After news leaked out last week, Summerfest officially announced today that Dave Matthews Band headlines the Big Gig on Wednesday, July 2.
Before the post was pulled without explanation, Dave Matthews Band fan site AntsMarching.org last week published a summer tour itinerary for the band that, interestingly, included a Summerfest performance on July 1 and, equally interesting, no gigs at Alpine Valley. No performance was listed for July 2 in that post.
Another blog reported on the AntsMarching post last week and that can still be read online. Various Facebook posts also have mentioned DMB's new summer tour, including an Amphitheater date.
Dave Matthews Band played the Marcus Amphitheater during Summerfest in 1997 and 1999.
Skipping Alpine Valley would be unusual for Dave Matthews Band, as the group has played there every year since 1999, skipping only 2001 and 2011. DMB has also recorded a pair of live sets – released as "Live Trax Vol. 8" and "Live Trax Vol. 15" – at the outdoor venue in East Troy, in 2004 and 2008.
One source, speaking on condition of anonymity last week, said an industry figure confirmed the Antsmarching.org itinerary, but it was unclear if the Summerfest date would occur July 1 or 2, leading me to wonder if maybe the group would play both nights.
There is precedent for this, as Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers headlined two nights at Summerfest in 2010 and Dave Matthews Band's annual Alpine Valley appearances have each run two nights.
However, the news is out and it is that DMB plays Summerfest one night: July 2. (But July 1 is still an open date on the band's tour itinerary. Just sayin'.)
There is also a chance the band could still add an Alpine Valley appearance. DMB played both Summerfest and in East Troy during the summer of 1999, after all.
An online presale for all shows will begin on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 9 am ET at warehouse.davematthewsband.com for members of the DMB Warehouse Fan Association.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. and include Summerfest admission. Tickets can be purchased at the Summerfest Box Office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, Walmart stores, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at (800) 745.3000 or (866) 448-7849.
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.
