Some of my heros (in no particular order) are:

Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko

Steve Martin

James Taylor

My parents

Walter Payton

A lot of people want to meet a hero to talk about what a big influence that person had on their life.  Obvioulsy, I can do that with my parents.   Although they still haven’t given me their cell phone numbers.  

I’ve never really want to meet my heros because I always expected it will be a real let down.  What could James Taylor say to me after I would tell him how much I enjoy his music?  Really, what’s the point?  He doesn’t know me.  He’s not suddenly going to become my friend after I shake his hand.  The only thing we have in common is that we can both sing all the words to “Shower the People”.  He wrote it.  I just like it.  If I was a musician perhaps we’d have some commong ground, but only if he heard a song of mine and liked it. 

I did talk to Mike Royko once.  I was nervous and I ended up hanging up on him.  Cool.  I met Walter Payton for a brief second when I was in high school and got his autograph, but I didn’t really say much. 

I think we all have this fantasy that we’ll meet our hero and he or she will want to become friends and will chat with us.  I’m a stranger to James Taylor.  I’m sure he appreciates that I buy his music, but that doesn’t mean he wants to be my friend or could even be a friend. 

All that being said, I had a chance to meet Steve Martin last night and I went for it.  He played at Overture Center.  I was called on to introduce the opening act, The Punch Brothers.  After I finished my duties, I was left alone back stage unsupervised.  I heard some music coming from a dressing room and headed in that direction.

It would be great if the story then went something like this:

I wander into the the room and there is Steve sitting on the couch.  He smiles and asks me to sit down.  I tell him I’ve been a fan of his stand-up comedy, his novellas and even the play he wrote.  I tell him how much I admire his early struggles in show business  and how much I’ve enjoyed his comedy pieces in The New Yorker.  I admire that he’s an avid art collector and a deep thinker.  He thanks me and asks me where he should get a drink after the show.  I suggest Le Tigre Lounge and he agrees to meet me there after the show.  We hang out for hours.  At bar time, he give me his cell phone number and invites Lindsay and me to visit him the next time we are in California.

Not so much.

Here’s what happened:

He was sitting with two members of his back-up band.  I said, “Welcome to Madison, gentlemen.”  He smiled brief and went back to playing the banjo.  I shook hands with the two other musicians, but Martin refused.  He said his hand is sore and he needs to be careful so he can play the banjo.  There was a brief pause and then I told them I was the Mayor of Madison.  I don’t know why.  The two other musicians were slightly impressed and one of them said, “Thanks for having us in your city.”  Martin didn’t seem that interested.  I then said, “I’m really just a morning guy from a local radio station.”  I then slowly backed out of the room.  Game over.

It was exactly as I expected.  He wasn’t rude, but he wasn’t interested.  I completely understand.  Why should he been interested?  He was getting ready for a show and some random guy pops in for no reason.

So the only person on my list who I haven’t met or spoken with briefly is James Taylor.  Next time he comes to Madison, I think I’ll do my best to be out of town.

We’ve known for a long time that the Madison area is home to some World Class Cyling…now the rest of the world is catching on.  Yesterday’s New York Times included an article about the cycling mecca that is the Madison area.

The article talks about the disappointment we felt when we didn’t get the Olympics and then how we moved forward- knowing that we have an Olympic Caliber route right here in our back yard. 

They talked with Robbie Ventura- who designed the course and Mayor Dave who has taken the energy created with the Olympic bid and focused it on other cycling ventures- in particular Ride the Drive.

And they talked about the Centurion.  The Centurion race is a European style bicycle road race that will happen on Sunday, August 8- starting at the Middleton Municpal Airport.  There are three routes to choose from, ranging from 25 to 100 miles- the difficulty level goes up along with the miles. 

I rode the main loop of the 100 mile course last weekend.  As a bit of a preview- I can tell you that it’s a tough course.  Lots of climbing.  My team started the ride in Mazomanie and did one loop.  About 7 miles from the finish I bonked.  Hard.  I was dizzy, my legs were wobbly, I couldn’t focus.  It sucked.  A friend let me draft off her for a while until we caught up to the rest of the group.  At that point we rested for about 5 minutes before finishing the rest of the ride.  I was fine after that, but the point is- I bonked.  That hasn’t happened in a long time. 

We’re riding the course again this weekend, only this time doing two loops.  I promised the group that I would be better prepared this weekend.  Last weekend I ran 10 miles before the ride and I had run a fast 10 miles the day before.  None of that this weekend.  I’ll concentrate on the ride and hopefully things go better.

Back to the New York Times article- if you would like to see the whole thing, check it out here.

Greg Laswell w/ Cary Brothers and Harper Blynn

Wednesday July 28, 8:30pm, 18+

High Noon Saloon, More Info, Tickets

Another fantastic singer-songwriter will be arriving in Madison on July 28.  Greg Laswell is an alternative pop rock musician who has been writing and recording music since the late 90’s.  Greg Laswell’s early music career started in his native San Diego with a band called Shillglen.  Shillglen gained slight popularity before the band “took a break” in 2001 and never got back together.

Greg Laswell has released 4 solo studio albums beginning with 2003’s Good Movie, his 2006 release Through Toledo, 2008’s Three Flights from Alto Nido, and most recently his May 4, 2010 release Take a Bow.  Laswell has had music included in films and televisions shows including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “True Blood,” “One Tree Hill,” and My Sister’s Keeper.  Specifically for the season 5 finale of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Laswell specifically wrote his single ‘Off I Go.”

Joining Greg Laswell at the High Noon Saloon will be Cary Brothers as well as Harper Blynn.  Cary Brothers is a Nashville based indie rock singer songwriter.  Brothers scored success with his track “Blue Eyes” after it was included on the widely popular Garden State soundtrack.  Cary Brothers released a new album titled Under Control on April 6 of this year.  Harper Blynn is an indie rock band from New York and will be joining Cary Brothers and Greg Laswell on the bill.

Be sure to check out these 3 outstanding musical acts on July 28 at the High Noon Saloon.  Head over to True Endeavors for tickets!

New Albums For July 27, 2010

	Robert Cray Band
	Cookin’ In Mobile
	Mark Olson
	Many Colored Kite
	Loudon Wainwright III
	10 Songs For The New Depression
	Delaney & Bonnie
	Delaney & Bonnie & Friends On Tour With Eric Clapton
	Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band
	Live At The Greek
	George Thorogood & The Destroyers
	Live In Boston 1982
	Stevie Ray Vaughn
	Couldn’t Stand The Weather

Top 5 Movies From Last Week

1. Inception, $42.7 Million

2. Salt, $36 Million

3. Despicable Me, $23.6 Million

4. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, $9.6 Million

5. Toy Story 3, $8.9 Million

Kings of Leon Bassist Hit With Pigeon Excrement, Finish Show Early

St. Louis Kings of Leon fans were let down this past Friday evening when the band left the Verizon Amphitheater stage after only 3 songs.  What caused this concert to abruptly end?  Believe it or not… pigeon poop.  A flock of pigeons living in the rafters of the Verizon Amphitheater bombarded the bands on stage with excrement.  Opening for Kings of Leon, The Postelles and The Stills both finished their sets covered in pigeon excrement from the unruly birds above.  Kings of Leon took the stage despite the openers experience.  This did not turn out well when after only three songs Kings of Leon bassist Jared Followill was hit in the mouth by pigeon poop.  The band left the stage and did not return.  Concert attendees can receive a full refund from Live Nation due to the shortened show.  more info

19 Killed, 100+ injured Following Germany’s “Love Parade” Festival Stampede

At the Love Parade Music Festival tragedy struck when the lone entrance for the festival was packed with people.  An old railway tunnel served as the festival’s single entrance and exit.  This clearly was a serious problem due to the festival expecting over one million music fans.  The crammed tunnel soon turned to a stampede as 19 people were killed and 100+ were injured.  Medical help had difficulty getting to the injured people due to the crowd and entrance setup.  Despite the tragic events, the music festival still occurred.  more info

Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger Team Up For HBO “Rock ‘n’ Roll” Drama

If you are a Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger, HBO or all the above fan, listen up.  Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger are working together to create a “rock ‘n’ roll drama” for HBO.  The project is to be titled “A History of Music” and will follow two friends and their 40 years in the music industry.  “Sopranos” writer Terence Winter is on board and Scorsese would direct if the series is to be picked up.  If all this information is accurate, another great HBO show is on the way.  more info

Elton John Working on “Animal Farm” Inspired Musical

Piano rocker Elton John has reportedly begun working on an Animal Farm inspired musical.  Elton John and screenwriter Lee Hall previously worked together to create the stage version of “Billy Elliott.”  The two will take on the George Orwell novel Animal Farm in musical form.  Only time will tell if this is true and how interesting of an outcome will result.  more info

Dixie Chicks to Record with Steve Martin on His New Album

The Dixie Chicks have been very quiet since their 2006 Grammy award winning album Taking the Long Way.  The “Chicks” will reportedly be working on a track with Steve Martin on his latest bluegrass album.  Steve Martin wrote the song and is asking the Dixie Chicks to harmonize on the tune with his band.  Be sure to check out Steve Martin’s later to be released bluegrass album.  more info

Wyclef Jean Seeking A Run At the Haitian Presidency?

All-around music maker and former Fugees member Wyclef Jean is mulling the idea of running for President of his home nation Haiti.  Wyclef Jean was appointed as “Ambassador-at-Large” in 2007 for the small island nation by President Rene Preval who is unable to seek re-election.  Jean, who is 37, was born in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince but spent much is his growing up years in New York City.  The Haitian election has major implications for the nation as the new President will have the task of rebuilding the country after the horrific January 12 earthquake.  more info

This blog is not a complaint, but more of an observation.    We now have the ability to stay in touch more than ever with things like Facebook, but does it really bring us closer together?

What am I talking about?

Today is my birthday and my Facebook page is filled with birthday greetings.  That’s great, but a lot of the people are “friends” who I haven’t seen or talked to in probably 10 to 15 years.  We became “friends” because the Facebook genie suggested us to each other and with a simple click we’re now “friends.”

In some ways it’s nice that someone I sort of knew in high school and then lost touch completely when we graduated took the three seconds to write “Happy Birthday!”   So I might take another three seconds and wonder how they are or better yet who they really are.  Let’s be honest, I really have no idea.  I could probably find out a little more information by bumping around their Facebook page and looking at their pictures and finding out where they live and how many kids they have (if any). 

Does this really make us closer or does it just create a longer list of people we really don’t know, but pretend like we do because a program in Facebook reminded us to post a “happy birthday” to someone who really isn’t part of our life.

Again, I’m not complaining.  I’m just wondering.

..they just sing a little more quietly.

Folk icon Pete Seeger has never been shy when it comes to singing out for what he believes in.  He’s against war…for civil rights, human rights, and the right to unionize.

The 91- year old is also an avid environmentalist, and just wrote a new song that decries BP and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and performed it at a fundraiser for the group Global Green USA. You have to watch the video for a couple minutes until it gets to the line “When the drill baby drill turns to spill baby spill/God’s counting on me/God’s counting on you.”

I hope I’m still as “with it” as he is at such an advanced age! (sorry you have to watch a short ad first)

As you probably know, Bruce Springsteen got his musical start playing in small clubs in Asbury Park NJ. One club whose name has become  synonymous with Bruce is the Stone . Over the years there are always stories of Bruce just showing up and jumping on stage with the band. If I lived in Asbury Park, I think I’d be there all the time just in case…

This time the lucky ones were those who came to see Alejandro Escovedo, a friend of the Boss.

For those of  us who missed it, here’s a  taste of Beast of Burden.

By: Michael Mahnke

Seeing Jack Johnson in concert is a joy, seeing him from reserved seats, as I was fortunate enough to do 2 years ago, is fantastic, but seeing him perform while standing on the stage is incredible.  Thanks to 105.5 Triple M, Live Nation and Jack Johnson I was able to experience this on Saturday July 24th at Alpine Valley as winner of the Jack Johnson- Best Seats in the House contest.
A Jack Johnson concert quickly turns into one big sing along and Saturday night was no exception.  The only thing missing was a big fire for everyone to sit around or hearing the waves hit the beach.  The Wisconsin humidty provided some of the heat and everyone singing along made up for the lack of the sound of the ocean.
After an opening set by ALO (Animal Libertation Orchestra) and an acoustic set by G-Love, and a quick glimpse of Jack himself backstage, we were led to the stage for an amazing view and an amazing time.  Seeing a great artist perform up close and seeing a concert from their vantage point, especially at a venue such as Alpine Valley, was tremendous.
Jack started off his part of the night with his current hit from his latest album To The Sea, “You and Your Heart.”  The joy of the crowd, the singing, the dancing were only getting started.

The evenings set list, 29 songs in total, included many of his hits and fan favorites.  The first half of the set list included many well loved songs from years and albums ago with songs from his newest effort mixed in.  Older songs included The Horizon Has Been Defeated, Inaudible Melodies, Upside Down (for the kids in the audience as Jack commented), the big hit from his last album If I Had Eyes and Breakdown.  As an introduction to his popular Bubble Toes, Jack gave a small glimpse into his catalogue when he said “The love songs are for my wife, the break-up songs are about my friends.”
There were also some great live versions of new songs like To The Sea, My Little Girl (for his new daughter) and Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology.
The second half of the set list was heavier with past songs like Flake, Banana Pancakes and Sitting, Waiting, Wishing.  There were sit-ins from Dan Lebowitz of ALO, Paula Fuga and G-Love as well.  A real treat was Jack and his band covering the Steve Miller Band classic Joker.

The encore started with Jack alone doing acoustic versions of Do You Remember, Angel and Times Like These.  To finish the evening Jack was rejoined on stage by his band, G-Love, Paula Fuga and the members of ALO for a wonderful version of Better Together.
An amazing night, an amazing opportunity and and amazing view.  Jack’s feel good music, the talent of the musicians and the energy of the crowd made everyone go home happy.  It would have been a great concert either way but I was truly honored to have been selected to watch a concert in this way.
Again, I have to thank 105.5 Triple M, Live Nation for having the contest and Jack Johnson himself for allowing fans on the stage to experience a concert in a truly memorable way.