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Johnny Cash Birthday Bash-The Midwesterners Posted: Jan 18, 2012
The Midwesterners have just signed on to perform at The Johnny Cash Birthday Bash on Feb. 26, 2012. This is the actual day of Johnny's 80th birthday. The show is at the Majestic Theater in Madison on Sunday February 26th and includes a stellar line-up of area musicians including:

ROBBIE SCHILLER 8:00 - 8:20 (acoustic) (The Blueheels)
BROWN DERBY 8:30 - 9:00 (band)
WHITNEY MANN 9:05 - 9:25 (acoustic)
MIDWESTERNERS 9:35 - 10:05 (band)
JOSH HARTY 10:10 - 10:30 (acoustic)
LIAM FORD 10:40 - 11:30 (band)

This is from Matt Gerding at the Majestic:
Hi folks! Looks like we've got our line-up set for the Johnny Cash Birthday Bash on February 26th. I've been a huge Johnny fan forever and I'm really excited about this one...and I'm thrilled about the incredible talent we're bringing together on this. So thank you in advance for being a part of this night. Just go to this website here:

http://www.majesticmadison.com/index.php/calendar/detail/johnny_cash_022612

Sounds like a great mid-winter party to me. Cover is $10.

Happy New Year from The Midwesterners Posted: Dec 24, 2011
Myself and The Midwesterners would like to wish you all a happy holiday season, and thank you for your continued support throughout the year. One of the best presents we get is to keep playing our music for you, and seeing your shining faces where we play. I always say you're the grease that makes the wheels go 'round, without you it just wouldn't be as much fun.

We have some new songs in the works and hope to add them to the live show over the winter. Who knows, we may get lucky and get out a new CD or EP.
So best of luck in the new year and feel free to give us your feedback on how we could do this all better.
Richard and The Midwesterners, Mark Haines, Ernie Conner & Tom McCarty

www.facebook.com/themidwesterners

The Midwesterners at Willy St. Fair! Posted: Sep 12, 2011
We're happy to announce The Midwesterners will be appearing this year at the Willy St. Fair, Sunday September 18th at 2:30pm on the Rock Stage. The Willy St. Fair is one of Madison's biggest festivals and it's quite an honor to be asked to perform for it. If you've never attended one, you've missed an event that's gone on for many decades and presented some of Madison's most diverse and up and coming musical talent, not to mention it's colorful parage and people. Hope to see you there. Richard

The Willy Street Fair is a major fundraiser for Common Wealth Development and the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center. Each year, during one weekend in Autumn, Willy Street become the city's largest block party with seven music stages, a multitude of impromptu street performances, fantastic foods and drinks from across the globe, fabulous arts and crafts, a legendary parade and an irresistible community raffle with over 200 prizes.
Eight packed stages over two days offering the best in MUSIC and ENTERTAINMENT. Over 150 vendors providing great FOOD and soothing BEVERAGES. Creative ARTS AND CRAFTS. A colorful and eclectic PARADE. The city's largest community-based RAFFLE- with over 150 prizes!
Annual event, 9/17-18, 800-1000 blocks of Williamson Street, with music, street performances, food, arts & crafts, raffle. Saturday: World Music Festival Stage: Luisa Maita 1:45 pm, Dragon Knights 3 & 5 pm, Marco Calliari 3:30 pm, Sergent Garcia 5:30 pm, Bomba Estereo 7:30 pm. Folk Stage: Blake Thomas & Josh Harty 2 pm, Eric Schwartz 3:30 pm, Cris Plata 5:30 pm. DJ Stage: DJs 2 pm, Dr. Dunks 7 pm. Sunday: Parade 11 am. Main Stage: Emmettville 1 pm, Midwesterners 2:30 pm, Bumpus 4 pm, The Kissers 5:45 pm. Kids' Stage: Mad Rollin' Dolls demo 1 pm, Wil-Mar teen fashion show 2 pm, Madgadders 3 pm, East Madison Community Center Breakdancers 4 pm, Truly Remarkable Loon 5 pm, raffle 6:30 pm. Culture Stage: Yid Vicious 11:45 am, Cajun Strangers 1 pm, Sadira & Riad Dance Co. 2 pm, An Blas Quartet 2:45 pm, Xtring 3:50 pm, Atimevu 4:55 pm, Charanga Agosa 6 pm. WORT Stage: Whitney Mann noon, Roboman 1:10 pm, Honey Slides 2:20 pm, Venus in Furs 3:30 pm, Weapons of Mass DeFunktion 4:40 pm, The Sadies 5:50 pm. Folk Stage: Small Potatoes noon, Bret & Frisk 2 pm, Bill & Kate Isles 3:30 pm, MoonHouse 5 pm. Volunteers also needed: www.cwd.org or 257-4576

Richard's Solo Gig Extended at Capitol ChopHouse Posted: Aug 29, 2011
My solo show on fridays has been extended thru September at the Capitol ChopHouse, 9 E. Wilson St. The time has been moved to 6-9pm. It's a fun, relaxing environment where I get to play all kinds of acoustic music, from jazz to blues to country, and you can order a cocktail or a have the full dining experience under the stars. One friday, September 9th, I will not be here because I had a previous engagement booked at the Jammin' On The Porch Series in Mineral Point.

New summer house gig at Capitol Chophouse for Richard Posted: Jun 15, 2011
I'll be playing solo on friday nights at the Capitol ChopHouse at the Hilton Hotel all summer long. Lovely outdoor patio, rain or shine, 5-8pm. The ChopHouse is located at 9 E. Wilson St. in Madison, just off the Square. Come in for a cocktail, or select something from either the sandwich or full menu. They will be having music thursday through saturday with many fine performers including David Hecht and Ryan Casey.

Richard and Mark Haines on WORT tonight Apr. 30th Posted: Apr 30, 2011
Hi Folks,
just a note to tell you that myself and Midwesterners drummer Mark Haines are going to be on Rockin' John's show on WORT this evening, spinning some cuts from our new live CD. Mark did the lion's share of mixing and producing on this record, and his insights into Smart Studio where we mixed (and he worked for several years) should be very interesting. Smart closed their doors forever earlier this year as you may know.

Rockin' John has been one of The MIdwesterners, and one of local music's biggest supporters over many years in Madison. So tune in at 6pm tonight April 30th, to WORT 89.9FM for Rockin's show, we'll be on around 7pm. Or stream it at www.wort-fm.org........archives there too.

Oh yeah, and don't miss the big party tomorrow at the Harmony Bar, 4-8pm!
ciao,
Richard
www.TheMidwesterners.com/events

New CD Release Party and Order Info Posted: Apr 20, 2011
The Midwesterners are celebrating the release of our newest CD, "Live! At The Cuda Cafe", with a CD release party on Sunday May 1st at the Harmony Bar, 4-8pm. In a small way to reward our fans, we are making two songs available for free download here:
http://www.broadjam.com/transmit/index.php?txygnbz=25870&chkldsxv1=FE9A915C97&chkldsxv2=EB6BA7D556&yhgbndsq=2
(please copy and paste in your browser.) These are two fan favorites that didn't make the CD due to copyright issues, but still rock the house.
CDs will be available on CD BABY soon, but to order directly from us, send $10 plus $2.50 for shipping (any size order) to:
The Midwesterners, 518 W. Lakeside St. #2, Madison, WI 53715.

Midwesterners Announce Live CD Release Party Posted: Mar 22, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Richard Wiegel, 608-255-0554, richardinmad@mailbag.com www.TheMidwesterners.com
Midwesterners CD Release Party

Madison, Wisconsin, April 14th, 2011---The Midwesterners, Madison's long-haul roots rockers, celebrate the release of their latest CD with a party and performance at The Harmony Bar on Sunday, May 1st, 4 to 8pm. Recorded live at The Cuda Café in Deerfield nearly a year ago, and mixed at Smart Studios before that world-renowned Madison recording venue closed its doors, the new CD includes 15 Midwesterners originals and a handful of fan-favorite covers.

Live! At The Cuda Café captures the immediacy and raucous spontaneity of a typical Midwesterners set. Drummer Mark Haines took advantage of his years of experience as an engineer and producer at Smart Studios to complete mixing of the live recording in one marathon session. The result is the fourth CD from The Midwesterners. It will mark the 20th anniversary of the band's first release, as well as band leader Richard Wiegel's 46 years of professional music making. His career includes founding membership in Clicker, regional rock heroes responsible for the self-titled 1973 release that Isthmus named one of "The Top 25 Madison Pop Albums of All Time."

Of The Midwesterners' roots rock material, Rockzilla World calls Wiegel, "...one of the best songwriters in this genre." Vintage Guitar recommends the band's recordings to fans of "...Americana...and cool guitar tones." And of the band's third CD, 2006's Ridin' With Chuck, Tom Laskin of Isthmus said, "It's impossible to resist their amiable vibe. They've achieved a perfect chemistry..."

The Midwesterners studio albums have included performances from musical luminaries such as bassist Tom Lavarda (Mendelbaum), guitarist and producer Mike Hoffmann (EIEIO), bassist Dennis Reifsteck (The Swing Crew), and bluesy pianist-about-town John Chimes, but Live! At The Cuda Café features nothing but the guitar-powered sound of the band's performing line-up of the last seven years: Richard Wiegel (guitars, vocals), Mark Haines (drums), D. Ernie Connor (guitars, vocals), Tom McCarty (upright bass, vocals).

For more information, contact Richard Wiegel at 608-255-0554 or richardinmad@mailbag.com, or visit www.TheMidwesterners.com. The Harmony Bar is located at 2201 Atwood Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin. 608-249-4333.
###
Midwesterners Spring Newsletter Posted: Mar 16, 2011
Hi Folks,
A lot of news these days. I have friends from Japan and maybe you do too, so we are wishing them all the best in the difficult days ahead. We have our own battles here in Wisconsin. If you'd like to see some of my photos from protesting at the Capital, and you are on facebook, please visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=1081115351&aid=99647

We're staying busy here with a live CD release coming up on May 1st at the Harmony Bar. I hope to post some free songs to itunes before then if possible. (Come on you Luddites, here's a chance to improve your computer skills! ) Stay tuned.
ciao,
Richard

Midwesterners At Essen Haus Extended Indefinitely Posted: Dec 28, 2010
Bob and Angie from the Essen Haus have given us the best Christmas present we could get, extending our thursday nights indefinitely at the Essen Haus. The Midwesterners appear in a trio setting, with Mark Haines on drums, Richard Wiegel on guitar, and Tom McCarty on acoustic standup bass. Along with selections from our three albums of Americana/roots rock out on Darlingtone Records, we will be adding early rock, country blues and even some polkas to the evening's music.
Join us on our new Midwesterners facebook page-be sure to click 'Like'.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Midwesterners/121066991289939?v=wall

Holiday Wishes From The Midwesterners Posted: Dec 23, 2010
Here's wishing you all a happy holiday season from The Midwesterners. The best news is the days all get longer from here on in! As a modest Christmas gift I've included a link to The Midwesterners version of 'Sleigh Ride' that will either propel you into the Christmas doldrums or blast you out of them. It was recorded on Nov. 28th, 2010 at Rockin' John's 65th Birthday Party at the Harmony Bar. You can either play the song or download it for free here:
http://www.broadjam.com/transmit/index.php?txygnbz=25870&chkldsxv1=EF90402DFF&yhgbndsq=1 (copy and paste in your browser)
Cheers and hope to see you all soon.
Richard
Rockin' John update and new Midwesterners facebook page Posted: Dec 5, 2010
thanks to everyone who came out to party with us and Rockin' at his 65th Birthday Party. It couldn't have been better. Thanks to all the musicians who donated their time and talent to the show, we couldn't have done it without you. We raised a bunch of money for WORT, and best of all, we had a great party! To see pics from the show and visit our brand new Midwesterners facebook page, visit:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Midwesterners/121066991289939?v=wall
Be sure to click the Like button and join our friends.

December Newsletter Posted: Dec 5, 2010
The holiday season is upon us and myself and the boys in the band would like to thank you all for supporting us in our musical endeavors this year. We had a good year despite the economy; we have a live Midwesterners CD in the works; and I recently did a live solo CD at the Mazomanie Music Conservancy that should be available soon, so we keep pushing ahead.

All things slow down a bit in the winter here in Wisconsin, and so do we, but it's a time to reflect on where we are going, and for myself maybe work on some new songwriting. We have some great shows coming up soon, if you can, please keep supporting us, as you are the grease that makes it all go round.

Happy Holidays.
Richard

Songs For Kids: A New CD of traditional Children's songs by Richard Wiegel just released. Posted: Nov. 3, 2010
I've just released a new CD of traditional children's songs, with all your favorites, including:
Yellow Bird, You've Got A Friend In Me, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, Blackbird, I've Been Working On The Railroad, The Crawdad Song, and many more. 20 Songs in all, all done live with vocal and guitar.

I've wanted to do a Children's CD for a few years now for my own Great Nephews and Nieces, totaling five now, and finally got around to doing it. It's filled with songs we've sung in our family for all our lives, and I'm hoping they stay in our Great Nephews and Nieces lives too, and maybe yours. I've attached the front and back cover for you to view, and I've made the price an affordable $8 per CD, plus $2 for shipping for any size order.

The CDs are only available through me via mail order, Southwest Graphics, and Craig's Hardware in Darlington. Please send check or cash to:
Richard Wiegel
518 W. Lakeside St. #2
Madison, WI 53715
608-255-0554

thanks very much,
Richard

Rockin' John article in State Journal Mentions The Midwesterners Posted: Oct 9, 2010

Rockin’ John McDonald has played rock ‘n’ roll music on Madison’s WORT radio station since it began in 1975. BARRY ADAMS - State Journal

John McDonald was living in Brooklyn, N.Y., when he purchased his first record, a 45 of “Shake, Rattle & Roll” by Bill Haley and the Comets.

More than five decades later and with thousands of records in his East Side home, McDonald, who retired in 2007 after 41 years with the U.S. Postal Service, is still in love with early rock 'n’ roll. He has been known as Rockin’ John McDonald and has shared his passion for the genre with a two-hour show 6 to 8 p.m. Saturdays on WORT-FM. He’s the only original programmer remaining with a continually running show since the station’s beginning in 1975. In each of the last two years, McDonald, 64, has been named local radio personality of the year at the Madison Area Music Awards.

How did you get your show?

My brother saw an ad in a newspaper. I took about a dozen 45s and put them in a bag and went to an interview. I told them I wanted to play rock 'n’ roll, and I showed them the 45s I had. They said fill out a form, and I did.



When you applied, the station wasn’t on the air. What did they tell you about the station?

They said it was going to be a community, listener-sponsored (station), no commercials, and nobody was going to get paid. I haven’t seen a dime in more than 34 years. When I was a kid I always wanted to be a disc jockey. I used to listen to WLS and WCFL in Chicago and WISM (in Madison). I always thought these guys are having too much fun and getting paid for it but it never worked out.

Why didn’t you pursue commercial radio?

Most of the commercial stations tell you what to play and have everything on a play list. I ended up at the Post Office and was making good money and I stuck it out.

Are you disappointed with commercial radio?

Oh yeah. I hardly listen to it at all. I’ve given up on all the music stations.

How have you been able to sustain your show for so long?

I guess people like what I play every week.

What music groups have influenced you?

Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Elvis, Fats Domino, Link Wray. I liked all the doo-wop stuff and rhythm and blues. The newer stuff I like right now (includes) the Modern Sounds, The Midwesterners, the Exotics, the Cashbox Kings and the Jimmys.

What do you have to hear in a band for it to catch your ear?

They’ve got to know how to sing, and they’ve got to know how to play their instruments. It’s got to be musical. I like guitar stuff. I don’t like the stuff on commercial radio that much because the music ain’t that good. They do a lot of yelling. I like bands with the old sounds to them, and it’s amazing how many bands are actually playing this old stuff. I keep finding them all the time.

— Interview by Barry Adams
Rockin' John's 65th Birthday Party w/The Midwesterners/Kristy Larson/Kevin Fayte Posted: Oct 9, 2010
This just in:
we are all set for Rockin' John's 65th Birthday Party. It's a WORT benefit with a $5 minimum donation requested. It's on Sunday November 28th (Packers play at noon) and the line-up is:

The Kristy Larson Honky Tonk Trio at 4:30
The Kevin Fayte Rock'N'Roll Trio at 6
and The Midwesterners at 7:30

We'll each do an hour set.

Thanks to all the bands for doing this, I'm sure Rockin' is thrilled, and supporting WORT is always a good thing. I don't know about you all, but nobody else in the radio business has supported us like Rockin'.


Midwesterners Trio at Essen Haus Extended Posted: Oct 9, 2010
Hi Folks,
well some great news on our end. Our Midwesterners Trio has been extended until the end of the year at the Essen Haus. If you make a trip to Madison or are out on the town on thursdays, come in and join in on the fun. 8:30-12:30am
ciao,
Richard

Midwesterners Trio at Essen Haus Posted: Sep 7, 2010
The Midwesterners Acoustic Trio have started a regular thursday night series at the venerable Essen Haus in Madison. 8:30 to 12:30. "The old world tradition of a friendly staff, dressed in dirndles and lederhosen will welcome you. Enjoy a bier from a selection of 16 Germen biers on tap served in authentic glass and clay steins, or choose one of the 270 imports from around the world. The Essen Haus is proud to be the largest seller of German tap biers in the U.S.! For an experience not soon forgotten, pass around a boot of one of the specially selected biers." Sounds like a party to us. 514 E. Wilsonstrasse www.essen-haus.com

The People's Fair-Iola Music Festival June 26-28,1970 Posted: Aug 5, 2010
(Here's an account of another early music festival that one of my bands played at, The Bowery Boys. This came shortly after the Sound Storm music festival and was completely different in tone, and pretty much ended large music festivals in Wisconsin. RW)

The People’s Fair
by J.A. Bartlett

The Woodstock Nation gathered over an August weekend in 1969 for the single most famous rock festival ever held. In December 1969, a single-day festival at Altamont Speedway near Oakland, California, was a downer from the start—too many drugs, too little security, and too much of the Hell’s Angels, who murdered a fan within a few feet of the stage as the Rolling Stones played. But as the winter of 1970 melted into spring, the burnished glow of Woodstock outshone the fires of Altamont in the memories of young people. Millions craved a communal, outdoor experience of their own.

Wisconsin’s Woodstock was the Sound Storm Festival, held on the York farm near Poynette in Columbia County, north of Madison, in late April. Local law enforcement officials prepared for the worst—rioting, looting, clean-cut rural youth enticed to vice by hippie provocateurs—but at the same time they took a lenient view of drug use and public nudity. As a result, there were only a handful of arrests, and the festival proceeded peacefully. The success of Sound Storm meant that somebody would try to organize a second festival. Unfortunately, it ended up more Altamont than Woodstock.

Rumors of a festival to be held somewhere in central Wisconsin circulated for weeks before the official announcement on June 17, 1970. Earth Enterprises and Concert Promoters International purchased a plot of land that straddled the Portage/Waupaca County line near Iola, about 80 miles west of Green Bay and 140 miles north of Madison, and would hold a “People’s Fair” over the weekend of June 26–28. Although county officials briefly discussed whether the rock festival could be stopped, there was little they could do. Most of the festival activities would be held in Iola Township, which had no zoning laws that could be invoked.

By Monday, June 22, promoters had begun preparing the site, and underground newspapers were publicizing the show. The Friday bill was to be topped by Woodstock veterans Melanie and Paul Butterfield, Taj Mahal, and jazz drummer Buddy Rich. Saturday’s headliners were to include Spirit, Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes, Mason Proffit, Buffy Ste. Marie, Crow, and Brownsville Station. Chuck Berry and Ravi Shankar were set for Sunday. On all three days, local and regional bands would fill out the bill, including Siegal-Schwall, Soup, the Tayles, Short Stuff, Tongue, Oz, SRC, the Bowery Boys (which later became Clicker), and Fuse (which included two future members of Cheap Trick). Not all of the scheduled acts played—Spirit didn’t—and some late additions did. Iggy and the Stooges played one of the weekend’s most memorable sets just before sunrise on Sunday morning.

After the jump, the festival begins.

On Thursday, June 25, young people began to descend on the site. Paul and Bob Ericksen, brothers from Escanaba, Michigan, were among the early arrivals, driving a bread truck they used for a camper. By Friday morning, 10,000 people were already camped out. Unlike Sound Storm, where many festival-goers had been able to sneak in for free, promoters set up a system of checkpoints to keep out those without tickets. A high wire fence encircled the site. The only road in quickly backed up for 10 miles, delaying the festival’s start. Music supposed to start at 11AM Friday didn’t begin until 6:00 that night, although nobody seemed to mind much. “The scene was the beginning of a big pot party,” a reporter wrote.

A Saturday report in the Capital Times made the festival sound like a hippie paradise, and portrayed the event in a largely positive light: “In some ways, the festival resembles one of those medieval fairs that preceded the urbanization of Europe and its subsequent Renaissance.” And also: “Bubbles were very much in style and they floated through the frisbee-laced air. . . .” Despite a lack of toilets and telephones (and an abundance of mosquitoes), “What was important was that thousands of like-minded youths had gathered together once again to reaffirm their own culture far from the boarded-up windows of State Street [site of frequent student protests at the University of Wisconsin] and the bumper-to-bumper traffic of the cities.” The police claimed to be surprised: “Everything has gone real well,” a Waupaca County deputy told the Capital Times. Portage County Sheriff Nick Check said, “We’ve had more cooperation than we thought we would from the festival organizers and the young people themselves.”

But the bubbly Renaissance frolic was actually much darker than advertised. Paul Ericksen agrees it was a carnival atmosphere, “except the cotton candy was LSD.” Bob Ericksen described “an outdoor drug market, almost like a street you could walk up and down, [where] whatever you wanted you could have got.” Plus, Paul says, “There was a lot of alcohol. The ground was covered with wine bottles.” The negative vibrations weren’t just chemical. Police had taken knives and guns from some attendees at the gate. At least one couple had sex openly while a large crowd watched them, and the woman involved may not have been participating willingly.

Dick Wiegel, a member of the Bowery Boys, remembers another factor. He says there was “a definite Hells Angels or biker element” along with the heavy drug vibe. Bob Ericksen says that the bikers “did anything they wanted and took anything they wanted.” Saturday night, a group of them got onstage while the Amboy Dukes were playing and scuffled with a security guard. The bikers tossed the guard off the stage, and he broke his collarbone. Even law-abiding bikers were intimidating, with knives and firearms openly displayed. Promoters eventually asked some of the bikers to leave. But with police involved mostly in controlling access to the area and no uniformed force on the grounds, there was no way to make the bikers go. During the overnight hours of Saturday, rumors spread of beatings and rapes, and tensions rose.

What happened next may have been inevitable. We’ll tell that part of the story tomorrow.

The Battle of Iola

(Part 2; part 1 is here. Slightly corrected since first posted.)

The summer of 1970 was America’s rock festival summer. Little Woodstocks proliferated around the country, but where the kids saw them as opportunities to recapture the peace-and-love vibe of the original, local officials saw them as grave threats to public order. In the case of the People’s Fair held near Iola, Wisconsin that June, the cops probably had it right. The festival was haunted by heavy drug and alcohol use, as well as rumors of shakedowns, beatings, and rapes by bikers in attendance. With all that, what happened on Sunday may have been inevitable.

The 200-acre festival site was partly wooded, with a long, sloping field that created a natural amphitheater. The only building on the site was an old barn with a lily pond nearby, which had been taken over by the bikers for a campsite. It was the lowest point on the site, to the left of the stage area. Just before 7:00 Sunday morning, people up the the hill began throwing bottles at the bikers below. Amid the barrage, a few bikers mounted up and charged.

Despite the night of rumors, for many who were there, this was the first indication of real trouble. Scott Thomson, working for a company hired to provide stage security, remembers his boss sounding the alarm like Paul Revere: “The bikers are coming!” Paul and Bob Ericksen, who had traveled to the festival from Escanaba, Michigan, watched it all from their campsite. “Chicks were on the handlebars, shooting,” Bob remembers.

Three people were wounded, but it could have been worse—especially for the bikers. After the shooting stopped, angry attendees kept flinging bottles and rocks at them. Paul Ericksen says, “They were going to get their ass whipped.” The bikers fled, a few leaving their bikes behind, which were promptly set on fire by the crowd. A total of 23 bikers (17 men and six women) were arrested on the road outside. Portage County Sheriff Nick Check later claimed that the bikers had “thanked the pigs—that’s us—for saving their lives” from the beating they took.

After the jump: the rest of Sunday, the aftermath Monday, and what happened in the weeks beyond.

After the shootings, people started leaving. At the festival’s height, estimates put the crowd between 40,000 and 60,000. By Sunday evening, only five or six thousand remained to see the last few bands. “Cops were stopping everybody on the way out,” Bob Ericksen says, asking attendees if they could identify the shooters.

Charges filed against the bikers included causing injury by conduct regardless of life and carrying concealed weapons. Those wounded in the Sunday rumble were reported in good condition on Monday. But in the festival’s aftermath, Sheriff Check was no longer praising the event. He called it “a nice, big, organized, lawless drug party” and vowed that there would never be a repeat: “We’ll keep people out if it means blocking off half the county.”

The same newspapers that had painted the festival as generally peaceable on Friday and Saturday now called it “generally violent and troubled.” Stories stressed the lack of drinking water, rampant drug use, and even the poor sound system. Local residents were scandalized by the whole thing. “I have never seen such filth, so many young boys and girls completely out of it,” one told the Appleton Post-Crescent. “The officers did everything they could, but what can you do?”

Sheriff Check called the violence “a blessing” for calling attention to what went on at rock festivals. And in the weeks following, officials took steps to limit future events. A state Senate committee held a hearing in mid-July at which Attorney General Robert Warren unveiled a proposed festival law for counties to adopt. Among its provisions were minimum requirements for sanitation, shelter, security, traffic control, telephones, and medical personnel. Columbia County, where the Sound Storm Festival had been held in April, was the first to adopt Warren’s proposal, and other Wisconsin counties were eager to follow. By February 1971, 65 of the state’s 72 counties had some kind of restrictions on mass gatherings.

That didn’t mean organizers gave up on Wisconsin entirely. The Iola promoters planned a festival for Galena, Illinois, in August, but when they were slapped with a permanent injunction against it, they briefly considered moving across the state line to Grant County. (The festival was ultimately held in northeast Iowa near Wadena.) A proposed 1971 festival in Adams County never happened. Smaller events were held, such as the event in Rock County west of Janesville that attracted about 8,000 fans on a single day in May of ’71. But after Iola, the brief era of mass, multi-day festivals in Wisconsin was over.

Across the country, the pattern was the same, as young people’s desire to replicate the Woodstock experience clashed with their elders’ desire to avoid future Altamonts. As a result, the festival movement peaked in 1970 and was largely over by the end of 1971. But it wasn’t conflict with The Man alone that caused the festival movement to fade. The new consciousness of the young didn’t remake the world; the bomber-jet planes didn’t turn into butterflies. And people began to realize that what had happened on Max Yasgur’s farm in 1969 and at Sound Storm in 1970 was not repeatable indefinitely. Woodstock and Sound Storm—and Iola—were unique constellations of circumstance, in a moment that passed as quickly as it had come.

(My thanks to Scott Thomson, Paul and Bob Ericksen, Dick Wiegel, Jeff Ash, and several other folks not named here for either sharing memories of the festival, helping me find people who could share memories of the festival, and/or providing general assistance and encouragement.)

If you have trouble with either of these links, go to http://jabartlett.wordpress.com and scroll down.
J.A. Bartlett
Rememberances of The People's Fair by Richard Wiegel Posted: Aug 5, 2010


But I have a much more vivid memory of the festival at Iola.(than Sound Storm) It was a three day festival and it was put on partly by our managers. Being managed by them, we were scheduled to play all three days! But when we got there, the crowd was so big, 60,000 I recall, and the bands were so good, that we were afraid to go on! (Maybe I'm revealing too much,
as this is closer to a Spinal Tap moment.)

And there were TONS of drugs here, and a definite Hells Angels or biker element. The vibe was much stranger, not anywhere near as mellow (all from my perspective of course). People were openly walking around in the crowd hawking Panama Red and psychedelics. So we didn't go on the first day, the second day came and the music went all day, lovely weather, and we decided we had to go on sometime that night. So I don't know how this decision was
made, but we went on after Iggy Pop and the Stooges! At the height of
their creativity and popularity. Their show was ferocious, Iggy was
out in the audience, had cuts on his chest from something, was bleeding,
and when they came off the stage, he walked right past me just going
up. It was a bit shocking I must say. So we get set up and go on and
sometime in the set the sun comes up! People were still there
listening and grooving to the music, and I have a memory of it being
an excellent musical experience. And of course part of it being
terrifying, us being a young band.

So the set ended and no one was killed, I don't think anyone followed
us, and we went to sleep in our tents about 8 in the morning, only to be
awakened by someone telling us there was shooting and the bikers were
going crazy. So having another gig that night again, we packed up and
headed out, definitely troubled by what we had heard.
I don't know much about the finances from the event, but one of our
managers was able to buy a bunch of living room furniture after that.
Pretty selective memories I'm afraid but that's what I have.
Most of the other festivals we played were smaller and much more
manageable. Mostly good memories and good music.
I've started to collect some of the stories and memories of my
experiences playing music in those days, and I'll add this recollection
to it.

Clicker #15 in "The Top 25 Madison pop albums of all time" Posted: Jul 20, 2010
Hi Folks,
The boys and I are working hard this time of year, but I got a little boost and recognition for past endeavors this week. The Isthmus, a weekly rag here in Madison, put out an article called "The Top 25 Madison pop albums of all time", and one of my early bands called Clicker was #15 on the list. This was released in 1973 (37 years ago!) For comparison the band 'Garbage' was number 11. You can read a list and a short synopsis of all 25 albums here: http://www.thedailypage.com/music/article.php?article=29785 (Click on Gallery to see album photos.)

And if you are really curious, you can go here to hear the music from Clicker and see lots of early posters: www.myspace.com/clickermusic A couple highlights are the theme from Star Wars and 'Castle' with a Bach fugue intro that we did everynight whether we'd had a couple beers or not!

(Here is the text of the article)
The top 25 Madison pop albums of all time
Rich Albertoni on Thursday 07/08/2010-Isthmus

The long-play record format — the LP — was born in 1948, when Columbia Records released The Voice of Frank Sinatra on 10-inch vinyl. Madison pop musicians took awhile to join the trend. Before Full Compass Sound Studios opened in 1971, local bands had to travel to Milwaukee, Lake Geneva or Sauk City to record.

Madison's first commercially successful record was the Fendermen's Mule Skinner Blues in 1960. Not until Pro Tools began mass-producing inexpensive, high-quality home recording technology in 1997 did local pop albums become common.

"Not many local releases came out," recalls Dave Benton, who played guitar in the 1980s Madison power-pop band Spooner. And when one did, "it was a big deal, at least in our minds. It was the old business model, with all the promotion done by phone, snail mail and hustling and gigging like crazy." Today, Madison artists create about 100 original full-length albums per year.

Over the first five decades of Madison-made LPs, cassettes, CDs and now digital albums, these 25 pop recordings made the biggest splash. They helped influence the direction of popular music in Wisconsin and, sometimes, across the country and the world.

1. Killdozer Twelve Point Buck (1989)
It's the album that led to grunge, that linked Butch Vig to Nirvana and forged rock's reinvention in the early 1990s. Killdozer inverted the frenetic tempo of punk. The band's slow, sludgy sound droned as singer Michael Gerald growled dark, funny stories of Midwest despondency. Vig's production polished the band's heavy sound. Sub Pop's Jonathan Poneman took notice in Seattle and invited Vig to work with Sonic Youth and Nirvana.

2. Ben Sidran Feel Your Groove (1971)
On his major-label debut for Capitol, Sidran proved that jazz piano had a place in mainstream pop and paved the way for acts like Steely Dan. Peter Frampton and Boz Scaggs added instrumentation to this recording. Mimi Farina, the late sister of Joan Baez, added vocals. The groovy "feel it" chorus of the title track is über-1970s.

3. The Tony Brown Band Prisoners in Paradise (1982)
Madison's reggae pioneer spent eight months in Jamaica after finishing this recording at the local Full Compass Sound Studios. By the time he returned, studio owner Rick Murphy had arranged for national distribution through Jem. The album established Brown's credentials well beyond the borders of Mad City.

4. Spooner Every Corner Dance (1982)
Produced by Gary Klebe of Shoes, this was the LP debut by the Butch Vig/ Doug Erikson band that became Madison's answer to early-1980s power pop. Jeff Walker's organ riff on "Will You Remember Me?" was pure New Wave.

5. Rainer Maria Past Worn Searching (1997)
Kyle Fischer and William Kuehn were UW students in 1995 when Fischer met Caithlin De Marrais in a poetry workshop. The three formed Rainer Maria and commenced the indie rock era in Madison. Past Worn Searching was their debut. The band's style came to influence the hazy, lo-fi, subdued indie sound that still thrives today.

6. The Fendermen Mule Skinner Blues (1962)
Jim Sundquist and Phil Humphrey were UW-Madison students in the late 1950s. Each played a Fender guitar. Their cover of the Jimmie Rodgers 1930 classic "Blue Yodel No. 8" became one of the first tunes ever recorded by a Madison band, on Sauk City's historic Cuca Records. The song peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960.

7. Charlemagne Detour Allure (2005)
Charlemagne songwriter Carl Johns changed local indie rock during his years in Madison. His polished and melodic compositions proved that progressive music could embrace production and still be experimental. Detour Allure earned solid reviews in Paste and Pitchfork as the band toured the U.S. and Europe.

8. Lou and Peter Berryman We Don't Talk About That! (1992)
Since they started playing shows at Club de Wash in 1977, the Berrymans have been the face of folk music in Madison. This early-'90s release tackles local subjects with razor-sharp wit and lyrical irony. "Convention Center" was inspired by the referendum to build Monona Terrace. The song gently chided the idea that it would solve the city's problems.

9. Tar Babies Face the Music (1983)
Tar Babies were Madison's answer to Black Flag and hardcore punk. Face the Music was their debut, produced by Bob Mould and Butch Vig. With Bucky Pope on vocals and guitar, Tar Babies got signed to the venerable indie label SST in 1987. Their sound ultimately ventured beyond hardcore, and the band embraced funk. Tar Babies' aggressive early sound surely blew out a few local amps.

10. The Youngblood Brass Band Unlearn (2000)
After pop music splintered into micro-genres in the 1990s, a wave of artists like Beck and Beth Orton tried to bring it back together again. Locally, the Youngblood Brass Band sounded a call for musical unity. The former Oregon High School students used a sousaphone to bridge the gap between rock and hip-hop. Unlearn featured appearances from Talib Kweli and DJ Skooly. The band's multicultural innovations led to international touring.

11. Garbage Garbage (1995)
Butch Vig was a national music celebrity by the time Garbage formed. Lead singer Shirley Manson was from Scotland. But the band's roots were still in Madison, and members frequently hung out at the now defunct Café Montmartre. Their self-titled debut album changed the boundaries of electronic, rock and pop. Riding the success of the single "Stupid Girl," the album sold more than 4 million copies.

12. The Rob Dz Experience Soul Anthems (2005)
Hip-hop lived on the margins of the Madison music scene until the middle of last decade. Soul Anthems helped change all that. Dz collaborated with an influential group of local musicians. The raps were easygoing. The messages were positive. The R&B was smooth. The jazz was mellow. The disc heralded a new wave of progressive Madison hip-hop.

13. Tayles Who Are These Guys? (1972)
Recorded live at the Nitty Gritty, this collection of blues-rock captures the musical feel of Vietnam-era Madison. Paul Reyzold's organ added pyschedelia that was as bright as a tie-dyed shirt; Scott Eakin's flute was as groovy as a VW bus. Jeremy Wilson started the band in 1966. Like hippie culture, Tayles faded away near the end of 1972.

14. Stromkern Armageddon (2001)
Madison's electronic music scene was nascent when Ned Kirby formed Stromkern in 1994. His industrial compositions won more fans in Germany than they did here. Armageddon was the band's first U.S. release. Tracks like "Nightriders" were poppy and danceable. "Strange Day Dawning" featured brooding strings and piano. The album made waves by linking industrial beats to other musical styles.

15. Clicker Clicker (1973)
Somewhere between 1960s pop and 1970s prog, there was Clicker. The group's spookily melodramatic song "Castle" described a vision of "a lady in a forest of green" who "lived in a castle like I had never seen." Led by vocalist Mark Everist, the band included Richard Wiegel, now of the Midwesterners. There's fierce Wisconsin nostalgia for Clicker online, and with songs like "Castle," it's easy to see why.

16. Clyde Stubblefield The Original (2004)
Madison's Funky Drummer is best known for his early work with James Brown and for inventing a drum pattern that became the most sampled beat in hip-hop. In 2004, he teamed up with Ben Sidran for these funky tracks. The CD is a Madison original.

17. Fire Town In the Heart of the Heart Country (1987)
Performing with guitarist-singer Phil Davis, this album won Butch Vig and Doug Erikson the major-label contract they never got with Spooner. Originally released on the prolific local label Boat, the record was rereleased nationally on Atlantic. Fire Town's jangly rock was in tune with the early R.E.M. era.

18. Underground Sunshine Let There Be Light (1969)
Led by brothers Bert and Frank Kohl, this band released a cover of the Beatles' "Birthday" that peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. Their LP featured "Don't Shut Me Out," written by David Gates of Bread. The group later made an appearance on American Bandstand.

19. El Guante Vanishing Point (2005)
Kyle "El Guante" Myhre spent six years in Madison before signing to Tru Ruts records and moving to the Twin Cities in 2007. The spoken-word poet helped organize protests against the Iraq War. He started an alternative newspaper. Then he recorded Vanishing Point, a halting collection of rap poems, mellow beats and lonely jazz instrumentation that signaled Madison hip-hop's coming of age.

20. Appliances-SFB SFB (1984)
Another Butch Vig/Steve Marker/Smart Studios classic, SFB featured the frenetic vocals of Tom Laskin. The album is rooted in punk, but the guitar parts venture into brooding post-punk on "The Pest." Free-form jazz elements influence the wailing sounds of "Neo-Fascist." And yes, the SFB stood for "shit for brains."

21. Pat MacDonald & the Essentials Lowdown (1981)
He went on to form Timbuk3 and gain a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1987, but Pat MacDonald was a staple of the local music scene in the late 1970s. Before "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades," the Timbuk3 sound took root on this album.

22. Ivory Library Parasite (1995)
The eerie atmospherics that swirled around Ivory Library's songs gave them emotional depth. You can hear it in the restless urgency of "Go." Led by Jeff Jagielo, the band formed in the 1980s. Parasite was distributed nationwide and won the band a Billboard magazine profile.

23. Marques Bovre & the Evil Twins Big Strong House (1992)
Bovre's Americana was traditional and rebellious. The title track used prairie imagery to ground a faith metaphor. But the band's signature song, "I Like Gyrls Who Like Gyrls," flirted with the idea that "it's a twisted little world; we've all got our little kinks." The disc gained regional radio airplay, and the band packed in crowds at bars from Janesville to Stevens Point.

24. Natty Nation Earth Citizen (1998)
Natty Nation frequently played the tiny Mango Grill in University Square about the time the band released this sophomore album. Propelled by Demetrius Wainwright and Jeffrey Maxwell on vocals, the CD fulfilled the promise of the band's 1996 debut, The Journey Has Just Begun. Natty Nation's mix of hard roots rock and reggae proved unique and gained a following that remains today.

25. Blueheels Lessons in Sunday Driving (2008)
Pale Young Gentlemen and Zola Jesus have earned the most national indie press among Madison bands in recent years. But Justin Bricco and crew bring restless rage to roots rock like no other Madison band ever has. In the year the Great Recession started, Blueheels made Americana feel appropriately jagged and uneasy.

Special thanks to Dave Benton, Rick Murphy and Jim Kirchstein for helping me navigate Madison's significant early recordings.
A Follow-up on Clicker from Cub Tracy Posted: Jul 20, 2010

The Black Clicker Album was the number 2 album of the year behind Paul McCartney and Wings at WIFC in Wausau in like 1972/73, and I believe "Keep on Tryin" was a Top 10 song up there. We had other major airplay with "Keep on Tryin" at a number of stations including WISM here in Madison where it got in the Top 10. I know it did well in places like Stevens Point, Marshfield and maybe Lacrosse as wel. We also got featured airplay on Beaker Theater in Little Rock Ark with "Dumonde's Back Room", and I actually sat in by basement on the westside and heard it myself. We had singles like "It's for You", "Lucy Cain" and "So Sharp" that were never on albums, but made the Top 10 on WISM in madison back in the same time frame, so we actually got more airplay than any other Madison band that I know. The "Harde Har Har Har" Album had major airplay with "Before You Say Goodbye" and "Tennessee Tailspin". We had released Tennessee Tailspin earlier on a 45, and then had a different version on the album. Both of those songs were Top 20 in Madison. There was also some airplay in California with "Toto Comes Home". I have seen Harde Har Har Har albums go for between $100 and $300 on ebay. I have never seen the black album on Ebay. I have seen copies of single records like Lucy Cain, So Sharp and It's for You all on ebay as well, going for anywhere from $5 to $20. My son Shane actually purchased one of those himself.

So, in conclusion, I would have to suggest that both the Black Clicker album, and Harde Har Har Har would have to be in the top 10, as I know of no other bands that got more airplay, or sold more records than us in that time frame in Madison. Certainly Spooner and then Firetown would have to be mentioned as well. I just can't think of anyone else at this time who actually released albums that did well in the region. I know there were several bands that released singles and got some local airplay, but I wasn't aware of actual "albums" presay.

I hope my ramblin on helps a little bit.
Kind regards,
Cub.

Midwesterners on Car Talk Posted: Jun 2, 2010
The Midwesterners have just had their 4th song played on the NPR radio show called Car Talk. www.cartalk.com The songs they've played are Rusted Custom Ford, Studebaker, Can't Slow Down, and Unsafe at Any Speed. They have 3 of our car songs yet to play; Ridin' With Chuck, I'm Gonna Run Your Roadblock of Love, and Keep Your Motor Oiled. Thanks to Brian Holtz for sending our CD in to the show, and for informing me that they played a song last weekend (May 29, 2010). And Barry Poltermann previously of Purple Onion of Milwaukee, and now AboutFace Media, reminded me that he put our first car song in a movie, Can't Slow Down in 'The Unearthing' circa 1993? Purple Onion and director Frank Anderson also did our first video of Carolina, 1991, seen under 'videos' on our website. Thanks Barry and Frank and Car Talk.

Press Release: Remembering Sound Storm Music Festival Posted: Apr 26, 2010
Remembering Sound Storm Music Festival
(complete article and pictures now available online-RW 8/5/10) http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/u?/wmh,50344

Madison, Wisconsin, April 15, 2010-- It was 40 years ago today (almost) that Wisconsin experienced its first outdoor rock festival. Sound Storm, a production of Golden Freak Enterprises, touched down in a farm field near Poynette from April 24-27, 1970. Noteworthy acts included The Grateful Dead, Illinois Speed Press, Rotary Connection (featuring Minnie Ripperton), Baby Huey, Fuse (the band that evolved into Cheap Trick), and popular local rockers The Bowery Boys (a band that included a young, long-haired guitarist named Richard Wiegel, still performing today with The Midwesterners.)

The Sound Storm event was a product of the times—controversial, contentious, and featuring a cast of colorful characters. This fascinating slice of local history is the subject of an in-depth article by Michael Edmonds in the latest issue of Wisconsin History Magazine.

Edmonds describes how “…pulsating electric guitars, ubiquitous LSD, perfect weather, and clouds of marijuana smoke would help 30,000 young people invent a separate reality outside Poynette. Nearby, disgusted residents feared for their children and vowed never to let it happen again. To this day, participants debate what actually happened there 40 years ago. They generally agree, though, that Sound Storm marked the height of hippiedom in Wisconsin.”

The article explains how promoter Pete Obranovich snagged his headlining act: “Jerry Garcia, committed the Grateful Dead to play for just $9,500 (a third of their usual rate) out of friendship for Pete. Although the contract called only for a 50-minute set, the Dead had such a good time they played for several hours.”

More than 250 photos of the event taken by photographer Robert Pulling were recently archived at the Wisconsin State Historical Society. The Bowery Boys used one of their own photos for a poster, and Richard Wiegel donated a copy of that poster to add to the Historical Society collection of Sound Storm memorabilia. Photos and more information are available online at http://www.wisconsinhistory.org.

40 years later, Wiegel continues to play in the Madison area with The Midwesterners.


February Newsletter Posted: Mar 1, 2010
Hi Folks,
Not much stirring here in the depths of winter. But were starting to feel spring around the corner and we're ready to put the sin back in Wisconsin! We have a date booked for a live recording of the band April 23rd at the Cuda Cafe in Deerfield, we hope some of you can make the trip there to support us, (and maybe make it onto the recording!)

And we're playing the biggest party of the winter, The Harmony Bar's 20th Anniversary Party, Sunday March 14th at the Barrymore with the Midwesterners, The Jimmys, Westside Andy and Mel Ford, Chuck Bayuk and the Drunken Sailors, Doc and Terry Roddy, and to top it off, the Bel Aires. 1 to 10 pm. We go on at 3:20-4:10pm. For more details: www.myspace.com/theharmonybar Only $5 cover and it's a benefit for the Goodman Center.


And last but not least, we want to wish a fond farewell to Smart Studios, a local landmark here in Madison. Owned by Butch Vig and Steve Marker of Garbage fame,(Butch also produced Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, The Foo Fighters, and others). Our drummer Mark Haines is also an engineer there, and Smart is where The Midwesterners mixed our last two albums. We'd like to thank Mike Zirkel and Beau Sorenson for being so helpful and professional.

There are a couple of related photos on our photo page,
The first is myself and Mark mixing 'Ridin' With Chuck' at Smart on the same board used by John Lennon, Black Sabbath, the Eagles, and many more. The second is Ernie with The Rousers, and Spooner w/ Butch Vig, circa 1980s. Hope all our paths cross again soon.

Smart Studios is now doing a documentary and have asked musicians who have stories or anecdotes, to submit them. Here is what I submitted:
"My biggest memory of Smart Studios is mixing The Midwesterners album Ridin’ With Chuck in 2006. We had five days booked and that isn’t much time to mix an album, but the bigger point is I didn’t have the thousands of dollars to pay for the session. So as soon as Mark Haines (co-producer) and I finished a mix, I would run upstairs and start phoning people to borrow money from to pay for the session. Somehow the mixes got done and the money got borrowed to pay for it all,(and paid back), and the rest is rock n’ roll history."
take care,
Richard

January Newsletter Posted: Feb 2, 2010
Hi Folks,
Happy new year to you all, hope you all are doing okay and that 2010 is better for all of us. This year marks 45 years of being in bands for me, and I've included a poster of our first band (The KnightKrawlers) that was recently included on a 2010 calendar for the Darlington Historical Society. (In the photo section). And I"ve decided to start a free download program for you itunes and ipod users out there. If you go to this link: http://www.broadjam.com/transmit/index.php?txygnbz=25870&chkldsxv1=4982A01A85&chkldsxv2=B2C839EE6E&yhgbndsq=2 (copy and paste)

you will be able to listen to, or download for free, two tunes from my new kids CD. We'll included cuts from The Midwesterners CDs in future newsletters, and maybe even some live cuts from the band.


So Happy 2010 everyone.
Richard
Happy Holidays/Free Christmas Music Posted: Dec 24, 2009
Hello Everyone,
I wanted to extend my best wishes for a happy holiday season to you from myself and The Midwesterners, and to do that I've put together a little group of Christmas songs you can either just listen to (stream), or download for free. Just copy and paste this link in your browser and it will take you directly to the page to do that. It's just me on vocals and guitar and I hope you like it.
http://www.broadjam.com/transmit/index.php?txygnbz=25870&chkldsxv1=3993CE3627&chkldsxv2=B210E364B9&chkldsxv3=95236A87FF&chkldsxv4=E218159076&yhgbndsq=4

Happy Holidays.
Richard
New Solo Videos of Richard Posted: Dec 2, 2009
I recently was asked by Full Compass (a music and video retail store and distributor here in Madison) to make some solo videos to help celebrate the opening of their new store on Oct. 23-24 2009. So myself and many other bands and performers, from stage n' screen to rock n' roll, were filmed in Full Compass' new video studio and shown on the weekend of the event. They have posted some of the videos, and mine were included. The top audio and video producers were there, from Buzz Kemperer from Audio For The Arts, to Ken Ferencek on lights, Lonya Nenashev on sound, and Ken LaBarre on video. (He shot and produced our 2007 Madison Area Music Awards Show video, Ridin' With Chuck, seen here: www.themidwesterners.com/videos
This link takes you to the Full Compass videos:
http://www.fullcompass.com/gearcast/#events
I will post them hopefully soon on our Midwesterners site.
Thanks very much to Ron Vogel and Larry Bird for asking me to do this, John Vitale and Johnathan and Susan Lipp and the whole staff of Full Compass for being so friendly and professional.
ciao,
Richard
songs include; Keep It Alive, Ridin' With Chuck, Guitar Problem, Dark Tavern Blues, and Guitar Rag.
The Bowery Boys in the Wisconsin State Historical Society Posted: Dec 2, 2009
The Bowery Boys played in the first rock festival in Wisconsin, April 23-25 1970, called Sound Storm in Poynette. The Grateful Dead also appeared and played a three hour show. Robert Pulling took 270 photos that day, and they all have been cataloged at the Wisconsin State Historical Society. The Bowery Boys can be found here (I played in the Bowery Boys)

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/results.asp?pageno=3&keyword1=sound+storm&search_type=basic&sort_by=date

In February 2010 Michael Edmonds in publishing an article in the Wisconsin Magazine of History on the festival, from many perspectives; the organizer Pete Bobo, the townspeople, law enforcement, and some musicians and roadies, including those of the Grateful Dead.

I now play in a band called The Midwesterners, and I have some old posters on my site, including one from that festival:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=362334425&albumId=948206
which I am going to donate to the Historical Society.
www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi

I'll post Michael's article as soon as it comes out.
ciao
Richard

Rousers 25th Anniversary Show Posted: Apr 27, 2009
The Rousers (our guitar player Ernie's other band) are celebrating 25 years of being together with an all-star show. Here are the details:
LAST COAST PRESENTS WORT 89.9 FM
THE ROUSERS
25th ANNIVERSARY SHOW
Saturday, May 2nd
8:30 show 21+
THE MAJESTIC THEATRE
Tickets on sale now
$15.00 in advance
$20.00 Day of show

Tickets available at :The Majestic, Mad City Music, Strictly Discs, Context, Pipefitter and Majesticmadison.com.
608-255-0901 www.majesticmadison.com
Come down and help Ernie and the boys celebrate a good, long run with their band.



Richard On Mad Toast Live Tuesday April 21 Posted: Apr 20, 2009
What is Mad Toast Live you ask? It's a weekly show that usually features two one hour segments with two different performers. This week's show starts off this tuesday April 21st at 8:30pm at The Brink Lounge with KG and the Ranger, featuring classic cowboy songs, and then myself. It is hosted by the husband/wife duo of Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines (two of Madison's best performers). Please come down and support this great showcase for local artists, but if you can't, it is recorded live for podcast the following week.
My show will air on April 30th. What is a podcast the computer challenged say? It's an mp3 format that can be downloaded to your computer (FREE) for listening at your own convenience. But you can also just listen to the shows here: www.madtoastlive.com The archives feature some of Madison's best performers in a loose talk/performance format that can go from prearranged songs to spontaneous jams. For those of you who have never seen me perform solo, it's a chance to hear what I do with the fingerpicking style that I play, (which is completely different than The Midwesterners.) More info under gigs.

Clicker blog Posted: Apr 6, 2009
For those folks interested in all things Clicker, there is a blog that has been running for about a year now at: http://amthenfm.wordpress.com/2007/09/29/homecoming-weekend/ You can add your personal story about the band, favorite show or song, and generally reminisce about the 'good old days'. I also just loaded up some recent photos sent to me by Julie Kasper to our photo page at www.myspace.com/themidwesterners Clicker was a band I was in off and on from 1973-78, only 30 plus years ago! This just in: there is now a website for Clicker put up by Cubby's son Shane. www.myspace.com/clickermusic

Wow! What a Party! Posted: Mar 18, 2009
That's all I can say about the party at the Harmony Bar on Sunday. I don't know how it could have been any better. Thanks to my lovely family first off, the facilitators of it all, and to my friends, fans and bandmates over the years who showed up to play and to party. I think every single one of my bands was represented, starting with two friends that were in my very first band in 1965, Tony Beardsley and Cub Tracy. There were members of The Counts, The Bowery Boys, Baby Grand, Clicker, Rosebud, Out Of The West, Kristy and the Wild Blue Yonder Boys, The Swing Crew, and Johnny and the Hawaiians, too numerous to name.
The party kicked off with an acoustic version of the Kristy Larson Honky Tonk Trio, then we started adding musicians from over the years until we had completely filled the stage up. Then followed a blistering set by The Rousers, a surprise appearance, then an even bigger surprise appearance by those notorious recluses The Waterdogs, which gave great incentive for The Midwesterners to rise to the occasion. And they did. I couldn't be happier to be playing with my fellow bandmates, thanks to everyone of them for their musicianship and committment to excellence. Mark Haines, Ernie Conner and Tom McCarty. I'm very lucky to be playing with them.
And the night ended up with a country jam with members of Rosebud. Norm Hoffman from that band hadn't played in twenty years and he got a standing ovation at the end of the night.
So once again, thanks to all, it's been a great ride and hopefully there's lots more music and good times to come.
Richard

77 Square Article 3/12/09 Posted: Mar 14, 2009
"Lotta bands, lotta hair."

That's how local guitarist Richard Wiegel sums up the past 40 years of making music. He moved from Darlington to Madison ("the big city") in 1969 and has been performing consistently. He recently started posting the dozens and dozens of show posters on his MySpace page, (www.myspace.com/themidwesterners) from the Knight Krawlers ("yoo'l dig 'em! ... wiggle with us!") to the Beans, Clicker, Johnny and the Hawaiians, The Wild Blue Yonder Boys, The Bowery Boys and his current lineup: roots rock band The Midwesterners.

Wiegel celebrates four decades of music and his 60th birthday at 4 p.m. this Sunday, March 15, at the Harmony Bar, 2201 Atwood Ave. The Midwesterners will kick things off with a "musical potluck," and then bring up friends and fellow performers who've played with Wiegel over the years. No cover, and no presents, at his request ("Your presence is a gift").
Katjusa Cisar – 77 Square
Richard's Big 60th Birthday Bash Posted: Mar 6, 2009
Yes it's true, it's my 60th birthday, and I got a right to celebrate! In fact I'm calling it My Big 60th Birthday Tour! I'm celebrating with a week of shows, all culminating at the Harmony Bar on Sunday March 15th. Friends, family and former band mates are invited, but one and all are welcome; no cover charge! The Midwesterners will kick off the music at 4 p.m. and plan to go party until at least 8 p.m. Everyone can expect some surprising musical combinations by special guests, including friends and fellow performers from bands that I've played with over the last four decades—The Bowery Boys, Baby Grand, Clicker, The Beans, Out of The West, Rosebud, Kristy and the Wild Blue Yonder Boys, Johnny and the Hawaiians, The Swing Crew and The Wisconsin Opry. No gifts please, let your presence be your gift. Hope to see you there.

‘All Shook Up’ The Elvis Presley Musical w/ Portage H.S. Band Posted: Nov 18, 2008
Well we put on ‘All Shook Up’ at the Portage High School last week, and it was a fabulous show. My old friend Mike Powers, who I played with in the Wisconsin Opry for 20 years or so, asked me to play guitar in the pit orchestra for the show. I’ve never done this in my life, and I figured, “How hard could it be? I know Elvis songs, right? Famous last words! Mike had given me the music but I hadn’t had time to open it until two weeks before the show, and then I realized I had 30 songs and twenty seques of music to learn, broadway style! I know my Scotty Moore and James Burton licks, but this was reading a book of big band, broadway musical arrangements, and for 9/10s of all the playing I do, no reading is required. So it was two weeks of catching up, three rehearsals with Mike, three with the band, and 4 shows. But it was a great experience. The band was 22 strong, with a 16 piece horn section, and the level of musicianship, acting, production, costuming, and all around professionalism was second to none. My thanks to Mike for asking me to do it, Mr. Shaver, the band director, for his skill and direction, and to the whole band, the actors, cast and crew for giving me one of the highlights of my musical life. It’s too bad it only lasts one week. Richard ps go to http://www.themidwesterners.com/photos/27 or click on photos, and go to the bottom of the page to see photos from the band.
Musicians For Obama 9/28/08 Posted: Oct 13, 2008
Hi folks,
Thanks to everyone who came out to the Musicians For Obama fundraiser. It was a lovely day of community and music, and we raised $3300 for our candidate. Thanks to Bill Malone and John Fabke, my main conspiritors, Kristy Larson and Mark Roeder for their generous contribution for and ad, and to all the musicians who donated their time and resources. Bill and Bobbie Malone, Peter and Lou Berryman, Cris and Ann Plata, Kristy Larson and Mark Roeder, John Fabke, Jeff Burkhart, Chris Powers, Jeff Hickey, Radio Sweetheart, The Redbirds, Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines, Dan O'Brien, Sara Pace, Dave Fallow and Annie Chiles, and Jim Schwall. (Not to mention the Obama volunteers.) Thanks to all. Stay active. Take care,
Richard
For all voters regardless of party, here is a good place to verify registration, see about absentee voting, etc.: www.StateDemocracy.org


Happenings and News July 2008 Posted: Jul 30, 2008
Hi Folks,
Been a busy summer season for me and the band here in Wisconsin. All told I did 28 shows in June.
July is a bit slower thankfully, but still hoppin'. I played solo for the opening night of music for the new Talula Restaurant in Madison, (the old Mexicali Rose) and it went great. In fact, the reviewer for the local rag The Isthmus was there and here's what he wrote:

"On a recent Friday night, four of us were lucky enough to secure a table on the large outdoor patio (we had made reservations), where you can really appreciate the fact that the pink stucco walls are thankfully weathering to a dusty rose.

The place was packed, but we were seated right on time, and the service was as good and pleasant as it could be, considering the apparent staff shortage that night.

Fortunately, we weren’t in a hurry, especially after we had drinks in hand, along with a basket of chips. We had chosen the first night of live music on the patio. Richard Wiegel, a great guitarist with the Midwesterners, entertained through dinner. Lots of Johnny Cash, traditional American folk music, even a few songs for a pair of toddlers dancing to the music. (Little kids are given chalk to draw on the patio tiles. A nice touch.)" Jerry Minnich

Last weekend The Midwesterners played 3 outdoor shows to absolutely perfect weather. It was the highlight of the summer season so far for us. We did the Atwood Summerfest, Darlington Tunes at Twilight (my hometown), and Warner Park Concerts in the Park in Madison. The folks in Darlington and Warner Park said both concerts were the best of the season.

And last weekend we got another play on Car Talk, the radio show on NPR. "Unsafe At Any Speed". One of our future projects in mind is a CD of all of our car songs. Should be fun.

So that's news for now, hope you all are enjoying the summer. take care,
Richard

Madison Band Gets Unlikely Radio Lift Posted: Mar 29, 2008
Press Release March 26, 2008—Madison, Wisconsin
Madison band The Midwesterners recently got national airplay on Car Talk, National Public Radio’s most popular program. The program is hosted by Tom and Ray Magliozzi, also known as Click and Clack (the Tappit Brothers), and mixes automotive advice for callers with humor and the occasional car song. The most recent broadcast featured “Can’t Slow Down,” a song from the Midwesterners’ eponymous first album, released in 1991.

“Can’t Slow Down” is the second Midwesterners song to air on Car Talk in as many months. The first, “Studebaker,” from the band’s 2007 album “Ridin’ With Chuck”, played on the program in February. Bandleader Richard Wiegel wouldn’t have know about it if a fan had not brought it to his attention, but after he heard the news Wiegel culled half a dozen Midwesterners songs with car themes from the band’s three albums and sent them off to the show’s producers. Soon after, “Can’t Slow Down” hit the national airwaves.

Naturally, The Midwesterners hold out hope that this brush with national exposure will lead to bigger and better things. In the meantime they continue to appear in and around Madison, including playing the opening slot for Marcia Ball’s upcoming concert at The Majestic Theatre on May 30.
The Midwesterners on Car Talk Posted: Feb 26, 2008
We just found out that one of our songs from our last album was on Car Talk recently. 'Studebaker' from Ridin' With Chuck somehow found it's way onto the show. http://www.cartalk.com/ct/searchMusic.jsp We didn't submit it but now I've sent 6 other car songs from our CDs to them! I didn't realize we had so many car songs. I smell compilation!!!
On another note we just played Tricia's Country Corners and had a great time. Nice people, great venue, hope you all come and check it out when we're there in June.
Keep Your Motor Oiled.
Richard

The Midwesterners open for Marcia Ball at the Majestic Posted: Feb 14, 2008
Hi Everyone,
We just booked friday May 30th at the Majestic Theatre in Madison opening for Marcia Ball! If you haven't seen her, she's a New Orleans style stride piano player and singer, and she and her band are capable of rockin' the house! We opened for her last summer at the Barrymore in Madison. (This show and opening for Cowboy Mouth at Summerfest were our favorite shows of last year.) We go on at 8:30 and do a 55 minute set and we'll be pulling out all stops. We can't wait. Cheers.
Richard

Welcome Posted: Jan 29, 2008
Welcome to our new site.
Here we will be able to play more songs, show more photos and even our music video of 'Carolina' from 1991. This is the time of year we usually are booking for the summer, writing some new songs, or maybe actually getting a project to completion. (A live album is a possibility yet before summer.)

Some points of interest:

There is a very nice article on me and the band (in pdf file) at: madisonoriginalsmagazine.com 2007 Vol. 12

And for podcast lovers:
archive.org/details/ParadymeProductions_5
uvulittle.com/podcasts/uvulittle_midwesterners.mp3

So hope you participate with us, keep your email updated, post a comment in the guestbook, or send and email to me.

thanks
Richard