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Friday, September 10th, 9:30 PM
The Bean [Web site]
Madison, Wisconsin [Map/Directions]
Tour Blog: Friday, August 27, 2010
Middleton Good Neighbor Fest
After what was really a long and draining week, the chance to rawk out at the Middleton Good Neighbor Fest was a most welcomed opportunity. LUBE had never played this festival before, and with it's excellent reputation as a quality event, we were very happy to show them our stuff.
Upon arrival, I immediately noticed that why GNF is known as a premier event. There were all kinds of different things to eat...pizza, sweet corn, fish fry, brats, all above and beyond what you find at most events. The park was clean and at 4:30pm, there was already a sizeable crowd on hand enjoying the midway and food.
Most of us were able to get there early enough to backline our gear. There was another band, Blues Train, that was playing before us. It was nice to get set up in advance so we could eat, relax, and enjoy the other band. Blues Train was really good, so check them out if you have the chance.
The one ding on the GNF was that there was no mobile ATM on site. I needed some cash, so I walked down to Paul's Bar, sight of a LUBE gig or two way back in the day (2001 maybe?). Buzz decided to come down as well, and we had a drink and a damn good fish fry. We had fun reminiscing about our past shows there.
Once Blues Train finished their set, we got the final pieces of gear in place and prepared for the musical onslaught we were about to unleash. Like I said, there were a lot of people at GNF, and by show time when all of the LUBIES showed up, the tent was full. We LOVE seeing that! Helping fill out the tent was the Middleton High School Class of 1985 celebrating their 25th reunion. Wouldn't you know that FNG Rob Jolin was a member of that class! He enjoyed many roars of approval from the home-town crowd.
LUBE was slated to play from 8:45p-12a, a slightly smaller time frame from what we're accustomed to. Buzz adjusted the set lists so that we played two BIG sets with one short break in the middle as opposed to three standard sets with two breaks. The first set was 23 tunes (2nd set=24), and with the sticky, humid conditions, it was almost an endurance test for some of us (right, Rob?). In using this arrangement, it allowed us to play almost as many songs as we do on a regular night but with one less break. That kept the party going virtually non-stop! There were a lot of dancers, and I saw people all the way in the back of the tent, as well as some outside of the tent, watching and jamming along with us. It was awesome!
We really had a good time on stage at this show, not that we don't every other night. But this stage itself was pretty big, and so Charles and Buzz were running around like crazy men, crashing into each other, jumping up and down, and working the crowd like the true pros they are. Not that we don't take our musicianship seriously, because we do, but the bottom line is that we are there to entertain, and entertain we did!
We really enjoyed playing Good Neighbor Fest. The staff seemed pleased, and when Buzz and Nick were talking with them the next night, they said it was the best Friday night they've had in 15 years! Bad economy, be damned...the LUBE party knows how to get it done! Big thanks to Middleton for having us, and be advised we'd love to come back next year. The sound system provided by Sticha Brothers sounded great, too! Thanks to the Middleton Class of 1985 for bringing your party to our show, the LUBE faithful who see us all the time, and to all the new friends we made. Can't wait to see you again soon, as in Friday September 10 @ The Dry Bean in Fitchburg. It's our return to the club scene, although Saturday September 11 we're playing Weiner and Kraut Day in Waterloo, WI with a special "matinee" show from 6-10pm. There's nothing wrong with a little LUBE with your weiner! It's going to be a great Fall!
V V out!
Tour Blog: Wednesday August 18, 2010
Quaker Steak & Lube Bike Night
By now, most of you are familiar with Quaker Steak & Lube's Wednesday Bike Night. They bring in vendors and host a band, and invite bikers to come hang out, eat some wings, and take a little break from the daily grind. LUBE has been fortunate to play a couple shows a year at Bike Night, and this past Wednesday was our final Bike Night for 2010. What made this one different was the addition of Rob Jolin to the lineup.
Technically, I guess Rob made his Madison debut last week when we opened for Taylor Hicks at The Annex. Sadly, the event wasn't very well attended, and aside from a handful of diehards who came to see us at Ho-Chunk Casino a few weeks ago, the LUBE masses had yet to be officially introduced to our new skin basher. Bike Night would change all that!
With most of us having to put in a full day's work on Wednesday, it was a little bit of a later set up for us. Generally we take half a day off for Bike Night gigs but we couldn't pull it off this time. By the time I arrived, (and I'm Bartho, by the way), I was approaching migraine status. My skull was on the verge of implosion and I was not mentally ready to do anything but crawl into a dark hole and pray for death. After gobbling ibuprofen and some coffee, the headache began receding, and that, my friends, is a good thing. Migraine = no rock show for me. Alas, we prevailed!
Finally we were set up and sound checked, and none too soon as we had a mere 10 minutes to show time. Rob was about to be introduced to 1000 crazy LUBE fans, the core people who come to see us in the heat, cold, snow storms, and beautiful Wednesday nights. With a few stick clicks, we tore into the first tune and immediately heads started bopping, bodies started moving, and the mid-week party was on!
By coincidence, it was "Cougar Night" at QSL. They like to have various themes to coincide with Bike Night, and this time it was MILF central. I know of a couple of dudes who were on the prowl for a Sugar Momma, and there was an ample assortment to choose from. With warm temps, cold drinks, and a rawkin' set from us, you gotta believe there was some hookin' up going on!
As we hit the middle of the second set, my headache was mostly gone and I felt remarkably better. The show was going great, the crowd was great...it was a great night! The energy exchange was awesome, and that's a big reason why we love Bike Night. Our gigs there never fail to disappoint. By 9:30pm, after a wankin' good performance by the guitar boys on "Roadhouse Blues," the show was finally done, yet there were still hundreds of people hanging around after having worked all day. That qualifies as a successful night for everyone. Bike Night was a great way to introduce Rob to the LUBIES!
Our next gig should be another barn burner. Friday August 27 we're playing the Middleton Good Neighbor Festival, our 2nd to last "beer tent" of the year. There's always a ton of people at this event, and an added bonus this year is that a bunch of Middleton HS grads will be there as part of their class reunion celebration, and it just happens to be Rob's class. Oh boy, brace yourselves because this could turn into something special! If I were you, I'd plan on being there. I know our schedules were misprinted saying we were playing Saturday, but it's FRIDAY AUGUST 27 8:45p-12a! See you there!
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