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Milwaukee's Daily Magazine for Monday, May 21, 2012

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In Music Blogs

Bondy and his band re-imagined the songs heard on his two CDs Tuesday night at Club Garibaldi.

In Music Blogs

Thankfully, ace photographer CJ Foeckler was on hand, so you don't have to look at bad iPhone photos here.

Bondy uses band to spice up arrangements


AA Bondy came back to Milwaukee for his third solo performance here and his second straight at Bay View's Club Garibaldi.

You can read my advance interview with the former Verbena frontman here.

OnMilwaukee.com was there updating Twitter followers on Bondy's set list, the opening act -- a quartet called Flight -- and more. Here are the tweets -- in case you missed them -- along with some additional commentary in parentheses.

BobbyOnMKEcom That Decca guy that said guitar bands are dead hadn't heard Flight who opens for AA Bondy tonight at Garibaldi. (Madison quartet Flight is fronted by Jentri Colello, whose voice adds further depth to a guitar- and keyboard-driven sound. Flight's MySpace page is here.) twitpic.com/qtxba

BobbyOnMKEcom The Milwaukee moat us in full effect at Garibaldi tonight. A tradition continues. (You see that huge gulf between the stage and the crowd in other towns, too, but in Milwaukee it's profound and lots of visiting performers have commented on it.) twitpic.com/qtygc

BobbyOnMKEcom Kudos to Chris Lehmann for the great sound in the back room at Garibaldi tonight. It can't be easy. (Lehmann -- a veteran Milwaukee drummer who has been in too many bands to count or name here -- also mixed for Bondy's summer show at Garibaldi.)

BobbyOnMKEcom I may be old but I still love live music in a small venue. This is and always will be the heart and soul if rock and roll. (OK, I'm not really that old. Or I am, depending on who you ask.)

BobbyOnMKEcom Give me an original band even if I don't know the music over a cover band any day. I know that puts me in a small demographic -- OK by me. (I was reminded of this while watching Flight and thinking about how many great bands I've first heard when I saw them opening for someone else or unexpectedly in a club. I've never had a single revelation, ever, while watching a cover band. Some people love rocking out to covers of songs they already know and that's great, but it's just not for me. Similarly, I wouldn't want to watch a re-filmed version of "Citizen Kane" by a local filmmaker or go to a show of copies of paintings by Picasso.)

BobbyOnMKEcom The moat is closing as AA Bondy prepares to start his set at Club Garibaldi.

BobbyOnMKEcom Bondy opens with "Mightiest of Guns," the first song on his second CD, "When The Devil's Loose," released in September. twitpic.com/qu4rf

BobbyOnMKEcom First time I saw Bondy was across the street at the Cactus Club when he was with Verbena. Sadly I missed his solo debut here, opening for Bon Iver at The Pabst. Folks who were there raved about it.

BobbyOnMKEcom Some serious dynamics tonight compared to Bondy's solo gig this summer at Club Garibaldi.

BobbyOnMKEcom Bondy: "Wild Wild Sea" and then a really, really lovely version of "There's a Reason."

BobbyOnMKEcom Like Costello and Springsteen Bondy is adept at creating great new arrangements of his songs. "I Can See the Pines..." is low-key and sublime.

BobbyOnMKEcom The band (Eau Claire's Ben Lester plays drums and pedal steel guitar and bassist Macey Taylor) is leaving Bondy to play solo; "Rapture" on electric guitar and the crowd murmurs the lyrics along with Bondy. (Check out a video of the performance on Muzzle of Bees.)

BobbyOnMKEcom Bondy: "Black Rain." twitpic.com/qu8ja

BobbyOnMKEcom An intimate, touching reading of "Lover's Waltz" is followed by "Vice Rag" in another arrangement variation.

BobbyOnMKEcom Bondy: "Killed Myself When I Was Young" is a feedback laden extended jam. twitpic.com/quajz

BobbyOnMKEcom Bondy's last tune: "When the Devil's Loose." twitpic.com/qubne

BobbyOnMKEcom Bondy is solo for the encore.

BobbyOnMKEcom Band is back for "Coal Hits the Fire" and Bondy loves the turnout. Says "I certainly don't expect anything like this" then talks about Dock Ellis!


Talkbacks

MilwaukeeD | Nov. 25, 2009 at 10:41 a.m. (report)

great show, thanks for covering Scott Bondy! I can't understand how he hasn't caught on yet. Combine his two solo albums with his three Verbena albums and you've got one of the best songwriters in the past 15 years, in my opinion.

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