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Photo credit: George Hancock
The Toy Trucks
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Photo credit: Laura Harvey
CorbLund
Corb Lund, Driveway Thriftdwellers, Jakob Heinemann, Lewis Black and more entertain Milwaukee this week.
Friday, Nov. 8
Venison, Drunk Drivers and The Mighty Deerlick @ Club Garibaldi’s, 9 p.m.
Eau Claire’s Rick Fuller was a visionary entrepreneur before that term existed. As a video producer, he got in the game early (with Phil HHhHHarder as Harder/Fuller Films), garnering MTV airplay for Sonic Youth, Soul Asylum and Prince videos. As leader of the band Venison, Fuller set himself and his crew apart from the grunge hordes. Their music allowed for melodic rock ’n’ roll and humor, as well as great guitar playing by Matt Caflisch. When Venison took a knee, members formed Drunk Drivers. With roots in LaCrosse, The Mighty Deerlick’s connection to the headliner is both sonic and cervidae in nature.
Photo credit: George Hancock
The Toy Trucks
The Toy Trucks (Memphis) w/ Long Line Riders @ Circle A, 8 p.m.
Memphis’ The Toy Trucks know a good hook when they hear one. Leader Jeremy Scott (ex-Reigning Sound) takes one-part guitar jangle, one-part vocal harmonies and one-part garage rock attitude to deliver a cocktail of music that nods to the past while remaining vital.
Jordan Davis seems to have left his wah-wah pedal on the Space Raft and entered a new musical phase when he challenged himself to learn guitar fingerpicking with the Carter Family’s “Wildwood Flower.” The band’s recent vintage country revue suggests Long Line Riders are knee deep in classic and long-hair country music.
Lewis Black @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
King of the rant, standup comedian Lewis Black questions authority and allows life’s absurdity and hypocrisy to get under his skin. The material that comes out is agitated, just plain sensible and funny. With more than 40 plays and three books to his credit, he just might be the hardest-working comic in the business. The show lasts two days, Friday and Saturday.
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Monday, Nov. 11
Jakob Heinemann w/ Rammell, Ollman and Matthies Trio and Tony Catania @ The Jazz Gallery, 8 p.m.
This will be a night of experimental music from Madison bassist-composer Jakob Heinemann and the trio of Hal Rammell, Rick Ollman and Wilhelm Matthies, the latter likely presenting improvisations on instruments they built themselves.
Tuesday, Nov. 12
Photo credit: Laura Harvey
CorbLund
Corb Lund w/ Driveway Thriftdwellers @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
Canada’s Corb Lund likes to emphasize the western in “country and western,” coming to the music honestly having grown up in ranching and rodeo. Touring with his band the Hurtin’ Albertans for his recent eight-song EP Cover Your Tracks, Lund adds to his growing discography with a jukebox collection of his interpretations of earworms made famous by Nancy Sinatra, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show and AC/DC. Lund’s spin on these songs offers a glimpse into the radio stations and record shelves of his formative years. Milwaukee’s Driveway Thriftdwellers possess the chops and musicality to make this double bill a reason to leave the house on a Tuesday night.
