![]() | MusicSavvyMom: listening to "Rebecca by Pat McGee Band Simple Man Cruise" ♫ link about 10 hours ago |
![]() | WizardsExtreme: McGee with a UGLY jumper....jeez...someone get Pat Ewing on the phone and teach this kid some post moves about 12 hours ago |
![]() | kikoraikko: RT @kikoraikko Microsoft XNA Game Studio Creator's Guide Second Edition by Stephen Cawood, Pat Mcgee, Pat McGee |Free... link about 1 day ago |
![]() | steppinheavy: listening to "Pat McGee Band - "Annabel" Kirtland Records" ♫ link about 1 day ago |
![]() | AvaxHome_rss: Microsoft XNA Game Studio Creator's Guide, Second Edition: Stephen Cawood, Pat McGee "Microsoft XNA Game Studio Cr... link about 1 day ago |
| By Drew Olson Senior Editor Photography by Alex Hutchison / Zaitz Photography E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Drew Olson |
| Published July 1, 2009 at 7:56 p.m. |
|
Roughly 45 minutes before his first-ever Summerfest set began Wednesday afternoon at the Miller Lite Oasis, singer-songwriter Pat McGee walked onstage to tweak the sound of his acoustic guitar and vocal microphone.
Upon returning to his dressing room and proclaimed: "That's a pretty big stage for a solo acoustic show."
A lesser talent may have been swallowed up by the size of the venue and the fact that most of the crowd in front of the stage was "camping out" to get seats for Jason Aldean's headlining set.
McGee, a 36-year-old Virginia native who fronts the Pat McGee Band, didn't have a problem. After playing close to 250 shows a year for more than a decade, he knows how to handle win over an audience.
"One fan at a time," he joked to a man in the crowd during a 75-minute set that spanned seven albums.
At many of his solo shows, McGee will leave the stage and climb into the middle of the audience -- or on top of the bar -- and perform a song without amplification. "It's a totally different vibe," he said before the show. "The exact opposite of the setting today."
With heartfelt, melodic songs like "Must Have Been Love" and the crowd-pleasing "Rebecca," McGee quickly bonded with the crowd.
McGee, who has toured with bands like Fleetwood Mac, Counting Crows, Wallflowers and others, connected with fans when he played "Come Back Home," a song that he wrote about a military couple apart for long stretches of time. The song took on new meaning when Pat McGee Band drummer Chris Williams died suddenly. A year later, Williams' younger brother, Blake, was killed while on patrol in Iraq.
The set wasn't downcast, though. McGee sprinkled in upbeat songs and some witty stage banter, including a funny story about the time he accidently sat on Willie Nelson's "fragrant" jean jacket.
"This is my first time at Summerfest," he said. "I've heard a lot about it." Later, McGee glanced at the SkyGlider and proclaimed "This is the first gig I've played with a ski lift."
McGee told the crowd "I'm playing in Chicago tomorrow night if you feel like going there." A smattering of applause turned more raucous when he added, "I'm thinking about blowing it off to stay here for a few days."
Summerfest has tried to book McGee's band for several years, but the dates always conflicted with a show at Wolf Trap, a venue outside of Washington, D.C.
"If have me out again next year, I'll bring the whole band," McGee said.
|
Post a comment / write a review.
|
|
Monday West Allis is a pretty thirsty place, but you can't just turn on a beer tap and expect ... |
|
Monday I still don't know how I feel about The Who's performance during the Super Bowl halftime ... |
|
Feb. 02, 2010 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has released the full Oscar nominations ... |
|
Feb. 01, 2010 Today's at-a-glance bar review focuses on O'Brien's, which is located on West Vliet Street ... |
|
Jan. 30, 2010 Can an establishment with the word "Chicago" in its name actually thrive in the Milwaukee ... |
| Top Clicks | Top Searches | Most Talkbacks |
|
|