Semi-Twang, The Subcontinentals
8:00pm $12.00 (smoke-free show)
A special reunion of one of the first bands that ever played Shank Hall!
John Sieger has led two popular midwest bands, The R&B Cadets, who recorded for Twintone Records and Semi-Twang, whose Warner Brothers debut "Salty Tears" was hailed by critics as precursor of alternative country. He has had a lifetime collaboration with Public Radio host Michael Feldman, whose witty lyrics are on display in the title song of that Semi-Twang album and hundreds of others. In 2003, they released a CD of many of these songs called "Her Country". John also continues to write and record on his own, receiving more than twenty covers of his material. Artists who have found their way to John's songs include country star Dwight Yoakam, (I Don't Need It Done), The BoDeans, (The Strangest Kind), Talking Head Jerry Harrison (Rev It Up and two others), the late Tex-Mex superstar Flaco Jimenez, (I Found Out), alt-country tricksters Robbie Fulks, (You Break It You Pay) and Phil Lee (Neon Tombstone) and folk-rocker Greg Trooper (My Blue Belle and many others). Salty Tears has recently been covered in a ferocious way by rising Alligator Record's Michael Burke and exists somewhere in frustratingly unreleased form by the Queen of The Blues, Etta James. His current band, The Subcontinentals, is working on their first CD and in 2008 John released "The Shaming Of The True" and toured England with Phil Lee. This spring will see the release of a "Live At Bob's," an acoustic show recorded last Sept. John continues to produce songwriting workshops at Cream City Music in Milwaukee and has a project studio, Room w/a VU in his home.