It's safe to say that Dr. John is a living legend of New Orleans music. Nay, of American music.
So when the good doctor hits Turner Hall Ballroom on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. with his band, The Lower 911 -- John Fohl opens -- you know you oughta be there.
In addition to parsing the history of bayou music into his own unique swamp gris-gris, Dr. John is a long-time collaborator with musicians of all stripes. He's dueted with Willie Nelson and he's rocked with Paul Weller, to name just two examples.
In the wake of Katrina, Dr. John stepped up to help his city, playing benefit concerts and releasing an EP to benefit the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. In 2008, he vented his anger over the devastation and the response to it on his record, "City That Care Forgot."
Dr. John is on the road this time in support of his latest record, "Tribal," which continues his musical explorations and his personal expression of outrage over Katrina.
The Los Angeles Times wrote that on "Tribal," Dr. John "tends to the sick without letting the well-heeled off the hook."
Tickets are $29.50.
Some other gigs in town this week include:
Breathe Owl Breathe plays at the Cactus Club on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and an opener is expected to be added to the bill.
The band has been on the road touring in support of "Magic Central," released in late September on Hometapes. The record is named for the rural Michigan log cabin in which the band lives and works.
You can get a taste by listening to "Across the Loch," a tune from the record.
On the same night The Pabst hosts Yonder Mountain String band plays at The Pabst Theater. Tickets are $22.50.
Check out L.A. beatmeister MiM0SA at the Miramar Theater on Friday, Nov. 12. A former member of the Low End Theory Scene, MiM0SA has a new mini-LP, "Silver Lining," out from San Francisco's Muti Music.
On Oct. 20, Pretty Lights completed his trio of EPs and in celebration, brings his high-energy live show to The Rave on Saturday, Nov. 13. You can check out the EPs at www.PrettyLightsMusic.com, where he releases all his music for free.
Dawes hits Turner Hall Ballroom on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. with The Moondoggies and The Romany Rye. Admission is $10.
The soul revival rages on and London's The Heavy has been riding one of the biggest successes yet with its hit, "How You Like Me Now." The band wraps up its current U.S. tour right here in Milwaukee on Sunday, Nov. 14 at Turner Hall at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $15 and also get you a set by Wallpaper. The West Coast band has released music since summer 2009, but it's likely still know as the band who, that summer, released "Doodoo Face."
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.
