Press | Waxing gymnastic (June 28, 1997)

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel June 28, 1997

Waxing gymnastic

by Tina Maples

Musician and goofball-at-large Pat McCurdy has closed Summerfest's Pepsi Comedy Stage every night for four years. Yet he's so inspired by the soaring new structure, a leftover from Atlanta's Olympic Games, that "at some point this year, I may re-enact Kerri Strug's vault for the gold during one of my shows." Once he blows out his leg, who's going to carry him off the stage? Sigmund Snopek III?

McCurdy's daily Summerfest ritual is to arrive around 9 p.m., grab a lemonade and check out the amphitheater show (he's got a backstage pass). But he might as well have stayed overnight after Friday's show: He was scheduled to be back on the grounds at 7 a.m. today for a Channel 6 TV appearance, then return at 3 p.m. for a quickie gig in the Best Buy record tent.

If you ask nice, maybe he'll play one of his new tunes: a "half-wistful, half-funny" folk song called "Say Goodbye to Yesterday" and "a PG-13, kind of risque" ditty called "The Best Polka." Ya dere hey.