The COVID19 Pandemic has had a tremendous impact on society and culture here in Milwaukee, across the country, and around the world. With live in-person concerts on hold, for now, artists who make a living by touring are coming up with innovative and creative ways to host shows and connect with their fan bases while being hunkered down inside of their own homes. The art of the virtual house show has quickly emerged as a popular format for artists to share their music with fans, and also a great way for some of our top independent musicians to hopefully earn tips, as many of their tours have been canceled or postponed. Call it virtual busking, COVID Couch Tour, or what you will, we want to applaud some of our finest Milwaukee performers for their efforts to keep spirits up and music flowing during these difficult times.
Joseph Huber: Joseph Huber has long been touted as a Milwaukee treasure with his earnest storytelling and grippingly sincere songwriting. While busting on the scene as a young person in the mid-2000's as a founding member of .357 String Band, Huber has made a great go of it as a solo artist and has been touring around the midwest and beyond steadily for the past decade. Huber was slated to be touring across the country this spring in support of his most recent record, 2019's, Moondog. However, due to COVID19, he's been off the open road and holed up in his Riverwest abode. Does that stop Huber from sharing his tunes, giving passionate performances and working on a new record? Of course not! One of Milwaukee's first artists to jump on the Facebook Live platform for performing during the "safer at home" movement, Huber pulled off an epic and seemingly insane four-hour live set on March 23rd. Let's remember this is Joe performing solo as a singer-guitarist-harmonica player, without any sort of band accompaniment either. Huber's set spanned his career of tunes from vintage .357 String Band cuts to brand new numbers, to old tunes reimagined, and recent solo works as well. Pepper in a few covers from the likes of Van Morrison and Jackson Browne, and you have yourself the mother of all quarantine house shows. If it wasn't for Facebook Live cutting him off at four hours, one might reckon that Joe would have gone even longer. This show was amazing to experience live and worth a revisit on Joe's Facebook page.
Virtual Tip Jar: Venmo @Joseph-Huber-12 or PayPal at josephhubermusic@gmail.com
While Joseph Huber's solo work is always noteworthy and worth recognition, Huber recently joined forces with Jayke Orvis who also was a staple in the .357 String Band for an hour plus "street grass" revival show. The smiles on the artists' faces while trying to physically distance themselves were priceless. This impromptu performance had over 600 viewers tuning in for their live set which started at 5:00 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon... a great testament to fans still hungry for vintage .357 jams.
Virtual Tip Jar: PayPal at streetgrass77@gmail.com
Trapper Schoepp:
Trapper Schoepp has emerged in recent years as one of Milwaukee's most prolific songwriters and infectiously energetic performers. Schoepp's passion for his home city and state is evident in everything from "On, Wisconsin" (a song he penned with recovered lyrics from the great Bob Dylan) to his homage to fun with his 2017 "Bay Beach Amusement Park" release. Schoepp is proud of his Wisconsin roots and often references his home state and experiences, traveling through it and away from it, as regular fodder for his tunes. Trapper Schoepp along with his brother Tanner recently took their show to the interwebs and performed a classic take of their song "Tracks" from their 2012 debut record.
To support Trapper Schoepp and his band, please consider checking out his Kickstarter Page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thisisntfunanymore/this-isnt-fun-anymore or
Virtual tip jar: Venmo @trapperschoepp; PayPal- band@trapperschoepp.com
Ryan Necci of Buffalo Gospel:
Ryan Necci might have the best voice of any singer-songwriter to come out of Milwaukee recently. Folks that have had the pleasure of seeing Necci perform with his band, Buffalo Gospel, know how Ryan can belt out introspective vocals like none other. Necci and his wife have recently relocated to Nashville, but still, make it a regular practice of performing concerts in Wisconsin with new and old friends in attendance. Few can howl better than Necci and even fewer can connect lyrically on so many different levels. In a recent virtual living room show, Necci performed a two-hour set showcasing the breadth and evolution of his songwriting over the past decade.
Virtual Tip Jar: Paypal - paypal.me/ryannecci Venmo - www.venmo.com/Ryan-Necci
Ernest Brusabardis IV and Jordan Kroger of Chickenwire Empire:
Milwaukee's bluegrass juggernauts, Chicken Wire Empire, continue to stay busy and connected during these challenging times, with Sunday shows performed by Ernie and Jordan. What's fun about this particular performance is that you have Ernie (who normally plays fiddle) on mandolin and Jordan (who normally plays upright bass) on guitar. The duo does a splendid job of covering veteran bluesman Taj Mahal's "Loving in my Baby's Arms," and keep their upbeat nature and joy for performing for others palpable amid the social distancing.
Virtual Tip Jar: PayPal: chickenwireempire@gmail.com
