Rebecca and the Grey Notes will be performing as part of the official opening of the Beer Garden Concerts series at The 42, a new bar, restaurant and brewery operated by the Milwaukee Brewing Co. just west of the new Milwaukee Bucks arena. The outdoor venue will feature as part of its grand opening live bands from Wednesday, Aug. 29, through Sunday, Sept. 2. This is a free show, so any fans who are working downtown should take note of this concert series and join us as we help open a new establishment. We will be playing from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30. The address is: 1130 N. 9th St.

Rebecca and the Grey Notes had a late, late addition to its schedule on Friday night, Aug. 17. We got called in at the last minute to sub for a band that couldn’t make its gig at Kim’s Lakeside in the Town of Delafield. It was our first time at Kim’s, and we rocked the joint. The four of us squeezed in to a tiny corner of the bar, and we were greeted with a great crowd that was pumped to rock and new fans that appreciated our original material. We even were asked to do an encore performance of a Led Zeppelin tune. Thanks to Kim’s for inviting us to play. Our next gig will be from 5-7 p.m. Aug. 30 in downtown Milwaukee. We’ll have more details later this week.

Our next show will be on Saturday, Aug. 11, at Picnic in the Park, a family-friendly all-day event at Petrifying Springs Park on Kenosha’s north side. Live music begins at 11 a.m.; our first chord will be struck at 4 p.m. We’ll be opening for the incomparable American Idol contestant Naima Adedapo.

Thanks to the Wisconsin State Fair and Major Goolsby’s Heartland Stage for inviting us to perform on Sunday, Aug. 5. Despite the heat, we had a great crowd, and the Major’s crew treated us like royalty. Next up: Arriba Mexican Restaurant on Friday, Aug. 10, beginning at 7 p.m., and Kenosha County’s Picnic in the Park, 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11. We return to Arriba for our once-a-month residency to play in the venue’s acoustically perfect music room and bar. The Picnic in the Park is an all-day, family-friendly event at Petrifying Springs Park, 5555 7th St., Kenosha, and we are pleased to be opening for fabulous female vocalist Naima Adedapo. Hope to see you there.

While the band is preparing for its performance Sunday, Aug. 5, beginning at noon at the Wisconsin State Fair, we also don’t want to ignore another major gig for us: Picnic in the Park, happening Aug. 11 in Kenosha County. We just found out that our second album, “Volume Two,” will be featured every day next week by radio station WGTD-FM in Kenosha County. One song from the CD will be played at 12:20 p.m. Monday through Friday, Aug. 6-10. You can listen over the air at 91.1 on the FM dial or listen via the station’s homepage, www.wgtd.org. A big thank-you to Dave McGrath at WGTD and Jennie Tunkieicz for setting this up.