As we know, the Bucks really want to #OwnTheFuture. But until that forthcoming time is rightfully possessed on the basketball court, they will continue to creatively and successfully offer an #OdeToThePast on the musical stage.
On Monday, Milwaukee made the announcement that, after the NBA's All-Star Break, the team will make a rocking return to the BMO Harris Bradley Center in its Feb. 19 game against Charlotte. Specifically – and superbly – the Bucks will feature Chevy Metal, a 1980s cover band formed by Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, for their '80s Night. The group will play a short set during halftime, then a full concert after the game on the arena floor.
Hawkins started Chevy Metal several years ago while the Foo Fighters, the legendary alternative rock group fronted by Dave Grohl, were on break. At times, the cover band has involved all of the Foo Fighters; in Milwaukee, Chevy Metal's lineup will be Hawkins with Mick Murphy and Wiley Hodgden, two members of his side project The Birds of Satan.
The performances are a double-nod to the past for the Bucks, as Hawkins' pedigree appeals to fans of the '90s- and 2000s- dominant Foo Fighters, while Chevy Metal's covers of both popular and deep cuts of '70s and '80s tracks should arouse fond memories for those who remember watching Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief hoop at the old MECCA.
Since new ownership took over a couple years ago, the rebranded and marketing-savvy Bucks have sought to forge a connection to the franchise's respectable past – honoring players like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Bob Dandridge, Vin Baker, Glenn Robinson and others, while hosting other decade-themed nights with beloved bygone performers – as they showcase current local musicians on Milwaukee Mondays and look forward to the young team's potentially bright future on the court.
Besides the pair of concerts, the Kohl’s Flashback Friday game on Feb. 19 will include unique player intros and 80s-specific performances by the Bucks Dancers and other entertainers. It's also a Bucks Legends Night (sponsored by Legends of the Field), featuring an appearance by Moncrief, who played in Milwaukee from 1979-90 and led the Bucks to the playoffs in 10 straight seasons.
And it's a Coors Light Bucks Night Out game, for which packages start at $19 and include a ticket, voucher for a beer or soda, team pint glass and access to the arena's indoor tailgate area.
No word yet on the reaction to the Chevy Metal news of Hornets rookie and former Badgers star Frank Kaminsky, a renowned goofball who's previously said he doesn't really have any musical taste except for disliking country but also has tweeted his love of "I Want You to Know" by Zedd and Selena Gomez. Who knows what Frankie K. thinks?
Unquestionably, though, this announcement would thrill former Packers tight end Tom Crabtree, who has been fairly public and quite vocal over the years about his love of the Foo Fighters.
Born in Milwaukee but a product of Shorewood High School (go ‘Hounds!) and Northwestern University (go ‘Cats!), Jimmy never knew the schoolboy bliss of cheering for a winning football, basketball or baseball team. So he ditched being a fan in order to cover sports professionally - occasionally objectively, always passionately. He's lived in Chicago, New York and Dallas, but now resides again in his beloved Brew City and is an ardent attacker of the notorious Milwaukee Inferiority Complex.
After interning at print publications like Birds and Blooms (official motto: "America's #1 backyard birding and gardening magazine!"), Sports Illustrated (unofficial motto: "Subscribe and save up to 90% off the cover price!") and The Dallas Morning News (a newspaper!), Jimmy worked for web outlets like CBSSports.com, where he was a Packers beat reporter, and FOX Sports Wisconsin, where he managed digital content. He's a proponent and frequent user of em dashes, parenthetical asides, descriptive appositives and, really, anything that makes his sentences longer and more needlessly complex.
Jimmy appreciates references to late '90s Brewers and Bucks players and is the curator of the unofficial John Jaha Hall of Fame. He also enjoys running, biking and soccer, but isn't too annoying about them. He writes about sports - both mainstream and unconventional - and non-sports, including history, music, food, art and even golf (just kidding!), and welcomes reader suggestions for off-the-beaten-path story ideas.
