Wednesday May 13, 2009 Source:Summerfest Location: Milwaukee, WI
Summerfest officials are excited to announce yet another list of stage headlining entertainment for Summerfest 2009. The Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard featuring the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Miller High Life is once again proud to showcase a diverse selection of artists and music genres.
The Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard featuring the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Miller High Life will feature the following headlining performers:
June 25 - 8:00 pm - Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons
June 25 - 10:00 pm - Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
June 26 - 10:00 pm - Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek
June 27 - 4:00 pm - Felix Cavaliere
June 27 - 10:00 pm - Barenaked Ladies
June 28 - 10:00 pm - Blues Traveler
June 29 - 5:00 pm - Erin McCarley
June 29 - 6:30 pm - Needtobreathe
June 29 - 8:00 pm - Brett Dennen
June 29 - 10:00 pm - Mat Kearney
June 30 - 7:30 pm - Carter Twins
June 30 - 9:30 pm - Phil Vassar
July 1 - 3:30 pm - Pete Francis of Dispatch
July 1 - 10:00 pm - Rusted Root
July 2 - 10:00 pm - Matisyahu
July 3 - 10:00 pm - The Roots
July 4 - 10:00 pm - TBA
July 5 - 7:30 pm - The Veronicas
July 5 - 9:00 pm - Kevin Rudolf
All performers and show times are subject to change.
In conjunction with its Big Backyard Stage at Summerfest, Briggs & Stratton hosted a “Battle of the Bands” site on MySpace, encouraging music enthusiasts from around the world to enter the competition. The winning band will perform live at Summerfest at the Big Backyard on Sunday, June 28. Over 750 bands entered the contest, and the public can vote for their favorite band from May 16 to June 7 at www.briggsbattleofthebands.com.
The Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard featuring the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Miller High Life is just one example of how Briggs & Stratton continually demonstrates its commitment to the community. Briggs & Stratton continues its longstanding commitment of supporting the arts and Summerfest, health and wellness initiatives like Briggs and Al’s Run & Walk, and various youth education programs. Briggs & Stratton contributes year round to improve lives in Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin communities.
Summerfest 2009 will take place June 25 – July 5 from noon until midnight daily. The World’s Largest Music Festival and Milwaukee’s cornerstone summer celebration attracts the music industry’s hottest stars, emerging talent and local favorites. The Marcus Amphitheater and 10 additional stages, along with a diverse selection of food and beverage vendors, marketplaces and interactive exhibits, are set against the Lake Michigan and downtown backdrops, creating a festival experience like no other. Patrons can also enjoy Miller Lite, the Great Taste of Summerfest. For more details visit Summerfest.com.
ATLANTA, GA - The Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research will hold its first benefit concert Sunday, March 1, 2009 at the North Atlanta High Center for the Arts. Sean was a beloved blues musician from Atlanta, who was internationally acclaimed, and in his honor, fellow musicians Lurrie Bell [2008 Living Blues Awards for Blues Artist of the Year and Most Outstanding Guitarist], The Wood Brothers [debut disc named one of National Public Radio’s top ten discoveries of 2006], King Johnson, Felix and the Cats with Jon Liebman and the Soul Shakers will lend their time and talent to this cause. Doors will open at 4p.m. and music begins at 5p.m. Tickets are $30 and will be available online [ http://www.seancostellofund.org ] and at the door. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Donations are tax deductible.
The original lineup also included Jason Ricci, who will no longer be able to perform due to a conflict in his performance schedule. Although Ricci will not be part of the lineup, he will be donating the proceeds of his alternate performance to The Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research. Ricci hopes to lend his time in the second annual benefit concert.
The benefit emerges as the first project of The Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research, an organization founded by his mother, Debbie Costello Smith, upon Sean’s untimely passing. Sean was acclaimed for his musical prowess at a very early age. He was designated the Beale Street Blues Society Best Performer at age 15; was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award for his album Cuttin’ In in 2000; was voted Best Blues Band in Creative Loafing and Atlanta magazine; was featured on the cover of Blues Revue in February of 2002; and was named the Best New Act by the French Blues Feste in 2003. Most recently, Sean was nominated for two Blues Music Awards: Best Contemporary Blues Album and Best Contemporary Blues Male Artist of 2008.
Sean resided in Atlanta, but was known throughout Europe and the U.S. as a talented, but humble musician who readily shared his talent with young and old. He played with musical greats BB King, Buddy Guy, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Hubert Sumlin, Elvis Costello, Etta James, Pinetop Perkins, Bo Diddley, Little Jimmy King, Nappy Brown, Bob Margolin, and many others. He formed special and lasting relationships with Felix Reyes, Donnie McCormick and Levon Helm. Sean had the honor of playing for James Cotton’s birthday, as he was Mr. Cotton’s favorite band.
Sean passed away suddenly in April last year on the eve of his 29th birthday, after quietly battling depression and anxiety for more than 10 years. It was only a year before his passing that Sean was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. At the time of his passing, he was in treatment to overcome the debilitating symptoms of this mood disorder and the often associated self-medication.
The Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research is a non-profit organization that has attracted a dedicated Board of Directors and an Advisory Board of renowned clinical researchers as a direct result of Sean’s reputation as an artist, an exceptional person and friend. In creating the fund, the board hopes to increase research for treatment, develop and support education for early diagnosis and intervention, and eventually create a program for musicians and artists seeking holistic support in their effort to lead functional, healthy lives.
Monday January 19, 2009 Source:UW Union Theater Location: Madison, WI
Playing piano since age 9, Buckwheat Zydeco rose to fame in 1984 with “Zydeco Boogaloo,” one of the genre’s signature songs. He will be performing in a dance party in the Great Hall at the Memorial Union on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $28 for the general public, $26 for WAA members, Union members, UW faculty and staff, and non-UW students. As always, UW-Students are only $10! Tickets can be purchased by phone (608-265-ARTS), by fax (608-265-5084), by mail or in person at the box office (Wisconsin Union Theater, 800 Langdon St., Madison, WI 53706) or online at http://uniontheater.wisc.edu/.
An exciting performer and expert keyboards and accordion player, Buckwheat is an innovator who crafted a bold new sound for zydeco, the music of the Creole, French-speaking Blacks of Louisiana. In addition to his well-received innovations, Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural Jr. is a pioneer in many ways. He is the first zydeco artist to have been signed to a major record label, the first to have launched his own record label, the first to perform on a national television show, the first to release a children’s album, and the first zydeco artist to win an Emmy award! Most lately, he recorded two Bob Dylan songs with Yo La Tengo for the 2007 film “I’m not there.”
Buckwheat’s performance doubles up as a dance party in Great Hall. Special Louisiana food and drinks will be available for purchase.
Sponsors include the Wisconsin Union Directorate. Support is also given by the Wisconsin Arts Board and the Wisconsin Union Theater Endowment Fund. Media sponsors are Maximum Ink, The Onion and Wisconsin Public Radio’s Higher Ground.
Saturday January 3, 2009 Source:The Blues Foundation Location: Memphis/Milwaukee
25th International Blues Challenge—The World’s Largest Gathering of Blues Bands February 4-7, 2009
The program for the 25th International Blues Challenge (IBC), set for February 4-7, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee, is taking shape, full information of which is posted at www.blues.org. The 25th edition of the world’s premier Blues music competition will feature more than 100 bands and 60 solo/duo acts from 36 states and nine countries. Blues musicians will be attending from Australia, Canada, France, Israel, Italy, Norway, Poland, United States and, for the first time, Croatia. The winners receive cash prizes, professional services and appearances at top Blues festivals. Advance tickets are available at www.blues.org.
The events begin Wednesday evening with the Beale Street Merchants hosting a Meet ‘n Greet at the New Daisy Theater, the Memphis Grizzlies presenting four IBC participants during its Blues night at the FedEx Forum in conjunction with their NBA game against the Houston Rockets. Following the game, a special 25th IBC Kick Off Concert, featuring a number of top finishers from recent Challenges, including Trampled Under Foot (2008 IBC 1st Place), Sean Carney Band (2007 1st Place), Homemade Jamz Blues Band (2007 2nd Place), Jonn Richardson (2005 IBC 1st Place and Best Guitarist), Zac Harmon (2004 IBC 1st Place). Friday afternoon will see the first-ever FedEx International Showcase, featuring many of the acts from outside the United States, and the Smokin’ Bluz Youth Showcase, featuring more than a dozen acts whose members are under 21.
The IBC semi-finals commence at 5:00pm Thursday evening in 16 Beale Street clubs and continue before a different set of judges in those clubs Friday evening. The ten band finalists will begin at 2:00pm Saturday afternoon at The Orpheum Theatre while the six solo/duo finalists will commence at 8:30pm Saturday night at the Orpheum. The judges will also present a custom Gibson guitar featuring The Blues Foundation logo to the most promising guitarist. Blues musicians Cassie Taylor and Jason Ricci will host the band finals and Delta Groove Music’s Randy Chortkoff will be master of ceremonies for the evening finals. A complete list of participating acts can be found at www.blues.org.
The weekend also features the prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) awards that honor the men and women, who have made significant contributions to the Blues music world, in 22 categories such as journalism, literature and photography and to the best clubs and festivals, as well as managers, promoters and producers. The Blues community will recognize its peers in a moving Saturday morning ceremony at the Downtown Doubletree Hotel.
The 25th International Blues Challenge is sponsored by Arts Memphis, band Village, Beale Street Merchants Association, Budweiser and its local distributor, D. Canale Beverages, FedEx, Gibson, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, Smokin’ Bluz, Sonicbids, T. Clifton Art, Tennessee Arts Commission, Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
Media Sponsors include Beale Street Caravan, Big City Rhythm and Blues, Blues Blast, Blues Festival Guide, Blues Revue, BluesWax, Downtowner, House of Blues Radio Hour, Living Blues, Memphis Flyer and WREG-TV and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
The International Blues Challenge and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards are produced by The Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization established to preserve Blues history, celebrate Blues excellence, support Blues education and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. The Foundation consists of a worldwide network of 165 affiliated Blues societies and has individual memberships spanning the globe. In addition to the, the Foundation also produces the Blues Music Awards and the Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. For more information or to join The Blues Foundation, log onto www.blues.org.
Milwaukee’s Sue DaBaco & Wise Fools will be representing Wisconsin at the IBC event in Memphis, and a fundraiser to help the Grafton Blues Association with expenses for the trip will take place on January 24th at the Black Swan Banquet Hall in Grafton (13th Avenue) at 7pm.
January 24, 2009 7pm
Sue DaBaco & Wise Fools, T-Man and the Young Guns
Black Swan Room
13th Avenue (next to Grafton Alehouse)
Grafton, Wisconsin
$5 donation at door
Monday May 19, 2008 Source:Summerfest Location: Milwaukee, WI
Summerfest officials today announce yet another lineup of headliners slated for Summerfest 2008. Check out the Zippo Rock Stage with Miller Lite and 94.1 WJJO for a great mix of rock music from a variety of artists.
As always, the stage lineup will deliver a unique combination of rock genres, including hard rock, alternative, 70’s and 80’s. The stage will feature the following headlining performers:
June 26 6pm Nonpoint, 11pm Drowning Pool
June 27 8pm bloodsimple, 10pm Sevendust
June 28 6:30pm Carrie Rodriguez, 8pm Old 97’s, 10pm Willy Porter
June 29 6:30pm The Parlor Mob, 8pm Egypt Central, 10pm Theory of a Deadman
June 30 10pm TBA
July 1 6:30pm 12 Stones, 10pm Skillet
July 2 8pm Saving Abel, 10pm Finger Eleven
July 3 8pm Ingrid Michaelson, 10pm Gomez
July 4 6:30pm Black Tide, 10pm Five Finger Death Punch
July 5 8pm Black Stone Cherry, 10pm Jackyl
July 6 9pm Mickey Hart
The headliner for June 30 will be announced in the near future. All performers and show times are subject to change.
Summerfest 2008 will take place June 26 – July 6 from noon until midnight daily. The World’s Largest Music Festival and Milwaukee’s cornerstone summer celebration continues to attract the music industry’s hottest stars, along with emerging talent and local favorites. The 23,000 capacity Marcus Amphitheater, 10 permanent grounds stage areas, 45 diverse food & beverage vendors and four unique marketplaces are set against the beautiful Lake Michigan and downtown backdrops, creating a festival experience like no other. Patrons can also enjoy Miller Lite, the Official Beer of Summerfest. For more details on The World’s Largest Music Festival visit Summerfest.com.
