There is no instruction manual for being a rock star. There is no playbook charting the progression from garages and basements to clubs, theaters, arenas, sheds, stadiums and enormous outdoor festivals.

If such a book existed 15 years ago, Nate Mendel probably would have devoured it.

If the book came out in the next few months, he could contribute a chapter or two -- especially the parts about playing huge venues.

Mendel is the bass player for the band Foo Fighters, which is the featured attraction Friday night during Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary celebration. Foo Fighters headline the outdoor venue dubbed "The Roadhouse at the Lakefront," which actually is a big patch of real estate just north of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Three Days Grace open the evening before a crowd at least twice the size of a typical arena crowds.

While such gigs are hardly unusual for Foo Fighters, an internationally popular band with a massive following, Mendel said it is not "old hat.

"I grew up in the desert of eastern Washington State," Mendel said during a recent phone interview. "When I got into music, my favorite bands played to 150 people in clubs. It's pretty much completely different than (shows like) this.

"In '95, when we first started playing festivals, I had never seen that many people before. It was a bit terrifying at first."

In June, frontman / songwriter Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters played a pair of shows at Wembley Stadium in London, where they rocked crowds approaching 90,000.

"Those shows were incredible -- the biggest shows we've done," said Mendel, who left Sunny Day Real Estate to join Grohl's group. "We had a lot of big shows this summer, but our band has always been more popular in Europe than in the U.S. Every time we go over there, it's kind of a band holiday."

The show this week will represent a "biker holiday" as thousands of Harley fans head to the lakefront in search of cold beer and entertainment.

"I don't know how to read this one," Mendel said. "Since it's a Harley-Davdison crowd, maybe we'll play all rock stuff and keep the quiet acoustic stuff down to a minimum so they don't throw bottles of piss at us.

"But, maybe they'll be into it. We'll have to decide what we're going to do. I don't know which way it will go."

Given the level of success that Foo Fighters has achieved, along with the band's history of mocking the popular Mentos commercial in a video, cynics may be inclined to sneer "Sellout!" over the group playing under the Harley-Davidson banner.

Mendel doesn't see it that way.

"The Harley-Davidson culture has crept into our band a little bit with some T-shirts," he said. "Dave (Grohl) is into it. I'm kind of the odd man out because I'm into motocross and dirt bikes...

"But, I don't see this as a typical corporate show. It's more like a whole lifestyle celebration. Those folks (Harley enthusiasts) are notorious for throwing good parties. It's going to be interesting to see how it goes."

Grohl, the former drummer for Nirvana, has written a slew of radio-friendly rockers ("Best of You," "Everlong," "My Hero" "Times Like These," "The Pretender") that can captivate a stadium crowd. In early albums, he did a lot of shouting. Lately, though, he's shown more nuances both vocally and in terms of songwriting themes.

 Page 1 of 2 (view all on one page)

Next >>

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

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by Shcro1 on Aug. 28, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. (report)

This girl will be at the show! I can't wait, it's going to be great!

Posted by dakota65 on Aug. 25, 2008 at 10:37 p.m. (report)

Does anyone have information about this show regarding parking/what can be brought in/policies? There's NOTHING on the Harley site about concessions or if we can bring chairs/blankets/coolers. I hate to think that I have to make a trip to the venue just to see what's up!

Posted by richard53235 on Aug. 25, 2008 at 4:26 p.m. (report)

Saint Francis Days has Cold Sweat and the Brew City Horns that same night www.stfrancisdays.org

Posted by A72 on Aug. 25, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. (report)

Foo-Mazing !

Posted by Aardvark on Aug. 25, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. (report)

Love the Foo Fighters. Missed the Chicago show in February due to a snowstorm.