Door County "Death's Door" Tour 2013

BNP'ers,

Many many thanks to the 100 or so of you that came out to see us play on the Vista King last weekend, performing for the Summer Concert Series for Milwaukee Boat Line. Also special thinks to Libby Webber and the staff and crew at Milwaukee Boat Line for making it such a fun night. Awesome bar, huge boat, great views of the city from the harbor, and partying up and down the Milwaukee river with all the folks eating dinner and having drinks on a beautiful summer night both on the boat and the riverside! Can't wait to do it again next year!

If you're thinking you'd like to come and see us up in Door County this summer, you'd better start making plans now! Three shows in a week up in the most scenic part of the state, at the peak of the tourist season. Can't wait to get up there!

More information can be found on our SHOWS page with all the deets you need!

Working on bookings for the fall right now, and our schedule is filling up already! Promises to be a great summer and fall for Bockenplautz...

Thanks again to our families, friends, and fans for all the love and support.

Milwaukee Boat Line Summer Concert Series Cruise - This Friday!

Ladies and gentleman, friends, countryman, West 'Stallians - lend us your ears.

We've had a busy last month with the band. Lots of shows, all of them fun and interesting. Starting off with our performance in Appleton May 18th at Jonnie's old stomping grounds, Chadwicks, and then a week later being asked by our good friends at the Best Place to play their (and coincidentally OUR) third anniversary party... just great fun. It is really awesome to see how far we've come as a band over the last three years, and the number and quality of great gigs we are now getting is a testimony to the hard work we've put in. Having a new CD is the icing on the Bockenplautz cake, for sure! 

This last weekend we played for the Wisconsin Paralyzed Veterans of America for a benefit show, which was also a ton of fun. We were asked to do this due to connections Jonnie has with the VA hospital in town, and were very glad to volunteer our PA and our musical talents to the event. About 100 Harley riders met up with us at the beautiful outdoor courtyard at Mr. B's Steakhouse in Brookfield to relax after their morning ride, have a beer or two, enjoy a raffle, and partake in some acoustic powerpop. Cool for us as it was our first outdoor gig in the sun (sunscreen thoroughly applied to all balding bandmembers, no doubt!), and our first time playing for a Harley riders group, which is a little different than what we normally do. We kept our setlist very classic rock heavy, and they really seemed to enjoy us. We also proved what we have always thought - that we are a great daytime beer-drinking band! We were honored to participate in this event.

This Friday, June 14th, is perhaps the coolest gig we have ever had - the date is finally here! Our Milwaukee Boat Line Summer Concert Series Booze Cruise! Please make every effort to attend - this may be our only show in Milwaukee until September! 

Other things on the horizon:

• Door County Tour 2013! Make your plans now! July 10-13.

1. Wednesday July 10th - Sister Bay Summer Concert Series Featured Artist - free show in the SB Marina.
2. Friday, July 12th - Washington Island Shipwreck - playing at a famous bar on the island, ask us for details.
3. Saturday, July 13th - Sister Bay Bowl

• We hope to be one of the first bands to play at the new Wauwatosa Beer Garden in Hoyt Park! More info to follow on that one.
• September show, hopefully with our friends in one of Milwaukee's best bands The Carpetbaggers - still working on a date for this one. 
• Doc Rock MKE 2013 is set for November 15, and we will definitely be involved once again.

Keep spreading the love people! We appreciate all your support very much. 

Thanks, Appleton!

Great show this last weekend up in Appleton, WI at Chadwick's bar with our good friends in Toaster Fork! Had a great crowd show up and the vibe was very celebratory and fun. Many thanks to Chadwick Glasow for having us over at his awesome bar, and so great to see some old friends that we've not seen in a long time.

We've been loving the feedback on our new CD "Sound of the Gusto" and we're looking forward to selling it throughout the summer at shows. Let us know if you'd like one mailed to you or someone special!

We have a busy next few weeks coming up for sure with three shows in 4 weeks. Next up - playing for the fine people at the Best Place for the 3rd anniversary celebration this Sunday evening - it's memorial day weekend, so unless you're the unlucky sap that needs to go to work on Monday, consider it a "bonus Saturday" and come join us! You'll be glad you did. Event information HERE.

We'll be playing a benefit show for the Wisconsin Paralyzed Veterans of America on June 8th, part of a Harley ride and fundraiser to enable these amazing vets to be able to attend the paralympic games. If you'd like to participate in the ride or just show up for the show, feel free! Event information for that concert is HERE.

But last and for certain NOT LEAST! We have our upcoming concert cruise for the Milwaukee Boat Line coming up on Friday June 14th! This is perhaps the coolest show we've ever done, and we'd love to have a really rousing crowd of friends and family there to cheer us on. 2 hour boat cruise along the Milwaukee River and out into the harbor, drink specials, and of course, everyone's favorite Superior Acoustic Powerpop outfit! How could you go wrong? JOIN US FOR IT! Tickets are $19 and purchase information, parking and everything else you'd ever want to know can be found right HERE.

Thanks again to everyone for all the love! Let's rock this summer right!

Next Gig: CD Release Party at BBC's! Awwww YEAH.

Great night of Irish merriment last night at Montecito's in Waukesha, and we very much appreciate the kindness of Dale and Jen the owners. We had a great time, and our newest member, our bass player John (aka H-bomb), did an incredible job sitting in with us after only rehearsing one time. 

Please make every effort to come and see us play at BBC's Upper Level on the 19th of April for our first-ever show there! We are incredibly excited about the night as we're hoping to have our new CD's for sale there for the first time - SOUND OF THE GUSTO. We are also super excited to play with our buddy Roxie Beane, and our new acoustic rock friends Lay Naked. 

See you on the 19th!

Announcing... our newest member!

Big news people. After an exhaustive search (we're talking craigslist ads, people) and multiple in person auditions of various great musicians, we are honored and proud to announce our newest band member:

Our new bassist John Haas! 

John has been a friend for many years and actually played bass in a band with Christopher in the 90's, and even lived with him for a few formative years in the mid 90's. John has been in multiple bands around Milwaukee over the years and is a seasoned bassist. He actually played upright bass in high school, and has been known to play his acoustic bass at campfire parties and camping trips with us in the past. I'm recalling an acoustic rock guitarmageddon in Kettle Moraine State Forest on a camping trip that included 5 guitarists and John on bass, as well as a djembe! Our campsite mates were shouting out requests.

For his audition, John rented an upright, practiced for weeks, and came in to Bockenplautz Central and just knocked it out of the park. We were all truly impressed by his playing and his energy.

In the end, it was a no-brainer. He's in the band.

So welcome to Bockenplautz Mach II, including acoustic and/or upright bass depending on the song.

John is hopefully going to be joining us for some songs at our upcoming show next weekend at Montecito's in Waukesha for St. Patty's day weekend. It will be a blast, and a great way to welcome him into the band.

Hope to see many of you BNP fans next weekend for St. Patty's in the 'Sha, and be sure to say hi to John! 

This, our friends, is perhaps the last crucial cog in this burgeoning superior acoustic powerpop juggernaut known as BOCKENPLAUTZ.