MILWAUKEE — The Big Gig has plenty of big bands, but you don’t hit the big stage without playing a smaller one first. For three local artists from the Waukesha area, this year was the first ever time they got to play at Summerfest.
“This is the big gig, so everybody shows up here to rock, and I think that’s just what we did," Michael Pfingsten, who goes by the name Barefoot Mike, said.
He performed on the 2nd Floor stage. It specifically hosts up-and-coming local musicians.
“Totally rad totally awesome. I love Summerfest. 10/10 I will do it again," Whitney Rose said after her set.
It's a big moment for artists who are primarily used to playing at open mics inside cafes, bars, and restaurants.
“On a scale of this to this, I’m way out here on the fun level. I’m bouncing off the walls here," Erin McGowan, who goes by Erin McGroovy, said after her set.
This is a chance for artists to play a bigger crowd and get much more exposure.
“And getting stage time so places like this are just an amazing opportunity for people who wouldn’t have a chance like this to be seen and to feel seen," Whitney Rose said.
Stages like this are the breeding grounds for the stars of tomorrow. In a sense, they made it from the first floor, are on the second floor, and are working their way to the penthouse suite.
“The ability to enter the performance space, so you got open mics you got opportunities like this. They’re invaluable to people who are learning or coming up," Pfingsten said.
A performance at the 2nd Floor Stage is an accomplishment they worked hard for.
“Pinch me I’ve been anxious all last three months and I’m just ecstatic," McGowan said.
After all, you never know when a 12-clock artist moves up to 4 p.m. and then 7 p.m. and then 10 p.m. and then they’re a headliner. You could have a hipster moment and say, 'I saw them before they were cool'.
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