Photo Credit: Blaine Schultz
“The Ballad Of The Opening Band” was a 1993 song by Slim Dunlap. As long as there is live music the sentiment will be relevant.
On Friday, The Thriftones were the first act on Summerfest’s Big Backyard stage. The advantages to playing first? Limited festival traffic so getting to the artist parking lot is a breeze, no previous bands to trash the green room and a decent soundcheck with no pressure.
Five minutes before start time, maintenance folks are still sweeping up and tidying the bleacher area from last night’s Fitz and the Tantrums party. Carts bustle throughout the grounds stocking supplies—the clear skies and warm weather suggest a busy Friday is in the cards. A man rides the sky glider, his companion is a two-wheel dolly and a case of supplies
At high noon the Thriftones take the stage like professionals. Front man Matt Davies is dressed formal, wearing a suit and a Stetson. They are playing to the sound engineer and three people, one of whom is taking notes.
“It’s a long road, but it’s the only way to go,” Davies sings. Ninety minutes later the band would end the performance, serenading the gathered audience to “Get Home Safe.”
A few younger, local artists are enamored with the sound of vintage Bob Dylan. With Andrew Koenig on guitar, The Thriftones get close to that thin wild mercury sound. The rhythm section of bassist Eston Bennett and Thomas Jones on drums lock in and simply don’t let go.
The tune “Wish Peak” was the result of a friend suggesting Davies’ songs were too hung up on narrative so he wrote a song about nothing, “just bunch of metaphors strung together.” Perhaps, but it had a good beat and you could dance to it. No one ever confused “Louie, Louie” with Shakespeare. With a cover of “Willie the Weeper,” The Thriftones entered the grand tradition of tall tales and misadventures, this one featured Koenig punctuating the story with ringing sound effects from his Telecaster.
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Along with top shelf originals like “Anywhere, USA” the band nodded to influences with Ringo’s “Don’t Pass Me By” and Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s “Everybody Knows this is Nowhere.”
Truth is, the Backyard is the same size no matter how many folks are in the bleachers There have been more than a few times where a band’s perspective is not “what a small audience” but “let’s play out hearts out for those who are here.” That’s what the Thriftones did Friday.
Davies’ made the offhand observation the this could be the perfect workday for him. He dropped off his kids, then made his way to Lot E and parked. “If all goes according to plan, I’ll pick up my kids after the show. I’d do this seven days a week if I could!” Perhaps being the open act isn’t so bad after all.
