WISCONSIN EDITION | WWW.SCENENEWSPAPER.COM | JANUARY 2017 VOLUNTARY 75¢
Art Garfunkel In Concert
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January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
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SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
STAFF
contributors
James Moran • Publisher/Sales
Jane Spietz
Ben Rodgers
jmoran@scenenewspaper.com 920.418.1777
Blaine Schultz
Michael Casper • Editor
CONTENTS
Sam Brawner George Halas James Page Steve Lonsway
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Art Garfunkel
Billy Gardell
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16
Harlem Globetrotters
21 Live from Japan Calumet
PRESS
INC.
19 E. Main St. PO Box 227 Chilton, WI 53014 920-849-4551
Raquel Rodriguez
10 Interative Beatles
18 Oshkosh Nativity
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Destihl Brewery
Brew Review
editor@scenenewspaper.com 920.344.0036
Brad Behnke • Graphics Design bbehnke@scenenewspaper.com
12 Postcard from Milwaukee
20 The Spanish Inquisition
26 Amber Grill
Advertising deadline for February is January 20 at 5 p.m. Submit ads to ads@scenenewspaper.com. The SCENE is published monthly by Calumet Press, Inc. The SCENE provides news and commentary on politics, current events, arts and entertainment, and daily living. We retain sole ownership of all non-syndicated editorial work and staff-produced advertisements contained herein. No duplication is allowed without permission from Calumet Press, Inc. 2017.
January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
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» ENTERTAINMENT » CONCERT WATCH
Art Garfunkel By Jane Spietz Singer poet Art Garfunkel rose to fame as one half of the Grammy-winning folk rock duo Simon and Garfunkel with childhood friend Paul Simon. The two were responsible for putting out classics such as “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Sound of Silence,” “Scarborough Fair/Canticle,” “America,” “The Boxer,” “I Am a Rock,” “Homeward Bound,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecelia,” “El Condor Pasa,” “At the Zoo,” and many others. After going their separate ways in 1970, Simon and Garfunkel reunited from time to time throughout the years. Their free benefit concert in Central Park in 1981 drew an audience of more than 500,000 people and a performance at a fundraiser in support of Hurricane Katrina relief helped to raise $9 million. However, Garfunkel clearly stated during my recent interview with him that another reunion with Simon was not in the works. To this day, Garfunkel has maintained a successful solo career with live performances and the release of numerous well-received albums. Major hits include “All I Know,” “I Only Have Eyes For You,” “So Much in Love,” and “Since I Don’t Have You.” In addition to his music, he is a man who pursues a variety of passions. Garfunkel has written a series of stirring prose poems which can be viewed on his website. He is also a prolific reader, completing two books per month on average. Along
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WHERE: Pabst Theater, Milwaukee WHEN: 8 PM Friday, January 20, 2017 COST: $59.50, $49.50 INFO: www.pabsttheater.org/events www.artgarfunkel.com/ the way, Garfunkel earned his master’s degree in mathematics, worked toward a doctorate in mathematics education, and briefly worked as a high school math teacher. He became a fan of long-distance walking and through the years has participated in treks across Japan, the United States, and Europe. Garfunkel caught the acting bug and most notably starred in Catch-22 (1970) and Carnal Knowledge (1971). He received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the latter role. In 2010, Garfunkel experienced the devastating loss of his singing voice which he fortunately regained after resting his vocal cords for several years. He currently serves as a spokesperson for the End Blindness by 20/20 campaign. Recently I reached Garfunkel at his mid-town Manhattan office, where he was working on a book which he referred to as a semi-autobiography. Jane Spietz: How did you come to realize that you were blessed with the gift of an incredible singing voice? Art Garfunkel: I was in the alleyway
SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
in Queens in 1946. I was five years old. There in the alleyway with my pink Spalding punch ball, throwing it up against the roof of our building. Making up some game of how many times can I hit it into that little box up there. I noticed that I would be singing to myself. I thought that it was kind of a nice singing voice. This is pretty, this singing. And I would sing stuff that I heard on the radio, like Nat King Cole. I would sing it and I would hear that there was control in my vocal cords. It was pleasing. So I sought out rooms that had tiles, stairwells. In school, when the kids would walk out of school down the stairs, I would linger and be the last one. I would be in the stairwell and any rooms with tiles. It was so pretty to make that sound. I was becoming entranced with that. The songs I was using were pop songs on the radio. I loved the song “Too Young.” And there were some crooner hits from those early days that I latched onto. It’s just so much fun to sing them. JS: What is your favorite song to perform live? AG: I like to sing “A Perfect Moment.” It’s a tune I wrote and put on my al-
bum of a few years ago, Everything Waits to Be Noticed. It’s pretty, pretty. I love things that are super pretty. And for me this melody does it. A perfect moment. I sing it early on in my show. JS: You and Paul Simon have briefly reunited from time to time throughout the years. Do you feel there is a possibility of the two of you getting together again? AG: No. JS: I have enjoyed your work as an actor. Would you consider acting again if the opportunity arose? AG: You know, I would. If a script comes in the door, and you open it up and there on page two you’re off and running with a very interesting grabber, your mind is engaged. Like, ‘this is truly funny,’ or ‘I am interested in what they’re talking about,’ or ‘I love this main character.’ If it’s any of those things, and the script is hot, you’re halfway toward wanting to call the director and saying the parameters – ‘where do you intend to shoot it, in which month do you want to start working?’ We meet up and talk about it. You’re halfway there. But I just that think finding a script that has intelligence and flair is the devil’s business. Who’s writing these days? Where are the good scripts? I don’t know. It’s a tough age we live in. But I am available for quality stuff. JS: You have an extensive background in mathematics. How did you end up teaching high school
math for a short while? AG: It was a local school, it was nearby. I got a country house in Litchfield Connecticut. I had just gotten married. It was a local, easy thing. It was kind of a variation on take a rest. You’re coming off of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Just take a rest. Teach at the local school, it’ll be calming. That was that phase in my life. Connecticut.
this voice back. So have a lot of patience, just let it be. Right now you can’t sing.’ When you have that resting, you keep saying, ‘Now, am I ready now?’ So you try stuff and you fail and you weep
JS: An avid reader, you finish about two books every month. What do you like to read? AG: Fiction and nonfiction. I like philosophy, I like history. I like books that have great reputations so that there’s nothing wrong with going back a hundred or 200 or 500 years. There is where the great reputations are. I like weighty books, books that have weight, because they’re smart. The writer made a tremendous devotion in writing it. JS: You have stated that you are not a treadmill kind of guy, and instead enjoy long distance walking. You have walked across Japan, Europe and the United States. AG: I finished Europe; that was the last one. Ireland to Istanbul, just a year ago. Now I’ve stopped walking, and the body needs it. My body is saying to me, ‘Come on, where else? What’s the next thing you’re going to do?’ I don’t know. I need to invent another trek. JS: How about Canada? AG: Too many evergreens. (Laughs) But maybe El Paso to Montana. Vertical, up the West. JS: Talk about your experience with vocal cord paresis. What was it like to lose your voice? AG: All I know is that the vocal stopped happening. In 2010. And I really don’t know why. I could hardly talk. The singing wasn’t there. It went on for months and months. I saw doctors. That gets you nothing. Only my own inner instincts were of anything to me. My instincts told me, ‘You’ve not lost it, you’re going to persevere. You’re never going to give up until you get this back. It’s your nature, and therefore you’re going to get
JS: Permission was given for the Bernie Sanders campaign to use the song “America” during his run for president. AG: (Sings a number of verses of “America”) I believed in Bernie’s message. That’s true. The song rises to the love of America. It’s a very unusual flag-waving moment for Simon and Garfunkel, from out of nowhere. And the flag that’s waved, is that harmony line above the melody (sings the verse ‘All come to look for America’). It just soars! Naturally it works for anyone who wants to say I love this country. JS: Talk about your involvement with the Quest to End Blindness by 20/20 campaign.
and it’s tragic. You book a room of a thousand empty seats so that you can sing on microphone with speakers. It’s not singing in the shower, this job. And you still crap out. It’s no good. And now you’re two and a half, three years into your recuperation and it’s still not happening. This makes you start crying a little bit. ‘Come on Lord – am I ever going to sing again?’ I was born to be a singer. I don’t know how to be a person if I don’t sing. And you keep going. Then you book some shows with people and you say to yourself, mending is getting out there even before you’re mended. Even though I’m not ready, I’m gonna to do it and be ready and get onstage and see what happens. And it’s going to be very irregular, dodgy. There goes perfectionism. Tonight, that’s over. It is true, that part of mending is doing it even though you’re not mended yet. That helps you mend. Getting back into it. There’s a good lesson to learn.
AG: My friend of long-standing, Sandy Greenberg, lost his eyesight in college. I would work with him, help him along, and read books to him. He became the head of the Wilmer Eye Institute at John Hopkins University. Well, when you are the head of something you announce your campaign. This campaign is to end blindness by 2020. Stop and think about that one, Jane. Sandy has said, “If you don’t go for major goals in life, what’s the point of living?” That’s what he’s trying to do. Sandy says if you can get some serious scientists from around the world to come together, you can get white hot energy out of the convergence of talents. People who are in the same place, at the same board room. The nearness of other talented people can be very helpful to really work wonders in terms of expanding your research. JS: Looking toward the future, what thoughts would you like to share with young musicians?
JS: What a blessing it is that you have regained your voice.
AG: It’s noisy world that doesn’t need any more noise. Why are you young musicians adding your bit to it? There’s only one answer to that – ‘I’ve got to do this.’ So, do it for the love of music and create something beautiful.
AG: You’re kind. It’s my delight to sing in a way that gives pleasure and to share it. I go for the goosebumps.
AG: See you then. Thank you, Jane.
Artistic Director John Harmon
SEASON VII
All Performances at 7:30pm Doors open at 6:30pm, featuring musicians from Lawrence University.
Jan. 19, 2017 Noah Harmon
Classical/Jazz Improv.
Feb. 16, 2017 Randal Harrison Trio
Appalachian Funk/Tango Nuevo Sponsored by:
Mar. 16, 2017 KWT feat. Tom Washatka Fusion & Funky Stuff
Apr. 20, 2017 Stuck on Blue
Contemporary Jazz Trio
May 18, 2017 Maxim Confit, Dane Richeson, Michael Spiro, Christos Rafalides & Mark Urness World Percussion with Jazz
TS VII TICKE! N O S A E S NOW ON SALE
Tickets: $20 Museum Members: $12 Students: $5 Tickets available online or by calling 920-733-4089 Season VII Series Sponsors:
JS: Art, I will see you at the Pabst Theater in January. Thank you for your time.
January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
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» ENTERTAINMENT » BILLY GARDELL
Billy Gardell is Back Where He Started...
By Michael Casper After a wildly successful sitcom run with Mike & Molly, and a short Monopoly Millionaires’ Club game show hosting stint, comedian Billy Gardell is back to doing what he was born to do...stand up. In part due of his TV notoriety, he’s not having to slug it out in clubs in front of drunk hecklers who think they’re ‘helping’ make that third show on a Saturday night ‘funnier,’ rather he’s been afforded the good fortune of playing the “big rooms.” But it isn’t only because of his recognition as Melissa McCarthy’s better half from 2010 through 2016 on Monday night’s on CBS, it’s also because he is killer funny. Born outside of Pittsburgh in Swissvale, Pennsylvania, Billy was raised in a middle class family with a sister and a brother, and his first time on stage was in a club in Florida on a dare. It was 1987, Bonkerz Comedy Club, he was with some co-workers and was running his mouth about how he could get up there and be funny.
you felt when you got off stage. Was it a sense of you knowing there and then, you needed more of this? B: It was the greatest feeling. I knew right when I walked off stage that that was what I wanted to do the rest of my life. No matter what it took, no matter how long it took... this is what I want. I actually did really well that first time doing stand up, which was weird, like for the first five minutes, and then I was terrible for the next two years (laugh). M: But then you found you own voice? B: I started to get it around that third or fourth year, and this was while doing a whole lot of gigs, and maybe by the sixth year I started headlining the clubs. By the tenth year I thought I was seasoned enough to go to Los Angeles. And then it only took about another 15 years before I got Mike & Molly (laugh). M: 25 years to become an ‘overnight’ success. B: Exactly.
Billy: Wow, you did your research!
M: But you knew you had to pay your dues, and put in the time.
Michael: I’m not so much curious about how you did that first time in front of a crowd, I want to know what
B: Yeah. And thank God my father prepped me for that. Again, it was that midwestern thought process.
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SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
Before I left for California my old man said to me, ‘You ain’t pretty, and you ain’t smart. You better out work everybody.’ M: You were headlining, but what was it like the first time you were booked because people knew who Billy Gardell was? B: There were plenty years where my name was at the top of the marquis, but nobody really knew who I was. It was probably after the second year of Mike & Molly, and one of the great gifts I’ve gotten from being on that show is that it took me out of the small clubs, and into theaters and casinos because of the popularity of that show. M: The show was set in Chicago, and you mentioned the heartland sensibility. B: My stand up crossed over, or played into the feel of that show. So it wasn’t as if fans would come to my stand up show after seeing me on TV, and be broadsided with a completely different brand of humor. Instead, I was lucky enough, that my humor and the show’s humor translated, and it gave my stand up career the boost I always wanted it to have. M: Another Chicago comedian, Mark
Roberts created the show. How did you two cross paths? B: He’s a brilliant guy, and a brilliant writer, and I came in and auditioned for he and Chuck Lorre. And actually, before I got the part, I was ready to pack my bags and head back home. I was going to stay for one more pilot season, and if nothing happened, I’d have headed back. And the last audition I’d done was for the last pilot season I was going to be there, and it was Mike & Molly, and the tables turned. M: You must have hit a home run in that audition. B: Yeah, I did. A week later I got the phone call you wait for your entire career. M: To back up a little, you once opened for George Carlin? B: That was one of my crown jewels. I was 18 or 19, he was in Orlando and his opening act got sick, and I got the call. I got to open for him and watch him, and when I watched him...he was so good...I thought to myself, ‘Boy, I should just quit right now, because I’m never going to be that good.’ (laugh) He was a bar to shoot for, one of the best ever. M: You also have great admiration for Jackie Gleason.
B: Growing up, he was one of my idols. M: How often do you try new material, if you’re always ‘playing the big rooms,’ do you try bits out on your wife? B: My wife? She doesn’t think I’m funny. (laugh) No...I’ll write down premises, and bring them up on stage, you know you do a little bit of the old stuff, and then you try some of the new. I’m working on a completely new hour right now, so I’m excited about that.
us which is why you see Drew Carey, and Wayne Brady...Craig Ferguson doing it. It’s an easy thing to do. M: The show didn’t last very long. B: Yeah. It was a great show, but we kind of bankrupted it too quickly. The grand prize was a million dollars, and we were only supposed to give a million away once every 25 shows, and we did it like eleven times! M: Whoops. B: Yeah...they were like, ‘Well I guess that show’s over!’ (laugh) I miss that show, though, we had a lot of fun - Billy Gardell doing it, we shot it in Vegas which was cool. And just recently I landed another show that’s got the word ‘million’ in it, and that’s The Million Dollar Quartet which we shot in Memphis over the summer. It’s an 8-episode limited series for CMT that’s going to come out the end of February, and I’m playing Col. Tom Parker, Elvis’s manager.
“My wife? She doesn’t think I’m funny. (laugh)”
M: You also do character voice over work for some cartoons. Your son must think you’re the coolest.
B: That’s the reason I did and do that work. I was Santa in ‘The Ice Age Christmas,’ I was Mayor Chickenen in Phineas and Ferb. Oh, and I was the bad warden in Scooby Doo which I did strictly for street cred with my kid. M: Was hosting the Monopoly show done on a lark? B: No! I love game shows. And I think comics make great game show hosts, because the first thing you learn in a comedy club is how to host a show. It’s second nature to
M: A dramatic role? B: Yeah. I think you have to shift gears a little bit, and grow as an artist, and I hope this sticks.
M: Where will you be in ten years? B: I’m 47, so in ten years I hope to be a few years from retirement, hopefully still doing stand up once in a while... and maybe travel with the wife. M: Your son, is he artistic? B: He is. He’s into singing right now, and doing the performing arts in school... the plays, and he’s developing a pretty good sense of humor in this house too, I think he’s been bitten by the bug. M: Well, as you say in one of your bits...keep making him go outside and play. B: That’s it, man. Put down the video games and get outside and find something to do...even if it’s wrong (laugh).
Billy Gardell will play the “big room” at the North Star Casino in Bowler, Wisconsin, January 28th.
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January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
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» ENTERTAINMENT » BEATLES
Interactive Beatles at the Grand
By Ben Rodgers
There are certain songs that stick with a person throughout life. These songs bring back memories, either good or bad, but the one constant is that the music stays the same. When Billy McGuigan and his brothers Ryan and Matthew wanted to put together a show, they decided to focus on the one band that brings back memories for nearly everyone, The Beatles. “Our dad was a military guy,” Billy said “and even though we seemed to be constantly moving all over the world, the one constant in our lives were his Beatles records. Dad had his guitar and he would teach us Beatles songs. So there isn’t a Beatles song I hear that doesn’t remind me of a certain time in my life with my dad and my brothers.” But “Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience,” coming to the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh isn’t your typical Beatles tribute show. The guys don’t dress like the Beatles, talk like the Beatles nor do they perform sets as the Beatles did. At this show the audience picks the songs they want to
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hear after explaining why they want to hear them.
Matthew witnessed a marriage proposal to The Beatles ‘When I’m 64.’
“When the audience comes in they have a chance to fill out request cards in the lobby,” Billy said “and we ask for their favorite Beatles song and the importance behind why they chose it. Then we sort out the cards and put together a set list based on the audience requests. We do that about two minutes before the show starts and we use the reasons as the stories we tell throughout the show,”
“There are so many people that have a special attachment,” Billy said “whether they saw The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, they remember how old they were, what they were doing. The fact that Beatles songs have touched people at a much deeper level than simply musically, that’s really the engine that drives this show.”
“If you’re a Beatle freak this show is for you.”
This means that no two shows are the same, and every night there’s an opportunity to see something special. Billy said one of the most moving times was when a 10-year old in Omaha, Nebraska wanted to hear “Revolution,” because his grandmother, who had just passed away, had introduced him to the Beatles, and he wanted to dedicate it not just to his grandmother, but to all grandmothers. And during another memorable show Billy, Ryan and
SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
- Billy McGuigan studio albums.
The McGuigan brothers had to learn all of the songs from the twelve Beatles
“When I say we don’t dress like them, or look like them, that’s not to say we don’t sound like them,” Billy said. “We go to great lengths to run through these songs, so we do know every song in the catalog even the solo catalog.” Billy’s favorite is “Abbey Road,” but growing up he was hooked on “The White Album.” “When I was maybe 12, my uncle had a vinyl copy of The White Al-
bum,” Billy said “and I listened to that in the summer of ’86 or so, and I played that album every day, memorized every word, I was obsessed with it. Now at 41, ‘Abbey Road’ just sings to me, its one of those things top to bottom, its perfection.” That’s what “Yesterday and Today” is about, the love of the music and what it means for different people. “The Beatles didn’t like their persona,” Billy said “they didn’t like their mop tops, and what they had become, so much so they dressed like Sgt. Pepper. This show proves their music stood on its own, and the fans love of their music is what’s important.” Tickets range from $20 to $44 and can be purchased at grandoperahouse.org or by calling (920) 4242350 or 1-866-96GRAND. “If you’re a Beatle freak this show is for you,” Billy said “but even if you’re a casual Beatles fan, you’re going to have a great time. What’s great about all these songs, and we don’t choose them, the only thing we pick is which songs make it into the show, but its truly all over the place.” Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. January 20th at The Grand Opera House in Oshkosh.
It’s time to reserve a Winnebago County Community Park shelter for summer, in case you haven’t already done so. Reservations are on a first come/ first served basis and must be made in person at the Winnebago County Parks Office inside the J.P. Coughlin Building 625 E. Cty. Rd. Y, Oshkosh. Winnebago County Boat Launch Parking Permits for 2017 will be available in mid-February. Sunnyview Expo Center Events in January 2017: The Winnegamie Dog Show = 1/14 & 15 WHBA Home and Outdoor Living Expo = 1/20-22 Indoor Rummage Sale = 1/28 For an annual calendar of events, event contact info, and facility rental information go to our website www.co.winnebago.wi.us/parks. All events are subject to change without notice. Updates when possible will be posted on our Facebook page. For event specific questions please contact the promoter of the event.
PICTURE YOURSELF IN WINNEBAGO COUNTY PARKS! January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
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» ENTERTAINMENT » POSTCARD FROM MILWAUKEE
NRBQ - High Noon (A 50-Year Retrospective)
By Blaine Schultz NRBQ originally stood for New Rhythm and Blues Quintet. But most often Quartet. Except when
to start with founder Terry Adams’ comment in 1969, when asked for his inspiration he replied, “The Sun: Sun Records and Sun Ra.”
the band backed up Carl Perkins,
At the outset keyboardist Adams
it briefly stood for New Rockabil-
and his fellow longhairs played de-
ly Quartet. They have been known
cidedly non-hippy psychedelic rock.
to add the two piece Whole Wheat
Even if it was not called American
Horns. Old bumper stickers for the
roots music back then, that’s as
band simply read Q.
good a thumbnail as any. Guitarist
So what to make of this band that spans five decades? -- How about a collection that nabs an archaeo-
Steve Ferguson and bassist Joey Spampinato anchored lineups for the early days.
singer Skeeter Davis. From pure pop songs that could have been Top 40 hits, to sunny
logical track from 1966 and journeys
By 1974 the classic lineup of Ad-
vocal harmonies, to Anderson’s
through five discs in an attempt to
ams, Spampinato, guitarist Al An-
Telecaster neck-wringing, to Spam-
define a band that remains pretty
derson and drummer Tom Ardolino
pinato’s bass groove, to Ardolino’s
much indefinable, and continues to
was intact. For over two decades
swinging drums, to Adams’ honky
be vital to this day.
this version of the band toured end-
tonk piano by-way-of fuzzed-out
lessly and released albums. It was
Clavinet, to liberal dashes of humor
during this fertile epoch that the
– you could not have assembled a
band managed collaborations with
better band with a mail order kit.
Omnivore Recordings has taken the challenge to corral the legacy of a band known to pass the hat at shows requesting any and all song suggestions. Maybe it is best
both professional wrestling manager Capt. Lou Albano and country
In the 1994 guitarist Anderson left the band for a successful ca-
reer as a songwriter in Nashville, where his resume is mind-boggling. He was replaced by Joey’s brother Johnny Spampinato (it should be noted there is an NRBQ tune based around the brothers’ surname.) The new lineup didn’t miss a beat and the band continued with its chosen modus operandi for another decade. Along the way the members of NRBQ voraciously applied themselves to side projects like performing music for the Simpsons, Space Ghost, SpongeBob SquarePants, appeared in movies Day of the Dead and Shakes the Clown, and collaborated with artists from Rolling Stone Keith Richard to Appleton native Susan Howe. By 2004 the band finally took a break. The brothers Spampinato and Ardolino formed a side project while Adams battled throat cancer. Sadly, Ardolino died in 2012. Last year it was reported Joey was battling cancer. In 2011 Adams recovered and revived the NRBQ name and continues to tour and record (a good slice of disc one features the new members). Credit the Omnivore honchos for gathering material from albums released on at least 14 different record labels and tossing the usual high calorie previously unreleased tracks.
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SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
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January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
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» ENTERTAINMENT » HARLEM GLOBTROTTERS
Harlem Globetrotters at the Resch Center
As the Harlem Globetrotters prepare to bring their world tour to the Resch on Friday, December 30, the iconic team took a timeout for Guinness World Records Day. Only one year after setting seven official Guinness World Records titles, the Globetrotters broke a single-day total of nine records this year, including the longest basketball hookshot. The records were broken at the AT&T Center, home of the San Antonio Spurs, during the 12th annual Guinness World Records Day, a global celebration of record breaking launched to celebrate the day the Guinness World Records book sold its 100 millionth copy. Since 2000, the Globetrotters now own 15 current Guinness World Records including:
ketball shot blindfolded, most basketball 3-pointers made by a pair in one minute, and longest blindfolded basketball hook shot. “We are the original trick shot artists, so it is great to reclaim our records and reestablish our dominance,” said Harlem Globetrotters star Big Easy Lofton. “We have been training hard so to have a day where we push the limits and try some fun yet challenging shots, is pretty cool. I mean, how many people can say they’re a Guinness World Records title holder? We can’t wait to put smiles on people’s faces as we demonstrate our skills and talents
• Longest basketball hook shot – Big Easy Lofton (72 feet, 6.25 inches) • Longest basketball shot blindfolded – Ant Atkinson (73 feet, 10 inches) • Most basketball 3-pointers in one minute (single ball) – Ant Atkinson and Cheese Chisholm (10 each) • Farthest basketball shot made while sitting on the court – Thunder Law (58 feet, 9.25 inches) • Most bounced basketball 3-pointers in one minute – Zeus McClurkin (5) • Most 3-pointers made by a pair in one minute – Ant Atkinson and Cheese Chisholm (22 each) • Farthest basketball shot underone-leg – Thunder Law (52 feet, 5.5 inches) • Longest blindfolded basketball hook shot – Big Easy Lofton (58 feet, 2.5 inches) • Most basketball slam dunks in one minute (individual) – Zeus McClurkin (16) Among the nine Guinness World Records titles which were set by the Globetrotters, four of them reclaimed records that were originally held by the team and then broken by Dude Perfect. The Globetrotters reclaimed the records of longest basketball hook shot, longest bas-
14
SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
on the upcoming world tour.”
hundreds of millions of fans – among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents – over nine thrilling decades. Sponsored by Baden Sports, Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned themed entertainment company in the U.S.
The Harlem Globetrotters are legendary worldwide, synonymous with one-of-a-kind family entertainment and great basketball skills for the past 90 years. Throughout their history, the Original Harlem Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 122 countries and Visit the Globe- Big Easy Lofton, territories on six trotters’ official Harlem Globetrotters continents, often website: www. breaking down harlemglobetrotters.com cultural and societal barriers while Tickets to the see the Globetrotproviding fans with their first-ever ters start at $26.50 and are on sale basketball experience. now at reschcenter.com, the Ticket Proud inductees of the Naismith Star Box Office in the Resch Center Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, or by phone at 800-895-0071. the Globetrotters have entertained
“We can’t wait to put smiles on people’s faces as we demonstrate our skills and talents on the upcoming world tour”
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January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
15
» ENTERTAINMENT » RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ
Raquel Rodriguez’ 310
people started watching us perform
length album, “Miss Me” and their
from the sidewalk!”
current project, “The 310.” Raquel
Each show after that, including the three performances at MoM in 2015, were all packed wall to wall for this LA girl. Since Raquel’s last official performance in Appleton last year, fans have been eagerly anticipating her return to the Fox Valley. No worries! Raquel and her band will be performing at The Source in Menasha,
By Sam Brawner
waiting to get in.
and Sam also built Blue Dream Studios, where “The 310” was written, recorded, mixed and mastered. Joining them on their most recent release was Nigel Hall (Lettuce, Soulive, Ledisi). Nigel was a co-producer on Raquel’s latest EP and he will be joining Raquel and Sam for a follow up project to be released in 2017.
Thursday December 22nd. This will
Over the course of 2016, Raquel
be Raquel’s official Midwest record
has kept busy. You may have seen
release party, and judging from her
her performing with another LA na-
initial release show in LA, tickets
tive, Anderson Paak, on Jimmy Kim-
will go fast!
mel, The Tonight Show with Jimmy
So, you may be wondering, what’s
Fallon and at Coachella, as well as
There are two things you can al-
“I remember our first show for
ways count on at a Raquel Rodri-
Mile of Music in 2014,” she said “an
guez performance: One is an un-
afternoon performance at Chad-
doubtedly impressive show, and the
wick’s. When we got there it was al-
other, her signature 310 necklace,
most empty and I was so bummed
ever present around her neck. 310
because my expectations and hopes
just happens to be the area code for
were so high. I continued setting up
met in Los Angeles at the Univer-
the Westside of Los Angeles, where
and getting ready, and by showtime
sity of Southern California where
RQLROD.com.
this talented singer was born and
the whole place was so packed that
they both majored in music. Since
house once again, and welcome
then, they’ve collaborated on a full-
Raquel back to Wisconsin!
raised. It also happens to be the title of Raquel’s new release, “The 310”! “I’m a product of Los Angeles,” Raquel said “and for a long time I didn’t feel like I was. I didn’t feel like I had much to offer, and in a city like LA, that’s one of the things that people look for the most. After making this record, that perspective changed. I was really proud of the music Sam and I put together with our team and I couldn’t wait for people to hear it. It not only represents me, but my city as well. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt at home with my music and myself.” If you were in attendance at Mile of Music in 2014 and/or 2015, chances are you caught a show by Raquel Rodriguez and her band. She was a stand out act performing to packed venues with lines down College Ave
16
SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
this LA native doing in Wisconsin all the time? It just so happens that her drummer, producer, engineer, Sam Brawner, was born in Green Bay and raised in Neenah. Raquel and Sam
other festivals across the country. On December 22nd, Raquel and her crew will roll into the Fox Valley to blaze the frozen tundra with their new record. Tickets are available at www. So let’s pack the
Home for the Holidays! The Choice is Simple
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January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
17
» ENTERTAINMENT » OSHKOSH NATIVITY
The Nativity Collection Notes 20th Anniversary at Oshkosh Church
You can make this Christmas
than 400 sets. Turner began collect-
stunning display includes more
and 11th open houses from 9 a.m.
special with a visit to an Oshkosh
ing Nativities in 1988 as a response
than 25 cases designed by the late
until 2 p.m. The Nativity Collection
hidden gem. The Nativity Collec-
to her mother’s death, which fol-
Karen Fonstad, a former geography
is open to the public year-round
tion, one of the largest Nativity col-
lowed her retirement.
professor at the University of Wis-
during regular church hours, week-
consin-Oshkosh, a member of the
days from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sun-
church. The entire exhibit display
days between 9 a.m. and noon. In-
was built by volunteers from donat-
dividuals or groups may schedule
ed material.
a guided tour by calling the church
lections in the world at more than 1,000 sets, is celebrating its 20th anniversary at the United Methodist Church on Algoma Boulevard.
The pieces in the collection come from North, South and Central America, Africa, Australia, Europe, Russia and Asia. Materials used in
administrator
at
920-231-2800.
This awe-inspiring display could
their creation range from paper,
One display case is devoted to the
be the highlight of anyone’s Christ-
fabric and glass to various stones,
popular Fontanini nativities made
mas season. During the open house,
precious metals, soda cans and
in Italy for more than 100 years. An-
there will be refreshments available
marshmallows. Nativity scenes are
other case has a backdrop of the
Algoma Boulevard United Meth-
and guides on hand to tell visitors
depicted on items as practical as
world map that Fonstad painted,
odist Church is located at the cor-
about the collection.
a cookie jar and as fanciful as lace.
and Nativities are set in front of
ner of Algoma Boulevard and New
They range in size from five feet tall
their approximate locations around
York Avenue near the Paine Art Cen-
to smaller than your thumb.
the world. A children’s corner in-
ter and Gardens and the Oshkosh
cludes books to read, a soft sculp-
Public Museum. The parking lot en-
ture Nativity to play with and a col-
trance is on New York Avenue.
The late Mildred Turner, a former kindergarten teacher from Omro, began making nativity donations
Turner collected many of the sets
to the church in 1996 with a dona-
during her own travels, and others
tion of more than 600 sets. She lat-
were brought or sent to her from
er made another donation of more
other countries by friends. The
18
SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
oring page to take home. In addition to the December 10th
There is no entrance fee, but donations are accepted.
Visit the website at www.abumc. org.
January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
19
» ENTERTAINMENT » THE SPANISH INQUISITION
Give Yourself a Gift and Buy Local
By George Halas While The Inquisition is renowned for cutting-edge content, it is also
“Buying Small” or “Buying Local,”
things, it is significantly less hazardous physically than the cluster fun at the chains, more money remains in the local economy rather than traveling to China or offshore
enue and WAPL’s “Home Brewed,” as well as the growing success of The Mile of Music have shined a spotlight on what The Inquisition has been noting for 60 columns or so – the Fox Cities area is home to a veritable boatload of great musicians who are composing, releasing and playing outstanding original music that encompasses virtually every genre. The songs have been attracting national and international attention and the recordings produced at places like Steel Moon Recording in Oshkosh and/or Rock Garden Studios, Studio H and White Raven Audio in Appleton among
20
an: The Music of Bob Dylan, Vol. 2” - a purchase of this CD may include
Swinging Johnsons and is a frequent guest of The Jazz Orgy at Becket’s, Peabody’s and Cena.
– and her schedule is always avail-
THE HOOK UP – has a self-titled CD
able at janetplanet.com. The CD is
featuring their latest single, “Hold
also available at CDBaby.
Your Breath,” available for purchase
enue. Appleton native Hillary Reyn-
the big-box retailers; among other
The programming on 91.1 The Av-
area’s best places to see live music
been in the rotation at 91.1 The Av-
small, local businesses instead of
graphs.
at Becket’s in Oshkosh – one of the
features “Lonely Work,” which has
of spending your holiday dollars at
can get it personalized with auto-
Planet has a monthly no cover gig
PERIDOT – This eponymous EP
focuses attention on the benefits
All the money stays local and you
Mertens, Mike Underwood, Mike
Johnston, as the lead vocalist in The
JANET PLANET – “Just Like A Wom-
yourself the gift of fun and revelry.
that is awakened by her virtuosity
producer Kabir Sehgal.
during the last 12 months.
ing local original music scene – give
ing Johnston, Martin-Kriha, Andy
ten better.
Small Saturday” that follows Black
a locally-brewed beer and the grow-
Dylan’s music to a higher level, one
Gruselle. She performs in a duo with
reviewed or mentioned in SCENE
Make it a night out – enjoy the food,
lineup to play on the record includ-
Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning
pands on the now traditional “Buy
recipients on your holiday gift list.
monies are colorful. She has taken
produced by a “major label,” and of-
tions; all of these albums have been
CD’s for those special and deserving
Krebs assembled an all-star local
Drew Hicks, James Lefevre and Brian
column delivers a message that ex-
presenting a local band and buy
dies are memorable, and her har-
Times bestselling author as well as
quisition has some recommenda-
The Inquisition’s proposition is
Jeff Johnston on a couple of tunes.
Malone, Justin Zopel, Steve Cooper,
in our culture. Each December, this
simple: go to a local venue that is
orchestrations are lush, her melo-
and dazzling touch,” said New York
In keeping with tradition, The In-
tax havens and…it’s more fun.
ing credit to Mark Martin-Kriha and
others are comparable to anything
respectful of the role tradition plays
Friday.
thing wholly unique and fresh. Her
live or at their website thehookupjam.com. The band delivers generous portions of high-energy rock in live performance.
olds is in town for performances
RÄNDI FAY – has a number of ex-
during December – check her Face
cellent full-length albums to her
Book page for times and dates – be-
credit, including a Christmas album,
fore moving to Los Angeles in Jan-
which she has available at her gigs.
uary. The songs on the EP suggest
This year, she has released “Little
that the band will be a success in
Babe,” a single that has been de-
LA, so, again, “we knew her when…”
scribed as “an epic, inspirational
KYLE MEGNA AND THE MONSOONS
the added value of being able to
and heartfelt journey through the intimate experience of the Christ Child’s first hours, as seen through
say, “I had the album BEFORE the
Mary’s eyes.” It can be found on ran-
Grammy nominations.” The pro-
difay.com, (free with email) or pur-
duction of this collection of some
chased at iTunes, Amazon Music,
of Dylan’s best songs was truly an
CDBaby, Spotify & more. She gigs
international effort, beginning with
regularly
a phone call to the late Fred Sturm
and
her
appearance
schedule is available at her website.
from a friend and bandleader in Norway and leading to mixing and
JAMIE LYNN FLETCHER – “My De-
mastering by Darryl John Kennedy in
sire of You” – so The Inquisition is
Egypt, but the musical contributions
breaking with its own strict guide-
are all local. Sturm was at Lawrence
line and recommending a CD that
University when he created two arrangements for the album to go along with two by Lawrence’s Matt Turner and eight by co-producer Tom Washatka, whose arrangement of “Boots of Spanish Leather,” is receiving Grammy consideration for Best jazz Arrangement. The album includes many of the best players in the area and was recorded by Larry Darling at Lawrence. Most deservingly, Planet is receiving serious Grammy consideration for Best Jazz Vocal. “By reimagining Bob Dylan’s tunes, Janet Planet has given us some-
SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
– also released an eponymous EP this past July. It showcases the growth of the band both in terms of numbers and Megna’s personal evolution as a songwriter. Already a fan favorite for the energy and mu-
was also on last year’s list, BUT, Fletcher is back performing in town after playing internationally for a few months and this CD is simply fabulous and she is one of the best live performers around.
sicianship of their live shows, the
While you’re out gifting yourself
addition of saxophonist Ross Cat-
and your loved ones as well as fu-
terton, trumpeter Kurt Shipe and
eling the local economy, The Inqui-
keyboardist Noah Harmon has tak-
sition also recommends making an
en the Monsoons to new dynamic
expression of gratitude for all the
and artistic levels.
great music, all the great musicians
ERIN KREBS – “Love Always Wins” is an album that has been getting radio time and features 11 original songs penned by Krebs with co-writ-
and the all the great venues that create a truly fabulous music scene in the Fox Cities. Happy Holidays.
» ENTERTAINMENT » LIVE FROM JAPAN
Yomawari: Night Alone
and Daruma dolls. These elements combined with tradition Japanese architecture styles help to create a unique setting which is not commonly found outside Japan. Indeed, many of the more strange elements seem placed not to frighten but to leave a dark imprint on a person’s mind. The concept of the game may seem simple: explore the town, collect clues, and solve mysteries; but the difficulty lies in the journey. The player will need to contend with low light, fog, forced camera angles, and roadblocks; but the real difficulty rests with the numerous enemies. The enemies cannot be destroyed, and so the player must rely on their wits, speed, sense of caution, and luck in order to survive. Of course, when all else fails; the player can always try hiding in a bush.
By James Page Game of the Month: Yomawari: Night Alone Developer: NIS America ESRB: Teen Release Date: 10/25/2016 System: PS Vita Player’s Page: Yomawari: Night Alone Video games can serve as a nice escape from the monotony of everyday life. Just like the avid reader, who lives one life for every story they pick up; the avid gamer lives multiple lives beyond their one grounded in reality. To be wrenched away from the comforting release of video games can be a hard thing to deal with, but alas the duties of dealing with unexpected changes to everyday life must come first. No matter how pleasant and relaxing an alternate reality may be; we must remember our responsibilities in the real world are our primary concern. However, as time passes things eventually start to settle down and we are afforded a return to the calming release of video
games. That brings us to December’s game of the month Yomawari: Night Alone. Released by NIS America, Yomawari is a survival horror mystery game which invokes a sense of fear and dread common in the most spine tingling corners of Japanese horror. Although it may seem like an odd genre to play during the festive holiday season, the increasing hours of darkness set the perfect atmosphere for horror games. Sitting cloistered in a dark room in the dead of night will truly put the player in the shoes of the main character while exploring a town cloaked in perpetual darkness. Youth seems to be centered on adventure and the exploration of the unknown. As the darkness of the title screen clears we are greeted by the image of a young girl with her faithful dog Poro; the two connected by a crimson leash. Together, they are on an adventure to explore a dark tunnel on the edge of town. However, as they approach the entrance, all of the courage within them departs and the pair decides to return home for the evening. On the walk home, shadows and move-
ment seem to occupy the peripheral of an already limited vision until the long building tension suddenly breaks and disaster strikes. A loving sister waits patiently for the duo’s return, however; concern quickly consumes her as her little sister climbs the steps with an empty crimson leash in hand. Poro has gotten loose and is now missing. With calming reassurance the elder sister commits herself to finding the lost dog and sets off into the darkness of the night. As time passes, there is no sign of the elder sister or Poro, and so the little heroine summons the courage to go alone into the night in search of her beloved sister and faithful pet. However, little does she realize the horrors which await her beyond the walls of her yard or the difficult and painful lessons she will learn by the time everything is said and done. Yomawari: Night Alone is a classic survival horror game from NIS America and the spiritual successor to hotL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary. The horror game draws heavily on elements from Japanese pop culture such as rundown shrines, rice paddies, large gated school complexes,
The game mechanics are rather simple and easy to master, and most often the player will find themselves falling back on one or two abilities, such as sprinting; to avoid most enemies. Apart from sprinting, the player will need to rely heavily on the flashlight in order to spot the various enemies hiding in the shadows. Although easy to master, the simplistic controls seem to add to the level of frustration felt by the player when the game becomes difficult and repetition kicks in. There are many times when the player will die as a result of trial and error, and the impression left with the player will be that there is a lack of direction given in game. Luckily, there is not a finite amount of lives so the only limitation is a person’s patience level. Yomawari: Night Alone is a fun game overall, despite a few frustrations; and it will provide a wonderful experience to anyone who picks up a copy. The game is rated Teen, but the dark themes and innuendo paired with the serious nature of several key storyline aspects place this title on the upper side of the rating. In addition to the main game, the retail copy also includes a copy of hotL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary. Together, the two titles will offer numerous hours of enjoyment which will quickly consume all of one’s free time. Remember, like all games if you play them just to have fun there will never be a bad game. Rating: Graphics: 3.0 out of 4.0 Game Play: 3.0 out of 4.0 Personal: 2.0 out of 2.0 Total Score: 8.0 out of 10.0 theplayerspage@yahoo.com
January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
21
A tan foam head appeared after
» FOOD & DRINK » DESTIHL BREWERY
Destihl Brewery’s Flanders Red Wild Sour Series
By Steve Lonsway
acidic or tart. Sour styles found in
As many people know, the craft beer industry is growing like crazy. We now have more breweries in the United States than ever before with plenty more in the planning stages. Back before prohibition, it was
the market are Lambics, Gueuze, Flanders Red Ale and Olde Bruin. We will be discussing our recent sampling of Flanders Red from the Wild Sour Series from Destihl Brewery in Bloomington, Illinois.
pouring, but dissipated quite quickly leaving no lacing in its tracks. The initial introduction of this beer to the palate will bring on an instant sour sensation, similar to the sensation of eating a handful
and IBU’s (15). IBU is a measurement of hop bitterness which can be looked at as a scale of 1 to 100 with low numbers being mild and the higher number
of red Smarties or other more aggressive sour candy. Sweetness hits the sides of your tongue as the roof of your mouth goes dry. Sharp tart
being more hoppy or bitter. With
cherry flavor is very noticeable with
this beer being 15 IBU’s, you can ex-
hints of prune, earth, plum, cin-
not uncommon to find a brewery in
First off is the appearance, the
pect little effect in flavor and aro-
namon and raisin.
A slight tannic
many small towns and many brew-
Destihl Flanders Red comes in a
ma from the hops. Lower IBU’s are
flavor could be detected and sev-
eries in large towns. Those “good-
twelve ounce can set in red, black
common in sour beers in order to
eral commented on mellow vinegar
ole-days” are returning. Many small
and gray. Wild Sour is first and fore-
focus more on the sour contribu-
tones.
towns across our great nation now
most in black and
The sourness continually
punches your tongue from start to
tors.
finish and slowly fades to an intense
have their own local brewery and
dryness that we have only found in
Wisconsin is no different.
oak barrel aged zinfandels. This
Some breweries brew really
brew is very wine-like in many
small batches to appease their
ways and quite aggressive in
followers, and other bigger re-
the sour category. We found it
gional breweries are kicking
refreshing once the taste roller
out thousands and thousands
coaster came to a stop.
of barrels of beer. But the one common denominator with all
Destihl Brewery consists of
brewers is that each and every
two gastropubs and a produc-
one of us is enjoying the art of
tion facility. Their first gastro-
brewing unique styles or using
pub opened in November, 2007
crazy ingredients to keep the
in Normal, Illinois with a second
customers interest.
location joining in April, 2011 in
Dogfish Head brewery is known
neighboring Champaign. In June
for using historic brewing meth-
of 2016 they broke ground on a
ods and often using non-tradi-
47,000 square foot facility which
tional ingredients from our past.
they anticipate being complet-
Sierra Nevada is cutting-edge with
ed in early 2017. The larger facili-
their use of new hop varieties, and
ty will allow them more space for
others like New Belgium Brewing are coming out with beers to mimic the flavors we all love like chocolate chip cookie dough. Collaborations
amongst
brew-
eries are a big trend and so are sour beers. With so many styles to choose from, we thought we would focus on sour beers as they don’t seem to get as much press. Sour beer is intentionally sour,
22
reversed white with the Flanders Red style smaller in font and near the base of the can. Pretty basic label overall but certainly explains its contents proudly. Their flavor description on the can hints at flavors of tart cherry and sour candy with lactic sourness and a wine-like finish. Also on the label is the alcohol content of the beer (6.1% alcohol by volume)
SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
Our
team
barrel aging projects and increased
sampled
this
production capabilities as well as a
beer from a tulip-style glass.
6,300 square foot beer hall and out-
The wide opening at the top of the
door beer garden. Currently they
glass allows for your nose to be en-
are available in 17 states with Wis-
veloped in the aroma of the beer as
consin being one.
you sip it. The aromas are as ad-
FINAL WORD: Enjoy with caution!
vertised, sour, tart cherry, caramel.
You may want to start out with a
Other aromas we detected were
couple less tart samples as you
green apple, cranberry and biscuit. The color is a deep copper, mahogany and is quite bright in appearance.
grow into the Destihl Flanders Red. Get ready for a sour/tart tongue invasion!
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23
» FOOD & DRINK » BREW REVIEW
Grand Cru Offers a Grand Taste
By Ben Rogers Spotted Cow. It’s what separates Wisconsinites from the rest of the country. A staple in any bar worth its liquor license, Spotted Cow is held in high esteem not only here, but also outside of the borders of the America’s Dairyland. While the beer is delicious...it’s easy to get used to its great taste,
This new, limited edition Cow is also an Imperial style. Meaning it’s stronger than regular Spotted Cow. At 8.5 percent ABV this beer kicks like a literal angry cow. Out of the bottle it pours like its
While Spotted Cow has a taste
if you don’t want to drink light beer
most beer drinkers know in Wis-
swill, but maybe don’t know much
consin, Grand Cru is more complex.
else about the other barley liba-
There’s a whole lot going on in my
tions from Wisconsin. And there’s
pint glass right now. Very hard to
nothing wrong with that.
pin down why exactly it’s improved,
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. When I lived out of state I would pick up a couple cases whenever I crossed the border to return home. A visiting friend from two states over also recently hauled back a sizable quantity for personal consumption. But now, having it available on tap everywhere, has taken away from the mystique of having to transport it across state lines like some sort of prohibition-era beer baron. While I’ll never turn one down, the fact that it’s as easy to get here as fine cheese curds, it dulls the excitement and taste. It’s a first world Wisconsin problem, being spoiled with readily available delicious beer. So what were the fine folks at New Glarus left to do? Introduce a better version, of course! Spotted Cow Grand Cru is a limited edition Thumbprint Series brew from New Glarus. There are no guarantees it’ll be brewed again after its current run.
24
and over again.
For a taste that is so uniquely Wis-
Having a warm face after half a
consin, Grand Cru pulls inspiration
glass isn’t something I’m used to,
and ingredients from the old coun-
but it’s something I could get used
try. There are Czech malts, joined
to.
and German hops are combined
Spotted Cow is the beer you order
SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
because it’ll knock you back a step.
ship.
like the famous farmhouse ale.
but it’s more of a heavy hitter.
cause of the enhanced flavor but But it’s a punch I’ll gladly take, over
with Wisconsin varieties.
much like the original Spotted Cow,
mands to be sipped, not only be-
but this beer is better than the flag-
inspiration. Hazy and golden just
After one sip it also tastes very
This strong beer practically de-
French
with varieties originally from northwest Oregon and Yakima Valley in Washington State. The blend of hops adds another layer to Wisconsin’s favorite local brew. However, Grand Cru still has the same hint of orange peels that makes the original as wildly popular as it is.
It was taking a risk in hoping to improve on the splendor that is Spotted Cow, but Grand Cru just does that. While it is delicious, it is a bit strong. It’s not nearly as drinkable as a regular Cow, but that doesn’t stop it from being delicious. Still I’d rather have one bottle of this than two bottles of its inspiration.
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January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
25
ite with the Amber Grill staff, and the Chilaquiles offer a new twist on what is often considered Mexican comfort food. In this dish, tortilla strips are tossed in a red sauce with peppers, onions, and chorizo, then the whole thing is topped with sliced pork and a citrus cilantro hollandaise. The dish was inspired by Chef Matthew’s time working in the Dells. “Pork is one of my favorite meats to cook with, and melding Mexican comfort food with a French sauce is my idea of perfection,” he said. One of the Amber Grill’s signature dishes is the Amberger, a buildyour-own hamburger that includes ingredients sourced here in Wisconsin. » FOOD & DRINK » AMBER GRILL
Amber Grill Names New Head Chef
With the retirement of Chef Albert Schlaepfer earlier this year, the Amber Grill is pleased to announce that former Sous Chef Matthew Zortman has accepted the position of executive chef at the Amber Grill in the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center in Stevens Point. “I have always been enamored with cooking,” Chef Matthew said. “As a child I can remember spending my summer afternoons watching cooking shows and trying to copy what those chefs were preparing.” As all the best chefs do, Chef Matthew started at the bottom, washing dishes. By the time he was 20 years old, he was part of the opening crew at the Gyros and Kabob House in Stevens Point. He then moved to Wisconsin Dells and started cooking at the Kalahari Resorts. “I discovered my true passion for professional cooking there,” Chef Matthew said. “The lessons I
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learned from that team of chefs was invaluable.” When he moved back to Stevens Point, Chef Matthew quickly became part of the Amber Grill staff, working as a line cook under Chef Albert, earning a promotion to Sous Chef in 2015. “Working at the Amber Grill was a great opportunity, and I dove in,” Chef Matthew said. “As I rose up through the ranks, the mentoring I received from Chef Albert was amazing.”
A Restaurant and a Convention Center
tricky,” Chef Matthew said. “The restaurant is like the face of your organization that you present to the public. But the banquets section needs a lot of attention, as well. Knowing which one needs your attention right now is the key. Having great banquet managers and
“Choose between our signature prime rib, a 1/3-pound Hereford beef patty,” Chef Matthew said “chicken breast or a black bean burger, then pick your carb (pretzel roll, sourdough, marble rye, sourdough or gluten-free). We also offer seven types of Wisconsin-made
restaurant managers makes every-
cheeses and a variety of savory
thing run more smoothly, as does
sauces, so you can create your per-
having a well-trained staff.”
fect Amberger.
Chef Matthew’s goal with the Amber Grill is to keep things fresh and fun.
Chef Matthew shys away from certain food descriptions. “I personally don’t like terms
“Some food needs to be comfort-
such as ‘classic’ or ‘traditional’ or
able and familiar, some needs to
‘authentic.’ When you can’t change
be silly and fun and delicious, and
a single aspect of a dish, it dies. It
some needs to challenge people’s
becomes old and stale, and it’s no
ideas of what food is and what it can
longer interesting. Cooking should
be. I hope to bring some of those
bring together things that you love
ideals to the Amber Grill’s menu.”
to hopefully create something new
While many of the Amber Grill’s classic menu items remain—such as
and surprising and savory. As a chef, you have to fill many roles—doctor,
the Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos, Tender-
lawyer, therapist. But my favorite
Being the chef at any successful
loin Bites, and our award-winning
roles are student and teacher.”
restaurant takes a lot of hard work.
BBQ Baby Back Pork Ribs—Chef Mat-
Being the head chef at a restaurant
thew has also added some delecta-
and a convention center is even
ble and exciting treats, such as the
harder, presenting its own set of
Beer Battered Asparagus appetizer,
unique challenges.
the Cali pizza, and the Pork Tender-
“The balancing act between banquets and the restaurant is often
SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017
loin Chilaquiles entrée. The Asparagus is already a favor-
Amber Grill is located at 1001 Amber Avenue in Stevens Point and is attached to the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center. For reservations call 715-344-9808, or visit the restaurant’s website at ambergrill. net
Happy New Year Wishes from Culvers!
Come on in to your local Culver’s restaurant: Culver’s of Fond du Lac - E. Johnson 969 E. Johnson Street Fond du Lac, WI 54935 (920) 922-5559
Culver’s of Oshkosh - Koeller 1580 S. Koeller Street Oshkosh, WI 54902 (920) 231-6028
Culver’s of Fond du Lac - Hwy. 23 W6606 Hwy. 23 Fond du Lac, WI 54937 (920) 922-2272
Culver’s of Oshkosh - Westowne 2270 Westowne Ave. Oshkosh, WI 54904 (920) 231-6019
Culver’s of Fond du Lac - Pioneer 81 W. Pioneer Road Fond du Lac, WI 54935 (920) 922-2826
culvers.com
January 2017 | SCENE | SceneNewspaper.com
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SceneNewspaper.com | SCENE | January 2017