Consider this. Get this.

Well, how'd the Loblolly show go, you ask? Actually quite well, considering. Considering that we couldn't figure out how to make the house bass rig work, thank goodness for Floor Model, whose studio was nearby and who let us use theirs. (Oh, and Floor Model was stellar as usual. I was nervous all night about having to follow them; they were tight, funny, spot on, rockin', just great stuff, as usual.) Considering I was too sick to promote the show, although we did make some money. Considering that half our fans were drinking for free at Mark Shurilla's 60s birthday party. Considering we didn't have a doorman (nor did Whispering Jeff tell me I needed to recruit one!) until Frank Chandik showed up and did the work for us. I hope he availed himself of the drinks off the door I offered him as payment.

Oh, and get this: I know that hardly any venues in Milwaukee of this size were originally meant to be music venues, but it so happens that the stage at Zad's is directly under the heat blower. Nobody planned this, its just how things worked out. Because that's just what you need onstage: warm air blowing on you! Kind of gives you that "I'm sweatin' out the rock for YOU, Milwaukee!" look. I'd originally planned to wear my hair down and be all windblown and sex-ay and crap, but one minute onstage and reality kicked in: "V'ron, you're in your 40s, you're a mother of two, you aren't doing this rock and roll thing full time, and on top of that, you have a hot air blower right over your head. To hell with sexay. Wear your damn hair up," that little devil on my shoulder advised me. Oy. When I went to see the Mighty Lumberhorn last Thursday there (mostly to scope out the joint), none of those guys warned me about this.

Speaking of the Lumberhorn, banjoist Boy Howdy (who goes by the name of Ted) slipped me some news about his other outfit, the Bikini Beachcombers. They've just released a CD, "Holiday i Waikiki" and it's almost sold out! Why? Get this: because apparently Otto Von Stroheim (despite the non-tiki sounding name, he's evidently a Tiki culture jammer) endorsed them on his blog, and according to Ted, "now a bunch of people wanna be our myspace friends and buy our disc." That's the power of the internets for you.

Onto later this week: A couple of interestingly free things during the daytime this weekend. Saturday is National Record Store day, and Milwaukee's oldest independent shop (that's still standing), Atomic Records, will pack them in for a bunch of good local bands to celebrate with in-store sets from, among others, Testa Rosa and Juniper Tar. The Testarosans will be coming off a show at the Cactus Club this Friday. Also on Saturday, get this: Binky Tunny has 9 hours to fill at the Whitefish Bay Sendik's!

You may want to consider making the rounds Saturday night. Dr Chow is at the Port of Hamburg, as they are one of the unofficial house bands, and being that I'm married to one of the guitar players, it's of course a pick for me. But get this double bill at Lulu that might make me late for the Chow show: The Liam Ford Band (rockabilly with a touch of the Man in Black) with one of my newest favs, surf magicians Transistor Royale. This is going to be a majorly tough call. And I'm sure as the week goes on, I'll find out about more great stuff happening this weekend. Spring is coming, and not only are the crocuses blooming, the musicians are coming out of the woodwork, bearing gig dates and amplifiers.

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