Last night I had the incredible pleasure of seeing the 8th Wonder of the world (that would be Stevie Wonder) at the Marcus Ampitheater. What a great choice of artists for opening night at Summerfest!

Backed by an incredibly tight 10-piece band, including three percussionists, Stevie delivered a fabulous show. Masterfully, he gave each member of the band opportunities to shine, as well as the three backup singers that included his daughter.

Although Wonder is not generally considered a hard rocker, his second song kicked it into high gear with a rousing rendition of Master Blaster (Jammin’). Make no mistake about it, Stevie can bring it with the best of them. His voice is still amazing after more than 45 years of performing!

He proved several times that he’s not just a pop star with fantastic rockin’ versions of classics such as Higher Ground, Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing, Living for the City, Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours, Sir Duke and Superstition. Each of these tunes brought the enthusiastic crowd to its feet.

During the two hour and fifteen minute set, Stevie also included several of his timeless love songs, including My Cherie Amour, Overjoyed and I Just Called to Say I Love You.

Stevie possesses an endearing sense of humor, and in the middle of Isn’t She Lovely he confessed “I just messed up the words.” His funniest line of the night came late in the show when he asked , “How many people have made love to a Stevie Wonder song?” Based on the crowd reaction, I’m guessing it was more than a few.

This show is just another reason why Summerfest is not only the world’s largest music festival, but also the absolute best!

June 27, 1971: One of the greatest rock & roll venues of all time, the Fillmore East, closed. Fittingly, The Allman Brothers played on that night.

I mentioned yesterday that there are six Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees performing at Summerfest this year. I was wrong! There are actually 7, as I failed to include one of this year’s inductees, the artist formerly known as John Cougar.

So here they are, along with the year they were inducted:

John Mellencamp (2008)

Blondie (2006)

Steve Winwood as a member of Traffic (2004)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (2002)

The Animals (1994)

Phil Lesh as a member of the Grateful Dead (1994)

Stevie Wonder (1989)

Rock on, Milwaukee!

Summerfest 2008 opens tomorrow and I could not be more psyched!

This is an amazing year for classic rock at the Fest, thanks to Bob Babisch and his team. And I am, as always, ready to rock.

I’ve been a frequent visitor to Summerfest for more than 30 years and I’m absolutely thrilled to share my impressions of this year’s Big Gig with you! By frequent visitor I mean I have been here an average of six or seven days each year, which means I’ve spent approximately seven months of my life on the grounds! While many people have a summer home, I have Summerfest!

Throughout the years I have seen literally hundreds of classic rock concerts at Summerfest by some of the greatest bands of all time, including 15 that are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Some of my most memorable shows dating back to the 70s include Clapton, Santana, Tom Petty (several times), George Thorogood, The Dead, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Steely Dan, Ratdog, Fleetwood Mac…and the list goes on and on.

This year we are fortunate to have six more inductees from the Rock Hall on tap in addition to the sons of two other hall-of-famers, Bob Dylan and Frank Zappa.

No other festival in the world this year can match the phenomenal lineup assembled for Summerfest!

It’s gonna be a rockin’ party! Let me know if you are going to be there and perhaps we can connect.

I’ll be posting both here and on the official Summerfest site.

I am delighted to announce that I’ll be an official blogger for Summerfest, The World’s Largest Music Festival. Check out this year’s amazing lineup.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the Fest, here’s the official 2008 info:

Summerfest, The World’s Largest Music Festival, happens in Milwaukee June 26 – July 6, 2008 from Noon to Midnight daily. Each year this destination celebration hosts approximately 900,000 attendees and showcases over 700 bands, including the music industry’s hottest stars along with emerging talent. The 23,000 capacity Marcus Amphitheater, 10 permanent grounds stages, 45 diverse food & beverage vendors and four unique marketplaces are set against the scenic Lake Michigan and downtown backdrops, creating an unforgettable live music experience for attendees. For a complete talent lineup and to purchase your Summerfest tickets visit Summerfest.com today!

June 25, 1945: Carly Simon, brilliant singer and songwriter, was born.

Happy Birthday, Carly!

June 24, 1944: Guitar player extraordinare Jeff Beck was born.

Happy 64th birthday, Jeff!

June 18, 1942: Sir Paul McCartney was born.

Happy 66th Birthday, Macca.

“I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know…”-Bill Withers

What do you know? More to the point, what is it important to know?

Here’s what I believe it’s important to know.

Know who you are, and not just the superficial crap. I’m talking about your essence.

Know what matters most in your life. Never let what matters most be at the mercy of what matters least.

Know what does not matter to you. Only then can you let that stuff drift away by putting your attention on what does matter.

Know what brings you joy. Then you can invite more of that into your life.

Know what you want. Be specific. Clarity provides tremendous power.

Know what you don’t want. Contrast helps provide clarity regarding what you do want.

Know what your gifts are and how you can best share them with the world.

Know that you have all the resources within you to live your dreams.

One more question. Do you know or do you merely believe?

June 16, 1967: The Monterey Pop Festival kicked off in California. This is the event that helped make international superstars out of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and a host of other classic rockers.