Come See Don Wiggins play at the Boat House!
“I don’t just like playing at Gordy’s… I love it!”, says Don Wiggins, a local musician with over a decades-worth of experience playing live music at the lakefront. Over the years, Don has gotten to see and experience Gordy’s promise of “excellent customer service” in action, as he’s met and grown close to the gears of the Gordy’s operation. One of the reasons he keeps coming back to play at Gordy’s is the overwhelming amount of support he’s received from the employees: “They… have amazing staff/ownership over there. Great supporters of live music through the years like Nate Halverson, Frank Blum, Karla Polce, to Danny and Kenny on the showroom floor… and so many more. They just feel like family!”
But it’s not just the staff that makes Gordy’s special. For musicians, their music needs an enlivened audience to resonate with. According to Don, the Gordy-goers never miss a beat, “[They are] such a friendly and diverse group of guests from all walks of life… makes every show fun and interesting! Gordy’s Boat House is literally my favorite place to play. Hopefully they keep letting me in there!”
Don is a Wisconsin native who grew up north of Milwaukee in Sussex. He was three years old when he caught the music bug from his father, “My dad used to play a lot of songs with vocal harmonies and that just sounded like magic to me”. A chip off the old block, Don now not only sings but also plays guitar, ukulele, and the keyboard. In his younger years he even wrote his own music, though now he’s found his successful stride refining covers.
Don’s musician mantra is simple: try to get better every day by constantly playing live and taking notes. His advice for aspiring musicians is to, “play every single gig you can live in front of people all the time. Because you can’t learn all of the good and bad things that happen along the way by playing in your basement and bedroom. You have to get out and play all the time, as much as possible”. Whether you have perfect pitch or happen to be tone-deaf, this is exceptional guidance for anyone trying out something new. If you want to be successful at something long-term, you need to get comfortable performing mishaps and fails first. Once you eliminate the fright factor that comes with failing, you have nothing holding you back from progressing. Unfettered by fear, Don encourages people to step out of their comfort zone to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to prosper their skill set.
Don’s passion for music extends far beyond the borders of his home state. His travel adventures consist of jam sessions with gifted musicians from around the world. Traveling the world and being exposed to the eclectic sounds of different cultures helps expand Don’s perspective of what music is and the potential it fosters for what it can be. Immersing oneself with different groups of people and playing to their tastes also gives him more flexibility as an artist. When asked some of his favorite songs to play, Don responds, “I like virtually all forms of music, but it really doesn’t matter what I want. I try to take a lot of requests, and play to the crowd. It’s probably the best way to improve anyway, it keeps me on my toes”. When you can play to multiple contrasting crowds, you have a better chance of attaining the coveted crowd-pleaser status as an artist, which Don has undoubtedly secured.
The Gordy’s menu is a treasure for performers who have worked up an appetite after a triumphant night of playing. For Don, the Cobalt Blue burger, complete with crumbled blue cheese, applewood smoked bacon, and grilled onions, never fails to hit the spot. It’s the perfect way to end each night; munching away at a hearty meal and catching up with the Gordy’s staff who, over the years, have become synonymous with close friends.
To learn more about Don Wiggins and his music, come on down to the Shore Shack on the weekends to hear him play! Or find him on Facebook and Instagram @donniedubs.