest welcomed the return of Buckcherry with open arms, which they must have felt because they started a few minutes early, opening with “So Hott” with fans jumping to their feet, and before we knew it we were all Hellbound! Stevie D was the last masterful guitarist on stage for the night and he made sure we would not forget him! Amazing and so entertaining! https://buckcherry.com/
