Friday night made me realize something. There's just something special, something so Milwaukee about The Gufs.

Sure, I've been a fan for a long time. But, think about it. The Gufs, four friends who started the band nearly 15 years ago (basically to get chicks) are still friends today, still passionate about music and appreciative of their success and of course, their stuggles and all of their hard work.

The Gufs, in many ways, mirror our city. Successful, yet not too successful. Proud, but not too proud. Good, but (sorry, guys), not good enough -- for some crazy reason -- for the rest of the country to truly take notice. Ah, Milwaukee. I love it. And Milwaukee loves The Gufs.

On Friday, Goran Kralj, Morgan Dawley, Dejan Kralj and Scott Schwebel took The Pabst Theater stage for the first time in their careers. You could tell with the first strum of their intro tune, "Leave this Life," that they were thrilled to be there. Milwaukee, after all, is home. After the easy listening first new song, they cranked out "Last Goodbye," "Listen to the Trees," and "Happily Ever After."

With the faithful fans singing every line, the band basked in the hometown love while welcoming Northern Room lead singer Andrew Jonathan to the stage for a beautiful version of "The Chosen."

The house lights were on in the first 20 or so rows all night as the band was, not only releasing a new CD, but also recording a new live DVD. The light added something. It helped show the fans faces, their sing alongs and their strong appreciation for the band that's finally back after nearly 7 years.

Watch for a full review of The Gufs new album, "A Different Sea," next week.

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