"To listen only to records is a sin of narcissism. It is important to hear live music, in concert, which is a source of emotions that a record can never convey."
— Joaquin Rodrigo
Speaking of Stratocasters, Sue and I went to see Robin Trower at Milwaukee's Pabst Theater on July 12th — fantastic show, and we both had a great time. Owning one of his artist series Strats made it even more fun to hear him work his signature psychedelic-blues tone in person.
The Pabst Theater is gorgeous — I'd never been to a show at this venue before.
Naturally, Trower was using a Fulltone Deja Vibe 2 (far left pedal) — the same one I use to dial in that Hendrix/Trower-style psychedelic swirl when soloing over jam tracks.
The set list looks short, but an hour and a half is pretty good gig for a guy 80 years old!
The Razor's Edge
Too Rolling Stoned
Wither on the Vine
Somebody Calling
Distant Places of the Heart
One Go Round
It's Too Late
Day of the Eagle
Bridge of Sighs
No More Worlds to Conquer
Daydream
Little Bit of Sympathy
Encore:
Rise Up Like the Sun
Birdsong
Before the show, we had some time to kill so we walked around the downtown area looking for a place for dinner.
We had dinner at Buckley’s Restaurant & Bar and really enjoyed it. Both of us had the salmon—perfectly cooked and full of flavor. Libations? A few.
More scenes from the lakefront ...
That's the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Milwaukee hosts the tallest buildings in Wisconsin.
Above, the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, built in 1852, I believe it's Milwaukee's oldest Catholic cathedral and features a distinctive spire added in 1893. Milwaukee City Hall, below, completed in 1895, was once the tallest building in the U.S. and is known for its striking bell tower and German-inspired architecture.
It was a fun trip. Years ago, an old neighbor saw my concert ticket stub collection. He flipped through them for a while, then looked up and said, "You’re a rocker!" It's true — I am. I'm very grateful I got to add Robin Trower to the list of live shows I've seen, a list that includes Koko Taylor, Dick Dale, B.B. King, Nirvana (Kurt Cobain), Alice in Chains (Layne Staley), Soundgarden (Chris Cornell), Stevie Ray Vaughan, and others who are no longer with us. It's nice that Trower is still out there, still selling out venues, still bringing down the house.
All images © 2025 Mike McDowell