Countdown

August? It was a busy month. September? Not so much, as a peek at the McMusical Calendar (below) will show. Sometimes, that just the way it goes.

There's a time to kick up some dust, and a time to kick back and relax. There's also times when you have to put your shoulder to the wheel, metaphorically speaking, 'cause some jobs you just have to do yourself.

Like voting. Come this November, Americans need to participate in the work of self-governance. Don't leave it up to somebody else to make what may be the most important choice us citizens of this fair land have ever made. Get informed. Get registered. Get ready. Then VOTE.

In the meantime, here's The McMuscial Calendar.  

Sunday, September 15
BirdDogBlues plays an early afternoon set to help raise funds for the Madison Blues Society Showcase at the East Side Club.\The BA Band plays from noon to 1. Then BirdDogBlues boys from 1:20 to 3. Then Chicago's own Donna Herula and her band from 3 to 5. Food, Drink, and 50/50 Raffle on the shores of beautiful Lake Monona.

Saturday, October 5
BirdDogBlues plays the Fharmacy, Tyranena Brewing's welcoming indoor venue in downtown Lake Mills. 7 to 10

Saturday, October 26
BirdDogBlues makes music at The Mill on the banks of the Sugar River in Paoli (weather permitting). 5 to 8

Check back early and often for corrections, additions, subtractions, multiplications, and divisions.

Let There Be Drummers

Drums, Bass, and Drums

That's Mauro Magellan (of The Georgia Satellites, The Jimmys, Generation Jones, etc. etc.) me, and Bun E. Carlos (of Cheap Trick, etc. etc.), post-gig posing at Grand Avenue Pub in Beloit, 27 July 2024.

My privilege, and a ton-o-fun, to play with both these Grand Poobahs of Percussion. Drummers are my partners, co-pilots, and co-conspirators in myriad musical endeavors. Hats off and glasses up to these two, and all the others.

Gerry Burns, longtime Austin, TX musician, but Wisconsin native, pulled together and led a line-up of rock stars and local heroes for an evening's homage to the original (two drummers) Grateful Dead. Check out GerryDoesJerry for more.

The McMusical Calendar

Thursday, August 1
BirdDogBlues plays Century School Park. Verona! (Weather permitting. Keep your eyes on the skies.)
5:30 to 8:00

Friday, August 9
BirdDogBlues plays The Lake House Inn in Edgerton. (Weather permitting. See above.)
7 to 10

Tuesday, August 13
VOTE! (And vote "No" on both referendums. Please.)

Saturday, August 17
BirdDogBlues plays Whiskey, Wine, & Cheese Fest in New Glarus. (What's not to love!)
2 to 5

Sunday, August 18
BirdDogBlues plays The Smiling Moose in Osman.
3 to 7

Thursday, August 29
BirdDogBlues plays Fireman's Park in Cottage Grove.
7 to 9

Sunday, September 1
BirdDogBlues plays Toffler's in New Glarus.
3 to 6

Monday, September 2
BirdDogBlues plays the Club LaMark in Madison.
2 to 5

Sunday, September 15
BirdDogBlues plays Madison Blues Society Showcase at the East Side Club. Afternoon.

Check back early and often for corrections, additions, subtractions, multiplications, and divisions.

Thanks to our haste, and lack of proofreading and fact-checking, our Department of Corrections will never be out of business. Being human (no AI here, folks), we err, and when we do, we own up. 

That said, it was an easy enough mistake to make, assuming that if George (Gershwin) wrote the music then brother Ira must have written the lyrics. But Porgy and Bess, the Gershwin opus that introduced the now ubiquitous tune "Summertime," was an exception, drawing lyrics from the novel Porgy, written by DuBose Heyward. Now we both know.

Our screw-ups are nothing new, but see if you can spot the TWO NEW additions to... 

The McMusical Calendar (BirdDogBlues news below)

Thursday, July 18

Fun folkers Faux Fawn (the brain child of prolific and singular songwriter Paul Otteson) perform in the spacious and comfortable backyard at the McFarland House Cafe (5923 Exchange St. in McFarland).
6 to 8 pm

Sunday, July 21

Mel Ford & Fairlane serve up a smorgasbord of blues-flavored standards and raucous rarities with acoustic guitar, upright bass, and down-home vocals on the patio at Tofflers Pub & Grill in New Glarus
(200 5th Avenue). 

2:30 to 5 pm

Thursday, July 25
Gerry Does Jerry
Gerry Burns, longtime musician of Austin (Texas) revisits his Wisconsin roots and gathers a supporting cast of local heroes for a summertime celebration and appreciation of the Grateful Dead. Joining Burns are keyboardist Todd Phipps, guitarist Gary Hendrickson, bassist Tom McCarty, and TWO drummers!: Mauro Magellan (Kentucky Headhunters and The Jimmys) and Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick). Check it out at Tofflers Pub & Grill in New Glarus.

7 to 10

Saturday, July 27
Gerry Does Jerry again. Same star-studded line-up as above, except Doug Brown replaces Todd Phipps on keyboards. Grand Avenue Pub (132 W. Grand Avenue) in Beloit. Bring out your Dead!
8 to 12

Taking Advantage

Some say that "the livin' is easy" in summertime (it was Ira Gershwin, actually), and we hope that's true for you and yours. What's certain is that there's live music coming to a neighborhood near you, and not just from MAMA winning band BirdDogBlues (see schedule below), so take advantage of the opportunities.

(And check back here often for updates!)

The McMusical Calendar

Thursday, July 18

Fun folkers Faux Fawn (the brain child of prolific and singular songwriter Paul Otteson) perform in the spacious and comfortable backyard at the McFarland House Cafe (5923 Exchange St. in McFarland).
6 to 8 pm

Sunday, July 21

Mel Ford & Fairlane serve up a smorgasbord of blues-flavored standards and raucous rarities with acoustic guitar, upright bass, and down-home vocals on the patio at Tofflers Pub & Grill in New Glarus
(200 5th Avenue). 

2:30 to 5 pm

Tis the Season (for outdoor shows)

The "season" is upon us, the post-COVID extended summertime season for outdoor festivities and the music that accompanies them.

The McMuscial Calendar is dominated by BirdDogBlues events (see schedule below), but others of interest occur. I can name two right off the top of my hairy head:

Thursday, June 13

Faux Fawn (alt-neo-folk quintet performing the songs of Paul Otteson) kicks of McFarland's "Bands by the Boardwalk" series in McDaniel Park on the east shore of Lake Waubesa.

6-8pm 

Sunday, July 21

Mel Ford & Fairlane apply guitar and upright bass to a blues-flavored variety pack of tunes (mostly mid-20th century) at Tofflers in New Glarus.

2:30 to 5 pm.

Out and About, Early and Often

Check out the revised BirdDogBlues schedule!

Hey, these guys are all MAMAS boys. Winners of the Madison Area Music Association 2023 awards, that is. 

A couple new dates since last posted, and lots of afternoon and evening shows. (Some outdoor shows may depend on fair weather. Keep watching the skies.)

Check back soon for other McMusical events.

Anti-Social Networking

Welcome! To this highly exclusive online backwater.

Some may have wondered whether we're still breathing over here. Well, as of this post, you can set that minor concern to one side.

Yes. Life does go on! (Despite the efforts of Exxon and all the other like-mindless, greed-driven, world-killing corporate demons.) But the consensus trajectory says that could change, given the amount of shit currently passing through the proverbial fan, and how much more is certain to hit it in the uncomfortably near future.

Social Media tycoons are right up there with the worst of the worst offenders in the but-what-about-my-bottom-line department, and yes, they deserve the business ends of whatever pitchforks and torches we can muster, but even the most mindful of us users and consumers are complicit to some degree. Talkin' 'bout you. Talkin' 'bout me.

Is it possible to live without social media? Of course it is, Silly. We've managed since we were monkeys.

Is it possible to make music and still save the future for our children? Taylor?

Whether or no, Mr. McMusic is going to take a few more shots at it this summer.

The McMusical Calendar

Saturday, May 11
The Gentlemen reunite for an evening of Beatles songs plus a smattering of other hits from the era. The ensemble is anchored by three original members of the band that reigned as Wisconsin's preeminent purveyor of Brit-invasion hits circa '66 to '70. Get your kicks on route Cottage Grove Road at Chief's Bar & Grill (right across from Buck's Pizza). 7 to 10

Plus!