Climb Every Mountain.. er

The Maintainers are a blues band. If that term (blues band) elicits even a whiff of negative preconception, know that this band is also largely the brainchild of harmonica player Frankie Lee and thus informed by a wide and deep knowledge of the whole scope and history of “The Blues.” Nothing against the British Invasion or the current crop of Blues Rock or Soul Blues or Jam Bands or whatever, but the Maintainers source material goes back as far as the 1920s (and not much past 1971)

Good news! That stretch of  time yields a ton of great material. We'll do our best by it.

Slightly confusing news. If you look for confirmation of The Maintainers upcoming gig (a FREE May Concert in Olin Park Pavilion this Wednesday, May 4, from 6 to 8 pm) in the pages of the Wisconsin State Journal’s April 29 edition, you will find that a band called the “Mountainers” is scheduled. Fear not. All sorts of things tend to get lost in translation and this is just another example of such.

The Pavilion at Olin Park (I call it The Barn) is cool and sits atop a lovely little hill overlooking Lake Monona and the downtown Madison skyline. Great spot for a stroll and just enough of an incline to make the mistaken “Mountainer” moniker mildly apropos.

Coming up!
Thurs, May 5 (the very next day!), Big Wes Turner’s Trio at The Essen Haus. 8:30 pm
Thurs, May 19, Big Wes Turner’s Trio (with Billy Flynn) at The Essen Haus. 8:30 pm
Fri, May 20, Tom sits in with Mojo and Flipside at Great Dane, Wausau. 8 pm
Thurs, June 2, Big Wes Turner’s Trio at The Essen Haus. 8:30 pm
Sat, June 4, Big Wes Turner’s Trio at Tyranena Brewing, Lake Mills, 6 pm
Tues, June 14, Birddog Blues Band, Janesville Concerts in the Park 6 pm
Wed, June 15, Big Wes Turner’s Trio, Monona Terrace, Private Function
Thurs, June 16, Big Wes Turner’s Trio at The Essen Haus. 8:30 pm
Fri, June 17, Birddog Blues Band, MonroeBalloon Rally. 8:30 pm
Sat, June 18, Birddog Blues Band, Lancaster Blues and Brews. 1 pm
Thurs, June 30, Big Wes Turner’s Trio at The Essen Haus. 8:30 pm