Earlier this summer Shank Hall hosted Polkafinger, a Brooklyn-based polka band with a Milwaukee connection (that's Richard LaValliere to you). Now, the East Side venue hosts a veteran polka act from the other coast. As part of a 20-city tour celebrating 20 years behind the bellows, San Francisco's Those Darn Accordions play at Shank on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m.
"After two decades of toting these heavy things through airports and jumping around with them strapped to our chests, I've gotta admit it's not about the accordions," says singer, accordionist and main songwriter Paul Rogers. "But in a way, building a band around such bizarre instrumentation has freed me to write about whatever I want, whether it's mall weirdos, the Loch Ness Monster or a guy who lives like a hamster.
"Plus," he adds, "calling yourself 'Those Darn Accordions' brings in a certain kind of fan who's not afraid to have a good time."
To that end, the band -- which comprises Rogers and fellow accordionists Carri Abrahms, Susie Davis and Suzanne Garramone, bassist Lewis Wallace and drummer Michael Messer -- unreels a set list built on its best-loved material, including crowd-pleasing covers of Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein," The Who's "Baba O'Riley," a Led Zeppelin medley and a version of Grand Funk's "We're An American Band" performed as "We An Accordion Band."
Cover is $10.
Also at Shank this week: The Rouge, Sick of Sarah and Natural Selection play on Thursday, Aug. 27; Zombiepalooza with Zombeatles and The Dolls of Doom takes place the following night; and Chapman Party of Five, Funky Session and John Petty share the stage on Saturday, Aug. 29.
Some shows on tap at other venues this week include:
Robert Cray brings his sizzling blues guitar to The Pabst on Monday, Aug. 24 for an 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets are 35 smackeroos.
Although I'd argue the billing as "The Original" Wailers -- that distinction goes only Bob, Bunny and Peter (OK, you could add Beverly Kelso, Cherry and Junior Braithwaite) -- with Wya Lindo, Family Man Barrett, Al Anderson and Junior Marvin onstage, this will be pretty close to the original version of The Wailers musical outfit (although there's no Tyrone Downie and certainly not the late, great Carly Barrett -- and who are those other people in the photo?), making it the most interesting version of The Wailers to stop in Milwaukee in a long time; arguably since some of the guys played with Marley at the PAC in 1978. See them at The Rave on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Hometown band, Brothers GERD, currently wrapping up work on its debut EP, playsat the Up and Under on Thursday, Aug. 27. The band, which claimsinfluences like Stone Roses, Galaxie 500 and Guided by Voices. The bandhopes to have copies of the EP ready to give away free to fans at theshow.
The Cactus Club hosts The Intelligence, Drugs Dragons, Red Knife Lottery and Girl Fight on Friday at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, you'll find Father Phoenix, Cougar Den and Cloud Mouth there, beginning at 10 p.m.
Motorhead and Reverend Horton Heat combine for one of the most unexpected -- but sure to please -- bills of the summer. The pair of high-octane acts -- one a legend in the world of thrash metal, the other the king of psychobilly -- plays at The Rave on Saturday, Aug. 29.
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.
