Wisconsin's Crustacean Records celebrates its 15th anniversary with a series of summer showcases around the Midwest and with special deals on music from the label's own Web store.
Chris "Crusty" Langkamp started the label in 1994 and more than 75 releases have since followed, helping to document not only Wisconsin's indie, punk and metal scenes but also releasing music from out-of-state bands.
Most of Crustacean's current roster of bands performs at the July showcases that also boast some reunion performances by former label acts.
Here are the showcases:
Thursday July 16, 10 p.m. -- Quenchers, Chicago. Bloodcow, The Von Ehrics and Imperial Battlesnake.
Thursday July 16, 10 p.m. -- Inferno Nightclub, Madison. The Gusto, Screamin' Cyn Cyn & The Pons and Droids Attack.
Thursday July 16, 10 p.m. -- Reptile Palace, Oshkosh. The Skintones, The Skullcranes and 20 Dollar Love.
Friday, July 17, 10 p.m. -- Frequency, Madison. 20 Dollar Love, Bloodcow, Imperial Battlesnake and The Skullcranes.
Friday, July 17, 8 p.m. -- Zad's Roadhouse, Milwaukee. Birthday Suits, Mad Trucker Gone Mad, Droids Attack and The Von Ehrics.
Friday, July 17, 10 p.m. -- Uptown Bar, Minneapolis. Things Fall Apart, SevenOneFive & Screamin' Cyn Cyn and The Pons.
Saturday, July 18, 10 p.m. -- High Noon Saloon, Madison. Birthday Suits, Things Fall Apart, The Skintones and SevenOneFive.
Saturday, July 18, 10 p.m. -- Reptile Palace, Oshkosh. Mad Trucker Gone Mad, Bloodcow and Imperial Battlesnake.
Saturday, July 18, 10 p.m. -- Turf Club, St. Paul. The Von Ehrics, 20 Dollar Love and The Skullcranes.
Sunday, July 19, 7 p.m. -- High Noon Saloon, Madison. Plastic, Mad Trucker Gone Mad, Uncle Eddie and The Von Ehrics.
At Crustacean's Web store, all items will be priced at $10 and under and many discs will be $6, including shipping to the U.S. and Canada. All orders will be laced with "scads of 15-year anniversary schwag like newly designed buttons and stickers and a brand new Crustacean label sampler."
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
