1913 brought magic to benefit concert
Sometimes the most amazing thing happens to you in the most unexpected location or time.
That's what happened Saturday night at the Concert for Eileen at Shank Hall. The concert was a benefit for Eileen Worman, an artist, mother and musician who has been a part of the Milwaukee music scene for many years. She needs a kidney transplant.
The night featured a lot of great Milwaukee bands, Semi-Twang and the Wooldridge Brothers and reunions of multiple bands, including the Yell Leaders and Arms & Legs & Feet.
For me, though, the star of the night was a band called 1913. It's a band that is almost impossible to describe.
The brainchild of Victor DeLorenzo, the pixieish and quixotic drummer of The Violent Femmes, plays his snare and a single cymbal. Scott Johnson plays a full drum set and Janet Schiff plays the cello.
That's it. Who ever heard of a band with a cello and two drummers? My guess is nobody, but this music is as enveloping as I've ever heard. The entire audience sat, entranced, at the sound that came from the stage.
Damien Strigens who knows as much about Milwaukee music as anyone I know, shared a table with me after the set.
"That was like watching a movie," said. "It was cinematic in it's ...it's.." and he stopped talking. "The best thing you can say about a band is that you can't describe it's music. This band is like that. What do you call it?"
When they left the stage the crowd was almost deathly silent for a moment or two before erupting into applause. It was a magic performance and well worth seeing the next time they play.
Talkbacks
![]() |
No Talkbacks for this article. Post your comment/review now |
Facebook comments
Disclaimer: Please note that Facebook comments are posted through Facebook and cannot be approved, edited or declined by OnMilwaukee.com. The opinions expressed in Facebook comments do not necessarily reflect those of OnMilwaukee.com or its staff.
Recent Articles & Blogs by Dave Begel
Roenicke's future with Brewers may be determined soon
Published May 21, 2013
When a team is as bad as the Milwaukee Brewers have been, you kind of just hold your breath, waiting for somebody with authority to lose patience with the whole thing and start chopping. And, as we all know, the normal first head on the chopping block belongs to the manager.
The weapons of war
Published May 16, 2013
For decades Milwaukee has been a whipping boy for all those state legislators who aren't from Milwaukee. We need to find a way to fight back, something that will scare the crap out of some Republican from Bonduel or Abbotsford or even Mequon. Here are Dave Begel's weapons of war...
What I miss the most
Published May 15, 2013
I have been kind of out of commission for more than 40 days with a health difficulty and it's been a real long haul. I think I'm in the final couple of weeks before I get to go home, but lately I've been thinking a lot about what things I miss the most.
Reaction to Journal Sentinel's new editor shows liberal bias
Published May 14, 2013
The Journal Sentinel just hired someone named David Paulsen to be its new Breaking News Editor. Paulsen comes to the paper after stints as a reporter in Wausau and Poughkeepsie, N. Y. and two years at Fox News. Well, when the announcement was made the cries from staffers in the newsroom in Downtown Milwaukee could be heard throughout the civilized world.
One change to rule them all
Published May 14, 2013
Any sport can be improved upon with simple tweaks to the rules. Here is a list of one change for the major spectator sports that will help each game.
Reaction to Collins news shows how far we've come
Published May 9, 2013
For months, all the pro leagues had been preparing for this announcement from some athlete. They had formed alliances with LGBT groups, laying plans for how to respond and how to handle the inevitable public reaction. But even in Wisconsin, we have moved beyond this kind of homophobic bull crap.
We boo because we care
Published May 7, 2013
Do something great and we adore our heroes with shouts, screams and applause. We care and we show we care. What are we to do when they screw something up? We care about them just as much and ignoring their failure should not be part of this equation. Not caring is worse, much worse, than disapproving. We have to let them know that we who depend on them so much are disappointed.
Etiquette: why stop at forks?
Published May 3, 2013
Enough young people have been convinced they should care about using the proper fork that a number of colleges and universities in Milwaukee have started holding etiquette classes for students headed out for job interview lunches and dinners. I see no reason, however, to limit this to meals. Think of all the opportunities these kids are missing.
Does crime cause poverty or does poverty cause crime?
Published April 25, 2013
Nobody is born a criminal. There is no inevitability to a kid becoming a criminal. There is something else at work here, and that leads us to the big question: Does crime cause poverty or does poverty cause crime?
Paying for fun is nothing new
Published April 23, 2013
Excitement, recreation and fun are good things and they are well worth paying for. Let's remove the science from this debate and just concentrate on the style of life and caliber of a city we all really want.
Like Us
Follow Us









