The Wigs
In 2013, the Wigs reunited for what they said would be their “last show ever.” Fortunately for fans, the early ’80s Milwaukee power-pop band has a short memory. They are currently gearing up for a Shank Hall show.
The band is “in that overwhelming place where a million details need to come together,” guitarist Jim Cushinery said. “But at the same time, we know it will be over in the blink of an eye and we are trying to breathe and remain present for our own enjoyment.”
Cushinery hasn’t promised another swan song, as this year marks the band’s 40th anniversary. The Wigs will perform their 1981 LP, File Under: Pop Vocal, in its entirety by the original 1979 lineup of Marty Ross and Cushinery on guitar and vocals, Bobby Tews on drums, and Robert Pachner on bass.
When the Wigs reunited in Los Angeles in 1982 the sound changed, adding more keyboards. To faithfully represent that era, Robert Pachner will switch to keyboards for the second half of the show and Severo Jornacion from The Smithereens will lend a hand on bass.
A brief Wigs timeline:
- 1979 – the Wigs form
- 1981 – File Under: Pop Vocal LP released
- 2009 – the Wigs reunite for the release of File Under: Pop Vocal on CD
- 2013 – the band reunites for the reissue of the My Chauffeur (1986) soundtrack
- 2014 – the Wigs appear at Summerfest
Cushinery said the band will dig deep into past and present material as well as selections that never made it onto a set list. He and Ross will also perform songs written by close friends who have since passed. “The idea is to give the crowd a look under the hood,” he said.
The Wigs initially played their last shows in Milwaukee during the summer of 1982. A July 2 show was broadcast live on WQFM.
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“We recently came into possession of a recording of the broadcast and were struck by how well it represented the band. It was a warm-up to what was to be our final Summerfest appearance and the band was on fire,” Cushinery said. “We pressed 100 copies which will be hand-numbered and available at the show.” They have no intention of doing a formal release, he said.
What has he done lately? “I write constantly, despite the ever-evolving challenges in today's music world.” Cushinery said. “Recently, I began playing bass for a smart punk-pop band called The Ex Teens. It’s a lot of eighth notes and non-stop smiles from four guys who came up in the early ’80s.” He also said Ross has been active, performing with the Wrecking Crew as well as with Monkee Mickey Dolenz (Ross acted in “The New Monkees” television show.)
The Wigs recently recorded a version of Petula Clark’s 1964 hit, “Downtown.” First performing the song at Summerfest in 2014, they began the recording back then but only recently finished it up.
“I am happy it took this long, because the song’s uplifting lyrics speak directly to the current antagonistic climate of the internet,” Cushinery said. “Extract yourself from the anti-social media time-suck, get out of the house and actually socialize. Rub elbows. Look people in the eye. Listen to the rhythm of their inflections and let them understand yours.”
He said the band is producing a video for the release of the song using crowd-sourced content and have reached out to fans to shoot brief video clips or photos of their downtown and include themselves in the image. “We need more and would love for it to be Milwaukee-centric,” Cushinery said.
The Wigs perform along with Sam Llanas at Shank Hall on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. For tickets, visit shankhall.com.
