By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Oct 05, 2010 at 1:06 PM

OK, so Nick Lowe won't appear in a flaming pie or a grotto. And he won't be a vision to a teenage girl. (Well, maybe...)

No, the self-dubbed "Jesus of Cool" plays a lower level show with his band at The Pabst Theater on Thursday, Oct. 7. He probably wouldn't want me dwelling on the past, but who's writing this damned thing anyway?

Lowe's made great records across four decades, starting with Brinsley Schwarz and later with Rockpile and Little Village and, above all, as a solo performer. And, damn if he didn't produce most of the best Elvis Costello records.

In case you need some reminders about why Nick Lowe is someone to see, here are a couple...

Just before the tour -- which opened on Oct. 1 in San Francisco with an amazing concept show called, "Costello Sings Lowe/Nick Sings Elvis" -- Yep Roc Records released three great CD-era Lowe records -- "The Convincer," "Dig My Mood" and "The Impossible Bird" -- on vinyl for the first time.

Last year saw the release of "Quiet Please ... The New Best of Nick Lowe."

Welsh fella Geraint Watkins opens the 8 p.m. show.

 

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

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.