Lukyn Skywyrd News Blog

New Music On The Way!

2011-03-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Last year, Lukyn Skywyrd won the 2010 Milwaukee Country Rock Battle of the Bands at Kelly's Bleachers II. As a part of our prize package, we won 10 free hours at Trax 52 recording studio in Mequon. For the past weekend, we've been busy laying down three brand new tracks to unleash on our demanding fans. Its been nine long years since the original album, and I'll say this, its about damn time!

We started late

on Thursday with Randall Gunter, our sound engineer, dialing up the proper microphone placement and levels

on the drums and bass. We also recorded the rhythm guitars and keys but weren't sure if we were going to use those tracks. That night we laid down the bed tracks to our three new songs: "Memphis", "Old Number Seven", and "Dreamin's Over (Love Remains)." The bed tracks on each were done in less than three takes, with "Memphis" done in one take!

On Friday, Jason and Keith added a couple of rhythm overdubbs and completed guitar solos. Bill

overdubbed a spot or two and Tony rerecorded his keys and organ parts. After all the instruments were recorded, Tony and Keith added final lead vocal tracks to which Bill and Tony sang backup vocals. As an incredible side note, the microphone that was used to record the vocals is the actual mike that Elvis used during his Sun Studio sessions. Not the same type, but the actual microphone! Songs like "That's Alright, Mama" and "Mystery Train" were captured through that mike!! Its still hard to wrap my head around that fact.

Saturday morning arrived and we welcomed our guest vocalist and fellow brother of the road, Eric McDonald from Standard Eagle, to round out our backup vocal section. Jason and Keith completed some acoustic work and began to mixdown.

Finally on Monday, Tony, Keith and Randall returned to complete

mixing the songs. After a long night of repeated listening, you can't believe how many times you get to listen to these tunes, we thought we had a

completed mix. After listening to it at home, we realized we didn't. Extra work is needed and a final session is scheduled for early next week. We are so close but we don't want to release quite yet! Just a little more time....

As far as the live show update, we'll be heading over to Mustang Shelly's

on Saturday April 2nd. This was a great show last time and we hope to see everyone return! We were asked to return to Jerzee's in East Troy and April is our chance. The band returns to Jerzee's on Saturday April 16th and Willie's Dugout, one of our favs, on Saturday April 23rd.

Help the band celebrate its 20th year by coming out

and rockin' to all of your Southern rock hits! Keep checking out www.NorthernBredSouthernRock.com for all your Lukyn Skywyrd information!! See you at the show!!

What A Summer!

2010-08-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out and made our summer a super success! Country USA, Summerfest, ABATE Summer Hummer, Vetro Winery, Wisconsin State Fair......what a blast! It seems like things just shot into overdrive after our 2010 Milwaukee Battle of the Bands win back in June and we never looked back. Its hard to believe we're in the middle of August already! Check some of the great photos from those shows on www.facebook.com/lukynskywyrd!

But it ain't over!! We've got Pullin' for a Cure in Jefferson, the Great American Bike Rally at Kettle Moraine Ranch in Eagle, House of Harley Davidson, and St. Martin's Street Fair comin' up! Oh, yeah, and Tomahawk Bike Rally in September!! Keep watching the websites for dates and times! Thanks again, everybody!!

Also, please vote for us in the WISN A-List Best Local Band contest. Just go to http://wisn.cityvoter.com/lukyn-skywyrd/biz/578236 and sign up! That's all you got to do!

See you at the show!

2010 Country Rock Battle of the Bands Winner!

2010-05-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

It is official! LUKYN SKYWYRD is the Milwaukee's 2010 Country Rock Battle of the Bands Winner!! Last weekend at Kelly's Bleachers in Wind Lake, WI, Lukyn Skywyrd took home the title and beat three other bands hands down. This was a fan-based voting event and the competition was fierce. Southern Impact, another fine Southern rock band, came in second, Folkswagen, an original folk/country act, was in third, and Twang, a solid country group, finished last. All bands are incredibly strong and contain great and talented people.

By winning this contest, Lukyn Skywyrd has won a spot on the M&I Classic Rock Stage at Summerfest on Sunday, June 27th. Just two days before the finals, the band was informed that it would not be included in this years Summerfest lineup. Pulling out all stops, the band rallied fans, friends, and family alike and brought the numbers to get a solid win.

In addition, the band won a spot in Oshkosh at Country USA on Thursday, June 24th. This will be the band's first appearance at Country USA. Also, the band has won studio recording time at Trax52 and a cash prize from Cream City Music.

The band would like to thank all of our fans, friends, and family for coming out and supporting us to help take this victory. Thanks Carl Stessl for filling in for Bill and thanks Julie "Jewlz" Schroeder for the awesome backup vocals! The stage is always open! Thanks Tim Castle and Young Southern for coming out and supporting us. Tim Castle RAWKS! Thanks Jeremy "Zue" Zuleger for organizing this battle. Thanks Dee and Rooster from Almost Famous Booking. We almost didn't even get into this contest but thanks to you, we made it! Thanks, Emac, Shain, Tom, Ricky, Jamie, Nick, and everybody else that made it out!! You are the reason we won and we thank each and every fan that came out to vote.

See you at Country USA and Summerfest! Rock on!!

Bill Burki Returns to the Stage

2010-02-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

Bill Burki returns to the stage this Saturday, February 27th at the Sly Fox in Burlington, WI. For the last two months, Bill has been recuperating at home following a major heart attack last December. His last gig was at Kelly's Bleachers II for the 2009 Toys For Tots benefit. It was at this gig, that Bill started to realize something was not right. After that show, Bill spent a week in the hospital.

Literally back from the dead, Bill is ready to rock the Sly Fox in Burlington! Come on out to the show and welcome him back in more ways than one!

Once again, we would like to personally thank Carl Stessl from the 7Wishes band and Craig Larson from the Sociables for filling in for Bill. These guys did an outstanding job on short notice to come in and fill Bill Burki's mighty shoes! Both of them are in excellent bands and we wish them much more future success. See ya on the road, Brothers!!

Guest Musicians to Fill-in for Bill

2010-01-27T16:25:00.000-08:00

This is to let everyone know that Bill Burki is still resting up from last month's health scare. He is doing better but the road to recovery is taking a little longer than planned. As a result, we have some excellent musicians filling in and the shows must go on!

This weekend on Sat. Jan. 30th, Carl Stessl from the band 7Wishes will be playing with us at Willie's Dugout in Lannon. We first met Carl at the Council of Festivals Committee meeting and 7Wishes played after us at Toys for Tots in December.

On Sat. Feb. 6th, our other good friend and brother from the Sociables, Craig Larson will be playing at Knuckleheads in Eagle. The Sociables have been out there playing Southern rock for 15 years and if you haven't heard of them, you haven't gotten out much! Craig and I played together for a short stint in the Whiskey Highway Band and we welcome the opportunity to play with him in two weeks.

We want to thank these guys from the bottom of our hearts for filling in for Bill during this really tough time. Come on out and see these great players! We're gonna have a great time! See you at the show!!!!

Bill In Good Spirits After Hospital Stay

2009-12-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

On December 13th, we were playing a benefit show for Toy's for Tots along with 9 other bands at Kelly's Bleachers in Wind Lake, WI. It was an all day event with each band donating their time for a great cause. Because of the number of bands, each band played one set, approximately an hour long. We were down to our final two songs of our set when Bill Burki, our bass player, realized something was wrong. He asked for a glass of water, came back to his senses, and willed himself through "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Freebird." Nobody in the audience could tell Bill was on his way to a heart attack!

Knowing he had to get to the hospital fast, Bill and his wife raced to Waukesha Memorial Hospital and upon arriving, the big one hit! Two stents in his heart and five days later, Bill awoke to the world of the living. On Tuesday, the boys and I went to the hospital to see how he was doing. Although quite weak, he was sitting up and in great spirits. We talked about what had happened, had a few laughs, and found out how excited he was to return to the stage.

Its funny how life takes its rollercoaster ups and downs. Sideways, too! But in the end, this is all we got, so let's make the most of it. Get well soon, Bill! We need ya!! And that's as serious as a heart attack!!

New Drummer Debuts

2009-11-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

This weekend marked the power performance debut of drummer, Mike O'Krongly, at Sheryl's on 175 in Ackerville. Mike's stunning sticks overwhelmed the crowd of old friends and new fans alike. Accolades abounded, as Mike added that much needed punch to all of the best Southern rock hits. Mike is right at home behind the kit and we are very happy to have added his talents to our lineup.

Mike, or as Turbo likes to call him, "Mr. Krongly", comes to us after a couple of stints with Liquid Crush and Crossfire, two very entertaining Milwaukee-area bands. Too bad for them and hooray for us! If you ask Mike, I'm sure he'll agree!!

So here's to many more! Welcome to the fold, Mike!!

Once again, we must bid farewell to Matt Liesman. For the second time, we have to thank Matt for his service, his wisecracks, and his "Mattitude"! We asked him to come back and fill in until we found the right guy who could take over behind the kit. We almost forgot how much fun it can be! We wish Matt all the best of luck as the coming year takes him to a new state, a new job, and yes, another new baby. You've got a lot to look forward in 2010!

And remember, Matt, even if you're no longer playing on the stage, you will always be a part of Lukyn Skywyrd!!

Keyboards Do A Band Good!

2009-09-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen us in awhile, you are in for a surprise! Tony Vohs has exploded onto the scene as Lukyn Skywyrd's newest member, tickling the ivories and taking the band to new heights. What started as a chance correspondence through an online musician's forum has turned into the perfect mix of style, playability, and personality. Don't wait any longer! Lukyn Skywyrd is rockin' to a town near you!

New Friends, Old Friends

2009-08-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

Time to introduce our new keyboardist, Tony Vohs! We are extremely excited to have Tony make his appearance this weekend in Union Grove at Great Lakes Dragaway Harley Shootout! We'll be starting at 5:00pm on Saturday, Aug. 29th.

Tony has been playing music for 35 years with experience in classic rock, blues, country, Southern rock, and jazz. In addition to keys, Tony plays guitar, bass, and even some drums! We are fortunate to add his talents to the band.

The Mattitude is back!! Matt Liesman has returned for another tour of duty as drummer for LUKYN SKYWYRD! Matt has been away for just about a year now but couldn't stay away any longer. Matt has been busy at home training his new little drummer the ins and outs of a driving kick drum. Time for Daddy to get out and show what the definition of Mattitude is all about!! He, too, will be making his return appearance this weekend, so come on down and see this band rock!

Finally, we would like to thank Chad Stein for his drumming skills during the last year. We wish him all the luck in the world and he will be a worthy addition to any band. Here's to you, Chad!

ABATE Summer Hummer / Vetro Winery

2009-06-23T12:04:00.001-07:00

We wish to thank everyone who participated in ABATE's 2009 Summer Hummer. We had a blast up in Rural Greenwood, WI this past weekend! Too bad the rain kept some people away during the day, but nighttime was a perfect summer night. We spent the night camped out and next year I plan to stay longer. This is a fantastic biker event that everyone who rides must come out and see. Its only 4 hours northwest of Milwaukee and makes for a great ride. From the response we had, I'm hoping to play it again next year.

Special thanks to Matt Graettinger, the stage, sound, & musical coordintor for convincing the board to bring up some Southern rock from Milwaukee. I've known Matt for 20+ years and have had the privilege of playing for him at the Summer Hummer in past years. Thanks, Matt, you're the best! Thank you, Pat and Mainstage Sound! You always make me sound better than I am! ;) Thanks, Tiger, for your support! Thank you, Bobby Evans and the Alimony Blues Band! You guys rock!! Thanks, Bobby for everything you said. Coming from a seasoned veteran like yourself, it means a lot! I wish we could jam with more bands like you guys. Keep Rocking!

If you wish to find out more about ABATE and all of the sensational work that they do for all bikers of Wisconsin, check out their website: www.abatewis.org

Not to be forgotten, the band would like to thank the Vetro Winery for having us play for the 5th Annual Winefest. Even though the rain kept coming, we kept the people entertained! Thanks, Laurie and Carrie, for thinking of us and hope you raised a bunch of money for Special Olympics of Wisconsin! Also, thank you, Connie and Fish, from 97.3 The Brew. You f'n rock yourself, Fish! See ya at The Brew stage at Summerfest!

2009-05-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

Wow! Where did the last three months go?! I was just cursing the snowfall for the hundredth time, and now, just last week, I put the pier in the lake up north. Time flies when you're having fun! And by the word "fun", I mean working!

And now for the big annoucement......SUMMERFEST!!! Yes, the rumors are true. Once again, Lukyn Skywyrd will be at the Big Gig this summer. We will be playing on the M&I Classic Rock Stage on Friday, July 3rd, from 12pm to 2:30. Do not believe what you see on the Summerfest website. This is the only day we are playing even though we are listed for two different days. As much as I would love to play two days down there, so far, we are only confirmed for July 3rd.

Broken Spokes Roadhouse This Weekend

2009-02-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

ATTENTION ALL FANS! We will playing at the Broken Spokes Roadhouse this Friday, Feb. 6th. This is a new place for us to play and we would like to really make a great impression. The owners, Mark and Jen, will be be celebrating their birthdays so as an added incentive, they are having a birthday bash!

Opened on July 1, 2007, the Broken Spokes Roadhouse has quickly become a favorite hot spot for music lovers, bikers, and people looking for a new place to hang out in the Walworth/Rock county areas. The Broken Spokes Roadhouse offers live music, full kitchen, friendly staff, drink specials, and great atmosphere. The bar located on the corner of US Hwy 14 and Cty Hwy M, between Delavan and Janesville.

All Southern Rock's Newest DJ

2009-01-25T19:55:00.001-08:00

Last week, I had the great honor of being asked by Brad Schnabel, founder of All Southern Rock.com, if I would like to be a DJ. What could I do but say, YES!! Yes, you heard right. I am now an official DJ on AllSouthernRock.com!

ASR is the internet's non-profit, independent, commercial free, Southern rock radio station. This place is a 24/7/365 party. We've got a live chat discussion and unlimited requests from a database of 3000+ songs. If you do not check it out, you are missing out!

LUKYN SKYWYRD has 6 #1 weekly hits and 3 Top 100 ever-played hits on ASR! We have been been very fortunate to have enjoyed so much success with ASR. We can't thank the listeners and other DJ's enough. So, come on by, say hello, and request some LUKYN SKYWYRD on ASR!!

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has survived the holidays, the bitter cold winter, the economic collapse, and the change in political wind direction. In fact, the change in direction smells like its blowing over Waste Management but that's another topic.... The best thing to do with this grim forecast is come on out and party Southern-style with LUKYN SKYWYRD!

We'll be startin' the year off with our favorite little spot, the Silver Lake Inn. We're all looking forward to jammin' for all our usual suspects, Chris, Colleen,Shannon, Laura, Chris, and the rest of the crazy bunch of partiers!

February brings us a couple of new gigs, the Broken Spokes Roadhouse in Darrien, and Madam Belle's Silver Dollar Saloon in Richfield. Please help supports us at these new establishments! These are a couple of very biker-friendly gigs and if we do well, they will be great places to ride to in the spring through the fall. For maps and dates, check out the calendar.

Last Minute Show Added!

2008-10-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody! We just added a Halloween Party at Knuckleheads Pub on Saturday, October 25th. We didn't think we would be playing this year but a last minute email begged us to do it! We will be filling in for our musical brothers, Noisy Neighbors. Their drummer, Noll Merz, (I hope that's him, that's what the website says!) suffered a nasty work injury and is unable to perform. Lukyn Skywyrd wishes him a speedy recovery!

Well, the polls are in and the votes tally a unanimous decision, don't you dare let that new drummer get away! After playing only two gigs, Chad Stein has won over the fans with his thunderfoot playing and solid thumping! Come on out to the show and welcome Chad into his new home, a place we all want him to be for a long, long time!

We will be taking the month of November off to get into the practice studio and work on some new material. This will be a mix of some old cover tunes I used to play way back, some new cover material I've never played, and some new and old originals! Bet you can't wait!

The Silver Lake Inn gig on Dec. 5th has been moved to the end of January. We only have two shows in December, Dec. 6th at Knuckleheads and Dec. 13th at Sheryls. I have been feverishly working on new venues for the new year. You can expect quite a few new places so keep checking the website for schedule updates.

See you at the show!

Another #1 hit on AllSouthernRock.com!

2008-09-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, we did it again! "Long Haired Country Boy" has hit #1 on AllSouthernRock.com! Our version of the Charlie Daniels classic, has been played the most this week on the internet radio station, AllSouthernRock.com. This latest song joins the rest of our #1 hits on AllSouthernRock.com: "Real Mean Killer", "Southbound Train", "I'm Comin' Home", and "Closing Time."

ASR plays only southern rock music and its playlist contains only “new bands and new songwriters”, independent and proud musicians without a major contract. We are extremely proud and humble to be included in a playlist next to the likes of Marshall Tucker, Doc Holliday, Molly Hatchet, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rebel Pride, Alligator Jackson, Rebelicious, Firsthand, and many, many more! Thanks, Brad, for THE BEST radio station on the net, and thanks to all of my DJ friends, Angharad, Jfgator, JRedJr, Ron_in_Mizery, Stardog, Stixgirl, Sweettart, Tonigirl20 & YosemiteFan for playing all of our music! You guys, ROCK!! And thanks to all our fans listening and requesting our songs on AllSouthernRock.com and SHOUTcast Radio! Southern Rock is rising again!

Be sure to check out the new wallpapers in the pictures section of the website. More designs coming soon!

This week Sat. 9/27 at Knuckleheads: Chad Stein in the starting lineup at drummer postion. Check it out!

New Website Address

2008-09-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

Starting this month, the website can be found at its new address: www.NorthernBredSouthernRock.com

The old address, www.lukynskywyrd.com, will still work for the time being but I would like to start promoting the new address. I have come to the conclusion that Lukyn Skywyrd is hard to spell. Who would have guessed? With the new address, we can all easily tell new fans exactly what the website address is without having to give them a scorecard.

Speaking of the website, I have been getting out the paint and 2X4's and changing the appearance and content. Keep checking back in the next few weeks as I tweek and modify your official source for LUKYN SKYWYRD information.

Knuckleheads Pub in Eagle on Saturday, Sept. 27th. See you at the show!

Good Luck, Matt!

2008-09-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

We must announce that Matt Liesman, our drummer, will be leaving the band in September because a baby is on the way!! We wish Matt all the best and hope he gets enough sleep in the next couple of months 'cause he's gonna need it! Matt has one more gig with us and then, we'll put him on stork watch. Thanks, Matt for the past year. You really got this thing rollin' and wish you best of luck!

Starting on September 27th at Knuckleheads, we will welcome new drummer, Chad Stein into the fold. Check him out! You will not be disappointed!

Thank You, Harley-Davidson!

2008-09-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Can anyone say Harley-Davidson and not think Milwaukee? Throughout the world, people want to own a piece of our Americana. They live to ride and ride to live. Some well known people include: Peter Fonda, Jay Leno, Malcolm Forbes, Don Johnson, Jackson Browne, Tina Turner, and Elvis Presley. They have all ridden motorcycles built and born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. How cool is that?

For the last twenty years, we have been celebrating 5-year milestone birthdays of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. We welcome riders from all over the country and throughout the world to return to the birthplace of their beloved machine. When they arrive from every possible direction, every highway, every back road, and yes, even by ferry, Harley riders are met with open arms and homemade welcome signs. I'm sure this has brought a tear to the eye of even the biggest, burliest biker.

As a one of the many bands that performed at the Harley-Davidson 105th celebration, LUKYN SKYWYRD would like to congratulate Harley-Davidson and wish them another 105+ successful years. We would also like to thank Vic Thomas, Rick Ericson, Best Artists, and everyone behind the scenes at the Briggs & Stratton stage and Summerfest for putting on a birthday bash for a world famous but still hometown company.

Thank you, Harley-Davidson and thank you, Milwaukee!