I’ve been filling in on the morning show on 93.1 The Lake this week while one of the regular guys is on vacation. Today was my last day, but it ended with what is probably one of my biggest thrills in radio: Pat McCurdy stopped by to plug an upcoming show in Madison and to perform. McCurdy is a Milwaukee-based singer, songwriter, and parodist who’s made a living at it for more than 20 years, performing songs that range from wacky to raunchy, in bars and other venues all over the Midwest.
Way back in the day, Pat was leader of the Milwaukee band Yipes, a bright-n-jangly outfit that was a big deal locally before landing a major-label deal that resulted in a couple of nationally released albums, one in 1978 and one in 1980. I can remember playing Yipes on my college radio station back then. Although it was cool knowing they were from Milwaukee, their sound didn’t do much for me. They were just another entry in the faceless herd of new wavey power poppers album-rock radio was trying to break in 1979 and 1980, all quirky lyrics and attitude. But that’s another post entirely, which I plan to write in the near future.
(Full disclosure: The Mrs. dated the stage manager of Yipes while she was still in high school. Although her given name is Ann Marie, and years later, Pat wrote a song called “Ann Marie,” I don’t think there’s any connection. I’m sure there’s not. Really, I am.)
In 1983, a second band Pat fronted, The Men About Town, finished second to Sawyer Brown on the old Star Search TV show, which was American Idol before there was American Idol. A last-minute fill-in gig at a Milwaukee club in 1987 led to the solo career that’s been cracking people up ever since. Pat will perform at the University of Wisconsin’s Memorial Union Terrace this Friday night, and at the Claddagh Irish Pub in Middleton on August 8. If you’re anywhere close, go. If you’re not, check out a couple of songs heard on the show this morning: what Pat thoughtfully retitled “The Buddy Song” so as not to get us in trouble with the FCC (from his latest album, available at his website), and “Sex and Beer,” Pat’s most famous song. (Longer excerpts from Pat’s visit will go up on The Lake’s podcasting page in the near future.)
“The Buddy Song”/Pat McCurdy (buy it on 15 Favorites, here)
“Sex & Beer”/Pat McCurdy (buy it on Pat in Person Vol. 2, also here)
Filed under: Tracks
Ah, Yipes. I still like their stuff. I saw them at the Royal Oak Music Theater with the Romantics, Valentine’s Day 1980. First time I had even heard of them. And they were great.
In my whole life, I’ve only met one person that had their first (self-titled) album, besides myself. And that was back in the college days.
I’d love to see Pat live. Perhaps when/if I move back up to the Midwest. Sigh.