Play Time

No, it's way too early for hibernation yet. Halloween and Thanksgiving are still ahead of us. Not to mention the musical events listed below. Music is good for the mind and dancing keeps the blood flowing, so come on out.

See you there.

The McMuscial Calendar

Saturday, November 8
The Doug White Quartet with Austin Cebulske plays Cafe CODA, Madison's too cool jazz emporium on Willy Street. With dynamic young-man-with-a-horn saxophonist Cebulske, expect some hard honkin' and soulful takes on jazz and R&B standards, plus some powerhouse Doug White originals. Jim Huwe on drums and Tom McCarty on bass. 7 to 10 pm

Friday, November 14
The BirdDogBlues band is back at Four Winds Farm in Fitchburg for another Blues in the Barn event. A great space for listening or dancing. This ticketed event starts at 6 to 9 pm.

Thursday, November 20
The John Chimes Trio plays The North Street Cabaret, Madison's premiere listening room. Chimes brings home his piano-driven New Orleans Soul sound, but will also be introducing songs from his new recording featuring fingerstyle acoustic guitar versions of tunes gathered from favorite songwriters. Joining John are Al Falaschi on drums and vocals and Tom McCarty on bass. 7 to 10 pm

Saturday, December 20
You better be good, you better not pout, and you better get your ass out to hear the BirdDogBlues band at The Fharmacy in Lake Mills. Enjoy an evening Blues variety and Tyranena Brewing Company taps. A gem of a joint in old downtown Lake Mills. 7 to 10 pm.

Sounds and Pictures

Does Art imitate Life? Or is it the other way around? Let's just say that in theory AND in practice, either can do both.

Artist Lester D. did this quick impression of friend and keyboardist Doug White performing in front of his garage last week, along with drummer Jim Huwe and m'self. Doug entertains his neighbors once a week, weather permitting, solo, or with an early set and a revolving cast of sidemen. All are welcome. Bring your folding chair. 

The McMuscial Calendar

Sunday, September 14
Driveway Serenade with Doug White, Austin C. on sax, Tom M. on bass, and Brian H. on drums. R&B and Jazz. On Marconi Street in Madison (it's only a block long). 6 to 7 pm

Thursday, September 18
Faux Fawn plays the historic McFarland House Cafe (in McFarland, duh!). Fun folkers Paul Otteson and company serve up a set of inspired acoustic originals in a bucolic backyard setting. 6 to 8.

Friday, November 14
Blues in the Barn with the BirdDogBlues band at Four Winds Farm event space in Fitchburg. Ticketed event. 6 to 8 

Saturday, December 20
The BirdDogBlues band plays the eve of the eve of the eve of Christmas Eve at The Fharmacy in Lake Mills. A great space with all of Tyranena Brewing's fine beers on tap. 7 to 10

Friday, March 13 (2026)
The BirdDogBlues band plays the 26th Annual Blues Cafe in Rothschild (just south of Wausau), part of a huge showcase of Blues talent from near and far, in the spacious Rothschild Pavilion 
(1104 Park St.) Sponsored by the Great Northern Blues Society.
6:30 to 8 pm.

Check back for additions and updates.

Correction!

It has been brought to our attention that Sunday's BIG GIG at The Smiling Moose will kick off at 3 pm, NOT at 2 pm as erroneously stated in the previous post.

Sorry about that.
Yours truly,
Mr. Perfect

...But No Wiser

When a friend calls, and asks if you can help out, and you can, then you say, Yes.

So it goes that the BirdDogBlues band will make their way from parts south and west to The Smiling Moose Tavern (in Newton, WI; see map) for an afternoon performance on Sunday, August 31. We hope for a lovely summer's-end kind of day, but even if it rains hounds and felines, the band will be banging out its brand of Blues from 2 to 5(ish) pm.

In other news:

The McMuscial Calendar

Friday, September 5
The Sparks Band plays that same old 60s schtick at Chief's Tavern in Madison (right across from Buck's Pizza). 7 to 10.

Thursday, September 18
Faux Fawn plays the historic McFarland House Cafe (in McFarland, duh!). Fun folkers Paul Otteson and company serve up a set of inspired acoustic originals in a bucolic backyard setting. 6 to 8.

Friday, March 13 (2026)
The BirdDogBlues band plays the 26th Annual Blues Cafe in Rothschild (just south of Wausau), part of a huge showcase of Blues talent from near and far, held in the spacious Rothschild Pavilion (1104 Park St.) Sponsored by the Great Northern Blues Society.
6:30 to 8 pm.

Check back for stuff that's bound to happen sometime and somewhere in between September and March.

Who's Old?

These days, in which so many of us are largely living online, a post more than a week old should be barely beneath notice. (What? You have nothing new to say? No whining opining? No admonitions to add?)
Well... the intent behind this tiny corner of the vast electronically powered hive mind has been to provide alerts and reports related to activities and events apropos things McMusical.

To that end I can currently report that the Calendar below has only subtracted those events that have occurred since posting last and added nothing new. Yet, by way of celebrating the birthday of Rick Becker, singer and drummer and fellow native of the Fox River valley, I hereby plop in a link to a past performance from Big Wes Turner's Trio, lo these eight years ago. 

We three were just off an extended hiatus and signed on for an unpaid set as part the summer solstice Make Music Madison thing. We needed to test our musical memory more than we lusted after remuneration. (It never happened again.) Skip around this hour of tunes, if you like. Some of them come off pretty well. Thanks again to Terry Talbot, and Happy Birthday Rick!

Big Wes Turner's Trio

The McMusical Calendar

Sunday, August 10
The Sparks Band plays the big hits and fun obscurities from the 60s at The Dirty Dog Taphaus (101 6th Ave., New Glarus). 2 to 5 pm

Sunday, August 31
CANCELED (due to unforseen circumstances)
The BirdDogBlues at Toffler's

Monday, September 1
CANCELED (due to unforseen circumstances)
The BirdDogBlues at Club LaMark

Friday, September 5
The Sparks Band plays the same 60s schtick at Chief's Tavern in Madison (right across from Buck's Pizza). 7 to 10pm

Thursday, September 18
Faux Fawn plays the historic McFarland House Cafe (in McFarland, duh!). Fun folkers Paul Otteson and company serve up a set of inspired acoustic originals in a bucolic backyard setting. 6 to 8pm

Next Year

Friday, March 13 (2026)
The BirdDogBlues band plays the 26th Annual Blues Cafe in Rothschild (just south of Wausau), part of a huge showcase of Blues talent from near and far, held in the spacious Rothschild Pavilion (1104 Park St.) Sponsored by the Great Northern Blues Society.
6:30 to 8 pm.

 

 

Synchronicity and Complicity

Not to dive too deep, but have you ever wondered whether the universe is a carefully crafted mechanism, or a series of continually cascading random causes and effects and causes, etc., etc., etc..?

Or both?

Think what you will, but I believe that at least as long as we wee beasties have some measure of mobility then we must also have agency. If we can decide to go one way rather than the other, then our actions must be causing effects, be they ever so small. In other words, we have it in us to make a difference. All we have to do is make a decision and act, and even small actions can count.

But here's the kicker. If you do NOT act, you become complicit in the actions of those who do. Doesn't matter whether you approve or disapprove, not if you just stand by and let it happen.

Maybe making one little change in our lives can get the ball rolling. Think about what actions you can take that will help rather than hurt, that will help you, help the people you care about, and maybe, ultimately, help everyone. 

Too deep? Okay. Check out the superficial activities listed below. Hopefully, they will do more help than harm.

The McMusical Calendar

Friday, July 18
The BirdDogBlues band plays the capacious backyard at Toffler's by way of kicking off a weekend of food and festivities at the New Glarus Food Truck Festival.

Saturday, July 19
The BirdDogBlues band bangs out the tunes the VFW Post 8483, 5737 County CV, on top of the hill overlooking the Dane County Airport. 5 to 8pm

Saturday, July 26
The Gentlemen 60th Reunion. Back when The Beatles and other British Invasion bands were rewiring young brains across our fair land, nobody recreated those sounds better than The Gentlemen. Comprised of UW Madison students Dave and Bob Kenison, Chuck Scalia, and Brewster Shaw, the band rocked the Midwest hard during the last half of the 60s. After graduation they went their separate ways, but also made a tradition of regrouping in Madison for an annual reunion. Don't miss this one. The Bur Oak on Winnebago St. in Madison. 8 to 10:30 pm.

Sunday, July 27
Gerry Does Jerry at Toffler's in New Glarus. Gerry Burns is longtime musical resident of Austin, TX, but he returns to Wisconsin for an annual visit with family and friends, and brings along his ongoing celebration of the music of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead. Along with Gerry on guitar, musical friends include Jimmy Voegeli (The Jimmys) on keys, Gary Hendrickson on guitar, Tom McCarty on bass, and drummers (Yes! two drummers!) Mauro Magellan (of The Georgia Satellites, etc.) and Bun E. Carlos (of Cheap Trick, etc.) Tie-dye me down! It WILL BE a BLAST. 2:30 pm 'til whenever, Man.

Sunday, August 10
The Sparks Band plays the big hits and fun obscurities from the 60s at The Dirty Dog Taphaus (101 6th Ave., New Glarus). 2 to 5 pm

Sunday, August 31
CANCELED (due to unforseen circumstances)
The BirdDogBlues at Toffler's

Monday, September 1
CANCELED (due to unforseen circumstances)
The BirdDogBlues at Club LaMark

Friday, September 5
The Sparks Band plays the same 60s schtick at Chief's Tavern in Madison (right across from Buck's Pizza). 7 to 10pm

Thursday, September 18
Faux Fawn plays the historic McFarland House Cafe (in McFarland, duh!). Fun folkers Paul Otteson and company serve up a set of inspired acoustic originals in a bucolic backyard setting. 6 to 8pm

Next Year

Friday, March 13 (2026)
The BirdDogBlues band plays the 26th Annual Blues Cafe in Rothschild (just south of Wausau), part of a huge showcase of Blues talent from near and far, held in the spacious Rothschild Pavilion (1104 Park St.) Sponsored by the Great Northern Blues Society.
6:30 to 8 pm.

Things of Interest

Safe to say, it's been an interesting year thus far. That said, "interesting" isn't always a good thing. Maybe a little more "balance" would be in order. If we don't want things to get too far out of whack, maybe ease up on the whacking? And the wackos? (You know who you are.)

Just some food for thought. You're welcome. Commence mastication. And while you're at it, peruse the updated event lineup below.

The McMusical Calendar

In addition to the BirdDogBlues summer gigs listed below, Mr. McMusic will be participating in several other noteworthy performances. 

Saturday, July 26
The Gentlemen 60th Reunion. Back when The Beatles and other British Invasion bands were rewiring young brains across our fair land, nobody recreated those sounds better than The Gentlemen. Comprised of UW Madison students Dave and Bob Kenison, Chuck Scalia, and Brewster Shaw, the band rocked the Midwest hard during the last half of the 60s. After graduation they went their separate ways, but also made a tradition of regrouping in Madison for an annual reunion. Don't miss this one. The Bur Oak on Winnebago St. in Madison. 7 to 10 pm.

Sunday, July 27
Gerry Does Jerry at Toffler's in New Glarus. Gerry Burns is longtime musical resident of Austin, TX, but he returns to Wisconsin for an annual visit with family and friends, and brings along his ongoing celebration of the music of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead. Along with Gerry on guitar, musical friends include Jimmy Voegeli (The Jimmys) on keys, Gary Hendrickson on guitar, Tom McCarty on bass, and drummers (Yes! two drummers!) Mauro Magellan (of The Georgia Satellites, etc.) and Bun E. Carlos (of Cheap Trick, etc.) Tie-dye me down! It WILL BE a BLAST. 2:30 pm 'til whenever, Man.

Sunday, August 10
The Sparks Band plays the big hits and fun obscurities from the 60s at The Dirty Dog Taphaus (101 6th Ave., New Glarus). 2 to 5 pm

Friday, September 5
The Sparks Band plays the same 60s schtick at Chief's Tavern in Madison (right across from Buck's Pizza). 7 to 10.

Thursday, September 18
Faux Fawn plays the historic McFarland House Cafe (in McFarland, duh!). Fun folkers Paul Otteson and company serve up a set of inspired acoustic originals in a nifty backyard setting. 6 to 8.