Back in spring, I rued the fact that I missed Chicago's Dot Dot Dot when the band played right in my neighborhood, an area of town that never hosts gigs.
Though Dot3 played at the Brat Stop in Kenosha not long after, the band -- formed in 2007 when members of two other working Chicago bands joined forces -- Dot Dot Dot is now returning to the Milwaukee area for a 9:30 p.m. gig at Rooters in Waukesha on Saturday, Oct. 2.
Cover is $8.
The band's synth-fueled dance music has led to comparisons to the likes of Duran Duran and while the band doesn't shy away from them, it's an oversimplification. However, to say that Dot Dot Dot is influenced by '80s synth pop would be an understatement.
The Windy City quintet first gained attention with its self-titled debut disc after finishing in the top five on Fox's "The Next Great American Band."
In spring, Dot cubed released "I," the first installment of a proposed trio of EPs. "II" arrived in August and "III" is due shortly. But in the meantime, "Stay," from "II" has cracked Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and another track from the disc is part of an international ad campaign.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
