Testa Rosa "Ollie & Delilah" (17.2 MB) from Testa Rosa Der Rathskeller Madison, WI September 21, 2007

Weird night; weird weekend.

I caught something late in the week -- might have been a stomach bug or minor food poisoning -- that had me in bed most of Thursday and Friday. But what, I'm going to let that keep me from seeing Maritime and Charlemagne touring new albums? Well, as it turned out, yes. But it didn't keep me from seeing the openers of the Maritime show, including their terrific Milwaukee compatriots in Testa Rosa. Let's start at the beginning, though.

This show was scheduled for the Terrace, but the rain came in the evening and it was clear things would be moving inside. Having not eaten in over a day and wanting not to exert myself, I figured on arriving late. The first opener, Le Loup, I don't much like and wouldn't have minded missing. A bit before 10:00, I get to the Union with rain falling again, and there are hundreds of people milling around outside while a fire truck idles on Langdon St. Many of these people are all dressed up, having come from either a wedding reception or some formal Greek event. With the delay of moving inside, plus the ultimately false fire alarm, the show didn't start until about 10:30. Le Loup played for 15 minutes, and were followed by Testa Rosa for about the same amount of time. It turned out to be just four songs, all of which I recorded. This one, the lead track from their self-titled album, is representative of the set's focus on harmony and slight pop melodies; they're a welcome and interesting addition to the Milwaukee landscape, to be sure.