This is shaping up to be a serious month for musical geekery here at Chez Zombizzle. Last Tuesday, we saw Unca Robyn at a 300 seat club. Last Friday, we saw Scott Wooldridge at the same club. He is one of my favorite local musicians, and he’s got a brand new solo album out that YOU SHOULD HAVE already.
Talking to him after the show, I remarked that we both moved to Milwaukee at the same time (now he lives in MPLS, and with Wisconsin turning into Walkerstan, who can blame him?) and that he moved to make music, and I moved to go to college. I mused, “I sold my guitar to stay in school, and you kept your guitar. Both decisions…which one was better?”
Tonight, I went to see the Musical Box with Good Friend Rory, who lost his father last fall and his mother a couple of weeks ago. He’s been borked as hell, and he needed something exultant and uplifting and anthemic and enveloping, warming and awesome. Did I see him tear up during Supper’s Ready? I’ll never tell…
Next week, we have Gaslight Anthem at the same theater, and Rory will be there along with Wife Sublime and some Imaginary Digital Friends to be Named Later. Will it be raucous? It damn well better! It will be a long-anticipated first for me, but Ror has seen them before…..
But I also hope they play this one:
And then on Saturday, Rory and I are tripping down to Chi to see Wussy. You haven’t heard of Wussy? Well, obviously, you don’t hang at LGM….
I was into these guys when Chuck was in the Ass Ponys. And the three guitarists play my three favorite guitars: The Fender, the Gibson Les Paul, and the Gibson SG…
After I get through THAT, I have TWO FIRST Robotics Regional events, one in Milwaukee and one in Chicago, a world premiere play by a guy that wrote for West Wing and House Of Cards, and shows by the Decemberists, TV On The Radio, and if I am still shambling, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers….Oh, yeah, not to mention The Replacements, and a throwback show in June featuring what’s left of the Barenaked Ladies, what’s left of the Violent Femmes, and Colin Hay at one of the prettiest outdoor venues on the big puddle.
And then, we will be able to see Summerfest on the horizon, if we turn on the high beams.
You might get the idea that Good Friend Rory and I go to see a lot of shows. You might get that idea. But both of us have the same feelings about music, it feeds our souls and replenishes our energy; it grabs and soothes and energizes and reminds us we are alive….it is cathartic and it cauterizes wounds at the same time. It helps us get up in the morning, and it helps us sleep at night. It helps us soar; old and grey and stiffening; dog help us it enables us to soar. Still….
Empire Of The Senseless 
GAAAHH!
What the Mekons are to you, BNL is to me. And they are not getting anywhere near MPLS, with their largest fan base, me, and Imma unable to see them down there.
GRUMBLE!!
Tonight, I went to see the Musical Box with Good Friend Rory, who lost his father last fall and his mother a couple of weeks ago.
Damn, that’s rough! Poor Rory.
My favorite Gaslight Anthem song is American Slang. Damn, I could listen to this one on repeat.
I haven’t had a weekend off in a long, long time, so my concert going days are few and far between. I used to go see bands. Saw BNL with Billy Bragg as an opening act. I forget which of the guys in the band said, “If you told me that I’d share the stage with Billy Bragg ten years ago, I would’ve said, ‘SHUT UP!'” Those guys put on a great show… boxes of Kraft dinner raining down from the loge section and all.
Got to see TMB play the entire Lamb lays down on their last tour. Total time warp because they had all of Genesis’s slides from the ’74 (?) tour projecting behind them on 3 screens.
Yeah, we saw that show as well. Fourth row. Reportedly, the last time they’ll be doing the Lamb…