All the Concerts Fit to Print

Back in the mid eighties I was a fan of the Violent Femmes. Still am, of course, but back then I was only discovering bands other than rock. My sister got me into them. In 1989, they came to Summerfest. Since they were the big hometown draw, Summerfest liked to have a big alternative tour package play the main stage, and tack the Femmes onto the bill as the headliner. My sister and some friends were going so I got a ticket too. I forgot it at home, but the bleachers were still free at the time, so I still got in. My sister wondered why I never showed up.

I skipped the first act. I really disliked the Sugarcubes. Being the new band, they were the opener. Five years later, and I probably would have liked them. The third act was New Order. My sister was a fan, but I had a dislike for them too. I didn't hate them as much as the Sugarcubes, but I didn't like their show.

The first band I saw that night was Public Image Ltd. I had no idea who they were, and I can't say I enjoyed their show, but I found their show to be interesting. I had no idea how to classify it. Technopunk, I'd say, now. A little way away from me, there was a guy dancing, who was an old punk. I can't remember with certainty what he looked like, but he resides in my memory as that old guy from Max Headroom. It wasn't until years later that I found out the vocalist for this group was John Lydon, or Johnny Rotten. It was like, whoa. Really? At some point, my curiosity was piqued, and I picked up a CD of theirs. This was probably eight years later, and I hadn't heard them since, but when I played the CD, I actually recognized a song. They made an impression. I can't say I'm a huge fan, but I enjoy the album now and them.

As for the Femmes, well, I enjoyed the show. Three guys standing near the front of the stage. Victor switched between his regular drum kit (which he hasn't played in years, at this point), and his stand-up "tranceophone" (a metal washtub over a snare).

Oh, and the album PiL had just released was 9. The Femmes's new record was called 3. PiL's album was their seventh, and the Violent Femmes's was their fourth.

Yellow section, $10.00, Summerfest admission not included.

Zevon had Timothy B. Schmidt playing with him. They played "I Can't Tell you Why". I had a much greater appreciation of the song after that. I don't think there were any other musicians with them. I sat right up in front.

Keith Emerson, Carl Palmer and Robert Berry. This was at Billy's Old Mill on the south side. "Wisconsin's largest bar". The only time I was ever in the place. It closed within a year or two.

Emerson had a wall of synthesizers on stage right. No idea if any of it was for real. Looked like an old-time space craft. Since the stage was so small, he didn't do quite as much of his usual antics. I recall Palmer's drum solo. At one point, he walked around his kit, playing the cymbals. I was most impressed when he got down to playing only one of them. I don't remember much else about the show. I wish I could remember what songs they played.

One of the most sparsely attended shows I've seen at the arena, which is a shame, because Waters's shows are much like Pink Floyd's. I was down on the floor (sec 5 row F seat 9).

Waters used the old round video screen that the Floyd had used, and had many of the original films. I loved seeing the mechanical creature, crawling to the heavy, throbbing into to "Welcome to the Machine". The top half of the screen was lined with vari-lites.

The tour was for Radio KAOS. There was a War Games-like conversation with a synthesized voice as the theme of the show. A DJ (played by Jim Ladd) had a booth to the side of the stage, and he had an ongoing conversation with the synthesized voice of Billy. At one point, the world was apparently going to end. All the lights on the stage came up white and bright, aiming upwards and outwards, and then, with the crescendo, they all aimed for the floor and went out. Black. Total silence. A moment of awe.

Musicians were Paul Carrack (keyboards) who sang David Gilmour's parts, Mel Collins (sax), Jay Stapley (guitar), Andy Fairweather-Low (guitar), Graham Broad (drums), Katie Kisson and Doreen Chanter (vocals).

After the show, I sat in Polaris, going around, reading the concert program.