No, Radiohead isn’t coming to the Riverwise Theater, 116 W. Wisconsin Ave., this autumn, but cheer up because The Smile – a new Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood project – is!
The trio – which also includes Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – plays an 8 p.m. show on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 17 at 10 a.m. here.
Founded last year, the group released its first record, “A Light for Attracting Attention,” on May 13 and is already on the road in Europe and the U.K.
The date at the Riverside – where Thom Yorke played a solo gig in 2018 – is part of The Smile’s first U.S. tour.
Produced by Nigel Godrich – a longtime Radiohead collaborator – the record is as interesting and adventurous as you’d expect from two members of Radiohead and the drummer from a progressive jazz outfit.
There are strings from the London Contemporary Orchestra and a full brass ensemble comprising contemporary UK jazz musicians.
While Pitchfork said the record, "Alternately combats the horrors of modern life with roiling anger and Zen-like serenity” – which could sound alarming to some – Rolling Stone reassures that “A Light for Attracting Attention” contains, "Some of the songwriters’ most easily enjoyable music in years.”
And, perhaps most accurately, “A most welcome vibe flip from musicians who absolutely refuse to shy away from the unknown.”
Having never seen Radiohead – though I was lucky enough to catch Yorke at that Riverside gig and playing a solo acoustic gig at Tower Records in Chicago in 1993 – I’m eager to see Yorke and Greenwood on stage together, and to catch this “vibe flip” in person.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He can be heard weekly on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories.
