And, on the 12th day, the city rested.

Or, should we say "recovered?"

The grounds at Henry J. Maier Festival Park on Milwaukee's lakefront are quiet and more than a little soggy today, but Summerfest 2006, which wrapped its 11-day run just after midnight, left most organizers, bands, vendors, music lovers and picnic table dancers with wide smiles and hopes for an even bigger Big Gig in 2007.

"Next year is going to be our 40th birthday," said Don Smiley, the president and CEO of Milwaukee World Festivals, Inc. "We're already planning it, and it's going to be huge."

Attendance and revenue figures weren't available Sunday night, but the 39th edition of Summerfest seemed to be a success despite a pair of energy blackouts, a closing-night downpour and a mid-festival lull that had a few vendors sweating.

"It hasn't been terrible, but there is definitely room for improvement," said Steve Sazama Thursday morning. Sazama, whose mozzarella marinara and other fine finger foods make Saz's one of the more popular restaurants on the grounds, and other vendors saw business pick up with strong turnouts in the final weekend.

"It really picked up," said Dan Elias of Express Promotions, the company which handles merchandising for the Big Gig. "Most years, we are busy the first weekend and it drops off on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then it picks up again. This year, it was kind of flat early. But, it picked up the last few days."

In most years, the key factors in Summerfest attendance are the weather and the music lineup. Organizers said they were thrilled with both this year. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Pearl Jam, who co-headlined the first two shows in the Marcus Amphitheater, attracted two of the bigger crowds in the history of the building and provided Bob Babisch, Summerfest's vice president of entertainment, with a story he'll tell for years.

"That was the biggest show we've ever done," Babisch said. "I was negotiating with Petty's people, Pearl Jam's people and all kinds of other people on a cell phone. We were going back and forth and were getting close (to a deal) and at 7 o'clock at night, the call came in and I was at Panera Bread Co. with my 5-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter. I was on the phone and Benny was whining that his soup was getting cold and Jenny was unhappy that her grilled cheese wasn't right.

"I had to say, 'Just a second,' to the people on the phone and talk to my kids while I was putting together the biggest show of my career. That was wild. that's one I'll remember all the way to my grave."

In addition to memorable shows by Elvis Costello, Wilco, Panic! At The Disco, and other acts, Summerfest 2006 will be remembered as the Year of the Blackout. Power to the grounds went out for three hours on opening afternoon, because a falcon blew a transformer. While the story was initially dismissed as an instant urban legend, WE Energies officials confirmed that a falcon touched a pair of electrical wires simultaneously, causing a surge that cracked an insulator, created a huge "Boom!" and cut power to the grounds. A 53-year-old male parking lot attendant injured his knee running from the explosion.

Although the music stages were strangely silent, the festival continued without power. With cash registers inoperable, food vendors used pencil and paper to figure out the cost of orders while veteran beer vendors kept their product cold by packing kegs in ice. "Just like high school," one said.

Power was restored and the festival continued without problem until more than a week later, when power to the grounds was cut off for nearly 90 minutes just before the gates opened.

Summerfest officials will meet with WE Energies executives to pinpoint the cause of the problem and prevent a recurrence.

Other than the electrical problems, the festival ran smoothly. The newly-revamped Miller Lite Oasis was popular and helped alleviate some traffic problems around the Mid-Gate, but it also made some of the other side stages look run-down by comparison. Smiley said talks are underway to renovate those stages and improve site lines. Adding video screens to all stages would be a step in the right direction.

Given the popularity of some side-stage acts, overcrowding will always be an issue. Lynyrd Skynyrd drew an overflow crowd to its set at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse, which created traffic jams and long lines for food, beer and bathroom facilities. In contrast, a set by the Chicago's Freddy Jones Band drew a somewhat sparse crowd to the Oasis, which made for a comfortable listening experience.

As is the case every year, opinions of the festival vary based on individual customer's tastes, expectations and experience. Some will say, "Enough with the country, already," others ask, "Where is the hip-hop?" while many others will shout, "Too many old-fogey bands!"

What were the highlights and lowlights of Summerfest 2006? Use the talkback feature to let us know and start thinking about the Big Gig's 40th birthday party, which begins June 28, 2007.

34 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by OMCreader on July 22, 2006 at 6:39 p.m. (report)

Carla Rupp said: I loved Summerfest. It was my first time, and I had the best time seeing the bands and eating the delicious food. Thanks Milwaukee!! People were great.

Posted by OMCreader on July 18, 2006 at 9:02 p.m. (report)

d fizzle said: Summerfest was off the chain with better urban line up. Not sure where Cofa Boy came from but, it was a huge surprise. Bring him back next year please.

Posted by OMCreader on July 18, 2006 at 10:01 a.m. (report)

Agree With Dave said: Summerfest = Milwaukee County Festival. Next Year: Cheerleader Dance Offs, Country Ho-downs, BINGO, and Bobbing for Applie Contests. Smiley: "Forget the music, we'll make more money by ditching the cost for stage-hands and electricity and turning to cheap prision labor."

Posted by OMCreader on July 16, 2006 at 7:03 p.m. (report)

dave said: Fest pales to itself in musical diversity. Cover bands headlining? Playing at prime weekend night spots? In no time Summerfest will be a State Fair without the animals and rides. Tragic.....biggest but NOT near the best....

Posted by OMCreader on July 15, 2006 at 3:30 p.m. (report)

Here are the numbers said: Don't read the Sentinel, it is old and boring. Onmilwaukee had the Summerfest attendance numbers "In terms of raw attendance, the festival hit 864,866, which was down slightly from 901,841 last year and the lowest in more than a decade (2005: 901,841, 2004: 867,754 and 2001: 1,039,794) but also within the range that Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., had budgeted for this year. Individual ticket prices also jumped from $12 last year to $15, an all-time high."