MILWAUKEE - On Friday night, Summerfest featured an impressive lineup of big name acts. Rush, Phil Vasser and The Rusted Roots were all headlining on a steamy summer night. It is unlikely, however, that any of those groups came to the Big Gig with more enthusiasm than Milwaukee’s own Mississippi Cactus. "Growing up here and coming in and watching bands when we were kids, it was always a dream of ours to play here." That’s what drummer Mike Kasprzak said as his band prepared to take the stage shortly before seven. "This is our ninth year playing Summerfest." The band is defined by their hard-driving sound. But unlike some heavy acts, they are polished with very tight execution. These guys know what they’re doing whether they are playing a cover of "Blinded by the Light" or one of their own roots-based originals. So was the name "Mississippi Cactus" the brainchild of some smart marketing expert after countless focus groups? "Mississippi catfish was one of the dishes at The Sizzler where Mike (guitarist Mike Friedl) used to work," Brian Kasprzak said with a laugh. "Somehow catfish morphed into cactus." These Milwaukee guys have as much fun checking out the other acts as they do playing to their own exuberant fans. "When we’re not playing we’ll be eating, drinking and checking out the other bands," Brian said. "The night we play is the only night I can afford to be here," Mike Friedl quipped. "Because I get in free!"