Hey kids... Bill In Milwaukee here again with another report from the road with Those Darn Accordions!

Friday, July 1st brought TDA to Milwaukee's famous live music club Shank Hall. Many famous musicians have played at Shank Hall and now TDA can add thier picture to the wall.

The Riverwest Accordion Club opened the show with bubble machine in tow and tongues firmly planted in cheeks. RAC played a tight set including covers of beer jingles and thier own take on classic polka tunes.

An enthusiastic crowd greeted TDA to the stage. The show encore included the entire Riverwest Accordion Club who joined TDA for a rousing cover of "Roll Out The Barrel." 12 accordions on stage at one time... you had to hear it!

Saturday brought the gang to the Summerfest grounds for a late afternoon show on US Cellular Stage. The weather on the lakefront couldn't have been nicer. Blues skies, warm temperatures and a cool lake breeze - just what the doctor ordered for TDA's last gig on the midwest tour leg.

By showtime the crowd swelled from 3000 to 5000 people filling the stage seating area and were 10-15 deep along the sides.

The fabulous Bonnie and myself manned the TDA Boutique and sold nearly every t-shirt and CD the gang had brought with them. Many of the visitors to the Boutique were TDA first-timers and I think Paul and the gang won over a whole new corps of fans.

Following the show, Bonnie, myself and some friends joined Paul, Suzzane and Lewis for a little post show celebration. We cruised down the Summerfest grounds and took in parts of the Los Lobos and David Lee Roth shows. It turns out that Lewis is a big DLR fan!

We finally wished Paul and the gang goodnight in the wee hours as they departed for different locations across the country to recharge their batteries for the second leg of the tour in this fall.

It was a great couple of weeks following the band around Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. I had a wonderful time and can't wait for thier return to Chicago and Decatur this fall. Hope to see you at one of those shows.

See you around!
*Bill In Milwaukee

Thanks Bill in Milwaukee for the updates to the summer shows! Its good to hear that im not the only fan who will travel to see TDA, my son and I have seen four shows this last year in California and maybe even a few more before the year is over.Thanks again and send me an email if you would like to.

Bill,

My pleasure.

I had a great time trailing the band during their midwest swing. Met a bunch of neat people along the way also.

I was thinking that next summer I'd get a bunch of people together in RV's and follow the band around - kinda like the fans of The Grateful Dead do... except with more of a polka, beer and brats bent. Now wouldn't that be a sight?

I was thinking about making the trek out west for one of TDA's festival appearances this fall in California or Nevada. Any recommendations?

Cheers!
*Bill