Summerfest 2014

‘11 days, 11 stages, over 800 acts’ boasts the renowned biggest music festival in the world putting on a show that coincided with the 4^th July celebrations running from June 25 to July 7, introducing a host of American and world bands looking to reignite their musical audiences.

I arrived at the festival on the 28^th June after the festival opened on 25^th with headliners Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga playing at the Marcus Amphitheatre.

I first saw Girl Talk play with energy and passion for a disk jockey that it wasn't hard to feel the music with the fans. Girl Talk whose real name is Gregg Gillis uses mashups and digital sampling of famous songs, to create a rave rowdy sound that gets everyone out of their seat dancing; indeed he had fans on the stage dancing with him in close proximity as is his style.

Although I didn't get to see Outkast or many of the popular country bands who played at the Ampitheatre it was still fascinating to walk round and see all the bands playing at the different stages, taste the local Milwaukee beer and have local food which consisted largely of cheese curds and fries.

Seeing The Wailers was a magical moment, the legendary backing band of Bob Marley. The vibes were great and the audience really felt the music. The band proving that they had not lost any of their spiritual musical touch in making the audience feel good. Now Fronted by Dwayne ‘Danglin’ Anglin, they featured many of the original members of the band including legendary bass player Aston Barrett, whose bass lines have become synonymous with the groove that Marley’s music carried.

New Order were also a special band to see at the BMO Harris Pavilion, bringing their Madchester scene to American audiences, with hits such as ‘True Faith’, ‘Regret’ and ‘Blue Monday’, the final song getting the audience going.

On the day of July 4^th, Independence Day for Americans, I opted to see Kool and the Gang, the world famous R&B, soul, funk disco band from the 80s. The Gang played primarily to the loved up of those in the audience with songs such as ‘Joanna’ and ‘Ladies Night’, but eventually encapsulating everyone with the signature numbers, ‘Get down on it’ and ‘Celebration’ which was fitting for the celebrations that were going on with fireworks booming out over the bay to the left of the stage.