January 11, 2016

Today's blog is about a band that I thought would definitely not be performing anymore. After doing some research for today's blog I see that they are alive, well and performing around the world!

They formed in 1972 and in 1975 Al Kooper produced an album for them. The album did very well, they toured and were a little like Saturday Night Live with a mix of Firesign Theater comedy.

The stage show was a bit bizarre. Drugs and porn were referenced frequently in their costumes.

Fee Waybill and his character Qualude, was a big part of the stage show. He had huge hair and a guitar shaped like the letter Q.

Enjoy a look at this bizarre show that I photographed at the Uptown Theater in Milwaukee on October 9, 1975.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The Tubes, Fee Waybill performing at Milwaukee's Uptown Theater in 1975.

January 4, 2016

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a nice holiday week.

My blog last week was on the band Boston playing at Alpine Valley Music Theater in 1987.

This is Part 2, and includes the photographs that I took from a helicopter during that show. It gives us an interesting aerial view of Alpine Valley and shows the cars we all drove in 1987.

In the background you can see the ski hill, that I worked at when I was 17 years old and was a junior member of the National Ski Patrol. That was so much fun! I could ski for free and that was the key for me!

Enjoy a different view of Alpine Valley. The sun was going down. It was a beautiful evening and the band Boston was about to take stage.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

December 28, 2015

In 1987 I was the house photographer at Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wisconisn.

Photographing the band Boston on the weekend of July 10, 1987 was an awesome experience!

These photos were taken on the one nice evening of the weekend. I remember it rained most of that weekend.

I am breaking up the photos into a few blogs.  I have a lot of them and many of the photos were taken from a helicopter. Those will be in separate blog.

Enjoy these pictures and Happy New Year everyone!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Boston, playing at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in July of 1987.

December 21, 2015

Every once and a while you find some negatives in your closet and go wow!

I only know that they are from 1987 and it's the big haired band Cinderella!

Enjoy a look at some big and long hair of a very successful band from Philadelphia. Also, a look at some really nice guitars like the double neck Gibson Les Paul.

I also want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The big hair band Cinderella, in 1987.

December 14, 2015

I can't believe that I haven't done a blog on my very good friend Uncle Vinty! Vinty performed solo, in the The Uncle Vinty Show and then in his other band called The Movies.

So here we go.  Enjoy some photos of Vinty and his bands. I included a few pictures of the one record that I know of that he made.

Some of the photos are from a television show he did on WITI-TV 6 years ago. I think the year was 1975.

One of the photos here is my very first business Christmas card from 1972!

A few of the black and white photos that look cracked are actually called reticulated. It is done as you process the film and then freeze it during the developing process. It's an interesting look that I did frequently in my college days.

Take a look at Vinty.  He was a one of a kind!

Please join me on Facebook at Rich Zimmermann Photography and I still have a few 2016 Rock'N Roll calendars left for $30.00 plus $5.00 for shipping. The Rolling Stones from 1975 are on the cover and every month features an artist in his birth month!  David Bowie 1974 is January and it finishes up with Ted Nugent from 1981 in December.  Every photo is suitable for framing!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Uncle Vinty, with the Uncle Vinty Show and his band The Movies!

December 7, 2015

On November 15, 2015, my wife and I went down to the Milwaukee Harbor to see the USS Milwaukee.

It was a beautiful day, and we arrived just as it was coming into the harbor. It was going very slowly at about 21mph or 18 knots as they say! That is it's published cruising speed. Her top speed is 52 mph or 45 knots.

She is powered by 2 Rolls-Royce gas turbines and 2 Colt-Pielstick diesel engines. These engines power the 4 Rolls-Royce waterjets so she can travel in very shallow waters.

At 378.3 ft long and 57.4 ft wide, she is an impressive site to see. It is a very big and fast ship that is crewed by about 50 to 75 sailors.

This is the fifth ship to be named for the city of Milwaukee and is listed as a Freedom-class, littoral combat ship that was just built in Marinette, Wisconsin. She came into town to be commissioned, then off she went, headed for a long trip to San Diego and then the China Sea.

After our sad week of more terrorism in the United States, I thought this would cheer us all up a little bit. It really was exciting to see an actual military ship up close.

I wish them safe travels.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann