Fever Marlene and The Gufs
Pablove Benefit Concert
When: January 23rd, 2010
Where: Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI
Length: 1 Hour

Reviewed By:

Rating:

4 Volts 5 Volts for Childhood Cancer Benefit

Some of the Milwaukee areas best bands came together last Saturday night, with one common goal in mind; to rock out at a sold out Turner Hall Ballroom, all while raising money to help beat childhood cancer. 

The bands were playing to raise money for the Pablove Foundation, started by Jeff Castelaz after he lost his young son Pablo to pediatric cancer.  The foundation aims to raise awareness of childhood cancer.  Castelaz made his name in the Milwaukee music scene by managing local favorites, Citizen King, and The Gufs.  Turner Hall agreed to donate the use of the venue, and many local favorites came out to support the cause.

The solid musical lineup for this event was highlighted by performances from Fever Marlene and the Gufs.  

The Gufs took the stage shortly after 10:00, and had the biggest and most energetic crowd reaction of the night.  They opened up with one of their biggest hits, “Crash (Into Me)”, from their Atlantic Records major label debut, 1996’s The Gufs.  Next up was “Last Goodbye”, from their second and last major label release, Holiday From You.  The band looked very comfortable on stage, and sounded great.  Drummer Scott Schwebel, who recently welcomed his first child into the word, could be seen rocking out in a Pablove T-shirt.  He was the last member of the band to have a child, and to all the members of the band, this event held special meaning.  After the song, lead singer Goran Kralj told the crowd, “Give your self a hand, my hat is off to Jeff for putting this event on.  Having a boy of my own makes this a very emotional night for me and the band.”   

The short but sweet 30 min set, ended with a crowd sing along of their hit song, “Smile”.  The Gufs have showed they definitely know how to entertain a crowd, and why they have been a Milwaukee music favorite for over 20 years.

Next up were headliners for the night, Fever Marlene.  This was the first time I have seen them perform, and was very excited to see what they had to bring to the table.  I have heard nothing but good things about the duo, consisting of Scott Star on vocals/guitar/synth bass, and Kevin Dunphy on drums.  Right before the concert started, drummer Kevin Dunphy asked the sound crew in the back for the thumbs up to star the show.  After a short drum check, the band kicked into “Khemitones”, and “All The Kites In The World”, off of their debut album Civil War.  From there, the set included Dunphy leaving the drums to play a Spanish guitar, and a special performance of a new song, that is in the works for their next album.  Lead Singer Scott Star told the crowd before the song, “This is a very special night, so we are going to play you a new song”.  The yet to be released song started of with the line, “Mary sat down with a bottle of booze”.  The song had a very catchy synth bass beat, and should be an excellent addition to their next album.

The show ended with Fever Marlene’s biggest hit to date, “Red Fire”.  The song did not start off perfectly, and the band actually stopped 10 seconds in to start it up again.  Starr turned to Dunphy and said, “My guitar is not agreeing with me, this will probably be the only thing from the show that ends up on You Tube”.  Their set lasted just over 30 minutes.

Fever Marlene gave the crowd a short taste of what they have to offer and I enjoyed every minute of it.  It is no wonder to me why they have established such a dedicated fan base in Milwaukee and the Midwest.  I think it's only a matter of time until they gain more national attention for the music they are making.   

The Pablove benefit concert brought together great music for a great cause, and Noon Radio was glad to be a part of such a special event.