Lube Tour Blog Archive: 2009

Tour Blog: December 31, 2009
New Years Eve at Scatz
Middleton, Wisconsin

OK friends, it was time to close out another year and say goodbye to 2009. Those of us in the LUBE family hope that you had a good year. It would be easy for us, and probably you, to complain about all the things that weren't quite right in '09...on-going war, poor economy, etc.. Instead, let's all take a moment to reflect on the positive aspects of our life, because frankly there are a lot more good things than bad. One of my favorite sayings is that 90% of the people don't care about your problems and the other 10% are glad you have them. So while 2009 may not have been the greatest year on record, LUBE is blessed in so many ways and thankful for the opportunity to play Scatz on New Year's Eve. Seriously, what could be better?!?

Scott, Rick,Dejay Double A & Caroline at Scatz went all out to show us the rock star treatment. Not only was it an honor to be chosen to play their NYE bash, but they set us up with hotel rooms at the neighboring Courtyard by Marriott. Believe me when I say no illegal substances were consumed nor was anyone assaulted with a fish! After a 3:30pm sound check, we checked into our rooms and began a leisurely evening before the show.

I know Charles and Buzz had dinner at Scatz, but a few of us ventured out on the town. Steve, Jenny, Nick, Curt the grunt, Brian the camera/ sticker guy, and I headed to West Towne Mall as I was on a quest for new earrings. Insert your own joke, here, you evil buggers! After finding some hoops, we went to the Granite City Brew Pub for a most savory meal. Once we finished there, it was back to the hotel for drinks and pre-show relaxation.

Eventually we cleaned up and headed over to Scatz, and by the time we arrived at 9:00pm, there was already quite a crowd assembled. Things would only go up from there! It was nice to have all the gear ready and sound check done so that we could mingle and socialize before the show. I don't remember my bartender's name but she was making me some wicked-good Grey Gooses! Finally, at 10:00pm...we hit the stage to a packed house!

You've likely heard me mention this before, but when things are clicking, the time absolutely flies by. We played an extended first set, going to about 11:20pm, and it was practically over before we started. The band had a lot of energy and the crowd was absolutely electric! Struggling economy or not, the people at Scatz were having a good time! We brought back a couple of tunes from our past, the Alien Ant Farm version of "Smooth Criminal" and the cult-classic "Scotty Doesn't Know" by Lustra and reinserted them into the set list. There were two brand new songs as well, "My Sharona" by The Knack and "Somebody Like You" by Keith Urban. One thing I hear over and over from people at the shows is how they love that we are always bringing new music into the show. That's not changing anytime soon!

During our break, DJ Double A took over and spun dance tunes and kept the momentum going until it was time for the magical countdown. With much fanfare and a background of "Auld Lang Syne," the masses ushered in 2010 in grand style! I couldn't begin to tell you how many people were there. I just know that before the end of the first set, the bar was at capacity and there was an extensive line at the door waiting to get in. We saw lots of faces, and so I have to think the majority of the crowd turned over a couple of times. Both the band and the bar were very happy with that!

Once it was officially 2010, we got back on stage and played two more sets. Often times on NYE, the crowd thins considerably after midnight. People want to stay out to see in the new year but then pack it in for the night. Not this time! This was a major-league party and it just kept on going! By the time we were through playing at about 2:30am, I'm guessing the bar was still close to capacity. DJ Double A took over once again & kept spinning tunes and the dance floor stayed full. Even when last call was announced and we were departing at about 3:30am there still had to be 250+ people there. A kick-ass night to be sure!

Once back at the hotel, there were a couple of small gatherings in the rooms, taking in some much appreciated munchies (Thanks, SW!) and a final drink or two. But after a full night of hot, sweaty LUBE gig action, we were all pretty bushed. I called it a night about 4:30am and the rest of the crew dispersed shortly after that. Despite seeing the clock after 5:00am, I was awake and in the shower by 8:30am. WTF?!? I guess being dehydrated and over-tired can do that to you.

So while 2009 was hardly the best year we've seen, it definitely had it's share of upsides. Capping it off with a NYE show like this was unbelievable! Everything about it...the crowd, the show itself, the great treatment from Scatz...far exceeded our expectations. Thank you so much! Our goal for 2010 is not to maintain status quo, rather to improve and be a better band for you. There is so much we want to do, so much music we want to play...if we can do even a fraction of it, 2010 is going to be one hell of a year!

Thank you Scatz and thank you LUBE fans! We had a blast and can't wait for the next time...which just happens to be Jan. 23 @ Badger Bowl. Book it & bring it...we will! See you there!

V V out!

Tour Blog: December 5th, 2009
The Club Tavern
Middleton, Wisconsin

Alrighty, then! Friday night at The Bean was awesome. We hadn't played in forever and it felt so good to hit the stage again. Playing shows is an addiction, not unlike narcotics or booze or pizza. When you truly love what you do, you crave it when it's not there, and trust me, we've been jonesing for the stage. Friday's show was like ringing the dinner bell for Pavlov's dog and come Saturday night, we were ravenous once again!

The night for me couldn't have started off better. If you read the blog from Friday's show, you noted that LUBE has addressed the rumors going around about the band. The Club Tavern was unfortuantely one of the venues we were forced to reschedule with, and when I saw Moose sitting at the bar as we were setting up gear, I took the opportunity to talk to him. I explained to him that we really appreciated the fact he brought us back after cancelling a show. Moose said that he understands that life in general is tough, not just the current times. We've had great shows at his bar in the past and he had no reason to think that was going to change. Moose was happy to have LUBE play his bar again. It was music to my ears! Moose has always treated LUBE like family and it made us feel good to hear his kind words. Though we didn't need any encouragement, Moose gave us even more incentive to play a kick-ass show...and we delivered!

They have changed the way they do bands recently at The Club. In the past, like many other venues, they have charged cover at the door. This has now changed and there is no cover. What a great way to help draw people in! Despite the fact there were some great bands playing in the area Saturday night, we had a super crowd. If the bar wasn't at capacity, it was darn close! Early on people came up top and filled the dance floor. They were full of energy, and probably drinks too, and it was high octane right out of the gate. The Badgers were playing in Hawaii with a late kickoff, and even though the game was on the TVs, the crowd was totally into the show. I have to admit, however, to sneaking peeks at the score when we took breaks in the set. What can I say, I bleed red!

The drinks were good, the crowd was pumped, and we played our asses off. It was an awesome night, no question! A special word of thanks goes out to those people who came and got LUBE'd both Friday and Saturday night. You R-A-W-K!

It was a bittersweet night for at least one LUBIE, that being Elizabeth, our "intern." She started helping our former production crew with lighting a few years ago and became friends with us as a result. Through the changes over the years, Elizabeth has been a mainstay at our shows. She recently got a job with Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas and will be moving there after Christmas. Initially she was going after the first of the year and would be able to make the NYE extravaganza at Scatz, but those plans have changed. This was her last LUBE weekend for the forseeable future. While she had a blast and rocked hard with us both nights, it was a teary goodbye at the end. LUBE wishes her the best with her new endeavors in Las Vegas! Come back and see us again sometime, ok? Better yet...book us a gig there!

As I write this from the cozy confines of my office, I have to tell you I feel like I was hit by a bus. Insert your own joke here, but I am totally spent and hurt like I went 0:26 with Mike Tyson. Considering this came after two rock gigs this weekend, I couldn't be happier! Thank you to Moose and everyone at The Club who welcomed us back with open arms. It was great to be back and we're looking forward to many more good times!

Next up on the LUBE calendar...the granddaddy of them all...New Year's Eve! We will be ushering in 2010 with a bash of epic proportions at Scatz in Middleton. This show is going to be so good! Admission is only $10, which is awesome for NYE. They are also selling VIP Packages which includes 4 admissions, one of only 9 VIP booths, dinner for 4 (prime rib or shrimp), a pitcher of your favorite beverage, champagne toast @ midnight, and party favors, all for $150. It's a $200+ value for $150, and considering it gets you in, buys your dinner and some drinks, it's a great deal. Book it now because these will go fast! LUBE would love nothing more than to ring in NYE with you...see you there!

Scatz

LUBE would like to dedicate this weekend's shows at The Dry Bean and Club Tavern to Steve's dad, Thomas Schroeder, who passed away November 6 after a battle with cancer. Tom was an accomplished musician who played his accordion for folks at nursing homes right until the end. The fans and friends of LUBE passed along many prayers and warm thoughts to the family during their difficult time, something that didn't go unnoticed. We played our shows this weekend in Tom's honor and again offer our condolences to the Schroeder family.

Tour Blog: Friday, December 4th, 2009
The Bean
Fitchburg, Wisconsin

Before we get into a recap of last night, allow us to post a small announcement:


We're well aware of the rumors going around about LUBE. The truth is that it has been a challenging year for us. Jeff Hermans left the band and was replaced by Charles Thomas, and while his arrival has been a blessing, it also demanded a lot of extra time and effort from everyone. Buzz has had to adjust to a new role in life, that being a first-time father. Steve and his family have dealt with his father's battle with cancer and subsequent passing. This band is very much a family, and so the difficulties faced as individuals affect us all. The result of all this is that we were forced to rearrange our calendar and move shows for the first time in over 10 years. That was not part of the plan yet life is far from predictable. For the record, however, LUBE still is and will continue to be a major player in the local music scene. We're not going anywhere, folks! LUBE is working on new material and charging head first into 2010! This band is committed to working hard and giving everyone- fans, festivals, bar owners, and ourselves, the best we can give. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and continued support!

So...with those thoughts in mind, we brought our dog & pony show to the scene of countless killer gigs, the Dry Bean in Fitchburg. It had been some time since our last performance, a Halloween show 5 weeks prior. While we weren't dressed as cast members from Hee Haw this time, we brought the same fun attitude and energy to this show!

I think everyone was freezing their buns off due to the chilly air outside. We've gone from autumn to arctic cold practically overnight. 19 and breezy sure felt cold to me anyway, but once things got underway indoors, the cold was all but forgotten.

As always, LUBE gigs sort of turn into a family affair. We have an incredibly loyal following and we've become friends with thousands of wonderful people over the years. That said, our friend Lesley managed to find a couple of the few remaining LUBE virgins and brought them to the Bean. I saw lots of smiles from them and now that the hard part is over, that being the first time, we hope to see them again soon!

Some of our fellow local musicians came out Friday night as well. Jeff, Shane, Dia, & Chris, along with Super Cam Dave from SuperTuesday were in the crowd. In fact, Jeff & I had a clandestine Girl Scout cookie exchange in the parking lot between sets. Best of all, they were already paid for! Thin Mints for everyone! Former ST & Gladstone bassist Craig was there, too, not to mention the lovely & talented Becca Rae, formerly of Wild Heart. I know I'm missing some others, but the double Grey Goose & 7s were mighty fine last night and my recall isn't fully engaged at this point.

We had a very fine contingent of Gimme Gimme Girls in the 2nd set. Back in the old days, the GGGs weren't quite sure what to do and so they sacheted around and just looked nice. Now, after some practice, they can smell when it's coming up in the set list and flock to the stage! They have also learned that they're supposed to sing "Gimme Gimme" at the appropriate time, and based on what I heard through the monitors, they did a mighty fine job with it.

As promised in the past, I'm trying to keep the blogs to a reasonable length these days. I'll just top it off here by saying that we had a most awesome time with you last night! The staff at The Bean treats us very well and it's always nice to play there. Also, Steve looked incredibly handsome in his new $94 shirt. Charles, too, was very fashionable in his GAP jeans and striped dress shirt.

The weekend's not over, though...Saturday night we tear it up once again at The Club Tavern in Middleton. Based on my past professional experience, I can attest that the Grey Goose & 7s will once again be splendid! We always have a blast there and based on the layout, the crowd can get right up close and personal there. See you in 7 hrs & 2 mins!

V V out!

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Tour Blog: Saturday, October 31, 2009
Halloween @ Badger Bowl
Madison, Wisconsin

Ok boys & ghouls, following the mass hysteria that was the LUBE 10th Anniversary Show, we had a few weeks to collect our breath and prepare for our next venture...Halloween @ Badger Bowl! We've played some pretty bad-ass shows at Badger Bowl throughout our history but never a Halloween. For this year's gig, we decided to do a "Hee Haw" theme based on the TV show from our youth. We probably dated ourselves in do that, given that much of our fan base is "a little bit" younger than we are, but it turned out to be a good time!

If you recall some of those old "Hee Haw" shows, a country & western themed variety-type affair, they were a mix of good & bad. Popular entertainers, quality musicianship, but some hokey/amateurish acting. It all added up to bad jokes and lots of laughs. That part is right up our alley! We donned the apparel of hillbillies, and I hate to say it but we looked good. Sound guy Matt even provided us with hay bales and corn stalks to decorate the stage with.

There were many excellent costumes on display Saturday night. We saw an evil bird-witch, a dead prison bride, the Flintstones, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader & referee, Eve (from the garden of Eden), a supersized Ronald McDonald, the Blue Man Group, James Hetfield from Metallica, the UFC ring girl, etc., and it was clear that some folks put a tremendous amount of time and energy into their outfits. The Badger Bowl sponsored a costume contest with the winner receiving $100. Buzz did a nice job emceeing it, and in the end, the person in the electric chair walked away with the top prize. It was a great costume! Also, it was Amanda's birthday and I forgot to mention it at the gig. Sorry for the belated announcement, but Happy Birthday from LUBE!

On our end, we worked some tunes back into the set list that had been given a breather for a while. Not only does that help keep things fresh for us but for our fans as well. There are A LOT of people who come to see us regularly, often times both Friday and Saturday when we have weekend double-headers, and they get to know the way we organize our set lists better than we do! In addition to bringing a few songs back, we added two new ones that Charles sang lead on. If you haven't noticed, he's got a killer voice! Stepping outside the box and playing what normally isn't a rock song, we covered "(You Drive Me) Crazy" by Britney Spears. With a little creativity thrown into the arrangement and some crunchy guitars, it turned out to be a good rockin' dance song that people liked. The other new one we did has rocketed to the top of my personal list of favorites that we play. It gives me goose bumps! We put our own twist on "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes and it abso-frickin-lutely RAWKED! It's not a traditional dance song but it's hook & groove are nothing short of infectious. A big hit, to say the least.

Like I said in the blog from the anniversary show, I'm going to work hard to keep this one brief. Scheduling and life issues have created a circumstance such that we have another little layoff before we hit the stage again. LUBE's next show is Friday December 4 @ The Bean followed by Saturday Dec. 5 @ Club Tavern. I know it seems like a long ways away but it really isn't, just a few weeks, plus it's a double-header weekend. Back-to-back nights of LUBE! Kick ass! We'll be dropping a few new tunes in the set list again, so write that weekend down in your little black book we'll see you then! Might as well write down New Year's Eve @ Scatz, too, because that is going to be THE NYE party!

VV Out!

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Tour Blog: Saturday Oct. 3, 2009
LUBE's 10th Anniversary Show @ The Bean
Fitchburg, Wisconsin

My friends, it is with a sincere sense of gratitude that LUBE was able to play it's 10th Anniversary Show this past Saturday at The Bean. Without our families, friends, and local music fans coming to see us, and in the early days there weren't very many, there would be nothing to celebrate. The fact that we're still doing it, much less filling bars and beer tents across the area, is quite amazing. The band is very humbled at the outpouring of love and good wishes we experienced Saturday night.

While some of you may already know the story, I'll give you a little rundown of LUBE history. Back in what must be 1994-95, Nick Hanushewicz and Al Lopez were working together and realized that both were musicians. Al was a drummer and Nick a guitarist. Nick invited Al to bring his drums over so they could jam some old Judas Priest and Van Halen tunes, and jam they did.

After they had played a few times, Nick and I (Bartho) were out bumming around Madison. He was telling me about how he & Al had been playing some tunes in his basement and since we all worked the same shift, maybe I should buy a bass and join them. I was a band geek in junior high & high school, playing the gamut of low brass instruments, but had never laid hands on an electric bass guitar. Nonetheless, after visiting both Ward-Brodt and Good & Loud, I was set up with a bass and an amp. Nick showed me how to play "Breaking The Law" by Judas Priest in about 2 minutes (there's only about 5 bass notes in it) and were off & running. We really didn't have a name for the fledgling band, however "10-96" sort of became our working moniker. That's police code for a mental subject, and it was fitting.

After some practice time, we got better but it was painfully obvious none of us could sing well enough to be a real band. Al did his best at rehearsal but it was clear he's no Bon Jovi. One night while hanging out at Flashbacks at the Marriott Hotel, the club's DJ, some guy named Mike Buzzell, put on a Judas Priest song as the staff was preparing to close for the night. As he was clearing bottles & glasses off the tables, he started singing along to the song and was just killing it. Al approached this Buzz guy and told him about the basement band we had going and asked if he wanted to come do some songs. Though he had no formal training, Buzz was up for it and joined us in Nick's basement. Suddenly we had a singer and sounded almost like a real band!

Over the next few months we got to where we could play about 12 songs pretty well and had a few more we were working on. Nick knew of a guy named JC Johnson who not only was in his own band but had his own bar. One day at the health club they got talking and the next thing you know, our basement band was booked to open for the JC Band. The fateful day was Oct. 1, 1999. We had to come up with a band name as no one was sold on "10-96." We kicked around various options, most of them kind of juvenile and a little dirty ("Meat Curtains"?). One of the names I threw out there could have multiple connotations depending on you're state of mind, and that was LUBE. Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

Oct. 1 arrived and we headed to Rox On The River in Jefferson for our first ever public performance. Buzz & I had never played live before but Nick & Al had prior experience, albeit it years ago. So with virtually no stage monitors and edgy nerves, Al clicked off the tempo for "The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)" by Judas Priest and it became official...we played a show. There was supposed to be another band opening for JC as well but they cancelled. Our set list was 10 songs, but JC asked us to keep playing so we did the songs that weren't necessarily "polished" yet to fill time. Adapting on the fly, a great learning experience!

Unfortunately for us, Al was unable to continue with LUBE after that first show and so we began looking for a new drummer. I knew one of the nurses at work was a drummer, playing in a band called Fluid Drive, so I asked Todd Schroeder if he had any interest in jamming with us, if for no other reason but to help us keep our limited chops up. He was game and after a few rehearsals, we decided to play some more shows. Todd was now a full member of LUBE. We played some more opening slots with bands like Deception, BoB Rocks, and Live Wire and eventually worked up a full 3-set show. LUBE even landed on the cable access show "Worth Watching" with Dennis Fawcett because he had heard we covered Barry Manilow's "Mandy."

After a 2+ year run, life circumstances changed and Todd packed up and moved to Colorado. We were back to the drawing board looking for another drummer (what is it with them anyway?!?). Nick had seen Heartbreaker play at Badger Bowl one night using a substitute drummer named Steve Schroeder (no relation to Todd). Steve was in the band Bad Jack, which later became Monkey Punch and was a former drum student of Heartbreaker's Scott Schroedl. Nick approached Steve and asked if he'd be interested in playing with LUBE. Steve & his wife Jenny came to Club Raven and scouted us one night when we opened for a touring regional band called See No Evil. Steve must have liked what he saw because he agreed to do a couple of practices to see how it felt. It felt good, damn good, and so the LUBE lineup was updated once again.

Steve has a great ear and dramatically helped us improve our playing. He also came to the band with lots of ideas for different, more dancer-friendly music. We had transformed from a Priest/Van Halen band to an almost alternative rock band with Todd. LUBE began adding some classic rock and songs better suited for dancing, and our popularity continued to improve. Suddenly we were onto something!

Eventually we came to a point where we decided we needed something more to elevate our game. We were playing some good gigs and beginning to make enough scratch to pay for our bar tab but we wanted more. LUBE decided it was time to add a second guitar player, especially one who could also sing lead and ease the burden on Buzz. We had heard that Jeff Hermans was leaving Super Tuesday and from what we knew of Jeff, it wasn't going to be long before he got the itch to play again. We casually bided our time, did some scouting and seed planting, and told Jeff that he could just come jam with us some time if he needed a night out of the house. Jeff & his wife Nicki were having another baby, and while we wanted to give him some family time, we did send a nice congratulatory plant when they had their son. Greasing the wheels with Nicki might seem like a dirty trick but it worked! After adjusting to the new addition to their family, Jeff came aboard and LUBE had a new look and sound!

LUBE's popularity and success soared with the new 2-guitar attack and a second very capable vocalist in the band. We got more and better gigs and we had more fun than ever! After almost 4 years, however, it was time for Jeff to move on. He took leave from LUBE and rejoined Super Tuesday, the band he had started years ago. The growth we experienced as a band with a 5-piece lineup was something we weren't willing to forego and so we decided we needed to replace Jeff in the band.

During all these years, we would frequently check out other bands when we weren't playing. Gotta keep an eye on the competition, you know? We knew of a smokin' guitarist with a killer singing voice by the name of Charles Thomas. Charles had played for several local bands including Badwolf, Hotter Than Karl, Chewy, and Old Man Sanders. Dude had it goin' on, if you know what I'm saying, and while Badwolf had played a few reunion shows, we didn't think he had a full-time gig going. Buzz got in contact with Charles and asked if he had interest in LUBE. We all sat down & talked, then played a practice or two. With luck once again on our side, Charles joined LUBE, and that is the current lineup for the band. Charles brings great experience, lead guitar chops and incredible vocals to LUBE, and you the fans can expect bigger and better things from us as a result!

So there is the lengthy history of LUBE. I'm sorry it dragged on so long but the story is what the story is! That history I just explained covers one full decade of time, time that has flown by yet seen us make considerable strides as a band. There's just one way to celebrate those 10 years...throw a big-ass party at The Bean!

We were excited to see that our club rotation worked out such that we were due for a show at The Bean in late September/early October. The Bean has seen many a great LUBE gig over the years and we knew the 10th anniversary show was going to be over the top. The show did not disappoint!

After making some phone calls, I was able to confirm that all three former members, Al, Todd, and Jeff would be able to make the show. That's incredible as Todd currently lives in Boulder, CO! We decided that as long as everyone could make it, they may as well play a few tunes. Old set lists and recordings were revisited and we found some tunes from the various eras we wanted to resurrect. On Friday Oct. 2, we all got together at Steve's studio for a refresher rehearsal so we wouldn't look like complete buffoons at the gig the next night. There was beer, cool tunes, lots of laughter, and more smart ass talk than you can imagine! We shook the rust off and got prepared for the big one. It was going to be awesome!

At The Bean Saturday night, all I could see from the stage was a sea of bodies. The place was packed! We kicked off the night with a freshly shuffled first set with the current lineup. The energy from the crowd was stunning and we as a band were flying high! After a short block to star the 2nd set, we brought up the past members for what is now of my favorite band experiences ever.

Al climbed behind the drum kit and clicked off the tempo for "The Green Manalishi," the very first tune LUBE ever performed live. Hearing Buzz wail those high notes at the end of the song gave me goose bumps again, just like it did 10 years and 2 days prior. We followed that with the arena rock anthem "Rock & Roll All Night" by KISS. I could hear the crowd singing it over the PA...it was awesome!

Next up was Todd. He is a veteran of the drum school at MIT in San Francisco and he brought some wicked chops to LUBE when he played with us. Nothing has changed as far as that goes! We opened Todd's songs with a longtime crowd favorite, "Voodoo" by Godsmack. To this day, the most requested song not on our regular set list is Voodoo. That was followed by "Smooth Criminal," the Alien Ant Farm cover of the Michael Jackson tune. When I talked with Todd on the phone and asked what songs he wanted to play, I barely got the words out and he said Smooth Criminal. Like him or not, Michael made some good music and the AAF cover rocked the crap out of it. We did too!

After that, we recreated what was known as the "Cool Side Of The Stage" by bringing the Hermanator, aka Jeff, up for a couple. LUBE fans were happy to see our recently departed friend back up jamming with us again. With Jeff, we brought out the funky stuff and did "Bust A Move" by Young MC and our version of "Tricky/Wild Thing" by Run DMC/Ton-Loc. The house went crazy as these have been fan favorites for a long time. Jeff looked resplendent in the retro/vintage LUBE shirt he bought from us back when he was still in ST the first time and it was great to play with again.

But we didn't stop there. As long as Jeff was on stage, we brought up our good friend and photographer/sticker hander-outer/placement guy Brian Henry to do "Thunderkiss '65" by White Zombie. Brian has performed this tune with LUBE a handful of times over the past year or so and we hadn't done it since Jeff's last show July 4. We were going to have Doug Skinner from Heartbreaker play bass on it, too, but he was unable to make the gig. Doug learned our whole show to play two gigs for me when my wife & I were on a Hawaiian cruise last year. Going through all that work for two shows makes Doug part of our extended family. At any rate, we played it and the crowd went wild again. It's just a tough tune!

Lastly, we found one more family member lurking in the crowd. Our good friend and long-time Madison area drummer Steve Barfknecht bailed us out at a Bike Night gig earlier this summer. Steve Schroeder had a work commitment he couldn't get out of and so Stevie B (aka Sneve)learned the whole show for what turned out to be that one lone Bike Night @ Quaker Steak & Lube. Stevie B is rock solid behind the kit, as you may have learned from seeing him in Shock Radio, Johnny Law, Pink Houses or the Sincheladas. He high-tailed it out of a wedding reception to make the show, and so we had him come up and play a couple of songs with us too. We did "I Ran" and "Superfreak." Actually, we did 2.5 songs with Stevie B. As he was getting situated behind the drums, Charles started playing "Jessie's Girl" and eventually Nick and I joined in. Once Stevie B had monitors, he played along as well and finished the tune. I wouldn't look for that song to join our set list but there sure are a lot of people who like it, right Kristin?

After all the dignitaries finished, we closed out the night with a hard rockin' 3rd set to a still-packed dance floor. It may have been hot & sweaty but the LUBIES know how to party and they hung in until the last chord rang out at about 1:45am. All of us, fans, staff, and the band, were wet, stinky, and tired, but these are all signs of a fantastic night.

On behalf of Steve, Buzz, Charles, and Nick, I would like to personally thank every single person who has ever come to a LUBE show. We're a bunch of short hairs with day jobs who escape the drudgery of regular life by playing other people's music. The fact that we have been able to do it for a decade is nothing short of amazing! I don't care how cliché it may sound, but if it wasn't for the fans, we would still just be jamming in the basement. You provide us an outlet for our love of music. While we may never become rich doing it, we are wealthy in so many other ways. It is our extreme pleasure to play music FOR YOU! Thank you to Mary & her great staff at The Bean for having us on such a monumental night, as well as all the other good times we've enjoyed there. Thank you for helping us celebrate the FIRST decade of LUBE history...we'll start the next chapter Halloween night @ the Badger Bowl!

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Tour Blog: Saturday September 12, 2009
Scatz
Middleton, Wisconsin

It's finally September. The kids are back in school, the night air has a hint of coolness to it, and it's time for LUBE to head back inside and resume playing club dates. We had a GREAT summer and rocked the crap out of an awful lot of people in beer tents far and wide. Each type of gig has it's own charm, and there's just something comforting about gigging indoors.

We kick off our "Fall World Tour" by returning to the hottest night club in Madison, Scatz. If you haven't been there, get off your duff and check it out! It's the best set up for bands in the area...good-sized tall stage, large dance floor, a bar that's close by, and plenty of room for seating. Hard to ask for more than that! We're also very fortunate that Scott and his staff treat us very well when we're there. They make us feel like rock stars even though we're just regular dudes. Some of us are more regular than others, but that's an inside joke (#2 for life!).

The band was stoked to get back on stage after a few weeks off. Our last show was Bike Night, and it seemed like forever ago. Our excitement to play was evidenced by the fact we were all at the club early. I was the last one to arrive and I got there at 6:15pm. We didn't start until 9:30pm! When it's in your blood and you go a while without it, you start feeling like a junkie looking for a fix. But instead of smack, we prefer Godsmack...and Foo Fighters and Jason Aldean and Prince and Green Day! Charles even ended up hanign from the rafters!

I was pleasantly surprised at the good crowd on hand for this show. I mean, the parties I noted above brought in a considerable amount of people, but there were a lot of people not associated with the parties that came too. That's impressive considering it was yet another stunning, warm day and there was an early home Badger game. Some people had been partying since 8:00am and closed the bar down with us. YOU are hardcore!

Sadly, we had to shut it down for the night but we closed out the show to a full dance floor, another sign of a good night. The fog cleared and we packed it up, sweaty & tired but clearly satisfied with show. If you didn't have fun last night it was definitely your own fault. One of my former co-workers came all the way from Cleveland, OH for the show. It was great to see you, Sharon, (even though you wore a Chicago bears necklace), as well as the rest of the old gang.

If you're a LUBE fan and have followed us for any length of time, I probably don't need to tell what's coming next on our docket. But for those of you who may be new or simply out of the loop, here goes. Our next gig is Saturday October 3 @ The Dry Bean...and it's the 10th anniversary of our first show! This is simply going to be off the hook! ALL of our past members...Al Lopez, Todd Schroeder, and Jeff Hermans will be on hand and will get up and play some tunes. Ten years is a long time for any band to be together, much less a local cover band, and two of us had zero experience prior to starting LUBE. But without the good people who appreciate our efforts and pay their hard-earned money to come see us, we'd still be playing Judas Priest covers, poorly, in Nick's basement. I for one cannot say "Thank You" enough for helping me chase the dreams I've had since childhood. Let's cap off the FIRST decade of LUBE with one helluva party 10/3 @ The Bean!

V V out!

Tour Blog: Wednesday August 26, 2009
Quaker Steak & Lube Bike Night
Middleton, Wisconsin

You know, it may be time for me to admit that LUBE's luck has changed, at least regarding the weather. Remember a few years back when seemingly every time we played the weather sucked? Snow storms, the torrential rains of our first Riley Fest, the monsoon that hit Columbus that fateful July 3rd which lead to the creation of EBUL...the list is nearly endless. However, since that time, we've had some weather scares but rather than dump on us, it has tended to work out. Wednesday's show at Quaker Steak & Lube's infamous Bike Night was one of those. Sure it was cloudy and on the cool side for August but it didn't rain and turned out to be a great night for a mid-week party!

We love playing Bike Night. It's early enough so that folks who balk at the traditional 9:30pm start time can stop by after work and even bring the kids. It's outside and exposed to the beautiful Wisconsin summer. It's also a local Mecca for anyone having an interest in motorcycles and bands...two of my favorite things! This was going to be Charles' first time playing a Bike Night gig, and he was stoked to find out what all the hoopla was about.

The show started rather typically. We got there in the afternoon, set up gear, and then anxiously awaited "kickoff" time. A decent crowd was already forming when we started at 5:30pm and people just kept rolling in. There was, however, something unusual that occurred.



During our first set a mini motorcade pulled up by PF Chang's. There was some sort of emblem on the sides of the blacked-out Escalades as well as on the motorcycle that came in with them. Some Secret Service-looking dudes, complete with the dark suits, sun glasses, and earpieces jumped out and began scanning the crowd. I was trying to pretend that nothing was going on but this was clearly abnormal for a LUBE show. A few moments later, a tallish, slender African-American man in a suit comes out of the truck...bearing a strong resemblance to the leader of the free world, President Barack Obama. WTF is this?!? Despite the fact we were a hundred feet apart, I could see that while this man really did look like the President, he was noticeably younger and clearly NOT the President. I mean, c'mon...Barack Obama at a LUBE gig? Where's the media? Where's the big motorcade? Where are the political groupies? And with our crowd, they were definitely going to need more security! After ten minutes or so, they got back into their Escalades and left. We have no idea what the hell this was all about but it sure makes for a good story. If anyone has knowledge of this stunt, please let us know. Suffice it to say that Jared from Subway still remains the largest celebrity to ever be part of a LUBE gig.

So after "Mr. President" departed, we continued doing our thing and the crowd kept growing. People who arrived in cars had to park WAY far away and there was a decent amount of bikes considering the cloud cover and lingering threat of showers. We unveiled a couple new tunes Wednesday night, one of which has a story behind it. Remember on the 4th of July in Monona when we played a little "Billie Jean" teaser and the crowd got pissed we didn't finish it? Well, we learned our lesson! As an offering to the King of Pop, we learned the full-length version of "Billie Jean," though we did ad lib our own ending on it. The Bike Night crowd was most appreciative and sang along with us. Just when you thought we couldn't be any dumber, we do something like that...and totally redeem ourselves! And after taking a few country tunes out of our set list, we added "She's Country" by Jason Aldean. Sure, it might sound like a subtly-disguised rock tune but it's country alright. Trust us. All we really care about is the fact the people in attendance were totally digging it. We might just have a few more country nuggets up our sleeves, too.

By about 9:35pm, we were finished for the night and it was time to pack it up and head home, another successful Bike Night notch on our rock & roll belts. We extend sincere thanks to all of you who made this one of the best mid-week parties in history! I can assure you the band enjoyed every second of it and hope you did as well. Special thanks to my twin uncles Gerard and Gerald who closed up shop early and rode their Harleys down from Amherst just to see the show, along with my guitar-playing/wannabe rock star cousin Tom and his girlfriend Natalie. None of them had ever seen us before and our wonderful fans showed them how LUBE rolls on a Wednesday night. Awesome!

LUBE has just one show in September, that being Saturday Sept.. 12 @ Scatz, which ironically is across the street from QSL!! Scatz is a great venue, Scott & Rick treat us like family, and we've had some killer shows there. Although we've had a great summer with these outdoor events, we're geeked to get back into the club scene. Following the Scatz show is the big one, the 10-year anniversary show at The Bean featuring all the previous members of the band. That's happening Oct. 3 and will simply be off the hook! I get goose bumps just thinking about it!

See you in a few weeks at Scatz!


V V out!

Tour Blog: Saturday August 15, 2009
The 16th Annual Riley Fest
Verona, Wisconsin

When the festival gods were creating the framework for all good festivals, our old friends Murph and Katherine must have been paying close attention. LUBE has had the pleasure of playing some great festivals over the years, the Harley-Davidson 105th Anniversary, some memorable 4th of Julys, Taste of Madison, etc.. Yet for me (Bartho), there's just nothing quite like Riley Fest. One would think it might be hard for a little tiny bar in the middle of nowhere to put on such a wonderful event but they sure do know how to throw a party!

For 15 out of the 16 years of Riley Fest, the weather has been beautiful. The one year it did rain, 2007, just happened to be the first year LUBE was on the bill. We managed to get our whole set in but it was a complete monsoon that day. I remember watching Super Tuesday and the mud was over the top of my waterproof shoes...inside the tent! It was just a miserable day and the festival shut down early due to the conditions and severe weather. No such problem last year and definitely not this time around!

In case you might have forgotten, it was HOT yesterday. My buggy said 89 when I was driving out there. The warm temps created the perfect environment to enjoy a delicious Riley Cooler! Riley Coolers are awesome, but I was a good boy and only had two. They put on quite a spread at this festival...a big bar with lots of top-shelf liquor, a jillion barrels of beer, and lots of good food including BBQ chicken sandwiches, brats & dogs, and my personal favorite, walking tacos.

The party started early with Joel Pingatore and the Playground of Sound. I had heard good things about them and that was confirmed once I got there. They are a tight band with some smokin' guitar work. The crowd was still in its fledgling stages at this point but most of them were in the tent already enjoying the music. It was a strong music bill Saturday and these guys got it off to a great start.

Next up was the original lineup of one of my favorite local bands from days past, Chewy. Chewy is a collection of awesome musicians who play a good variety of music. They are top-notch entertainers as well as being good guys and it was super fun to have them back on stage. There were smiles all around during their set, not just from the music but from their always-entertaining stage antics. Cherry Bendover anyone? I don't know how serious they are about getting back on the local scene but Pat was talking about opening up for Vinyl Thunder sometime. That would be a show not to be missed! LUBE's own Charles Thomas, a former member of Chewy, joined them for a few tunes and the guys rocked the crap out of them. Charles has been a kick-ass addition to LUBE and it was fun to see him with his old cronies from Chewy again.

LUBE was up after Chewy, and the crowd was getting quite sizeable by this point. Not only were there a lot of people inside the tent but the entire festival grounds were packed, too. I'm sure that made Murph happy! I already mentioned that it was a hot day and we did nothing to change it. Energy was high right out of the gate and we played two long, blistering sets of killer tunes. The crowd was drawn in from the start with "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day and there were people dancing and jamming along in all directions. From there it just never stopped. We were all hot & sweaty before we started playing, in fact Steve was downright slimy, but by the end of the first set we were complete puddles. I think even my sweat was sweating. By 10:00pm, we shut it down with our now infamous "My Own Worst Enemy/Jump Around" conglomeration. It was again time for us to party at Riley Fest!

Capping the night was headliner Bobby Friss, and he was introduced to the crowd by WJJO's Johnny Danger. Until I started going to Riley Fest a few years ago, I was like most people and had never heard of Bobby Friss. Word has gotten out...these guys can rock! Yeah, sure, they're a little older than the other bands that played Saturday but that translates into experience. These guys play great tunes and seriously know how to play their instruments. It was a great end to a great festival!

Heart-felt thanks to Murph & Katherine and their staff for treating us like family and once again throwing the summer party of all summer parties! We had an absolute blast and will be back again this fall tearing it up inside the cozy confines of the Riley Tavern. Maybe with a little luck we'll be asked back for the 17th annual Riley Fest next August. It's always a highlight on our calendar and those of you who were there understand why.

LUBE has one more show in August, that being Wednesday Aug. 26. Yep, it's another Quaker Steak & Lube Bike Night! Remember, these affairs start early and we play from 5:30-9:30pm. Even if you don't have a motorcycle, it's a great time at QSL and the Arizona Ranch wings can't be beat! My 16-year old cousin Tom is coming down to experience his first ever LUBE gig, so come on out and show him what a kick-ass time a LUBE gig really is. See you there!

V V out!

Tour Blog: Saturday August 8, 2009
St. John's Fun Fest
Spring Green, Wisconsin

Way back on Jan.30, 2009 LUBE played a show at Badger Bowl. I had the opportunity to meet four people from Spring Green- Emmy, Jennifer, Troy, and Jay. If memory serves me correctly, this was their first LUBE show, and they were there scouting us for a festival they were organizing later in the year. We had a very pleasant talk between sets and the ladies spent quite a bit of time on the dance floor. Well, they must have had a good time because guess who they hooked up to play St. John's Fun Fest Saturday night? That's right...your boys LUBE!

In contrast to the weather from the night before in Arlington, Saturday was hot & steamy in Spring Green. Temperatures were near 90 degrees with high humidity. If you didn't get your sweat on Friday night, you were certainly gonna get it Saturday! Our new friends in SG took care of us though and kept a cooler stocked with our favorite beverages right behind the stage. That was very much appreciated and believe it or not, we drank more water than anything else!

If I were to fathom a guess, I'd say that the Spring Greenies love their softball. Adjacent to the tent we were set up in was a ball diamond with a softball tournament going on all day. There was a sizeable crowd that had gathered to support their favorite teams. The goal was to get them all inside the tent to party with us!

The people of St. John's supplied a nice variety of food and drink, and it was all very good. Some festivals charge a bit more for these things as they are raising money for their cause. I have to tell you that the $3 sliced pork sandwich was about the best food I've ever had at a festival and ate a second one just to make sure. Nick said the beef sammie was very good as well. A good, honest sandwich at a tasty price. Hmmm, reminds me of a beer commercial or something.

The theme of Fun Fest was a beach party. The tent was decorate with some very holy palm trees and they even filled a portion of the street with sand. From the stage back about 25 feet was all sand and beyond that the asphalt of the street. Some people stayed out of the sand and danced on the road. Others had no problem kicking off their shoes and jumping right in. To be sure, the children in attendance LOVED the sand! By the end of the night, it was everywhere!

So even though it was beastly hot, we rocked hard for the cause and even sported Hawaiian shirts (for at least part of the night). Buzz was most resplendent in his blue & white pineapple shirt, and the rest of us wore them as well...except for Steve. Back in the late 90s he was deported out of Hawaii for doing something improper with coconuts and a grass skirt, and since then refuses to wear the festive shirts. Drummers...

While it may have taken them a little while to get their groove on, the crowd came around and ended up having a great time with LUBE. We hit it hard and gave them a great show, and the fact we were all soaking wet (and chafed) by the end of the night helps prove it. If I have to be tired, it might as well be rock & roll tired, you know? There's nothing finer!

So after 2 shows under our belt with Charles, I have to say things are clicking quite well. We're not trying to blend together as a group...we're just doing it, and that is awesome! And just in time, too. Next Saturday August 15 we hit our final festival of the year, and what a festival it is! Ladies and gentlemen, it is once again time for Riley Fest! Murph & Katherine and crew put on about the greatest outdoor event we've ever been to much less participated in. It is an all-day event starting at 1:00pm (I believe) and going until well after midnight. The lineup is as follows: Joel Pingatore and the Playground of Soul, the original lineup of Chewy, LUBE (6:30-9:30pm), and then headliner Bobby Friss. Tuck Pence will be playing between sets up on the balcony. This is a great festival and you will NOT want to miss it!

Speaking of things you won't want to miss, the LUBE 10th anniversary show is slated for Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 @ the Bean. Just this weekend I have been in touch with the three former members of the band...drummers Al Lopez and Todd Schroeder, as well as guitarist Jeff Hermans...and ALL THREE will be performing with LUBE at this show! Al & Jeff are still local but Todd is coming back from Boulder, CO just to be a part of this momentous occasion. We will be going back into the archives and bringing out tunes you may not have heard in...well, 10 years. I'm just about peeing my pants in excitement and it's still 2 months away. Don't make any other plans because this will be THE party of the year!

See you Saturday at the Riley Tavern! Don't forget, we start @ 6:30pm, but come early and enjoy the day. You can even buy us a drink!

V V out!

Tour Blog: Friday August 7, 2009
Arlington 100th Annual Fireman's Fest
Arlington, Wisconsin

From the looks of the weather Friday night, you'd have thought it was October. Low 60s, windy & rainy, hardly what one would expect from an early August evening. We met a bunch of the firemen involved with this festival and they were all very nice, but whoever was in charge of the weather did their job for sh*t.

Nonetheless, like the true rock warriors we are, LUBE soldiered on and did what we do best...play great music! This was our first invitation to the Arlington festival and we wanted to make a strong positive impression. Actually, this is the first time anyone can recall them having bands. A DJ has provided music in the beer tent for festivals gone by, but I think having bands is a great upgrade. Factor in that that this was also the first full show for our FNG Charles, and it adds up to a whole lot of firsts!

Despite being new to the family, Charles was more than ready for his official LUBE debut. He's worked his ass off over the last couple of months preparing for this very day. Charles plays and performs with the confidence of a cagey veteran (which he is) and has a knack for knowing just when to drop a savory lick into a tune. Like him, the rest of us have been eagerly anticipating his debut in Arlington.

The festival provided us with a nice tent immediately adjacent to the beer pavilion. There was even a little one foot gap between the two that you could stand in to feel the rain if you wanted. It may not have been overly warm but the humidity created an environment "ripe" for good sweating and a general rock & roll froth that comes with partying hard. Lucky for us there was plenty of beer to go around!

Once the show got underway, people opened up to the idea of a band vs. a DJ and began filling the band tent. Before you knew it, the party was on in typical LUBE fashion! Considering this was the first time Arlington hosted LUBE, the local Gimme Gimme Girls did an outstanding job! The attendees warmly welcomed us and gave us plenty of energy, and by 1:00am when we had to shut it down for the night, we'd all had a damn good time.

We'd like to thank the Arlington Fire Department for having us play their 100th anniversary festival. It was great and we'd love to come back again next year. There was also a nice showing of peeps from where Nick & I work...Tam, COTY, Kyle, D-Cline, P Money, Scoggie, RJ, the Mighty Markgraf, and undoubtedly a few I missed...thanks for hanging with us! Nick's Uncle Tony from Las Vegas was also taking in the show with some other members of the family and it was good to see him again. Arlington, we appreciate your hospitality and look forward to doing it again!

And just in case you didn't get enough, make the short hike to Spring Green because we're going to tear it up at St. John's Fun Fest Saturday night. Show time is 8:00pm!

V V out!

Tour Blog: 7-4-09
Monona Community Festival
Monona, Wisconsin

July 4, 2008, Winnequah Park. Remember that? It was the craziest LUBE gig in history! Not only were we celebrating LUBE drummer Steve's birthday but also the birthday of the good ol' US of A. Fast forward 365 days and we're at it again!

This was poised to be a monumental gig for any number of reasons but I'll just go with a few. In 2008, we broke the record for beer sales with a grand total topping $35,000. Unbelievable! Those are some pretty lofty expectations to live up to, but we felt good coming in that LUBE could once again raise the bar.

After a nearly four-year run as our song-singing, string breaking, fireball stage performer, Jeff Hermans was to play his final LUBE gig. A sad day for some, yet how can you not support a friend choosing to take a new path? We had some damn good times with our boy Jeffy, and this show was going to be at the top of that list.

In a stroke of dumb luck, LUBE was able to woo the musical wizardry of Charles Thomas into the family. And as fate would have it, Monona Fest '09, perhaps the biggest show in LUBE history, is where Charles would be introduced to the legion of LUBIES. He's got some big shoes to fill but clearly has the talent to push us to new highs. It's great to have him aboard!

Like last year, our good friends and long-time LUBE fans Brian & Jean Henry opened their home not just to their family & friends but to us stinky band dudes as well for another monumental 4th of July party. There was more food & alcohol on hand than we could have ever hoped to consume! Joining us for the weekend (they were @ Columbus too) was the Fox Valley Chapter of LUBIES, lead by Katie, Kala, Michelle, and newbie Corrie. Kala amazed everyone with her drinking cup artistry and the girls impressed us all by surviving back-to-back nights of LUBE insanity.

It took some willpower to properly pace our revelry but we kept things in check and just took the edge off prior to the show. It was also cool that we were able to introduce Jeff & Charles to one another and break the ice before hitting the stage. The crowd on hand at the party was buzzing with anticipation of the gig, and we couldn't wait to hit the stage!

With The Fog ringing out their last chord at 7:30pm and LUBE supposed to start at 8:00pm, it was a little frantic getting the stage set for the show. But with a little teamwork and years of experience, we were ready to go in short order. As a way of showing our appreciation to the good people of Monona after last year's monster event, we donned Monona Grove football jerseys to kick off the show. I gotta tell you, we looked good in the blue & white!

Like last year, we would be playing just two sets with a brief intermission for fireworks. We got most of the first set in prior to 9:25pm when the kabooms started, playing about 20 tunes. From the opening riff of Green Day's "Know Your Enemy," the tent was packed and full of energy! It was kind of like the Foo Fighters playing Wembley Stadium, only it was us and Winnequah Park. We rocked our butts off and welcomed a brief break as the 2nd set was going be awesome!

So after a wardrobe change and some aerial pyrotechnics, it was time for something different. Ladies & gentlemen...please welcome Charles Thomas to the stage! We kicked off the 2nd set with a block of tunes featuring the next generation of LUBE. Charles brings a killer singing voice and impressive guitar chops to the table. The tent was totally rocking out and jamming with us when it finally hit them we were covering an ABBA tune, but no one rocks ABBA like CT! We played a few more new songs and a LUBE classic, giving the folks a taste of whats to come, and closed out the block with "I Want Your Sex." I think the message was clearly sent that there's a whole lot of LUBE yet to come.

Jeff then rejoined the band and we cranked smokin' tune after smokin' tune. We even had party host/local Monona guy Brian Henry come up and do "Thunder Kiss '65" for his hometown peeps. If you've taken 8th grade science in the last 10 or so years, you clearly know Mr. Henry. Bet you've never seen him like that before! The closest we came to trouble was when I started playing "Billie Jean." This elicited a huge roar from the crowd and they were totally digging it. Until it fell apart because we don't really know how to play it. Bad move...the crowd was pissed! Fortunately we redeemed ourselves with "Scotty Doesn't Know," a cult-favorite that has become a staple at our shows. Before you knew it, we'd played 28 songs in a row and it was the end of the night. But we had one more left in the tank, so we brought the whole gang together...Buzz, Nick, Steve, Bartho, Jeff, and Charles, and as a momentary 6-piece, closed the night with our version of "My Own Worst Enemy." I don't think anyone had gone home because it was nothing but smiling faces as far as I could see in all directions. Then with a big rock & roll ending, we closed out the night and fell into a sweaty heap on stage.

Post-show, we assembled once again at the Henry residence to try and finish off the food & drink. We had no such luck but it gave us time to chill and say our goodbyes to Jeff. And those goodbyes are just in a band kind of way. Good friends are never far away, and I think we're going to be close for a long time.

Here is your opportunity to catch your breath and prepare for Charles' first full show with LUBE. Mark your calendar for Friday August 7 as we'll be playing the 100th anniversary of the Arlington Fire Department that night. This is a sweet event, then factor in the 100th anniversary AND LUBE...it's gonna be off da hook! Come make Charles' debut a memorable one. See you in Arlington!

V V out!

Tour Blog: Friday July 3, 2009
Columbus 4th of July Celebration
Columbus, Wisconsin

It's once again time to celebrate our nation's birthday. This is a very fun time of the year. Many towns, big and small, fill the 4th of July weekend with carnivals, fireworks, bands, and beer tents. For the fourth year in succession, Columbus invited LUBE to be part of their Friday night goings-on.

We all find our inspiration in different ways. Obviously, to be in a band and play out like LUBE does, you have to love music, be dedicated, and have a good support system around you. As I often do, I am going to divert into a couple of quick stories of inspiration, LUBE-style.

Thursday Nick & I took our Harleys down to Summerfest. Nick had been excited to see Judas Priest and they were set for a 10:00pm show. Despite the fact I have been a Priest fan for a long time, for some strange reason this show wasn't thrilling me. Regardless, we staked claim to a spot center stage about 5 rows in front of the soundboard...perfect. After a seemingly endless wait, the curtain dropped and the Metal Gods took the stage. Judas Priest was celebrating 30 years of British Steel, their most famous release, and they opened with "Rapid Fire." Truth be told, I probably haven't heard that song in 12 years...since Nick, Al, and I jammed it in the basement before Buzz even joined LUBE. Talk about reminiscing! I suddenly knew why Nick wanted to see this show so badly. Priest was fierce and played most of their favorites. But the best thing they did was take me back to a time and place where LUBE was born. They were part of our inspiration to start playing, and I shall always be grateful.

Buzz had some recent inspiration land in his lap, too. Literally. This past Sunday, Buzz and Natalie welcomed Kaiden Jeremiah into their family. Those of you who have come to know Buzz from his on-stage persona know that he is a big kid at heart. To see his face as he told us about the birth of his son was priceless. So on behalf of the entire LUBE family, we'd like to offer congratulations to Buzz & Natalie on the birth of their son. Talk about the ultimate inspiration!

So with all of that inspiration flooding our veins, we took the stage on a beautiful Friday night in the familiar confines of Fireman's Park in Columbus. There was a substantial crowd on hand, especially for a Friday, and they were ready to get their beer tent groove on! Now it could be said that the folks in Columbus are a bit reserved in regards to their band/partying exploits. They tend to hang back from the stage and take us in from a safe distance. Maybe it was the familiarity, maybe it was the freely-flowing beer. Whatever the cause, they were a bit bolder and many more people were up front rockin' out with us. I'm sure it helps that the likes of Matt & Kim, B, Katie, Kala, Michelle, Corrie, and a slew of other LUBE faithfuls lead the charge and spurred on the crowd. Check out the pictures, it was a great party!

At the end of the night I heard numbers like 2500 people in the beer area. Not bad, Columbus! While there was nothing to bring back an appearance by EBUL, I think its safe to say this was the most fun we've ever had there. Even the general manager of LUBE operations Amy was on hand, and the photos clearly indicate she had a good time!

Thank you very much, Columbus! This was an awesome way to celebrate the 4th of July weekend. We're honored you chose us once again. And maybe our young friend Shane, who got on stage and jammed with us, will find his inspiration to become a musician and rock the next generation!

V V out...see you tomorrow in Monona!

Tour Blog: Friday June 26, 2009
Cross Plains World's Fair
Cross Plains, Wisconsin

Here's a recipe for my favorite summer rocktail:


* 1 part beautiful weather
* Multiple sultry chicks
* An assortment of studly dudes
* 1 giant tent


Stir ingredients together with a liberal helping of LUBE and you have the ultimate summer party!

One year ago, LUBE played the Cross Plains World's Fair for the first time. The weather was kinda crummy and some light rain fell that evening. Despite that, we were shown wonderful hospitality and the band did it's part to rock hard. It was a supremely good time. Now, fast forward to a couple days ago. Same scenario but with much better weather and fond memories of last time. As is becoming habit, the bar was raised once again!

The night got off to a tasty good start. An anonymous long-time LUBE fan (we'll refer to her secretly as "Rowan") connived with the seemingly innocent Jeff to see to it that Jager Bomb supplies were delivered back stage. Before you know it, a whole bunch of us had downed a couple of the murky yet quite savory and refreshing J-bombs. This helped loosen things up and prepare us for what would be a fierce night of rawk!

As we were taking the stage, folks began rolling through the entrance. And they kept coming and coming and coming and coming! Before you knew it, the Esser's Best was flowing liberally and the good time was on! To paraphrase Steve's 3rd cousin twice-removed Jon, "We saw a thousand faces...and we rocked them all!"

Buzz is our primary set list concocter and he did a most excellent job of preparing the show. It's a fickle business and crowds can sometimes be finicky. Not in Cross Plains, however. It was a superb arrangement of tunes and it had asses shaking for over four straight hours. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's nearly impossible to NOT have a good time in this kind of setting! Brian and Curt were passing out stickers with reckless abandon and once again they were placed in some very provocative places! It makes for sweet people watching, you know, if you're a little voyeuristic and stuff. We even threw in a few impromptu Michael Jackson jams, complete with Buzz in a white glove, to commemorate his passing.

Alas, the party did have to come to an end at some point. After a rousing suggestion for "1 more song!" we decided we would play...2 more songs! We ran a little beyond our time limit but did so only with the agreement of the fans to leave as directed by the nice security officers. So we dropped a couple of rousing ditties and capped a stellar show with all the fanfare we could muster without a licensed pyrotechnician, the fire department, or farm animals. Good times in Cross Plains, good times indeed!

LUBE would like to thank Larry Esser and all those associated with the CPWF. Feel free to call Amy and have us back in 2010, too. We'd love to do it! Like last year, former LUBE drummer Todd's dad was making burgers (while wearing his vintage LUBE shirt) and we had a really nice talk. Once he was done cooking, he joined the madness in the tent and hung out for a long time. Sweet! He knows a party when he sees it!

Take a few days to rest and then brace yourselves for the bombastic shows coming up Friday in Columbus and Saturday in Monona. There is some history at both of these places, so let's show 'em once again that there ain't no party like a LUBE party! These are two shows you do NOT want to miss!

V V out!

Tour Blog: Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
Quaker Steak & Lube
Middleton, Wisconsin

Unless you're a corpse, you've noticed that the weather of late has been beastly hot. And humid (Remember when they almost named the MLB expansion team from Florida the Humidity since Miami already had the NBA's Heat?). It's been steamy, slimy, and even dangerous with heat indexes over 100 degrees. That's how it was Wednesday, the day when LUBE was scheduled to play Quaker Steak & Lube's infamous Bike Night.

Every time we've played Bike Night it's been either stupidly hot, threatened by stormy weather, or a combination of both. Why can't it just be sunny & 80 for once?!? I was surprised to see that we were setting up outside when I arrived at The Lube. Based on the last forecast I had seen, I was pretty confident it would rain. Good thing we didn't play inside because for the first time ever I would have been wrong!

Lots of people took a chance and came out to the show. Word was out that this was going to be a special show for LUBE. Our drummer, Steve, initially had a work conflict and was unable to make our scheduled start time of 5:30pm. Bike Night gigs are too fun and get us in front of tons of people, so Steve suggested we find a replacement drummer for the night. Having been on the scene for almost 10 years now, we've gotten to know many great musicians. We could have chosen any number of drummers and had a great, successful show with them. But we didn't ask just any drummer. We went to someone who is not only a fabulous drummer and veteran of the Madison scene, but a man who is even nicer than he is skilled on the skins. You've seen him before in bands such as Shock Radio, Johnny Law, and Pink Houses, and currently in Los Sincheladas...Steve Barfknecht!

Stevie B had a daunting task in front of him. Despite his lengthy career as a musician, most of the songs LUBE plays were new to him. He was looking at learning about 45 songs just to play this gig. So he did, and with great aplomb I might add. We had 5 or 6 total practices together, and while that may seem like a lot, it took a Herculean effort on Stevie B's part to pull it off. He did a great for us and never missed a beat! Not only that but he makes funny faces when he plays. Plus, he's get special recognition as he had fans travel from Oklahoma to see this show!

In the end it turned out that Steve S was able to get out of work in a timely manner, but because Stevie B had gone through the trouble of learning the show, Steve S became our monitor tech for the night. So those of you who looked confused, eyeballs darting between the two Steves wondering what the hell was going on, you now know.

Blissfully, the rain held off (we've been pretty lucky over the years @ Bike Night) and we played a fun show to a bunch of sweaty, hot, beer-drinking, good time-having folks! I don't know how you handled it but I drank about 4 gallons of liquid and never once had to pee. My beat up but trusty fan was my best friend! By the time we finished, it was still 85 and muggy. My shorts were so wet & heavy it felt like someone was trying to pants me, and that my friends, is something you DON'T want to see!

We want to thank Tom and everyone at QSL for a kick ass mid-week party! Bike Night has become an institution (just ask Nick), and they feature awesome bands every Wednesday rain or shine. We really enjoy playing these shows and look forward to our next one on Aug. 26!

The next few weekends are not only busy ones for us but will prove to be memorable ones as well. This Friday, June 26, we reinvade Cross Plains and headline the beer tent at the Cross Plains World's Fair. Last year we saw a bit of rain when we played but the tent was still packed. We are anticipating nothing less this time around! Show time is 8:00pm and is an awesome way to shut down the work week/kick off the weekend. Last year former LUBE drummer Todd Schroeder's dad was making hamburgers at the CPWF, so it was almost like a family reunion for us.

The following weekend is 4th of July weekend, and while there is always way more to do than any one persona can manage, LUBE is playing twice. Friday July 3 we're back in Columbus as part of their 4th of July festival. This will be our fourth year there and have always had killer shows. If you remember back a couple of years, this is where EBUL was born.

The next night, Saturday July 4th, we return to the Monona Community Festival for what is going to be the LUBE gig of all LUBE gigs! Last year we broke the record for beer sales, totaling over $35,000. That was unbelievable but this year we're going for more! I don't know that I've ever had more fun at a gig than I did last year in Monona, so all I can tell you is "Don't miss it!" As if you needed further incentive, we have some.

As some of you may have already heard, Jeff Hermans is parting ways with LUBE. From his triumphant debut as the masked mystery man at The Bean almost 4 years ago to right now, Jeff has brought both professionalism and high energy to the band. He is a natural performer and we've all become better musicians as a result of his influence. However, the time has come for Jeff to step down and move on. We wish him nothing but the best!

And while we're bummed our good friend is no longer going to be a part of LUBE, we also have great cause for celebration! Instead of reverting back to a 4-piece band like we originally were, we called upon another old friend to see if he had any interest in some LUBE-style musical entertainment. Kind of like Stevie B but with a guitar, you know? Well, that crafty old friend of ours is none other than Charles Thomas. If you've been on the local music scene over the last umpteen years, you've undoubtedly seen him perform in bands like Sender, Badwolf, Hotter Than Karl, Chewy, and Old Man Sanders. Charles is a strong vocalist and rocks the crap out of his Gibson SG. After just a few practices with him, it is clear that LUBE will again be raising the bar!

The July 4th show in Monona will be Jeff's final performance with LUBE. At the same time, it gives us an opportunity to introduce you to the talents of Charles as he'll be playing some tunes as well. The first full show we play with Charles will be Friday August 7th at the Arlington Fire Department's 100th Anniversary Festival, so mark your calendars NOW!

Rest up, drink plenty of fluids, and get ready for some monster shows with LUBE!

Tour Blog: Friday, June 12th, 2009
Verona Hometown Days
Verona, Wisconsin

For smelly band guys like us, the opportunity to play a big festival gig to a tent packed full of hard-partying, beer drinking people is a clear sign that life is good. To be able to do it back-to-back weekends means life is really good! After making our debut at the Mt. Horeb Frolic last Friday, we were pleased to be making our initial acquaintance at Verona Hometown Days.

If you've never been to Verona Hometown Days, let me explain something to you...the tent is friggin' huge! There was plenty of room for a couple thousand people to congregate despite a looming threat of rain & thunderstorms. Temperature-wise it was another perfect beer tent day, mid-70's and delightful. While there were a few sprinkles that fell during the evening, the real rain didn't hit until we were about finished for the night. Loading out gear through the rain kinda sucks but we had our buggies close by and it wasn't so bad.

While there were a ton of familiar faces in the crowd at Verona, many of whom we just saw the previous Friday night, there was also a large number of people we hadn't seen before. When we took a poll to see how many LUBE virgins were with us, I was surprised to see so many hands go up. They weren't virgins for long...

Buzz made some tweaks to the set list to help the show stay fresh not only for us but for all those regular LUBIES who see us frequently. One of my favorite changes wasn't even a new song. It was a new arrangement to "Monkey Wrench" by the Foo Fighters. Their live DVD of a show from Wembley Stadium if most stellar, stellar as in if you haven't seen it yet, do it! That's what rock & roll is supposed to be! Anyway, they do an extended version of Monkey Wrench that we really liked. We didn't do it exactly as they did, wanting to put our own spin on it, and it turned out awesome. While we didn't quite end up playing to 86,000 people like they did, the crowd response was similar and that felt good! And by popular demand, we had a guest appearance from Brian Zombie. He's got such great energy!

Despite the weather, despite the fact it was the end of yet another grueling work week for everyone, this show was a crazy, over-the-top, kick-ass gig! The tent was full, beer flowed liberally, and a whole lot of people had a great time. That includes us! Take a look at the pictures. There's not a sad face to be found...grins for everyone!

We would like to thank you for two great shows to start the beer tent season! Thank you Verona for allowing us to LUBE you up a little bit! It's great when the community (and others) come out to support the local town festivals. Verona Hometown Days is a super event and we'd love to play it again next year.

After a short respite from the playing circuit, we crank it back up on Wednesday June 24 @ Quaker Steak & Lube's Bike Night. Last year we had over 1000 bikes come out on a night we played and it was unbelievable! This is also a good opportunity to bring the family as it's an early show (5:30-9:00pm) and the kids really seem to enjoy the music and fun. Come after work, have a cold one or two with a plate full of wings, and still get to bed on time...a great concept! After that we invade Cross Plains once again and play their World's Fair on Friday June 26. Last year there was as fun as it gets, so make a point to be there!

V V out!

Tour Blog: Monday, June 8th, 2009
Interview with The Verona Press

The Verona Press interviews LUBE bassist, Andy Barth, for the upcoming Verona Hometown Days.

LUBE has a cocktail of rock covers at its disposal, ranging from 20-year old hits to modern punk ballads.

"If we had to just pick one genre to play, we'd rock pretty hard," said Andy Barth, LUBE's bass player. "But we'll play everything from Green Day to A Flock of Seagulls, to The Doors, to Foo Fighters."

[ full story ]

Tour Blog: Friday, June 5th, 2009
Mount Horeb Summer Frolic
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the start of beer tent season! This is one of the greatest times of the year for those who like to go out, have a good time with friends while enjoying a tasty beverage, and see the area's best bands. While there may be a tent or two prior to this event, The Frolic is traditionally the kickoff of beer tent season, and we were stoked about starting it off!

Our first venture at The Frolic turned out to be a smashing success! All week long the weather prognosticators were indicating that it was going to suck on Friday. Clearly, this is not the way to start off BTS (beer tent season). However, we enjoyed a little bit of luck and had glorious weather! It could have been a little warmer but hey, beggars can't be choosers. Mark Webber and his crew set us up with some refreshing beverages, lovely red Frolic Fest mugs, and it was off to the races.

From the looks of the people in attendance, they have been eagerly awaiting BTS just like we have. It was clearly time to partaay! It was wall-to-wall people inside the band tent with a large crowd looming outside and in the beer tent. Local peeps are great about coming out and supporting the town festivals like this. Beer sales were strong and it got folks moving and dancing.

Veteran LUBIES are familiar with the now-infamous "I Got LUBE'd" stickers we pass out at shows. Always creative and more than a little frisky, LUBE fans have found some very interesting places to put their stickers. Our supply was running low so Jeff placed a new order that arrived just in time for The Frolic. The new Hawaiian Blue stickers were a big hit! Just look at the pictures and you'll see! We still have some of the now-retro orange ones as well, so if you're a collector like Nick is, you'll want to make sure you get one of each. Someday they might be worth millions on eBay or after we do "Behind the Music: LUBE." Jeff also tweaked the LUBE logo stickers, giving them that BTS feel. LUBE is now filled with beer and the saying on it reads, "4 out of 5 lushes prefer LUBE!" No doubt about that! There is a smaller supply of those stickers and so you might have to work a little bit harder to get one of them but trust me, they can be had!

The Mt. Horebilians were in fine form Friday night. The crowd was singing along to our songs, the stage was flooded with Gimme Gimme Girls, and the wardrobe malfunctions were frequent. Kudos to our part-time photographer/gear-schlepper/Zombie singing buddy Brian Henry for helping whip the crowd into a frenzy down in front. B is one of our biggest cheerleaders and does great PR work for the band. If you didn't get your LUBE sticker from long-time grunt/photographer Curt, you got it from B. Despite the pleasantly cool weather, it was getting hot inside then tent. People were body passing, jumping around, and dancing their butts off. Your Vernacular Vampire here is a kind man, and so periodically I would take my fan and provide some wind relief for the up front party animals. That wind-blown look is hot! So in the future, if you're at a show and getting a little warm, come to the cool side of the stage by me & Jeffy and we'll cool you down a bit.

By 12:30am it was all over and the BTS officially underway in splendid fashion. We want to thank Mark Webber and everyone associated with The Frolic for allowing us to get your festival off to a flying start. We enjoyed our first Frolic immensely! Also thanks to Sound Man Matt, Intellasound and Tom Easton on lights for making us look and sound good. Now, if you missed the Frolic or didn't quite get your itch fully scratched, come see us again this coming Friday, June 12, at Verona Hometown Days. Another Friday, another beer tent, another damn good time to be had! It's an 8:30pm start, so come on down and RAWK with us!

V V...out!

Tour Blog: Saturday, May 30th, 2009
Jerzee's
East Troy, Wisconsin

Saturday night we set out to RAWK East Troy like we'd never rocked it before. That's only fitting because we hadn't ever RAWK'd East Troy! Just for something a little different, we ventured out of the friendly confines of the greater Madison area and booked a show someplace new, and Jerzee's was that place.

When we arrived at the bar, there were some stage extension pieces at the front of the stage with tall poles in them. If any of you have ever ventured into a "gentleman's establishment," you'll know what I'm talking about. Steve had to explain it to me because I am pure and have not visited such places. You can only imagine how Buzz would look as he performed on stage with stripper poles! Alas, the security staff removed the poles prior to the show. While it may have impacted the level of adult entertainment the people were going to see, it did give us some extra room to perform our musical duties.

Due to circumstances beyond our control, namely work and a bachelorette party, our primary photographers Curt and Jenny, were unable to make the show. We decided to call upon members of the LUBE Nation and ask that they take some pix for us. Sharona from BoB Rocks and long-time, non-stalking LUBIES Trista & Carmen make the jaunt to Jerzee's and helped us out with their photographic skills. Not only was it great that they made the trip, which is actually only about an hour from the east side of Madison, but we are super appreciative they took pictures for us. Another one of our fans made an even longer journey to East Troy just to see us. Amanda came all the way from Beaver Dam and to show our appreciation, we played her favorite LUBE tune, "Kill The King" by Megadeth. East Troy seemed to dig the heavy stuff, too. While it was nice to make some new friends, it was also very cool that some of our Madison entourage followed us into virgin LUBE territory.

There were several different groups of local East Troysians that helped us make our Jerzee's debut. Two bachelorette parties, a bachelor party, and Kelli's birthday party all came out to see LUBE. We had a great time with them! Obviously word had spread that the LUBE gig is THE place for your party, even if we weren't on our home turf.

East Troy and Jerzee's...thanks for your hospitality! The staff at Jerzee's, bartenders, security dudes, and Kevin the PA guy, were all very friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. They also served us a tasty dinner before the show. I'd recommend the patty melt. The PA was nice and it was an easy load in/out for us as well. While LUBE has a busy summer booked up, look for us to come back sometime this fall. And to our new friends in East Troy...don't be afraid to come to the Mad City and rawk with us here. You have an open invite, so come say hello!

This show concludes our bar gigs for the foreseeable future. That, however, signals the start of beer tent season! Whoopideedoo! LUBE will be performing at 3 beer tents in June as well as a Wednesday Bike Night at Quaker Steak & Lube. The next show is coming up next Friday, June 5th, and the Mt. Horeb Frolic. This is a great festival and we're going to rawk the bejesus out of the Troll City. See you Friday!


Vernacular Vampire...OUT!

Tour Blog: Memorial Day, May 25th, 2009
World's Largest Brat Fest
Madison, Wisconsin

What's going on, sausage eaters? I can get away with saying that because Brat Fest attendees consumed a world record 208,752 brats! That is a staggering amount of bratwurst! Last year we thought we were the shiznit when we helped pump up the crowd for a late surge that swelled to 191,712 brats sold and set a new record at that time. Seems as though everyone upped their game this year.

If you recall from 2008, the weather over Memorial Day weekend was quite warm. In fact, it was downright hot when we played, upper 80's at least. This year the weather was absolutely gorgeous every day despite a veiled threat of rain a few times. The setting on Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center is awesome, so the table was set for a most excellent weekend.

This year we were once again invited to headline the final day of performances on the Quench Gum/Magic 98/Q106/Madison Youth Performing Arts, Inc. stage. Many great bands performed at Brat Fest over the weekend, 50 in all, and there was something for everyone. I personally was at Brat Fest 3 different times, watching bands and supporting one of the best events to ever hit Madison. Niiko was there all 4 days.

To kick off the show, our good friend Tara Arnold, the Q106 news lady and long-time LUBIE, introduced us to the multiple thousands of people in front of us. She enlisted some help from Porter, Jeff & Nicki's son, and it was quite the introduction. It won't be too long before you see Porter drumming in his own band.

As I have been mentioning for a few months now, we had a slew of new tunes that were unveiled at this show. We debuted "18 Days" by Saving Abel, "Take A Picture" by Filter, "Come On Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson, "Roadhouse Blues" by The Doors, and "Electric Avenue" by Skindred. These songs range from pop to classic rock to power ballad to hard rock, in tune with the variety of music LUBE is well known for. The energy of "Electric Avenue" got people up out of their chairs and dancing like maniacs. It was super cool! Buzz also took a few liberties with the lyrics of "Roadhouse Blues" and substituted in Brat Fest-related words. The line that goes, "I woke up this morning and got myself a beer" was changed to "got myself a brat." He persuaded the crowd to sing along with him at that point and let me tell you, the 1000 people yelling "Got myself a brat!" were LOUD! LUBE loves to get the crowd involved in the shows because the shows aren't played for us, they're played for you! It's much more fun to be involved than to just sit back and watch, and when you come to a LUBE gig, you can't help but be a part of it.

By the time we capped off our 2 hour, 28 song, non-stop set, the sky had clouded over and it was getting a little cool. That didn't stop people from staying right to the end and yelling for more. Good shows are like that...the people always want more! The sky teased us with a few raindrops but by then all the gear was packed up and we were heading for the hills.

The World's Largest Brat Fest is a great way to spend Memorial Day weekend. It's a wonderful opportunity to be with your family and loved ones, to be outside enjoying the weather, and supporting great charities with your purchases. It also exposes you to the vast array of musical talent lurking in the Madison area. I talked to many people over the course of the weekend who said they had no idea there were so many good bands in Madison. Brat Fest helped all of us in the local music scene by exposing us to thousands of potential new fans. Hopefully those people will continue to support Madison music!

Most importantly, however, Memorial Day is an opportunity to say "Thank You" to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. To the soldiers currently fighting to protect our freedoms, to those who served in years gone by, to those who gave their lives to make the USA the greatest country on the planet, we say a sincere "Thank You." It was an honor for LUBE to be able to play on Memorial Day again this year, and we salute each and every one of you.

We'd also like to thank all the Brat Fest sponsors, Intellasound for providing production, and our families and friends who support us. Without you, LUBE would not rock...but LUBE DOES ROCK! Thank you so much...we'll see you at Jerzee's in East Troy Saturday May 30, the Mt. Horeb Frolic Friday June 5, and Verona Hometown Days Friday June 12! Bartho the Vernacular Vampire...OUT!

Tour Blog: Saturday, May 16th, 2009
The Dry Bean
Fitchburn, Wisconsin

What it is, people?!? Did I lie about shows at The Bean? Was it fun, crazy, over-the-top? Of course it was! LUBE shows tend to get that way regardless of where we're playing but Bean shows take on a life of their own.

There was A LOT going on at this particular show. Obviously the night is filled with good live music, a sweet light show, thumping low end and lots of dancing. That's what makes a killer gig. But as I have mentioned many times in the past, LUBE shows are THE place for parties. Birthdays, bachelor/bachelorettes, divorces, bar mitzvahs, wakes, you name it...we've hosted that party somewhere! Saturday fell right in line.

I can think of no fewer than four birthdays being celebrated with us on this cool spring evening. Three of them were lovely ladies...Pam, Leslie, and Chelsea. I don't know if you're into this or not but a bar full of beautiful women out having a good time just seems to help everyone else have a good time too. And trust me, there were a lot of good times being had!

In addition to the aforementioned birthdays, our own six-stringer Niiko was celebrating his birthday, too. His real birthday isn't until Monday, but we used Saturday as an excuse to celebrate his as well. Part way through the first set, Buzz ran off stage and around the corner toward the entrance. Suddenly a female voice was heard on the microphone. Well, well, well, if it wasn't Sharona from BoB Rocks! She got up on stage and serenaded our boy Nick with a lovely rendition of "Happy Birthday." He was quite surprised and turned more shades of red than I've seen in 15 years. Ah yes, it's good to pull a fast one on Niiko. Wait, that didn't sound very good. Let's just go onto another subject.

Beyond the birthday celebrations, Toni and her friends were out celebrating her bachelorette party. Since Toni is marrying a firefighter, all of the ladies were decked out in firefighter paraphernalia. It was kinda hot (rim shot please)! They danced and partied and had a blast. Best of luck to Toni and her future husband from LUBE!

But wait, there's more! This summer we are playing two Bike Night's at Quaker Steak & Lube in Middleton. Our drummer Steve is unable to get off of work in time for these shows, and a rock band without a drummer is about as much fun as a dead fish in your pillow case. With that in mind, we sought out a suitable replacement in order to make these gigs go. We've been practicing a little bit with a veteran of the local scene, a man you've seen in bands like Shock Radio, Johnny Law, Pink Houses, and currently Los Sinchiladas...Steve Barfknecht! Stevie B came up and did three tunes with us just for grins and allowed us to introduce him to everyone prior to the first of our Bike Night gigs June 24. Not only is he a great drummer and a bad-ass Harley dude but Steve is just good people.

Well, I think that pretty much sums it up. We had a super fun time and from the looks of things, y'all did too. Thank you for coming out and spending your Saturday night with LUBE! Special thanks to long-time LUBIE Trista (and hubby Jim) for coming out despite just having foot surgery on Thursday. That, my friends is dedication (and NOT stalkerdom). Heal up soon, Trista...beer tent season is right around the corner!

The next LUBE gig officially kicks off our outdoor season. Monday May 25, Memorial Day, we are honored to once again have the privilege of closing down the World's Largest Brat Fest at Willow Island (Alliant Energy Center). We play from 4-6pm and will do what we can to help set yet another world record. I anticipate great weather and we'll be throwing in a bunch of new tunes to boot...a fitting way to kick off the summer events! After that we head to East Troy and play at a venue new to us, Jerzees, on Saturday May 30. This is our last indoor show for a while and provides you an opportunity for a road trip. Come join us!

Tour Blog: Saturday, May 9th, 2009
Scatz
Middleton, Wisconsin

After five long months, LUBE had the occasion to once again grace the stage at Scatz, the hottest club in the Madison area, for a much anticipated show. We were honored to be selected to play at the grand opening bash there but due to our schedule and the busy calendar at Scatz, it took a while to get back in. Turns out it was well worth the wait!

The good folks at Scatz, Scott, Rick and all the staff, really go out of their way to make the bands they host feel special, whether its a national act or a bunch of short-hairs with day jobs like us. We're greeted by name and welcomed with a handshake, asked if there is anything we need, and get set up with food and beverages for the night. There are lots of places that have bands, some are good, some less so. The crew at Scatz has clearly set the bar at a completely different level.

There was a great crowd on hand, including my dear old dad and step-mom who dropped in unexpectedly from out-of-town with some friends. "Old Bartho" doesn't get to see LUBE very often, so it was a nice surprise for me and a treat for them, too. Frankly, I don't know how any of the other bands could have had much for crowds because Scatz was packed with all the cool people! There were two bachelorette parties and at least four or five birthdays including Amy J (who also just finished pharmacy school) and local drumming phenom Curt Schreiner from the John Masino Band. Kevin Kluender, the mastermind behind the "Jump Around" zaniness at Badger football games, was also with us and liked how we blended "Jump Around" into "My Own Worst Enemy."

If you've been keeping up with these blog entries as of late, you'll recall how we're pushing to have ten new tunes by June. This isn't an easy project because we don't want to half-ass anything. The song needs to be ready before we'll bring it out because you don't deserve to hear crap. Now, if you use June 1st as the deadline for the ten songs, we're not going to make it. That's right, I'm admitting that we're not going to hit that mark. If you give us until the end of June, things are looking good! We've got seven in the bag as of right now, so we're close. At one point we had decided to save them all and break them out at Brat Fest. Hit you with a bunch of new stuff, you know? But we're also like a bunch of kids at Christmas and are having a hard time waiting!

So with that in mind, we dropped a new tune Saturday at Scatz. Green Day's newest single "Know Your Enemy" is going to be THE hot tune of the summer. Once you hear it, if you haven't already, you'll understand why. It's incredibly catchy. Since us LUBE guys are clearly very trendy, we jumped on it right away and so the 2nd set kicked off with "Know Your Enemy." It was awesome! Whether or not you'll get another new song at the Bean this coming Saturday remains to be seen. I guess you'll just have to come to show and find out! The underlying gist here is that once these new songs are show worthy, you're gonna get 'em...and we're still/always working on more!

As I posted on my Facebook page, I rocked my ass off Saturday night. So did my band mates, and so did a ton of you! It was hot and sweaty and full of energy, and the fact I am bushed today means it was a damn good night. Thank you to our friends at Scatz for taking care of us once again and to all of you who came to the show and made our Saturday night a memorable one. Take advantage of some down time this week (preferably at work) to recuperate as we're gonna tear it up once again Saturday May 16th at The Bean. Crazy, over-the-top shows at The Bean, every time, so make sure you're there. And don't forget to include Brat Fest on Memorial Day (4-6p) into your holiday weekend plans. Last year we sold more sausages than ever before in recorded history! See you there!

Tour Blog: Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Riley Tavern
Verona, Wisconsin

Let's just get right to the point. LUBE shows at the Riley Tavern are super fun! All it'll take is one look at the photos from Saturday's gig and if you weren't there, you'll immediately regret it.

The Riley is not a large establishment, and so music fans have the opportunity to become "intimate" with the band. Not in that sordid, Pamela Des Barres-esque, Biblical way, rather, in an up-close, I-can-tell-Buzz-uses-Aquafresh kind of way.The energy exchange is immediate because frankly, we're so close together there isn't any room for it to escape. Murph and Catherine always treat us well, and being part of the Riley Family feels pretty damn good.

Besides it being Saturday night, good enough reason to party, there were a few birthdays being celebrated at this gig. The Kelly half of Kelly & Kelley, the brunette/blonde twosome known to haunt the local scene, was out with friends whooping it up for her birthday. We feel honored she chose to party with us when she could have gone elsewhere. Kelly is a sweet girl and I think she had a most entertaining evening. The other birthday of note was that of our locally-and-soon-to-be-world-famous photographer/security manager/grunt Curt. If you've been to a LUBE show in the last 4 years, you've undoubtedly become acquainted with Curt. He's either taken your picture, helped you on/off the stage, or hit on your girlfriend. He may not be the tallest security dude in Madison, but the photos reveal what Curt revealed...a chiseled physique. After enough liquid encouragement, Curt is known to have some wardrobe malfunctions. At least he kept his pants on (I think). Kelly & Curt share the same birthday which is actually 4/28, but Saturday is way better for partying than Tuesday.

For whatever reason, the Riley tends to bring out the creative side of LUBE. Sound check usually consists in part of some tune we either played years ago or never played before. Any break in the action is cause for Buzz to improvise lyrics to a cobbled arrangement of a song we make up on the fly. And when Steve has to pee in the middle of a set, all hell breaks loose! Buzz scampers behind the drum kit and instantly mesmerizes the crowd with his percussive skills. Saturday, Steve grabbed the mic out front in a role reversal but merely acted the poser and failed to do a lead vocal. Of course, with Buzz's drumming, no one could tell what song it was so I guess Steve is off the hook. He did kind of molest the mic stand, though.

So despite the heavy rain and crummy weather, Saturday's gig was awesome. If you missed it, you missed it. You even missed the 2nd edition of the Riley-only "MF Girls." This happens nowhere else. And if you don't know what the MF Girls are, I guess you'll just have to come to the next LUBE gig at the Riley!

Take a little chance to rest because May is gonna be killer. Saturday May 9 LUBE returns to Scatz, the hottest spot in town these days. Big stage, big bar, big crowd! Saturday May 16 we're back at the Dry Bean where LUBE shows have become legendary. Don't miss it! We'll follow that with the closing time slot at the 2009 Brat Fest on Monday May 25 (4-6p). Remember, we set a new record at the last minute last year and our goal will be to top that. Finally, we close out the month with a roadie gig at Jerzees in East Troy. You should come with us...we might buy you breakfast afterward, especially if you help us schlep gear. We'll be unveiling a bunch of new tunes in the near future as well, and we think you're going to love 'em. See you soon!

Tour Blog: Saturday, April 11th, 2009
Pooley's
Madison, Wisconsin

While many people may have been traveling for the Easter holiday this past weekend, there were also some people who stayed in town, or came to town, fully intending to get their rock on. They had no qualms about going to Aunt Martha's house the next day, Easter Sunday, with a bit of a headache and the aroma of spilled beer on their shoes. These people are near and dear to our hearts, because we easily could have avoided booking a show this weekend. But not us, not the guys who are in it for the love of music. Holiday weekend be damned! Saturdays mean party!

I thought I'd take this show's blog entry in a different direction. While the gigs themselves are always awesome, trying to recap them in an entertaining manner is often a challenge. So after conjuring the spirit of the Easter Bunny, I shall now try to recap our latest Pooley's show using Easter-themed anagrams.

But wait...there's more! Well, not really. I'm off to see my therapist. Take a few weeks off to collect your breath and get ready for a summer to remember. Our next show is at the world-famous Riley Tavern on Saturday April 25. After that we have two more bar gigs (Scatz May 9 and Dry Bean May 16) before the festival tour officially kicks off (Brat Fest May 25 4-6p). Don't forget we have a road trip opportunity with the May 30 show at Jerzee's in East Troy. Once we hit June, it's beer tent city, so join us at The Riley for an intimate, sweaty good time!

Tour Blog: Friday, April 3rd, 2009
Badger Bowl
Madison, Wisconsin

What it is, citizens? How was your work week? Were you in need of a stress relief come Friday night? If you are like the guys in LUBE, Friday couldn't come fast enough because Friday meant one thing...RAWK!

If any of you are friends with me (Bartho) on Facebook, you may have noticed I went crazy with the scanner and posted a slew of old pictures I discovered while rummaging through the disaster that is my basement. Of course I found embarrassing pix of my friends and family to post (and some of myself), but arguably the best ones went back to the beginning of LUBE. Since Steve joined the band 7 years ago, virtually all of our pictures have been shown on luberocks.com. Everything since then, including the addition of the Hermanator nearly 4 years ago, has been publicly posted. The pictures I found go back to the days when I bought a bass having never touched one before and me, Nick, and Al Lopez jammed Judas Priest and Van Halen tunes in Nick's basement. Then Al brought in a DJ friend named Buzz who used to sing along to some of the tunes he played. The rest, as they say, is history, and the old pix show how we've changed over the years. Good times! Maybe if you ask nicely, we can get webmaster Jeff to post some of these old photos on luberocks.com.

In looking through those old photos, there were some from our first foray into the Badger Bowl. We were part of a multi-band heavy metal fest, and while we were seriously out of place, we played hard and the fans and management noticed. We were asked to come back and play a solo show. That meant learning some new tunes in short order! We worked hard, jammed hard, and pulled it off. Now, 9 years later, we're back at Badger Bowl for more. Fridays can be fickle but this one turned out to be pretty good. A large contingent of people came to celebrate Stormy's birthday (we'll leave the number out of it) and they danced and partied all night. We even recorded an impromptu a capella version of "Happy Birthday" in the dressing room just for her, and fortunately for Stormy, we all had our pants on! Two more of our good friends, both named Josh, also came out and did the birthday thing with us. I guess the place to be on your birthday is the LUBE show!

We had a few wrinkles in the set list for this show. We work hard to keep things fresh and as much as we'd love to play a completely different set every night out, real life sometimes gets in the way. We brought back a tune that makes an appearance from time to time, usually during festival season, and that's "Your Mama Don't Dance." I like this song because I get to call Buzz a name. You know the part in the song where they're in the back seat getting their groove on and a local law enforcement officer shines his flashlight in and says, "Out of the car, ____?" That's my part, and Friday it went, "Out of the car, douche bag!" Maybe that's a little bit crude but it made us all laugh.

There was one song that made it's world premiere for us, and it was one I don't think many people would have expected. For those who don't know, Buzz is in another local band called Pine and they play primarily original music. Personally, I think Pine is awesome and I would buy their music even if I wasn't friends with the band. Anyway, Pine does a song called "Another Perfect Day" and it was written by one of my favorite local songwriters, Mike "Rockstar" Delp. So LUBE did the unexpected, the unanticipated, the are-you-serious, and we covered "Another Perfect Day." It's a great, hard-rockin' song and we have fun playing it. I don't know that Buzz has ever been better prepared for a rehearsal than when we worked on this one!

On top of that, we were visited by our friend Brian Henry who once again transformed into Brian Zombie for a kickin' version of White Zombie's "Thunder Kiss '65." You'd never guess by watching that Brian has very little stage experience, as he puts his whole being into the performance of the song. He's got great energy and people dig the fact we pull a dude out of the front row to get up and sing with us. We have a lot of fun with this song, and you just never know when you'll hear it again. Maybe at his hometown festival that we're playing this summer...

So Friday came and Friday went. We were all able to work out our aggressions, the band on stage, you lovely people on the dance floor, and it was a win-win situation. I, for one, was completely gassed and sweaty by the end of the night. There were a lot of fatigued but smiling faces leaving Badger Bowl, the sign of a good night. But the work doesn't end there. We have a project called "10 by June" underway, and we will be adding 10 new tunes to the family by June. Maybe that doesn't sound like much, and maybe it really isn't. The truth is that we want to keep things fresh for you and we don't want to half-ass it. We want you to come see us again to hear what's new, to hear that we take this band thing seriously and work hard at it. 10 songs mixed into what we currently have in our set list gives us lots of options. Trust me, it's going to be a great summer!

For those who couldn't make it Friday, you are in luck! We have another gig this coming Saturday, April 11, at Pooley's on Madison's east side. This is a very large room, plenty of room to spread out, to dance, to hang with friends. We play on a big, tall stage and it looks like a full-on rock show. It's awesome! So come on out, catch a bite to eat at the bar, and then rock out with us. It's gonna be a blast!

- Bartho OUT!

Tour Blog: Saturday, March 14th, 2009
Cardinal Ale House
Columbus, Wisconsin

As you may have noticed, LUBE tends to stick pretty close to home, that being the great Mad City. We are, however, working to expand our playing arena to include new venues outside of the Madison area. While Columbus isn't too far from home (about 25 miles), it is far enough away to not be considered Madison, so for us it was a short road trip. We had played this particular place one time previously when it was known as Bobby G's Bowl-In-Bar, but it now goes by the name Cardinal Ale House. It is a very nice facility that has a big bar, bowling, a good sized dining area (with excellent food, BTW), and a decent place for bands to set up. Trust us, not every place can say these things and in fact, most cannot!

Saturday March 14 was a busy day for the CAH as they were hosting a variety of events. There were two sporting tournaments in house, a Bags Tournament (you know, bean bags, not "bean bags" you perv!), and a bowling tournament. I have no idea who won but presumably someone did. We quickly made friends with the guys from Ale Asylum Brewery as they were not only "sponsoring" us for the night with free t-shirts & beer (Note to other venues: feel free to do this as well!) but were also doing free beer tasting for everyone and a "Kill the Keg" special. It was pretty much unanimous that we were all enamored with the Madtown Nutbrown Ale.

In addition, there was an Avon Walk For Breast Cancer Raffle. Natasha Tucker, daughter of regular LUBIES Tim & Diane Tucker, came all the way from Colorado to participate in the event. The raffle raised funds in support of this very worthwhile cause and Natasha will be walking 39 miles to raise additional money. Check out www.avonwalk.org/goto/natashatucker if you wish to contribute to Natasha's effort.

On top of all that, LUBE was in the house! Whoopideedoo! While we have played Columbus's 4th of July celebration for a few years now (and will again this July 3rd), we really don't have much of a history there. It's safe to say we were pleasantly surprised by the good turnout at CAH. The dancers got going early and were there through the last tune of the night. The band was resplendent in our newly acquired Ale Asylum apparel and it was a hot night of rock & roll. Our light guy Tracy almost had me on fire with his lights ala Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial. Remember that? If you check out the pictures, however, you'll see that they looked great and that's what counts! So it was warm on stage...we all make sacrifices in the name of rawk!

I gotta tell you, we had a pretty good time at the Cardinal Ale House and would have to strongly recommend you make the short drive next time we play there. Come early for the food, stay late for LUBE! Big thanks to the CAH for treating us well, to Natasha and her crew supporting the breast cancer cause, our new friends with Ale Asylum (thanks again for the schwag!), and all the good people who jammed with us.

This show does, however, conclude our string of Saturday night gigs for a few weeks. Next up is a Friday performance at Badger Bowl on April 3, followed by Saturday April 11 at Pooley's. These are both great venues to see a band and the last time we were at Badger Bowl it was insane. Let's do it again April 3rd!

- Bartho OUT!

Tour Blog: Saturday, March 7th, 2009
The Dry Bean
Fitchburg, Wisconsin

People of Madison, you never cease to amaze us! Maybe the warm temperatures of the past few days made you a little goofy. Perhaps what we all needed to push through this last stretch of winter was a kick-ass party. Whatever the reason, it was one helluva a time last night at the Bean! As a few of us were having a pre-gig bite to eat, a limo full of crazy ladies pulled up and a throng of party girls set upon the Bean. They appeared to have already begun their night's alcohol consumption and were flirty and fun. The vibe was being put out early! Let me remind you the show hadn't even started yet and wouldn't for another 2+ hours!

After eating, the rest of the guys arrived and we were all taking our time, casually setting up gear for the pending performance. There were some knowing glances and a few asides regarding the steady stream of people through the door. It was clear early that this was going to be one of "those" nights. We LOVE "those" nights!

Once the music started, the dance floor was immediately packed. For that matter, so was the rest of the bar. It was sweet! What made it extra special is that there were a lot of faces we hadn't seen before...fresh meat! Part-time photog/sporadic one-song LUBE singer Brian told me that he met more new people tonight than ever before. That's awesome! Word of mouth gets around that the LUBE gig is the best party in town and look what happens...a packed house and a party to back the rep!

Some of us have been nursing colds and illnesses this week. Had you asked me on Wednesday how I was going to feel at 3:00am Sunday morning (Thank you, daylight savings time!), I probably would have indicated something like "10 pounds of sh*t in a 5 pound bag" because I was miserable. However, after drinking gallons of OJ, resting and trying to get good rest for a change, when that 3:00am thing rolled around, I felt like $975,000! I can thank the hundreds of people who crammed the Bean and practically turned it into a sauna party for that. Now had it been a true sauna party...

LUBE shows at the Bean have become legendary, and Saturday night was yet another example of why. We enjoyed a tremendous crowd and tremendous energy, and that makes our jobs easier than easy. Thank you so much, everyone! We also the celebrated birthdays Michelle and long-time Bean patron Calvin. It was #47 for him and he was very thankful for a fun night.

Our string of Saturday shows wraps up next week (3/14) at the Cardinal Ale House in Columbus before taking a few weeks off. You may remember the CAH as Bobby G's Bowl-In-Bar that we played about a year ago. It's part of the bowling alley in Columbus and is a nice room with high ceilings (great for the light show!) and plenty of space. They are having their big Winterfest with beer tasting, bowling and bag toss tournaments, along with a benefit raffle for Walk For Breast Cancer. While it's easy to support the local Madison businesses, turning this into a small road trip helps take care of our neighbors, too. It's only 25 minutes to Columbus, so make a night of it, get there early for all the festivities and come join us!

Also, it's never too late to plan for this, but you might want to prepare yourself for a true roadie at the end of May. LUBE is venturing out of town to a venue we've never played before...Jerzee's in East troy! Saturday May 30 we're going to pop our proverbial cherry there and I'm sure you'll want to be there to see that. It would mean a lot to us for some of our Madison faithful to make the hike to support the band. Who knows, maybe we could all go out to breakfast together afterward or go naked hotubbing or something? After last night's show at the Bean, you just never know what's gonna happen! See you Saturday March 14 in Columbus!

Tour Blog: Saturday, February 28, 2009
Red Mouse
Pine Bluff, Wisconsin

Let's just get right into it. LUBE is sick of the cold weather. It's time for winter to go and spring, sunshine, and warm temps to become the norm. But since we have no control on that, we decided to take the show on the road and head west of Madison into Pine Bluff for a gig at the Red Mouse. This was our second performance at The Mouse, the first being back in November if memory serves me correctly, which it usually doesn't. The Red Mouse really isn't that far off the beaten path, just 7 miles west of MadTown. What's cool about it is the big room and the big stage. Those things allow for killer lighting, a big PA, and a big stage antics...the true essence of a LUBE show!

Despite the fact there were some heavy hitters in Madison Saturday night, we more than held our own at The Mouse. We saw a bunch of familiar faces...Trista & Jim, Missy, Josh, Karla & Kathy, Shara, etc. as well as some blasts from the past...Kari, Sam, Bill, Wendy, TJ, Curt, and Brenda all the way from Valparaiso, Indiana! People have been traveling the globe to attend LUBE gigs this week! These lists would be most lengthy if I were to note everyone who matched the afore-mentioned criteria, but as noted above, my memory just ain't what it used to be. Those of you who were there should know that we know who you are and appreciate the fact you came!

The room the bands play in gets a bit chilly when there aren't any people in it. As we were setting up before the show, it was a little nippley (Yes, nippley is a word. If you can say it, it's a word.). Some of us band dudes were going to hang back stage and chill before the gig but it was cold enough that we really were "chilling" in there. That "forced" us out into the main bar where we hung out with the good people who came to the show. We were having a good time and hadn't even played a note yet!

Once we got started, the crowd moved from the front bar into the band room and quickly raised the temperature. Warm, bright stage lighting and dancing bodies will do that, you know! In short order you never would have known it was once frosty in that room. We played with good energy, the crowd returned good energy, and it resulted in a splendid night. We want to thank Mark Schultz for helping us out and providing FOH production for this show. You did a fine job, sir, and it was nice meeting you. Tracy did his usual fabulous job with lighting. These guys are great to work with and make our jobs so much easier.

This Red Mouse gig was the first of three consecutive Saturday gigs for LUBE. Next week (March 7) we take it back to the Bean, sight of many a raucous LUBE gig. We always have a great time there, so you may as well resign yourself to the fact that this is a "can't miss" show and just plan on being there. The following Saturday, March 14, we return to Columbus for a show at the Cardinal Ale House. The CAH was known as Bobby G's Bowl In Bar the prior time we played there in February '08. This show will be a precursor to the July 3rd extravaganza we'll be part of once again in Firemen's Park. Make the night into a little roadie and come to Columbus!
- Bartho OUT!

Tour Blog: Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Mardi Gras
Club Tavern
Middleton, Wisconsin

Playing a rare Tuesday night gig, LUBE helped celebrate Mardi Gras at The Club Tavern along with our friends from Milwaukee, the Love Monkeys. Mardi Gras, which translated from French means "Fat Tuesday," is really the Carnival celebrations occurring between Epiphany (or Twelfth Night) and Ash Wednesday. Wherein the celebrations are rooted in Catholicism, Mardi Gras certainly brings out the naughtiness in some people!

Aside from being a nontraditional show night for us, the start time was unusual as well. After arriving at The Club in mid-afternoon, we kicked off the rock & roll at about 4:45pm...WAY early by everyone's standards, but hey, it's a weeknight! The crowd was steadily filing in, clad in bright colors, revealing tops, and lots of beads. You know what goes along with Mardi Gras beads...a 5-letter word containing 2-b's, 2-o's, and an s! Before the night was done, Mardi Gras was living up to it's bawdry New Orleans-esque reputation!

We played this same show last year with Super Tuesday. Remember how it was snowing sideways all day? It sucked! ST played first, LUBE second, and due to the weather, there really weren't many people who dared to come out. This year, the weather was great and so in turn was the crowd! In fact, we had attendees come all the way from Hawaii. My Uncle Chris and a colleague of his defied their travel fatigue and came to the club after flying from Kahului to Honolulu to Atlanta to Minneapolis to Madison. And you know what? The LUBE family, band and friends alike, showed them a damn good time!

Once we got rolling and the people starting getting their hurricanes on, the party clearly kicked it up to another level. The dance floor filled, drinks flowed, beads were "earned." Yep, it was a good time! We played a full 3-set show and yet it was only 8:15pm when we finished. That meant we could tear down and hang out & party with everyone! The Love Monkeys were going to do a full show as well, so the night was far from over. As usual, those guys tore it up and put on a great performance. We weren't able to do alternating sets like we did at the Pooley's gig but it was still a fun time. We'll have to see if we can hook another one of those shows up.

It was really nice to be able to talk to a bunch of the people who came to the show. I'm usually one of those guys who just starts tearing down at the end of the night but this was different. I packed up all my stuff and the bar was still full of partiers. Sweet! People kept buying us drinks and we all had a great time! Check out the pictures. Does it look like everyone had a good time?!? Stripe from Ultimate Arts was on hand doing custom airbrush tattoos and Nick took full advantage of that. He doesn't have any real tattoos so he had a brazen, nude vixen with large hooters airbrushed on his left forearm. Who would have guessed that?!? Stripe did a great job and there were lots of people walking around sporting his artwork.

Sadly, most of us had to leave because of work the next day (you suck, Buzz) and didn't get to stay until the end. It was a super party and Moose was very happy with how things went. We had a blast and can't wait to do it again! Speaking of doing it again, we had a new show added to our calendar just a few weeks ago. This Saturday, Feb. 28, we're playing at the Red Mouse (formerly Kitt's Korner) in Pine Bluff. They set up a big stage and it makes for a cool stage show. Pine Bluff is just a couple of miles west of Madison, so take the short drive and come party with us Saturday night! See you there!

Tour Blog: Saturday, February 7, 2009
Pooley's
Madison, Wisconsin

What the heck happened? Bartho here, your regular post-gig scribe, and I feel like I have been beaten with a lead pipe. What did you do to us last night? Was the LUBE show at Pooley's that crazy? Apparently so! This was our first real solo foray at Pooley's. Way, way back in the day, we played a private birthday party for Lisa to like 30 people. I'm guessing it was '95 and then-drummer Todd was relatively fresh to the band. Nick remembers this day because one of his prized Wolfgangs was knocked over by some exuberant dancers, putting a couple of dings on the gold top finish. He was not a happy camper. Then, just a few months ago, we did a double-header at there with Milwaukee's Love Monkeys. That was a killer show! The nice folks at Pooley's subsequently booked us for a few gigs on our own, and Saturday night was the first one.

The bands playing at Pooley's set up in the large gymnasium-like back room. It sort of has that Rydell High (Note: Geeky "Grease" reference. Sorry.) look with the white & red color scheme and the basketball hoops. A small stage for a band would look rather ridiculous in a room of that size, so Pooley's goes all out. Their stage is HUGE! It's easily two or three time the size of every other bar stage in the area. It's also five feet high and flanked by giant curtains, creating ample back stage areas, and what happens back stage, stays back stage. In reality, what it does is create the atmosphere of a big-time rock show. They also provide many tables and chairs for those wishing to remain reposed during the performance or to set up a home base for the night. The big, tall stage, the curtains, big PA & lighting, etc...everything works together to make the band the true focal point in the room. Not every place does this...trust me!

We were all feeling pretty good, although Steve has been nursing sore ribs from actually working too hard at his real job. Pacing, my friend...save it for the band! There was a pretty decent crowd on hand, and that is encouraging as we don't have much history at Pooley's. They don't have bands every weekend and so that built-in crowd factor doesn't really come into effect. Nonetheless, there were lots of partiers, including a sizable contingent from where Nick & I work. You crazy people were having a good time!

Hermanator worked his instinctual magic on the set list again, changing things up and rearranging tunes. Inevitably, some songs don't make the cut for every show. Over the years we have played A LOT of songs. Just check out the Songs page if you don't believe me! Over the course of time, songs rotate in and out, and obviously we can't play them all. What I find amusing about this is that people get bent out of shape when "their song" isn't on the set list. The front row partiers are always trying to sneak peeks at what we'll be playing. They want to know when they'll hear their favorite song, and some even time their bathroom breaks based on this. I've dealt with some pretty upset people who demanded to know WHY we weren't playing something. They'll say, "I didn't see (insert song title here) on the set list. WTF?!?" If we didn't play "your tune", be sure to see us again because we likely will!

Our good friend/part-time photographer/wannbe singer Brian "Beast" Henry came up and joined us for a little "Thunder Kiss '65" once again. We did this previously at the Riley Tavern about a month ago. B has always wanted to be in a band and sings along to practically every song we play. It's been fun having him jam with us. Last night, his entourage was in the house seeing him perform for the first time. There were grins from everyone, us included. It was nice seeing Katie & Michelle again, having traveled down from Oshkosh/Appleton/somewhere over there. We'll see you again on the 4th of July, if not sooner!

In the end, we all rocked our butts off and ended up sweaty and tired. It was great! The night was capped with a delicious breakfast at Perkins, and I saw several peeps from the show there that had the same idea. Waking up Sunday morning, however, revealed that this was no ordinary gig. Whatever you guys did to me while we were partying has knocked me for a loop. I can't move my neck, my whole body hurts, and my wallet is conspicuously missing some $20s. Were we drinking? Did someone beat me up? Whatever it was that happened...we all had a great time and thank you for a good show! We're going to rest for a few weeks (whew!) and return to the stage on Tuesday (yep, Tuesday) Feb. 24 for a Mardi Gras double-header show with the Love Monkeys @ the Club Tavern. We won't be alternating sets this time...LUBE plays first...early... at 5:00pm-ish followed by the LMs at 9:30pm-ish...but it's gonna be a blast anyway! As you may recall, Mardi Gras is known for savory Cajun food (try Moose's jambalaya!), beads, and some other word starting with "boo." Leave work early Tuesday, take Wednesday the 25th off, and come celebrate Fat Tuesday with LUBE!

Tour Blog: Friday, January 30, 2009
Badger Bowl
Madison, Wisconsin

What's up, LUBIES? How ya feelin' today? If you were at the Badger Bowl with us last night, my guess is that you might feel kind of like we do...gassed but great! It was an awesome show at The Bowl and the fact we're a little tired today is a testament to that.

I don't know about you, but I am getting increasingly annoyed with winter. I mean, I've lived in Wisconsin my whole life and for the most part, I don't really mind winter itself. This year, however, I have felt colder than ever. Admittedly, I have more surface area than the average person that can get cold, but I have had a heck of a time staying warm. With a Friday night gig at the Badger Bowl, I knew I wasn't going to have to worry about the cold. It definitely turned into a hot one!

Fridays can be fickle when it comes to shows. Everyone has worked all week and it's easy to be tired. But I have to say, there were a lot of cars in the parking lot by the time we arrived at The Bowl. True, there was league bowling going on but there were also a lot of people in the bar gearing up for the gig. We love seeing that! By the time we hit the stage, the bar was getting packed...and it was only 9:40pm. A good harbinger for the night, no doubt.

The dance floor quickly filled up and stayed that way. The Department of Redundancy Department tells me that I say this stuff all the time, but you have no clue how much we feed off of your energy. Long work week be damned! It was party time, and we were feeling it! Lots of the long-time LUBE faithful were on hand, and we certainly appreciate that. It's a bond we don't take lightly. There were also lots of fresh faces we hadn't seen before, including Troy, Jennifer, Emmy, and Jay from Spring Green. I had the opportunity to meet them and talk for a bit between sets. They were sporting big grins and the ladies spent a lot of time dancing, so I think it's safe to say they enjoyed themselves. We hope to see you again soon!

I talked with some people who came a little later in the night, closer to midnight. they said the parking lot was so full they ended up way in back of the building. Killer! A full house makes everyone happy! As we were loading out at the end of the night, I mentioned to my favorite Badger Bowl bartendress who's name I never remember (and I have specifically asked her on a number of occasions) that it was a good show. She said she couldn't tell because she was so busy she didn't have the time to pay attention. That good omen from earlier rang true...it was a good night for everyone! Our next gig takes us back to Madison's east side. We'll be playing our first solo show at Pooley's on Saturday Feb. 7, standard start time of 9:30pm. You might recall a few months ago we did a double-header there with the Love Monkeys and it was fan-freaking-tastic! Come join us so we can do it again!

News: Saturday, January 10, 2009
Riley Tavern
Verona, Wisconsin

For our inaugural gig of 2009, the year we will celebrate 10 years of LUBEness, we set up shop in the cozy confines of the Riley Tavern. Murph & Katherine treat us like family when we're there, and while it can be a challenge to put on a good show there sometimes, there's no place quite like it. We'd had a little time to recuperate following the big NYE bash we were part of at the Club Tavern. That was a good time! As always, we're working on new material to add to the set list, but nothing was ready for this show. Jeff did some snazzy rearranging of the sets, however, and it put a fresh twist on things.

If you've ever been to one of our shows at The Riley, you know that things just seem to run a little looser there. We have been known to break out tunes we haven't played literally in years, at least until they fall apart! In the mailing we sent out this week, we hinted at the fact we may have a guest singer join us at some point in the night. The identity of this person was kept secret as well, making it into a surprise for those who came out. When I (Bartho: bassist, news writer) was in Hawaii this past March, we called on the services of our good friend Doug Skinner from Heartbreaker to fill in on bass. Surely, unless you're the White Stripes, you understand that it's impossible to have a gig of any quality without a bass player! Anyway, Doug sings the White Zombie tune, "Thunder Kiss '65" in his band, and the LUBE dudes learned it so that Doug could sing it when filling in at the two shows I missed. Since then, it's not been heard at a LUBE gig. Until Saturday.

No, it wasn't Doug who came out and did the tune. It wasn't anyone associated with any band! If you look at the pictures on the website, you'll definitely recognize him because he comes to our shows A LOT and helps out with taking pictures. He was the man with two heads at Halloween, he of the boyish good looks and an affinity for Harleys...ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Brian Henry! (or Brian Zombie as I was calling him Saturday night). Brian made his world-wide debut on stage with LUBE at the legendary Riley Tavern. Never before had he sung with a band, much less in front of a bar crammed to the gills with party hounds. It was super fun! Brian belted out the Zombie tune with gusto and flair, looking like a natural. Now, just because you may have missed it doesn't mean you'll never again have the chance to witness Brian on stage. When you least expect it, we'll give him the nod and have him come up and sing with us again. I can't wait!

We had a great time at The Riley, as always. Aside from Brian's cameo, we really didn't stray too far from the set list. I did randomly start "Are You Going To Be My Girl" by Jet, but it had been so long since we played it, it went south in a hurry but we had fun trying it again. Maybe it'll make a comeback. I don't know. The Riley peeps certainly enjoyed our newest tune, "Killing In The Name Of" by Rage Against The Machine. Despite the cold, it was hot & sweaty inside and undoubtedly a damn good time.

Take a couple of weeks to catch your breath and prepare for the next show. Friday January 30th we are at Badger Bowl in Madison. The Bowl is a great place to see live music and we're excited to be playing there again. We're going to keep working on new tunes, and like I said, you never know when someone unexpected is going to sit in with the band. Stay warm, Wisconsin, and we'll see you then!