Moderate temperatures aren’t the only reason I am resonating a reddish hue. I am thrilled because festival season, too, is upon us, and along with our annual three-month-long Summer celebration comes my favorite local concert series: Tosa Tonight!
Unless work travel forces me away, I never miss a Tosa Tonight. This free music concert series started in 2000 and 10 years ago (June 24, 2009), found a permanent home at Wauwatosa’s Rotary Performance Pavilion. Save the occasional train that screams past the verdant amphitheater, it’s a near perfect place to enjoy a Summer’s evening with some of the finest local and touring artists that the series' generous sponsors can afford.
And let me tell you this… it seems to get better every year. 2019 promises to be one of the best yet.
This year, within a week before each Tosa Tonight concert, I am going to post my musings on the upcoming performers. Live music is my jam and Tosa Tonight has offered us (me and my wife, Kay) the privilege to capture pics of each edition. So long before the week of any given show, I’ve already familiarized myself with the bands. Hopefully, each blog can serve as a little quick-start guide for each concert.
With that said, the first Tosa Tonight concert of 2019 is a doozie: Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts with guest Kelly Steward. This is Miles’ second Tosa Tonight show, as he helped me ring in my birthday from the same stage on July 27, 2016.
Welcome back, Miles & Co.
For those unaware, Miles is (sort of) a local. He hails from Rockford, Illinois. Another popular Wisconsin band also hails from Rockford: Cheap Trick. So, not-too-coincidentally, Miles’ pop is none other than Rock and Roll Hall of Farmer, Rick Nielsen, the checkered and bespectacled guitarist for the band who wants you to want them. No wonder Miles can rock the guitar! Imagine, having all of those awesome guitars at one's disposal. (Rick, besides being a famed rocker, is also a noted guitar collector. I’m sure he’s lost count of his collection, but I read an old article that said he trimmed his collection down to 450 or so. Yowza!)
I bet having a famous family member can be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because, why not? Use your lineage to break down doors and get heard -- take every advantage. I wouldn't blame ya. Your business is tough. But perhaps it's a curse because some might think that the acclaim is not rightfully earned. (I'm looking at you, Miley.)Anybody who would think the latter in Miles’ case would be wrong. Dead wrong. Miles’ music sounds nothing like his father’s and he’s proven his chops and has ground it out on the road and in small clubs and theaters as much as anybody in the business. In fact, I’d say greater fame and acclaim has eluded him and his band mates for too long. This is a group that is making music that matters. It’s poignant, rocks, sincere, and loaded with powerful hooks. (Listen to the goosebumps-inducing song 'Cold War.')
I grabbed a preview of Miles’ show Memorial Day weekend at Blueberry Jam Festival in Hazel Green, Wisconsin. The band was tight and Miles seemed to be in mid-Summer form. The band was even joined for a few numbers by Miles’ wife, Kelly Steward. Yes, the same Kelly Steward that is the guest performer at Tosa Tonight’s opening night show (June 12th). Kelly pairs her angelic voice with warm acoustic rhythms and melodies that will provide the perfect intro to the evening and the musical season that follows.
To get you ready, below are a few of my favorite Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts tracks.
Enjoy!
Heavy Metal
Kentucky
Strangers
Cold War
Surrender, a Unique Cheap Trick Cover with Kelly Steward
Wish You Away by Kelly Steward
No comments:
Post a Comment