When Cursive frontman Tim Kasher and Seattle's Minus the Bear hit The Rave on Friday, Dec. 17, it will be the final night of a tour that has run more than a month, having kicked off Nov. 11 in Los Angeles.
So, either expect them to be tired beyond belief or, more likely, to pull out all the stops and go out with a bang at the 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $17.50.
Minus the Bear is on the road still promoting its disc, "Omni," which came out in spring and has led the quartet around the world, including a jaunt with Soundgarden, a gig at Lollapalooza and an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
Kasher, in the meantime, released his debut solo record, "The Game of Monogamy" on Saddle Creek in early October and it's an addictive, all over the map affair.
There's chamber music, dynamic alt-rock with at times overblown instrumentation, minimalist acoustic folk, rollicking and horn-laden pop. And that's just in the first few songs. A more adventurous record you won't likely find in America this year. Here are two tunes -- "I'm Afraid I'm Gonna Die Here" and "Cold Love" -- to give you a taste.
Luckily, through it all, Kasher's got great songs with fine melodies tying it all together. Should be interesting to see these 11 songs unfold onstage.
Some other shows on the books this week include:
Austin's singing drummer Jessie Torrisi and her band the Please, Please Me plays at Frank's Power Plant, Thursday, Dec. 16. The band visited the upper Midwest for the first time a couple months ago, but this time they're coming back to see if a trio of Texans can survive our winter. What they don't know is that it's more marathon than sprint, but, heey, give 'em credit for trying.
Go out and see them and you might get a free kazoo or pair of Please, Please Me underpants.
Chicago's Ross Bon and The Mighty Blue Kings don't have britches for you, but if you get to their Shank Hall show on Saturday, you can get a T-shirt at the $50 VIP experience before the 8 p.m. public gig (which is $10 in advance, $12 at the door).
The VIP package includes an acoustic set by the band, including previews of new material, a special T-shirt and CD, a collectible laminate pass and a meet and greet autograph session. Of course, you also get into the public show.
This is the first time the reunited kings of swing have come to Milwaukee (the group had split up in 2001). So, you might want to catch up and hear the hits, along with tunes from the band's Christmas record, called, well, "The Christmas Album."
Meanwhile, over at the Riverside on Saturday, it's a '70s rock explosion as REO Speedwagon and hometown rockers Bad Boy combine their talents for an 8 p.m. show that benefits Children's Hospital.
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.
