MILWAUKEE — For 52 of the 55 years Summerfest has been around, local musician Sigmund Snopek has been rocking out at the Big Gig.
Snopek is one of if not the most illustrious performers at Summerfest. He started his career at the festival back in 1971.
He has performed hundreds if not more than a thousand times there.
“But for a while we did it every day. We did it 11 days in a row performing," Snopek said.
He would perform multiple times in a day. Snopek played rock shows, operas, musicals, comedy, and just about anything else you can think of. He opened for tons of bands and for Jay Leno.
"It feels really good," he said looking back on his career.
But he has done a lot more than just perform at Summerfest. He has toured the country and world as a solo musician, with his band, and with the Violent Femmes.
“I’m one of a few people who played Carnegie Hall and a bowling alley in the same week."
He’s the kind of artist fans see over and over again similar to Summerfest staple Pat McCurdy.
“More than two dozen or so, yea. He used to play a bunch of different festivals. Used to see him all over town Locust Street, Brady Street," fan Joseph Rice said.
Many fans have moments that stick out to them the most about Snopek.
"He played at the Carroll College auditorium, and I helped him pack him up after they were leaving at their show," Mark Vieth, a fan at Summerfest, said.
"The band Snopke played at my high school, Lomira High School, one year," Susan Brettingen, the sister of Mark Vieth, said.
He isn’t confined to one genre. For some fans, that’s what they love about him.
“He’s just a kind of an acquired taste maybe but just a lot of fun to see live," Brettingen said.
He has multiple shows at Summerfest this year and the 72-year-old has no plans on slowing down.
“The important thing is that I’m still doing it and there’s a lot of beautiful music that needs to be heard ill be working on that," Snopek said.
Eventually, there will be a film published about the life of Snopek. Go to his website to learn more about the documentary.
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