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| From | "Perry R. Stearns" <pstearns3@wi.rr.com> |
| Subject | IPO_MIlwaukee 5-3-08 |
| Date | Mon, 5 May 2008 10:00:38 -0500 |
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A summary of night three of the first annual Milwaukee International Pop
Overthrow festival.
Saturday night was predictably the best attended IPO show of the weekend.
It was nice to see some fellow power pop travelers again. A special thanks
to Tammi for making the drive from Madison, and to Andrea and Elroy for
their enthusiastic support.
Opening the evening was Owen Sartori (http://www.myspace.com/owensartori)
and his band from Minneapolis, MN. Owen is a gifted songwriter who has
recently taken some time to grow his family so his performance at
IPO-Milwaukee was an especially welcome return. His excellent band provided
all the horsepower needed to really showcase his songs. Great vocal
harmonies definitely added that extra touch fans of great melodies have come
to expect. Watch for his new release planned for this year. He may even
flesh out his MySpace page.
Local favorites, The Pulltops (http://profile.myspace.com/thepulltops)
played second. Definitely no shortage of power or finesse from this group.
They played songs from both of their CD releases that displayed many
different styles while maintaining their own. The guitarist seemed to
channel the 80's at times but always in a very positive musically stylish
way. I'll definitely be watching for upcoming Pulltops shows. They get
better with every gig.
Up third was Fun with Atoms (http://profile.myspace.com/funwithatoms) from
Green Bay, Wisconsin. This power trio filled the room with their 60's
influenced, twang-flavored songs as though they were a 5-piece band. It's
fitting that Jeff Murphy (Shoes) was brought on to help steer their sound by
producing their latest CD release. Jeff graced Linnemans with an appearance
that lent further credence to the hipness of IPO.
Next up was The Midwest Beat (http://profile.myspace.com/themidwestbeat) who
brought their high energy songs to an eager audience. Lots of 2-minute
tunes that put the pedal to the floor the car, then come screeching to a
halt just before they launch into the next one. What separates them from
the herd is the number of hooks they can cram into each two minute
statement. Catch this band next time you need an exceptional musical energy
fix.
The Lackloves (http://profile.myspace.com/thelackloves) were moved into the
next slot when it was learned that their drummer got sick and they would
have to perform as a 2-piece. One third of a 3-piece line-up missing sounds
like a problem, right? Not hardly! Mike Jarvis (guitar) and Kevin Ponec
(bass) lit into the most creative, appealing guitar/bass set list I've heard
in a long time. Eleanor (The Turtles), I Go to Pieces (Peter and Gordon)
and I Need You (Beatles), all featuring superb vocal harmonies, were placed
between their originals. On the second song, the former drummer for The
Nice Outfit graciously jumped on the drum kit and all was well. The
Lackloves continue to delight and amaze fans with their creative energy and
seemingly endless supply of brilliant new tunes.
The aforementioned schedule change put Milwaukee's The Nice Outfit
(http://profile.myspace.com/niceoutfit) in the headliner slot, where they
easily could have been scheduled anyway. Terry Hackbarth (Trolley bass
player) co-fronts this band, along with Trolley leader Paul Wall. Their
musical stylings are similar to Trolley with a slightly harder edge but just
as many British Invasion influences and tasty hooks. The crowd demanded
more and got several extra tunes, including superb covers Baby Come Back
(The Equals) and Everytime You Walk Into the Room (The Searchers). More
great originals will fill out their full CD release later this year.
Sunday afternoon will round out the festival. Stay tuned.
Perry
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