Brooklyn bluegrass purveyors The Jones Street Boys come to Shank Hall on Thursday, Dec. 20 for an 8 p.m. show and Alverno Presents' main man David Ravel wants you to go. So much so, that he's been a one-man street team, sending out e-mails urging folks to go see the rootsy quartet with the sweet harmonies.
In his e-mail, Ravel wrote:
"If you're receiving this e-mail from me, you know I'm not often in the habit of talking about shows other than my own at Alverno Presents. I'm talking about the Jones Street Boys ... because they really are that good.
"Those of you with a Marquette connection might remember JSB vocalist, banjo-mandolin-guitar player Danny Erker from his days as a Spanish Lit major and itinerant theater student.
"But there's a hell of a lot more to the music than the ‘local boy made good' connection. The Jones Street Boys are an amazing band, and this is a unique opportunity to catch some important artists at the beginning of a long and exciting career."
There you have it; the word from someone who knows his music, promoting a show at a venue that's not his own.
You can hear the band at its Web page and what you'll hear is a bluegrass band with Americana roots and a punk rock spirit.
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.
