40 Minutes - No Filler, No Lead Singer for 4800 Seconds, Many Audibles Called, Heavy-Ass Traffic, and a Fall to Death Prevented by a Pillar…but there was a toe casualty (show date - 7/30/2026)

Thus begins the saga of the Bear opening for the Petty Kings at Countryside Concerts in the Park. When the band began plotting their quest for musical distribution across the suburbs, originally they were told the mean streets of Countryside (well, the beautiful park series) would not have them this year (2026) because they played last year as the opener for Strung Out Band  (2025). A funny thing happened on the way to planning the year. The Bear got a last minute invite stating the original opener contracted for July 30 backed out. After a quick review of the band calendar and a group chat bulletin requiring all six Yes votes, the band was able to accept the assignment (and just like in Mission Impossible, the email melted on the screen of Boober’s computer… Well, it didn’t but he thought it did). It became official, we agreed to open for the excellent Petty Kings, who were professional and polished all night and slayed an enormous crowd.

The band has its mission: putting together 40 minutes of music – no more, no less – a sprint, no filler, affectionately referred to as 40 Minutes of Death for some unknown reason, adding a nice tinge of tension.  Mind you, the band had a 5/23 Q-Bar 90 minute set, a 6/20 two set show at Squire Ale House, then the Can Bar on 7/11/2026 and then the 40 minutes of death on the 30th on the lonely streets of Countryside (well a beautifully maintained and well-used park).  Rehearsal time is every Thursday, but getting all six at one time on Thursdays was the exception and not the rule. Dr. Jenn was off on a several mini book tours, Professor Mike was fighting a nasty medical issue and yet there were shows we had to prepare for, so whatever form of the band (sometimes a four-piece, sometimes a five-piece, rarely all six) showed up in the vanquished lonely hallways of a lonely basement in the scary part of Countryside (well actually the lovely home of Jerry and Shelly Madsen, Boober’s cousin who graciously allow us to rehearse in a beautiful neighborhood complete with a water sprayer in the park across the street).  

The last rehearsal before the show in which the run through goes as well as it can with just a quintet as Keith has been summoned by the CIA to solve some moisture issue on Mars at secret conference somewhere in New Mexico, underground (well maybe a preplanned physics conference, but you really can’t be sure if you know what I mean, and I think you do).  

Show day arrives and the weather is beautiful.  Keith has laid out a solid 10-song set that contains at least six different tunes from last year’s set.  Boober, as is his compulsive habit, arrives excessively early only to be aggravated by something preventing early set-up.  At Q-Bar it was a graduation party, at Squire an acoustic duo was still on stage, at Can Bar a ferocious funk due to a World Cup final, a packed house with a birthday party and an air conditioner desperately struggling to keep up.  

Meanwhile, back at Countryside park at 4 PM, Boober has unloaded his gear and Bill-Squared (the sound guys, both named Bill) are piecing an enormous sound system together. There are bins, and chords and zombies (well, not zombies) all over the gazebo.  The drummer for Petty Kings is there and he is setting up, then moves his drums to the near front of the gazebo.  Bob, the lead singer of the Petty Kings arrives, then the bassist, the keyboard player, the other singer and the lead guitarist.  Kevin and Jenn arrive pretty close and unload to the side of the stage.  We are advised that we will not set up until the Kings get all set up and sound check by Bill-Squared.  Mike arrives, followed by a handsome but weathered Keith who has discovered a way to make powder into water at his secret meeting, but caught a nasty cold somewhere and is still recovering.  He left his wife and son at home, who were in the middle of battling it.  It is 5:20, we are scheduled to start at 6.  We still have a guitar center outdoor sale on the side of the gazebo.  Mike answers a call from Lisa.  She reports with great anguish and anxiety that she has been traveling first by camel, small boat, pioneer caravan, and then by car – and been traveling for what seems like nine hours and stuck on 294 - and her GPS is telling her arrival time will be 5:47.      

At about 5:32 – the Petty Kings finish a killer sound check, harmonies sweet, band tight, the City is going to have a great time tonight; Countryside is in good hands.  Damn, the two Bills know what they are doing – it sounds full, rich and fills the park!  Right before they finish, Boober asks Kev, “You want help?”  Stoically, the Actuary answers Spock-like – “No I built most of it, just need to move it, everyone should just do their thing, we don’t have a lot of time.”  Boober says “Nanu-Nanu” and gives him the Mork salute (no he didn’t – he ran like his hair was on fire getting his rig set up, but making a strategic decision to save a little stress and time, no mini-pedal board today, just straight into the amp head!”)

About 5:43 – Lisa Smola, at the request of the now-frantic bassist, calls Lisa Strzelecki to find out coordinates.  Ms. Strzelecki reports her new ETA is 5:57, show time is 6.  At about 5:50, the band as Kev, Mike and Kieth discuss that they will sound check with Feelin’ Alright, a song Mike sings, because Lisa is still not to the chopper that will deliver her to Wembley Stadium (or, Countryside by car).

Sound check is done. Boober runs to the car to change into his show outfit, a slick bright Pink Panther shirt obviously complete with a battery pack (because it is so pink it glows) and a Road Warriors Legion of Doom do rag (to keep sweat out of his eyes).  In the excitement of changing, he forgot his ever present reading glasses. He also chucked his shoes because it is a park, and playing bare foot is in his contract (what contract??)

Back at the ranch - 5:57 – Keith, Mike and Kev agree to start with song #5 on the set list, You May Be Right (a Mike vocal song), if Lisa does not materialize.  They have also plotted to go to “Stacy’s Mom” second (a Boober led song with Mike on killer stunt bass) if Lisa still is in the Chopper .   After that, Kevin was plotting a 22-minute version of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (no we don’t play that)  if Lisa was still stranded and the cast of Baywatch could not get her to shore. 

6 PM – Katie Goggin, from Design Event Chicago walks on stage, does announcements and states, “Please welcome, BiPolar Bear.”  Mike rips into it and owns it.  As we finish it, calmly we realize Lisa is still crossing the Atlantic.  Boober hands the bass to Mike, nearly forgets to grab the megaphone, and Keith calmly offers the opening chords and we are off again, into Stacy’s Mom (song 8 on our 10 song set list).  As Boober concludes the last line about being in love with Stacy and everyone else’s Mom (he is naughty like that sometimes), Lisa - mic stand in hand - calmly walks on stage.  Mike gives Boober back the bass, grabs his guitar and they are off and running unscathed into song 1, “The Middle.”   The crowd is warm and appreciative; they seem genuinely entertained and not aware that Lisa signed up for a three hour tour that took six seasons to get there.  

Boober promotes the Petty Kings and fireworks, does a few commercials including for Ledo’s Pizza, a vendor at the park and Westfield Ford a co-sponsor. Kevin is running a tight time keep, insisting Keith start playing even if Boober is chatty. Remember, this is 40 minutes of death, no filler!

Visual evidence of tomfoolery is in the picture portion of the website for this show, but what you won’t see is the thing that may have made Keith smile more than any other moment in his now two years with the band.  Out of the corner of his eye, he is the only band member to see during the last eight measures of What’s Up? Boober backs up, and trips on a stair and is attempting to go ass over tea kettle (Professor Mike’s unpublished autobiography, we learned) but the pillar directly behind him shields him from a certain death, contacting and smacking his back straight as his left big toe, digs into a crack and becomes a bit of a mess.   Boober doesn’t miss a note there (although he did drop an “H” at the beginning of Crazy on You, but who’s counting anyway).  The damaged toe is featured in the pics, but don’t tell Quintin Tarrantino.

The 40 minutes is over, the band survives, the Petty Kings are gracious and complimentary, the crowd is very positive, and our heroes scramble to get their stuff off stage and loaded.   What a night! As they went their separate ways, Show 38 is in the bag and a toe is severely damaged, but a goofy bassist is thankful for the placement of a pillar. 
 
A BoobSovillo collaboration!