The Siegel-Schwall Band @ Turner Hall Ballroom

When Corky Siegel and Jim Schwall tookthe stage at Turner Hall Ballroom on Friday, it was apparent how much they'daged since 1966, when The Siegel-Schwall Band debuted. Schwall's hair hasturned from deep black to light gray. Siegel's hair is, well, not as abundantas it once was. But to the baby-boomer crowd that filled Turner Hall, none ofthat mattered. The irrepressible energy of the band is as vibrant as ever.

Joining Siegel and Schwall was RolloRadford on bass and Sambo Arthur Irby on drums. At one point, formerSiegel-Schwall drummer and blues legend Sam Lay walked onstage dressed in blackwith a silver-sequined cape and cummerbund and sat down. “I need more sittin'time,” he explained. He brought down the house when he sang “Going Back to Alabama.” The crowdenthusiastically joined Schwall as he sang “I Think It Was the Wine,” andSiegel brought the crowd to its feet when he sang,  “I Don't Want You to Be My Girl.” The goodtimes rolled for nearly two hours before the band left the stage.

There was a tentative delay and thenthe band reappeared onstage for the much-awaited encore. Joining TheSiegel-Schwall Band was opening act Steve Cohen and his band, plus Sam Lay. Thenine-piece group played “Somebody's Got to Do It” to thunderous applause anddancing in the aisles.

Cohen's group warmed the audience toblues and good times for 60 minutes. Jim Liban, a longtime Milwaukee favorite, performed one song withthe group, but didn't join the others during the encore, despite fans from thebalcony shouting, “Bring back Jim! Bring back Jim!” Nonetheless, for the agingbaby boomersand all othersit was an evening of electrifying blues.