Ex BoDeans lead capitalizing on March Madness but gives no love to MU

[Knight Commission]

Wrote a song called Seize the Day. I'm sure there are a few on this Board that supported this guy when they were playing the Toad.

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/sounds/post/_/id/5154/sam-llanas-talks-march-madness-new-play

[Tugg Speedman]

From the article ...

Llanas, who is from of Waukesha, Wis., said that despite his proximity to both NCAA tournament participants Marquette and the University of Wisconsin, he's not a fan of any one team in particular.

"What I like is seeing a game that's anybody's game when it goes down to the wire," he said.

[77ncaachamps]

Dude, you met your BoDeans partner in HS in 1977!!!

How could you NOT be an MU fan?

[BrewCity83]

He probably was denied admission.

[GGGG]

I've never quite understood Milwaukee's obsession with the BoDeans.  One decent song...and that's about it.

The Femmes were better.

[🏀]

I've never quite understood Milwaukee's obsession with the BoDeans.  One decent song...and that's about it.

The Femmes were better.

Thank you.

[brewcity77]

I've never quite understood Milwaukee's obsession with the BoDeans.  One decent song...and that's about it.

The Femmes were better.

I never got the Bodeans worship. They were local, but other than the Party of Five theme song, what did they ever do? How anyone could rate them over the Femmes is beyond me.

[EnderWiggen]

I've never quite understood Milwaukee's obsession with the BoDeans.  One decent song...and that's about it.

The Femmes were better.

+1

[BrewCity83]

The Femmes were better.  Way better.  But that first BoDeans album "loveandhopeandsexanddreams" is full of great songs ("Fadeaway", "Angels", "She's a Runaway", etc.) and those of us who saw the BoDeans perform in their early years will always appreciate how good a live show they could put on and how they helped bring roots-rock Americana to the people.

[GGGG]

I never got the Bodeans worship. They were local, but other than the Party of Five theme song, what did they ever do? How anyone could rate them over the Femmes is beyond me.

Probably because "Blister in the Sun" might not exactly resonate with Joe Six-Pack from Cudahy.

[tower912]

I saw the femmes, I enjoyed the femmes.    The BoDeans were my band.     Still among my personal top 3.   All of their albums, a dozen shows.    And I always thought 'Closer to Free' was kind of weak.   

[Norm]

I like both the Femmes and BoDeans - totally different styles. I saw the BoDeans play at the Toad a bunch, and saw a them at regular concerts about 20 times (although only paid to get in a couple times). If I had to choose between the two I'd definitely go with the BoDeans.

[Boone]

Yes, our house much preferred the Femmes...despite a drunken housemate relieving himself on Victor, their drummer's apartment door on the east side late one nite.

[77ncaachamps]

"Good Things" Live is AWESOME.

"Still the Night" is great.

Yes, not Violent Femme edgy, but they're still a pretty decent Mil-town band.

FWIW, I liked Secret Goldfish, too.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

I've never quite understood Milwaukee's obsession with the BoDeans.  One decent song...and that's about it.

The Femmes were better.

This, (although I don't know what this "one decent song" is you mention).

[StillAWarrior]

I'm another big BoDeans fan.  Loved watching them when I was in Milwaukee in the late 80s and early 90s.  That "one song" someone referred to is probably Closer to Free.  I like it, but it's not nearly my favorite.  I like Naked, Still the Night, She's a Runaway, Beautiful Rain, Good Things, Idaho...  Pretty much the whole Joe Dirt Car CD list.  Never saw the Femmes live.  Would have liked that.

[brewcity77]

I'm another big BoDeans fan.  Loved watching them when I was in Milwaukee in the late 80s and early 90s.  That "one song" someone referred to is probably Closer to Free.  I like it, but it's not nearly my favorite.  I like Naked, Still the Night, She's a Runaway, Beautiful Rain, Good Things, Idaho...  Pretty much the whole Joe Dirt Car CD list.  Never saw the Femmes live.  Would have liked that.

The Femmes are fantastic live, though in their later years they tended a bit too much toward the off-the-wall digeradoo type stuff at their live shows. But Gordon knows how to turn the audience up. If you're still in the area, there's always Summerfest...

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/femmesfest27-g19ag8a-200076981.html

Reunion show this year to kick off the Big Gig.

[GGGG]

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/04/why-violent-femmes-classic-debut-still-seems-so-young-30-years-later/274991/#comments

[mu_hilltopper]

Big BoDeans fan here.  And my wife.  Never much cared for the Femmes.

[BrewCity83]

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/04/why-violent-femmes-classic-debut-still-seems-so-young-30-years-later/274991/#comments

Great analysis--thanks for posting that.

[mugrad99]

Femmes-played when wife gives the hall pass and the fellas are going to act 20 years younger than we are. (Hole in the wall bar, pool/darts, bad food afterwards)-think Lanche

BoDeans-Kids are at the grandparents, wife and I go out with other couples to a "little" classier bar.... Think O'D's or Murphy's Law....

Both groups throw me back to my college years 86-90. Great music

[Spotcheck Billy]

Never cared much for either one to be honest. The Bodeans always struck me as a re-worked cover of The Wigs; now maybe the X-Cleavers or Couch Flambeau ...

I've never quite understood Milwaukee's obsession with the BoDeans.  One decent song...and that's about it.

The Femmes were better.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I never got the Bodeans worship. They were local, but other than the Party of Five theme song, what did they ever do? How anyone could rate them over the Femmes is beyond me.

I was a fan way before the Party of Five song.  I saw them live at SummerFest & at Maritime Fest (well before the theme song point) and that turned me into a big fan.  I enjoy their newer CDs from the 2000's especially Resolution & the latest American Made.  In the fall, I did see them twice in three days here in Connecticut.  One was a paid show where I was in the front row and no surprise, I saw a fellow Marquette alum at the show.  I met the current rendition of the band after that show for a meet & greet autograph session and they informed me they were playing a free make-up show in New Haven two nights later.  I arrived early with the family to ensure myself front row seats.

They were playing the free show in New Haven as a favor to Yale-New Haven Smilow Cancer Center.  The cancer center uses "Closer to Free" as their advertising slogan & song, so locally one hears the BoDeans regularly on TV as the center runs a lot of comercials.  Lately, they've been running a flash mob version with cancer survivors singing "Closer to Free" at the New Haven Train Station.

[Spotcheck Billy]

I grab live concerts that are not officially released from various websites and one just gave me a shock, a Bodeans show at Craigs in 1985, whodathunk it would show up in 2013?

[ResidentBrown]

The BoDeans sound like a bunch of unremarkable easy listening drivel. They aren't unique in any sort of way. There are 20 bands from that era with the same exact sound.

The Femmes absolutely kick ass. They brought a punk, chip-on-the-shoulder, attitude to a mainly acoustic sound. They are the greatest musical contribution that Milwaukee has produced (and I am fully aware of Steve Miller).

Jerry Harrison gets my vote for the second greatest contribution to music - being a member of two of my favorite bands of all time, The Modern Lovers and Talking Heads.