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SHEPHERD EXPRESS
FEBRUARY 8, 2018 | 3
::NEWS&VIEWS
For more News, log onto shepherdexpress.com
FEATURES | POLLS | TAKING LIBERTIES | ISSUE OF THE WEEK
TIM BURNS
Tim Burns
Rebecca Dallet
Michael Screnock
Politics Looms Over State Supreme Court Race A LOOK AT THE THREE CANDIDATES IN THE FEB. 20 PRIMARY::BY ELIZABETH ELVING
isconsin is about to elect a new state Supreme Court justice to replace Justice Michael J. Gableman, who is not seeking reelection after his term ends this year. Vying for Gableman’s seat are Madison attorney Timothy W. Burns, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Dallet and Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Michael Screnock. Although Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, politics have loomed over this race from the beginning. Screnock has the support of conservatives, while Dallet is considered a liberal-leaning centrist. Burns, meanwhile, has broken with convention by openly running as a Democrat and progressive, calling the pretense of apolitical judges a “fairy tale.” Gretchen Schuldt is executive director of the Wisconsin Justice Initiative, which asked each of the candidates to fill out extensive questionnaires to help inform voters’ decisions. Schuldt sees no problem with candidates being “up front” about their politics, noting the obvious partisan bent in the court today. “We know how it’s going to turn out every time,” she says of the current conservative fiveto-two majority on the court. “There are very few surprises on this Supreme Court.” Schuldt says the current race is an important one, bringing change to a court that at this point is “not a reliable mechanism for justice.” The following three candidates will be on the ballot for the Tuesday, Feb. 20, primary, where the top two vote-getters will move on to the general election on Tuesday, April 3.
4 | FEBRUARY 8, 2018
Tim Burns is a partner at the Madison law firm Perkins Coie, where he specializes in issues dealing with insurance companies. While he has never served as a judge, the first-time candidate says he has spent his career standing up to large companies and will stand up to Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature as well. A longtime Democratic donor and champion of liberal causes, Burns has distinguished himself by openly asserting his political views. “I believe strongly that our democracy requires candor with voters,” he says. “As a people, we get into trouble when politicians and judges aren’t candid with voters. I wouldn’t have considered running any other way.” Since announcing his decision to run last May, Burns has promoted the need for a strong middle-class economy and condemned the growing concentration of wealth, as well as the judiciary’s failure to curb it. “Our courts have been looking out for special interests and giant conglomerates instead of looking out for regular people,” he says. In a perfect world, Burns says, campaigns would be publicly funded to curtail the influence of money on voters and justices alike. As it is, he supports enacting a rule requiring justices to recuse themselves from cases involving their campaign donors. A proposal for such a recusal rule was voted down (five to two) in April 2017. “I don’t know why anyone would want to sit on a case when they’ve received that kind of benefit, because it makes it look like justice is for sale,” he says. In addition to his outspoken critiques of the court system, Burns has been upfront about the type of issues that would concern him most as a justice. He says that he is “horribly troubled” by the mass incarceration of people of color in Wisconsin, and the destruction of the state’s natural resources. He is also concerned with the protection of civil rights, workers’ rights, reproductive rights and the right to a fair trial. “As a Supreme Court Justice, I would hope that there were cases that brought up these issues so I could look deeply at them,” he says. Burns has been endorsed by several Democratic lawmakers, as well as Our Wisconsin Revolution—a liberal political organization inspired by Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. Burns says he is grateful to have support both from “traditional Democratic” sources and the progressive movement. “It takes a lot of work to change a system that is failing so badly,” he says. “I’m cognizant that I’m just one person standing on a lot of people’s shoulders.”
REBECCA DALLET Rebecca Dallet has served on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court for 10 years and as a prosecutor for 11 years before that. In court, Dallet says, she sees firsthand how the state’s most pressing troubles, from environmental threats to the opioid crisis, shape individual lives. She suggests that people are also profoundly affected by political dysfunction at the state and national level. “People are worried in general,” she says. “There’s a feeling that our rights are under attack.” Judge Dallet has handled hundreds of jury trials and Supreme Court continued on page 6 >
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Also coming to our facilities: Anime Milwaukee 2018 (Wisconsin Center).................................................Feb. 16-18 Discover the Dinosaurs: Time Trek (Wisconsin Center) ............................Feb. 17-18 Tripoli Shrine Circus (UWM Panther Arena) ................................................Feb. 23-25 2018 Car & Truck Show (Wisconsin Center)..........................................Feb. 24-Mar. 4 UWM LGBT Resource Center 2018 Annual Drag Show (Miller High Life Theatre)...........................................Feb. 24 Toby Mac: The Hits Deep Tour (UWM Panther Arena)........................................Mar. 1
Shen Yun (Miller High Life Theatre) ..............................................................Mar. 16-18 Grand Slam Charity Jam (Wisconsin Center) ...................................................Mar. 17 Granger Smith w/ Runaway June (Miller High Life Theatre)............................Mar. 23 Festival of Laughs w/ Sommore & Friends (Miller High Life Theatre) ............Mar. 24 US FIRST 2018 Wisconsin Regional Robotics Competition.......................Mar. 21-24 The Illusionists (Miller High Life Theatre)............................................................Apr. 8 Stars on Ice (UWM Panther Arena).......................................................................May 5
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NEWS&VIEWS::FEATURE > Supreme Court continued from page 4
presided over thousands of cases, both criminal and civil. She says that advocacy for women has been a focus throughout her career, from prosecuting sexual predators to overseeing domestic violence courts and educating judges around the country how to handle the issue of domestic violence. “I have worked for more than 20 years in our courts to fight for our rights, stand up for the vulnerable and protect victims,” she says. As a left-leaning moderate, Dallet is competing with Burns for liberal votes. In January, her campaign released a TV spot blasting President Donald Trump for “attack[ing] our civil rights.” She spoke at the Wisconsin Democratic Party convention over the summer and has criticized the right-leaning Supreme Court’s Act 10 decision. Still, Dallet rejects the claim that judges can’t be impartial and has said that an independent court is needed to restore the public’s confidence. “What we don’t need right now is another justice on the court that is going to be a rubber stamp on the Scott Walker agenda,” she says. Rather than act as the “vital part of checks and balances” that it’s supposed to be, Dallet says the Wisconsin Supreme Court has been “broken” by partisanship, lack of transparency and the influence of special interests. She says a stricter recusal rule is necessary—referencing the 2015 John Doe case where Justices Michael Gableman and David Prosser declined to step down, even though some of the parties involved had spent millions of dollars on their campaigns. “If we can’t trust justices to do it themselves because they’re motivated by political outcomes or donations, we clearly need to have a rule so the public can look at it objectively and know that it’s going to be fair,” she says. Dallet has received endorsements from roughly 175 judges across the state and says that her message is resonating with voters who are frustrated with the status quo. “We have this new wave of energy, and we really can save civic society,” she says. “People are motivated to make the change that needs to be made. Let’s start with our Supreme Court.”
MICHAEL SCRENOCK
7 – 10 p.m. | February 17 VIP Experience Begins at 6 p.m.
www.mpm.edu/beer
6 | FEBRUARY 8, 2018
A Wisconsin native and judge on the Sauk County Circuit Court, Michael Screnock announced he was running in June, right after Justice Gableman said he wouldn’t seek re-election. Right-wing support has since gathered behind the candidate, who has said he shares Gableman’s judicial philosophy and “commitment to the rule of law.” Screnock could not be reached for comment. Screnock worked in local government for more than a decade before pursuing a legal career. After law school, he was an attorney at Michael Best and Friedrich, where he assisted in creating the partisan district maps that sparked the current U.S. Supreme Court gerrymandering case. He also worked on the legal team defending the Act 10 legislation. Walker appointed Screnock to the circuit court in 2015. Critics doubt the conservative Screnock— who, as a college student in 1989, was arrested twice while participating in anti-abortion protests—would be truly impartial as a Supreme
Court justice. But the Sauk County judge has insisted his personal beliefs don’t influence his decisions. During a candidate forum hosted by the Federalist Society in January, he said that when presented with a case, “You do the research and you go where the law takes you. You do not decide how you want the case to come out and then find a path to it.” Unlike his opponents, Screnock has avoided weighing in on specific issues or policies during the campaign, clinging to his judicial philosophy that the role of judges is to interpret and apply the law as written and “not legislate from the bench.” At the Federalist Society forum, he said, “the role of the court is to be arbiters of the law. Not political analysts or policy activists.”
STILL, DALLET REJECTS THE CLAIM THAT JUDGES CAN’T BE IMPARTIAL AND HAS SAID THAT AN INDEPENDENT COURT IS NEEDED TO RESTORE THE PUBLIC’S CONFIDENCE. “WHAT WE DON’T NEED RIGHT NOW IS ANOTHER JUSTICE ON THE COURT THAT IS GOING TO BE A RUBBER STAMP ON THE SCOTT WALKER AGENDA,” SHE SAYS. Screnock’s endorsements include several current and former conservative-leaning judges and justices. These include both Gableman and former justice Prosser, who have been widely criticized for some of their actions on the state’s highest court, including their refusal to step down in the John Doe case. Screnock has indicated that he opposes stronger recusal rules, arguing that it is sufficient to allow justices to decide on a caseby-case basis whether they can be impartial. Screnock’s campaign is advised by the Champion Group—a conservative political consulting firm. In January, the campaign released its first radio ad, titled “Rule of Law,” in which Screnock says his opponents are “campaigning as activists who will implement their policies from the bench.” Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n SHEPHERD EXPRESS
NEWS&VIEWS::FEATURE
The High Cost of Higher Education PROFESSOR SARA GOLDRICKRAB ON ‘PAYING THE PRICE’ ::BY EMILY PATTI
I
n her 2016 book, Paying the Price, former University of Wisconsin Professor Sara Goldrick-Rab presents the harsh realities of what she deems are the new economics of college in America. Providing the results of a six-year study that began in 2008 as 3,000 students entered public universities and colleges across Wisconsin, Paying the Price is a sobering look at the personal and financial costs of inadequate funding for public higher education and an inefficient financial aid system. Now a professor of higher education policy and sociology at Temple University, GoldrickRab was awarded the 2018 Grawemeyer Prize in Education for Paying the Price. GoldrickRab pledged the $100,000 in prize money to the FAST Fund—a fund she conceived to fasttrack aid to students for necessities like rent, food and fees. She has promised to match three-to-one all donations made to the FAST Fund, which counts Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) as one of its recipients. The Shepherd Express recently asked Professor Goldrick-Rab about Wisconsin mindsets, public higher education in Milwaukee, potential improvements and free public college. Could you describe what you call the “new economics of college in America”? The new economics of college is what surrounds people making choices right now about college. I try to separate what I call the old economics, which is the idea that you’ll go to college, it will be affordable, it will pay off, and if you get in debt you’ll be able to pay it back. That’s the old economics. The new economics is you go and you face higher prices than most people have ever faced, your family has fewer resources than most families have ever had, and there is less help available both from your college—because colleges are increasingly underfunded—and from whatever remains of the public safety net. So, the new economics of college is a combination of what the colleges are charging, what states are charging, what families have available and what supports are available to help the students. SHEPHERD EXPRESS
I watched an interview you gave where you referred to FAFSA as the “small American bureaucratic tragedy.” What did you mean by that? When we use forms and applications for anything, frankly, the goal is to find out who needs something, verify that they need it and give it to them. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) makes a real mess of that process. FAFSA doesn’t do a great job of figuring out who needs what. It wastes an enormous amount of time. It wastes an enormous amount of families’ time and the college’s time and the government’s time. Not only does it do things slowly and badly, it does things very inequitably. That’s why I call it a nightmare. It’s not only inefficient and bad at its job, it’s also inequitable. Times have changed. Circumstances for students have changed. Why hasn’t financial aid kept up with the times? Some people would argue that it didn’t want to keep up with the times. I think the truth is some people want financial aid to do what it was intended to do—to make it possible for people without money to go to college. I think other people would argue that financial aid is meant to lead people to think that they have a fair shot at college, but not actually give them a fair shot. Because if we gave them a fair shot, more people who start from behind would actually get somewhere. So, I think we have both of those forces competing. It’s not doing what it needs to be doing for it to be equitable; it’s doing something else. It’s wasting a lot of people’s time and it’s making a big mess. In your book, it’s nice that you offer solutions. Of those changes you proposed, which do you think would be the most realistic or the easiest to implement? Well, I try to give a range. So, there are things that you could call low-hanging fruit that are mainly about giving people better information, like telling students that they might be eligible for food stamps. It’s not rocket science to tell them, but somebody’s got to do that work, and they also have to want to tell them. Some people don’t. It’s a basic concept: Let students know things. Another change would be to reduce the number of requirements. Take emergency aid; I write a little bit about it. Emergency aid is delivered outside the financial aid system. It’s meant to get to students quickly. You know, when we give up $200 or $300 to students, we have a choice: We can create another application like the FAFSA, or we cannot create another application. A lot of people are still leaning on creating those applications and trying to stop people from so-called cheating, but we could just decide not to do that and put a little more trust in our students. You also include a chapter on Milwaukee. It’s called the “City of Broken Dreams.” What were your impressions of higher education in Milwaukee and of the students you followed here? I started to get to know Milwaukee when I first got to Wisconsin, which was in 2004. The study Goldrick-Rab continued on page 8 > FEBRUARY 8, 2018 | 7
NEWS&VIEWS::FEATURE > Goldrick-Rab continued from page 7
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started in 2008, during a recession. I was in Wisconsin until 2016, and I’m still funding work in Milwaukee right now. I think it’s one of the saddest situations I’ve seen. Things are bad here in Philadelphia, too. It’s not like everything’s rosy in other places, but there are so many hardworking students at places like MATC who are just trying to do the right thing for their families. They work all day, they work all night. They go to school with professors who do really care about them. One of the things that was great to see at MATC was how committed the faculty was. I didn’t find to be the case what some people say—that faculty members are only in it for themselves—I never saw that. I saw people knocking themselves out—faced with prices that were totally beyond their reach that they were hurting themselves trying to pay. Milwaukee is the place where, for 10 years now, we’ve been studying food and housing insecurity in higher education; Milwaukee is the place we first saw it. You know, watching students become homeless from trying to pay their bills in college, that’s not a one-off in Milwaukee; that’s a story that’s going on all over the city. And it’s not only happening at the technical college, it’s happening at UW-Milwaukee. So, I literally watched dreams break. It was ridiculous. I was thinking, “How can it get this bad? How can we let [such] a situation go on?” In some of the charts, you can see that there is money in Wisconsin; it’s just not going to Milwaukee. And it’s not the first time we’ve told that story. That’s an old story. But so many people around the country have said to me, “You’ve got to be kidding. How can Wisconsin do this?” And I’ve thought, “I don’t think you’ve probably looked at your own city; it’s probably happening there, too.” This is the story of these urban universities and these urban colleges. Is part of the problem that colleges are admitting students who aren’t academically ready? Is this a trend that you see nationally? I think the frame is different than reality. I think people are saying these schools are “admitting people who aren’t ready” when what’s going on is people are demanding access to college, and the schools are doing their job by letting them come. Because college in this country is not only supposed to be for the people for whom high school went well. College in this country is supposed to be a second chance. We don’t think its right for your education to be over at 18 just because your high school didn’t go well. You’re supposed to get another shot. UWM is a second chance institution. So, the question is not taking people that aren’t “ready,” but can UWM get ready for those people? I see UWM trying, and I’m following these socalled reforms. I see it trying, but I also think it’s really unfair to ask the school to do this without resources. I watch it get beaten up constantly. You know, “Why aren’t they doing this?” Karen Herzog just had a piece about how UWM should be like Georgia State. [Laughs] Georgia State has so much
more money than UWM it’s not even funny. It’s not fair. Students are justifiably angry. The black student dropout rate at UWM is so scary, but it’s not just a function of a school not trying; that’s just not true.
and dismal situation. What I don’t understand is how Wisconsin was ever so progressive. I don’t understand. How did that happen? Where did it go? Because it’s so gone.
It feels very much like the book What’s the Matter with Kansas? Having lived in Wisconsin as long as I did, I have to say that there’s cultural stuff… A lot of these people come from these cultures where there is this me-centered, boot-strapper mentality [where] you expect other people to get there the way you got there. We have a lot of people across Wisconsin who are resentful of people who get anything else, and I watched it over and over and over, and I was blown away because that wasn’t how I was raised. I did not understand their mentality. This is not a new mentality. [It’s] the politics of resentment that I refer to in the book [and] that Kathy Cramer Walsh has written about in Madison. She’s certainly not the first person to capture that people are resentful of those who have things—including an education. And yet, you’re right, it’s a combination of the What’s the Matter with Kansas? stuff, and it’s a combination of Kathy Cramer Walsh’s stuff, and [of] Joe Soss (who also used to be at UW-Madison) who has written about racial politics and its effect on funding. It shouldn’t be lost on anybody that it’s the brownest part of the state that’s getting smacked. And the schools that are darkest in complexion are the ones that are deeply underfunded. I don’t think that’s being said loudly enough. It’s a dark
Do we have reason to hope that change is possible? Yes, we do. Look, I run something called The Wisconsin HOPE Lab, right? And I feel pretty strongly about that, and I think it was easier even two years ago, frankly, to feel like that, because we could at least see people—especially at the top levels of government—trying to fix it. I mean, President Barack Obama … he didn’t fix a lot, I have to say, but he tried, and that was good. And now, we don’t have that at the federal level; we have the opposite, but I will say that even five or 10 years ago when we started this, when talking about the price of college, people wouldn’t even acknowledge that food and housing were important parts of the discussion, but they’re talking about them now. UWM wasn’t talking about a food pantry and all of that stuff before, and now they are, and they’re talking about the real reasons that students are dropping out. Part of the way we solve these problems is that people just get educated on them, and some of us work damn hard to make that happen. There is still more to do, but there is that glimmer of hope that, when people recognize there is a problem, there are more people working on it. That’s the first step.
Sara Goldrick-Rab
Should public higher education be free? Yes, public higher education should be free. I feel really strongly about this, and it’s not because I just really love giving away the government’s money. Education does enormously good things for people. We say it’s one of the best inventions out there. It changes your life. It gives you so many things that nobody else can take away, and the price of college is keeping people from that education. Making it free simplifies things. I keep dealing with [people] who say, “I don’t want to make it free, because then middle-class people will get it.” And I say, “What is your problem with the middle class getting an education, too?” I just don’t understand why we think only poor people should have low prices. The middle class has been phased out as well, so why wouldn’t we put everybody under the same umbrella together? Then they’ll all realize that when the umbrella has holes in it, they need to fix it, because they’re all there together. Right now, they’re all under different umbrellas, because nobody knows what the hell is going on. They’re all so divided. I don’t think it’s a problem to pay for the middle class in order to help the people with no money. We don’t have people saying, “Oh, I’m not going to send my kid to eighth grade because it costs money.” I want to take tuition off the table. It’s a huge reason why people don’t go. To learn more about Professor Sara Goldrick-Rab, Paying the Price or the FAST Fund, visit saragoldrickrab.com. You can comment on this article at shepherdexpress.com. SHEPHERD EXPRESS
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NEWS&VIEWS::POLL
You Think Paul Ryan Will Run Again Last week we asked if, despite conflicting reports about his intentions, Congressman Paul Ryan will run for reelection this fall. Yes: 70% No: 30%
What Do You Say? Donald Trump says the Nunes memo, which he declassified despite the objections of the intelligence community, vindicates him in the Russia probe. Does it? Yes No Vote online at shepherdexpress.com. We’ll publish the results of this poll in next week’s issue. SHEPHERD EXPRESS
FEBRUARY 8, 2018 | 9
NEWS&VIEWS
::SAVINGOURDEMOCRACY ( FEB. 8 - FEB. 14, 2018 )
T
he Shepherd Express serves as a clearinghouse for all activities in the greater Milwaukee area that peacefully push back against discriminatory, reactionary or authoritarian actions and policies of the Trump administration, as well as other activities by all those who seek to thwart social justice. We will publicize and promote actions, demonstrations, planning meetings, teach-ins, party-building meetings, drinking-discussion get-togethers and any other actions that are directed toward fighting back to preserve our liberal democratic system.
Saturday, Feb. 10
Voter and Civic Engagement Campaign @ Acción Ciudadana de Wisconsin (221 S. Second St.), 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Acción Ciudadana de Wisconsin, Latino Voting Bloc of Wisconsin and Citizen Action of Wisconsin have organized a weekly Saturday campaign of knocking on doors and phone banking to get people thinking about the 2018 elections. Volunteers can go out and talk to voters about the issues that they care about and get them involved in different events happening in the community.
Peace Action Wisconsin: Stand for Peace @ The corner of 16th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, noon-1 p.m.
Every Saturday from noon-1 p.m., concerned citizens join with Peace Action Wisconsin to protest war and “Stand for Peace.” Signs will be provided for those who need them. Protesters are encouraged to stick around for conversation and coffee afterward.
A Mother’s Voice @ Neighborhood House of Milwaukee (2819 W. Richardson Place), 2-3:30 p.m.
The Frank Ziedler Center for Public Discussion is looking for mothers from five Milwaukee neighborhoods (Metcalfe Park, Concordia, Clark Square, Old Historic Mitchell and Uptown) to participate in an input group regarding crime and violence. Participants will receive a $10 stipend. Email office@zeidlercenter.org or call 414-239-8555 for more information.
Sunday, Feb. 11
Joe Biden: American Promise Tour @ The Riverside Theater (116 W. Wisconsin Ave.), 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Former Vice President Joe Biden is on tour promoting his new book Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose. On this tour, Biden is looking to create a dialogue that will “go beyond the 24-hour news cycle and 280-character arguments to connect friends and neighbors around the topics that matter most.”
Tuesday, Feb. 13
Diversifying Our Bench: The Road to Judgeship @ Husch Blackwell (555 E. Wells St.), 5:15-7:30 p.m.
In this panel discussion, Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge Pedro Colon, Eastern District of Wisconsin, U. S. District Court magistrate judge Nancy Joseph, City of Milwaukee Municipal Court judge Derek Mosley, Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge Carolina Stark, Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge Glenn Yamahiro and political consultant Sachin Chheda will discuss how to pursue judgeship with the long-term goal of increasing diversity on the bench.
Redlining, Racism and Reflection Part One with Reggie Jackson @ Jewish Museum Milwaukee (1360 N. Prospect Ave.), 7-8:30 p.m.
Reggie Jackson, head griot at America’s Black Holocaust Museum, will discuss the history of redlining in Milwaukee and its impact on the city. He will also discuss the D-5 sector, which was considered a “negro slum” and area for “lesser” Jews.
To submit to this column, please send a brief description of your action, including date and time, to savingourdemocracy@shepex.com. Together, we can fight to minimize the damage that the administration of Donald Trump and others of his kind have planned for our great country. Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n
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NEWS&VIEWS::TAKINGLIBERTIES
The Shocking Truth about Madison ::BY JOEL MCNALLY
E
very once in a while, a truth is revealed that makes you suddenly realize you’ve been living in the past. There are people who perpetuate outdated myths for their own political purposes. Get this. Madison is not a hippy, dippy Midwestern version of Haight-Ashbury, the land that time forgot, where glassy-eyed, unwashed ’60s youth (they’d be nearly 80 by now) stagger through the streets pronouncing all sorts of things “groovy.” Quite the contrary. Madison and Dane County are at the center of Wisconsin’s most successful, modern, high-tech jobs explosion. The area is responsible for most of Wisconsin’s jobs growth and nearly 80% of its population increase in recent years. Those jobs and that population are the sort any state’s governor in his right mind would kill for—high-skilled, high-paying jobs attracting highly educated, young millennials. Craig Gilbert reported those unsung revelations in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel assessing the impact this election year of such rapid growth of the state’s most politically progressive county. It immediately raises questions about why such extraordinary economic success has gone unsung by Republican Gov. Scott Walker, whose failure to create jobs remains one of his biggest political liabilities.
Madison in Our Lives? Instead Walker keeps trashing both Madison and the University of Wisconsin, the driving engine behind that high-tech jobs surge he should be celebrating. When Madison Mayor Paul Soglin announced his Democratic candidacy to oppose Walker, the governor’s reaction was jaw dropping given what’s really going on in Madison and Dane County. “The last thing we need is more Madison in our lives,” Walker tweeted, claiming “businesses have left and murders have gone up.” Walker promised in 2010 to create 250,000 jobs in his first term, implying that he wouldn’t deserve to be re-elected if he failed. Now completing his second term, Walker still hasn’t fulfilled that promise, but without Madison and Dane County in his life he would be an even bigger failure. Epic Systems, a software company that maintains electronic medical records on a majority
of U.S. patients, simply moved from the city of Madison across the border to suburban Verona. There, it built a gigantic high-tech fantasyland, a constantly growing campus of buildings designed as an imaginative English estate that has been compared to both Oxford and Hogwarts. It now employs nearly 10,000 people. Soglin isn’t crying about losing the company since its young, well-paid employees are creating a luxury apartment boom in downtown Madison. As for murderous Madison, 2017 was an unusual year because Madison’s homicides actually reached double digits at 11. In every other year during Soglin’s current tenure as mayor, homicides ranged from 3 to 8. What kind of governor demonizes one of the safest cities in his state by dishonestly smearing it as some kind of murder capital?
Terrible at Job Creation An even bigger question, of course, is why a governor with a terrible jobs record—especially one who has just saddled state taxpayers with shelling out $3 billion to a company that so far guarantees to create only 3,000 jobs—would not only fail to take credit for the far greater economic success of the city and county where he works, but would publicly belittle that success. The question immediately answers itself. You mean thousands of good, high-paying, high-tech jobs can be created without forcing state taxpayers to come up with $3 billion to pay off a fasttalking billionaire CEO? Even under Walker’s most unrealistic, rosy scenarios, Wisconsin is not expected to break even from that enormous taxpayer subsidy for a quarter century. The other reason the Madison area’s economic boom is an embarrassment rather than an achievement for Walker is that it has happened despite Walker’s bad-mouthing, financial assault on the University of Wisconsin. Great universities create lots of good-paying jobs that never existed before. When Walker brags about increasing educational funding these days, he always leaves out who gutted funding in the first place. Of course, there’s nothing unusual about Republican politicians running dishonest campaigns based on lies and distorted, outdated stereotypes. Forty years ago, Lee Dreyfus, one of Wisconsin’s most decent Republican governors, smiled when he called Madison “30 square miles surrounded by reality.” Things have changed, and not just that Madison is 77 square miles now. Even before openly racist Donald Trump, Wisconsin Republicans had a nasty habit of intentionally feeding hateful divisions within the state by running against negative cartoon caricatures of its leading cities—hippy, dippy Madison, man, and Milwaukee, where, you know, those people live. It would be nice to have a governor who would not only celebrate, but actually invest in economic success and job growth that improves people’s lives throughout Wisconsin, wherever they may live. Come to think of it, that does sound like a real, old-fashioned idea these days, almost like something out of the ’60s. “Come on people now. Smile on your brother. Everybody get together. Try to love one another right now.” Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n SHEPHERD EXPRESS
NEWS&VIEWS::ISSUEOFTHEWEEK
Paid Parking in Parks Raises Social Justice Issues ::BY FRED ROYAL JR.
M
ilwaukee’s cool and inviting lakefront is one place within our highly segregated region where all citizens freely gather, especially on the warmest days. Fortunately, our county’s exceptional network of waterfront public parks was developed to serve everyone. Far-sighted parks founders and planners intentionally filled in our Lake Michigan shoreline and created Lincoln Memorial Drive to increase recreational opportunities. In doing so, they also protected homes and businesses built on the lake-view bluffs from erosion. All this enhanced our city by making its most valuable and appealing natural resource available to every local citizen and visitor. This great opportunity for Milwaukee County residents was accomplished in part through tax dollars hard at work. Now Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele is proposing a wrong-headed program of widespread and pricey paid parking on the lakefront and in many parks and parkways. This is an outrageous departure from the original purpose and mission of Milwaukee County Parks—and we live in a county that has inadequate public transit to its parks.
Scheming to make people pay to park in county parks is a glaring social justice and civil rights issue. Instituting paid parking in Milwaukee County Parks, with touted base rates of $2-3.50 per hour, would be a step backward in citizens’ quality of life. Here’s why. Parks have long been free and open space; essentially, they’ve been like everyone’s “backyard,”—perfect for family outings and public forums. Instead, perversely attempting to exploit parks as “revenue streams” will cast a pall over them and certainly reduce their use. Feeding of meters, onerous fines and ticket enforcement will mean more hassle and hardship for everyone. It will be a shameful day when people are priced out of their own public parks—especially considering the fact that we’re already paying entry fees for many park amenities: golf, swimming, the Mitchell Park Domes, botanical displays and more.
Abele Blithely Ignores Reality
Abele’s administration seems oblivious to the imposition that paid parking in parks will place on people of limited means. A day at the beach might soon cost $15—or way more if you get a parking ticket. Misleading platitudes by Abele that paid parking will encourage people to walk, bicycle or take the bus to enjoy a park blithely ignore the realities of the distance many residents live from the lakefront and other major parks. (Is Abele telling us to walk more, or does he really want to get more of our money?) Furthermore, not all citizens are able to walk or bicycle great distances, or up and down steep bluffs. Worse, only
a minor portion of money collected in a privatized parking operation would go to the Parks Department. Where is the public good in this scheme in which citizens will be gouged for mostly private gain? In another assault on environmental justice, county administrators have announced plans to close the swimming pool in Lincoln Park. This facility is the only deep-well pool located in the city’s North Side neighborhood; all the other pools in this part of Milwaukee have already been closed. It’s worth noting that this pool serves many African Americans. In short, officials are trying to balance the county’s parks budget on the backs of those who most rely on these much-needed facilities. Parking and other rising user fees are simply regressive “taxes.” Milwaukee County’s shrinking share of state revenue is cited as the reason why citizens are to pay evergreater fees to use their own city’s parks. In fact, Abele’s commitment of $4 million a year for 20 years of taxpayer money for a new, privately controlled arena for the Milwaukee Bucks has caused a drain in his revenue stream, and now we are stuck with that bad deal. We have no other worthwhile choice but to continue to rely on the property tax levy to fund our parks. As president of Milwaukee’s Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), I urge Milwaukee County officials to abandon this ill-conceived—and unjust—paid parking plan. Let’s reaffirm our long-standing commitment to providing free and open public parks for all to enjoy. Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n
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F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 11
::DININGOUT
For more Dining, log onto shepherdexpress.com
DAVE ZYLSTRA
FEATURE | SHORT ORDER | EAT/DRINK
(left) Tunisian Brik with Ahi Tuna; (right) Charred Octopus
Mistral brings Cozy Mediterranean to Bay View
The six entrées available are well conceived and vary in protein and cooking method. I wasn’t completely sure what to expect when I ordered the Tunisian brik with ahi tuna ($23) but it turned out to be a fantastic choice. A brik is a stuffed pastry with a thin dough, and the version at Mistral is like a lacy, delicate crepe folded around a filling of finely diced sweet potato hash. The ahi is seared briefly and served rare on top of the brik, along with a smear of sweet potato purée and harissa vinaigrette on the plate. I would never have guessed that sweet potato and ahi would go well together, but the vinaigrette and the surprise runny egg yolk in the middle of the brik—a recent addition to the dish for some much-needed rich::BY LACEY MUSZYNSKI ness—make it all work. This is one of the few places in Milwaukee you can get rabbit. In this case, it’s he old dinner-and-a-movie date is experiencing a revival in Bay braised cacciatore style ($19) with tomatoes and served with roasted mixed mushView. The Avalon Atmospheric Theater, built in 1929, underwent a rooms and brown butter polenta. A pork crepinette ($17) is a free-formed pork full renovation a few years ago, restoring it to its full atmospheric, sausage, which is served here on a bed of braised kale and cannellini beans, surMediterranean-influenced glory. In its heyday, it was a neighborrounded by pork consommé. Potato gnocchi ($15) is the lone vegetarian entrée, hood beacon and hangout spot for adults and teens alike—my served with spicy pumpkin ragout, spaghetti squash, balsamic and walnuts. grandpa was probably not the only one sneaking in the back door to meet If you’re hesitant to try something completely new, the safe bet on the menu girls in the 1930s. Now, the theater shows first-run and classic movies daily is steak and frites ($21). The flat iron steak was grilled to the requested medium under a ceiling of shooting stars. and well seasoned, then sliced and topped with a light demi-glace and a bit of For the dinner part of the date equation there’s Mistral, the theater’s chermoula, a North African condiment similar to chimichurri. And while the Middle recently opened attached restaurant. The Mediterranean cuisine by exEastern za’atar spices were mostly absent on the frites, it didn’t matter because the ecutive chef Joe Schreiter matches the theater’s décor and atmosphere airy, crisp potatoes were fantastic as they were. beautifully, with influences from Tunisia, Spain and Morocco. Mistral and For dessert, there is only one option, a trio of small bites ($6). But the predomiThe Avalon are a matched pair, complementing each other so well it’s hard to imagnant flavors of the restaurant continue in each item, instead of just slapping someine the restaurant hasn’t been there all along. thing like a safe chocolate cake on the menu. Mascarpone-stuffed dried apricots There’s an entrance to Mistral off the sidewalk, but you can also enter from the with pistachios are bathed in a sweet honey syrup and are the standout of the theater’s lobby vestibule. The space is small and ridiculously cozy, especially during bunch. The other two include a nut-filled, saffron custard-topped cookie and a winter nights. A bar with place settings for dining takes up one wall, and opposite spiced orange chocolate truffle. The chef delivered our dessert and explained that is a row of banquette tables. Otherwise, there’s only a few other tables in the whole he doubled up the apricots and truffles, since there were two of us dining and we place, including one booth that is tucked away in its own little alcove, complete planned to share. A nice, personal touch that’s always appreciated. with theater curtain for privacy. That’s the table to score for Valentine’s Day. A full bar is available, including a selection of signature cocktails that are heavy While the menu is small, the flavors are unique and surprising. A charred octopus on the Italian bitter liqueurs—and alcohol. I expected the Strega Verde ($10) to be appetizer ($13) is served in a wide, shallow bowl. The large portion of tender, lightly green by the name, but it was maroon. No matter, because the strong concoction crisped tentacles is served with a swipe of creamy romesco sauce, little fondant of the herbal Strega, rye, vermouth and bitters was delicious. potato rounds, Spanish chorizo in the same shape, whole musA well-curated selection of seven draught beers includes Like tard seed vinaigrette, and a bit of greens and herbs. The mild Minds a Nouveau, a barrel-aged sour, and Good City Brewing’s octopus and light bitterness from the charring goes well with pilsner. Mistral the tangy romesco and chorizo. Dinner at Mistral before a movie at The Avalon is an upscale, A scallop appetizer ($14) is served with two expertly seared 2473 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. unique experience. But don’t let the fact that you’re not going sea scallops topped with an herb-heavy preserved lemon 414-539-6469 | $$$ to a movie stop you from coming. The candle-lit atmosphere, gremolata. Accompanying it is a warm salad of blood orange, mistralmke.com well-executed menu, personable chef and little hospitable shaved fennel and fingerling potatoes, and arugula. The MorocHandicapped access: Yes touches—from the gorgeous cut glass water glasses to the can flavors continue to a chicken leg confit app ($11) with tohomemade jelly candy parting treat—make Mistral one of the CC, GF, FB, RS mato chutney, a similar warm salad with fennel and fingerlings, new must-stops in Milwaukee. Hours: 5-10 p.m. daily and a rich chicken jus.
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SHEPHERD EXPRESS
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 13
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Mazos
Great Burgers at Mazos
::BY DAVID LUHRSSEN
In business since 1934, Mazos Hamburgers (3146 S. 27th St.) has the look of an old-school, big city lunch spot with its counter, tables and walls covered with pictures of old-time show biz celebrities. Although they serve a good Reuben, a BLT and a grilled cheese sandwich, Mazos is chiefly known for its selection of some 10 burgers made from meat ground daily. Ample and flavorful, the burgers are served with American or crinkle-cut French fries and a choice of one other side. How many trendy restaurants offer baked beans, applesauce, cottage cheese or chicken soup along with their burgers? For flavor and variety, Mazos beats any trendy newcomer hands down. SHEPHERD EXPRESS
DININGOUT::EAT/DRINK
Decades of Home Wine Making Expertise at Purple Foot ::BY SHEILA JULSON
H
ome wine making can intimidate a newbie, especially after hearing terms like “fermenter” or “hydrometer.” The staff at The Purple Foot, a home wine and beer making supply store, strives to put both novice and advanced home wine and beer makers at ease. Ken and Clara Geist established the Purple Foot in 1969. In 1983, they moved to Washington state to buy a vineyard. They sold The Purple Foot to long-time employee and manager Mary Uthemann and her husband, Jerry. Their daughter, Karen Lau, started making wine when she was 17; at that time, Wisconsin’s legal drinking age was 18. “I wasn’t into it so much for the drinking of wine. It was just the fun of making it,” Lau said. “It’s a fun hobby, and at 17 I was already competing in wine competitions.” Lau stepped away from wine making for a while and worked in the corporate world. After a job loss due to restructuring, Lau, in 2005, began helping her mother at The Purple Foot. Mary died in 2010, and Jerry handed the reins of The Purple Foot to Lau. Lau wasn’t sure if she could emotionally handle the store without her mother’s companionship and guidance, but she realized that operating the store was what she wanted to do. This past April, Lau moved The Purple Foot from its longtime space in a strip mall in West Allis to an idyllic 1865 Cream City brick farmhouse built by Leonard Weiler, located on 5225 W. Forest Home. “I am so happy to be here, and this building is a perfect match for what we do,” Lau said. Home wine making is a hobby that encompasses a SHEPHERD EXPRESS
broad demographic. Lau has customers of all ages and ethnicities—those who like to drink wine, those who enjoy the hobby and people seeking creative ways to use fruit. The Purple Foot carries Winexpert kits, which include all ingredients needed to produce a good batch of vino. “The kits are not just a great beginners tool, but they are such a high-quality product that even people with the skills to make wine from fruit use the kits,” Lau said. She notes that home wine kits have very few preservatives, compared to some commercial wines on grocery store shelves. In addition to common varietals, Winexpert has French cabernet, Argentine Malbec, Müller-Thurgau—a sweeter, German white grape—and California symphony blend. The lighter, fruity Island Mist line features flavors such as black cherry pinot noir or pomegranate zinfandel. The Purple Foot also has the needed equipment: fermentation kits, carboys, crushes and presses, strainer bags, bottles, corks and bottling equipment, as well as wine yeast, concentrates, sanitizer and fermentation aids. Home beer brewers can find beer making supplies, Brewers Best brewing kits, malt extracts, beer yeasts and more. Cider lovers aren’t left out, either. Cider House Select kits come in flavors including apple and pear, as well as mixed berry, cherry and even raspberry-lime. “Cider isn’t just about apples anymore,” Lau said. With ample space to now offer an array of classes and events, home vintners can come to The Purple Foot to take classes on wine making from kits or from fresh berries and fruits, as well as cider making classes. An apple crushing day, tastings and samples are also on the horizon. “Every decision I make is dictated by retaining as much of the country feel of the property as possible,” she said. For more information and class schedules, visit purplefootusa.com.
VEGETARIAN MADE SIMPLE (AND FUN)::BY DAVID LUHRSSEN In their introduction to Pretty Simple Cooking, husband-and-wife chefs Sonja and Alex Overhiser sound like jazz musicians when describing cooking as “living in the face of failure. Thinking on your feet, being resourceful.” One imagines that the 100 vegetarian recipes they have compiled resulted from improvisation—fearlessly mixing greens and tossing veggies into the pot. The descriptions certainly sound tasty and cover the spectrum from breakfast with almond butter and balsamic blueberry parfait through starters, healthy snacks, salads, breads, entrées and desserts. They advise against “blindly following recipes” (including their own?) and encourage everyone to slow down and enjoy the process—the chop-chop of onions on the cutting board—and avoid guilt over the occasional slice of chocolate cake or eating out of season. Remember, they insist, that cooking—like life—can be messy (and that’s OK).
Karen Lau of Purple Foot
F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 15
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::SPORTS The Juggernaut of the Eagles ::BY PAUL NOONAN
I
n the 1980s, it was standard for an NFL team to run on first and second down, and resort to passing on third down when they needed a big gain to move the chains. Playing defense was much easier as it was always clear what the offense would be doing. The cliché of having to establish the run to open up the passing game is ancient, but until the last decade or so it was also orthodoxy. In the ’80s and ’90s the cliché didn’t make much sense as teams would typically run from running formations and personnel groups, and pass from passing formations and personnel groups, and so again, the defense knew what was coming. Finally, in 2018, the old cliché has finally come to pass. Doug Pederson’s Philadelphia Eagles, by virtue of a deep understanding of how football actually works combined with creative concepts borrowed from the wild west of college football made the old adage true. The Eagles proved to be an unstoppable juggernaut in Super Bowl LII despite lacking elite wide receivers, and relying on backup quarterback Nick Foles, and much of that success is due to the fact that Pederson’s preferred offense was extremely player friendly. The Eagles are willing to run any play from any personnel group and as a result they always have deception in their favor. On third-and-four in the second quarter, the Eagles did what they generally do and lined up with three wide receivers and Jay Ajayi in the backfield. This is normally a passing down and the Eagles had the personnel to pass if they so desired, however they didn’t make it quite so easy. They lined up in a bunch formation with Nick Foles in shotgun, and instead of passing they went straight run. I mistook this as a run-pass option play at first, but the line surged forward at the snap and wide receiver Nelson Agholor’s block-
ing at the top of the formation indicated it was a run all the way, and a great one it was. With lighter defensive personnel on the field, the Eagles line mauled the New England Patriots and Ajayi followed a convoy of blockers through the hole for a huge gain. The Eagles would flip the script in the third quarter, lining up in a power-bunch formation on third and one and winging a pass out to tight end Zach Ertz for a big gain. They never gave the Patriots any indication of what they might be running and that deception is what won them the game.
The Packers, The Falcons, and The Future
Last year in the NFC Championship Game, the Atlanta Falcons, with Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator (now current 49ers’ coach), destroyed the Green Bay Packers 44-21. While it’s true that basically every Packers corner was injured, it seems inexcusable that the team scored only 21 points and trailed 24-0 at halftime. Atlanta’s defense wasn’t even that good, 26th in DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), as the Patriots would prove in the Super Bowl. The Falcons got ahead early and never let up, squelching any hope of a comeback. Their offensive game plan was near perfect and Matt Ryan played like the MVP he had been all season. In 2017, the Falcons suffered a huge downgrade when Shanahan left for San Francisco and was replaced by Steve Sarkisian. Ryan and the offense reverted to being good, not great, and Atlanta flamed out early. My worry for the Packers is that while Mike McCarthy is still probably a better coach than twothirds of the league, he is now vastly inferior to the upper echelon and that upper echelon is doing a lot of damage in the playoffs. I’m not worried about the Packers staying above the dregs of the league when they’re fully healthy, but I now question whether they have the staff necessary to actually threaten for a championship. Aaron Rodgers is enough to keep everyone employed, but while it’s true that many things work with Rodgers at the helm it’s important to remember that there’s a coaching staff out there that has things working even better with Nick Foles at the helm. Mike McCarthy needs to understand that if we all have to watch Aaron Rodgers put up inferior numbers to the Keenums and Foleses of the world, his days are numbered.
I’M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE PACKERS STAYING ABOVE THE DREGS OF THE LEAGUE WHEN THEY’RE FULLY HEALTHY, BUT I NOW QUESTION WHETHER THEY HAVE THE STAFF NECESSARY TO ACTUALLY THREATEN FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP.
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Flanders Recorder Quartet The Final Chapter: 30 Years Feb 17 | 5:00pm St Paul’s Episcopal Church
…
“…combining the breathy timbre of a portative organ with the expressive interplay of a fine string quartet.” — THE NEW YORK TIMES
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WHAT ‘ROOTS’ CAN STILL TELL US ABOUT RACE IN AMERICA
::BY RICHARD G. CARTER
o these wizened eyes, the true test of a television program on American history is relevance to the present day. This includes entertainment, mini-series, documentaries or reality shows. And since race relations remains America’s most important domestic issue, I pay attention when this subject is dealt with seriously. Thus, as we embark on 2018’s Black History Month, what better time to remember, arguably, the most meaningful mass media examination of race in America, the original “Roots” telecast of 1977. Millions of black and white Americans will never forget it. I was living and working in Cleveland when the star-studded “Roots” first aired that frigid late January. And right from the start, the sight and sound of so many gifted black actors warmed my heart. In all, the 62 principal cast members were a veritable directory of big movie and TV stars of the 1960s and ’70s. Indeed, “Roots” is one of the most cherished TV memories of my lifetime, about which much of today’s youth is unaware. It was memorable and outstanding in every way. And there is little doubt that it was a special experience for white people as well as black. During its run, the show was a daily topic of conversation at workplace coffee machines, water coolers and cafeterias, as well as business lunches everywhere. It is interesting to note the presence in the cast of O.J. Simpson, still basking in the glory of his record-setting pro football career. His sad fall from grace occurred 17 years later, and the millions of whites who loved him as an athlete, came to scorn him. But no one can sully the majesty of “Roots,” TV’s all-time best mini-series. Regardless of the knowledge of history by adult whites, many were horrified at the hardships inflicted upon blacks during slavery. And my black friends also found scenes of the brutality hard to take. The Emmy-winning, ground-breaking, 12-hour, eight-night mini-series ran on ABC in late January 1977. After all these years, this powerful program remains a “must-see” for every man, woman and child in America—TV’s most thoughtful-ever look at race and racial tensions.
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While “Roots” essentially presented race from a black perspective, it took pains to explore the changing feelings of whites. The show often dealt with harsh physical suffering endured by blacks in the antebellum South, but also explored the tortured existence of those seeking to better themselves via learning and violent revolt against white slave masters. The quest for dignity by enslaved blacks in “Roots” was heart-wrenching, and Lou Gossett’s memorable “Fiddler” was a role for the ages. And the empathy of some of those oppressed with the likes of the white Brad Davis, as the unforgettable, dirtpoor “Ol’ George Johnson,” also brought tears to millions of viewers’ eyes. Presented nationally on pre-cable, broadcast TV for everyone in America in close proximity to the turbulent 1960s, this artistic achievement still ranks as ABC’s alltime best. And, fittingly, it was lovingly recalled in a one-hour, much-anticipated and watched 25th anniversary NBC tribute in January 2002. Marketed as a work of historical fact, “Roots” is based on the late Alex Haley’s landmark, Pulitzer Prize-winning book tracing his family origins in Africa. But ironically, ABC-TV did not air the nostalgic look-back to honor the 25th anniversary of its premier. Why the originating network took a pass on running its own special is anybody’s guess. Perhaps it was due to allegations that the content of Haley’s work was, according to critics disputing his genealogical research, “a historical hoax.” With apologies to those I don’t have space to mention, black names also included LeVar Burton as protagonist Kunta Kinte, along with John Amos, Maya Angelou, Olivia Cole, Scatman Crothers, Ji-Tu Cumbuka, Moses Gunn, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Lynne Moody, Lillian Randolph, Thalmus Rasulala, Richard Roundtree, Madge Sinclair, O.J. Simpson, Raymond St. Jacques, Cicely Tyson, Leslie Uggams and Ben Vereen. Among other notable white actors were Ed Asner, Lloyd Bridges, MacDonald Carey, Chuck Connors, Lynda Day George, Sandy Duncan, Lorne Greene, George Hamilton, Burl Ives, Doug McClure, Vic Morrow, Robert Reed and Ralph Waite. But remembering “Roots” also means remembering tender moments. The touching scenes of black family loyalty, pride and love are stamped on my brain. And recalling the youthful Burton’s insistence that his name is, indeed, Kunta Kinte, is something I will never forget. Here’s hoping this towering program someday will be rerun in its entirety.
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Garrett Glassman Timothy O’Donnell Isaac Sharratt Nicole Teague-Howell Petr Zahradnícek CHOREOGRAPHED TO THE SOUNDS OF
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Lahna Vanderbush. Photo Tom Davenport.
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2/1/18 11:45 AM
::THISWEEKINMILWAUKEE FRIDAY, FEB. 9
THURSDAY, FEB. 8
Science Strikes Back @ Escuela Verde High School, 5-8 p.m.
Save for snow days and field trips, no days were more fun in elementary school than science fairs, those events where kids illustrate scientific phenomena using household items (at any given fair, about 30% of the projects were some kind of volcano). The Milwaukee arts organization Cedar Block’s Science Strikes back lets adults get in on the fun, contributing their own demonstrations alongside ones from Escuela Verde students. At a time when science often seems under attack, this free event is a reminder of the role it can play in improving our everyday lives.
Nate Wooley’s knknighgh @ Sugar Maple, 8 p.m.
Few modern trumpeters challenge their listeners harder than Nate Wooley, an improvisational jazz artist who has won the hearts of critics in recent years, even earning Downbeat’s coveted Jazz Musician of the Year honors. That flattery hasn’t gone to his head, though. His recent output has been as uncompromising as ever. For this tour, he’s performing with new quartet knknighgh (pronounced “Knife,” somehow), which joins him with three similarly adventurous New York players: alto saxophonist Chris Pitsiokos, bassist Brandon Lopez and drummer Dre Hocevar. Wooley has written only one very simple composition for the group, though like so much of his work, it lends itself to almost endless exploration.
FRIDAY, FEB. 9
GuthrieUNCOVERED @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
For Turner Hall Ballroom’s Uncovered series, a continuation of Alverno Presents’ popular program, some of Milwaukee’s most prominent musicians curate tributes to some of music’s most influential figures. For this latest installment, upright bassist Johanna Rose will lead a night of Woody Guthrie interpretations, which will feature performances from Rose’s bands Nickel&Rose and Ruth B8r Ginsburg, as well as contributions from Painted Caves, Klassik, Peter Mulvey, Abby Jeanne, Jordan Davis of Space Raft, Hello Death, Kendra Swanson, Chicken Wire Empire, Bo&Airo, Amanda Huff, Scott Hlavenka, Grasping at Straws, Josh Evert of The Fatty Acids, Ernest Brusubardis IV, Viktor Brusubardis and Sugar Ransom. It shouldn’t be much of a challenge for those performers to connect Guthrie’s poetic populism to modern times. Smoking Popes
Cowboy Mouth @ Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 8 p.m.
However fleetingly, Cowboy Mouth tasted success in the mid-’90s with their minor hit “Jenny Says,” a rollicking example of the group’s rootsy alt-rock, and also the only one to experience radio exposure beyond college stations. Rather than fall into obscurity, though, the group dedicated itself to the road, building a reputation as a reliable live act with an admirable “any and every venue that will have us” mentality. The group’s latest album, 2016’s The Name of the Band Is…, features new versions of some of the band’s most popular songs, as well as three new tunes.
SATURDAY, FEB. 10 Smoking Popes w/ Mark Mallman @ The Back Room at Colectivo, 8 p.m.
Picking up in the ’90s where bands like The Replacements and Dead Milkmen left off in the ’80s, Smoking Popes played bold, punk-influenced pop music and fraternized with some of the era’s prominent punk and alternative bands (most notably Green Day). When frontman Josh Caterer tried to bring his newfound Christianity into the band’s secular oeuvre, however, the group disbanded, breaking up in 1999 before they had their own chance to conquer the radio. Their reputation grew posthumously, as bands like Alkaline Trio and Fall Out Boy sang their praises, until 2005 finally brought a well-received reunion that resulted in two new albums: 2008’s Stay Down and 2011’s This Is Only a Test.
Valentines Love and R&B Tour @ Miller High Life Theatre, 8 p.m. A host of R&B singers with ’90s and ’00s hits have come together for this joint tour. Avant, the singer who scored a huge hit with the slow jam, “Separated,” tops the bill, joined by Donell Jones, Case, Jon B, Michel’le and Syleena Johnson, the singer best remembered for her soulful hook on the Kanye West hit “All Falls Down,” and who has since released a series of musically adventurous records of her own.
Dreamland: The Music of Thelonious Monk w/ DJ Tarik @ Company Brewing, 9 p.m.
Cowboy Mouth
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Led by prolific trumpeter Jamie Breiwick, one of the leaders of the city’s resurgent jazz scene, the Milwaukee quintet Dreamland never disguises their debt to Blue Notes’ heyday albums. At this show, the latest installment of Company Brewing’s Super Club Jazz Night, the group will make that influence even more explicit by paying tribute to one of the label’s greatest artists, pianist and composer Thelonious Monk. SHEPHERD EXPRESS
Read our daily events guide, Today in Milwaukee, on shepherdexpress.com
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SUNDAY, FEB. 11
Joe Biden @ The Riverside Theater, 7:30 p.m.
It’s one of the great political unknowns of 2020: Will Joe Biden run for president? At age 78, he’d be the oldest president in American history, yet he’s certainly carrying himself like a presidential candidate, with an aggressive schedule of public appearances and even a book tour, which will take him to Milwaukee this weekend. He’ll be promoting his new memoir, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose, about coping with the death of his son Beau and the impact that loss had on the 2016 election. At this appearance, he’ll participate in a discussion moderated by former Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle.
Enuff Z’nuff w/ Sacred, Well Known Strangers and Dreamhouse @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 6 p.m.
Now decades removed from the MTV success of early singles like “New Thing” and “Fly High Michelle,” Illinois rockers Enuff Z’nuff are still touring behind their brand of glammy hard-rock, and still releasing new records. Their latest, 2016’s Clowns Lounge, compiles some of their earliest recordings from 1988-1989 and features a lead vocal performance from the late Warrant singer Jani Lane. The group is joined on this bill by several Milwaukee-area hard-rock and alt-rock bands to raise money for the St. Anthony Project Homeless Shelter, which gives much-needed assistance to the city’s poor and hungry.
Book, Music & Lyrics by JAMES VALCQ Directed by PAM KRIGER
“Absolutely enchanting!” -New York Post
www.skylightmusictheatre.org • (414) 291-7800 158 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
MONDAY, FEB. 12
JOHN BECK
Rostam w/ Joy Again @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
Leaving a band as popular as Vampire Weekend, especially on the heels of the group’s most acclaimed album yet, 2013’s Modern Vampires of the City, isn’t the type of thing that a musician does lightly. But for the band’s keyboardist/ producer Rostam Batmanglij, it may have been simply a matter of only having so much time in a day. During his run with the band, Batmanglij became an in-demand producer and collaborator, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise when he left the band in 2016 to focus on a solo career, while leaving the door open for further collaborations with the group. After a collaborative album with The Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithauser in 2016, I Had a Dream That You Were Mine, he released his solo debut as Rostam last year, Half-Light, an artful electronic-pop project.
February 2-18, 2018
Rostam
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14 A Very Emo Valentine @ Company Brewing, 9 p.m.
At this show a cast of Milwaukee musicians will pay tribute to some of the most influential emo acts of the last couple of decades—Fall Out Boy, Bright Eyes, Paramore, Panic at the Disco!, My Chemical Romance, etc. The twist? They’re not the first Milwaukee musicians you might expect to dive into such rock-oriented territory. A band comprised mostly of musicians from the local soul and jazz scene will back a cast of singers and rappers including B~Free, Fernando Arias, Yasmeen Daniel, Zed Kenco and Mario Betancourt Lanza. SHEPHERD EXPRESS
F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 21
5 Quick Tips for Taking Care of You 1. Breathe.
Studies show that slowing down to 5-6 breaths per minute, breathing out longer than in, lowers the heartrate and our bodies’ stress response.
2. Ask For Help.
Picking kids up from school, cooking dinner, folding laundry—each week, identify one task you can delegate to someone else.
3. Give Yourself A Timeout.
Even the best behaved children have moments of meltdowns and misbehavior. When you find yourself in the heat of the moment, walk away, find a quiet space, and regain your calm.
Can ‘Having It All’ Be Bad For Your Health? No matter how many appointments we make, deadlines we hit, dinners we cook, diapers we change, or steps we log in our Fitbits, for women, sometimes having it all feels more like doing it all.
That internalized pressure can present outwardly as anxiety, depression, anger, resentment, substance abuse, eating disorders, and other behaviors that can not only harm ourselves but those around us, too.
According to the Pew Research Center, 40 percent of moms feel like being behind is a constant state of being—meaning they feel out of time 100 percent of the time.
Learning To Let Go
Additionally, 39 percent feel that they aren’t spending enough of that time with their kids. “Women carry implicit demands as mothers, as employees, as partners, as daughters, as friends,” says Dr. Heather Jones, supervising psychologist for the FOCUS Adolescent Mood Disorders program at Rogers Behavioral Health. “And they often internalize just how heavy a weight that can be,” says Jones.
When we’re constantly focused on maintaining everyone else’s happiness, it’s often our own that’s neglected. However, today we are realizing the positive outcomes of treating our own mental health as a priority. Realizing that self-care isn’t selfish, it’s essential.
Jones explains that caring for our own mental health shows children that being ‘perfect’ is not a standard to live up to.
What are these feelings of inadequacy doing to women’s health and well-being?
“When children see mom acknowledging and managing her stress in healthy ways, they learn that their own feelings make sense, they can tolerate the uncertainties of life, and they are better equipped to manage difficult emotions,” says Jones.
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You fill your calendar with meetings, playdates, and school conferences; do the same for an activity you enjoy on a regular basis.
5. Find A Professional Listener.
When you take on the burdens of those around you, who’s left to unburden you? Seeing a therapist is a great way to vent your frustrations, worries, and anxieties in an objective, non-judgmental environment.
“Learning to let go of unrealistic expectations, asking for help, and saying no to requests we can’t accommodate is critical to mental health,” says Dr. Jones. “It also models the value of self-care to the people close to us—particularly our children.”
When Having It All Feels A Little Like Losing
“When women are constantly trying to doing everything for everyone, the stress can transfer into feelings of shame and internal guilt,” Dr. Jones explains. “You feel guilty leaving work to pick up a sick child. Guilty dropping your infant off at daycare before going to work. Guilty skipping date night with your partner because you’re just too tired. Guilty attending a social event because you’re not home with your family.”
4. Reserve Time On Your Calendar.
She adds that these lessons help children develop resilience, positive self-worth, confidence, and healthy relationships throughout their lifetimes. And with side effects like that, maybe giving up the façade of having it all, is really all we need.
HEATHER JONES, PHD
rogersbh.org SHEPHERD EXPRESS
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F E B R UA RY 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 23
HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE EXPO
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH • 10AM -4PM STATE FAIR PARK EXPO CENTER
WELCOME! Shepherd Express is proud to present this day of empowerment for all women to achieve both their personal and professional goals. Attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with numerous vendors across a multitude of industries, listen to a variety of presentations and partake in workshops throughout the day. This year’s presentations will touch on mental and physical wellbeing as well as how to overcome challenges in your life. Let’s not forget the fashion show, hosted by Milwaukee Fashion Week, which will feature all local designers, models and stylists. Join us at the 5th Annual Woman Up, presented by Rogers Behavioral Health, for a day that celebrates YOU! Admission is $7 in advance of $10 at the door. For more informaiton, visit shepherdtickets.com.
Take advantage of the following FREE offerings by showing your Woman UP ticket: • Legacy Gym MKE is offering free bootcamp classes on 2/10 (6:30, 7:30, 8:30 or 9:30 a.m.). Reserve a spot by e-mailing Brittany at Brittany@legacygymmke.com with your Woman Up ticket code. • Barre District always offers your first class for free, but if you take a class before 2/11 and show your Woman Up ticket you’ll get a second free class at either Milwaukee location. Sign up at barredistrict.com. • The Body Boutique offers free seven-day trials. If you sign up before 2/18, you’ll get a second free week when you show your Woman Up ticket. Register at thebodyboutiquewi.com.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS presenting sponsor
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SHEPHERD EXPRESS
WOMAN UP SCHEDULE SPEAKERS 10:30AM
DON’T COUNT YOURSELF OUT by Carissa DiPietro
Carissa DiPietro is an Army veteran, sexual assault survivor and mother. DiPietro will discuss how she has overcome her struggles with PTSD, MST, major depressive disorder and fibromyalgia. She says that, “We need to stop focusing on what we can’t do and begin to embrace what we can do.”
12:00PM
KEEPING OUR HEARTS RESILIENT IN THE MIDST OF CHALLENGE by Sue McKenzie, MA, Program Director, Rogers InHealth
Rogers InHealth is a key component of Rogers Behavioral Health System, a leading nonprofit provider of mental health and addiction services. Sue McKenzie will speak on the critical role compassion and resilience play in maintaining our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing while responding compassionately to people who are suffering.
1:30PM
FASHION SHOW hosted by Rahny Taylor of 97.3NOW brought to you by Milwaukee Fashion Week
5 Local Designers: AMU Cherian LLC, BAVLNKA by Laura Bavlnka, Elysemichele Designs, Jorddan Marie Collection, Virago.
3:00PM
FIND YOUR REASON by Melania Klemowits
Five years ago, Exploit No More set out on the mission to end child sex trafficking in the greater Milwaukee area. Melania Klemowits develops marketing strategies and speaks at local schools and colleges to promote awareness and create change. “Women are the strongest when together” is the lesson that she learned from her mom, and it has guided her career and community engagement.
WORKSHOPS
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
10:30AM
HEALTHY COPING SKILLS by Clair Paul
11:15AM
FLOWER DESIGN CLASS by Snapdragon Flowers of Elm Grove
12:00PM
PAINT LIKE BOB ROSS with Uptown Art
2:30PM
WOMEN’S SELF-DEFENSE COURSE by Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Clair Paul is a Milwaukee native, social worker and social justice advocate. In Paul’s workshop, you will learn about self-care and how to tailor your coping skills “tool kit” to help alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and stress we all encounter on a daily basis.
Snapdragon Flowers promises to always go further, deliver excellence and give back. At Woman Up, they will give you the opportunity to learn ways to give your home or office a fresh look.
Uptown Art will bring their social art experience to Woman Up this year so you can paint the colorful night sky like “The Joy of Painting’s” Bob Ross. Class starts at 12 p.m. The $20 fee includes one 11x14” canvas, painting materials and instruction. This class is open to all skill levels but you must be 12 years of age or older.
Women Empowered is the official Gracie self-defense program for women. Unlike most self-defense systems, the techniques in the Women Empowered program employ leverage, technique and timing, so anyone, regardless of age or athletic ability, can make them work against larger opponents.
F E B R UA RY 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 25
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Milwaukee
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Stop by and claim your copy of Manifesting Your Life: 5 Do’s & Dont’s Tally Hayden | 414.793.4168 www.WeRiseCoaching.com
15 TECHNIQUES in the Women Empowered Program
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262.246.9400 | W249N5267 EXECUTIVE DR. | SUSSEX, WI 53089 REGISTER FOR A CLASS ONLINE TODAY! WWW.UPTOWNART.COM/SUSSEX/
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Saturday, April 21, 2018 | WI State Fair Expo Center 1-2pm VIP, 2-6pm General Admission Early bird tickets: GA $40, VIP $70 Limited VIP Tickets available
shepherdtickets.com 26 | F E B R UA RY 8 , 2 0 1 8
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Find life worth living. If you or someone you love is struggling, Rogers Behavioral Health is here to help. We offer specialized care options for children, teens and adults who are battling: Addiction, including a new residential program for teens ages 12-17 Depression and mood disorders • OCD and anxiety • Eating disorders • PTSD • •
With locations in Brown Deer, West Allis, Kenosha, Oconomowoc, Madison, Appleton and additional clinics nationwide, Rogers provides proven treatment that’s helping people rediscover hope and find life worth living.
Call 800-767-4411 or visit rogersbh.org to learn more and request a free screening.
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F E B R UA RY 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 27
MARK FROHNA
A&E::THEATRE
Next Act’s ‘Equivocation’ Probes Art and Politics ::BY SELENA MILEWSKI
N Skylight's 'Zombies From the Beyond'
THEATRE | REVIEWS
‘Zombies From the Beyond’ Returns to Skylight
ext Act Theatre, whose maxim is “Intimate. Powerful.” has a well-earned reputation for socially conscious theater. In its latest offering, Bill Cain’s Equivocation, we find an engrossing examination of 400-year-old art and politics bearing striking resemblance to our own milieu. The characters? William Shakespeare, his daughter, The King’s Men theater company, the men associated with the infamous Gunpowder Plot, King James I and the commanding statesman Sir Robert Cecil. The setting? 1606 London, religiously and socially polarized in the aftermath of the foiled Gunpowder Plot, which, if successful, would have destroyed the Houses of Parliament and killed the king. Cain’s script is brilliant for its fictional, yet entirely plausible, inquiry into what might have happened had Cecil, the King’s “beagle” and Secretary of State, commissioned Shakespeare to write “the official history” (read: propaganda) of the Gunpowder Plot. The bard is forced to choose between the self-betrayal of relaying “alternative facts,” telling the truth and paying with his life and the lives of his company members, or rejecting the lucrative commission that Cecil says would cement his place in history.
The witty yet accessible dialogue, liberally sprinkled with excerpts from Shakespeare’s plays, is riveting from curtain to curtain. Clever double-castings abound, supported by wise and sometimes hilarious theatrical devices, such as the literal switching of hats or crowns mid-scene to indicate shifts in character. In the hands of director Michael Cotey and an impressive cast of Milwaukee favorites, the story comes to vibrant life. Mark Ulrich’s “Shag” is a worthy protagonist, believably juggling desire for truth and redemption with the desire to survive, thrive and be remembered. As his daughter Judith, Eva Nimmer brings dark humor and heart to the story. Josh Krause’s King James I is as irreverent, arrogant and unrepentant as his Gunpowder conspirator, Thomas Wintour, is traumatized, tragic and resolute. As both principal King’s Men actor Richard Burbage and Father Garnet (the Jesuit priest implicated in the plot), Jonathan Smoots is quietly captivating. T. Stacy Hicks plays a handful of supporting characters, all endowed with a high, clown-like energy that makes him a joy to watch in every scene. Finally, Next Act artistic director David Cecsarini’s primary role as Cecil makes a chilling antagonist: rational, ruthless and the greatest tactician of his time, he is a formidable threat to Shakespeare’s “cooperative venture based on affection.” At the heart of this production is the concept of equivocation, which Father Garnet defines as “answering the question under the question, with your life.” Through this idea, we see the ways in which artists have always striven to “tell the truth in difficult times” as well as an acute examination of the psychology of torturers and tortured, and a treatise on the nature of truth itself. Through Feb. 25 at Next Act Theatre 255 S. Water St. For tickets, call 414-278-0765 or visit nextact.org.
::BY JOHN SCHNEIDER
I
n 1986, I saw the original production of Zombies From the Beyond in the basement theater on Cathedral Square that was then the home of the Skylight Opera Theatre, as it was known. It was created by my friend Jim Valcq, produced by my friend Colin Cabot and featured my friend Claire Morkin as the brilliant, wholesome heroine Mary Malone. I was dazzled by the perfect crafting of this deeply considered, loving pastiche of Cold War era movies, romantic era operettas and raise-theroof Broadway musicals. The title song proved unforgettable. The brand-new production by the Skylight Music Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center is exquisite. Like the original, I suppose it has special appeal to a gay man like me. This time Zombina, wonderfully acted and voiced by SaraLynn Evenson, even looks like Divine, the star of so many John Waters films. While the difficulty of finding a partner is wildly spoofed here, it’s poignant nonetheless; likewise, the honor it pays to women as leaders, as thinkers, as people with brains; and, of course, the joy and world-saving power of good tap dancing. I had no plan to review the show but our reviewer was ill so I’m sharing my thoughts while noting my obvious biases. Pam Krieger directed a 1986 remount of the original in Milwaukee, as well as the glowingly reviewed Off-Broadway production that Cabot produced in 1995. She returns to it now and has outdone herself in keeping every second hilariously impassioned and physically exciting. The entire cast is superb. (Kathryn Hausman somehow channels Morkin’s original performance.) Aaron Dyszelski’s sets and Shima Orans’ costumes are brilliant. The surrealistic Downtown Milwaukee skyline, which animates as Zombina works her wiles on the men of the city, rightly drew applause and the entire cast looks great in alien drag. Through Feb. 18 at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. Call 414-291-7800 or visit skylightmusictheatre.org. 28 | F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8
Next Act's 'Equivocation' BY ROSS ZENTNER
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
THEATRE | PREVIEWS
The Importance of Being Earnest
“The Importance of Being Earnest promises to be an evening of laughter and revelry as the comedy of manners pokes fun at the British upper classes,” says director Tom Zuehlke of Village Playhouse’s upcoming production of the Oscar Wilde classic. “In true comedic fashion, love finds a way,” he adds. Oscar Wilde arguably achieved his greatest success with the February 1895 opening of this farcical play in London. It successfully skewered stifling (and sometimes bewildering) Victorian social conventions—much to the delight of its audiences who knew all too well the ways of the upper-crustaceans of British society. Alas, Wilde’s success with this high-profile production also sowed the seeds of his downfall. One of the “social conventions” (read: social ills) of his milieu was homophobia. Wilde’s romantic relationship with one Lord Alfred Douglas, soon to be made public, saw the onceheralded playwright imprisoned and, later, in self-imposed exile in Paris. (John Jahn) Feb. 9-25 at Inspiration Studios, 1500 S. 73rd St. For tickets, call 414-207-4879 or visit villageplayhouse.org.
Ellis
Ellis is an original work that incorporates personal stories of immigrant experiences that have been submitted to its creative team, Kelly Coffey and Don Russell, by members of our local community. As such, it is both a celebration of our diversity and the joys of coming to America, as well as a thoughtful and thought-provoking look at the fears and frustrations of doing so. Told through a combination of spoken word, music, dance, art and poetry, Ellis reflects on all the myriad hopes, dreams and fears of past and present American immigrants. Ellis is presented by Cooperative Performance in collaboration with Alejandra Gonzalez—Alverno College student member of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), a non-profit organization promoting social activism in marginalized communities and serving as a means of support for its main organization, Voces De La Frontera. Ellis also features original artwork by Ian Anastas. (John Jahn) Feb. 9-24 at Pitman Theatre, 3401 S. 39th St. For tickets, visit brownpapertickets.com and search event “3192774.” There will also be a free, one-off showing of Ellis in the rotunda of Milwaukee’s City Hall (200 E. Wells St.) on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 3:30 p.m.
Stones in His Pockets The Quiet Valley is the name of a fictional Hollywood movie being filmed on loca-
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Saturday, February 10 | 10:30–3:00 Six Biennial artists set up shop at MOWA
Participating Artists: Kelly Thorn Dulka Jenie Gao (pictured) J Myszka Lewis Tori Tasch Wendi Turchan Michael Velliquette
tion in rural County Kerry, Ireland. To add to the film’s “authenticity,” the filmmakers want townspeople to play Irish caricatures—what the American movie-going public expects to see and hear when they think of Ireland and Irish men and women. Stones in His Pockets, a 1996 play by Marie Jones, is about the making of this fictional film, the plot of which seems ripe for comedy. And there certainly is plenty of room for comedy here, but the title of the play refers to the fact that a teenager commits suicide while the town is in mid-production of Quiet Valley by weighing himself down so he’ll drown. Though full of colorful characters, Stones is actually a “two-hander,” meaning that but two actors portray all of them. In this Windfall Theatre production, that means Robert W.C. Kennedy and Joe Picchetti. (John Jahn) Feb. 9-24 at Village Church Arts, 130 E. Juneau Ave. For tickets, call 414-332-3963 or visit windfalltheatre.com.
MORE-TO-DO
Looking The “looking” of this comedy’s title refers to middle-aged men and women seeking love; characters include a nurse, businessman, police officer and even a radio show host. Looking was penned by one of Canada’s most popular playwrights, Norm Foster. True to form, Memories Dinner Theater productions (like this one) come with a meal. Of special note is the Wednesday, Feb. 14, evening dinner and performance featuring a special menu, champagne, wine and roses. Feb. 9-18 at Memories Ballroom, 1077 Lake Drive, Port Washington. For tickets, call 262-284-6850 or visit memoriesballroom.com.
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
Register at the Door | $30 with Membership 205 Veterans Avenue, West Bend | wisconsinart.org F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 29
A&E::CLASSICALMUSIC/DANCE MUSIC / DANCE | REVIEWS
Hope for Milwaukee at UWM’s ‘Winterdances: Transit’
::BY JOHN SCHNEIDER
H
music. Never predictable, surprisingly tender for the style yet always with some renegade movement happening, it was body language spoken with integrity meant to foster that practice as a way of life. The Milwaukee choreographers created works far more concrete. Artistic director and department chair Simone Ferro spoke of hope in her curtain speech. Hope was manifest all night in the excellence of the dancing and in the very fact of art-making. It became an overt subject of Ferro’s “North of the Park,” as dancers spoke the words and embodied the nostalgia, passion and vision of Sherman Park residents for their neighborhood. In a brilliant design by Ferro, Denis Kavanagh and Mischa Premeau, sets of lockers represented homes. The UWM Institute of Chamber Music provided powerful accompaniment. Andy Miller and Kristin Olson performed Miller’s stirring score for Daniel Burkholder’s beautiful “A dance for my daughter.” Andrea Burkholder recorded a spoken accompaniment listing these parents’ hopes for their child, very sensitive to our time. The dancers are daughters. Their lives are at stake. All lives are at stake in Maria Gillespie’s “Histories for an Apocalypse,” an epic on immanent climate and nuclear disaster too big to describe. Is hope rational? Perhaps, since we have art to speak truth and inspire action.
Conductor Stefan Asbury Brought out Playful Humor at MSO Concert
the Kodály piece, expressive and with refined tone. Substitute guest conductor Stefan Asbury brought out the playful humor in the music, effortlessly moving from one tempo to another. Augustin Hadelich returned to the MSO to play György Ligeti’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, premiered in 1992. This experimental work was challenging listening, but the audience hung in Stefan Asbury there, with rapt attention. Hadelich is one of the great technicians of his instrument, displaying remarkable playing. The final movement featured a fierce and fast extended cadenza that was breathtaking. The reduced orchestra was challenged as well, and unsurprisingly came through as an impressive ensemble. To reward the audience, Hadelich followed the concerto with a brilliant encore performance of Caprice No. 21 by Niccolò Paganini. Asbury led a crisp account of Symphony No. 2 by Ludwig van Beethoven, stressing sharp and swift contrasts in volume. It was lovely to hear the orchestra so fluently play soft sections, with principal bassoonist Catherin Chen’s buttery tone as a highlight. I’ve sat in just about every area of Uihlein Hall, and for classical concerts I highly recommend center-ish in rows S, T or U on the main floor. Five rows closer and the sound changes significantly to a less well-mixed blend.
::BY RICK WALTERS
T
he Saturday evening Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concert began with disorientation. The program listed Don Juan by Richard Strauss, the music I had studied before the concert, but the piece I heard obviously was not that. I spent the next 15 minutes 90% sure I knew what music I was hearing, Dances of Galánta by Zoltán Kodály, but not entirely. It was like one of those dreaded blind listening tests in music school. It felt like a dirty trick that the title of the piece played first was announced—and mumbled at that—only after we heard it. I didn’t see the insert tucked into the program, concealed by a trifold, until the next day. Note to MSO: If you change not only the program, but also the conductor, please make an announcement before the concert. OK, vent over. Todd Levy was his best self in a big solo in 30 | F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8
ERIC RICHMOND
ow great that UW-Milwaukee’s dance students have the opportunity to perform work so close to their skin, work they’ve helped make and can present with transparent honesty. Being in the room with such dancing never gets old. And in the new, still-developing Jan Serr Studio of the university’s Kenilworth Square East building, where the dance department’s Winterdances: Transit was presented last week, you could see right into the dancers’ eyes. It made for an emotional night. The relationship between the department and the local dance community is profound. Faculty members belong to professional companies and students make their mark in community shows between classes. Some of them graduate into local companies or start new ones. The department’s major annual showcases, Winterdances and Springdances, give all of them opportunities to test ideas and lets audiences join the growth processes. (I’m not sure what it means for the future that almost all the dancers were women.) Guest choreographer d. Sabela Grimes, a multidisciplinary artist from L.A., worked with UWM and Danceworks artist Gina Laurenzi and the students to premiere a hip-hop fusion style dance, “Bubbling Utterance,” for which he also composed
MUSIC / DANCE | PREVIEW
‘MXE Milwaukee Mixed’ and ‘Momentum’
“People should really celebrate the wealth and quality of talent in Milwaukee,” says Milwaukee Ballet artistic director Michael Pink, “and the Pabst Theater is where people are used to us not being formulaic.” His company’s show there this season will premiere five works by company choreographers and local composers: Garrett Glassman with the Tontine Ensemble, Timothy O’Donnell with Dasha Kelly, Isaac Sharratt with The Vitrolum Republic, Nicole Teague-Howell with LUXI, and Petr Zahradnícek with the Bonifas Electric Band featuring Brian Lynch. These will be Teague-Howell’s and Glassman’s first works for their colleagues. “Michael’s giving us a vote of confidence,” Glassman says. His dance is about cellphone addiction and personal isolation. TeagueHowell’s is about movement. “It’s about body language which we can all connect to,” she says. “It will be personal for everybody watching it.” The talented international company-in-training called MBII will perform a showcase on Saturday afternoon featuring new works made for them by international choreographers Kathryn Posin and Mimmo Miccolis, recent work by Pink and O’Donnell and the classical gem Napoli by August Bournonville. Posin’s ballet addresses climate change and Miccolis tackles racism and homophobia. “As artists, we have a responsibility to address the crucial issues of our times,” says Posin. (John Schneider) For more comments by Michael Pink, Garrett Glassman, Nicole Teague-Howell and Kathryn Posin, visit shepherdexpress.com. MXE Milwaukee Mixed runs Feb. 8-10 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 11 at 1:30 p.m. and Momentum is Feb. 10 at 1:30 p.m. at the Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. Call 414902-2103 or visit milwaukeeballet.org.
MORE-TO-DO
Guitar Festival Concert and Competition Latino Arts’ Guitar Festival is a two-parter. First, there’s a concert that features classical guitarist, touring soloist, chamber artist and respected pedagogue Lynn McGrath, as well as classical guitarist Samuel Hines (who is currently studying for his Masters of Music at UW-Milwaukee with renowned guitarist René Izquierdo). Secondly, Latino Arts’ Strings Program is inviting classical guitarists (under 18 years old) to participate in intermediate and advanced competitions—the chosen winners of each level then performing with McGrath and Hines. Saturday, Feb. 10, at Latino Arts, 1028 S. Ninth St. For tickets and competition registration information, call 414-384-3100 or visit latinoartsinc.org.
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
A&E::FILM [FILM CLIPS] The 15:17 To Paris PG-13 The three young Americans who took down a heavily armed terrorist aboard a French train claim to be ordinary guys. Following their heroic deed, Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos wrote a book, then approached Clint Eastwood to adapt it to the screen. Eastwood agreed, and, in a remarkable turn of events, he persuaded them to play themselves in his movie. The guys’ lifelong friendship has proven to be extraordinary in several unexpected ways. (Lisa Miller)
Fifty Shades Freed R Someone or something always threatens to ruin the fairytale romance between Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) and billionaire headcase Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). In this final chapter, there are horrible accidents, attacks, kidnapping, ransom and a pregnancy. As the owner of Grey’s Publishing (purchased for her by Grey), Anastasia risks both her life and her new marriage to become the mistress of her own fate. Though contending with major problems of his own, Grey found a woman who is 50 Shades of High Maintenance. (L.M.)
Maze Runner: The Death Cure PG-13 ‘Winchester’
The Calm Madness of Helen Mirren in ‘Winchester’
::BY DAVID LUHRSSEN
T
here really was a woman The mansion is an elaborate Victorian edifice named Sarah Winchester who of dark carved wood—a house built to creak, built a bizarre folly of a mansion especially when the night wind blows and the in San Jose at the turn of the last cold drafts extinguish the feeble light of cancentury. One can imagine she dles. Little wonder specters can be glimpsed was not unlike the fictional Sarah as played on stairways that dead-end at the ceiling or by by Helen Mirren in Winchester. The widowed doors that open to nothing. heir of the founder of the Winchester rifle The alienist disbelieves anything he can’t company, Mirren plays Sarah as imperious touch or study but acknowledges that the but not arrogant, clear-eyed and clear-minded imagination can produce false perceptions despite accusations of madness. that have nothing to do with reality. When he At least in this “Inspired by Actual Events” begins seeing things in that house that canfiction, Sarah is haunted not not be, he wonders whether only by guilt over wealth deit’s the effect of the laudarived from death but by the num, the morphine solution real ghosts of those killed that deadens the pain over Winchester by Winchester rifles. Their the loss of his wife. But the spirits guide her in the conglassy-eyed mania of SarHelen Mirren struction of her house; she ah’s young nephew, speakJason Clarke tries to recreate the rooms ing in someone else’s voice Directed by Michael where they died to serve as while in a trance, is closer and Peter Spierig antechambers before their to demonic possession than Rated PG-13 peaceful departure into the opium delusion. afterlife. But there is one Like most contemporary restless spirit that refuses to horror movies, Winchester be placated. relies on a series of jolting Parts of the film were shot on location in moments sustained by suspenseful music. the mansion that is as much the star of Win- However, Australian directors Michael and chester as Mirren or Jason Clarke, playing the Peter Spierig (Undead) go a step beyond with alienist dispatched by the Winchester compa- unsettling visual compositions that magnify ny’s directors in a bid to have Sarah declared the odd configurations of a house where the mentally incompetent to control her stock. uncanny can find a home.
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
This third-and-final chapter of the dystopian YA series finds the young “Gladers” engaged in violent confrontations with soldiers, zombified humans and mechanized spiders. Having learned the WCKD Corporation is willfully sacrificing the Gladers in an attempt to cure a plague known as “The Flare,” most Gladers escape to freedom. However, to retrieve those of their friends still held captive, they must enter the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth. Director Wes Ball elevates the story with brisk pacing while downplaying James Dashner’s sillier plot twists (in his original YA novel, The Death Cure). The result markedly improves upon the second installment, giving the series a send-off the fans can appreciate. (L.M.)
[HOME MOVIES /OUT ON DIGITAL] n Matinee
The Cuban Missile Crisis holds the world in terror, and the censors try to suppress horror flicks at the local bijou. Matinee (1993) is an amusing movie about the prophylactic value of horror to immunize the kids from the calamity of real life. John Goodman stars as a schlocky B-picture director who befriends kids confronted by the idiocy of duck-and-cover and teachers who stress the health value of red meat three times a day.
n The Thomas Crown Affair
Wearing suits, snap-brim hats and sunglasses, a gang pull off a meticulously planned bank heist in broad daylight. The mastermind was nowhere near the crime scene. Steve McQueen stars as a jet-setting financier who, bored with his life, devises a perfect crime in between polo and golf. Faye Dunaway co-stars as the insurance investigator who falls in love while out to nail him. Director Norman Jewison’s stylish 1968 caper includes deft use of split screens.
n Bitch
Writer-director Marianna Palka plays Jill—an unhappy housewife with an expensive home, four annoying kids and a jerk young professional husband named Bill (Jason Ritter). Despondent over her unsatisfying life, she loses her humanity, becoming what Bill called her, a dog, in this feminist fable. Bill embodies the decentered disconnection, the hyperventilating anger and the glib selfishness of our market society. The question that recurs as the story unwinds: Will Bill ever see the light?
n “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In: The Complete Second Season”
The American presidency and pop culture kept a respectful distance from each other—until candidate Richard Nixon uttered “Sock it to me” on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.” Season two (1968-1969), collected on six-DVDs, also included guest appearances by Mel Brooks, Kirk Douglas and Don Rickles. The irreverent variety show is a time capsule that points the way to television’s future. With its fake newscasts and send-ups of current events, “Laugh-In” was a predecessor to “SNL.” —David Luhrssen F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 31
A&E::VISUALART
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VISUALART|PREVIEW
Helping Haiti at the Milwaukee Art Museum ::BY TYLER FRIEDMAN
Jahmés Finlayson and Dumah Saafir
‘The Art and Mechanics of Animation’ at Grohmann Museum ::BY DAVID LUHRSSEN
A
small display at the Grohmann Museum’s current exhibition reminds us that animation is as old as art—dating from 40,000 years ago with the suggestion of motion found on cave paintings. However, animation as we know it today—as motion pictures on screens—is a product of modern technology. The mechanical wonderment of 19th-century magic lanterns and Zoetropes led artists and inventors to the animated films of the 20th century. “The Art and Mechanics of Animation: The J.J. Sedelmaier Collection” is not a thorough panorama of animated motion pictures but a sketch of that history drawn from the archive of a particular design studio located in White Plains, N.Y. As a result, there’s not much Walt Disney beyond one cel of Donald Duck from the 1959 short “How to Have an Accident at Work.” Buzz Lightyear is nowhere to be seen. But there is Beavis and Butt-Head, their gnarly faces represented on black-and-white model sheets. Mounted on the walls are video screens showing a few examples of animation alongside storyboards and model sheets, many from long-forgotten advertising campaigns such as the Ajax Cleanser Elves and New Yorker cartoonist George Price’s design for Northern Trust Bank. Examples from living memory include Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite promotional spots. Justifiably, given the mechanized process of the medium, much of the exhibit is occupied by the machinery of animation. Included are a 1930s Moviola used in editing and other stages 32 | F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8
of production; a spool of sprocketed film on reels; and the 16- and 35-millimeter cameras that were industry standard until pushed aside by digitalization. The turn toward new technology is represented by an ADM-5 Lear-Siegler computer, resembling an iMac prototype without the cool aesthetic, used in making Disney’s breakthrough in computer animation, Tron. The human side of animation is not ignored. An entire wall is occupied by a recreation of an early 20th-century animator’s work station, complete with a scratched and stained drafting table surrounded by India ink pots, paint canisters, pens, metal straight-edges—even a stopwatch and metronome essential for cuing animated images to a musical score. One imagines the artist-engineer seated on the beat-up chair, preparing to propel a set of pictures into motion.
Milwaukee Art Museum | 700 N. Art Museum Drive
In 2010, a devastating earthquake destroyed Port-au-Prince’s Musée Galerie d’Art Nader along with thousands of irreplaceable works. With one of the largest collections of Haitian art outside of Haiti, the Milwaukee Art Museum has emerged as a steward of Haitian culture. As part of a month-long exploration of Haiti’s arts and culture in the Kohl’s Art Generation Lab: Haitian Art, Jahmés Finlayson and Dumah Saafir will perform Haitian music at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10. The performance will be followed by an informative tour of MAM’s Haitian gallery. FRONT ROOM PHOTOGRAPHY
VISUALART|REVIEW
Jam Ak Jam
Jaime Hayon “Form Follows Function, and Then What?” Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Fourth Floor Raw Space | 273 E. Erie St.
Spanish artist-designer Jaime Hayon has been dazzling Milwaukeeans with his exhibition “Jaime Hayon: Technicolor” at the Milwaukee Art Museum (through March 25). On Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 6 p.m., Hayon will give a public presentation, enticingly titled “Form Follows Function, and Then What?” as part of MIAD’s Creativity Series. The following day, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m., Hayon will lead an Artist Gallery Talk at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
“Paris by the Books: A Reader’s Tour of the City of Light”
Charles Allis Art Museum | 1801 N. Prospect Ave.
(top) Storyboard page of Peter Pan (above) Mutoscope, ca.1920s – Early handpowered motion picture viewing device
Novelist and UW-Milwaukee English Professor Liam Callanan will conduct a reader’s tour of Paris via a series of Paris-themed books. It’s part of the Sarah’s Salon series hosted by the Friends of the Charles Allis. Admission is free including complimentary wine, but seating is limited. RSVP with Michael Keiley at 414-278-8295 ext. 5 or mkeiley@cavtmuseums.org. The event takes place on Thursday, Feb. 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. SHEPHERD EXPRESS
A&E::BOOKS BOOK |REVIEWS
Swearing is Good for You:
The Amusing Science of Bad Language (W.W. NORTON), BY EMMA BYRNE
Like the title says, swearing can be healthy, and the author doesn’t give a fuck if you disagree. British science writer Emma Byrne has written an entertaining exploration of what swearing teaches “about how our brains, our minds, and even our societies work.” The content of cussing has changed over time and cultures, but the meaning seems consistent: it’s a safety valve for individuals and a bonding glue within groups. Trained in neuroscience, Byrne sifted through scientific literature to summarize findings that derive in part from the propensity for swearing among the brain damaged. Aphasic patients often cannot recall simple words for everyday things, but retain their battery of “bad words.” It may be, she theorizes, that “swearing has deep connections in many parts of the brain, particularly to those that help us process emotions.” (David Luhrssen)
Aristocrats and Archaeologists:
An Edwardian Journey on the Nile (AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO PRESS), BY TOBY WILKINSON AND JULIAN PRATT The title gives the impression that it will be a full account of the aristocratic amateurs who often pioneered archaeology—as opposed to tomb raiding—in Egypt. Instead, the slender volume has a narrower focus: a set of letters written by a young physician traveling in Egypt with a British statesman in 1907-1908. Aristocrats and Archaeologists is compiled and introduced by British Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson and Julian Platt, a descendent of the letter writer, Ferdinand Platt. Those epistles reveal a man who was no mere tourist but a knowledgeable traveler with “a keen appreciation of ancient Egyptian art,” insights into the culture of early 20th-century Egypt and of his own countrymen. (David Luhrssen) SHEPHERD EXPRESS
BOOK |PREVIEW
Wisconsin Novelist Jane Hamilton Meets Gregory Blake Smith for Boswell Talk
Set in the gallery of the historic 1888 Keepers Quarters, the monthly lecture series features prominent historians, authors and scholars who discuss various topics related to Milwaukee’s rich historical past. SPONSORED BY
::BY JENNI HERRICK
W
isconsin best-selling author Jane Hamilton (A Map of the World, The Excellent Lombards) described the richly layered new novel The Maze at Windermere as a thrilling, laugh-out-loud literary work of fiction. Hamilton will join Gregory Blake Smith, the author of The Maze at Windermere, in conversation at Boswell Book Company at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, an event co-sponsored by the Milwaukee Carleton Club. The Maze at Windermere is an expansive epic set entirely in Newport, R.I., spanning more than three centuries of history. This extraordinary work of fiction transports readers from 21stcentury America back in time all the way to 1692, filling the pages with captivating characters whose storylines are all somehow tied to the legendary Windermere mansion. Smith writes with a detailed understanding of the complexities of human nature, no matter the time period. Moving from the lecherous story of a famous modern tennis player with gold-digging tendencies to a British soldier during the American Revolution, and from the mind of a young orphaned Quaker girl struggling to survive on her own in the 17th century to the creative genius of the famed writer Henry James, each character speaks with an eloquence that beautifully captures their historical place in time, showcasing familiar themes of love, fame and money that blend together contemporary and historical eras. Smith is the award-winning author of four novels, including The Divine Comedy of John Venner, a New York Times Notable Book. He currently serves as a professor of English at Carleton College.
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LECTURE CALENDAR BOB BUEGE
WED FEB 14
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SCHMITT WED MARCH 14 GAVIN THE MILWAUKEE MAFIA SELIGMAN WED APRIL 11 AMANDA ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MILWAUKEE THOMAS FEHRING
WED MAY 9
THE MAGNIFICENT MACHINES OF MILWAUKEE
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ARTISTIC AND ARCHITECTURAL MILWAUKEE
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TOM BAMBERGER
WED AUG 8
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BRENDA MAGEE
KEVIN ABING,
A CROWDED HOUR; MILWAUKEE AND THE GREAT WAR 1917
DARLENE WINTER & ELIZABETH FRANK
THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY ZOO
PAUL GEENEN
MILWAUKEE’S BRONZEVILLE
Museum opens at 6 pm for gallery tours and tower climbing. Lectures begin at 7pm. The North Point Lighthouse Museum is located at 2650 N. Wahl Avenue in Milwaukee’s historic Lake Park. General admission is $10. Admission for seniors and students with ID is $5 and members are free. For more information visit :
northpointlighthouse.org/lectures. Complimentary refreshments served. BEVERAGE SPONSOR
F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 33
::HEARMEOUT ASK RUTHIE | UPCOMING EVENTS | PAUL MASTERSON
Raise a Toast to Gal-entine’s Day Working every day to build a pro-fairness business community in Wisconsin
Join us for our Milwaukee Coffee Connection Thursday, February 8 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Tall Guy and a Grill 6735 W Lincoln Ave, West Allis All are welcome. No registration required. Learn more at www.WisLGBTChamber.com
the
GET SWEET DEALS DINING FITNESS ENTERTAINMENT ACCESSORIES CLOTHING ANIMAL CARE
L
overs! Who needs them? Listen up, ladies: If you don’t have a date this Valentine’s Day, don’t worry! Hit up your girlfriends for a night of fun instead. This weekend, you’ll find all sorts of female fun that promise to make this VD holiday your best yet. Grab some gal pals and take a sexy chair-dancing lesson or see a movie about one of America’s biggest on-screen sirens. Enjoy the Women Up! expo for the day or party the night away at a cocktail party for today’s busy lady. Regardless, there’s plenty of good times to be had this week in Cream City…with or without a partner. I’ll be back next week with some advice for the lovelorn, but until then Happy Gal-entine’s Day, ladies!
::RUTHIE’SSOCIALCALENDAR Feb. 7: Screening of ‘Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story’ at UW-Milwaukee Union Cinema (2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.): If you long for the class of 1940s Hollywood, you don’t want to miss this salute to one of the silver screen’s top glamour girls. The documentary shines the spotlight on Hedy Lamarr, her rise to stardom and her impressive contributions to the world of science and technology. The screening begins at 7 p.m. and includes a $5 ticket charge. Feb. 8: Coffee Connection at Tall Guy and a Grill Catering (6735 W. Lincoln Ave.): Wisconsin’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce hosts this free monthly networking event. Meet and mingle with likeminded business owners during the 8-9 a.m. mixer that starts your day on a rainbow-colored foot. Feb. 8: Mix & Mingle at Shamrock Bar & Grille (117 W. Main St., Madison): The team at OPEN (Out Professionals Engagement Network) hosts this 5 p.m. networking event at one of Capital Square’s most popular bars. For $10, you’ll enjoy a happy hour with free appetizers and all the elbow rubbing you can handle. Learn how you can make Wisconsin’s LGBTQ community the best it can be! Visit openmadison.org to learn more. Feb. 9: Valentine’s Day Chair Dancing Class at Pole Tific Fitness (5330 W. Burnham St.): Spice up your VD celebration by learning a sexy chair dance to entice your partner…or simply to impress yourself and have a good time! The lesson runs 6:30-8 p.m., costs $20, and includes chocolate and wine in addition to the dance class. Best of all, it’s a perfect lesson for beginners. Feb. 9: Ladies Night Out at Oak Creek Community Center (8580 S. Howell Ave.): Plan a date with your best girlfriends, and head over to this 7-10 p.m. night of ladies-only luxuries. From chocolate and wine to shopping and…well…more wine, it’s a free night of feminine festivity. Feb. 10: Woman Up! at State Fair Park Expo Center (8200 W. Greenfield Ave.): The fifth annual health and lifestyle expo for women is here! Dozens of vendors, presentations, speakers and more help women of all ages during the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. day of empowerment. The $10 door charge also includes access to the fashion show and food sampling. Check out the “Events” tab at shepherdexpress.com for details about this exciting day.
Feb. 10: Ladies Night at Mary’s Beercade (734 S. Fifth St.): Grab your girls and invade the Beercade corner bar at Hamburger Mary’s. Starting at 9 p.m. women can enjoy drink specials, great music and all the Ms. Pac-Man they can handle. Party like the guys…without the guys...during this girls night out. Feb. 11: Walker’s Pint vs Fluid Chili Cook-Off (818 S. Second St. and 819 S. Second St., respectively): Beat the chill with this cook-off that heats up the town each winter. Swing by either bar at noon, pay a $5 fee and dig into the chili samplings at both bars! Each bar announces winners at 3 p.m. with the Golden Ladle grand prize being awarded to just one cook when all is said and done. Yum, yum, give me some! Feb. 11: Milwaukee Masquerade Ball at Hamburger Mary’s (730 S. Fifth St.): Cream City’s burger haven transforms into the French Quarter with this decadent event. The 7-10 p.m. gala includes free appetizers, New Orleans special drinks and performances from some of the city’s top entertainers (including me!). Grab a mask and wear your Mardi Gras best and you could be crowned Queen (or King) of the ball. Swing by brownpapertickets.com (see “Milwaukee Masquerade Ball”) for the $20 tickets. Proceeds benefit Courage MKE. Feb. 13: Mask4Mask Mardi Gras at This Is It (418 E. Wells St.): Celebrate Fat Tuesday with the boys of This Is It. Wear a mask, and you’ll automatically be entered in the Best Mask Contest, as well as receiving discounts on Mardi Gras-themed drinks. Free beads, lots of laughs and friendly faces round out the 8 p.m. party. Feb. 14: Hearts Under Glass at The Milwaukee Domes (524 E. Layton Blvd.): Treat your Valentine to a memorable night when the Domes turn down the lights and turn up the romance. Your $10 admission gives you access to all three domes, each softly lit for “moonlight” strolls. The 6-9 p.m. event offers appetizers, desserts and cocktails for purchase as well as a light show and caricature artist. Want to share an event with Ruthie? Need her advice on a situation? Email DearRuthie@Shepex.com.
WWW.SHEPSTORE.COM 34 | F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
::MYLGBTQPoint of View BEST DENTIST BEST COSMETIC DENTIST
YOUR MILWAUKEE DENTAL PRACTICE
Dealing with Dahmer (Again) ::BY PAUL MASTERSON
O
nce again there’s been a bit of social media buzz about a so-called “Cannibal Tour” here in Cream City. It’s one of several run by a promoter whose tours focus on the grittier side of our local history. The 75-minute outdoor walk promises a gruesome experience following in the footsteps of Milwaukee’s notorious gay killer. But, beyond the promise of a trip through history, the organizers’ pitch is giddy with smart innuendo and glee in our American fascination with horrific gore. Jeffrey Dahmer’s terror lasted more than a decade from 1978-1991. When it finally ended, it was the height of the AIDS crisis and the story only added to the demonization of LGBTQs. It’s still a sore spot in this town of three degrees of separation. If you’re of a certain age, you probably frequented the same bars and clubs where the killer found his prey. Perhaps you know someone who knew one of them, or even personally knew a victim or Dahmer himself. An acquaintance of mine was his co-worker and recalls a discussion about the price of vats. I was once taken to Fuzzy’s, a South Side bar opened by one of the cops who were subsequently fired because they returned a young man who had managed to escape back to the killer. The bar has since moved out of the city. I’ve been through Dachau, AuschwitzBirkenau, the Anne Frank House and Plötzensee Prison (the Berlin site of executions of opponents of the Nazi regime). They all quietly convey a dignity and respect for the dead while, like mirrors, they confront visitors with their own human frailty that allows such atrocities in the first place. One cannot leave these sites without experiencing a profound, introspective disquiet, and contemplating the horrors we are capable of. Ideally, that impact translates to new perspectives and reflection. That, in turn, should dissuade us from even casual discrimination. The Cannibal Tour doesn’t even pretend to SHEPHERD EXPRESS
approach that level of commemorating those who perished. Given our daily intake of media mayhem, whether a TV series about fictional serial killers, real news of mass shootings, or wars waged ad nauseam, it should be of no surprise how readily we accept not only the exploitation grief and sorrow but also the inevitability of violence in our lives. Our immunity to moral affront turns such things into circus sideshows replete with carnie hucksters (or predators, as the case may be) beckoning us to take a look for a price. People may protest, but the show must go on. But, avoiding the causal issues only allows this sort of sensationalism to persist. The Dahmer prison interviews of a quarter century ago hint at the possible triggers of his murderous mental disorder, like dysfunctional, emotionally distant and homophobic parents. The recent film My Friend Dahmer attempted to explore those very issues. Yet only one Milwaukee cinema screened the film. Others, ostensibly in the name of family values, deferred. Perhaps we should finally have that discussion. Of course, we can’t end cheap thrill tours. But, it may help us address our community’s mental health and domestic violence issues.
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AND FOR EVEN MORE FUN VISIT RUTHIE AND CYNTHIA AT RUTHIE’SBITCHINKITCHEN.COM
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ONE CANNOT LEAVE THESE SITES WITHOUT EXPERIENCING A PROFOUND, INTROSPECTIVE DISQUIET, AND CONTEMPLATING THE HORRORS WE ARE CAPABLE OF. IDEALLY, THAT IMPACT TRANSLATES TO NEW PERSPECTIVES AND REFLECTION. THAT, IN TURN, SHOULD DISSUADE US FROM EVEN CASUAL DISCRIMINATION.
Register or find more information:
wiL GBT Qsu mm it.o rg
s Deepen your
understanding of LGBTQ issues in Wisconsin
SAVE THE DATE!
s Network with
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s Learn what others
are doing to advance health, safety, fairness, and inclusion
s Join effor ts
to ensure LGBTQ protections in Wisconsin
February 24th 2018 T H E W E S T I N M I LWA U K E E
sPOnsOrs:
BMO Harris Bank Northwestern Mutual Brewers Community Foundation, Inc.
Burbach & Stansbury S.C. Cream City Foundation Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Rockwell Automation
ASL interpreters sponsored by
Deaf Unity
Special performance with Lex Allen announcing new partnership with Diverse & Resilient
MeDIA sPOnsOrs: N OW M O R E T H A N E V E R .
F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 35
::MUSIC
For more MUSIC, log onto shepherdexpress.com
FEATURE | ALBUM REVIEWS | CONCERT REVIEWS | LOCAL MUSIC
Jens Lekman
friend just found out her boyfriend had been cheating on her for some time—into this magical, beautiful moment, and turn a sad memory into a happy memory. That’s always been part of my mission. [Pauses] I feel I’m writing a manifesto or something; I feel like I’m ending every sentence with “That’s part of my mission.”
and the Art of Joyful Sadness
Did you always strive for that balance between the sad and upbeat, or is that something you settled into over time? These days, I think about it a lot. I think in the old days, I didn’t think I had a clue what I was doing. I would often get very frustrated when people asked me about it, and people got frustrated with me because they felt like, “Are you sad, or are you happy? Are you serious or are you joking?” I constantly had to deal with that in the past. It’s taken me a long time to understand what it is I’m trying to do.
::BY EVAN RYTLEWSKI obody makes happier sad music than Jens Lekman, the Swedish singer-songwriter with a knack for documenting life’s foibles. Lekman’s breakout 2007 album, Night Falls Over Kortedala, set his wry lyrics to a confetti shower of jubilant pop accompaniments, and his latest album, 2017’s Life Will See You Now,, is even more musically audacious, animating his droll songs with disco beats, calypso breakdowns and EDM interruptions. Ahead of his performance at The Back Room at Colectivo, Lekman chatted with the Shepherd Express from his native Gothenburg, Sweden, about balancing humor and tenderness and coming to terms with Jens Lekman as a character. How do you tour behind an album like Life Will See You Now? I imagine there are a lot of directions you could take this music on stage. I’m actually touring solo, just me and my guitar and my sampler. So, I think I’m just going to rely on the songs and the stories. Right now, I’m sort of improvising when I’m playing the shows, because I have so many songs in my head that I can play. So, depending on the mood of the night, I change the set a lot, but it usually goes from quite minimal acoustic to full-on dance party. The tricky thing is making that transition between the two and having that feel natural. I feel like I’ve been working now for 15 years trying to perfect that. I think there’s a sense of magic in having people come in expecting a quiet acoustic evening, and then end up taking their clothes Jens Lekman off and dancing on the tables in the end. I think that’s always been my mission. Back Room
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You did a project in 2015 [“Ghostwriting”] where you wrote songs from stories you collected by interviewing volunteers. Did any of those songs make the album? Not really. I think a lot of the songs on the album came out of conversations I had with friends and people who are close to me, out of just listening to other people’s stories. But I don’t think there was anything that came straight out of that project. “Ghostwriting” for me was more like taking a vacation from the process of writing about yourself, which can be tiresome. I think I was very tired of Jens Lekman the character, and I just wanted to step into somebody else’s shoes for a while. It sounds like you’re writing outside of yourself quite a bit on this album, though. To a certain extent, yeah. A lot of the songs are about other people, and maybe my relationship to these other people, so there’s a lot of other people’s stories on the record. I write emotionally-autobiographically, where I only write about things that have happened to me, but I work much more with fiction these days. So a song like “Evening Prayer,” for example, that came out of my experience of having a lot of my friends being diagnosed with cancer and going through chemo, and my own feelings about that at the time, but it was also inspired by just this random article I read in the paper about a surgeon who used a 3D printer to print out models of the tumors he was going to remove, and I just turned that into a story, basically.
ELLIKA HENRIKSON
at Collectivo Friday, Feb. 9, 8 p.m.
You’ve always had that contrast on your albums, too, between really sad songs and really upbeat music. I think I write often about the darker and sadder aspects of life, but I always feel like I have a responsibility to not just drop that in the lap of the listener. I want to offer everyone some sort of light at the end of the tunnel or some sort of hope. And that’s why I often work with more upbeat and happier music. There’s a song on my last record called “Hotwire the Ferris Wheel,” where a friend of mine—and this is something that happened—looked at me, and she said: “If you’re ever going to write a song about this, please don’t make it a sad song.” And that song is about trying to turn a quite sad moment—my
I think listeners can get defensive when they don’t know whether an artist is joking. They don’t want to feel like they’re missing the joke. I feel like that goes for the opposite, too. I think a lot of times if you’re being very, very serious, people will throw up a guard, too. I’ve always felt like humor is a way to get past that shield, to go beyond that and plant a seed of seriousness within someone. I don’t ever start a conversation with a stranger by spilling out my guts on them. You use humor to communicate, to talk about these difficult things.
The production really throws out some surprises. There are quite a few sounds most listeners wouldn’t expect from a Jens Lekman album. There were points, like for example on “To Know Your Mission,” there’s this part in the very beginning of the song where it kicks into a first verse with this rising synthesizer—deh-deh-deh, deh-deh-deh—and that was me going, “What do people expect me to do at this point in the song?” and then doing the exact opposite of that. I think at the time there was an EDM festival going on outside my window, with really big EDM artists playing. I can’t remember his name; some Dutch DJ. And I just heard that song and thought, “That’s perfect! I’m going to put that in my song!” Jens Lekman plays the Back Room at Colectivo on Friday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. with opener Peter Oren. For an extended version of this interview, where Lekman discusses hating trombones and loving Jonathan Richman, visit shepherdexpress.com.
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
MUSIC::CONCERTREVIEW
MELISSA MILLER
MUSIC::LOCAL
El-Shareef is Done with Milwaukee ::BY EVAN RYTLEWSKI
W
GEORGE CLINTON KEPT THE MOMENTUM GOING AT PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC’S COSMIC PABST THEATER CONCERT ::BY BLAINE SCHULTZ
T
ime has a way of standing still at a George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic concert. Clinton once said that the first two hours of a show are for the hits, the next two hours for the hardcore fans and anything beyond that is where the real magic happens. Although his latest return to Milwaukee was not the four-plus hour marathon he directed in 1999 at the Eagles Club, it’s fair to cut the septuagenarian some slack. Friday night at the Pabst Theater, Clinton and his group turned an elegant house of opera into a palace of funk. At any given time, the stage was crowded with up to 16 performers, not to mention camera folks documenting the event. In the midst of it all Clinton sang, directed traffic, clowned and took it all in like the Orson Welles of funk. Segueing an opening jam into “Cosmic Slop,” the vocalists wailed with such feeling they would have been at home a few blocks away at the Turner Hall Ballroom’s Gospel Jubilee. The main floor was a dance party where African American elders bopped with bearded dudes in flannel shirts. This was no real surprise. Clinton has always had a way of transforming things. Six decades ago he formed a doo-wop group that splintered into two bands, a black rock group
that borrowed Deep Purple’s amplifiers and an R&B outfit that came from outer space. This was a night of solid momentum. “One Nation Under a Groove” introduced to the stage Sir Nose, a funk take on the de Bergerac character who climbed the speakers on the side of the stage and performed gymnastics while decked out in fur pants. Clinton rode the evening’s ebb and flow like a master surfer. The dancefloor intensity peaked with “Flash Light” and “Freak of the Week,” and then the stage cleared for Blackbyrd McKnight and “Maggot Brain.” The epic guitar instrumental, originally performed by the late Eddie Hazel, began slowly with McKnight building a minor key gothic temple, as the band fell in to a wild shredding climax. Generously sharing the spotlight with his fellow performers and balancing the set with classics as well as nods to hip-hop, Clinton’s arkestra offered it all. Giving up the funk and threatening to tear the roof off the joint, Clinton capped off the evening with a rollicking version of “Atomic Dog,” the tune that once again proved his relevance in the ’80s.
WESTON RICH
George Clinton
ith its sleek, modernist production, El-Shareef’s new EP, What If I Did This?, doesn’t sound like much else coming out of Milwaukee. There’s a reason for that: He didn’t record it with anybody from Milwaukee. Instead, the rapper looked outside the city to L.A., working with producer Krysshun, an industry producer who’s done tracks for guys like Chris Brown, Casey Veggies and Famous Dex. Too many Milwaukee rappers, he says, draw from the same pool of producers and collaborators, and as a result, their music bleeds together. “I don’t want the same sound on my record,” he says. “I don’t want to sound like I’m from the same region. That’s why I don’t fuck with nobody from Milwaukee anymore.” El-Shareef has been kicking around the Milwaukee rap scene for more than a half decade, buzzing at times and falling into the background at others. But now, he says, he’s over it. Not only is he done working with local producers, he’s done performing here. “You won’t even see me trying to do a local show,” he says. “If I get offered local shows, I say ‘nah.’” Increasingly, he says, he’s come to see Milwaukee as a dead end. “You make a little bit of money from the shows in Milwaukee, but what are we really doing?” he says. “We’re still going home. We’re still going to work tomorrow. I’m not with the fairytale bullshit. We’re not celebs. We’re normal.” El-Shareef says he’s focusing his efforts on the label he’s about to launch, Money Never Divides, and trying to crack markets outside of the city. He’s had some luck in Germany, where he’s found some fans and acquaintances. He also says he’s trying to transition away from SoundCloud, a platform where success is measured in streams and followers—metrics that can sound impressive but mean very little—and toward Spotify and Apple Music, platforms that actually pay. His goal, in short, is to be more realistic about his career. Rappers have a tendency to create false realities, convincing themselves that they have a bigger following than they actually do, and as El-Shareef sees it, Milwaukee fosters those delusions. That’s the tradeoff of living in a supportive city: If the city is too praiseful, artists can grow big heads and begin to believe they’re moving the needle—even when they aren’t. El-Shareef draws a distinction between supporters— which are abundant in Milwaukee—and actual fans, which are far more elusive. “My friends and family are going to support me regardless, so that’s a given,” he says. “But I don’t really care about supporters. It’s a natural thing for your family and friends to support you, which is all love, but at the same time, we’re trying to grow, trying to really do something. “I’m not going to lie and say I have a billion fans,” he continues. “Who knows how many fans I have? But I do know there’s some people that fuck with me and who inbox me and shit like that. I don’t have to lie about it. I’m one of those guys where, if I post some shit saying that I made a move, it’s because I really made that move.” El-Shareef’s What If I Did This? EP is streaming now.
El-Shareef SHEPHERD EXPRESS
F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 37
MUSIC::LISTINGS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8
Amelia’s, Jackson Dordel Jazz Quintet (4pm) Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Acoustic Guitar Night Cafe Carpe (Fort Atkinson), Dan Navarro Colectivo Coffee (On Prospect), Jeff Austin Band Company Brewing, Natty Nation’s Milwaukee Bob Marley B-day Bash w/Grateful Dub & DJ Avets County Clare Irish Inn & Pub, Acoustic Irish Folk w/Barry Dodd Gibraltar Mke, Alex Wilson Blues Guitar Jazz Estate, David Wake Latin Quintet Mason Street Grill, Mark Thierfelder Jazz Trio (5:30pm) Mezcalero Restaurant, Open Jam w/host Abracadabra Jam Band O’Donoghues Irish Pub (Elm Grove), The All-Star SUPERband (6pm) Pabst Theater, Milwaukee Ballet’s MXE: Milwaukee Mixed Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Mark Croft Rave / Eagles Club, Black Label Society w/Corrosion of Conformity & Red Fang (all-ages, 8pm) Rounding Third Bar and Grill, Comedy College Standup Showcase The Bay Restaurant, Eric Barbieri The Packing House Restaurant, Barbara Stephan & Peter Mac (6pm) Transfer Pizzeria Cafe, Eric Schoor Trio w/Manty Ellis Up & Under Pub, A No Vacancy Comedy Open Mic
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9
Alley Cat Lounge (Five O’Clock Steakhouse), Ali & Doug Duo American Legion Post #449 (Brookfield), Larry Lynne Band (6:30pm) American Legion of Okauchee #399, One Shot Wally Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Julie’s Piano Karaoke Anodyne Coffee (Walker’s Point), Swing Chevron Cactus Club, Agua De Rosas: Reggaeton Night w/DJ Tuga & La Chancha Cafe Carpe (Fort Atkinson), Doug Collins Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: Obscured Birds (8pm); DJ: era & The Nile (10pm) Club Garibaldi, Dodgeball Club w/Atheists and Airplanes Colectivo Coffee (On Prospect), Jens Lekman w/Peter Oren ComedySportz Milwaukee, ComedySportz Milwaukee! County Clare Irish Inn & Pub, Traditional Irish Ceilidh Session Frank’s Power Plant, Spank Out Cancer Charity Show: Glamour Junkies burlesque, Fiendish Phantoms, The Almas & Dr. Destruction Heart Blood Acoustic Hops & Leisure (Oconomowoc), The US Project Hot Water Wherehouse, Brew City Bombshells Presents: Taboo 2018 Iron Mike’s (Franklin), Jam Session w/Steve Nitros & Friends Jazz Estate, BakerzMillion Sextet (8pm), Late Night Session: Joe Niemann Quartet (11:30pm) Lakefront Brewery Beer Hall, Brewhaus Polka Kings (5:30pm) Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Matt Davies w/Dynamite/Open Arms EP release & Andrew Koenig Band Mason Street Grill, Phil Seed Trio (6pm) Milwaukee Ale House, Unity Miramar Theatre, Silent Party (all-ages, 9pm) Pabst Theater, Milwaukee Ballet’s MXE: Milwaukee Mixed Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Joe Wray Duo (9pm), In
::ALBUMS
the Fire Pit: Joe 2.0 (9pm) Rave / Eagles Club, Gerardo Ortiz w/Regulo Caro & Ulices Chaidez (all-ages, 9pm) Rock Country, Whiskey Throttle Route 20 Outhouse (Sturtevant), Brecken Miles Shank Hall, SpaceFace (A Tribute to David Bowie) Smith Bros. Coffee House (Port Washington), Open Mic Night Sugar Maple, Nate Wooley’s knknighgh The Bay Restaurant, Larry Moore Trio The Packing House Restaurant, Carmen Nickerson & The Carmen Sutra Trio (6:30pm) Turner Hall Ballroom, GuthrieUNCOVERED A unique interpretation of The Music of Woody Guthrie Up & Under Pub, Unscripted and Friends
Rock Country, The Boogie Men Route 20 Outhouse (Sturtevant), Stetsin & Lace Shank Hall, The Cash Box Kings Silver Spring House, Rick Holmes Saturdays St. Joseph Center, “My Funny Valentine” Concert The Cheel (Thiensville), Milwaukee Hot Club The Coffee House, Eighth Annual Community Sing! w/Mark Dvorak, Julie Thompson & Craig Siemsen The Packing House Restaurant, Joe Jordan & His Soul Trio (6:30pm) Trinity Three Irish Pubs, Superfly w/DJ Zovo Turner Hall Ballroom, Lotus w/Marvel Years Up & Under Pub, Hey Captain Knight Yardarm Bar and Grill (Racine), The B Side Band
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11
AJ’s Bar & Grill (Muskego), Almighty Vinyl American Legion Post #449 (Brookfield), The Ricochettes Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Piano Night Anodyne Coffee (Walker’s Point), Nineteen Thirteen Cactus Club, Brew City Bombshells Presents: Taboo 2018 Cafe Carpe (Fort Atkinson), The Bill Camplin Band Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: GoGo Slow (8pm); DJ: Dolls (10pm) Club Garibaldi, Tangled Lines w/Chris Haise Colectivo Coffee (On Prospect), Smoking Popes w/Mark Mallman ComedySportz Milwaukee, ComedySportz Milwaukee! Company Brewing, Supper Club Jazz: Dreamland, the Music of Thelonious Monk County Clare Irish Inn & Pub, 5 Card Studs Cue Club of Wisconsin (Waukesha), Road Crew Dugout 54, Derek Byrne & Paddygrass Elkhorn Saloon (Elkhorn), Carole & the DV8’s Five O’Clock Steakhouse, Kirk Tatnall Frank’s Power Plant, Metalhead Royal Rumble II w/Reflection of Flesh & Memories Wither Hattrix (Kenosha), Hattrix 1920’s Valentines Dance w/ Beach Glass, The Space Echoes & The Crombies Havana Lounge & Cigar, Andrew Gelles Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Vocals & Keys Hops & Leisure (Oconomowoc), Screamin’ Cucumbers Jazz Estate, Elaine Dame Trio (8pm), Late Night Session: Peplin / Davis Duo (11:30pm) Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, Honkytonkitis Landmark Lanes, Clear Pioneer/Skyline Sounds & Band of Dust Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Children’s Hospital Second Christmas presented by Midwest Original Music Festival w/many acts (2pm) Mason Street Grill, Jonathan Wade Trio (6pm) Matty’s Bar & Grille (New Berlin), Joe Kadlec Miramar Theatre, TRUTH w/Detox Unit, Aliens In Control & Elucidate (ages 17-plus, 9pm) Motor Bar & Restaurant, American Blues Music Series w/Perry Weber, EG McDaniel & Jimi Schutte (5:30pm) Pabst Theater, Milwaukee Ballet’s MXE: Milwaukee Mixed Panga Bar & Grill (Oconomowoc), One Shot Wally Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Kathy Fry—The Queen of Creole (9pm), In the Fire Pit: Up All Night (9pm) Rave / Eagles Club, Avatar w/The Brains & Hellzapoppin (all-ages, 7:30pm) Riverside Theater, Darci Lynne w/Pelican 212
Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Live Karaoke w/ Julie Brandenburg Cactus Club, Barwork 7 w/Azthmatix Tour and Friends Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: Doug Collins w/Mike Jarvis & Aaron Heffernan (8pm); DJ: Sheppy (10pm) Dopp’s Bar & Grill, CCMC Open Jam w/Whiskey Gun (2pm) Dugout 54, Dugout 54 Sunday Open Jam Hops & Leisure (Oconomowoc), Full Band Open Jam Iron Mike’s (Franklin), Jammin’ Jimmy Open Jam (3pm) Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, Sunday Funday w/The Mighty Deerlick, Size 5’s, The Grovelers & Lack of Reason (2pm) McAuliffe’s Pub (Racine), yOya w/Nick Ramsey & The Family Milaeger’s Great Lakes Market (Racine), Mambo Surfers (10am) Miramar Theatre, One Giant Leap Music Fest (all-ages, 4pm) Pabst Theater, Milwaukee Ballet’s MXE: Milwaukee Mixed Rave / Eagles Club, PnB Rock w/Lil Baby (all-ages, 8pm) Rounding Third Bar and Grill, The Dangerously Strong Comedy Open Mic Shaker’s Cigar Bar, Prof Pinkerton’s “Gin Mill Jubilee” (5pm) The Coffee House, Living Activism Series: Casa Kemnitz Jam for Casa Maria w/Brett Kemnitz & Coffee House Friends Turner Hall Ballroom, Enuff Z’nuff w/Sacred, Well Known Strangers and Dreamhouse: A Benefit for the St. Anthony Project Homeless Shelter
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Company Brewing, Abby Jeanne’s “Fire in February” w/Klassik (6:30pm) Jazz Estate, Mark Davis Trio Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Poet’s Monday w/host Timothy Kloss & featured reader Keith Gaustad (7:30-11pm) Mason Street Grill, Joel Burt Duo (5:30pm) McAuliffe’s Pub (Racine), Jim Yorgan Sextet Paulie’s Pub and Eatery, Open Jam w/Christopher John Route 20 Outhouse (Sturtevant), Nothing More w/The Contortionist & Big Story Turner Hall Ballroom, Rostam w/Joy Again Up & Under Pub, Open Mic w/Marshall McGhee and the Wanderers
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13
C Notes Upscale Sports Lounge, Another Night-Another Mic Open Mic w/host The Original Darryl Hill Frank’s Power Plant, Duck and Cover Comedy Open Mic Jazz Estate, Fat Tuesday w/Sweet Sheiks Mamie’s, Open Blues Jam w/Stokes Mason Street Grill, Jamie Breiwick Group (5:30pm) Miramar Theatre, Tuesday Open Mic w/host Sandy Weisto (sign-up 7:30pm) Silver Spring House, Rick Holmes Jam Tuesdays The Cheel (Thiensville), Fat Tuesday w/Ethan Keller (6:30pm) The Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, Jazz Jam Session The Seeboth in Walker’s Point, Mardi Gras MKE 2018 w/All-Star SUPERband & The Big Style Brass Band (6pm) The Suburban Bourbon (Muskego), Larry Lynne Solo (6pm) Transfer Pizzeria Cafe, Transfer House Band w/Donna Woodall Turner Hall Ballroom, STRFKR w/Reptaliens
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14
2/8 No 414 Live
because of SoundBites
2/15 Caley Conway 38 | F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8
Cactus Club, Lola Pistola Company Brewing, Voodoohoney Presents: A Very Emo Valentine’s Conway’s Smokin’ Bar & Grill, Open Jam w/Big Wisconsin Johnson Jazz Estate, Jerry Grillo Band Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, Hazytones Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Acoustic Open Stage w/feature Jakob Pickens (sign-up 8:30pm, start 9pm) Mason Street Grill, Jamie Breiwick Group (5:30pm) Nomad World Pub, 88.9 Presents “Locals Only” w/Alison Helf and Listening Party Paulie’s Field Trip, Humpday Jam w/Dave Wacker & Mitch Cooper Route 20 Outhouse (Sturtevant), Wednesday Night Acoustic (5:30pm) Tally’s Tap & Eatery (Waukesha), Tomm Lehnigk The Cheel (Thiensville), The Dan Lloyd Trio (6:30pm) The Packing House Restaurant, Carmen Nickerson & Kostia Efimov (6pm)
Various Artists Wax Wonders Vol. 20 (RAREGOSPEL.COM) From his home in Skokie, Ill., Jason Rosenberg is quietly preserving spiritual and musical history, even bits of Milwaukee’s, by amassing and compiling African American soul gospel obscurities onto CD-Rs. The latest release in his multiple series, Wax Wonders Vol. 20, features both sides of 13 singles spanning the mid1940s to the late ’60s. Whether purposefully or not, this 73-minute dose of bliss stresses male vocal groups singing with little or no instrumental accompaniment. Leave it to Milwaukeeans to take a bit of a different approach, though. The two contributions by Milwaukee’s Gospel Messengers, transferred from a 1969 45-inch freer of clicks and pops and static than some here, feature co-ed vocalizing, a spoken word break and backup from organ and piano. Their music is filled with conviction and intensity. As larger labels with bigger resources continue to mine the better-known troves of vintage soul gospel wealth for reissue, Rosenberg continues to go blessedly deep. May he also continue to find more from Milwaukee among the gems he unearths. —Jamie Lee Rake
Dusan Jevtovic Live at Home (MOONJUNE) Accomplished Serbian guitarist Dusan Jevtovic recorded Live at Home in his home town, Kragujevac, backed by a tight ensemble. Jevtovic is on the hard edge of fusion, drawing moments of fluid distortion amidst flurries of melody from his instrument. His staccato outbursts are set against the almost hypnotic backdrop of Vasil Hadzimanov’s keyboards. Hadzimanov also gets his moments in the spotlight, exploring the evanescent trails of the compositions with piercing tones. —Morton Shlabotnik SHEPHERD EXPRESS
::ONTHECOUCH
Something bugging you? Find out what the Shrink thinks
I Dread Valentine’s Day! Dear Shrink,
Valentine’s Day is coming, and I dread it. I also dread birthdays and anniversaries. I adore my wife, but on special occasions, she always seems to find some reason to be disappointed with how I commemorate the day. I want to make her happy, but I’m not the most romantic guy, and I usually feel like a loser in the “Good Husband” competition. Any tips for a hopeless non-romantic?
The Shrink Answers,
Let me guess: Every now and then, she comes home from work and waxes eloquent about the dozen roses her work buddy got from her boyfriend? Or how someone else’s sweetie had lunch delivered to her knowing she’d be up to her eyeballs in a big project that day? (And yes, you can take these as “helpful hubby hints”). Many guys feel the same way, but let’s see whether you’re being too hard on yourself or whether you seriously do need to step up. I’ll bet you’ve been together for a while, and the sweet little things one does while courting have fallen by the wayside as you’ve settled in to the ho-hum predictability of your relational journey. This is where the conscious effort at marital maintenance comes in. Marriages don’t run on autopilot. You have to shift into a more conscious gear in order to keep things enjoyable on the home front. And what this really means (please don’t kill the messenger!) is you actually have to do nice stuff way more often than just on special occasions. In fact, you might get a pass on the Hallmark Holidays if you elevate your game on other normal days of the year. Do you know—I mean really know—what your wife loves? Sure, she may envy the coworker with the roses on her desk, but is there another side of her that also thinks, “Those things are so overpriced; who really needs 12 of them?” Find out before you assume that you should take her hints literally. You are not a mind reader. Many women bristle at the suggestion that they need to actually communicate to their partner exactly what makes them feel loved. “He should know!” Sorry, ladies, he doesn’t always know. You have to tell him, and it goes both ways. Guys, you need to speak up, too (and it can’t be always just about sex). Think about it. You really love that she makes your favorite tacos whenever your friends come over to watch the game. That might actually be about more than just feeding you. She could probably do without the pork carnitas but knows you’re crazy about it. So pay closer attention to reading her signs of affection for you, and challenge yourself to pay closer attention to what makes her tick and what she likes. These annual “occasions” are putting you in SHEPHERD EXPRESS
your own special mental pressure cooker of expectations and potential disappointments. You describe yourself as a romance-challenged character, but by what standards are you self-judging? If you compare yourself to what you think it means to be romantic, you’ll come up short. The images of lusty, doe-eyed, blissful lovers in the media are just that: images. Remember, these people are actors; beautiful people posing for skilled photographers. But, you say, what about all of those You Tube videos of normal people doing romantic-looking things? OK, you could take a look at a few of those—not to imitate them, but to get some creative ideas. After all, the look on the face of the beloved who is surprised by the uber-romantic gesture of her mate is what those clips are really about. So before this Valentine’s Day rolls around, think it through a bit. Think of the times you see her face light up, or the times she gives you that sly, side-eyed smile—the one you know she gives to only one person in her world. Then make yourself a mental list (and it wouldn’t hurt to write it down and keep it) of the things you have done and can remember to do again to make her react that way.
INSTEAD OF GETTING HER AN OVERPRICED, MUSHY VALENTINE’S DAY CARD, MOVE DOWN TO THE “THANK YOU” CARD SECTION. GETTING CREATIVE AND EXPRESSING YOUR GRATITUDE FOR HER, THE WOMAN YOU ADORE, MIGHT MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE MORE OF A ROMANTIC THAN EITHER OF YOU EVER THOUGHT YOU COULD BE. Since you say you adore her, my guess is you know more than you give yourself credit for about how to make her feel special. That’s what she’s looking for—she wants to know she’s special. Go for the small, everyday things, not the grand gestures. Instead of getting her an overpriced, mushy Valentine’s Day card, move down to the “Thank You” card section. Getting creative and expressing your gratitude for her, the woman you adore, might make you feel like more of a romantic than either of you ever thought you could be. On the Couch is written by a licensed mental health professional. Her advice is not intended as a substitute for mental health care. Send your questions to onthecouch@shepex. com. Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n
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PUBLIC SALE Notice of Public Sale Mequon Storage - 6911 West Donges Bay Road, Mequon, WI. 53092. February 23rd at 9:30am. Bidding is on complete contents of unit. Owner - Christopher Eckhardt. Contents: Tires, Automotive, Furniture, Golf Clubs, Garden Tools, Totes. Owner - Ray Ladd Contents: Automotive, Tools, Ladders, Stereo, Chair, Bed Frame, Furniture, Train Table, Bike, Lawn Mower, Boxes Notice of Public Sale 5 Corners Storage - 7209 Sycamore Dr, Cedarburg, WI 53012. February 23rd at 8:30am. Bidding is on complete contents of unit. Owner - William Ballbach; Contents: Washer, Fridge, Table, Chair, Bed Frame, Mattress, Boxes, Snow Blower.
Disclaimer: The Shepherd Express makes no representations or warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, regarding any advertising. Due diligence is recommended before entering into any agreement with an advertiser. The Shepherd Express will not be held liable for any damages of any kind relating to any ad. Please check your ad the first day of publication and notify us of any changes. We are not responsible for errors in advertising after the first day. We reserve the right to edit, reject or reclassify advertisements in our sole discretion, without notice. We do not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate or intend to discriminate on any illegal basis, or are otherwise illegal. NO REFUNDS for cancellation after deadline, no copy changes except to price or telephone number.
F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 39
LOVER’S LEXICON By James Barrick
THEME CROSSWORD
PSYCHO SUDOKU! “Kaidoku”
Each of the 26 letters of the alphabet is represented in this grid by a number between 1 and 26. Using letter frequency, word-pattern recognition, and the numbers as your guides, fill in the grid with well-known English words (HINT: since a Q is always followed by a U, try hunting down the Q first). Only lowercase, unhyphenated words are allowed in kaidoku, so you won’t see anything like STOCKHOLM or LONG-LOST in here (but you might see AFGHAN, since it has an uncapitalized meaning, too). Now stop wasting my precious time and SOLVE! psychosudoku@gmail.com 4 22
3 18
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ACROSS 1. Candy 5. Onetime capital of the Mogul empire 9. Part of REM 14. Blew a fuse 19. Reputation 20. Man in Sault Ste. Marie 21. Humble 22. Cinque Terre location 23. Lover of reds and whites 25. Lover of first editions 27. Synthetic rubber 28. Poplar 29. Grounded 30. Whetstone 31. Dispatch boat 32. Guff 33. Fasten 36. French sculptor 38. Dissenting group 39. Recipe meas. 42. “Price Is Right” host Drew -43. Lover of high-end sound 46. Start for tourism 47. Levin and Gershwin 48. Darn it! 50. Line 51. Old English poet 52. Lair 53. Comforters 55. A beginning, as of an idea 56. Lake out west 57. Simple hand tool 59. Midway alternative 61. Shuttle 62. Peripheral 63. Dig site 64. Greater Antilles indigenous tribe 65. Jag 66. Wished
67. Old Persian rulers 69. Hungarian composer 70. Scratch and sketch 71. Wailed 73. Cut down 75. Seed cover 76. Trig functions 78. Turns to the right 79. Hindu god 80. -- desperandum 81. Lover of old 78s 83. Troubled 84. Dir. letters 85. Swearword 86. Like a duffer 88. Perfect places 89. -- prima 90. Playhouse area 92. Stood 94. Good-luck charm 97. -- Hawkins Day 98. Pressure-maintenance device 102. Lover of furry friends 104. Lover of film noir 105. Jalopy 106. Yields 107. Peruvian highlander 108. -- Khayyam 109. Senator Kefauver 110. Fend off 111. Act 112. Dam DOWN 1. Daydream 2. -- recue 3. Something off-limits: Hyph. 4. Loving cups 5. Whey-faced 6. Dive 7. Govern 8. Brewed beverage 9. Relating to religious teachers 10. Firs
11. Neruda or Escobar 12. Key 13. Opus -14. Clever reply 15. Mountain in northeastern Greece 16. Carriage 17. She, in Chartres 18. Stained 24. Surrogate of a kind 26. Prophecy 28. Ardent 31. Dried out by heat 32. Temblor 33. Harsh 34. Gets along 35. Lover of all things Gallic 37. Western 38. Use with a friend 39. Lover of new gadgetry 40. Get going! 41. Religious title 44. Cotton cloth 45. Dukes, earls, etc. 48. Indian money 49. State 51. Sudatorium 53. Office gadget 54. Tropical fruit 56. Fractional part 58. Arcadian 60. Make haste
61. Fills 63. Early mass medium 64. “The Winter’s --” 65. Finch 66. Playground game 67. Windmill sail 68. -- Hills of Rome 69. Roadway 70. Boiled food 72. Eyes 74. Soft masses 76. Theater district 77. Most glossy 79. Carnival entertainment 81. King’s Claiborne 82. “Picnic” playwright 83. Noted storyteller 87. Zombielike state 89. Sharp 90. Forgo 91. Lazybones 93. Mountain nymph 94. A spice 95. Ventilates 96. Chair-back part 97. Inmate’s weapon 98. Climbing plant 99. Duration 100. Jai -101. Region: Abbr. 103. Sports org. 104. Spanish hero El --
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2/1 Solution
WORD FIND This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction but always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have completed the puzzle, there will be 37 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.
The Timbergetters Solution: 37 Letters
© 2018 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate Inc.
© 2018 United Feature Syndicate, Dist. by Andrews McMeel Syndication
8
25 4
22
2
Solution to last week’s puzzle
Ash Axe Batten Beam Beech Box Branch Bush Cedar Danger Deciduous Dozers Eucalypt
Fire Flora Gully Gum Hard Jobs Kerf Limb Logs Mitre Mortise Motor Nature
Number Oak Plywood Regeneration Replanting Resource Sawmill Snake Soft Sustainable Trim Trucks
40 | F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8
2/1 Solution: Making our communities safer SHEPHERD EXPRESS
Solution: Timber is a sustainable renewable resource
Creators Syndicate
737 3rd Street • Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-337-7003 • info@creators.com
Date: 2/8/18
::FREEWILLASTROLOGY ::BY ROB BREZSNY AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Charles Nelson Reilly was a famous American actor, director and drama teacher. He appeared in or directed numerous films, plays and TV shows. But in the 1970s, when he was in his 40s, he also spent quality time impersonating a banana in a series of commercials for Bic Banana Ink Crayons. So apparently he wasn’t overly attached to his dignity. Pride didn’t interfere with his ability to experiment. In his pursuit of creative expression, he valued the arts of playing and having fun. I encourage you to be inspired by his example during the coming weeks, Aquarius. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): According to ancient Greek writer Herodotus, Persians didn’t hesitate to deliberate about important matters while drunk. However, they wouldn’t finalize any intoxicated decision until they had a chance to re-evaluate it while sober. The reverse was also true. Choices they made while sober had to be reassessed while they were under the influence of alcohol. I bring this to your attention not because I think you should adhere to similar guidelines in the coming weeks. I would never give you an oracle that required you to be buzzed. But I do think you’ll be wise to consider key decisions from not just a coolly rational mindset, but also from a frisky intuitive perspective. To arrive at a wise verdict, you need both. ARIES (March 21-April 19): British athlete Liam Collins is an accomplished hurdler. In 2017, he won two medals at the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in South Korea. Collins is also a stuntman and street performer who does shows in which he hurtles over barriers made of chainsaws and leaps blindfolded through flaming hoops. For the foreseeable future, you may have a dual capacity with some resemblances to his. You could reach a high point in expressing your skills in your chosen field, and also branch out into extraordinary or flamboyant variations on your specialty. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When he was 32, the man who would later be known as Dr. Seuss wrote his first kid’s book, And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. His efforts to find a readership went badly at first. Twenty-seven publishers rejected his manuscript. On the verge of abandoning his quest, he ran into an old college classmate on the street. The friend, who had recently begun working at Vanguard Press, expressed interest in the book. Voila! Mulberry Street got published. Dr. Seuss later said that if, on that lucky day, he had been strolling on the other side of the street, his career as an author of children’s books might never have happened. I’m telling you this tale, Taurus, because I suspect your chances at experiencing a comparable stroke of luck in the coming weeks will be extra high. Be alert! GEMINI (May 21-June 20): A survey of British Christians found that most are loyal to just six of the Ten Commandments. While they still think it’s bad to, say, steal and kill and lie, they don’t regard it as a sin to revere idols, work on the Sabbath, worship other gods or use the Lord’s name in a curse. In accordance with the astrological omens, I encourage you to be inspired by their rebellion. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to re-evaluate your old traditions and belief systems, and then discard anything that no longer suits the new person you’ve become. CANCER (June 21-July 22): While serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Don Karkos lost the sight in his right eye after being hit by shrapnel. Sixty-four years later, he regained his vision when he got butted in the head by a horse he was grooming. Based on the upcoming astrological omens, I’m wondering if you’ll soon experience a metaphorically comparable restoration. My analysis suggests that you’ll undergo a healing in which something you lost will return or be returned. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The candy cap mushroom, whose scientific name is Lactarius rubidus, is a burnt orange color. It’s small to medium sized and has a convex cap. But there its resemblance to other mushrooms ends. When dried out, it tastes and smells like maple syrup. You can grind it into a powder and use it to sweeten cakes and cookies and custards. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, this unusual member of the fungus family can serve as an apt metaphor for you right
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
now. You, too, have access to a resource or influence that is deceptive, but in a good way: offering a charm and good flavor different from what its outer appearance might indicate. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A grandfather from New Jersey decided to check the pockets of an old shirt he didn’t wear very often. There Jimmie Smith found a lottery ticket he had stashed away months previously. When he realized it had a winning number, he cashed it in for $24.1 million—just two days before it was set to expire. I suspect there may be a comparable development in your near future, although the reward would be more modest. Is there any potential valuable that you have forgotten about or neglected? It’s not too late to claim it. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The U.S. Geological Survey recently announced that it had come up with improved maps of the planet’s agricultural regions. Better satellite imagery helped, as did more thorough analysis of the imagery. The new data show that the Earth is covered with 250-350 million more hectares of croplands than had previously been thought. That’s 15-20% higher than earlier assessments! In the coming months, Libra, I’m predicting a comparable expansion in your awareness of how many resources you have available. I bet you will also discover that you’re more fertile than you have imagined. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1939, Scorpio comic book writer Bob Kane co-created the fictional science-fiction superhero Batman. The “Caped Crusader” eventually went on to become an icon, appearing in blockbuster movies as well as TV shows and comic books. Kane said one of his inspirations for Batman was a flying machine envisioned by Leonard da Vinci in the early 16th century. The Italian artist and inventor drew an image of a winged glider that he proposed to build for a human being to wear. I bring this up, Scorpio, because I think you’re in a phase when you, like Kane, can draw inspiration from the past. Go scavenging through history for good ideas! SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I was watching a four-player poker game on TV. The folksy commentator said that the assortment of cards belonging to the player named Mike was “like Anna Kournikova,” because “it looks great but it never wins.” He was referring to the fact that during her career as a professional tennis player, Anna Kournikova was feted for her physical beauty but never actually won a singles title. This remark happens to be a useful admonishment for you Sagittarians in the coming weeks. You should avoid relying on anything that looks good but never wins. Put your trust in influences that are a bit homely or unassuming but far more apt to contribute to your success. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A Chinese man named Wang Kaiyu bought two blackfurred puppies from a stranger and took them home to his farm. As the months passed by, Wang noticed that his pets seemed unusually hungry and aggressive. They would sometimes eat his chickens. When they were 2 years old, he finally figured out that they weren’t dogs, but rather Asian black bears. He turned them over to a local animal rescue center. I bring this to your attention, Capricorn, because I suspect it may have a resemblance to your experience. A case of mistaken identity? A surprise revealed in the course of a ripening process? A misunderstanding about what you’re taking care of? Now is a good time to make adjustments and corrections. Homework: Describe how you plan to shake off some of your tame and overly civilized behavior. Testify at freewillastrology.com.
Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes and Daily Text Message Horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.
::NEWS OF THE WEIRD ::BY THE EDITORS OF ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION
Something to Sing About
T
he Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Switzerland has a new course of study for scholars to pursue: a bachelor’s or master’s in yodeling. Beginning in the 2018-19 academic year, students will be able to major in the traditional form of singing, which was used by Swiss herdsmen to communicate with each other in the mountains. The BBC reported that prize-winning yodeler Nadja Räss will lead the courses, which will also include musical theory and history. “We have long dreamed of offering yodeling at the university,” gushed Michael Kaufmann, head of the school’s music department.
The Continuing Crisis Birds nesting near natural gas compressors have been found to suffer symptoms similar to PTSD in humans, according to researchers at the Florida Museum of Natural History, and noise pollution has been named the culprit. The Washington Post reported the team studied birds in the Rattlesnake Canyon Habitat Management Area in New Mexico, which is uninhabited by humans but does contain natural gas wells and compression stations that constantly emit a low-frequency hum. The steady noise was linked to abnormal levels of stress hormones, and the usually hardy western bluebirds in the area were found to be smaller and displayed bedraggled feathers. “The body is just starting to break down,” explained stress physiologist Christopher Lowry.
Toilet Ghost Homeowners in Noosa, Queensland, Australia, were perplexed about why their toilet kept randomly flushing, so on Jan. 28, they looked into the flush mechanism embedded in the wall behind the toilet. Then they summoned Luke Huntley, a local snake catcher. Huntley found a 13-foot brown tree snake in the niche, according to the Daily Mail, resting on the flush mechanism. “Hopefully, he’s going to be able to come straight out,” Huntley said on a video of the capture, “but he’s a little grumpy.”
Government in Action Saugatuck, Mich., attorney Michael Had-
dock’s dog, Ryder, probably gave the mail carrier a day off after receiving an unexpected letter on Jan. 27 from the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. According to WZZM TV, Haddock opened the envelope addressed to Ryder and found a letter saying that Ryder is eligible for $360 per week in unemployment benefits. “I knew he was clever,” Haddock said of Ryder, “but he surprised me this time.” The UIA admitted that its computer did send the notice to Ryder, but it was later flagged as suspicious, and the German shepherd won’t receive any benefits after all.
Smooth Reaction A Missouri State University freshman identified only as Hayden may have set the perfect stage for a romantic story he’ll tell into old age. In January, as he trolled Tinder, he spotted Claudia, also a student at MSU in Springfield. But, as the Springfield News-Leader reported, Hayden accidentally swiped left, rejecting her, so he decided on a bold move to find her. On Jan. 20, he searched the MSU website for every person named Claudia and emailed them all, asking “the” Claudia to email him back. He offered a doughnut date for “the one that got away.” Claudia Alley, a freshman from Jefferson City, got Hayden’s email and knew she was his target because he referenced a joke she made in her Tinder bio. Alley emailed Hayden, and the two planned to get doughnuts—and perhaps make history— later that week.
Awesome! Rookie metal detectors Andy Sampson and Paul Adams were out looking for treasure along the Suffolk/Essex border in England when they came across more than 50 gold coins and pottery. Sampson said Adams started “shouting and jumping around and dancing.” As for himself, Sampson immediately started figuring out how he would spend the money, which the pair thought might amount to 250,000 pounds or more. Alas, when Sampson showed the coins to his neighbor, he said, “They’re not real—there’s something wrong with them.” Sure enough, when the treasure hunters made inquiries, they found that the coins and pottery were props for a BBC TV show, “Detectorists.” Sampson and Adams told the BBC on Jan. 31 that they have “got over” their huge disappointment and will continue to metal detect. COPYRIGHT 2018 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION
F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 41
THEBACK::ARTFORART’SSAKE
Misty Water-colored Memo Rye ::BY ART KUMBALEK
I
’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, I can’t believe it’s already February and that as a topdrawer soothsaying prognosticator, I have yet to make nary a single prediction for this still sort-of-new year, what the fock. So here goes: Off the top of my head I’ll say that the Philadelphia Eagles will claim victory in the Super Bowl. Also, since some people’s president has declared that GuantĂĄnamo Bay will remain open for business, I predict that by the end of the year that he and his fellow Republican travelers—from Paul focking Ryan to Mitch “Yertleâ€? McConnell and right on down the line—will be taking up residence there, by law, for pissing on the Constitution; obstructing justice every which way; colluding with, and handing over this country to, the Russian Commies; and just plain old violating general principles. “Gitmoâ€? becomes “GOP-mo,â€? you betcha. And oh yeah, this Memo. You got to be jerking my beefaroni. Memo? Hey, I got your Memo right here. Actually I’ve got my Memo for you right here. And it goes something like this:
Dear Memo,
It has come to my attention that I need to make mention about this big brouhaha about all the government spying and snooping going on. I don’t know if the snooping has gone a little overboard, but I do know I made a phone call to my buddy Ernie last week to let him know I wasn’t feeling well. And the very next day in the mail I got an official looking envelope postmarked Washington, D.C. Inside was a get well card—no signature (Ernie thinks they used disappearing ink)—wishing me a speedy recovery, so what the fock, ain’a? OK, hold on. It’s the phone. Could be the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes knobshines calling, finally. Be right back‌ Nope. It’s my pal Little Jimmy Iodine. Hold on a second‌
“Hey Artie, got a minute?� “No can do, Jimmy. I’m smack-dab in the middle of the fifteen minutes I set aside each week to whip out my essay. I got to go.� “You should put something in your little article this week about that Super Bowl halftime show. Jesus H. Christ, can’t anybody write a song I can hum the next day anymore? And what’s with this parading around on stage like you’re having some kind of stroke or philatelic seizure. That’s entertainment? I got two words for you, Artie. Carol Channing.� “Carol Channing. Is she still alive?� “She’s 97, Artie—not that much older than those Rolling Stones when they did the Super Bowl the other year. She’s got the experience. She did Super Bowls IV and VI. And Hello Dolly, for crying out loud. Now there’s a tune you can hum anywhere you go, ain’a? OK Artie. Later.� All right, then. Back to my Memo: So the government wants to know how I’m feeling? Hey, with my fingers. Ba-ding! God forbid I should lose my sense of touch, say, in an unfortunate document-shredding accident due to an overzealous effort so’s to protect my identity ’cause I’ll tell you, if you don’t have your identity, you got yourself a situation but good. Yes sir, you get your identity stolen by some douchebag, and it’s like all of a sudden you’ve got an evil twin out there somewheres in the world having a grand old time on your dime, what the fock. And natch’, I got to wonder who in their right mind would want to steal my identity ’cause if they did, they’d soon find it to be way more trouble than it’s worth. What, you want to be me? Jeez louise. OK, be my guest, but let me warn you this: Do not expect to be shown to the best stool when you visit your local George Webb’s, and you can definitely forget about door-todoor service from your Milwaukee County Transit System when you got to
hop onboard so’s you can get to the hospital on account of sudden yet dire physical circumstances that will lead to emergency hemorrhoid surgery, and don’t expect V.I.P. treatment from the bankruptcy court you will appear before ’cause no way in hell do you have an extra $50-grand laying around to pay for said emergency surgery because you can’t afford any kind of health insurance now, because our asshole United States Republicans who are supposed to represent our people from sea-to-shining-sea don’t believe their purple-mountain-majestied people deserve a little reasonable acrossthe-board protection when it comes to the kind of puking-dying sickness that will land a guy or gal flat-on-their-ass out on the street. And finally Dear Memo, since it’s damn near Valentine’s Day (which to me means only one thing: Presidents’ Day is right around the corner), tradition dictates that I remind the people of what the famous Greek philosopher Anonymous once said: “The ideal relationship can only be achieved when one partner is blind and the other is deaf,� ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.
6X POLE CHAMPION
AJA MARIE LIVE!
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