Singin' in the rain: The show must go on

By P.J. GLISSON

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood - Friday evening rain threatened to shut down a performance by the Dweebs, a northern Midwestern family band that was scheduled to perform on the small stage of the Gogebic County Fairgrounds.

Luckily, a little ingenuity and a lotta pluck saved the day and didn't seem to faze the audience that watched and cheered them on from under three nearby canopies.

Although the band also had a canopy, it was not adequate to prevent water from dripping onto the stage, where several speakers had to be removed one by one as the band performed with great gusto.

Band members and helpers covered sensitive equipment on the stage's east side and hung a tarp on the west side.

They also found whatever they had on hand to serve as drip pails at the edge of the stage, but that remedy did not suffice. Jeremy Richards, of Turn 2 Saloon, then volunteered the use of a large, insulated cooler box, prompting band leader Michael Blue (a.k.a "Papa Dweeb") to declare him "the coolerest guy here."

Band members stayed positive throughout the challenge and kept the songs rolling no matter what. In one example of the band's reputation for being "interactive," lead singer Claire Blue sat down next to Danny Wanink, a local native and fair auctioneer who now lives in Big Rapids, Michigan, and encouraged him to sing a few lines.

The band's peppy music kept the crowd going, with some of them even dancing in front of the band.

Earlier in the evening, Mike Magee of Shawano, Wisconsin, also sang and played guitar under a larger canopy next to the saloon, which is run by Friends of the Fair. Saloon proceeds go to fair expenses.