Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Musical interlude

Posted in:

Illinois
YouTube

* Two Saturdays ago, I was strolling the grounds of the Summer Camp music festival and a young man approached me to ask if I knew who was in the Steve Miller Band.

“Um, Steve Miller,” I said.

He asked if I knew anyone else in the band and I said I didn’t and we politely parted ways.

I was puzzled by that question because it seemed to come out of left field. Why did that guy care about who was in the Steve Miller Band? It just seemed so odd.

Later, I realized what was up. The band was scheduled to play the next day. The festival lineup was so long that I hadn’t even noticed.

* Miller played to the biggest crowd by far at that festival. It was hugely surprising because the average age of the audience was much, much younger than those of us who grew up with the guy. But there they were, joyfully dancing away and singing all the lyrics.

I concluded that they must’ve been raised on Miller’s music by their parents. Or, heck, even their grandparents.

Miller performed a heck of a show. I smiled the whole time. It was an unexpected pleasure.

* The reason I bring this up is because of something Gov. Bruce Rauner said yesterday about Speaker Michael Madigan…

“He makes his money from the status quo. He makes his money from big, expensive government.”

So I can’t get this song out of my head today…

He makes his livin’ off of the peoples’ taxes

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 10:41 am

Comments

Great, now Rauner will license the song for attack ads and ruin it. Its similar to how I can’t hear Fleetwood Mac without thinking about the Bill Clinton election.

Comment by AC Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 10:53 am
While a far shot;
Would Bruce’s song be, i took a walk?

Comment by Subzero Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 10:58 am
The Steve Miller Band has never been a particular favorite of mine but you can’t quibble with their longevity. They’ve got some of the most recognizable songs ever written.

Comment by Stones Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:00 am
We know how he feels about Madigan and Cullerton, but does that make Rauner the smoker, the joker or the midnight toker?

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:05 am
I keep getting Tom Petty and Steve Miller confused, so I would have really screwed up answering that question.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:05 am
==
We know how he feels about Madigan and Cullerton, but does that make Rauner the smoker, the joker or the midnight toker?==

The Gangster of Love, obviously

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:08 am
==We know how he feels about Madigan and Cullerton, but does that make Rauner the smoker, the joker or the midnight toker?==

Or a Space Cowboy perhaps

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:14 am
his masserati goes 185!

Comment by Subzero Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:27 am
Rauner should do a cover of Abracadabra for reporters…

Abra-abra-cadabra
I want to reach out and grab ya

Comment by AC Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:28 am
He knows exactly what the Fax is.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:32 am
Subzero - Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:27 am:
That’s Joe Walsh, and let’s not even get started on that name here.

My five year old son loves “Fly Like an Eagle”, so maybe I am polluting his young mind.

Comment by Columbo Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:32 am
I took my kids (now in their ’s) to the Steve Miller concert at Verizon (now Hollywood) in STL last summer. Amazed at the younger crowd & how they knew the lyrics. I taped my vinyl Fly Like an Eagle album cover to the window of SUV on the way to the concert.

Comment by Soccertease Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:33 am
Of course, Governor Rauner when he worked for GTCR made lots of money by tax-funded pensions. As Crain’s noted in 2013, “GTCR has managed money for years for the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System and the Illinois State Board of Investment, the largest and third-largest, respectively, in Illinois, as well as state and municipal pension plans from the San Francisco City and County Employees’ Retirement System to the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board.” So, Rauner and Madigan have more in common than we might initially perceive.

Comment by Scamp640 Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:34 am
Cullerton, Madigan and Rauner should form a trio to sing this one: “I’m a joker…”

Comment by The Joker Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:42 am
Joe Walsh owned the Maserati

Comment by Taylor320 Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:44 am
Never cared for the music much, but on one of those recorded ads for radio stations, “This is Steve Miller … Keep listening to WXYZ”. He just sounded like a really nice guy. Yes, I realize that is weird, I became less adverse to him and his music because of it.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 11:50 am
I believe Boz Skaggs was in the Steve Miller Band, and went on to a successful career on his own.

I wish Rauner would just get on a big ol’ jet airliner and go somewhere else.

Comment by Sir Reel Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 12:32 pm
Sir Reel - I believe it was the first couple albums.

I saw a documentary on the SMB and he commented on the fact that his greatest hits album has sales in the bajillions, but no one knows who he is. He attributed it to the fact that his picture is not on front or back. He said somethign to the effect that it was the best decision he has made, as he could shop for groceries, etc and not get mobbed by fans.

Comment by Slick Willy Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 12:43 pm
Two songs I recall from leaving Basic Training many years ago, Dark Side of the Moon and The Joker…

Comment by LINK Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 1:00 pm
No doubt Rauner would claim he’s “the pompatus of love.”

Comment by Scholar athlete Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 1:27 pm
“Griffin’s big jet airliner, come and take me out to the ranch”

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 1:29 pm
Saw Miller at Waste of Chicago five years ago. Played “Joker” twice. Great concert otherwise and free. Steve ripped on Mayor Daley for no reason which was weird though.

Comment by Capitol Tower Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 1:35 pm
Sweet tunes- I would go see this cat at the fair

Comment by bluegrass boy Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 1:38 pm
When he was at the state fair Dave Mason was with him. He was also on tour with Burton Cummings of the Guess Who. By the way, some friends told me that New Riders of the Purple Sage will be at Bottom Lounge in Chicago July 3-5. If you’re into that type of music it should awesome.

Comment by Ginhouse Tommy Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 2:14 pm
===New Riders of the Purple Sage will be at Bottom Lounge in Chicago July 3-5===

Chicago is going to be a jam/hippie band mecca that weekend.

It’s going to be the most awesome three days of music just about ever. The whole city will be a giant music festival. And it’ll be bittersweet because nobody will possibly get to see even a fraction of it.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 2:19 pm
Keep on Rockin Me. Verse 2:

Don’t get suspicious
Now don’t be suspicious
Babe, you know you are a friend of mine
And you know that it’s true
That all the things that I do
Are gonna come back to you in your sweet time

Comment by Careful what you wish for... Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 2:23 pm
i’d have never gone seen them otherwise, but they played wanee a year or so ago. good show. sounds like he has a great street team!

Comment by bored now Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 3:03 pm
New Riders: Kick in the Head. Great record. See you there.

Comment by Capitol Tower Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 3:12 pm
Yep on the Boz Scaggs connection. His parents were also close friends with T Bone Walker and Les Paul. Can you imagine sitting in that house with the grownups? Started listening to his music in college in the early 70s. Always easy to listen to and puts on a great show.

Comment by Reggaeman Monday, Jun 1, 15 @ 3:19 pm