Could you ask for a better summer night... comfortable temperatures, a serene sunset glowing in the sky, a pristine new, hip venue at the Mequon Public Market, and the music of one of Milwaukee's true treasures, Joseph Huber. Looking around, the large crowd gathered were a sea of smiling faces of all ages, from the very young to the young at heart, and all generations in between. Joseph Huber has a way of connecting to the crowd in a way that few artists can, and through his humble banter and wonderfully crafted storytelling in his songs, Huber had his audience tapping their feet, grinning, and dancing throughout his two-set performance.
Huber was seated on his trademark suitcase... with his feet tapping rhythms on tambourine and kick drum, while the veteran troubadour sang, strummed the guitar, and played the harmonica, regularly all at the same time during any given song. Accompanying the one-man jam of Joseph Huber was longtime collaborator, Eston Bennett on upright bass and vocals, and Pat Otto on mandolin. The trio had resounding and palpable energy that resonated with the crowd that increasingly grew throughout their performance.
photo by Will Piper
Joseph Huber is set to release his latest record, Moondog, next month and embark on a lengthy tour which will take him across the western part of the country with gigs in Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, and Montana. There was a renewed energy and excitement to Huber and his band who performed two solid sets of music, mixing together everything from tunes from Huber's tenure in the .357 String Band, to deep cuts from his solo releases, to classic songs, and brand new numbers. Highlights included first set classics like, "Playground/Battlefield" from 2017's amazing Suffering Stage LP, "An Old Mountain Tune," from 2012's Tongues of Fire record, and "The Hanging Road," from the 2014 Hanging Road release.
photo by Will Piper
The second set featured some more favorites like "Same River Twice," and "Fell off the Wagon," also from Tongues of Fire, along with some of Huber's new tunes. A noteworthy track was "A Northwoods Waltz," which featured the Huber trio invoking the spirit of Van Morrison in a number that is sure to be a new favorite for audiences around the country with its beautiful lyric imagery and catchy chorus. As the show concluded, Huber dropped a great cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City," done in the style of The Band, as well as a beautiful finale of "Hello, Milwaukee," from Tongues of Fire, which had the audience hanging on Joe's every word. Noteworthy in the performance is how Eston Bennett's upright bass work has evolved to gel perfectly with Huber's rhythm guitar work and foot percussion. Likewise, Otto's mandolin fills added a rich texture to the tunes and the audience greatly enjoyed his fast-paced picking.
The opening of the Mequon Public Market at Spur 16 was something that was truly special for the Mequon community. "We so need something like this here... badly," stated Mequon resident Sepp Backus with an ear to ear grin after Joseph Huber finished his set. Backus, 42, was a long time resident of Milwaukee's East Side and has recently relocated with his family to Mequon. The Mequon Public Market gives the Mequon community, sprawled over one of Wisconsin's largest cities in terms of land area, a spot to congregate, enjoy tasty food, artisan wares, and, in the case of Saturday night, hear world-class music. Many of the food vendors in the Mequon Public Market are establishments that you could only find downtown, in Riverwest in Bay View. The vendors included Anodyne Coffee, Purple Door Ice Cream (my personal favorite), Beans and Barkley, Screaming Tuna, Cafe Corazon, Bavette La Boucherie, Bowls, Happy Dough Lucky, Santorini Grill, and La Terre. The lively market certainly brought the community together as did Huber. We are excited to hear more great music at the Mequon Public Market in the future.
There was a palpable buzz in The Back Room of Collectivo last Friday evening and for good reason. Ben Nichols and Oliver Peck rode into town for the second night of this year's Bikeriders Tour, an event that features the Lucero frontman and tattoo artist extraordinaire riding their motorcycles across the country together, enjoying the company of fans, and raising funds for victims of motorcycle accidents. When venturing to Collectivo, I was expecting a sit-down singer-songwriter show. Instead, fellow fans and I were treated to one of the more energetic, raucous and fun solo shows I've seen in quite some time featuring just one stellar songsmith, his passion for his music and his fans, and his guitar.
Ben Nichols is a veteran to the alt-country and Americana scene, having released a dozen records with Lucero over their nearly 20-year history as a band, along with solo material and music for the hit TV series The Walking Dead. In fact, I am proud to say I was an early Lucero fan watching a very young group from Memphis open for the North Mississippi Allstars in 2001 at the Miramar Theater, not far from the Back Room at Collectivo. Oddly, what stood out from that performance was the same thing that resonated last Friday- and that is Nichols's passion for his craft.
Nichols's trademark grizzled and gravely vocals shined through bright smiles and an overall feeling of humble gratitude and cheer. Fans were treated to a robust set featuring well over twenty tunes that spanned across his career as a performer. Highlights included classic Lucero numbers like, "The Bikeriders," (from 2005's Nobody's Darlings LP), "Texas and Tennessee" (from 2013's Texas and Tennessee EP) and, of course, "Nights Like These," (off of 2002's Tennessee LP). However, the true takeaway of the set was Nichols's latest composition "Hello, My Name is Izzy," a lovely, dad-rock song about Nichols's daughter at the age of one. This single released this year encapsulates a moment that many of the fans in attendance can share as they've grown with Lucero from early ruckus days to more reflective ones.
Opening for Ben Nichols was Milwaukee native and local treasure, Joseph Huber. While watching Huber's set Nichols came out from the green room close to where I was standing and sated, "damn, this guy is good." That same sentiment was felt by the crowd, ten-fold. Huber made a rare solo performance, standing and playing guitar and harmonica verses his normal position tapping rhythms while seated on a suitcase. Huber, like Nichols, is a humble, earnest performer, who is quick to smile and connect with the crowd. The large audience swarmed the stage during Huber's set which featured a mix of new material from his forthcoming July release, Moondog, alongside classic Huber tracks. Stand out performances included the new narrative country-themed track, "Rivers of Smoke," and a riveting set closer of "Hello, Milwaukee." Huber and Nichols are both master storytellers and delivered a performance of great narrative tunes that was a treat for all in attendance.
