MMW, No Doubt toast Milwaukee for Summerfest

MILWAUKEE - This city is well known for its beer, brats, cheese and Harleys. But during a 10-day stretch of summer downtown, it also becomes host to Summerfest, the world's largest music festival.
With more than 100 bands performing everything from alternative and country to reggae and zydeco, Summerfest provides the tunes to satisfy all palettes.
July 6 and 7 were particularly satisfying.
Adding spice to the music were a smattering of comedians. Thursday afternoon, Jim Bruer offered impressions of baseball's John Rocker and Mark McGuire, in addition to various goats and actors. Some stupid yet hilarious finger tricks, including a three-fingered umpire and moonwalking figures, were also performed by the former Saturday Night Live comic and CMU favorite.
Thursday evening, it was time for the Hawaiian trio of Medeski, Martin and Wood to provide their special blend of progressive jazz dance jams. After five Native Americans sang a blessing for the Midwest show, MMW scampered to their instruments set up near the edge of the stage like turtles guided by moonlight, scurrying to the ocean to avoid predators.
In fact, a half moon lit up Interstate 794, curving overhead to the left of the Leinie Lodge, the pavilion where the band played and that celebrated Wisconsin's own Leinenkugel's brew. Meanwhile, cool winds sailed in from Lake Michigan on the right.
On stage, a huge banner with a wooden canoe pictured on it promoting Leinenkugel's, flapped in the breeze. It was time to set sail.
Keyboard player John Medeski, like a Caucasian Ray Charles, coaxed lush melodies into jumbo-jet takeoffs and pounded squawk-like noises from his Wurlitzer electric piano and Hammond B-3 organ. Schroeder from Peanuts fame came to mind, or perhaps The Church Lady from Saturday Night Live, or even a major league baseball stadium organist, all turned mad musical scientists.
Drummer Billy Martin and Bass Player Chris Wood followed Medeski's leads expertly while filling in gaps where appropriate, never straying from the band's slow build to a raging finish in most songs.
A dancing throng abused the rows of aluminum benches near the stage, unable to sit still amongst the grooves. MMW jammed and improvised most of their tunes from compilations such as 1995's "Friday afternoon in the universe," '96's "Shack-man" and a few from '98's "Combustication."
High points included the rocking "House Mop," "The Lover," "Think," "Dracula," "Coconut Boogaloo" and the especially mellow "Everyday People." Without vocals, all MMW songs invite the listener to take side trips to the unexpected, and seeing the band live only proves how all roads are connected.
The half moon shone again Friday night on the Marcus Ampitheater, where a near-capacity crowd of some 20,000 arrived to hear some California love. After old school hip-hop warmed up the crowd for a half hour thanks to The Black Eyed Peas, Lit took the stage for a 45-minute set of punk-pop tunes, including radio-friendly hits like last year's "My Own Worst Enemy" and "Miserable."
Then it was time for the real show.
The theme from 2001 Space Odyssey and flowing smoke ushered Orange County, Calif.'s No Doubt onstage. A huge disco-like Saturn hung above the six-member band, headed by the unjaded Gwen Stefani, who looked like she had just tore a pink ribbon off her eyes. No Doubt shone like the planet hovering above stage, opening up with the jealousy-laden "Ex-Girlfriend" to roaring approval.
While one of the best songs of the night was "Open the Gate" from 1995's "The Beacon Street Collection," the band stuck to mostly newer material. No Doubt performed half of the tunes found on their latest '80s glamour-rock influenced release, "Return of Saturn," and seven more from their double-platinum selling "Tragic Kingdom" CD from 1995.
But the band, in the midst of a North American tour, seemed to lick its chops before another adoring crowd that cheered hits and lesser known numbers with equal gusto. And Stefani helped connect her bandmates to the masses by amiably cooing "I'm just a girl ... in Milwauk-eeee."
Orange County punk influences rang true in "Excuse Me Mr." and "Staring Problem" while No Doubt's ska-laden tracks such as "Different People" and the show-closing "Spiderwebs" stung pure and soulful. The Black Eyed Peas and Lit joined No Doubt in saying goodbye, jamming together on "Spiderwebs" and leaving Stefani and friends ringing in the crowd's ears.