“It’s not as much of a year-round thing as in theSouth,” says Dale Palecek, president of the Badgerland Bluegrass MusicAssociation, which was started by Wisconsinbluegrass artists 16 years ago. “It’s thought of as something you see at summerfestivals and fairs.”
Wisconsin summerfestivals have always been supportive of bluegrass and its crowd-friendlyappeal. Bluegrass legend Del McCoury willheadline the Potawatomi Bingo Casino stage at Summerfest on June 27, forexample.
But Palecek says there is also athriving base of year-round bluegrass fans and musicians in southeast Wisconsin. Palecekestimates there are about 20 bluegrass-related bands in the area. This includesnot only seasoned vets like the Sawdust Symphony, but also younger bands likethe high-school-aged trio Inland Moss.
People’s definition of bluegrassvaries, including subgenres like “jamgrass” and “streetgrass.” Regardless ofwhich variety, Palecek notes bluegrass’ ongoing appeal through the generations.
“There’s a musicianship to it, there ismelody, and a skill of picking that has a lot of energy to it,” Palecek says.“I know when I started playing in my 20s there was an energy that drove me toit. There’s simplicity to it and at the same time a complexity, so you can playit on any level.”
One place to catch live bluegrass on aregular basis is at the Bremen Café for its “Midweek Mountain Music” night.Musicians Colin O’Brien and Chad Witty share the stage along with othermusicians every Wednesday evening.
On a recent Wednesday, O’Brien took thestage, strumming his guitar while Witty picked away on the banjo. To say theatmosphere was low-key would be an understatement. An eclectic mix of olderhippies, younger college kids and delinquent-looking juveniles were all hangingaround casually in Bremen Café’s simple setup. The small stage itself featureswater pipes running up one side of it, and a backdrop made of a dull beigecurtain that looks like it came from granny’s house.
O’Brien played guitar, violin andbanjo, sometimes playing along on a harmonica or tapping out the rhythm withhis foot on a rectangle of wood hooked up to an amplifier. O’Brien and Wittyrolled through songs like the classic “Big River Blues” while a group of fourpeople improvised a square dance, hooting and clapping. The set list camenaturally, with the musicians discussing what to play next as they went along.They covered the “Bullfrog Shuffle” by Bela Fleck and a song by old-timeAppalachian folk musician Hobart Smith. They played “Banjo on my Mind,” whichO’Brien also plays with his band Salt Creek. The two players trotted through afun set of easygoing bluegrass, displaying their familiarity with the art oftoe-tapping music.
Besides summer festivals and smallvenues like Bremen Café, bluegrass fans can find more “mountain music” if theyseek it. For example, there is a bluegrass jam at the Borders bookstore in FoxPoint on the second Sunday of every month.
“It’s out there,” Palecek says of localbluegrass. “You just have to look for it.”
Midweek MountainMusic is free and hosted at the BremenCafé every Wednesday at 10 p.m. You can find out more about local bluegrass,including a calendar of events, at www.badgerlandbluegrass.org.
