Those ‘70s Shows

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Back in the 1970s Milwaukee was home to independently owned concert promoters who brought bands to town, locally owned FM rock stations that played the music and locally owned record stores that sold the LPs. The new book by Milwaukee’s Jim Cryns, 1812 Overture Record Stores & Stadium Rock Concert Tours, focuses on the Milwaukee record store chain linked by ownership to the city’s prominent concert promoter in that era, Daydream Productions. Not just a journey through the city’s pop culture past, Cryns’ book sheds a good deal of light on a music industry that scarcely resembles the entertainment business of today. And there are dozens of backstage stories

Cryns’ book will be out in time for Record Store Day, June 12, and he will be talking and hawking at one of Milwaukee’s surviving locally owned record stores, Rush-Mor (2635 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), from doors open through at least 2 p.m. He had a lot to say when I tossed some questions his way.

What drew you to this topic? I assume you grew up in Milwaukee during the ‘70s and ‘80s?

As I mention in the book, I was 15 and walking down Brady, nothing like I’d seen before. All of the restaurants, the newsstands and of course 1812 Overture record stores. I remember I wanted to get tickets to see Queen. When I was a freshman in high school, I was the singer in a band so I guess I always had an eye open for music. The Queen show sold out in a matter of minutes and I wasn’t one of the lucky ones to get a ticket. When I was 14, my elder siblings had an extra ticket to Led Zeppelin in Chicago. This was probably seven years before John Bonham passed away so I was the only kid at Whitefish Bay High School in my class that had seen the band. I’ve always held that as a small badge of honor. So, my first indoctrination to the music scene in Milwaukee was the record store that one day just disappeared. 

Did you know Alan Dulberger before beginning work on the book? Why is he the central figure in your account?

I only met Alan when I was researching my recently released book On Story Parkway: Remembering County Stadium. I was researching sows that took place at County Stadium and a longtime Milwaukee rock-scene guy, Mark Krueger, told me about Alan. I got in touch with him where he works consignment with RVs in Jacksonville, Florida. After exchanging a couple of emails and talking to him about his experiences as a kid with the Braves, we thought about developing a story about his relationship with County Stadium. I didn’t know prior to this contact that he was the guys responsible for bringing Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones to County. With Daydream and later Landmark Productions, he and his partner Randy McElrath became Wisconsin’s concert promotion business.

In the book I describe how after a falling out, Daydream broke up and Alan created Landmark and Randy McElrath started Stardate Productions and later went on to head Live Nation. Alan is a major player in the book but not the sole central figure.  I also talk with McElrath, Joe Balistrieri, who runs the Rave and formerly Alpine Valley. I talked with Jules Belkin who along with his brother were responsible for essentially all music in Cleveland, Ohio for a long time. It was Alan’s relationship as owner of 1812 Overture and Daydream that seemed a no-brainer in terms of the story, but it developed from there as I interviewed Bob Babisch of Summerfest and Bob Reitman of the Milwaukee radio scene.

Did you have any overarching theme in mind, aside from recalling how things once were in Milwaukee?

It’s funny as at first I didn’t. But as it does in writing fiction, the story started talking to me. After a while I realized that while Alan’s Dulberger’s background was very intriguing, he wasn’t the only person that shaped the Milwaukee music scene. When I learned of McElrath, the story started to broaden. As research continued, I began to realize the relationships that existed between radio stations and record stores and concert promoters in the ‘70s. It was a different world then. Record stores were huge on the scene and a large part of many people’s lives. College kids, who were musically savvy, began to influence those with lesser knowledge. They’d essentially turn kids on to a new artist, perhaps a British band. I learned Dulberger would book an act that sold a lot of records in the store. It was these sales that informed Dulberger and McElrath about a band. When they saw Pink Floyd’s albums flying out the door, they realized they just had to book them. I learned that record companies played a huge role influencing local music as well. In retrospect, the theme introduced itself and as in any research, the more you know, the more connections you see.

Did anyone refuse to talk to you while researching the book?

Nobody outright refused, but some were difficult to find, even the local people. I credit Alan with helping me get in touch with Bob Babisch, Randy McElrath, Joe Balistrieri. As I said they are local, but that doesn’t mean you can reach them. I tried to get McElrath through Live Nation but Covid evacuated their offices and I was faced with voicemail. Once I spoke with them, all were very gracious.

Bob Rech, who ran Potowatomi’s entertainment, was also very helpful. Jim Petersen, who owned Mainstream Records, was very generous as was Terry Cullen, who handled much of the security for Daydream, Landmark and Stardate’s shows. I reached out to a few people and contact fizzled. I did try to talk with the producers of a documentary about promoters and they essentially blew me off.

Irving Azoff played a huge role in bankrupting Landmark Productions and 1812 Overture stores. I contemplated getting in touch with him. I am fearless, borderline annoyingly so, but I didn’t see the upside of trying to get him. I’ve been around enough to know he wouldn’t have taken my call. I wish I could have spoken to some of the bands they dealt with but they were mega-bands and I doubted they’d want to spend much time with a Milwaukee writer. If I had dream interviews, I would have dug up Bill Graham to have a conversation. The whole world of promoters is not very well known and it is truly fascinating. Everyone thinks they’re millionaires, but it’s their ass on the line if a show doesn’t sell. Just ask Alan Dulberger.

What strikes you as the main difference between now and then?

One of the glaring things is bands didn’t make any money touring in the ‘70s. It was something they just had to do. Promoters around the country would often treat bands horribly. Cheat them. Screw them over and lie. Bands had a very wary look at promoters.

I do believe promoters like Graham, Daydream and Stardate went a long way to repair those perceptions and realities. They learned from Graham that you had to treat the bands right, make them want to come back to a town. This was especially true for a “flyover” city like Milwaukee. Today touring is the way bands make money and they are obviously more in tune to structuring their careers to that end. Black Sabbath was known for playing short shows, which led to the riot in the city. When I say short, they did what they were obligated to do, right down to the minute. No encore.

The other obvious difference is the way we get our music. With the advent of CDs, record stores began to wane. Kids today don’t realize what a social hub these record stores were. These were mini-palaces where the world came to you. The posters, the headshops, the incense. It was all a memorable experience. I liken them to malt shops of the ‘60s and later Blockbuster Video of the ‘80s and beyond. Places where you could talk to strangers about a recommendation. Perhaps a new filmmaker. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s it was a group or band.