December 28, 2024

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Here we are a few days away from 2025 already and I wish the best of health to all. Been a rough 2024 around here for my wife and me with my bladder cancer and other issues. Thanks to her I have the best nurse 24/7 and I love her a lot.

I was trying to figure out what to do for this blog and I recently found out that a local guitarist, Greg Koch, grew up in my old neighborhood in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Right around the block from us really but I never realized it as he's 12 years younger and we moved when he was 5 years old.

Greg in 2012 was recognized by Fender Guitars as the one of the 10 top unsung guitarists of the world! He has a very unique style and won the 1989 Bluesbreaker Guitar Showdown judged by blues man Buddy Guy. In April of 2023 he was inducted into the Wisconsin Area Music Industry Hall of Fame.

He is a master guitar playing teacher with a lot of videos and has given a lot of lessons worldwide. In 2020, Guitar World called him one of the best guitar teachers.

I photographed Greg in 2009 and 2010 at Summerfest and seen him play a few other times. If you get a chance, go see him play and you won't regret it.

Enjoy a few photos from Summerfest 2009 and 2010.

Have a wonderful 2025 and great health to all.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

April 17, 2023

It's getting closer to Summerfest time and I'm still editing last year's massive pile of photos!

The band Guster played on July 9, 2022 and The WhiskeyBelles on July 7, 2022 on the Summerfest grounds.

Guster is a band that has been around for years and they getting better with every show. Ryan Miller and Adam Gardner really put on the lead guitars and vocals.

The WhiskeyBelles are a local Milwaukee band playing great bluegrass music and continue to get more popular every day. Chrissy Dzioba Clobes leads the trio with Kimberly Hanson on fiddle and Sara Moilanen on bass.

Enjoy a look at two great bands!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

March 20, 2023

More of some Summerfest photography for you today with my friends, The Tubes!

Fun band that I've photographed a few times since 1975, and this is the most current version of the band on July 7, 2022 at Summerfest.

Gave Fee Waybill, the singer and main man of the band some old photos of himself and he flipped out!  He loved them! Fun guy and he even signed one for me. He showed his wife and she was impressed at his then "Quay Lewd" character and outfit.

Fee said that character only comes out late at night now!

Checkout Fee Waybill, Prairie Prince, Roger Steen and the band here and anytime you can. They do a great show.

This show had a ton of fog rolling in off of Lake Michigan at 4:30pm and it took some Photoshop cleanup to cut through it.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The WhiskeyBelles having fun at Summerfest on July 7, 2022.

Guster having fun playing Summerfest on July 9, 2022.

March 6, 2023

One of the most interesting bands that I have ever photographed in a long time is Los Straightjackets from Nashville.

I have liked their music for a long time. It's all great instrumentals with the musicians wearing Mexican wrestling masks!

They have two great lead guitar players with a bass and drums. They serve up a bit of Surf Rock and more.

Eddie Angel, Pete Curry, Greg Towson and Chris "Sugarballs" Sprague are a really tight band with great guitar playing.

Check them out and listen to some great music. It's a fun show with no vocals. Other than a song title given in a heavy Spanish accent that is all the talking you get! It's all about the music.

Enjoy a look at the guys playing Summerfest on July 7, 2022.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The GREAT Los Straightjackets at Milwaukee's Summerfest on July 7, 2022.

February 20, 2023

I have more of the past year at Summerfest to share with you. This week it is the Marshall Tucker Band.

I've photographed the band three times now with three different versions of the band- 1975 at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee, 1978 at Summerfest with Willie Nelson and then this past July 9, 2022 at Summerfest again.

The one person in all three versions of the band is vocalist Doug Gray who is the only original member of the band left. However, the band is hot as ever!

Chatted with him before the show and he still has the energy and power to lead the band forever! And he really meant forever when he said, "I love what I do and can't think of doing anything else!"

His voice is just as good as it was in the old days and the new band is very polished.

Marcus James Henderson plays keyboards, sax and flute. I was amazed at how good and versatile he is.

By the way do you know the story of how the band got it's name? In 1972, it was on the key of the rehearsal space they used. Marshall Tucker was a blind piano tuner in South Carolina where they band is from!

Enjoy a look at them from the past summer.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The Marshall Tucker Band lead by Doug Gray at Summerfest July 9, 2022.

The Cult performing at Summerfest on July 9, 2022.