The blues at Stumpjack Coffee

This Friday night at 8:00pm John Will Balsley will be returning to Stumpjack Coffee. John performed at our big 1-year Anniversary Costume Party last November and was outstanding. Everyone was saying "How can that guy play the blues like that!? He looks like a computer geek!" (no offense to John of course...he's just one of those unusual vessels of creativity whose outward appearance belies an inner John Lee Hooker...wait one darn minute!...John Lee Hooker...John Will Balsley...coincidence??). Anyway, be here or be square. 8pm Friday night.

Ethan Keller & Koz pics

Image by Nate Walkner

Just finished loading up all the images from this weekend's musical funkfest. Koz just left the building, I'm dog-tired but stoked. It was a great Friday and Saturday. Ethan was fan-freaking-tastic and, as Ed Sullivan might say, a thoroughly all-right chap. If you ever are in Milwaukee and looking to catch some live music make sure to check Ethan's myspace calendar to see where he's performing in brewtown...then go see him. You will most definitely be glad you did (then, after doing so you will feel an inner urge to email me just to say "Thank you, David, for suggesting that we see Ethan Keller do his thing. We followed your sage advice and now are eternally grateful. Thank you oh infinitely wise one!" Ethan lays it down, brother! This cat played a marathon session and I mean just about everybody was coming up to tell me how good he was and how much they were digging his sound.

One little musical tidbit of many: After some joker (me) threw a request at him for something by the somewhat obscure Thomas Dolby, Ethan ended up doing the most amazing version of "She Blinded Me With Science." One of those "Dang, I wish we had that on tape" moments. Click here for the Flickr image set (included are photos from Nate and Marty).

Click here to go to the Flickr set of Koz's pics from Saturday night.

One of the fun things about having Koz perform with us is all the stuff he brings with him: lights, amps, backing music gear, the various instruments, even his own mini-stage...wires and cables and lights everywhere. I tease him about all the toys he brings but it's pretty cool to see him set everything up and to see the final set-up of all that gear in a small space. His song catalog is extensive and covers such a range of styles, there's something for everyone to enjoy as his binder of tunes travels around the room and people holler out requests that see him switching from guitar to sax to clarinet to banjo between songs. The diversity of ages in his audience is noteworthy as well...from junior high age to grandparents, and everyone has a great time...it's a very nice, mellow vibe in the shop when Koz performs.

Tonight: KOZ!

Tonight KOZ: The Man of a Thousand Songs (well 273 maybe...) and 4 Instruments (sax, clarinet, guitar and banjo).

7:00pm at Stumpjack Coffee Co. ... Everything from ragtime, jazz, folk, pop, and maybe even a polka or two (two polka a year is our limit, so tonight's the night).

Ethan Keller this Friday...Koz on Saturday.

Friday night at around 7:30 - Ethan Keller...very nice spotlight on Ethan in last week's Weekend Edition of the HTR (the title is a bit of a tongue twister, but it is also one of Helen Clarke's usual well-written pieces...she has done a wonderful job in these brief articles spotlighting musicians and local talent). Ethan is coming up from Milwaukee to play his unique brand of funky jazz and indie rock guitar. Trust me, if he performs to what I've come to believe is his usual high level of musicianship you will be very impressed indeed. Come on out, help pack the house and keep talented musicians like this coming to town.

Saturday night at 7:00 - Koz. Guitar, banjo, clarinet and sax...ragtime, folk, old time jazz, skiffle, pop and even a little country...Koz does it all.

Kerry and Bill Flickr pics

Bill Walkner...photo by Nate Walkner.

Just finished putting the images onto Flickr from the weekend...Kerry Michaels from Friday night and Bill Walkner from Saturday night (the last four gorgeous photographs of Bill in that set are by Bill's son Nate's hand...beautiful shots aren't they.) Again, Flickr sets are also in the right hand column.