Stu clearly has a masterful knowledge of the guitar and does more than strum a few well place cords, which brings the songs to life and creates an energy the crowd cannot escape.

Milwaukee, believe it or not, has a rather vibrant local music scene, many bands with a gaggle of loyal followers. One emerging band, which is beginning to feel the Mil-Town love, is Twice Baked Potato.

Twice Baked Potato is comprised of Stu Sundell-Norlin, lead vocals and guitar; Chad Burgess, drums; and Matt Misslich, bass. The trio officially started rocking fans in the summer of 2006. Since then they have traveled all over, including most of Wisconsin and Michigan.

Their sound mixes classic rock rhythms, jam band style and a hint of funk for some added spice.

Most recently I caught the groups showing at Points East Pub where they opened for The Kissers. Having seen them play before, I knew what to expect and was not at all disappointed. Sundell-Norlin clearly has a masterful knowledge of the guitar and does more than strum a few well place cords which brings the songs to life and creates an energy the crowd cannot escape.

Throughout their 12-song set, several songs stood out as crowd favorites. Among them is Stone, which the guys played half-way through the set. It starts out sounding more like a Rocky Eye of the Tiger tribute than an original, but as the intro passes, the song evolves into a staccato jam. The only thing reminiscent of Rocky are the quick fingers the gents use to keep the song moving and upbeat.

Another favorite that elicited cheers of approval from the crowd, which is somewhat Phish-esque is Fat Chicks. This song definitely has jam band flavor as the guys break away from the lyrics and just play during the middle section of the song.

One pleased fan, Steve Haggar, a sophomore from St. Louis Park, Minn., says hes seen them play before and they have kicked ass every time.

I like that you can rock out to their music. Its really catchy, Haggar continues.

When asked if he would see Twice Baked Potato again, he says, Id definitely see them again. I havent been disappointed in what theyve been dishing out so far, so Ill keep following them around Milwaukee.

Twice Baked Potato has recorded one CD so far called Twice Baked Potatoes, Live at Yield, which is available for purchase at all of their shows.

If youre a newbie to the Milwaukee local music scene, Twice Baked Potato is a pretty safe band to start with.

Twice Baked Potato is schedule to play at Yield on April 20 and The Rave on April 28.

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