During my 15-plus years at OnMilwaukee, I’ve had people write to ask me for bar and restaurant advice, tickets to concerts and festivals, behind-the-scene tours and connections to prominent Milwaukeeans. And that’s fine. I help when I can.
Recently, however, I received my favorite Milwaukee request of all time, sent via Facebook Messenger.
"Dear Molly," wrote my Facebook friend. "Just one time in my life, I would love to hear ‘Add it Up’ (by the Violent Femmes) without the f*cking crowd singing along. Seriously, I don’t ask for much."
Most Femmes’ fans accept that when songs from the first self-titled album are performed live – "Good Feeling" possibly excluded – it’s completely acceptable to belt out a few "why can’t I gets" or "kiss off into the airs." I mean, c’mon, these songs are our coming-of-age anthems. They mean more to us than some of our relatives do.
At the same time, I like the idea of people not singing along with shows because often it’s really annoying. And it sometimes leads to over-hugging between friends, extensive beer spillage and nostalgia-based hook ups.
The thing is, singing along with live bands is also really fun – especially if you have a few drinks under your belt and it’s the song you lost your virginity to or the one that totally defines your relationship with your ex. I mean, in these cases, how can you not?
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
