While HWY 13 will keep rockin' as long as our hearts, minds, livers and other moving parts allow, it's nice to see the next generation starting to pull its weight in rock. Last August at George's we had the next generation (daughter Sara) on baritone sax helping my generation (HWY 13) play one of the hits from the last generation (Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' Shakin' All Over). She also rocked four HWY 13 originals on bari sax laying down a wicked back beat harking back to the days of "Maximum R&B" when rock and jazz were still evolving and much closer to their roots in The Blues. Sara also rocked the flute solo on Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath with our friends Krispy Brothers (also of our generation), as well as the Rolling Stones' Honkey Tonk Woman and a great new original by Frank Bower on guitar. It's nights like these that give me hope the next generation keeps this music alive despite what we're seeing and hearing in the mainstream media.
Speaking of my generation, tonight at George's will be a celebration of the life & music of Jeff Lemke on the 10th anniversary of his passing. Most of the surviving members of Blind Ambition will be playing including Dino on lead guitar, Geff Crowell on vocals, Ron Zicarelli on drums, Dan Buckley on bass, and Danno covering Jeff Lemke on rhythm guitar. Jeff, Blind Ambition and all the various members were a major part of the glory days of local live music. It's amazing the number of great young players we gig with who tell me they were inspired to pick-up their instrument and learn to rock properly by watching Blind Ambition perform in their heyday. On an average night they were the best live rock band in town, and on a good night no other band was even close. All generations (over 21) will not want to miss this opportunity to celebrate the life of Jeff Lemke, the reunion of the surviving members of Blind Ambition and the 10th anniversary of HWY 13, tonight at George's in downtown Racine just north of the Main Street bridge.
We're also celebrating over 10,000 pageviews to our blog. We began posting in December 2012 as we recorded our first, self-titled album and since then we've kept you current on our gigs and the recording of our second album, Collision Course. We hope this has given you an entertaining look at the life of a local live band playing original rock in a night scene full of DJ's, karaoke machines and trivia nights. One of the things that keeps us gigging is seeing the next generation's fists pumping till the last note is played, while most of my generation had to go home to take a blood pressure pill with a glass of warm milk before going to bed. Thanks for tuning-in to the blog and keep rockin'!
