Cover bands occupy a weird place in the music world. They get a bad rap for being unoriginal, but at the same time, people flock to see them.
Case in point: Bruce Sullivan, Wisconsin State Fair's entertainment and events director, estimated the fair's 33 stages will host 40 cover bands during its 11-day run.
What makes cover bands so popular in Milwaukee?
Milwaukeeans are "hardworking people," Crazy Man's Basement singer Tom Klubertanz said. "When they go out, they want to have fun, drink hard and dance to songs they know, and God bless them for that."
So drop the music snobbery for a few days and head over to the State Fair. Whether you're in the mood for Sublime or Steve Miller, Pink Floyd or Prince, there's probably a band there playing it.
CRAZY MAN'S BASEMENT
7 p.m. Thurs., Aug. 10
Pabst/Old Style Heartland Pavilion
www.cmbband.com
OK, so they're not strictly a cover band. But if you want a few new songs mixed into the sing-alongs, this group is worth a listen.
Trademark tunes From Dave Matthews Band and Counting Crows to more "bizarre" stuff such as Radiohead and the Arctic Monkeys, Klubertanz said. "(Bob) Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower' - that's a fan fave."
Why you should listen: The acoustic charm. "Our major instrument is acoustic guitar rather than electric," Klubertanz said. After the show, check out the band's first CD, "There and Back," which won the 2005 Wisconsin Area Music Industry award for CD recording of the year.
Other bands highlighted in the complete, online article: Altered Five, Crossfire, Old Mil
