Atwood Summerfest Serves Up New Features
By Dave Leucinger
   Madison's East Side will be rockin', swingin', and even cloggin' on Saturday, August 1, as the 19th Annual Atwood Summerfest showcases the vibrant neighborhood near the Barrymore Theatre through some of its artists and performers. The free outdoor festival includes two main music stages, a Family stage, and a host of street entertainment that will keep the Avenue filled with activity from 10:30 AM until 7:00 PM. Always adventurous and diverse, the festival has a tradition of showcasing new talent of every genre, booked along with veteran groups eager to give back to the community that supports them.
   The festival's newest feature will be the Acoustic Brunch, located at the Krupp Construction Stage in the Anchor Bank parking lot. Inaugural performers will be Michael Gruber, a blues-influenced guitarist, and Toxic Balance, an acoustic rock/folk/psychedelic duo that formed in California and relocated here last year. Through the afternoon, the Krupp Stage includes Madison's folk favorites, Lou and Peter Berryman; Yid Vicious, Madison's top purveyors of traditional Klezmer music; Ladies Must Swing, an all-star ensemble of women in Madison jazz, collectively uniting into an 18-piece big band; Verb!, a vocally playful quintet that embellish rock and jazz instrumentation; and Tony Brown,
Madison's Godfather of Reggae.
   The Harmony Bar Stage, located in the United Way parking lot, is equally laden with top performers. Performers will include II Chi, a contemporary R&B band whose powerful vocal lineup is part of an extended family; the Mighty Aces, a powerful blues ensemble fronted by Jay Stulo, a protégé of the late Luther Allison; the Pipe Circus, a post-alternative group from Whitewater that melds numerous influences into a distinct, catchy sound; doll, an ascending rock group fronted by the distinctly resonant vocals of Tina Gassen; the Joel Paterson Trio featuring Jimmy Sutton, which teams Madison's top young swing and retro g uitarist with one of Chicago's most gifted swing and rockabilly bassists; and the Jim Schwall Band featuring Andy Ewen, where fireworks fly in the explosive bluesy duels between the heralded Schwall (partnered with Corky Siegel in Chicago' Siegel-Schwall Band during the late '60s and '70s) and Ewen (the passionate, powerful guitarist for Honor Among Thieves). Other performers at the festival include local folk troubadour Stuart Stotts; Contra dance music from the Last Gaspe Band; Jamaican folk music from Goon Goo Peas, the Cripple Creek Cloggers, and tons of
children's entertainment.
   Also new for 1998 is the Atwood Summerfest Raffle, featuring goods provided by generous local businesses. Funds raised through the Festival will go to support the many programs provided by the Atwood Community Center, including day care and after school programs for children and teenagers, meals and activities for the elderly, and the Atwood Community Center's food bank. It's a great way to support a revitalizing community while having a blast in the mean time. See you there.