Curtis Mayfield, at Summerfest in 1973.

April 13, 2015

Lately, I have featured some blogs from photographs that I have found, lost in a closet in the house here.

Today, I am featuring Willy Porter and his band from Summerfest in 2009. I found them lost in my digital closet here on the computer! They were in with a bunch of bands from Summerfest in 2009.

At Summerfest, I always try to photograph just about everyone I come across while I am there.

Sorry Willy, you, Carmen, and the band, have been lost for a while! Too many shows photographed at Summerfest by yours truly in 2009!

Willy Porter and Carmen Nickerson are one of Milwaukee's top music artists. Milwaukee is very fortunate to have such quality performers that tour nationally.

I didn't know about Willy, until I was at a gallery opening with my photographs in Minneapolis years ago. Willy and the band were playing in Minneapolis and a friend said that one of Milwaukee's top acts was in town that night. Sorry again Willy, I didn't know who you were!!

You and Carmen are exceptionally talented musicians that need more exposure and shouldn't be lost in a closet!!

So, everyone, enjoy some photographs of Willy, Carmen, and the band, from 2009 and get out there to see them sometime soon.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Willy Porter, with Carmen Nickerson and the band at Summerfest in 2009.

April 6, 2015

Spring is finally here and I hope you all had a nice Easter with family and friends.

This week's blog, takes us back to March 28, 1973, for The Edgar Winter Group show at the Riverside Theater here in Milwaukee.

Edgar Winter, was enjoying great success at this time with his #1 hit song "Frankenstein". His other hit at the time "Free Ride", made it to #14 on the US Hot 100 chart.

At the end of 1972, he had formed The Edgar Winter Group with the late Ronnie Montrose, Chuck Ruff and Dan Hartman. This is the band shown here and they were really good!

Edgar, is the brother of the late, Johnny Winter, and is also known as the inventor of the keyboard body strap. This gave him great freedom to move around on stage and continue to play. I also have photographed musician Gary Wright, using this invention.

Take a look back to 1973 and enjoy the platform shoes and big bellbottom pants! Still have those in your closet?

Have a great week.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The Edgar Winter Group, on March 28, 1973 at Milwaukee's Riverside Theater.

March 23, 2015

These photographs are from a few things that I have found in my closet lately!

Good seeing Steve Miller playing a beautiful and rare vintage Ibanez Artist 2623 guitar!

This period of Summerfest, was when the good old mainstage existed with the two big top tents and grass in front of the stage. It was a good time, except when it rained and turned Summerfest into Mudfest!

Steve Miller, on this particular evening was awesome and his band with Norton Buffalo was so good to listen to. The added benefit of Leslie West coming out to play was a great surprise.

Some of these images are not in the best of shape and if you know me, I don't Photoshop until purchased, due to theft on the web of my images. They are still good to look at to see Norton Buffalo, Steve Miller and Leslie West rockin' and rollin'.  I could listen to Norton Buffalo all day long!  If you don't know who Norton Buffalo is, he is pictured here in the first photo. He is a great harmonica player and a great all around musician.

Enjoy and let me know if you were there!

Please join me on Facebook at Rich Zimmermann Photography if you haven't already.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Steve Miller and Leslie West at Summerfest in Milwaukee in 1977?

March 16, 2015

Recently, I discovered a few sleeves of negatives in the closet that I didn't know existed! This blog is about one of those negative sleeves.

Carl Palmer, of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, had one of those massive drum kits, long before anyone else. Tiny little cymbals, and all kinds of percussion toys surround him. It's a very impressive drum set and he used everything, from what I recall.

Also, you can see that the band had an orchestra with them, including a conductor!

About a month ago, I was contacted by a school teacher on the east coast about blog number 125. That blog was about Emerson, Lake and Palmer in 1973.

This school teacher told me about how nice Carl Palmer, the drummer, was and that he visited their school and chatted with the class. So, even though I only have four photos here, I send this blog out to him and his class. Hope you guys enjoy a better look at Carl Palmer's drum kit.

Have a nice week everyone and Spring is coming. It's supposed to be 71F here in Milwaukee today.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Carl Palmer, of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, performing in Milwaukee in 1975.

March 9, 2015

This blog is different from blog #58 which is also labeled Loggins and Messina 1974. Blog #58 was about a show at UW Oshkosh and this blog is about a performance that was in September of 1974 at Milwaukee's Performing Arts Center.

Some of these photos were taken from right in front of the stage. Others were taken from my favorite secret spot at the Performing Arts Center, or the PAC as we called it! The PAC was a beautiful performance hall. My secret spot is now presently locked up and you can't take photos from there anymore. It was so cool because you would walk through this door and you had a little spot about ten foot square with a railing. I would sit on the floor usually and photograph the show and then just sit and enjoy the show alone in my little secret spot. There were actually four secret spots with two on each side of the stage at the second and third levels. The sound was a little weird because you were off to the side but the view made up for it.

Loggins and Messina, was a great band and I was very sad when they broke up. They were so good and the whole band had a lot of good energy and sound. I photographed them several times through the years.

Enjoy a look at the band from my secret spots and have a great week.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann