A mass shooting occurred at the Molson Coors Beverage Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 26, 2020. The perpetrator shot and killed 5 coworkers before committing suicide. I was not far away in a recording studio. Inspired by my own visceral reaction and anger this song emerged. Poet James Grady created a poem that I adapted to the lyrics of the song.

Dark Day in Milwaukee - words Cathy Grier+Jim Grady / music Cathy Grier

It’s a dark day in Milwaukee, shadows mark this land
People, more innocent people, had no time to make a plan
Nowhere to safety, nowhere to run, vindication at the end of a gun

Heat’s just turned up one more degree, We are stuck in a foolish game
But something’s got to break the rules, old system has to change
Far down past the line of repeat and repeat, we’re locked down,
losing ground, nowhere to retreat

Somewhere in Milwaukee next to the bodies, beer and blood
shooter spent up with anger, that could been resolved without a gun
An automatic, a soul psychotic on the line, we’re all hypnotized, brutalized and out of time

Break:
He showed them who’s the boss, Sneaking ‘round the back door,
A life with no cost, nothing worth livin’ for
And in the brewery like a stockyard’s killin’ floor
Families dressed in black, won’t seeing their kids no more
Crowds of people crying, what’s with all the dyin’
Where’s our collective sanity, are we even tryin’? Are we
Tongue tied, or, wide eyed, politicized or criticized
Say all you want, it’s not guns that’s the problem
But doing nothing is on the wrong side of the column

It’s a dark day in Milwaukee, shadows mark this land
People! How much more can we break, to finally make a stand
No-one is safe, no more to say, it’s dark in Milwaukee,
Shadows fade to grey


Featuring: Cathy Grier vocals and guitar, Tony Menzer bass, Jamey Clark drums, Jim Ohlschmidt slide guitar + vocals, Larry Byrne keyboards and Deirdre Fellner backing vocals

Recorded live February 2022, at Piranha North Studio, Aaron Fischer editor/mixer and Mark Thiede engineer/lighting for the Door Community Auditorium winter coffeehouse series.
[ Ссылка ]

The band will be representing Paramount Music Association and Wisconsin at the 2022 International Blues Challenge held May 6-9 in Memphis, Tennesee Cathy Grier a singer-songwriter, guitarist in the blues genre. A composer and performer for over 40 years. She currently lives in Sturgeon Bay, WI since 2016 after living in NYC for 20 years, most notable as nycsubwaygirl where she brought her blend of blues to the underground performing in the Music Under NY program from 1999-2015.

You can’t help but feel Cathy’s life story in every heartfelt note. Part Storyteller. Part Blues Traveler. [ Ссылка ]
words/music by Cathy Grier singerfish publishing SESAC © ℗ 2020

свернуть