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| Madison Mystery Tour - the band. 5/2/2026 dwm |
A friend at work is in a band, a couple of bands actually, and we talk about his gigs and what shows are coming up, but I'd never seen one of his shows. Until Saturday.
His day job is at Oakwood where he troubleshoots and problem-solves for residents having issues with technology. He is very good at it.
Bill Guetschow is a mainstay in the campus talent show I've also been part; in fact, the two of us did a couple Monty Python sketches together a few years ago. We used to work out of the same building and continue to regularly eat lunch with colleagues. Four of us secured tickets for ourselves and spouses, then met for dinner before the show, then secured seats in the front row so we could support our friend.
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| Bill on the drums. 5/2/2026 dwm |
We decided the best way to express our support was to chant at every appropriate opportunity, "Bill. Bill. Bill." Much to my surprise, he said after the show he heard us!
For the four of us watching the show, the other three knew the lyrics to the songs played better than me. In my defense, a number of songs were from the 'B' side of a single, which usually means it wasn't a big hit.
The Barrymore Theater was full of fans of the band performing and the Beatles. Prior to the show, the emcee asked for a show of hands, finding fans under 10 to over 80.
The first Beatles album I listened to was Rubber Soul, which I checked out from the library. Some of the songs I remember from that: Drive My Car; Norwegian Wood; Nowhere Man; and Michelle.
Michelle is a song that's stuck with me because when I was in choir during middle school, it was one of the Beatles songs we sang.
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| Sean Michael Dargan is lead singer. 5/2/2026 dwm |
Michelle wasn't one of the 36 Beatles songs played Saturday, in fact, there were several big hits that weren't played, but the Beatles had a lot of hits!
In front of the stage, the Barrymore has a large space between the front row and the stage where guests can dance or stand and watch the show from close up.
During the first half of the show I took pictures from my seat, but got the best shots after intermission, when I stood right against the stage.
Among the songs from the playlist I liked most: Penny Lane; Eleanor Rigby; Hard Day's Night; and Hey Jude.
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| Bill singing. 5/2/2026 dwm |
Hey Jude brought back memories of working at WCLO as a disc jockey in Janesville. Just like
American Pie,
Hey Jude was a song disc jockeys used when they needed more than a three-minute break.
The Barrymore Theater was built in 1929, just before the Depression, and was known as Eastwood Theater. It was renamed in 1987 and became a place for live entertainment and community events. It seats 971 for concerts, but if those concerts are like this performance, several dozen folks are down front dancing or just soaking up the atmosphere.
We enjoyed the show and had a great time sharing the experience with friends. It's even better when you know a member of the band, and they came out after the show to visit. After Bill found us down front, he looked for another group of friends in the house. The lead singer, Sean Michael, asked if I got some good pictures of Bill! I took dozens of pictures, with around 20 that are good enough to show.
This show was our first in the iconic Barrymore Theater, but I doubt it will be our last.
Long live Madison Mystery Tour!
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| Bill Guetschow on drums. 5/2/2026 dwm |
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| The band and orchestra with the finale, Hey Jude. 5/2/2026 dwm photo |
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