Great Lakes Renegade

“During the years of the Port Washington Pirate Festival I was an event manager and I hired the entertainers for the event. In 2009 I was told by the owner of the event to hire this guy (who worked for tips only) to position himself in the festival area. “Sure,” I said. I never saw him in action because I was also busy performing with my own group Bounding Main. Later, I discovered this video. Welcome to Great Lakes Renegade, with his unique interpretation of the classic sea shanty, Sally Brown.” — Dean Calin

His solo performance at Port Washington Pirate Fest was unique.  In the best one-man-band tradition, wearing a child’s pirate hat, he sat on a stool behind a bold 4′ x 2′ sign announcing that he was the GREAT LAKES RENEGADE, working a bass drum pedal with one foot, a wood block with the other.  He kept a harmonica in a neck holder at the ready while he played an open-tuned, dual-necked guitar that might have been home-made.  Style-wise, his rendition of the classic sea shanty, Sally Brown, was unlike anything you’ve likely heard before:  you need to watch the video, below.  He was allotted a 30-minute set time, but for better or for worse, this is the only one of his pieces that was captured on video that we’ve discovered.

Great Lakes Renegade has not been seen at any other maritime-themed festival since 2009.  In his other musical ventures, he seems to be a member of the hard rock, Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based group, Suicide Chicken, with partner Michael K. Grunert.