Consider this your advance warning...
WMSE sponsors the Milwaukee stop of the Advance Warning Tour, which features The Mooney Suzuki, The Raveonettes, White Light Motorcade and Longwave. The cheap -- just $5 -- all-ages gig is slated for 7 p.m., Wed., March 26 at Milwaukee School of Engineering's Todd Wehr Auditorium, 1025 N. Broadway.
The Mooney Suzuki, recently signed by Columbia, which reissued the band's independent disc of last year, "Electric Sweat," is one of the hardest working bands around, putting on a high-energy show that never fails to wow. But, stage show aside, the quartet's hard-hitting trad rock sound, heavily influenced by old R&B sounds, is what will draw you in.
Also from the Big Apple, White Light Motorcade draws on the proto-punk of bands like MC5 and The Stooges, as well as the glam greats of the past (T-Rex) and present (Supergrass, Muse). The group's debut, produced by Brad Jones (Imperial Drag, House of Large Sizes), is out now on Octone Records.
Longwave -- from, guess where ... if you said New York, go to the head of the class -- is an American band firmly rooted in the modern British tradition, with Radiohead-esque textures and emotive songs and a downcast sensibility that seems to be reminding everyone of Joy Division. The group's RCA Records disc, "The Strangest Things," was produced by Dave Fridmann (who is known for his work with Flaming Lips).
The Raveonettes are a Danish duo that recorded its 2002 debut, "Whip It On," solely in the key of Bm -- one of the saddest of all keys -- using no more than three chords per song. Each song also could not exceed three minutes. All fine pop sensibilities, if you ask me.
Other upcoming gigs...
Young hardcore/metal/emo outfit Atreyu hits town for an all ages gig Sun., March 23 as they tour in support of their full-length Victory Records debut, "Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses." The Southern California quintet opens for cKy at The Rave at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.
Denton, Texas favorites Slobberbone return to Milwaukee, Sun., March 23 for a show at Shank Hall, 1434 N. Farwell Ave. The group, whose latest disc "Slippage," was released last September, made its TV debut recently, performing on "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilbourn." Tickets for their 8 p.m. show here are $10. Jason Ringenberg opens.
Get your jam groove on Mon., March 26 as the Dave Matthews-ish OAR joins Pseudopod and Louisiana's Marc Broussard at The Rave, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., for an all ages 8 p.m. show. Broussard is the bill's most interesting performer, seamlessly welding the R&B and cajun sounds of his birthplace to rock and folk on his debut disc, "Momentary Setback." Admission is $17.
Sure, Dave Grohl made the successful leap from drum-man to front-man, but who expected Stacy Jones to do it? But the former Veruca Salt and Letters to Cleo stickman showed the world when his band American Hi-Fi scored big with "Flavor Of The Weak" and the group's debut disc in 2001.
The long-awaited follow-up, "The Art of Losing," arrived in shops in late February and the band is now touring behind it. You can see American Hi-Fi at The Globe East, 2028 E. North Ave., Wed., March 26. The 5 p.m. all ages show also features Trouble Is..., Fallout Boy and The Early November. Admission is $10.
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.
