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.

Up and At 'em

Spring has sprung, as we like to say here in Wisconsin. April showers? We've had a few. Plus clouds of pollen (gesundheit!). Buds are budding and before you know it ticks and skeeters will be out for blood. 

Do not be deterred. Summer fun awaits all. Check the schedule below for musical performances by the BirdDogBlues band. And there's more!

Purveyors of 60s sounds the Sparks Band will bring their energetic, and barely geriatric, rock and roll repertoire to Vintage Brewing (in Sauk City) on June 5 (6 to 8 pm). Catch them again at the Dirty Dog Tap House in New Glarus on August 10, and again at Chief's Bar & Grill in Madison on September 10.

Celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Gentlemen, the band that put British Invasion music on the Wisconsin map back in the late 60s. This rare event takes place at The Bur Oak in Madison on July 26.

Scratch My Back

Slim Harpo (the Great) never made the top of the pop charts, but in 1966 he hit Number One on the R&B charts with Baby Scratch My Back. It lives on as a standard of the Blues/Rhythm & Blues repertoire (and you're likely to hear it performed when the BirdDogBlues band plays: see below).

Slim's big hit also lives on as good advice. Make someone happy and give 'em a little back scratch. If it's a canine friend, a belly rub might be good, too.

The McMusical Calendar

Saturday, March 15
BirdDogBlues plays swinging tunes at Loxley, a new event space on Madison's west side where once stood the hoppin' Dry Bean Saloon. (5364 Verona Road). Doors open at 6 pm. Music starts at 8 pm. Dancers welcome.

Check back soon as we fill in more dates for spring and summer music.

Here's What to Do, When the Year turns New

Ready or not, the Holidays are upon. Get those presents wrapped, bake those cookies, do whatever you have to do to make the Yuletide bright. Then get ready to leap into 2025.

Wait! You don't know where to go? That's what the calendar below is for. Read it and leap!

(Hint: It's a swinging joint on the east side of Madison.)

The McMusical Calendar

Tuesday, December 31/Wednesday, January 1
The Red Rooster presents Blue Year's Eve Bash. Madison's premiere Blues venue presents the incomparable James Earl Tate and The 008 Band. Tate gets the party rolling and tumbling from 6 to 8 pm.
At 9:30 MAMA (Madison Area Music Awards) winners BirdDogBlues (with 2023 Blues Performer of the year Mel Ford on guitar and vocals, Ken "Birddog" Olufs on harmonica and vocals, Tom McCarty on bass and vocals, and Madison patron-saint-of-percussion Brian Howard filling in for out-of-town Joel Brantmeier on drums). The band will crank it up and take it to the midnight countdown and on into the new year.
The Red Rooster pours champagne at midnight and has great food, and drink specials all night long. Word to the wise: Get your tickets in advance!

Check back here for 2025 gig updates.

Oh My! Look at the Time!

Clocks changed.
Milestones passed.
We try to keep our eyes on the road ahead, but we best not forget about where we've come from.
And where we come from... is the Past.

When the Ronettes had their huge hit way back when, I wasn't sure about what I thought about it. Or them. The big hair. The outfits. The "bad girl" mystique.

Many years later I happened upon Be My Baby again, and was gobsmacked by the feral genius of Ronnie Spector's performance. Awareness and appreciation? Better late than never. 

It's always a good idea to keep our eyes and ears open, but sometimes, it just takes time. 

Know what I mean?

If so, let me know. Meantime...

The McMusical Calendar

Wednesday, November 27
Pre-Thanksgiving Bash with BirdDogBlues at Toffler's Pub & Grill in New Glarus. 7:30 to 10:30 pm

Friday, December 13
Blues in a barn? Yes, but not just any barn. BirdDogBlues will cast their fates at Four Winds Farms in Fitchburg. 6 to 8:30 pm (ticketed event)

Tuesday, December 31
BirdDogBlues rings in 2025 at the Red Rooster, Madison's premier blues club. 7 to late

The Past will still be around in 2025, so keep your eyes and your minds open and check back often and frequently.