As the BoDeans prepare for a New Year's Eve concert at The Pabst Theater, band members Kurt Neumann and Bob Griffin took time recently to answer a few questions for a special Milwaukee Talks.
Neumann and Sammy Llanas met at Waukesha South High School in 1977 and went on to form the band in 1983. They added bassist Bob Griffin to their lineup and have rotated through various keyboardists -- Michael Ramos and Susan Julian -- and drummers -- Guy Hoffman (of The Oil Tasters, who later replaced Victor DeLorenzo in the Violent Femmes), Kenny Aronoff, Rafael Danny Gayol, Nick Kitsos and, most recently, Kevin Leahy.
In 1985 they signed a contract with Reprise Records to release their first album, the critically acclaimed "Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams." Two years later, a Rolling Stone readers' poll voted them Best New American Band. The BoDeans are a fixture on Summerfest's main stage and still, even without a new record in years, get daily radio airplay in their hometown.
According to the band's management, a new disc is on its way. The BoDeans are in serious negotiations with a few very worthy record labels. In the meantime, "The Leftovers," a new limited-edition CD of unreleased tracks will be available in the next several weeks, through the band's Web site only.
We corralled Kurt and Bob recently, and asked the band members about "Leftovers," Milwaukee radio, New Year's Eve and more.
OMC: After all these years, is it still fun -- the band, the music, the lifestyle?
Kurt Neumann: We still love playing and always intended to still be doing it with old and new fans-old and new material. As a band, we feel we're starting all over. We've had our ups and downs, and now moving away from our old management company, it's like a new beginning. It's like life was breathed into us again and it's a lot of fun being together and playing together again.
OMC: This question can't wait any longer ... when is the new album coming out?
KN: Spring 2004. We promise! The new record is completely done. We are talking to a couple of different labels right now and intend to sign a deal in the next few weeks. We plan to release the record early in 2004. We are selling a new CD called "The Leftovers." It contains 19 songs, previously recorded as demos but never before released.
OMC: Many call your 1986 release "Love, Hope, Sex and Dreams" a classic. The first side, in my opinion, is as good as they get. Do you ever truly get sick of playing the big hits from this?
KN: Never.
OMC: Our collective opinion is that Milwaukee radio sucks, other than WMSE and World Café, it's flat out bad. Yet, your music is played on many stations? Just wondering about your thoughts on Milwaukee radio?
KN: We're really fortunate and grateful to have had radio support in Milwaukee but we agree that Milwaukee could benefit from having other format stations, such as triple A. (adult album alternative).
OMC: Favorite venue that you've played?
Bob Griffin: Alpine Valley (opened for Elvis Costello); it's beautiful (and the) hometown crowd thing is special.
OMC: A tune you love to play?
BG: All of them.
OMC: Favorite TV show? No fair answering "Party of Five."
KN: Basketball, basketball, basketball, and then some "Frontline" on PBS.
OMC: Favorite hang out in town?
KN: Lake Park.
BG: My house.
OMC: If you could have a beer with one person (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
KN: Einstein, because with everything I've read about him, he seems like a really cool person. Not just how smart he was only in logical areas like mathematics, but in mystical areas like spirituality. Balanced. Einstein said, "Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on earth as much as the vegetarian diet." He said that before it was fashionable to say that!
OMC: Will you always do Summerfest?
BG: We'd love to, but it doesn't look like we're going to get to. It's never for certain that we'll get an offer from them. It's a jungle out there. Seriously, we've played there a lot of times, we're fortunate for that. It just seems that it can't go on forever...even though we'd like it to.
OMC: How about a song about growing up in Milwaukee?
KN: Since I'm the only one who grew up in Milwaukee, all of my songs stem from that somehow.
OMC: Any thoughts on the Milwaukee Brewers?
BG: I would have sat on a milk crate in County Stadium to watch a good team rather than go to a really nice place to watch a so/so team.
OMC: Are you guys sports fans?
KN: I'm a huge basketball fan and I'll speak for Bob, he's into all sports.
OMC: Favorite thing about Milwaukee?
KN: The London Dry Cleaners (on Milwaukee St. downtown) -- it's as good as it gets.
BG: The new Sixth Street Viaduct, the Milwaukee Art Museum and Conejito's!
OMC: Are you looking forward to playing New Year's Eve in Milwaukee this year? It's good to have you here not in Madison or Chicago!
KN: Absolutely!
For tickets to the New Year's Eve show, click
here.
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.
