I’ve told this story so many times — “dined out on it” as my father-in-law used to say — but I’ve never written it down . . .
September 2016. Sally called. She couldn’t find anyone to share her tickets to see Chris Stapleton at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and would I like to come? I didn’t know who he was but when your daughter invites you to do something you can’t pass that up. I said I would find us an Airbnb and looked in a neighborhood I knew from 40 years earlier, Brady Street, where an old friend had lived. It was still filled with great restaurants and bars and shops and a place to stay within walking distance.
That was the first good decision. The second was to take the train from Saint Paul to Milwaukee. I sat in the observation car, my feet on my bag, watching as the train made its way south along the Mississippi River and then east, crossing the gorgeous green rolling hills of Wisconsin.
Brady Street. The gargoyle still reigns.
The next day we wandered around Brady Street. The building where my friend had lived was still there with the gargoyle lurking at the top. At night, back then, there was always the soft light of a goose lamp in a window.
The tickets were what Sally could afford on a tight budget — we sat at the very top of a huge stadium on the grass. It was a beautiful summer night, we were happy in each other’s company and there were big screens projecting the band. It was a double bill with the Alabama Shakes up first. At one point, Brittany Howard was so into her song that her glasses flew off.
Sally getting ready to go out on the town.
We sat talking and drinking beer in the lull before Chris Stapleton came on, idly watching as a woman climbed the stairs. She stopped in front of us and said she had two mid-section tickets, she had to leave and would we like to have them? We thanked her and excitedly started to gather our things when a second woman came up the stairs to us and said “I’m just here for the Alabama Shakes, do you want these tickets down in the front?” We were simultaneously confused and in a whirl. Sally gave the first two tickets to two boys leaning against the fence. They went tripping down the stairs.
Chris Stapleton, Summerfest, Milwaukee, 2016.
Every time we showed our tickets to an usher we were directed further down until we were all the way to the very front of the stage. At this point, Sally had tears of joy and I was in a daze. Then Chris Stapleton came on and I don’t think there could have two people more grateful for those seats. Such a big, powerful, bluesy, country voice and guitar and beautiful, hard luck lyrics. We saw him wipe away a tear as the whole stadium sang along to a song he hadn’t expected anyone to know.
At one point, Sally saw herself on a monitor wearing a big, goofy smile which pretty well sums up the whole experience.