On this week's episode of The Disclaimer, a near-weekly half-hour of truth-telling and debate between WMSE station promotions director Ryan Schleicher, A.V. Club Milwaukee editor Matt Wild and I, we discuss a loaded Daniel Bice column from last week that revealed Summerfest's CEO Don Smiley makes more money than you'd expect (and apparently a lot more money than even some Summerfest board member...

Summerfest has announced its second 2013 Marcus Amphitheater headliner and, like the first, it's another big country artist: Tim McGraw. One of the all-time best-selling artists of the Soundscan era, McGraw brought a cool, sensual sound to country music when he hit the charts in the mid-’90s, literally topped off by his large sized cowboy hats that hid his eyes while crooning hits like “Don’...

Contemporary country kicks off Summerfest’s 2010 Marcus Amphitheater lineup tonight. With more than 20 years in the music business, opening-night headliner Tim McGraw continues his run as an audience favorite. As half of country’s power couple—his wife is Faith Hill—McGraw has polished his...

Tim McGraw brought a cool, sensual sound to country music when he hit the charts in the mid-’90s, literally topped off by his large sized cowboy hats that hid his eyes while crooning hits like “Don’t Take the Girl” and “Down on the Farm.” His chiseled good looks make him easy on the eyes of his growing legion of...

Contemporary country music is on a bit of a sentimental streak right now, which bodes well for singer/songwriter/hitmaker Phil Vassar, who uses his weepy piano chords to tug at the heartstrings of the cowboy-boot set. After writing chart-toppers for Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson, Vassar struck out to . . .