Cristina Daglas

There isn’t much that holds these three bands together except for pure awesomeness. Yonder Mountain String Band has pretty much established its own genre, combining bluegrass and jam in a way that no other band has been able to accomplish. The Tempters, Milwaukee’s very own Temptations tribute band, were a riot. And they even busted into song with a little prodding. First-time Summerfesters Republic of Letters were eloquent and incredibly kind. And if I had to place money on some of the up-and-coming acts we chatted with, I’d say keep your ears and eyes open for these guys. They’re putting out solid music. For more Summerfest…

On the North Side of the Summerfest grounds sits the Rock Stage, where we ended up spending a fair amount of time chatting with bands over the 11 days. Heavily tattooed, pierced and interestingly dressed, Rock Stage notables were some of the most fun people to chat with. Sevendust was a true treat. They are down-to-earth, incredibly talented guys, and they’ve been around for years. They also love Summerfest and everything that comes with it, even if an incident with corn on the cob leads to toothpaste in the eye. True story. A day prior, we sat down with both the 8 p.m. and…

  Britney Spears She went to Egypt, rode a giant guitar and battled a stalker while lip-syncing her way through a set of Femme Fatale tracks and remixes of old hits. Britney Spears put on a tremendously produced show with so many distractions that it was easy to let your eyes wander from the previous pop queen. In fact, throughout most of the show, she was hardly the most entertaining thing on stage.  Rumor has it that the crew built the set throughout the course of the night. It was elevated, so Brit and co. could drop into the floor,…

Meet the wonderfully sarcastic, low-key brothers of Cage The Elephant. Before they took the stage as the first act in the three-band bill July 6 (Cage, Florence and the Machine, The Black Keys), Matt and Brad Shultz chatted backstage at the Marcus about playing Summerfest, their live show and driving stage managers nuts.    For more Summerfest Live 365, click HERE!

  Photo by Andrea Bartley.  (For a gallery of photos from the show, click HERE!)  * There are clearly advantages to the 10 p.m. time slot. As a band, you’re the headliner of a particular stage, which means you’ve made it in some musical circle (congrats!), and there’s a good chance your audience members have had a few. In fact, they might be so tipsy that anything you mumble into the microphone will sound like absolute gold. You’ll get cheers and applause, and the show will go down as one of the best in your mind. Until you watch the video.  …

He was on “American Idol,” his face appears around town on billboards, and he’s a hometown favorite. Turns out, Danny Gokey definitely returns the Milwaukee love. We made a pit stop on his tour bus to chat country music, MKE and playing Summerfest. And he even gave us cookies for the road. What a doll. Enjoy.   It’s been a few years, but Tonic is back with new music and a Summerfest appearance. Post sound check, in which they sounded great, Emerson and Dan talked immaturity, rock and playing the Big Gig.   For more Summerfest Live 365, click HERE!

We compared surburbs. Their keys player changed in the corner. It was just a simple afternoon with a lot of guys in a small dressing room. Introducing: The Action Blast. (And you can hear me talking toward the end. Cameo!) For more Summerfest Live 365, click HERE!

(For a gallery of photos from the show, click HERE!)  *   Photo by Andrea Bartley. When Summerfest started making band announcements way back when, several Mil Maggers jumped in excitement when Florence and the Machine and The Black Keys were scheduled. We quickly rushed to get tickets and waited patiently, as they burned holes in our desk drawers. As last night drew closer, I can definitely say that the excitement level in this Mil Magger climbed exponentially despite the busy day that would precede the event. Before 7:30 hit, I ran around with the Mindpool crew snagging all kinds of interviews.…

There was drama and a 15-year hiatus, but Urge Overkill is back with great outfits and some nice rocker attitude. We caught up with Nash before their show and even managed to avoid the topic of Pulp Fiction. Enjoy!   For more Summerfest Live 365, click HERE!

On Day 5, we caught up with the ever-nice, wonderfully courteous, hometown favorite Willy Porter. Playing with some other local notables, he created a fantastic Milwaukee experience Sunday night. And he was a total delight to chat with. For more Summerfest Live 365, click HERE!