By now we would be in full swing, enjoying music outdoors.
Summerfest, Bastille Days, the ethnic festivals, church festivals, Brady St. Festival, Summer Solstice, music at farmer’s markets, Jazz in the Park, WMSE’s Backyard BBQ, Zoo a la Carte, Locust St, Festival, Center St. Daze and more offer plenty of memories.
Was it Joe Ely trying to rush the stage during a Carl Perkins performance at Summerfest? When security intercepted Ely, Perkins said to let him up? Or the Sun Ra Arkestra at Bastille Days in Cathedral Square confounding all expectations? Or maybe Bobby Womack at African World Festival, breaking into Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” when he saw a crowd stampede from an adjacent stage reacting to what sounded like gunfire?
When Milwaukee’s outdoor festival season ground to a halt, we asked a cross section of music fans, artists and music biz folks to share their favorite memories from festivals past.
Johnny Washday – Musician, Renegade
Seeing Stevie Ray Vaughn with 20 other people at 2 p.m. on the Summerfest Rock Stage. I was 15 years-old and wanted to see Billy Sheehan from the first row so I decided to "camp out." I didn't know anything about SRV before he hit the stage. It was life changing.
Photo courtesy Radio Milwaukee
Jordan Lee - Program Director at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee
One of my favorite summer moments was DJing for the Burnheart’s X PBR Block Party in July of 2008. The day was hot, and the energy in the air was pretty mellow. It was too hot to be rowdy, so the crowd just had a good time. Performances from John The Savage, Rusty Ps and Detroit Cobras were incredible, and the day was a blast.
There was a very short woman in the crowd who was hanging out on the side of the stage, giving my DJ selections a big thumbs up. She looked familiar, but I’ve never met her. Later she was introduced to me by a mutual friend. It was none other than Meg White of the White Stripes! Only in the summer in Milwaukee does something like that happen.
Dave Luhrssen — Writer, Editor
Back in the late 1970s it was a thrill to see legendary figures like John Lee Hooker, right up close at Summerfest’s side stages. For some of the older generation of bluesmen it was their last hurrah—and they still sounded great.
On a different level, there was the 1979 Summerfest concert by John Cale. A small contingent of punks came to cheer and drown out the heckling by the larger numbers of mainstream rock fans (who thought they were going to see J.J. Cale?). Brian Ritchie walked up behind one especially loud and obnoxious spectator, took the chewing gum out of his mouth and stuck it in her hair. She and her friends left and eventually we had John Cale to ourselves.
Liv Mueller – Vocalist, Songwriter
The memories of the legendary (to Wisconsinites), of the Wisconsin State Fair are bright, big and chock full of rich smells that no one on a diet dare endure!
I can’t recall who the exact gentlemen was performing, but his hair seemed to be greased back with shoe polish, offsetting the pale yellow set of whistlers he possessed. He was sitting at a piano, in a black suit, tinkling away and making eyes at any lady that walked on by while constantly winking.
What music he was playing was less than incidental, it was just heaven observing, witnessing and dare I say partaking in the vibe this man was giving. So very, very fun
Photo courtesy of Peter Roller
Dr John
Peter Roller - Guitarist, Teacher, Composer, Author
Playing in a local band as the opener for a nationally touring headliner is not always a fun gig, even at Summerfest. However, several opening act slots there were among the most memorable gigs I've been a part of and offered an opportunity to “brush shoulders” with beloved musicians...
Playing in Paul Cebar’s highly danceable Milwaukeeans of the late ‘80s, we opened for the Neville Brothers in a kind of Worldbeat tent (only seen that year) and the spirit inside was electric! Not every headliner or their stage manager wants an opener to take an encore, time is usually tight for the changeover, however the Milwaukeeans were treated to a furious ovation and played a sweaty extra song. As we left the stage down a narrow pathway toward trailers, there was Art Neville sitting in an old school aluminum lawn chair and he hollered “You guys are alright!” over continued cheers from the crowd.
Opening for Dr. John in a different Summerfest tent around 1990, Paul Cebar and I were delighted when one of the Doctor’s stagehands asked if we had an electric guitar and amp Mac could play for a couple of songs in his closing set. Paul contributed his Jazzmaster guitar and I my Music Man amp of the time, Dr. John eventually moved from his keyboards to play some burning blues with our gear, trading licks with David Bromberg—his guest guitarist up from Chicago for the set! Great memories missed at this time of year...
Bibi Adell – Artists in Music Entertainment Group
I will never forget the first year that I worked Summerfest as a Stage Manager, circa 2003. Bo Black came up to me and hugged me and said, “I am so happy that we finally have another woman in the Stage Production Department—Yay!” she exclaimed, as she squeezed me hard. It felt like a magic moment. I had never felt so welcome in all my life. Nobody Knows what Bo Knows!
Sid McCain – WMSE Radio Promotions Director
Sylvan Esso at Burnhearts.
Carlos Adames – Latin Jazz Conguero and Educator
Musica del Lago by Colectivo Lakefront was and always is a wonderful experience; 85% of the music that we play is original and seeing people dancing to your music is priceless. Our music is easy to sit down and enjoy while you tap your foot along with the groove but it’s always better if you stand up and dance.
Betty Blexrud-Strigens – Testa Rosa
I remember one perfectly golden summer night, the kind with long shadows that turn bright blue as the sun goes down—like a Maxfield Parrish painting. Willie Nelson was playing at the State Fair and my sister, who was on staff there, brought me backstage.
I think I imagined it was going to be some sort of crazy party back there, but it was completely chill. I watched the back of Wille’s hands play guitar, I watched the lit-up faces in the crowd singing along, and then I watched a small entourage of road crew, swaying in hammocks hanging from scaffolding right beneath the stage. It was just such a moment of bliss—literally, a peek behind the curtain revealing how we’re just human beings hanging out together enjoying sound waves on summer night. After the show, one of my sister’s coworkers let us turn off the big speedway lights with the flip of a switch—and just then, the fireworks boomed out.
Bobby Tanzilo – Writer, Drummer
I can’t remember what year it was, but probably my favorite Summerfest memory was going down to see Madison’s Michael Stone because I’d heard he’d have one of my favorite drummers Horsemouth Wallace (Jamaican drummer who worked for legendary Studio One) in his band.
If you’ve seen the film Rockers you know Horse’s very distinctive gait and we could see him from a long distance at Summerfest as he was headed to the stage. We met him, he was super nice and flattered we were there just to see him. We hung out with him before and after the show and while it’s perhaps not a wow moment for many, like seeing McCartney or the Stones, it was one for me.
Melissa Siebold – Former Assistant to Bo Black at Summerfest
Los Lobos in 1992 behind the scenes.
Paul Kneevers – Lovanova Keyboardist and Sound Engineer
Last year’s performance by Lovanova and Strangelander at Chill on the Hill in August. It rained almost all day, we didn't know if we would have a show or not, but then around 5 p.m. the sky cleared, we set up and had an incredible show! I joined Strangelender for a song, and Dave Wake and Jayne Joyce and Liam Ford joined Lovanova for a few songs as well.
Terry Hackbarth – Trolley Bassist
Having initially met Alex Chilton at a State Fair show with his teenage band The Box tops, I also saw him when they played Jack Koshick’s short lived Taste of Summer festival. Trolley played the same very, very hot day as The Box Tops and The Raspberries. Watching Alex watching the Raspberries was any power pop fan’s wet dream. Me and my friend D had dinner with Alex at Perkins after the show.
Eric “Blowtorch” Beaumont – Songwriter, Activist, Writer
First thing that comes to mind is seeing Sonny Rollins and Squeeze at Summerfest in 1980.
Jeff Hamilton – Sound Engineer, Multi-instrumentalist
It is weird not working Summerfest—well any major and minor concerts or live sports. I realized I haven’t had a 4th of July off in 21years!
Your Turn
With 2020’s outdoor festival season canceled, what are YOUR favorite memories of past festivals?
If something special comes to mind, please share it in the comment section.
