In the middle of the National’s show at the Pabst on Friday, someone in the band thanked Milwaukee, saying, “The last time we played here, there were like, 20 people around.” There were substantially a lot more in attendance that night. It wasn’t a packed house, but it was close to it, and most everybody […]
September 21, 2007
“It smells a lot like patchouli,” Sonya told me as we hunkered down to our seats, a little late. Ani DiFranco, new mom and feminist folk singing hero, was already slinking around the stage. I think she was singing “Napoleon” when we walked in, but I don’t know how much we missed. I listened to […]
September 21, 2007
John Baldwin Gourley, founder of Portugal. The Man, was so sweet over the phone that I neglected to ask him about the silly period in the middle of their band name. Made in Alaska, but based in Portland and Seattle as well, the band seems to always be on tour. Gourley says they wrote more […]
September 20, 2007
Here’s what The National is reading on their tour bus: Aaron Dessner is on Marcel Proust’s “Swann’s Way.” His twin brother Bryce is reading a book on Austerlitz, and Bryan Devendorf is reading “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy. At least, that’s what he said over the phone; maybe bands carry around heavy tomes while […]
September 13, 2007
You could say I am a Bloc Party concert connoisseur, having seen the British band about six times since 2005. So I will say this: the band seemed pretty hyped to be playing for the first time ever in Wisconsin. (With the help of a couple of Red Bulls and a Pokemon stuffed toy onstage.) […]
August 28, 2007
Rufus Wainwright’s show at the Pabst Theater last night was sort of like a vacation into an exotic, foreign country. It was mezmerizing, sexy, sometimes uncomfortable and tiring but constantly surprising. Because he was shooting the show for a DVD, he apologized in advance for doing some of the songs over. But to the enthusiastic […]
August 24, 2007
Lead actor Thomas Dillon sums up the 90-minute-monologue/play “Thom Pain (based on nothing),” thusly: “It’s about a young man who wants to share an epiphany he’s recently had, with whoever wants to listen to it. That epiphany is today is the day you start living your life,” he said. An actor since he attended the […]
August 16, 2007
Other than describing a crazy dream I just had, here are some things I never EVER thought I’d see together for real: Perry Farrell…free show…Beans and Barley parking lot…Milwaukee. But yes, the Lollapalooza founder, Satellite Party lead singer, ex-Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros frontman, took his whole band –and his supporting act, Mink– to […]
August 10, 2007
So today I was on a transatlantic phone call with David Brown, lead singer of Brazzaville. Brown, who’s toured with Beck and has done various music projects for over 20 years, played the Midwest for the first time last April. I guess he liked it, because on Sept. 15 he’s coming back to Milwaukee to […]
August 2, 2007
Here’s the biggest reason I love Milwaukee: On Monday, I saw three awesome bands — Dappled Cities, Interpol (see lead singer Paul Banks’ photo above) and the Fratellis — in one night. I shuttled to and from the Pabst Theater and the Rave to do so, but it wasn’t a hassle at all. No expensive […]
September 22, 2007
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