Earlier this month we told you about Milwaukee and Chicago-based band Kid, You'll Move Mountains' attempt to lure Summerfest headliner, teen heart throb Justin Bieber, to its performance at the Cascio Stage on Sunday.
This morning we checked in with the band's Jim Hanke to get the scoop. There were some surprise guests backstage, he says, but perhaps not who was expected.
"Well, there was extra security there for sure, in the back behind our stage," says Hanke.
"We were kind of blown away when we saw that! Also some of the Cascio stage people asked, very seriously, 'So what do you think the chances are of him coming by?', assuming they'd have to be on their toes. So it was pretty cool that some folks still had hope!"
But, in the end, Beebs didn't leave the shelter of his bus or the Marcus Amphitheater dressing rooms.
"We had received no responses from his management, but after our set, some folks who were at his show made a point to tell us that he actually went on right around the same time we did, so it probably wouldn't have worked out time-wise anyway."
But, says Hanke, KYMM was ready for Justin, just in case he got the itch to pound the skins with a hard-workin' area band. In lieu of Bieber, another friend sat in with the band.
"We had an extra drum kit set up and everything so we had our good friend Andy Hartzell of John The Savage -- he was also in El Oso with me several years ago -- fill in," says Hanke.
"It was still an amazing time and we had a great turn-out! Definitely the best of the three times we've played Summerfest, by far!"
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.
