Earlier this year, Milwaukee's Surgeons in Heat digitally released its self-titled debut EP and in mid-summer announced a campaign to raise money for a 10" vinyl version.
The EP is perfect for an old dude like me, with the kind of breezy melodies and jangly guitars that transport me right back to riding the backseat with the windows down the mid-1970s summer.
I can't get enough of the six catchy tunes created by singer and guitarist Johnathon Mayer, drummer Ryan Rougeux and bassist William Schultz. The latter two have since been replaced by Justin Kunesh and Kenny Monroe, respectively, and a second guitarist, Tyler Ditter, has joined, too.
With the new lineup, Surgeons in Heat is also working to prep another EP. And, of course, the gigs have kept on coming.
The next is Friday, Sept. 30 at 10 p.m. at the Cactus Club with Tim Schweiger & The Middlemen and Pioneer. Admission is $10.
We caught up with Mayer to get the story so far...
OnMilwaukee.com: Can you give us a quick history of Surgeons in Heat? There have been some lineup changes, right?
Johnathon Mayer: I started the band with William Schultz and Ryan Rougeux in 2009 when I moved to Milwaukee.
Ryan ended up moving for a job about a year ago and Surgeons found a replacement in Justin Kunesh. Tyler Ditter would add second guitars and vocals at shows and soon become a member, as well.
William took a job at a legal firm. We plan on playing occasionally when Kenny needs a fill-in. William played his last show in August and his replacement is Kenny Monroe. His first show with us was opening for The War on Drugs a few weeks ago. Yes.
OMC: Tell us a bit about the EP.
JM: We recorded the EP at The Pearl Recording Studio in Minneapolis, with Zachary Hollander. I used to live in Minneapolis. My friend Noah Hollander and his brother Zach eventually opened the studio last September after Zach resigned at Pachyderm Studios. We recorded and mixed the EP in six days in January of this year on their Studer 24-track analog tape machine.
OMC: I've gotta ask, are you guys influenced by '70s pop? The record totally reminds me of that era.
JM: There is an influence of that there, for sure. Particularly Todd Rundgren's "Something/Anything" album. Influenced also by '50s and '60s pop, as well. Some of the bands and artists that are constantly spinning are Elvis Costello, Zombies, Big Star, Curtis Mayfield, Prince ... a lot of oldies radio.
OMC: Is the Sept. 30 gig the first with the current lineup?
JM: We've played a date with Caveman and The War on Drugs at club Garibaldi, a Sh*tty Barn Session in Spring Green and the Vintage Madison Fall Fashion Show at the High Noon Saloon in Madison.
OMC: Are you working toward a full-length?
JM: We will be releasing another EP very soon.
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.
