Photo via Seeking the Sun - Instagram
Seeking the Sun
Seeking the Sun
Fiorentini Parrot Duo on the roof, trumpeter Jamie Breiwick and guitarist Andrew Trim celebrate the release of Ordinary Poems, The Folk Implosion, The Mighty Deerlick album release and more—This Week in Milwaukee Music!
Thursday, Aug. 8
Fiorentini Parrot Duo @ The Charles E. Fromage Summer Music Series, 6:30 p.m.
Guitarists John Parrot and Guy Fiorentini are among the finest musicians to be found around these parts. The audiences they captivate and the music they animate help local luminaries like Robin Pluer, Chris Hanson Band and the MKE Hot Club light up our town night in and night out. Here is a rare chance to catch the guitarists in the cozy, rooftop setting.
Silverada w/Jim Hoehn @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
“Anywhere But Here” by Silverada
As Mike and the Moonpies, they cut a trail that paid a debt to the best of Texas-style country music. Among the band’s eight albums was Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart which was a detour shining a light on the late honky tonker who burned like a comet. With a name change to Silverada, songwriter Mike Harmeier “pushed himself to get weird … finding inspiration in everything from astronomy texts to sci-fi novels.” He says, “I would read some, work a little bit, read some more, and work a little more," he says of the creative process. "I spent a full month in that studio, going there every night, making word ladders and highlighting lines and learning to free write.”
Friday, Aug. 9
Tiki Taco Music Night – Lagoon w/Spud Bucket and Jorge Mireles @Café Corazon Brown Deer, 6 p.m.
“Fraction of a Reaction” by Spud Bucket
What used to be an A&W root beer stand has turned into a Latin-inspired restaurant boasting locally grown ingredients. And the parking lot turns into a music venue with the garage sounds of Lagoon and Spud Bucket’s roster of local music veterans (shepherdexpress.com/music/artists-beating-covid-19/spud-bucket-gains-momentum-during-pandemic).
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Ordinary Poems by Jamie Breiwick and Andrew Trim
Breiwick and Trim Album Release @ Bar Centro, 8 p.m.
Trumpeter Jamie Breiwick and guitarist Andrew Trim celebrate the release of Ordinary Poems, their new album. The track “One for Bill” finds the duo in a meditative state and “Jack’s Corner” builds on Trim’s steady, driving guitar leaving space above for Breiwick to transport the tune with a stately melody.
Saturday, Aug. 10
The Mighty Deerlick Album Release w/ City Fools and Mike Jarvis @ Club Garibaldi, 7 p.m.
Happy Hour Ever After by The Mighty Deerlick
Decades in the making, The Mighty Deerlick is finally releasing an album. The high energy Milwaukee band that refuses to take itself seriously began recording before the pandemic. Working with Bobby Friedman at his studio, things happened fast. Drummer John Wythes says the idea was to capture the energy and excitement of the live show.
Some of the songs on Happy Hour Ever After date back to the earliest days when La Crosse expatriates guitarist Dan Franke and frontman Dave Reinholdt regrouped in Milwaukee after a band called the Slow Pedestrians ran its course. An earlier lineup of the Deerlick recorded a four song EP in 1990 for the Atomic Records label.
File Under: Power Trash
With more than a small debt to The Replacements, the Deerlick have, despite themselves, turned into a legit rock and roll band. Reinholdt commands the stage in a way that makes the audience forget the setting is a humble local club. In-jokes, asides and cultural references are matched by his ongoing costume changes. He is backed by a band that hits on all cylinders, often while doubled over in laughter.
When the pandemic sounded, the time seemed perfect for Franke to finish up the mixes. He was also investing his time in setting up 3000 Hits (3000hits.bandcamp.com), the collective he used to begin cataloging dozens of local releases. Sadly, Franke would pass away on Dec. 30 of last year—having already placed the order for the album to be pressed: shepherdexpress.com/music/local-music/mighty-deer-licks-dan-franke-passes-away.
Bassist Jack Rice takes a philosophical view, “When I joined in my 20s, I thought it was pretty funny that that we were playing songs about dorm rooms and masturbation. Now it’s either a lot funnier or a lot more pathetic. Or both.”
Kidding aside, Rice—who is not prone to sentimentality—notes the importance of Franke. “It kind of became his baby … so it’s both a tribute to him and his legacy.” In a sense, Franke was the intangible glue that was elemental to the band even though he had taken time off to live in Texas for a while.
Describing the Deerlick as a well-oiled machine, guitarist Bob Eickhoff said the result “would either be really good or great” when recording began. “We pretty much tracked that whole record in one day and probably not more than two takes per song.” While they recorded additional overdubs and a few fixes, Eickhoff credits Wythes drumming in particular and says Reinholdt “worked his tail off with his vocals.”
Eickhoff, who joined in 1994, recalls a gig at The Boardwalk when his previous band shared a bill. Reinholdt wore a manhole cover around his neck ala Flavor Flav. He was struck how they didn’t take themselves too seriously but “you could see them once and walk away humming their tunes.”
Roll Credits
Happy Hour Ever After boasts a roster of local talent: Justin Perkins, Jeff Hamilton, Nicholas Schubert and Harrison Colby are named in the credits; Eickhoff mentions the contributions of Friedman and Shellee Swanson; Reinholdt’s niece is the cover model. Longtime friend of the band Mike Jarvis plays solo. City Fool opens the show.
Sunday, Aug. 11
The Folk Implosion @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.
“Natural One” by The Folk Implosion
At last year’s Summerfest, bassist Lou Barlow anchored the sonic storm of Dinosaur Jr. (shepherdexpress.com/music/summerfest_1/dinosaur-jr-briggs-stratton-big-backyard). Barlow returns with drummer John Davis as The Folk Implosion. The duo’s early ‘90s sound set the scene for the film Kids.
Sapphira Cristál w/ Melee The Queen @ Turner Hall, 8 p.m.
“Enough” by Sapphira Cristál
Sapphira Cristál, who most recently was in the finals for RuPaul's Drag Race, delivers her magical musical comedy extravaganza “The Cristál Ball Tour.” The renowned charismatic host commands the room and establishes a special, intimate connection with her audience.
Monday, Aug. 12
Seeking the Sun w/ Killer High Life and Loveblaster @ X-Ray Arcade, 6 p.m.
Seeking the Sun - Live
This may be the pick of the week. Shake things up early with Seeking the Sun’s terror funk from SLC, Utah. The quartet’s possessed sound just may be destined for bigger venue next time around. Also, Killer High Life’s local take on indie/emo/punk and indie/folk/slowcore from Madison’s Loveblaster.
Tuesday, Aug. 13
Combustor w/Something to Do @ Chill on the Hill – Humboldt Park Bandshell, 5 p.m.
“Rails” by Combustor (Tron Jovi Remix)
It has been a busy year for Combustor. The Milwaukee trio of young punks released a debut album and got hip to the remix situation with a project courtesy of producer Tron Jovi. That six-song project, Bent & Snapped: Tron Jovi Remixes, was a natural given the historic connection Tron (Martin Defatte) has for local music history with the archive MKE Punk and Combustor’s deep roots in the local alternative scene. With a little help from summer, Something to Do’s blast of ska should recall the music’s motherland, Jamaica.
Wednesday, Aug. 14
Social Cig @ Vivarium in the Park @ Whitnall Beer Garden, 6 p.m.
“Yellow Weekends” by Social Cig
This new, moveable concert series celebrates summer, Milwaukee parks and beer gardens. Social Cig is the “Indie-Skate-Rock” music project of Parker Schultz (who also has become a prolific podcaster), that grew into a full band. We got the lowdown on the 2022 album Cheesehead here: (shepherdexpress.com/music/local-music/social-cig-from-the-stereo-to-your-screen).
