What Made Milwaukee Famous isn't just the name of a band, but it's also a very legitimate question. What did make Milwaukee -- the home to Schlitz Brewery and endless number of festivals -- famous? The answer could easily be the Steve Miller Band.
Fans young and old were corralled under the blazing sun for the band's afternoon performance. Miller opened his two hour-plus set with the appropriately danceable "Swingtown," subsequently launching into "Livin' in the U.S.A." and "Abracadabra." A change of pace came when Miller brought onstage Seattle jazz guitarist Brian Nova. Together they performed "I'm Tore Down" by blues legend Freddie King, Miller and Nova jamming it out in dueling-guitar fashion.
But most hoped for more concrete hits, and fans had to wait until the end of the set to hear "The Joker." When the band played "Fly Like an Eagle," a song originally recorded in Seattle and now celebrating its 30th anniversary, the crowd went absolutely wild. Miller also turned the song into a lengthy experimental session rife with chord progressions, psychedelic melodies, and even an impromptu rap refrain.
Seattleite Alina To, 22, summed up the set with, "They were pretty good for a bunch of old guys." TIFFANY WAN
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PHOTOS BY JULIA SALAMONIK
Miller fans' enthusiasm goes up in smoke.
Audience member sing along to all of Miller's hits.
Harmonica master Norton Buffalo tears it up on stage.
At Bumbershoot '06, Spin is on the ground with our college correspondent program. Eight college students -- four writers, four photographers -- earned the opportunity to cover the festival for SPIN.com, live, all weekend long. Sound appealing? Stay tuned to SPIN.com for future opportunities to apply for our college correspondent program!
