Lube Old News

News: Saturday, July 5th, 2008
The Club Tavern Beach Party
Middleton, Wisconsin

That's right, kids...three shows in three days. While the real rock stars will go for 7, 8, 10 days in a row, they also have minions of helpers to do the dirty grunt work for them. They come on stage, rock hard for maybe two hours, and spend the other 22 hours in their day doing whatever they feel like. We don't share in that luxury. In Nikki Sixx's book "The Heroin Diaries," he mentions how Motley Crue complained to their manager Doc McGee about how their tours were too long and arduous. Doc was quoted as saying something like, "What do you mean the tours are too hard? You a**holes only work two hours a day. It's your lifestyle that's killing you!" Those of us in LUBE, on the other hand, have rather mundane lifestyles apart from the band. We go back to work to rest up from our weekend gigs!

Anyway, after two kick-ass shows already in the books, we embarked on a trip to Middleton to complete the first gig trifecta in LUBE history. Our good friends at The Club Tavern, Moose and Michael Alexander (of the local band Sand) hooked us up to play their annual Beach Party. This was poised to be an all-day affair with bands both outside and inside the bar. The Club always puts on a great spread of food and drink as well, and so with a splendid weather forecast, everyone was geeked for an awesome day.

The afternoon kicked off with a power set from local legends The Wizenhiemers. They have gotten back together to play a few "Out Of The Crapper" reunion shows this summer (look for them at Riley Fest), much to the delight of people like me. When I started my current job in January '94, I met this guy named Nick. Initially I thought he looked like a real jerk. There was something about him that I didn't like. However, like a fast-moving river, he eroded my defenses and we became good friends. Nick and I started hanging out and going to see bands like Inner Sanctum, Bad Wolf, Seventeen Rhinos, and The Wizenhiemers, who quickly became my favorites despite the wealth of local talent. I have all of their CDs to prove it. One night while seeing The Wizenhiemers at the Badger Bowl I told Nick, "I want that to be us on stage. Before I die, we're gonna start a band and play the Badger Bowl!" despite the fact I hadn't ever played a non-brass instrument in my life. So in that sense, The Wizenhiemers are partly responsible for the creation of LUBE, and that story is 100% true. Their set was awesome and it put me back in a time and place from long ago. I love music for it's ability to do just that.

After Sam, Scott, Jeff, and Rick were finished, we took the stage for one long 2-hour set. Fresh off a 2-hour, 15 minute set the night before, we had no troubles cranking out your LUBE favorites under a hot Middleton sun. The crowd continued to file in and people were clearly enjoying the music. Playing just two hours compared to a full 3+ hour show lets us cherry pick our tunes, and so it was nonstop rawk! If you have seen the pictures and read the news from the Monona gig last night, you may recall that our photographer/local quasi-celebrity Curt made the most of his party experience. The last we saw of him was blissfully "sleeping" on Brian & Jean's sofa next to a "collection bucket." Much to our delight, a rejuvenated Curt showed up at The Club prior to show time looking like a million bucks! He managed to take pix and work his security detail as if last night had never happened. And while often times we sit down after a gig and feel totally spent, the adrenaline we feel on stage always kicks in, and so at least I felt great playing some savory bass licks for my local music family! I know the other guys feel the same way, even Steve who celebrated his 40th birthday just yesterday.

Like I mentioned earlier, bands were set to be playing inside the bar as well. While we were changing over outside, veteran hard rockers Muzzy Luctin was dishing it out inside The Club. Lead singer Ken was formerly part of the Inner Sanctum I mentioned above, and I have two of their CDs too. Anyway, Paul, Darren, and Michael are great players and if you haven't already seen them, make a point to do so! My one regret is that I only got to see about 10 minutes worth of their show this afternoon.

Taking the stage outside after us were Milwaukee's favorite sons, The Lovemonkeys. I used to go see them too back in the day but once I started gigging with LUBE and working a crazy schedule, it left little time for other bands. They have a strong fan base here in the Madison area and quite a few people turned out to see them. These guys travel in style, complete with a big truck to haul all their gear plus a crew to help set up/tear down and sell their swag. While the busy work was happening, we had the opportunity to meet and BS with their lead singer John, who had never seen LUBE before. Once on stage, the Lovemonkeys showed why they're regarded as one of the best bands around. They are skilled musicians with excellent stage presence and a polished show. No wonder people like them!

Rounding out the day, Sand was slated to play inside after The Lovemonkeys were done. I have to confess that I wasn't there to see Sand. I know Michael & Zander & the guys put on a great show because I've seen them quite a few times. But with 3 shows in 3 days, a Wicked Lily gig tomorrow (Steve's wife Jenny, my wife Tammy, Heidi formerly of Pink Houses, Wendy of SP1, and new bassist Kerri), and having to go back to work on Monday after an 11-day vacation, I just had too much to do, and part of that included some ass time on the couch. I think I can safely say that Sand put on a great show and everyone dug it. It does mean that I missed them playing "Jesse James," one of my personal favorites, and so I will have to catch them again soon to make up for it.

Good grief...this episode of LUBE News has turned into the longest text since Stephen King's "The Stand." Sorry! In conclusion, while we enjoyed 5 fabuloso shows in 10 days, us LUBE dudes are ready to take a little rest. Our next gig is scheduled for Friday August 1st at The Bean. I know I talked with several different people today about this upcoming gig and they were surprised it was so far away. Well, summer is the time for vacations and fun, plus we all know how our day jobs mess with LUBE bookings, so August 1st it is. Rest assured that we will return refreshed and ready to throw down! Thank you for a killer stretch of shows and we'll see you soon at The Bean!

News: Friday, July 4th, 2008
Monona Community Festival
Monona, Wisconsin

Like I mentioned in the last episode of "LUBE News," we had been wanting to get into the Monona Community Festival for a long time. Everything we had heard about it was awesome, but it just never came through for us. This year, we had our booking coordinator, the fair maiden Amy, work her magic and like she has repeatedly demonstrated since joining Team LUBE, Amy got the gig. We were totally stoked!

Our good friends and long-time LUBIES Brian & Jean live within walking distance of Winnequah Park. They hosted a party for a bunch of family & friends, people on the local music scene, etc., and that included LUBE. It was great to have a few drinks & eat some tasty vittles before heading to the gig. We were having a blast at the party, and it set the tone for the remainder of the night. By the time we left, our photographer/grunt Curt was squinty-eyed and feeling no pain!

Once we got to Winnequah Park, we had to wind our way through the throngs of people to get backstage. The LeeDing Zeros were playing and getting the crowd primed for a night of rock. We staged our gear and prepared for a quick change over. After a 30-minute flip, LUBE hit the stage to a tent already filled with people ready to party!

I have to tell you, the reception we received was UNBELIEVABLE! Sure, we've played the surrounding area but never in Monona proper. Personally, I had never even been to the Monona Community Festival before. The folks in Monona quickly won our hearts with their unbridled enthusiasm! There were some children in attendance early on, as we figured there would be, so we "nicened" (is that a word?) our opening set and bumped the more adult-themed stuff back. The kids, as well as adults of all ages, loved the show. Buzz was even able to make a special connection with a seasoned music fan! It was just too funny!

We stopped and took a break to enjoy the fireworks in the beautiful Monona sky, but what we didn't know was that the fireworks inside the tent had just gotten started. It didn't seem like ANYONE went home after the in-air pyrotechnics! We got back on stage at about 9:45pm, and rather than play two sets with a short break, we decided we'd crank non-stop until midnight. It was crazy in that tent! People were drinking & having a great time jamming out with your LUBE boys. The stage we were on felt very solid until it was loaded with loaded Gimme Gimme Girls. It was bouncing like no stage I've felt before! Just for grins we played a few tunes that we hadn't done for a while...Honky Tonk Woman, Kill The King (by special request of party host Brian), and Voodoo (by special request of virtually everybody!). It was fun to play those songs again and I just about threw a vertebrae head banging to KTK!

Finally at 12:00am the insanity was over. Despite the fact we rocked the you-know-what out of Monona, we all felt energized and ready for more. It was so cool! Jim Bisbee & his staff treated us very well and when it was all said and done, they set a new record for beer sales. This was just our first time there! Tremendous thank yous go out not just to the event staff for putting on an excellent festival but to all the incredible people who came out and made our virgin venture into Monona one to remember. Maybe with a little luck they'll have us back again next year! Monona...we love you!

Once the gear was packed up it was back to Brian & Jean's for more food & drink. As the clock approached 2:00am, we headed for home knowing that we're playing The Club Tavern's Beach Party in a few hours and intending to rock Middleton the way we rocked Monona! That event kicks off at 2:00pm with LUBE playing about 3:30pm or so. It's supposed to be gorgeous outside, so come and hang with us and enjoy multiple bands throughout the day. Thanks again the Brian & Jean for the party and everyone in Monona for the greatest gig we've ever played. See you in Middleton Saturday afternoon!

The support of many people comes together to bring you a Lube show: Left to right: Tammy Barth (Spouse), Andy Barth (Bass Guitar, Vocals, Intrepid Luberocks.com Reporter), Nick Hanushewicz (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Chad Gengelbach (Lights, Electrician), Mike Buzzell (Lead Vocals, Cow Bell, Funny noises), Dan Kok (Sound), Steve Schroeder (Drums, Keys, Vocals), Brian Plass (Lights, Crew), Jenny Schroeder (Photos, Drum Tech, Spouse), Jeff Hermans (Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals) Unfortunately not pictured: Curt Markgraf (Photos, Crew, Usher, Enforcer), Amy Larson (Sales, Bookings), Jackie Buechner (Significant other), Nicki Hermans (Spouse), Sara Schlough (Spouse), Elizabeth Degner (Lights) Photo courtesy of one of Monona's finest. Thanks officer! Disclaimer: We didn't drink all that beer but we did facilitate its drinking.

News: Thursday, July 3rd, 2008
Columbus 4th of July Festival
Columbus, Wisconsin

For the 3rd year in a row, our good friends in Columbus had graciously invited LUBE to play at their 4th of July Festival. There are rides for the kids, savory eats, and a large beer area for the adults to enjoy a cold one in. The band plays in this area, and which is fenced off but still close to the other attractions. This allows the kids to hang out and hear the bands, too. It's never too early to get them interested in music!

Those of you with good memories that haven't been clogged with malted hops or bong resin (Thanks, Tommy Boy) may remember what happened on July 3, 2007...we got hit with bad-ass storms! We had just gotten gear set up and completed sound check when we were informed the storm was going to hit Columbus in 20 minutes. Yikes! We scrambled madly and tarped as much stuff as we could. By the time the bad stuff had passed through, the front-of-house stuff was sitting in large pools of water. Despite our best efforts, some of the electrical things had gotten wet, to the extent that there would be no LUBE show. We were done...or so we thought.

The Columbus folks asked if there was any way we'd be able to play. Jeff drove all the way back home to get his acoustic guitar amp which had an input for one microphone. He and Buzz then entered the beer pavilion and played some tunes acoustically while the rest of us finished tearing down and loading. Some hardcore partiers stuck it out through the rain and continued to stay and have fun. They were totally digging the acoustic stuff! Nick, Steve and I felt left out so we grabbed what could be plugged in and joined them. It was great! A few beers later and we had come up with a new name...EBUL! The crowd loved it and was shouting "EBOOOOOL!" all night. And so born from the rains of Columbus, EBUL was born. Be sure to check the EBUL myspace page (www.myspace.com/ebulebul) to see when we're playing next. It's not often, mind you, but every once in a while we sneak a little gig in.

So now that you've had your history lesson, we'll hit the current. July 3, 2008 brought considerably better weather. While it wasn't exactly hot, it was sunny and pleasant. We jammed out half a set of traditional LUBE tunes and then reprised last year's EBUL creation by performing 6 tunes acoustically. It was pretty cool that as we were setting up, two lovely young ladies approached us and asked if EBUL was playing this year. We told them we'd see what we could do. Ha! The crowd was still filing in at this point, so if you came late, you missed a reenactment of '07.

It cooled off quite a bit once the sun went down, but when you play rock & roll, it's a physical thing and we really didn't notice the cold. There were a lot of dancers in tanks & shorts & skirts & things without coats or sweatshirts, so it couldn't have been that bad. It's always possible they had enough to drink and didn't feel it! There was quite a substantial crowd assembled rocking out with us, and I think the event organizers were very happy with the turnout.

Our work for the weekend is hardly finished! Friday July 4 we recreate this LUBE experience for the good people of Monona. We've been jonesing to play this festival for a long time, and this is our chance to shine. Come down to Winnequah Park and rock with us! Show time is 8:00pm. We'll then follow up with an afternoon power set at The Club Tavern in Middleton on Saturday July 5. This is an all-day event featuring The Wizenhiemers, LUBE, The Love Monkeys, Sand & Muzzy Luctin. If I'm not mistaken, LUBE is playing outside from 3:30-5:30pm. It's gonna be sunny & in the 80's, so come spend a beautiful Saturday enjoying some of the area's best bands!

News: Saturday June 28, 2008
Lake Mills Town & Country Days
Lake Mills, Wisconsin

LUBE was venturing into new, uncharted territory...Lake Mills. We'd sort of played in the area before, a couple of years at Jefferson's 4th of July festivities and a few gigs at Rox, but never in Lake Mills proper. Now, if I were venturing into Lake Mills for the first time, I might expect to find an actual Lake Mills. Silly me! There is no Lake Mills. It's called Rock Lake, and since I am hardly a local historian, I have no idea why the town is called Lake Mills when the lake is Rock Lake, and this I find to be somewhat strange. Nonetheless, Lake Mills is the hometown of our photographer/grunt/quasi-local celebrity Curt, and so we wanted to make a good first impression.

The Town & Country Days festival is a full-weekend long event that takes over the downtown area. There was a midway with rides for the kids, various food vendors, the local businesses were having sales, you get the idea. This is all centralized around a beautiful park setting in the heart of downtown, and the bands set up and play in the Taj Mahal of all gazebos.

Fellow local rockers Midlife Crisis played earlier in the afternoon with our old buddy Kirk Carryl running sound for them. Kirk and Steve Gundlach were instrumental in running sound for LUBE way back in the early days when we first ventured out of Nick's basement. Once they were done and had their gear taken down, we had to set up full production, and it had to go up a flight of stairs. Due to some great teamwork, we managed to get everything unloaded from the trailer, moved up the stairs into the gazebo, and set up in about 1:45. That might seem like a long time, but trust me, we were working hard to get it done!

Like I said, we were new to Lake Mills, so we didn't know how the crowd would take to us. LUBE isn't your ordinary cover band. We play a huge variety of music, ranging from Johnny Cash to Nine Inch Nails to The Backstreet Boys. While it may have taken the Lake Millsians a little bit to figure out if they liked us or not, in the end they did! The adjacent beer tent was completely full of people and the overflow crowd filled the area in front of the gazebo. The weather, while kind of crummy earlier in the days with some heavy rain and hail, held off for us. It wasn't exactly warm, especially for being the end of June, but with a few beers down the hatch and a little dancing, it was quite comfortable.

The event organizers and the Lake Mills police were ok with us playing a little long, and so we didn't wrap up until after 12:20am. We honored a request for Megadeth and dropped "Kill The King" into the 3rd set, and also likely set the record for number of Gimme Gimme Girls during "Beverly Hills," so it wasn't surprising we ran late! So after a sampling of the world-famous Lake Mills sliders and a smokin' show, we reversed our earlier activities and prepared for a load out back down the stairs. It was a bit more work than usual, but really wasn't too bad. If nothing else, it made us hungry for a delectable breakfast at Perkins.

Thank you to everyone in Lake Mills who worked with us to make this show a success. We had a great time! There were a few regular LUBIES who made the trip to see the show...Michael, Brian & Jean, Stevie B, 60% of the newly reincarnated Wicked Lily (who earlier in the day weathered the storms and made their return to the stage in Fort Atkinson), the Heartbreaker clan was having a good time and had many nice things to say about our performance ("Very tight") and compliments on our high tech sound system, as well as a bunch of familiar faces I don't yet know by name. Your continued support means a lot to us!

I was going to try and work a conversation regarding one of us going to the emergency room, a catheter, a female other than a spouse, and a kidney stone into this episode of LUBE News, but I just don't think it's going to happen. Instead, I will remind you of what is set to be our busiest week ever! LUBE will be playing 3 times this next week...Thursday July 3rd at Firemen's Park in Columbus (7:30 PM - 11:30 PM), Friday July 4th at the Monona Community Festival (8:00 PM - 12:00 AM), and Saturday July 5th at The Club Tavern (3:30 PM - 5:30 PM) in an all-day, outdoor event featuring a Wizenhiemer reunion, The Love Monkeys, Muzzy Luctin, Sand, and LUBE. Our past experience with these events is that they are awesome, so come on out, enjoy a few cold ones, and spend your holiday weekend with LUBE!

News: Friday June 27, 2008
Cross Plains World's Fair
Cross Plains, Wisconsin

"The one in the green? Yes."

Cross Plains, how ya been? We haven't seen you since St. Francis Fest last year. While our schedule didn't allow for us to play that festival again in '08, we were happy to hook up a gig at the Cross Plains World's Fair. As per usual with LUBE's outdoor gigs, the weather forecast was somewhat dicey, but rain or shine, we were gonna play!

Sometimes if the forecast looks clear, bands play "under the stars" out on the tennis court adjacent to the beer tent. Due to the threat of rain, we were set up inside the beer tent, and this proved to be a good thing. It was definitely warm and muggy on Friday. We worked up a good froth just setting up gear. Nothing sets the stage for a great gig like a musky, barnyard-like aroma. It's earthy, nice. Once the pre-show party for the sponsors and their families broke up, there was actually a pleasant, cooling breeze wafting through the tent. We made sure to take full advantage of it as that was the last we'd feel of it for the night!

As we kicked off the show, people were filing into the beer tent area. Because it was still kind of nice out, there were many folks hanging outside the tent enjoying their favorite adult beverage. As predicted, there was a bit of rain that came through Cross Plains. While it was no stronger than sprinkles, it did manage to corral the crowd under the tent. Once everyone was under then tent, the party kicked into high gear!

The view from the stage, if you've never experienced it, is always interesting. Sometimes the people entertain us in ways previously thought unimaginable. From my vantage point on the cool side of the stage, I could see that the ENTIRE BEER TENT was going nuts! There were people drinking & dancing and having a blast as far as I could see. The adrenaline rush we get from that is beyond cool! It was so crazy that Sound Man Dan was asked if he could temporarily relinquish his production duties to dance with an enthusiastic young lady. Being the consummate professional he is, Dan had to politely decline and stay behind the mixer, ensuring a quality show for all.

By the time we wrapped for the night, the Cross Plains crazies had downed over 30 kegs of beer, much to the delight of Larry Esser and his crew. We meet a lot of super people in the course of our work as musicians, playing a variety of festivals in addition to the more traditional bar gigs. Larry has got to be about the most conscientious and accommodating person we have had the pleasure of working with. The entire staff of the Cross Plains World's Fair, including former LUBE drummer Todd Schroeder's dad who was flipping burgers in a retro LUBE shirt, went out of their way to make us feel welcome and taken care of. We offer a hearty "Thank You" and hope you enjoyed the experience as much as we did! Hopefully we'll see you again next year!

News: Wednesday June 18, 2008
Quaker Steak & Lube
Middleton, Wisconsin

1047. One zero four seven. One thousand forty-seven. That is a fabulous number. It's also the number of motorcycles that came to QSL Bike Night when LUBE tore it up this past Wednesday. Clearly, word is out that LUBE @ The Lube is an event NOT TO BE MISSED!

The weather, in stark contrast to most of our outdoor shows, was nothing short of glorious. Upper 70's, plenty of sunshine, and just enough breeze to let you know it's there. As soon as I saw the forecast for the week, I knew we had an opportunity for a killer show @ Bike Night, and ladies & gentlemen of the greater Madison area, you did NOT disappoint!

We nearly hit a snag before the show even started. Sound Man Dan informed us he needed to be in Las Vegas for business that day. Seasoned LUBIES are well acquainted with the superior quality of Dan & Chad's production. Suddenly we were on to plan B. A stroke of luck came our way as Dan was able to enlist local music veterans Frank & Trent "T-Bone" Fridono to handle production duties for us. The show would go on, and we knew Frank & Trent, as well as our boys Chad & Curt, would take good care of us.

Your LUBE boys were nervous about being a bit rusty for this show. As you may have noticed, there has been some unprecedented rain and flooding in this area, and it managed to interrupt our rehearsal schedule. We hadn't played anything since our WSG show 3 weeks prior. A quick little refresher during sound check and then it was off to the races, and things went just fine. After all, we are professionals. NOT!

Like I mentioned at the top of this enthralling piece of prose, 1047 bikes came to this Wednesday night party. 1047! That, friends, is insane. At the same time, it's still just good enough for 2nd place in QSL history. Our friends Mighty Short Bus hold the record at 1106 bikes, and it happened nearly one year to the day prior to our show. While we are big fans of Frank, Nic & the guys, we are not content to be #2. We want the frickin' title! That being said, raise your right hands and repeat the following:

"I, (state your name), do hereby promise to immediately mark my calendar for Wednesday August 20, 2008, so as to remind myself to attend the next LUBE gig at QSL Bike Night. If I own a motorcycle, I will drive it to the show, and I will encourage everyone I have ever met to do the same. As a loyal LUBIE, I will make it my duty to help LUBE set the record for number of bikes at Bike Night, so help me God. If I fail in this endeavor, my iPod will forever be solely occupied by William Hung songs."

Thank you for your cooperation! While we may have to settle for currently being #2 in bike numbers, Tom from QSL said that he was quite confident that their overall sales record was going to be set once all the tallying was done. Kick-ass! He told us you party animals blew through 25 cases of Bud Light in no time. That equals out to 600 beers, and that's just the Bud Light. LUBE fans are the best partiers anywhere!

Finally, in dramatic conclusion, a huge and sincere "Thank You" goes out to everyone who came to Bike Night and made it a smashing success! Tom & all his staff, Captain Morgan (Jeff's real dad) and the CM Girls who provided us with free shots, the vendors, etc. went out of their way to make this a truly memorable night. Our lighting engineer/co-production master Chad worked hard for us this week and stepped up in Dan's absence. Someone's gotta keep us in line! Anyway, don't forget about the oath you just took and let's make August 20th the greatest Wednesday night in the history of Wednesday nights! I think we can do 1200 bikes!

For your next dose of LUBE, please attend the following shows: Friday June 27 @ Cross Plains World's Fair, Saturday June 28 @ Lake Mills Town & Country Days, July 3 @ Columbus 4th of July Festival, July 4 @ Monona Community Festival, and July 5th @ The Club Tavern for a multi-band extravaganza. Let's take advantage of some good weather and get this summer off to a rockin' start!

News: Saturday May 31, 2008
Windsor Street Grille
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Sun Prairie! How's it hangin'? It had been a long time since I last played the WSG. LUBE played there with Doug Skinner sitting in on bass when I was vacationing in March. I missed out on that show and was raring to make up for it on the last day of May!

Despite the fact that the beer tents and festivals are off and running for the season, and despite the fact LUBE played 3 shows in 4 days over Memorial Day Weekend, we had a solid crowd at the WSG. It's funny...while I saw many faces that were new, I also saw a lot of faces we saw 2 or 3 times last weekend! Once you attend a LUBE show, it gets in your blood and you keep coming back for more!

There were a lot of people getting their groove on up by the stage. The arrangement at WSG is "cozy," shall we say, and it allows for great interaction between the band and the fans. We love that! The energy exchange is awesome and totally adds to the show. I'm not much of a dancer my own self, but I witness many interesting things from the stage. Saturday night I saw some moves that had never been seen before! The LUBIES are a wild & crazy bunch, fo sho!

We didn't have time to add any new songs to the mix with the hectic pace we've been setting. That, however, didn't preclude us from bringing back an old fan favorite. There is a certain collection of LUBE fans that routinely and boisterously request us to play "Voodoo" by Godsmack. We used to do it regularly but over time it was phased out, as many good tunes are. We can't play all the tunes all the time! Anyway, we'd been getting bombarded with requests for it and so Saturday we catered to the demands of the masses and reincarnated "Voodoo," if just for one night. As always, everybody loved it despite the fact it was a bit unpolished. Hopefully that will satisfy you for a while!

Much love to everyone who came out to the WSG and rocked their asses off! We have a couple weeks of down time before making a triumphant return to the world-famous Quaker Steak & Lube Bike night on Wednesday June 18. Theses shows are always killer! Keep your fingers crossed for good weather and we'll see you there. Don't forget the Bike Night shows are an early start...5:30pm early. It's perfect for stopping on your way home from work, you can have a few beers & some wings, rock out until 9:30pm, and still be in bed by 10:00pm. That is pure, mid-week party perfection!

News: Memorial Day, May 26th, 2008
World's Largest Brat Fest
Madison, Wisconsin

After being lucky enough to avoid the worst of the weather the night before, it was with a cautious eye that I peeked outside Monday morning. Much to my delight, I was greeted with blue skies, a nice breeze, and temps approaching 80F. Sweet! LUBE was honored to be selected to play at The World's Largest Brat Fest, playing the closing slot of the event from 4:00-6:00pm on the Quench Gum/93.1-The Lake stage.

We all arrived plenty early to do what most people do at Brat Fest...eat brats! They were nothing short of savory. After Flame Shark finished their set, we did the fastest change over we have ever done, less than 30 minutes. Once we were hooked up, it was show time. Looking out across a sea of sunshine and smiling faces, we were totally stoked to play!

On a normal night, we play three 1-hour sets with 20 minutes breaks between the sets. Today, since we had a 2-hour time slot, we decided we'd just play one big power set. We again opened with "I Ran" and people were jamming all the way back to the world's largest grill. What else would be at The World's Largest Brat Fest?!? Being a family-friendly event, we edited our set to remove the more risqué material, but that doesn't mean we didn't play great tunes or that people didn't dig it. They did! It was also an opportunity to bring the kids out to see the band. We have a lot of fans who are always asking when we're playing outside because their kids want to see LUBE. Brat Fest was an excellent opportunity for that, and the little ones certainly appeared to be enjoying themselves. They love Buzz's crazy antics and he likes performing for them. Maybe that's because he's just a big kid himself!

At about 5:00pm we were handed a note that indicated they were about 10,000 brats short of the world record (189,400+). Fortunately, there were a lot of people hanging around watching LUBE! They were encouraged to buy more brats, and with a little luck, we might be able to set the new record. We kept playing, people kept dancing and singing along, and the grills stayed hot. In the end, you'll never believe what happened...a new world record was set! More than 191,000 brats were sold between Friday morning and Monday afternoon. That, my friends, is a lot of brats! LUBE really doesn't like to go around tooting our own horn, but I just gotta think that our beloved and faithful LUBIES were a key factor in attaining this colossal goal. After all, what's a sausage fest without LUBE?

We would like to thank Quench Gum and 93.1-The Lake for having us this year. It was awesome! Intellasound did production (and also at New Glarus last night) and they were the professionals we knew them to be. Our production guys ran the front-of-house on Intellasound's gear, and as always, it sounded great. Best of all, for the 2nd night in a row, we didn't have PA & lighting gear to tear down!

Lastly, we have to extend another sincere "Thank You" to all of the wonderful people who came to our shows this weekend. I saw more than a few faces that were at The Bean Friday, New Glarus Sunday, and Brat Fest Monday. That is hard core and we love you for it! There were also plenty of people who hit two shows over the weekend...our LUBIES are the best!

But wait...there's more! Next Saturday, May 31, we are at Windsor Street Grille in Sun Prairie. This will be our last indoor show for quite some time. If bar gigs are your thing, you best get your butt to the WSG and party with us! After that, we'll ALL need some rest, but we'll return to the stage on Wednesday June 18 at the infamous Quaker Steak & Lube Bike Night. Mark your calendars now! Also, if you didn't happen to get one of the promotional CDs of all the bands that played at Brat Fest, we have some and will bring them to our upcoming shows until they're gone. Nick was last seen possessing them, so talk to him at a show & he'll hook you up.

News: Sunday, May 25th, 2008
New Glarus Community Festival
New Glarus, Wisconsin

Can anyone think of the last time LUBE played an outdoor event where the weather wasn't a factor? Has it ever happened? I suppose if I researched it, I might uncover an instance when we played and the weather was nothing short of fabulous. Most of the time, even if we get the show off, it's done with an eye to the sky watching for storms. Based on all this, what do you think happened Sunday in New Glarus? Storms!

This was our first time ever playing the New Glarus Community Festival. We had heard great things, but I don't know that any of us had ever actually been to it. Upon arrival we found a decent-sized stage which was completely underneath a tent, clearly a positive since the radar was showing some severe weather heading our way.

We played after a very cool band called 2nd Thought. They are a talented bunch of young men, and when I say young, I really mean it. They range from 13-15 years old, I believe, but they played like wily stage veterans and made me jealous I didn't get an early start on my fledgling musical career! If you have the opportunity to see them, do it.

After a quick change over, we hit the stage at 8:00pm and I don't think the rain had started...yet. It took a few tunes and a couple pitchers of beer to get the crowd rockin' but eventually the front of the stage was full of dancers. Mother Nature was not to be denied, and soon enough the rains came, and it POURED! There was a lot of lightning and thunder and a deluge of water. The tent was situated on a grade with the stage area being the highest point. When the rain came, water ran from behind the stage out into the tent, so it looked as though the stage was taking a leak! We just happened to be on set break when it started really coming down and the staff of the NGCF dropped the flaps on the tent. It stayed relatively dry inside and it was determined that none of the electricals were getting wet, so the show continued.

At long last, the rains petered out and the tent flaps were again raised, letting in some much needed cool air. It felt great! We were able to do the full show and avoid the worst of the weather cells, and for that we're very thankful. We had a great time in New Glarus and from the throngs of people we talked to, they liked it too! We hope to see you again next year, if not sooner! Thanks to all of our Madison fans who made the short drive to New Glarus and rocked out with us. You helped us make a great impression on NG and we truly appreciate you!

If you're not too tired from a frantic Memorial Day Weekend, come on out to The World's Largest Brat Fest Monday at Willow Island by the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. We play from 4-6p on the Quench Gum/93.1-The Lake stage. The weather will hopefully improve and we are excited to be playing this awesome event. It's gonna RAWK!

News: Friday, May 23rd, 2008
The Bean
Madison, Wisconsin

Memorial Day Weekend! It's often a busy time for people. Having Monday off creates a rare long weekend, the weather finally has turned nice, and sometimes just getting out of town is a welcomed break from the daily grind. It's also a time to remember those who have served or currently serve in our armed forces, and we in LUBE offer a sincere "Thank You" to those brave men and women.

Traditionally, a Memorial Weekend Friday can be a tough gig. Like I mentioned, people like to take advantage of the long weekend, and it doesn't always mean going to bar to see a band. Thankfully for us, there were many true rock fans who broke tradition and came to see us at The Bean!

The 2nd set opened with the Young MC classic "Bust A Move" featuring Jeff on lead vocal. There are a lot of words in that song and The Hermanator worked hard to pull that one off! It's got an infectious groove and the crowd loved it! Later in that set, we cranked out Sugarcult's rocked up version of "I Melt With You," and that too went over very well. We even went retro, pulling out the old-school LUBE cover of "Holiday Road" which we hadn't played in many years. If you can remember when that was a staple of the set list, you are a hard-core LUBIE!

We had a great crowd at The Bean and everyone rocked hard. I think there was more energy at 1:30am than at the beginning! Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the fact that just the true rockers hang until the end. At any rate, it kicked ass and we thank you for a good time!

News: Saturday, May 3rd, 2008
Badger Bowl
Madison, Wisconsin

You know, when I first got to Badger Bowl about 6:15pm Saturday night, with a skinny triple venti mocha in hand, I just had the feeling that this was going to be a great night. I felt great, everybody was in good spirits, and I had managed to get all of my gear to the venue despite trading off my truck the day before.

To be sure, it was toasty warm inside and there were only a few people in the bar at that time. We propped the loading door open and Jeff set his fan back there to bring in some fresh air. It worked wonderfully though we knew it wouldn't last. By the time we hit the stage about 9:40pm, it was plenty hot and it went up from there!

People hit the dance floor right out of the gate and never left. I don't know how Badger Bowl sold any drinks because it seemed like everyone was dancing. Nick and I tried to go into the crowd during "Crazy Bitch" and could only manage to get a few feet from the stage before we were enveloped by the crowd. It was pretty sweet! The heat just seemed to intensify the energy and there were a lot of smiling, sweaty people having a good time!

We didn't have any new tunes for this show as our rehearsal schedule got thrown out of whack this last week. We have a couple of songs that are pretty fresh yet, and I have to admit I have been derelict of my duties in this regard. I always have said that if you recommend a song to us and we end up playing it, I would give you mad props in these fabled words known as "the news." Well, Brenda and Shara recommended "Fake It" by Seether to us and I neglected to give them credit for it when we debuted the song last week. My bad! Don't hate me! Actually, the girls were very sweet about it, and I promised to make up for it. So if you like our version of "Fake It," thank them.

As always, there were multiple events/parties taking place at our gig. Jacqueline was celebrating her 30th birthday and by coincidence, so was Buzz! Once midnight rolled around, it was our boy's birthday and since he is so shy and introverted, we didn't make too big a deal of it. His mom made a most fabulous cake that we devoured in the parking lot after loading out, and we thank her for that! There was also a bachelorette party in the house although I couldn't tell who they were. Usually the bride-to-be is costumed in a Suck For A Buck shirt or is drinking from a large phallus. I didn't see any such props, so we'll just have to trust that the rumor was true. Also, our good friends and huge local music supporters Bobby & Kristin came to the show with a group of 35 people. YOU RULE! Thank you so much, and we hope that everyone had a good time.

Alright kiddies, we have a few weeks to catch our breath and try and wrap up a couple more new songs that we have in the hopper. We'll be back at it on Friday May 23 at The Bean, home of the wildest shows in town. That starts a furious stretch for your LUBE boys, because that show is followed by Sunday (yep, Sunday) May 25 at the New Glarus Community Festival (I've heard this is a blast and you don't have to work the next day!), Monday (yep, Monday) May 26 at Brat Fest (the world's largest) at Willow Island by the Alliant Energy Center in Madison from 4-6pm, and then Saturday May 31 at Windsor Street Grille in Sun Prairie. It's gonna be a busy 8 days for us but provides you more than ample opportunity to get your rock on LUBE style! See you there!

News: Saturday, April 26th, 2008
Club Tavern
Middleton, Wisconsin

You know, ever since I got back from Hawaii, my ass has been seriously dragging. I've never dealt with jet lag like this. I wasn't sleeping well, never felt rested, and it was really starting to get to me. After getting home at 4:00am from our show Friday night (after a late night breakfast with Jeffy), I slept until almost 1:00pm, and when I woke up, I felt GREAT! Apparently my system had been deprived of LUBE gigs and that was the cause of my overpowering fatigue. Suddenly I felt like $1,000,000 and was ready to seriously throw it down at The Club!

Upon arriving, it seemed as though everyone had gotten a good night's sleep. We were all in great spirits and prepared for a thunderous show. Our beloved grunt Curt was celebrating his birthday, and as a token of our esteem, he was given the night off from his duties. That was a good thing, because by the end of the night he was squinty and in no condition to work!

As we started the show, I was a bit concerned that a bunch of the LUBE faithful were out doing other things. With Crazy Legs in the morning and some strong bands in the area, maybe the crowd was going to be a bit thin. How wrong I was! You were all just fashionably late with the exception of my wife who stunned me by her promptness. A very nice crowd filed in and rocked out with us, and we wholly appreciate that!

Once again, the local music peeps have shown that the LUBE gig is the place to be for birthday celebrations! Not only was it Curt's birthday but Kelly's and Terri's and a whole slew of other names I have forgotten. Drinks flowed, bodies were shakin', and it was jolly good fun. There were a lot of very talented dancers! Our boy Curt even got on stage during "You Can Leave Your Hat On" and did a little striptease. He is chiseled, knows how to shake his butt, and the ladies were eating it up. The pictures of that will be most excellent!

Be sure to join us at the hottest venue in Madison this next week, Badger Bowl, for a Saturday night extravaganza! The show kicks off at 9:30pm, and Curt will have his shirt on again and be back to work. We'll have a few weeks off after this gig, so make sure you come get your LUBE fix!

News: Friday, April 25th, 2008
The Riley Tavern
Verona, Wisconsin

Hello, LUBIES! It's me, Bartho, and I have returned to my official duties as the bass dude of LUBE! My vacation was very nice, albeit a bit spendy, and I returned from Hawaii seriously jonesing to play music again. The guys and I jumped right back into our practice routine and polished up a couple of new songs which we broke out at my first gig back, The Riley Tavern

It should come at no surprise to you that The Riley isn't any bigger than it used to be. We manage to cram all of our gear into the small back room but it leaves us with little space for high-flying stage maneuvers. Fortunately, there was a strong crowd on hand and we fed off each other's energy. We were joined by 30 or so people all traveling by bus in celebration of Chris's 40th birthday. That alone is enough to fill The Riley, but there were plenty of other people who came out to see us too!

As I mentioned, we put the final touches on two new songs that debuted Friday night. The first was "Into The Night" by Santana & Chad Kroeger from Nickelback. Jeff sings this one and it has an infectious dance beat. "Fake It" by Seether was our other new song, complete with distorted bass and Buzz's aggressive vocals. The LUBIES were definitely digging this tune! I guess if you listen to the lyrics, we all know of someone for whom the song could have been written.

Friday was a special night for drummer Steve as he and his wife Jenny celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. What better way to do that than by getting sweaty and smelly at a LUBE show?!? Congrats to them and we all wish them continued happiness in their marriage. That Jenny has got to be a saint...

After a replay of the much-requested "SexyBack," we tore down, loaded out, and wrapped up a long work week with another successful gig at The Riley. Murph and Katherine made sure we were well fed and hydrated, as per usual, and we had a great time. It was time to go home, recharge the batteries, and prepare for the next night at The Club Tavern. I gotta tell ya, about three songs into the show I noticed I had goosebumps on my arms...it felt good to be playing again! Thanks to everyone who welcomed me back and made this an awesome show!

News: Friday, March 28th and Saturday March 29th, 2008
The Bean and Windsor Street Grille
Madison and Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

My dear friends and LUBEamaniacs, it is my sincerest pleasure to once again address you. I have finally returned to the mainland following a delightful Hawaiian vacation. As many of you do following a sweet LUBE gig, I checked www.luberocks.com to get the lowdown on the latest shows. The pictures are always my favorite part, as being on stage precludes me from seeing all the fun that is happening in the crowd. The pictures from the above shows are awesome and from what I've heard, the gigs were classic LUBE rock fests! I was somewhat distraught to see that no one wrote the news while I was gone, and since the news lets me connect with you, I just had to write something!

There are several reasons why these two gigs turned out as well as they did. Allow me to explain. My wife and I booked a 10-day Hawaiian island cruise Aug. 1, 2007 in celebration of our pending 5-year wedding anniversary. With my job, I have to schedule my time off essentially a year in advance, and I always try to arrange things so that it creates the least amount of conflict with the LUBE calendar. We have limited availability, again due to work reasons in the band. Anyway, an extended vacation by myself or anyone involved in LUBE can't help but affect our gigs, and in past years, shows were not booked when someone wasn't available.

After looking at our booking availability, I realized that if LUBE didn't find a replacement for me while I was gone, we'd have two full months between shows, and that's too long! I came to the band and suggested they find a guest bassist, and Steve and I both thought of Doug Skinner immediately. As you know, Doug is in Heartbreaker and had previously been in Monkeypunch/Bad Jack with Steve. Their experience playing together would make the situation much easier, despite the fact I had a rather impressive list of other viable candidates we could have asked. It wasn't an easy decision for anyone, but in the end, LUBE decided to take an unprecedented step and play two shows without one of the official band members. Some bands do this all the time, but for us, it was a big deal.

Everyone in LUBE made an extra effort to facilitate these shows. Rehearsals were modified so that both Doug and I could play with the band. Dan had to make changes to the front of house sound as Doug and I use different gear. And let's not forget that Doug had to go out and learn 45+ songs in order to pull this thing off! Beyond that, LUBE learned "Thunderkiss '65," so Doug could sing it at these gigs. It might not sound like much to those on the outside, but this was a large undertaking, and in the end, it turned out great!

I can't say that some or all of us didn't have mixed feelings about it. After I committed to my decision to make this happen, I started second-guessing myself. What if the band liked Doug better? What if my beloved LUBIES liked Doug better? The truth of the matter is that everyone came together for the sake of the music, band and fans alike. I know in my heart that while some of you might have noticed I was missing, you still gave Doug and the other guys your full support. For that, I thank you. One thing I can assure you is that I miss playing like you would not believe! Bring on The Riley, baby! I'm ready to tear it up!

Let me tell you what I was doing while you guys were rocking out with my boys. March 28 was my birthday, and I rented a bright red Charger and took my wife, mom, & step-dad to the summit of Haleakala, a dormant volcano on the east end of Maui. Maui is simply stunning, and the world is a beautiful place at 10,023 feet. We then traveled to upcountry and visited the Tedeschi Winery, again enjoying the scenery along the way despite the fact my driving made my mom car sick. Sorry about that. Later that evening, we had dinner with my Uncle Chris his family who live in Wailuku, in the foothills of the west Maui mountains. As you can imagine, we don't see one another very often, and it made for a special treat.

Saturday March 29 was a bit laid back. Tammy, her mom & sister Connie, and I ventured into the lush Iao Valley. The foliage is dense and has more shades of green that anyone ever knew existed. We then bummed around and visited the world famous Hilo Hattie store, stocking up on souvenirs and aloha wear. After returning the car, it was back to the Pride of Aloha, and we departed for our next port of call, that being Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. All the while, you were kickin' it at WSG.

Don't think that I didn't miss you! The Bartho doesn't like to go without his rock, and the past few weeks have taught me to savor the opportunities I have to play. Thank you for supporting LUBE while I was away, and please come back and see us again soon! Thanks go to Doug Skinner as well...we appreciate you helping us out, bro.

LUBE's next show is Friday April 25 at The Riley Tavern, followed by Saturday April 26 at The Club Tavern. After that, Saturday May 3 at Badger Bowl. Killer shows, all of them! I WILL see you there! Now please excuse me while I take my over-tired, jet-lagged carcass to bed.

News: Saturday, March 1st, 2008
Badger Bowl
Madison, Wisconsin

LUBE has been playing the Badger Bowl for a long time. Our first gig there was part of a local metal band showcase, and we were one of four bands to perform (Talamasca, Live Wire, and Nightmare's End were the others if memory serves me correctly). Clearly, you know and we know that LUBE is not a metal band, yet we can rock with the best of them. It just so happened that Barry Manilow was performing at the Coliseum that same night (definitely not a metal band!). In tribute to Barry, we worked up a cover of a cover of his song "Mandy," despite already knowing we didn't really fit in with the other bands. It was, however, a foot in the door, and after we dropped a punked-up "Mandy" on them, we were invited to book our own show there. That was the summer of 2000, and things have certainly changed since then!

One thing that's changed over the years is the band. Since that first BB show, we've changed drummers (from Todd to Steve) and added another guitarist (fan favorite Jeffy). Our song selection has turned over several times, although there still may be an "oldie" or two lurking around from time to time. Our production has changed, our logo has changed, and the temperature inside the Bowl during shows has changed. Sometimes I feel like a rotisserie chicken when we play there. It's hot before we even start!

If you'll look closely at the pictures, you'll notice that the band and the patrons look sweaty. The band is sweaty because we work hard to entertain you, and more times than not, we work up an aromatic froth without much trouble. I'd go so far as to call it earthy, even. The good people who come to shows dance, party, and have a great time, so they too generally moisten as the night goes on. But Badger Bowl creates the soupiest mess out of all of us each and every time. My friend Brian dared me to try and work a sweaty bean bag reference into this news, but I'm going to refrain. Let's just say that boxers are not the undergarment of choice at BB shows. Something more form fitting is far superior.

Since I have nudged my way toward the gutter, we are "family-friendly" so I'll stop at a PG-13 level. If, however, you are offended by words like "brassiere" or "phallus," please skip to the next paragraph. I have to tell you there were at least two bachelorette parties in the house with us Saturday night. Bachelorette parties bring out the wild animal in the ladies! Naturally, there was Suck For A Buck, which is always a fun way to earn/spend some money. There was also a large inflatable phallus full of graffiti roaming the bar. Thankfully Buzz didn't violate it the way he used to "have his way" with the Aflac duck! One of the bachelorettes, Molly, traded shirts with a young man in the crowd, and ended up on stage in her brassiere, much to the delight of the fellas in attendance. Now, despite the rather bawdy topics discussed in this recap, LUBE is chivalrous, and so we gave our very last "Back Stage Pass" t-shirt to Molly as a token of our esteem, allowing her to cover her assets and retain her innocence.

LUBE has a few weeks off until our next show, that being Friday March 28 @ The Bean, followed the next night at Windsor Street Grille in Sun Prairie. You know how fun and crazy these shows are, so just plan on being there! There will be something noticeably different on these two nights, something LUBE fans have never seen. I don't want you to get used to it, because it is for a limited time only. What is it? Fine, I'll tell ya. Doug Skinner, the Zombie-singing energy bundle that plays bass for Heartbreaker, will be sitting in with the band while yours truly is on a romantical vacation. I know how undeniably cool LUBE fans are, and I know you will show Doug all the love and support you show me. Don't like him too much, though, because your boy will be back with a vengeance come April! Not only that, I guarantee we will deliver you new tunes at the Riley Tavern show on April 25! So do me a favor...don't sit home and pout because Bartho is in Hawaii, come out and rock your asses off with LUBE and show Doug how totally awesome a LUBE gig is! Be there 3/28 @ The Bean and 3/29 @ WSG!

News: Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
Bobby G's Bowl In Bar
Columbus, Wisconsin

So after a boss-ass gig at The Bean on Friday night, we were off to a venue we had never played before, Bobby G's Bowl In Bar in Columbus. There's always a little bit of uncertainty when going into someplace new. Do they have a built in crowd? Is there going to be a cover charge? Are they used to hosting bands? Lots of variables to consider. Fortunately for us, we have played the Columbus 4th of July celebration the last two years (remember the spawning of EBUL due to the rain last year?), so we weren't exactly unknown in Columbus. As luck would have it, people remembered LUBE!

Some of our regular LUBIES made the trip out to Columbus to check out the new club, most of whom helped close down The Bean the night before. Diehards! There was a good turnout of what I can only presume to be local Columbusians and they seemed eager to party with us. It took a few tunes to get them up and moving but once they did, they danced all night. That makes for good fun for them and us!

Bobby G's has a lot of potential to become a regular cog in the greater Madison music scene. While there's no stage, the area for bands to set up in is larger than most. The ceiling in the band area is high enough that the light stands can be extended, allowing for a cool light show. The room is big and if all the tables and such were moved out, I'm guessing it could accommodate 500 people or more. The staff at Bobby G's was very pleasant and the food was solid, never a negative. Oh yeah, the drinks were delightfully priced, too...bonus!

We rocked hard for the second night in a row, leaving ourselves and the crowd sweaty and tired...signs of a good show! After another swift tear down, we headed off to Perkins for a little late night repast. Everyone had breakfast except for Jeff. There's always one in every crowd...

After using our work weeks to rest up, we'll be back at it Saturday March 1st at the Badger Bowl. It's always a hot time at The Bowl! Maybe you just saw us this past weekend, but the bottom line is you can never have too much LUBE. Come on and rock out with your male chicken out or jam out with your mollusk out! After this show, it will be four agonizing weeks until you can get LUBE'd again (Friday March 28 @ the Bean). See ya!

News: Friday, February 22nd, 2008
The Bean
Fitchburg, Wisconsin

Well, what do you know? There was a LUBE show that was not infringed upon by the weather! After months of cold, snowy, and all-around crappiness, we finally had nice weather on the day of a gig. It may not have been super warm, but after several mornings of below zero temps, 20F felt good!

Friday night brought us back to one of our favorite haunts, The Bean. Shows at The Bean are renown for great crowds and wild times. Fridays can be tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time. People get tired from the weekly grind, and there are some Friday nights when all I want to do is park my big butt in front of the idiot box and veg out, you know? This Friday felt different, however. Surprisingly, I was in a good mood at work, got my stuff packed in the truck without smashing my fingers or injuring myself in some other manner, and breezed through traffic on the way to the show. I had the sense we were going to have a great night. When I arrived at The Bean @ 6:15pm and found the parking lot already nearing capacity, I was pretty sure I was going to be right.

It didn't take long for the bar to fill up, in part due to a large group of people from work coming out for a surprise birthday party. Jules surprised Hammer & her twin brother Mike with a bash that was attended by at least 50 people. I won't reveal how old they are, but their age contains the numbers 0 and 4. Brianna was also celebrating her birthday with us, as well as someone named Perry who I forgot to call out over the mic. Sorry...I'm not getting any younger either! Birthday bashes at LUBE gigs are becoming a regular occurrence and we thank you for letting us entertain your party. We're giving the Nitty Gritty a run for their money! And as per usual, there was some wildness going on. One particular couple was getting rather "romantical" on the dance floor, if you know what I'm saying. I don't think they show that kind of stuff on Skinemax even! I guess LUBE shows bring out the wild animal (at least horndog) in some people!

We have a few new tunes in the hopper but they aren't ready for the set list quite yet. So to change things around a bit, we did just that...changed things around. We took chunks of songs and moved them to new locations to try and keep things fresh for you. There's something to be said for knowing what's coming, being familiar with something you like, yet surprises are fun too. After ending the first set with "Shout," Jenny said it felt like the night was almost over (that had been our regular 2nd set ender for quite a while), but we still had two full sets to go! While we've been known to screw ourselves up with set changes (can you believe it?!?), last night flowed well and made everything feel fresh again. But rest assured...we'll have more tunes for you soon!

After a blissfully smooth and fast tear down, it was time to call it a night and get ready for tomorrow at Bobby G's Bowl In Bar in Columbus. We've never played there before and we're hoping some of you will come with us to check the place out. It's kind of fun playing someplace new and unleashing the mad fury of a LUBE show upon the unsuspecting! See you S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!

News: Tuesday (Tuesday?!!!??), February 5th, 2008
The Club Tavern
Middleton, Wisconsin

When you hear the words "Mardi Gras," what do you think of? New Orleans? Partying? Beads? Inverse gravity on women's shirts? Probably all of the above. The Mardi Gras (that means Fat Tuesday in French, BTW) parties at The Club Tavern are things of legend, and this year we were invited to participate. Lucky us! In addition to being Mardi Gras, it was Super Tuesday in the political world, and wouldn't you know we'd be sharing the stage with our good friends in the band SuperTuesday. Talk about coincidence!

As I regularly mention ad nauseum, LUBE has terrible luck with weather on gig days. We thought we'd throw Ma Nature a curveball and play a gig on a Tuesday for a change but she was on to us. You might recall the unhappy circumstances surrounding Riley Fest '07 and the incredible deluge that ruined that event. While LUBE has dredged up it's own bad weather, it was never anything like the rains of Riley Fest. Who did we share a stage with that day? SuperTuesday. Now comes the greatest February party of them all, Mardi Gras, and we get hit with the snowstorm of the decade with well over 12" of snow. Julie Lund on Fox 47 news just told me some areas received 21.5" of snow since the storm began yesterday afternoon! As I said earlier, we shared the Club Tavern stage with SuperTuesday. I don't think you have to be a genius to see that ST is the common denominator in these horrific storms!

Seriously, though, while the storm may have delayed people from arriving at The Club early in the afternoon, they eventually did come and see a kick ass show from two great bands. In true collaborative form, we shared a bunch of gear to make the transition from ST to LUBE go quickly. Dan & Chad from LUBE provided production however ST's sound engineer Jimmy plugged in his board and mixed their show. ST started at 5:00pm and rocked out until 8:00pm. They opted to take the early slot due to some scheduling conflicts, and frankly, we were happy to let them "open" for us (ha!). By the time we hit the stage, the bar was full, people were getting their drink on, and we partied like it wasn't blizzarding outside! A bunch of the regular LUBE crazies were there and they lead the charge to the stage and never left. There were some costumes, masks, adornments of all varieties, and of course...beads! While the bead recipients were a bit shy about revealing their "Mardi Gras spirit" if you will, we had a blast and I think I can safely say it's the best Tuesday night party I've seen since the Liquor Mart in Eau Claire put cases of Old Milwaukee on special for $3.99 back when I was in college.

Once the show was over, the party continued on while we packed up all our gear. It can be a little treacherous when the footing is slick but things went smoothly, including the drive home. Hopefully you all made it home safely as well, and we look forward to seeing you at our next gig 2/22 @ The Bean. We'll be christening a new LUBE venue the following night, Saturday 2/23. We're playing Bobby G's Bowl In Bar in Columbus that night, and we hope our regular Columbus Fest crowd comes out to help support this new venue.

LUBE would like to thank Moose, Michael, and everyone at The Club Tavern for a great Fat Tuesday party! We'd also like to thank SuperTuesday for putting on a great show and being easy to work with. Dan & Chad earn kudos as well for working with Jimmy & Cheese to iron out technical stuff most of us don't understand and for taking the time and effort to set up Monday so that Tuesday went as smoothly as it did. Our crew is the best! Last but not least, a well deserved tip of the cap to everyone who braved the elements to come to the show. Thank you!

See you in a few weeks at The Bean!

News: Saturday, January 26th, 2008
Windsor Street Grille
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Coming off a hot & sweaty rock party the night before, your friendly neighborhood LUBE boys packed up shop and headed to the land of the Hermanator, Sun Prairie, for another well-anticipated show at the Windsor Street Grille. While the WSG is rather modest in dimensions, our shows there have the feel of a large, packed club. People get their dance and drink on, we rock out, and the night just flies by.

Let me describe for you how the day went. I personally got to bed at 4:18am following Friday's show at the Badger Bowl. Still being a bit wired, I tossed and turned listening to my wife sleep and finally dosed off somewhere around 5:00am. After about six hours of sleep, I was up and working on the setting for my new compression pedal. A little lunch, a little clean up, a few glamorless chores like laundry and dishes, and it was time to hit the highway. While I was doing that, the LUBE production crew of Dan, Chad, and Curt were already at the venue, having arrived around 4:00pm to start setting up gear.

I arrived at the WSG about 6:35pm to find that Steve and Jenny had the drums almost completely assembled. As I was unloading my gear, Jeff rolled up and was followed shortly by Nick and Buzz. A brief brainstorm lead to us reconfiguring our layout, at least on the cool side of the stage. We were finally set up by about 7:45pm and sat down to eat. At the table, Nick regaled us with his humor, obsessions, and unique Nickisms (if you know him, you understand). Dan was on his laptop and uploaded some of the pictures from the BB show to the website. We had a few good laughs over the pix, especially the one of Curt in a compromising position. After chowing down and discussing some funny sounding words like fritter and doily, we cleaned up, changed into our superhero rock attire, loosened up and prepared to rock.

At 9:40pm we kicked off the show with "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol and cranked full steam ahead until we closed the show with "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit. MOWE is a great ending song...everyone knows it, people like to sing along, and it's got good energy. The crowd was incorrigible, however, and wanted an encore performance of Buckcherry's "Crazy Bitch." Not wanting to disappoint, Steve clicked it off and we recreated the earlier frenzy that accompanies the song. Something about "Crazy Bitch" drives the ladies wild! At 1:45am, the lights came on, the fog settled, we thanked people for coming and began the unenviable task of tearing down.

The musicians initially focus on getting their personal gear packed up and loaded into their vehicles. While we all know what we're doing, it's a bit difficult with all of trying to do this at the same time in a limited space. We've sort of learned how to work around one another and it usually goes smoothly, especially when Buzz gets his damn congas out of the way! The production guys have the most stuff to pack up, obviously, and so when we are done with the guitars and drums and amplifiers, we help with the PA and lights. Miles of cords, thousands of pounds of racks and cases and bins, mic stands, lighting truss, etc. all must get packed and properly loaded into the trailer. Dan and Chad spent a considerable amount of time planning the best method of packing the trailer so that everything fits as tightly as possible. There is a lot of stuff in there! Damp, icy conditions are not conducive to fast loading, and we were slipping and sliding going up the ramp into the trailer. Fortunately we didn't hurt ourselves or any gear (most importantly!) and by 3:10am we were officially out of the WSG.

After a swig of Fresca in the parking lot, a few of us decided to go to Perkins for breakfast, and so into Madison we went. Word of an after-bar at Jeff's was widely exaggerated and inaccurate. As luck would have it, a scheduling snafu at Perkins left them short-staffed and struggling to deal with their late-night patrons. After a wait that left us contemplating a diversion to Denny's, we were finally seated and ordered. Dan is partial to the non-meat Moons Over My Hammy from Denny's and tried to recreate it after some creative ordering. Jeff ate everything he ordered (this is unusual) and even took pancakes to go. Finally, at 4:26am I got in my truck and headed for home. Precisely 30 minutes later, I was cleaned up and crawling into bed, another successful LUBE gig in the books.

Don't forget, the next LUBE show is on a Tuesday...Fat Tuesday, i.e. Mardi Gras (2/5), at The Club Tavern. Our good friends SuperTuesday will kick off the music at 4:30pm and we'll go on about 8:30pm, which is early enough so all you people who complain about having to work the next day can still come out and get to bed at a reasonable time. We have to work the next day too. Work, schmerk! Mardi Gras at The Club is a BIG event and tickets are available in advance, so get yours early and plan on staying late!

News: Friday, January 25th, 2008
Badger Bowl
Madison, Wisconsin

What is going on with the weather? You've often heard me rail against Mother Nature for the horrible things she does to LUBE. Well, that reputation of hers is well deserved! Not only have we had to deal with ungodly cold temps that last few days but then the day of our gig it warms up enough to snow and make travel treacherous? WTF?!? Fortunately for LUBE, our fans are hardy characters who aren't afraid of the elements.

Yes, the roads were snow-covered and slippery. It was cold outside. But inside the Bowl, it was as hot as ever! It's always very warm there and then when you add several hundred partiers on top of a hot band, it's gets sauna-like! People were a little on the late side arriving but in the end, it turned out to be an excellent crowd. Once the dance floor got groovin' it stayed that way all night! The energy was good, the drinks were cold and we all had a blast.

There were several birthdays being celebrated with us Friday night. I won't begin to try and remember names because I'm not getting any younger. Suffice it to say that at least two or three young ladies were brought on stage and given birthday spankings by Buzz. Also, Jeremy, the bar manager at BB, was working on his 31st birthday. And if I'm not mistaken, it was also the birthday of our favorite jeweler Jim. I can't say for sure...the heat was getting to me or something!

People seemed to dig the new Bon Jovi tune we debuted last week at The Riley Tavern (We Got It Going On). I have to admit, I wasn't sold on it when the song was first pitched to the band, but I've been impressed with how it turned out and the response to it. We are currently working on adding more new tunes, and some fans have sent us suggestions. We really do take your ideas into consideration! There are lots of factors we look at when adding new songs...the key it's in (some bands use really odd tunings), the vocal range, the style of music (sadly, Tool and Slayer just don't fit in!), etc. If we like the tune and can make it work, we'll play it. That being said, if you have ideas you'd like to share, please send us a message at our Contact page and we will take it under advisement.

Saturday night we travel up Hwy 151 for a gig at the Windsor Street Grille in Sun Prairie. Shows at WSG are always packed and full of crazy people! We expect nothing less this time around! And while it has warmed to 25F as I write this, it's still cold, it's still winter, and you should just plan on coming to the WSG. Deal? And don't forget to plan on taking a sick day 2/6 as both LUBE and SuperTuesday will be tearing up Mardi Gras at The Club Tavern on Tuesday (yep, Tuesday) Feb 5. ST plays early at 4:30pm, we follow at 8:30pm, so it's a FULL party! Tickets can be purchased in advance, and based on the attendance of past years, this is probably the way to go. See you soon!

News: Friday, January 18th, 2008
The Riley Tavern
Riley, Wisconsin

LUBE's first show of 2008 took us out to the friendly confines of the Riley Tavern. The Riley is an intimate venue where the people can be literally right on top of the band. Murph and Katherine take good care of us when we play there and it's become one of our favorite places as a result.

Perhaps you haven't noticed, but the weather has turned decidedly colder the last few days. It was relatively mild when we arrived but temps were expected to plummet to below zero by the time we were loading out at the end of the night. The cold didn't hold people back from coming out as the Riley quickly filled up in time for the show. All those bodies crammed into the little bar raised the inside temperature considerably. The metal frame of the front door was covered with frost and all the windows were fogged over. The contrast between inside and outside was incredible!

Since the holiday season has come and gone, we got back into our routine of working on new material. If you're a regular reader of the news here, you've heard me mention that LUBE works very hard at keeping the sets fresh by regularly mixing in new music. We debuted a new tune Friday, that being "We Got It Going On" by Bon Jovi, which came off the "Lost Highway" CD. The song was co-written by Big & Rich, so while it has a country feel, it still rocks! I think it went over well.

By the end of the night, it was clear that people had done their best to support the bar and have a good time. We too had a good time despite a few gear-related "mishaps." In fact, I had 33% more space than in the past due to some reconfiguration. My area was 4 tiles X 2 tiles, up from 3X2, and the difference was dramatic! By the time we loaded out, it was -5 outside and the wind was nothing short of bitter. You'd get snotsicles instantly! We persevered through the cold and worked as quickly as possible, all so we can do it again this coming weekend.

Speaking of this coming weekend, Friday night LUBE will be at the Badger Bowl in Madison. BB has the best set up for seeing a band in the area and an extensive dance floor. Come beat the cold and join us for a kick-ass show! Saturday we'll do it again at the Windsor Street Grille in Sun Prairie. WSG isn't quite as big but the shows there are well attended and usually get crazy. After that, we'll be playing a Mardi Gras show at The Club Tavern with our friends from SuperTuesday, so watch for further details. See you soon!

News: Monday, December 31st, 2007
The Club Tavern
Middleton, Wisconsin

I think it's safe to say that we all enjoyed a pretty good 2007. We have good family, loved ones, homes, jobs, cars, food, and our health. Not to say that those things don't sometimes cause us heartburn, but I'd rather suffer that from time to time than be without. And while 2007 was good to us in so many ways, we were ready to give it a proper send off and welcome in 2008!

The Club Tavern in Middleton has quickly become one of our favorite venues. Moose, Michael, and all the great people working there always treat us like family. We do our best to reciprocate and bring in great crowds. NYE '07 did not disappoint! The band snuck into the back to have a bite to eat shortly after 8:00pm and when we came back into the bar, the crowd was already assembling. People seemed excited to be out and they were poised for some heavy duty RAWK!

Our first set of the night was as energetic and fun as any set we've played all year. From the first notes of "Rebel Yell" straight through "Head Like A Hole," the floor area up by the stage was packed with dancing, bouncing, head-banging animals. It was awesome! Everyone was stoked for the big count down at midnight and at precisely the stroke of 12:00am, the official celebration began. Noise makers, confetti poppers, drinks, hats, kisses, hugs, fist bumps, toasts & cheers of all kinds filled The Club, and LUBE welcomed in 2008 with some of our best friends.

Officially, the first song of '08 was "I Ran," kicking off set #2. The crazy party scene I described above from set 1 not only continued through the second but the third set as well. Sure, some people were getting tired and some headed home, but the vast majority stayed and continued to rock. I guess they figured if LUBE was going all night, they were too! It must have been sneaking up on 2:45am before we hit the final chords of "Rock & Roll All Night," bringing to a close the end of another fantabulous NYE gig!

One of the bartenders came up with the idea to have a raffle to win a kiss from Buzz at midnight. Tickets were $1 and the proceeds were going to go to a local charity. You know how much money was collected? $1! That's it! Rumor has it that Moose was the person who threw in the buck just so Buzz wouldn't feel bad. Rather than share a potentially uncomfortable moment in front of hundreds of people, there was no official "winner" and Buzz had no one to kiss. I'm glad he didn't plant one on Moose...

So now that 2007 is officially history, we can take a few weeks to rest, get over the nagging illnesses that have been plaguing us, and get ready to charge harder than ever into 2008. We already have a bunch of really cool shows booked well into the year, including some venues & events we've never played. Our next gig is at The Riley Tavern on Friday Jan. 18, and just because The Riley is small doesn't mean it doesn't rock!

In summary after a most lengthy "News," LUBE would just like to again thank everyone who has helped us fulfill the dream we all share, that of playing music. The bar owners/managers and festival committees that provide us an outlet for our music deserve a round of applause. Big hugs & kisses go out to all the wonderful people who come spend their time and hard-earned money seeing LUBE. Your fun & enthusiasm is highly contagious and you make all the behind the scenes work that most don't know about more than worth it. Like Buzz mentioned several times last night, you could go anywhere to see any band, go to any type of entertainment that is out there and yet you choose to see LUBE. We love you for that! Most of all, we want to thank our families and loved ones for all the love and support they give us. Playing in a band is a full-time job, and we all have other full time jobs, too. Factor in practice time, rehearsal time, time off from work and missed family events, money spent...it all adds up and becomes quite substantial. To our families who allow us to keep pursuing our musical dreams, you get the biggest thanks of all. On behalf of all of us in LUBE...Buzz, Nick, Steve, Jeff, Dan, Chad, Curt, our newest member of the "family" Amy, and myself (that would be Bartho), thank you, and we look forward to a great '08!

News: Saturday, December 29th, 2007
The Bean
Fitchburg, Wisconsin

It seemed like forever since we last played. Our last gig was 11/23 at WSG, and after five long, busy, hectic weeks, it felt good to be playing again. There is nothing like the excitement of a LUBE gig!

Hopefully everyone survived the Christmas season with minimal damage. The holidays can be a trying time with work deadlines, shopping, relatives, travel, inclement weather, etc. What was once such a magical and wonderful time as a kid is often different for us adults. At any rate, LUBE enjoyed a nice Christmas and hope you did as well.

Santa was particularly good to Steve and Dan. Once known for buying a new drum kit virtually every other week (Remember the green kit? We don't either.), Steve had settled down and kept the same kits for years. Strange but true. However, he recently went on a spree and bought TWO! One is already for sale on an on-line auction site (here we go again...) but he has allegedly found another "keeper" in his new Ocean Sparkle Pearl Masters kit. I have to admit it looked and sounded killer! With any luck he'll still have it for NYE.

Dan, on the other hand, had Santa bring him a new PA. Without a doubt, his former JBL system was nothing short of thunderous and he made us sound WAY better than we really are. Dan is always up for a challenge and so he sought out new speakers. He purchased new EAW mains and Danley subs, companies most of us are unfamiliar with. A person might be inclined to think that all you'd have to do is hook up the new speakers and