Plus: Why Does Milwaukee Have So Many Business Improvement Districts? … page 4
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FEATURES | POLLS | TAKING LIBERTIES | ISSUE OF THE WEEK
Why Does Milwaukee Have So Many Business Improvement Districts?
THE CITY HAS EMBRACED BIDS, BUT NEW LEGISLATION LIMITS THEIR FUNDING ::BY ROB HULLUM n January, the Milwaukee Public Market announced that 2017 was another recordbreaking year. Total vendor sales increased by 5% to $16,533,534. Customer visits increased 6% to 1,634,534. The market, which is owned and operated by the Historic Third Ward Business Improvement District (BID)—the oldest active BID in the city—stands out as one of the crowning achievements of such entities in Milwaukee, generating revenue and drawing visitors to the district. When Wisconsin first passed legislation enabling the creation of BIDs in 1984, the concept almost immediately took off. Since then, Wisconsin—and especially the City of Milwaukee, which has 32 active BIDs and eight of the similar Neighborhood Improvement Districts—has become a sort of poster child for BIDs in the U.S. According to data compiled by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, Wisconsin ranks third in the number of BIDs (behind only California and New York); Milwaukee is currently tied for third (with Los Angeles) for the sheer number of city-based BIDs—behind New York City and Chicago. But, per capita, Milwaukee is the clear BID capital of the nation with 6.5 BIDs for every 100,000 people (the next closest city is Minneapolis with 3.2).
What Exactly Does a BID Do?
While Milwaukee has more BIDs per capita than any other city in the nation, there remains confusion about what exactly a BID does, even though most people are likely affected by their services on a daily basis. “Business improvement districts are organizations that allow neighborhoods to basically assess (tax) themselves in order to provide services and activities in their neighborhood above and beyond what the city delivers,” said Ken Little, who manages Milwaukee’s Department of City Development Commercial Corridor Team, which oversees all BIDs. “Typically what they do is help market their neighborhood, help provide additional security services beyond what police might do—including security cameras—and help with beautification of the neighborhood.” The state law for BIDs is relatively vague and open for interpretation. BID directors and their boards have used this to their advantage to provide programs and initiatives tailor-made for their stakeholders. “Look at the state law, and you can do this today; it doesn’t tell you what you can and can’t do with a BID,” said Jim Plaisted, executive director of the Historic Third Ward Association and former executive director of the East Side, Shorewood and Wauwatosa BIDs. “All it tells you is how you are structured, how you interact with the municipality, and that’s it. So, for any sized business district that can get the buy in, they can take care of whatever they want to take care of.” BIDs have taken up initiatives as small-scale as graffiti removal, sidewalk cleaning and trash pickup,
4 | MARCH 8, 2018
all the way up to large-scale event planning, creating streetscapes and helping attract outside investment. “All business improvement districts are not created equal,” Little said. “Some do more than others, but at the end of the day, it’s all about improving their neighborhood and coming up with things from the property owners in the neighborhood that will make things better.” As business owners hone in on their day-to-day operations, it can prove difficult to worry about the overall viability of the neighborhood they are doing business in. “[BIDs] have really allowed the business owners to work with one another, learn what’s happening and successful, voice support for some ideas and voice concern if they’re not happy with a program or an issue,” said Carolyn Esswein, a professor of urban planning at UWMilwaukee and director of Community Design Solutions. “It’s allowed them to work together as a group.” While BIDs have been embraced across North America—with more than 1,500 across the continent according to the International Downtown Association—certain factors specific to Milwaukee have made it easier for BIDs to thrive here.
Why Does Milwaukee Have So Many?
Civic pride and a local-first ethos are as visible as ever in Milwaukee these days, and they run deeper than the city level. Neighborhood pride also seems to be at an all-time high. While this may seem like a new phenomenon, BIDs have embraced the neighborhood-first ideal since their inception, which has combined with Milwaukee’s blue-collar roots and municipal funding
Downtown Milwaukee Ambassador
limits to drive the amount of BIDs in the city. “I think Milwaukee is a city of neighborhoods when it all comes down to it,” said Damon Dorsey, executive director of the North Avenue Gateway BID. “These neighborhoods were created from the industrial past, and you had commercial corridors that sprouted up to serve these neighborhoods.” This industrial past also produced a do-it-yourself culture that lends itself well to not just local, but neighborhood, control of resources, according to Beth Weirick, executive director of the Downtown Milwaukee BID. “Milwaukeeans are involved people just by our nature,” she said. “We’re people who burrow down and get involved and take ownership. We take responsibility for our communities, and if we see a problem we find solutions. I think it’s one of the things that I love most about our community culture.” And with shrinking city budgets, BIDs are one way for property owners to take their neighborhoods into their own hands. “This is no criticism to any city government, but let’s face it, their funds are drying up,” said Plaisted. “So, when you go to the city as a community and say, ‘We want X,’ they have to say— depending on the size and scope of the project—‘We can’t afford that right now.’ BIDs are stepping into that vacuum. The city can only provide so much service. If a commercial district really wants a clean, safe, beautiful district, the city can’t do it anymore.” But changes in the state budget will make it harder for BIDs to provide these services as well. BIDs continued on page 6 >
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Also coming to our facilities: Midwest Foodservice Expo (Wisconsin Center)..........................................Mar. 12-14 KelbyOne Events LLC presents Lightroom On Tour with Scott Kelby (Wisconsin Center) ............................March 28 StarCity Games Milwaukeee Open (Wisconsin Center)....................................Apr. 7-8
2018 Wisconsin Right To Life Dinner (Wisconsin Center) ..............................April 13 2018 International Cheese Technology Exposition (Wisconsin Center) .....April 17-19 AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin 2018 Gala (Wisconsin Center) ................April 28 Groove Dance Competition Milwaukee Regional (Miller High Life Theatre) .........Apr. 27-29
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MARCH 8 , 2 0 18 | 5
NEWS&VIEWS::FEATURES
Milwaukeeans Connect to Talk About Education and Race
Findings from a report on a citywide conversation ::BY MARY SUSSMAN
W
ith poverty rates among the highest in the nation, low educational achievement scores and high incarceration rates for African Americans, Milwaukee has more than its share of problems. Though those problems might seem daunting, they did not stop thousands of Milwaukeeans last fall from sitting down to eat a meal with strangers to discuss local and regional problems and ways to fix them. More than 5,400 people gathered at 200 locations throughout the four-county region. The attendees at On the Table came from 73 zip codes; 58% of the participants were white, 23% were African American and 13% were Latino—according to Voices from the Tables, a community report summarizing the event issued recently by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. The participants discussed more than 150 topics including food security, financial literacy, immigration, criminal justice reform, workforce development, parks and public spaces, poverty, affordable housing, violence prevention, homelessness, policing practices and equity and inclusion. The report defined three resounding themes from these discussions: connecting and collaborating; education; and race, equity and inclusion, and some 81% of the tables had conversations where race and equity topics were discussed; 96% of the participants said that they were more motivated to work with others after the event. Milwaukee’s On the Table event was modeled on similar events that have taken place in Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. Katina Fuller-Scott, senior director of strategy, measurement and analysis at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, attended the event, which took place in Milwaukee’s Downtown City Hall. “The biggest thing we walked away with was that we have a wealth of resources in the city,” Fuller-Scott says. “Milwaukee is a great place. I felt very encouraged that I can celebrate the fact that there is good work going on in the city, that people were courageous enough to come to the table, and that there is more that we’re united in than that we are divided in. We are change agents wherever we are.”
Safe Space for Conversation “I really believe that, when you start having conversations about what’s going on—putting things literally on the table and addressing those issues—is when we see change in the City of Milwaukee,” Fuller-Scott added. “I love the idea of bringing a diverse group of people together, people who wouldn’t necessarily interact and creating safe spaces for them to voice their concerns.” Aurora Health Care hosted nine tables at the Heil Center near the Aurora St. Luke Medical Center. Aurora invited stakeholders from the community to attend and ended up with 100 community members and 20 Aurora employees at its tables. Vivian King, vice president of community relations at Aurora Health Care, says employment was a focal point for many of the On the Table discussions at Aurora’s tables. “People really wanted to have a job to go to and support their families, and then some of the other issues like access to healthcare and affordable housing” would fall into place. “It all really begins with people getting jobs. We fell back on that.” On the Table sparked new initiatives, and the conversations started at the event have continued in many places. After the event, Aurora developed a program that exposes potential talent to job opportunities in Aurora’s labs. “That was kicked off directly from On the Table,” King says. Also following the event, King says, “One of our biggest initiatives was to create a toolkit for our local leaders throughout our system to host these kinds of community-style discussions throughout our footprint.” The Aurora network extends north to Marinette, Wis., and south 6 | MARCH 8, 2018
2017’s ‘On the Table’ Event at City Hall
> BIDs continued from page 4
Law Changes Limit BID Funding Tucked into the most recent state budget was a provision that, for some BIDs, severely cuts back on their funding sources. Until recently, mixed-use developments were fully assessed as commercial property by BIDs. Residential developers, likely looking out for their bottom lines, decided to take action. “Some of our residential developers approached the state, and instead of having a public hearing process around it, they hired a lobbyist to lobby to change the BID legislation,” said Weirick. As a result of this lobbying effort, Sen. Alberta Darling and Rep. John Nygren offered Budget Motion 418. Point eight of the motion reads, “if a first class city (Milwaukee) specially assesses a mixed-use property located in a business improvement district (BID), that is real property and is partly tax-exempt or residential, or both, the special assessment may be imposed only on the percentage of the real property that is not tax-exempt or residential.” According to Weirick, some commercial property owners who do pay BID assessments have argued that developers are marketing their rental properties by talking about work that the BIDs are doing in regards to events, safety and cleanliness, but are refusing to help pay for it. “Those residential developers benefit significantly from the investment our commercial property owners are making in those neighborhoods,” she added. While this just recently became law, the fight is not new. “This is three years old,” said Plaisted. “Several Downtown property development companies petitioned [Wisconsin State Sen.] Duey Stroebel to introduce legislation similar to what got passed.” Plaisted said that the BID community was successful in stopping the legislation three years ago because it was going to go statewide. He believes that part of the reason that the law change passed this time was because it only applies to Milwaukee.
An Underhanded Undermining of BIDs? into northern Illinois. “Because this worked for greater Milwaukee, we think it will work for the other communities and markets in our system as well,” she says.
The Dialogue Continues Marcus White, vice president of civic engagement and project manager for On the Table, says he is hearing many stories of work continuing from the event. He says that Next Door—which hosted breakfast and lunch On the Table groups—has continued to reconvene those groups for breakfast conversations about early childhood education and, more specifically, connecting more children to early childhood education. Likewise, the Milwaukee Bucks’ participation led them to partner with coaches who work with children who have experienced trauma. Also, White says he heard that the Interfaith Conference is having a monthly series called “Operationalizing Our On the Table Conversation,” which continues to convene people after the event. Fuller-Scott says she would like to see more young people at next year’s event so that they will bring their perspective on the issues that affect young people and so others can find out about what they really think. “Down at City Hall, I would love to have had a youth voice present at the table where a lot of decisions are being made,” says Fuller-Scott. “Sometimes in our efforts to do better, we isolate the people we are here to serve. We never fully engage our young people who need to engage their own path of reform.” “Milwaukee is on the move,” Fuller-Scott says. “I think we are very concerned about the issues happening in our city, but we have to do a better job of connecting the resources and connecting the people who are doing the same work.” The next On the Table will take place in October with an exact date yet to be determined. Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n
“In classic, current, upstate Republican politics, and kicking Milwaukee to the curb, suddenly we get word about two weeks before the state budget is to be approved that it was inserted into the budget as a line item,” Plaisted said. “It was not its own piece of legislation …There was a hearing on the budget, and this got talked about for about 10 minutes … Of Walker’s 99 vetoes, this wasn’t one of them. It was undemocratic the way it ended up happening, but the real kick in the teeth was that the state legislation said only ‘First Class’ cities [Milwaukee is Wisconsin’s only “First Class” city]. So now, there’s no pushback from the upstate Republicans whose Main Street BID boards all said, ‘Don’t do this’ three years ago. It was just really underhanded the way that they did it.” Plaisted expects a “double digit percentage” effect on the Third Ward BID’s assessable property base. Steph Salvia, executive director of the Brady Street BID, said that 25% of their budget would have been lost had they not raised their assessment rate, and Little, the city’s Commercial Corridor Team Manager, said that Kinnickinnic Avenue lost about 20%. While the immediate hit to the budgets are top of mind now, Plaisted is also worried about the precedent this sets. “So now, we have carved out the residential commercial activity,” he said. “What’s next? Are we going to have offices coming to us and saying, ‘We don’t get anything from a BID’? Now we’re going to take offices out because they’re another component of the commercial code? It’s nonsense. The fact is that these are some of the most successful property developers in the region that asked for this. Did they have a legitimate beef about the size of their assessment in Downtown and the Third Ward? Sure. This wasn’t the way to go about it.” Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n SHEPHERD EXPRESS
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MARCH 8 , 2 0 18 | 7
NEWS&VIEWS::SAVINGOURDEMOCRACY ( MARCH 8 - MARCH 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 Donald 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.
Thursday, March 8
Milwaukee Women’s Strike @ Citywide, all day
On International Women’s Day, many women around the world are going on strike. The striking women demand an end to violence against women, the war on the poor, attacks on reproductive freedom, discrimination, wars across the globe and environmental destruction.
‘Women Against Hate’ @ Milwaukee City Hall (200 E. Wells St.), 5:30-7:30 p.m.
“Women Against Hate” is a traveling art exhibit that “uses art as the platform for an anti-hate campaign.” The event allows attendees to hear the artists’ stories as well as hear from UBLAC founding members Astar Herndon and Keisha Robinson.
Saturday, March 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 Greenfield 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.
Sunday, March 11
Civil Rights History Bus Tour @ Jewish Museum Milwaukee (1360 N. Prospect Ave.), 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Dominic Inouye, educator, artist and founder of ZIP MKE, will lead a bus tour of Milwaukee’s historic civil rights sites. The tour commemorates the 50th anniversary of Milwaukee’s Open Housing Marches.
Fundraiser for Program the Parks @ Bounce Milwaukee (2801 S. Fifth Court), 2-5 p.m.
MKE4ALL is hosting a fundraiser at Bounce Milwaukee in Walker’s Point to benefit Program the Parks, a Milwaukee organization working to strengthen the Sherman Park neighborhood. The event will feature an art auction, music, free samples of Milk and Honey products and more.
Rescuing Wisconsin @ North Shore Presbyterian Church (4048a N. Bartlett Ave., Shorewood), 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Grassroots Northshore will host a number of Democratic candidates for statewide political offices for a community forum. Participating candidates include Rebecca Dallet (State Supreme Court), Andy Lamb (Assembly District 23), Chris Rahlf (Assembly District 60) and Emily Siegrest (Assembly District 24). 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
NEWS&VIEWS::POLL
You Think Democrats Should Run on Gun Control Should Democrats make gun control a defining issue in the upcoming midterm elections? n Yes: 71% n No: 29% Vote online at shepherdexpress.com. We’ll publish the results of this poll in next week’s issue.
What Do You Say? Do you think tariffs such as the ones Donald Trump has proposed are good for the overall American economy? n Yes n No Vote online at shepherdexpress.com. We’ll publish the results of this poll in next week’s issue.
8 | MARCH 8, 2018
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
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MARCH 8 , 2 0 18 | 9
NEWS&VIEWS::TAKINGLIBERTIES
Shepherd
Guess What? Voting is Political
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All shows at 8 pm unless otherwise indicated Tickets available at Shank Hall Box Office, 866-468-3401, or at ticketweb.com
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Sat 3/10
Victor Wainwright $18 adv / $20 DR
Albert Cummings
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Terrapin Flyer WITH SCOTT GUBERMAN FROM PHIL LESH AND FRIENDS
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TWILA JEAN
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The Steepwater Band $15
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The Spiders From Milwaukee, Foreigner 4 Ever $12
Check Mead and His Grassy Knoll Boys $15
3/21 New Orleans Suspects 3/22 Selwyn Birchwood 3/23 Material Reissue 3/25 Andrew Pope 3/26 Chris Duarte Group 3/27 Drivin’ N Cryin’, Supersuckers 10 | M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 8
hen you’ve lived among like-minded neighbors on, say, the East Side of Milwaukee for a long time, voting is a friendly occasion. Folks down the street work at the polls every election. It may be a secret ballot, but there’s no real secret how most people you know are voting. I’m sure it’s much the same out in Waukesha. It got a little nastier a few years back when grim-faced outside poll watchers started showing up in suits glowering at the voting riffraff to make sure all the latest Republican obstacles to voting were being strictly enforced. That’s when I got scolded for unconsciously committing a political crime: I’d actually forgotten I had a political button on my jacket. I don’t even remember what it said now. I wasn’t campaigning. I was just being an American citizen in a democracy. That’s why I was happy to read about the brutal questioning from the U.S. Supreme Court about an extreme Minnesota law banning “political” clothing or buttons from polling places. I was amused the toughest questions came from conservative justices. I remember when conservatives used to hate free speech—especially when it came from long-haired war protesters wearing American flag patches on the seat of their torn jeans. In the closed minds on the right, freedom of speech was a Constitutional loophole that allowed radicals to burn the flag, publish pornography and support political ideas that made their blood boil. Now suddenly, right-wing, Republicanappointed justices like Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch sounded like “card-carrying members of the ACLU”—the insult the first George Bush used to smear that notorious anarchist, Michael Dukakis. What’s behind this new-found conservative attraction to free speech? It seems Republicans have their own radical extremists to defend these days. Neo-Nazis. The Ku Klux Klan. It’s no surprise the case before the U.S. Supreme Court riling up conservatives didn’t involve antiwar protesters or civil rights groups like Black Lives Matter. Nope. It was a white guy who tried to vote wearing a yellow Tea Party T-shirt with the symbol of the Gadsden Flag created in 1775 during the Revolutionary War. That’s the one with a coiled rattlesnake ready to strike, warning, “Don’t Tread on Me.” For good measure, the guy also wore a button saying “Please ID Me,” even though Minnesota doesn’t have a voter ID law. Here’s the thing, though: Republicans may not have cared about the First Amendment until they wanted to be free to express their own obnoxious, in-your-face threats, but they’re starting to realize the Bill of Rights protects all Americans. So, good for Alito and Gorsuch for demonstrating just how absurd it is for a democracy to pass laws dictating how its citizens must dress on voting day.
You Know Us by Our Numbers The Supreme Court decided 25 years ago that states could ban electioneering and distribution of campaign literature within 100 feet of polling places, and most states have such restrictions. But that’s very different from a mandatory dress code for voters that demands they hide any association with any group in their lives with any political point of view, whether it’s the AFL-CIO or the local Chamber of Commerce. Guess what? Voting is political and so are voters. Alito and Gorsuch quickly tied the law’s defenders into knots by asking about the legality of other slogans and movements familiar to any politically engaged citizen. What about someone wearing a Colin Kaepernick jersey? Is that illegal on election day? Or an old Reagan/Bush ’84 shirt? What about more contemporary slogans like “Make America Great Again” or #MeToo? Or simple words or phrases like “Resist” or “Restrain Government Spending?” Can we really outlaw certain words in America on election day? Alito asked Daniel Rogan of the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office if a shirt with a rainbow flag would be permitted. Rogan’s answer was painful: “A shirt with a rainbow flag? No, it would…yes, it would be…it would be permitted unless there was…unless there was an issue on the ballot that…that related somehow to…to gay rights.” So it’s not illegal to support gay rights unless there is a political issue or candidates on the ballot that could actually threaten gay rights (as is usually the case these days). Never mind that inclusion of a rainbow coalition of diverse populations in our democracy is fundamentally American. At another point, Rogan said a T-shirt bearing the words of the Second Amendment would be banned because of political controversy, but the words of the First Amendment would not—even though that was precisely the political controversy he was arguing before the Supreme Court! It’s absurd—and impossible—to try to cleanse elections of political opinions when that’s what they’re all about. Every decent American now knows the horrific consequences of failing to energetically participate in our elections, but you won’t need slogans or T-shirts to recognize us in November. You’ll know us by our numbers. Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n
I REMEMBER WHEN CONSERVATIVES USED TO HATE FREE SPEECH —ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME FROM LONG-HAIRED WAR PROTESTERS WEARING AMERICAN FLAG PATCHES ON THE SEAT OF THEIR TORN JEANS SHEPHERD EXPRESS
NEWS&VIEWS::ISSUEOFTHEWEEK
Reckless Borrowing for Unneeded Prisons is Another Expensive Mistake for Wisconsin ::BY EMILIO DE TORRE AND MOLLY COLLINS
W
isconsin is facing an incarceration crisis of unprecedented proportions. We currently have 23,000 prisoners in a system designed for 17,000, and we are rapidly filling the beds of our county jails with the overflow. Last year, Wisconsin legislators drafted a bill that would even more dramatically increase the state’s levels of incarceration by changing how Wisconsin revokes probation. If passed into law, this would create a fiscal and safety crisis. There is no place to put these new prisoners. When the legislators realized the problem they’d created, they grafted on a provision that would borrow $350 million to build a new prison. They also added an amendment that would call for the hiring of 54 new prosecutors for rural districts. But across the country, states are pulling back from a practice of mass incarceration and costly prison building. Texas, Michigan, Mississippi and other traditionally conservative “red states� have begun closing prisons and reinvesting in less costly treatment alternatives and more effective ways to work with people in the criminal justice system. These states are investing more in local solutions, including alcohol and substance abuse counseling, conflict resolution skills, education, restorative justice and counseling for cognitive and behavioral issues. This is driving their prison populations down, spending money locally and keeping offenders in their communities where they can develop stronger, restorative relationships with their neighborhoods, support systems and families. In contrast, Wisconsin is spending billions of dollars on a failing system of imprisonment that does not address the root causes of crime. Worse still, about a third of the people who leave this system are convicted and sentenced to a new prison term within three years. Many people are trapped in systems of incarceration because they have committed minor crimes that are often the result of substance abuse problems or mental illness.
Creating a Flood of New Prisoners
Instead of beginning to fix the expensive morass we’ve created, legislators have cobbled together a new bill removing discretionary powers that community corrections officers have. This would mean automatic revocation for anyone on supervision charged with a new crime; not convicted, just charged. This will result in many more people returning to prison. To fix this flood, they want to build a costly new prison for the increased numbers of prisoners. If Wisconsin takes out a 20-year loan at 5% interest on $350 million, we will be on the hook to pay back more than $554 million for the construction of this bad idea. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections estimates an additional 2,135 revocation recommendations over the 2016 numbers. If those numbers keep up, the DOC projects that we’ll need to construct at least three more prisons to house the additional population. There are currently thousands of prisoners who do not need to be incarcerated but can be safely reunited with their communities and complete their sentences outside of prison. Instead, the Wisconsin State Senate is voting on legislation on Tuesday, March 20, that will increase the number of prisoners and deepen the debt of our state by borrowing money to construct a new prison. This bill will also increase debt at the county level because it seeks to add 54 new prosecutors for rural counties, but does not add funding to cover the necessary public defenders or court staff that would be required. This will invariably increase local property taxes or force counties to cut other important services as they scramble to pay for this new burden. Because the counties will be required to hold, without compensation, those recommended for revocation for around 60 days each, the Badger State Sheriffs’ Association commented, “Essentially, this bill is an unfunded mandate to Wisconsin county jails.� This bill will not make our communities safer or stronger. We need to reduce our prison population and remove the social and economic weight of a broken criminal justice system from the backs of our children and communities. We need to immediately adopt smarter reforms. Please contact your senator and encourage them to vote against Senate Bill 54 (SB54), or join us on our Lobby Day, Tuesday, March 13, at 10 a.m. Emilio De Torre is Director of Community Engagement and Molly Collins is Deputy Director for ACLU of Wisconsin. Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n SHEPHERD EXPRESS
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::DININGOUT
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FEATURE | SHORT ORDER | EAT/DRINK
Samano’s
Samano’s a Long-time Favorite for Comforting Mexican Food
concocts its own lime mix, and the tarty kick doesn’t disappoint. House margaritas are made with Sauza tequila, and bartenders aren’t stingy with the booze; plan your transportation accordingly if you want to imbibe. The full bar has more than 30 types of tequila to build your own margarita. Mexican beers are plentiful, with Corona, Dos Equis, Tecate and Modelo among the choices. Appetizers include habanero or cranberry salsa, guacamole and a variety of bean dips and quesadillas. The dip sampler ($6) comes with guacamole, chili con queso and bean dip. The chunky guacamole has larger pieces of avocado and tomato mixed in, making it a satisfying starter. For lighter appetites, there are several dinner salads ($9.50-$11), but we were hungry and went for the full-on meals. The menu has all the south-of-the-border standards you’d expect—tacos, enchiladas, chili rellenos (roasted poblano pepper stuffed with cheese, battered and fried), burritos, tamales, chimichangas and tostadas. Most items can be made vegetarian, and meat filings include ground or shred::BY SHEILA JULSON ded beef, chili verde (seasoned simmered pork), steak, chorizo or chicken. Serving sizes are available for all appetites; the solo and mini plates submenu amano’s Mexican Restaurant, (aka Samano’s Hacienda), was ($2.75-$6.50) features a la carte tacos, enchiladas or tostadas, or one item with rice established in 1967 when many Milwaukeeans were just discovand beans; plates come with two items and rice and beans ($7.50-$9.50); and dinering Mexican cuisine. Housed in an impressive building that ners have three items with rice and beans ($9.50-$12.50). The combination menu was built in 1894 as a Miller Brewery tavern, Samano’s serves as a includes a side of chili verde. Chimichangas come is small or large sizes. welcoming gateway to Cudahy, sitting augustly on a curve where Decision, decisions… I chose the spinach enchilada plate, and my husband went Kinnickinnic Avenue ends and Plankinclassic, with ground beef tacos. Instead of refried beans ton Avenue begins. and rice, I ordered black beans and Mexican corn (substiAlthough there are touches of tutions are welcome). My enchiladas arrived smothered Mexican-themed décor, the interior with broiled queso cheese and stuffed with delightfully has that cozy historic tavern ambiSamano’s creamy spinach filling, and the corn tortillas were crisp ance. Customers seat themselves, and at the edges. The Mexican corn was a treat; the tender Mexican Restaurant servers arrive promptly with chips kernels were lightly topped with mayonnaise, crumbled 3431 E. Plankinton Ave., Cudahy and salsa. The chips are warm, and Mexican cheese and chili powder, just like Mexican street the house-made salsa has a pleasant 414-481-3664 | $-$$ corn. The ground beef tacos were flavorful and mildly searoasted flavor with hints of chili powder samanosrestaurant.com soned with a bit of a kick, but not too hot. The seasoned and garlic. rice was fluffy and not sticky. Handicapped access: Yes Samano’s has a broad menu of Mexican and American We were too full to try dessert, but Samano’s has CC foods, so enjoy a margarita (starting at $4.50 per glass) cheesecake, bunuelos and other sweet treats to top off a Hours: Tu-Th 11 a.m.-9 p.m., while you peruse the many choices of appetizers, entrées meal. There are also American standards like burgers and F 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., and a la carte options. Margaritas can be made straight sandwiches, and a kids’ menu. No matter one’s taste or up or on the rocks in classic lime or fruit flavors. Samano’s Sa 11 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Sunday size of appetite, Samano’s aims to please.
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SHEPHERD STAFF
DININGOUT
::SHORTORDER
LOTS TO LIKE at HUAN XI ::BY JAMIE LEE RAKE
In Mandarin Chinese, Huan Xi (2428 N. Murray Ave.) means “to like,” and there’s an abundance of dishes for which diners can develop fondness at this brightly appointed destination whose strip mall locale belies its menu’s diversity. Those with especially hearty appetites should opt for the hot pot, available a la carte or buffet style. That steamy, piping receptacle can come filled with any of 25 different vegetables, nine varieties of soup base, 12 sorts of meat (six of them pork, including pig blood and Spam) and multiple types of meatballs, tofu, mushrooms, seafood and noodles. Entrées explore flavors, textures and ingredients few Asian eateries in Milwaukee offer. Pork intestines (what African Americans call chitterlings) come sautéed by themselves or offered alongside cabbage or preserved vegetables. Not only slices of duck meat, but the waterfowl’s tongues may be prepared, the latter spicy and stir-fried. Akin to Mexico’s menudo, chao san du is an entrée so uniquely Chinese that my waitress attempted to dissuade me from ordering. It combines thin, browned slices of beef tripe and pig stomach with red bell pepper, red chilies, white onions and scallions in a mix of sweetness and heat, chewiness and crunch. Diners can also find many familiar soups, sweet and sour offerings, shrimp, beef, chicken, roast pork and vegetarian main courses. Huan Xi’s unassuming location offers a world of Chinese delights, some of them unlikely to be found elsewhere in Milwaukee.
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
Beef and Broccoli from Huan Xi
March into Spring Sampler It’s not too early to celebrate the tender new flavors of spring. Stop by and try Outpost’s own turkey burgers, delicate Wisconsin cheese, local honey, spring vegetables and samples from some of our favorite local vendors!
Saturday
3.10.18
4 stores and a café in greater Milwaukee to serve you. Visit www.outpost.coop for locations and store hours.
11am-2pm
all store locations 4 stores and a café in greater Milwaukee to serve you. Visit www.outpost.coop for locations and store hours.
M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 13
DININGOUT::EAT/DRINK
Fish Fry EVERYDAY, ALL DAY during Lent!
Largest Fish Fry Selection in the Midwest
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Matt and Clare Stoner Fehsenfeld
Quince & Apple’s Artisan Preserves and Syrups ::BY SHEILA JULSON
M
att and Clare Stoner Fehsenfeld, the husbandand-wife team behind Quince & Apple, joke that they’re “the fancy condiment company,” but their quality preserves and fruit syrups are approachable and designed to appeal to all tastes—fancy or not. Matt has a culinary degree from Madison Area Technical College. He worked in restaurants and for Potter’s Crackers, where he made crackers and handled sales and marketing. While growing up, Matt and his mom often made preserves as a hobby, and as an adult, he gave his creations to friends and family as gifts. Matt and Clare launched Quince & Apple in 2009 while he was still working at Potter’s. They sublet kitchen space, and after a day of making crackers, Clare joined Matt and they made preserves until 3 a.m. After nine months, they got their own workspace. In the beginning, they focused on making preserves that paired well with cheese. “We focus on not just your traditional breakfast jam, but preserves that would pair well with meats and cheese,” Matt said. Today, Quince & Apple offers five flavored syrups in addition to nine preserve flavors. Popular preserve flavors include pear, with fresh local honey and warming ginger; the cherry and white tea, made with Door County cherries; and fig and black tea, which pairs well with everything from blue cheese to ice cream.
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“Everything we make has unique flavor combinations and much less sugar than traditional preserves,” Matt said. Since Quince & Apple has been in business, he’s noticed how American palates are changing to appreciate quality fruit and good ingredients not hidden by lots of sugar. “I’ve definitely seen a change in consumer perception. When I go do a demo in a store, people are excited to see these different flavors with less sugar. We really want all of our flavors to be subtle and interesting—not just interesting for the sake of being interesting—but both interesting and approachable.” Matt enjoys creating new flavors and products. The syrups were a happy accident; Matt was trying to make a rhubarb preserve, but he couldn’t get the texture quite right. Instead, he strained the rhubarb concoction and mixed it with gin. After a few sips, he knew he had something special. Quince & Apple’s five syrup flavors are Rhubarb Hops; Tart Cherry Grenadine; Lime and Cucumber; Citrus, which is their take on a sour mix; and Honey and Lemon. All flavors can be used in craft cocktails or added to sparkling water for refreshing non-alcoholic drinks. The syrups are packaged in charming glass bottles with an attached stopper that can be reused, adding an eco-component to the packaging. Quince & Apple sources locally whenever possible and uses apples, cranberries, pears, honey and tart cherries from Wisconsin and sometimes Michigan. Ingredients like lemons are purchased from trusted farms or co-ops. Wisconsin is booming with great food artisans, so Matt and Clare partnered with other businesses to offer themed gift baskets such as the Quince-Essential Party box, which has everything needed to whip up a charcuterie board to wow party gusts, and the Wisconsin Old Fashioned Cocktail Box. On Feb. 26, Quince & Apple announced that they have purchased Milwaukee-based Treat Bake Shop, an artisan producer of spiced and candied nuts, from founder Sarah Marx Feldner. Production of Treat’s products will move to Quince & Apple’s Madison kitchen in mid-March. Quince & Apple products can be ordered online or found at Outpost Natural Foods, Larry’s Market, West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe, The Village Cheese Shop, Whole Foods Market and Metcalfe’s Market. For more information, visit quinceandapple. com. SHEPHERD EXPRESS
::SPORTS What Does Ryan Braun’s Possible Move to First Base Mean for Eric Thames? ::BY KYLE LOBNER
E
ric Thames answered any lingering questions about his health over the weekend—going two-for-three with a double and a home run on Saturday just two days after being scratched from the lineup with back stiffness and remaining fresh enough to be back in the lineup for three more at bats on Sunday. Now that he’s back on track to be ready for Opening Day, Thames faces two larger concerns: possible encroachment on his playing time by Ryan Braun and a systemic underappreciation for his offensive profile. As the Milwaukee Brewers continue to work with Ryan Braun on a possible move to first base, there hasn’t been a lot of discussion about what that means for Thames, who does not have a clear opportunity to remain in the lineup if his defensive position is occupied. Braun was the first baseman in Sunday’s lineup (with Thames as the designated hitter) and has demonstrated an early capacity to make the necessary plays there, which is not good news for the Brewers’ other candidates to fill that position. It’s worth noting that Thames’ performance is at least partially to blame for his potential demotion: He batted just .226 from April 26 through the end of the 2017 season (118 games)—a low number that is difficult to overlook at a prime offensive position like first base. Looking at that number in a vacuum, however, causes one to miss the fact that Thames also drew 61 walks over that time to close out a season where he finished second among qualified Brewers hitters with a .359 on-base percentage.
Lack of Hits?
Across baseball, hitters who frequently get on base via free passes tend not to get the appropriate level of credit for that skill. For an example, consider FanGraphs writer and Hall of Fame expert Jay Jaffe’s recent comments when asked about Joey Votto. Votto has reached base nearly SHEPHERD EXPRESS
2,600 times in his career, but about a thousand of those times have been walks, causing Jaffe to discount his Hall of Fame case for a lack of hits. Among players with at least 1,000 hits in their careers, only Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Barry Bonds, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams had higher on-base percentages than Votto’s .428 mark. Thames has a long way to go to deserve to be compared to Votto, of course. He’s more comparable to another recent Brewers player who became a polarizing figure due to his high walk rate and low batting average: Rickie Weeks. Weeks, Thames and Prince Fielder (three times) are the only three Brewers in the last 15 years to qualify for the batting title while walking in 13.5% or more of their plate appearances. Thames and Weeks’ abilities to work a count and draw walks were both overshadowed by the accompanying result: an inflated strikeout number from regularly going deep into counts. Another Brewer just missed a 13.5% walk rate in 2017 and, not surprisingly, he’s also a polarizing figure: Domingo Santana walked 73 times in 607 plate appearances (which is slightly more than 12%). In fact, as things stand right now, the Brewers have an opportunity to have three of the National League’s most prolific walkers in their lineup together. New Brewer Christian Yelich, Thames and Santana were 10th, 11th and 13th
HE’S MORE COMPARABLE TO ANOTHER RECENT BREWERS PLAYER WHO BECAME A POLARIZING FIGURE DUE TO HIS HIGH WALK RATE AND LOW BATTING AVERAGE: RICKIE WEEKS. respectively in the league in bases on balls last season, and the assorted projection models at FanGraphs all predict that all three of these players will continue to walk at a similar rate. Eric Thames has some work to do to improve his consistency—something he’s attempting to accomplish via literature, apparently—and if he can do so, his value could skyrocket. Even if he doesn’t, however, his ability to reliably get on base and force opposing pitchers to work to get him out gives him an underappreciated amount of value.
52nd
ANNUAL A S S O C I AT I O N
D O W N T O W N M I LWA U K E E
Saturday, March 10th, 2018 • Noon D O W N T O W N M I LWA U K E E
Bring Your Whole Clan!
Friday, March 9th
ShamROCK in Westown St. Patrick’s Kick-Off Party 5:30 - 11pm Miller Time Pub & Grill 509 W. Wisconsin Ave. Entertainment by Ian Gould and Pat McCurdy
Saturday, March 10th
Parade Downtown Milwaukee Noon Shamrock Club Post-Parade Party Parade Parking Park at The Shops of Grand Avenue for $3 during the parade.
1 - 6pm Irish Cultural & Heritage Center 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Additional Information: saintpatricksparade.org (414) 276-6696 PRESENTED BY
SPONSORED BY
M E D I A PA R T N E R S
Bartels Management Services, Inc. • Bell Ambulance • Ewald Automotive Group • Goodwill Industries of Southeast Wisconsin The Harp Irish Pub • Milwaukee Brat House • Old German Beer Hall • Old World Third Street Association Swarmm Events • Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery • Trinity Irish Pubs: Duffy’s, Foy’s & Gallagher’s • Who’s on 3rd • Wisconsin Club
M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 15
::A&E
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FEATURE | FILM | THEATRE | ART | BOOKS | CLASSICAL MUSIC | DANCE
DAMJAN ŠVARC
heatre Gigante continues its 30th anniversary season with the U.S. premiere of TARZAN. Dubbed an “exotic drama,” award-winning Slovenian playwright Rok Vilčnik’s script reinvents the recognizable characters of Tarzan and Jane in a world where anything is possible—a hyena can talk, older Jane can get pregnant and Tarzan can lose his title as Lord of the Jungle. “This could happen in any jungle,” the playwright says.
Playwright Rok Vilčnik
THIS COULD HAPPEN IN ANY JUNGLE, ESPECIALLY FOR THEATRE GIGANTE’S ‘TARZAN’ ::BY CAROLINE KAUFMAN
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Vilčnik masterfully weaves together a variety of contemporary issues, such as marital troubles, financial strains and communication problems. While TARZAN tackles these deeper topics, they are brought up through the dialogue in an astoundingly deliberate and clever way—making them extremely palatable for a wide variety of people. However, due to the adult content discussed throughout this play, Theatre Gigante suggests parental guidance for younger audiences. Vilčnik is a writer, playwright, poet, screenwriter and songwriter. He has completed more than 20 plays, four television series and is also an accomplished author. Vilčnik is a three-time recipient of the Grum Award for Best New Slovenian Play and a recipient of the Slovenian Noble Comediographer award. TARZAN premiered in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2016 at the Slovenian National Drama. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the upcoming Milwaukee production has been the process Theater Gigante underwent to obtain the script to TARZAN. While in Slovenia, the company’s Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson met Vilčnik and fell in love with his clever play and his ability to deliver such relatable topics in a comedic fashion. The original script was in Slovenian and Kralj, Anderson and Melita Koletnik spent months translating the piece into English. Kralj has a deep connection to Slovenia. Her parents are Slovenian and she has spent much of her life in this part of the world. Theatre Gigante has toured its original work in Slovenia and brought Slovenian artists to Milwaukee. Throughout the translation process, Kralj and Anderson collaborated with Vilčnik to keep the American version as close to the original script as possible. “Often when you translate a play, you will make it colloquial or contemporize it to the times, but we worked very hard to maintain what Vilčnik wrote. We really tried not to deviate from his writing and original intent,” said Kralj. The effort the artistic directors of Theater Gigante invested in the translation will undoubtedly show in their starring performances as Tarzan and Jane. Anderson and Kralj are married, and will bring their experiences and knowledge of Theatre the storyline to their roles. The third actor in TARZAN is a hyGigante ena named Mike. Don Russell of Cooperative Performance TARZAN will play him in his debut with Theatre Gigante. Theatre Gigante doesn’t often present straight plays, Kenilworth making this performance of TARZAN an unusual treat for 508 Theatre their audience. Kralj believes TARZAN is a great fit for the March 16 - 24 company due to the metaphorical content, satirizing the role of the human animal and the consequences for the future of the planet. “It’s not so black and white—the issues are presented from so many different angles,” says Kralj. “It’s a feel good play but it’s not solved for anybody, and that’s really important for us. There’s no preaching, there is no saying ‘This is what you must think or walk out of here feeling.” There will be a post-show reception following the Friday, March 16 premiere with Vilčnik and the Slovenian consul general in attendance. Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in the post-show talkback immediately following the performance on Sunday, March 18. Patrons are invited to “pay what you can” in lieu of purchasing tickets on the Thursday, March 22 showing. TARZAN runs March 16-24 at the Kenilworth 508 Theatre, 1925 E. Kenilworth Place. To purchase tickets, visit gigantetarzan.brownpapertickets.com or call 1-800838-3006.
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
g n i m r o f r e e Th P ! r e T t a M s t r A By donating to the United Performing Arts Fund, you can provide children with an outlet for creativity and expression. You can help create jobs and boost the local economy. You can make our city a more creative place. To put it simply, your support of Milwaukee’s performing arts makes life better for everyone. Donate today at UPAF.org/donate Susan Gartell of Milwaukee Ballet Photo by Rachel Malehorn and Timothy O’Donnell; Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Photo by Ron Oshima; Christina Hall (Mrs. Lovett) and Andrew Varela (Sweeney Todd) in Skylight Music Theatre’s Sweeney Todd
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 17
::THISWEEKINMILWAUKEE MILWAUKEE THURSDAY, MARCH 8
The No Sleep Podcast @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
There’s only one big rule on Reddit’s wildly popular “No Sleep” scary stories forum: The stories can be fiction, but they’ve got to be written as if they’re true. Each month hundreds of amateur authors submit their stories for readers willing to suspend disbelief, and some of the most popular have been featured on the forum’s podcast spinoff hosted by David Cummings, which is now in its 10th season. In 2016, the podcast began launching live tours with a cast featuring some of the voice actors from the show.
Uriah Heep @ Potawatomi Hotel and Casino, 8 p.m.
Classic rock bands tend to record new material at a slow, cautious pace, but Uriah Heep have been the exceptions to that rule. Since 2008’s critically acclaimed comeback album Wake the Sleeper introduced the classic British band to a younger audience, the group has recorded at a feverish pace, firing off one a new album every year or two. There’s another on the way: Last year the group entered the studio with producer Jay Ruston to record a record called Living The Dream, which they plan to release later this year. Original guitarist Mick Box anchors the current lineup of Heep, with longtime vocalist Bernie Shaw and keyboardist Phil Lanzon joined by relative newcomers Russell Gilbrook on drums and Davey Rimmer on bass.
Screaming Females w/ Radiator Hospital and Detenzione @ Cactus Club, 9 p.m.
New guitar gods don’t come around too often, and when they do, they almost never stem from punk circles. Screaming Females shredder Marissa Paternoster is breaking from tradition. Over seven albums with her New Jersey power trio, she has honed a loose, gnarly and endlessly hooky guitar style inspired by first-wave British punk bands, pairing her slashy riffs with a badass, Johnny Rotten snarl. The group’s latest album for Don Giovanni Records, All At Once, is one of their most eclectic yet, a sprawling hodgepodge of heavy alt-rock, ripping punk, bluesy slow numbers and gritty throwback classic rock. A talented cartoonist, Paternoster drew its cover herself. As with the band’s previous bills at Cactus Club, Screaming Females will be joined by a couple of solid openers, including Philadelphia’s Radiator Hospital, whose latest album, Play The Songs You Like, blasts through 16 tracks of sunny, poppy, buzzy indie-punk.
Ty Dolla $ign
FRIDAY, MARCH 9
Ty Dolla $ign w/ Marc E. Bassy, Dre Sinatra and Toni Romiti @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
There are countless artists on the radio blurring the lines between rap and R&B, but few have done it with the same grace and songwriting prowess as Ty Dolla $ign, the velvetvoiced Los Angeles singer behind hits like “Or Nah” and “Paranoid.” He’s written as many hits for others as he has for himself, including Omarion’s “Post to Be” and Chris Brown’s “Loyal.” Ahead of his first-ever appearance at The Rave, last year he released his latest album, Beach House 3, another laidback set filled with guest spots from kindred spirits like Future, Swae Lee, The-Dream, Pharrell Williams and Wiz Khalifa.
Gabriel Iglesias @ The Riverside Theater, 6 and 10 p.m.
Gabriel Iglesias has never been a member of comedy’s inner circle. You won’t see him grab coffee with Jerry Seinfeld or lend his voice to an edgy Adult Swim cartoon. Nonetheless, he’s one of comedy’s biggest superstars, thanks to his many jokes about his considerable girth (or as his calls it, “fluffiness”). His size is at the heart of much of this former “Last Comic Standing” contestant’s stand-up material, including his breakout 2009 Comedy Central special, I’m Not Fat… I’m Fluffy, and his new Netflix special I’m Sorry For What I Said When I Was Hungry. In a testament to his popularity, the comedian is headlining a whooping three shows at the Riverside Theater this weekend, including two Friday night and a 6 p.m. show Saturday night.
SATURDAY, MARCH 10 Albert Cummings w/ Twila Jean @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
Over his nearly two decades on the road, Massachusetts-born bluesman Albert Cummings has shared shows with greats like Buddy Guy, B.B. King and Johnny Winter, so it’s no surprise that he carries himself with the poise of an old pro when he’s on stage. As a young player, Cummings had dedicated himself to bluegrass banjo before discovering Stevie Ray Vaughan and turning his interests toward the guitar, and a little bit of the country and bluegrass spirit still carries through his playing. His latest release, Live at the ’62 Center, captures the fiery intensity of his live performances.
Railroad Earth @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
Screaming Females
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Taking their name from a Jack Kerouac short story, Railroad Earth fuses bluegrass, rock ’n’ roll and occasional hints of jazz into their Grateful Dead-style vision of Americana. Formed in Stillwater, N.J., Railroad Earth is more studio-minded than some of their jam-scene peers, having recorded seven albums since their 2001 beginnings (including two for the String Cheese Incident’s SCI Fidelity label), but they’re also known for their improvisation-heavy live performances. Last year they released a new EP titled Captain Nowhere. SHEPHERD EXPRESS
Read our daily events guide, Today in Milwaukee, on shepherdexpress.com
SUNDAY, MARCH 11 WMSE’s Rockabilly Chili Fundraiser @ MSOE Kern Center, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
WMSE’s largest fundraiser returns for its 16th year. Once again more than 50 Milwaukee-area restaurants and chefs will compete against each other for honors in five categories (including best meat chili, best vegetarian chili and most unique chili) at the city’s most prestigious chili cook-off. There will also be tap beer from Milwaukee Brewing Company, Miller Park-style racing chili peppers, a children’s area and live surf music from The Exotics. Advance tickets are $12 ($15 at the door) and include four chili samples; additional sampling tickets are a buck each. Attendees who bring two or more non-perishable food items to donate to the Hunger Task Force will receive a couple extra sampling tickets, too.
The Musical Box @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
Among Genesis diehards, 1973’s Selling England By The Pound holds a special place. It was the band’s fifth album, and it introduced the group to its widest audience yet by pairing ambitious prog-rock arrangements with some of the band’s most direct and rocking songs ever. One of the best-known Genesis tribute bands (and one licensed by Peter Gabriel and the rest of Genesis), Canada’s The Musical Box is playing the album in its entirety for their current tour, going to painstaking lengths to recreate the band’s performances from that era down to the smallest detail. For their encore, the band will do songs from Genesis’s 1975 follow-up, The Lamb Lays Down on Broadway. It’s not quite like seeing Genesis in their prime, but it’s as close as new fans will ever get.
WED., MARCH 14 Rodriguez @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
We’re living in a golden age of music documentaries, and few this decade have been more moving than 2012’s Searching For Sugar Man, an Academy Award winner that detailed the search for Sixto Rodriguez, a folk singer who had long been rumored as dead. Rodriguez released a couple of underperforming albums in the ’70s before disappearing, only to find a massive audience over time in South Africa, unbeknownst to him. The film introduced Rodriguez to a belated following in America, where he is now enjoying the stardom that eluded him in the ’70s. It also inspired Rodriquez to begin writing new material.
Rogriguez SHEPHERD EXPRESS
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A&E::THEATRE MICHAEL BROSILOW
THEATRE | REVIEWS
Rep Crosses Borders in ‘One House Over’ ::BY HARRY CHERKINIAN
T
here is a wonderful moment in the middle of Act Two in The Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s One House Over where Camila, the undocumented worker and her elderly patient, Milos, compare their immigration experiences. It’s late on a summer night in suburban Chicago 2010 and Obama is president. Over a few glasses of gin, the 89-year-old Czech refugee, Milos, details escaping the Nazis, just barely, as a young man in 1939. Camila, on the other hand, crossed the Rio Grande in 1995 and through a series of trucks—and luck—ended up in Chicago. “You crossed a river. I crossed an ocean,” brags the elderly man. But the moment hangs on the night air like a shining star, reminding us that we all come from somewhere, just trying to find our way “home.” Wherever that “home” is now. In a world premiere of the latest play by Catherine Trieschmann, Director Mark Clements gives us an intimate portrayal of five characters, “neighbors,” who impact one another’s lives by trying to understand and define boundaries—when those boundaries get irrevocably crossed. Forty-something Joanne hires Camila as live-in help to care for her ailing father Milos. Camila’s husband, Rafael, is part of the deal. Patty is that wonderfully irksome next-door neighbor, nosy but deep down caring. While the storyline in this production meanders along like a slow breeze on a hot day, the atmosphere is emotionally charged with tension. Camila and Rafael are clearly undocumented and the dynamics continually shift and change as the young couple take on more of a “family” role with Joanne and Milos. The riches in this play can be found in the talented ensemble of actors, who make us forget they’re “acting” given their naturalness within the backyard beauty of Kevin Depinet’s
Sondheim’s Beloved ‘Into the Woods’ at Sunset Playhouse ::BY RUSS BICKERSTAFF
M The Rep's 'One House Over'
classic bungalow setting: Zoë Sophia Garcia (Camila) and Justin Huen (Rafael) define these roles and play extremely well off one another; Elaine Rivkin (Joanne) gives us glimpses of her inner life as needed and Mark Jacoby is sheer perfection as the cranky Milos, making us still like him, despite his nasty pranks. Jeanne Paulson is fascinating to watch as neighbor Patty, her laser-like focus commanding the stage in her “take no prisoners” approach. One House Over is yet another topical reminder that the more we try to separate ourselves from one another, the more alike we are in what we’re all searching for—a place to call “home.” Through March 25 in the Quadracci Powerhouse, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets call 414-224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep. com.
Gentle, Loving, Compassionate Health Care Just For Cats
usical fairy tale fusion closes out the winter for Sunset Playhouse as it presents an enjoyable production of the beloved Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods. Nathan Marinan and Carrie A. Gray play a baker and his wife cursed with infertility. Their only hope for a child lies in assembling the right spell components for a witch played with a darkly pleasant charm by Laura Monagle. The ensemble assembled has some impressive talent including Eric Welch and Steven Sizer as a couple of comically handsome princes and Ella Rose Kleefisch as a somewhat bratty Little Red Riding Hood who must learn a valuable life lesson along with the rest of the cast of assorted characters. Marinan and Gray are great fun at the center of it all. The ponderous machinery of the plot doesn’t give the two of them much time to establish a heart to the central conflict of the story, but they do a wonderful job with what they’re given. Gray is crisply witty as she dives through the complications and convolutions that drive the story. Marinan seems suitably heroic as a man reluctantly forced into adventure. Nick Korneski does quite a lot with a few chairs and tables and things adorning a pragmatically constructed set. Scenic elements hang around the periphery of the action until needed. Korneski aided in delivering a visual reality to the stage by clever work from James Sevens’ flashy, dramatic lighting and the heavy rumble of Heather Pulkoswki’s sound design. Pulkowski renders the immense power of the antagonist giants in heavy, ominous rumbling bass that thunders through the spacious environment of the Furlan Auditorium. Through March 18 at Furlan Auditorium, 800 Elm Grove Road. For tickets, call 262-782-4430 or visit sunsetplayhouse.com.
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A&E::THEATRE
THEATRE | PREVIEWS
MORE-TO-DO
Until the Flood
Henry V
Renowned writer and actor Dael Orlandersmith was born in a public housing unit in New York City’s East Harlem in 1959. Her docudrama Until the Flood is her 13th stage work, and in it, she created a remarkable depiction of the people of St. Louis—with particular emphasis on their reactions to and reflections upon the significant degree of social unrest that hit the city in the immediate wake of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Until the Flood, which was commissioned by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, premiered there in late 2016. Orlandersmith’s penetrating and moving play began with hundreds of interviews with community members from all walks of life. She then boiled them down to eight characters and, from them, created this powerful, one-woman show. Orlandersmith, herself, is that woman in this Milwaukee Repertory Theater production. (John Jahn) March 13-April 22 in the Stiemke Studio, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets, call 414-224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep.com.
The Star-Spangled Girl
This comedic play, penned by the great American playwright Neil Simon, is set in San Francisco in the mid-’60s. It began its initial run on Broadway in December 1966 and ran there through August the following year—a total of 261 performances. It boasts Simon’s lively comic style (as can be enjoyed in Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple), but, because it was viewed by critics as not quite up to the stratospheric level of those plays, it never quite became one of his enduring “greatest hits.” That said, it remains a light-hearted love triangle with politics thrown in for good measure. As Simon himself once put it, The Star-Spangled Girl was inspired by a “spirited political conversation [I] overheard between author Paddy Chayefsky and the wife of an astronaut.” The triangular love story involves two radical liberals trying to make a living through their magazine, Fallout, and an all-American Southern belle who moves in next door. Its story of love and political gaps between people as wide as the Grand Canyon certainly has relevance for modern audiences. This is a production by the Christian-based Company of Strangers Theater. (John Jahn) March 9-17 in the Underground Collaborative, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, visit thecompanyofstrangerstheater.com/shows.
The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus
Christopher Marlowe’s Elizabethan tragedy (more commonly and easily remembered as Dr. Faustus or simply Faust) is legendary for having spawned numerous other theatrical, operatic and symphonic works over the hundreds of years since it was written. Its plot, based on German legends about the title character and his dealings with the devil, has proven to be irresistible. It’s so full of colorful characters and scenes that Faustus can be molded into anything from light-hearted farce to somber tragedy. For Off the Wall Theatre’s upcoming production, as director Dale Gutzman explains, he “has adapted this timeless classic for a modern audience” and “set the play in Germany in the 1920s and ’30s”—a time and place Gutzman explains reflect our own modern milieu. “Here is a true masterpiece of theater,” he says, “reimagined in an exciting and potent way.” (John Jahn) March 8-18 at Off the Wall Theatre, 127 E. Wells St. For tickets, call 414-484-8874 or visit zivacat.com/offthewalltheatre.
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
Boasting such memorable William Shakespeare lines as “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers” and “Once more unto the breach!” Henry V is one of The Bard’s enduring successes—an epic journey of heroism, humor, bravado and romance. “Our production will focus on the transformative powers of the actors and their use of language,” announces director Matt Daniels of this upcoming First Stage Young Company production. March 9-24 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, 325 W. Walnut St. For tickets, call 414-267-2961 or visit firststage.org.
Clue: The Musical
Waukesha Civic Theatre’s Ken Williams directs a stage musical adaptation of a boardgame (remember those?) so many of us grew up loving to play with family and friends. What results is, of course, a fine whodunit with familiar characters such as Mrs. Peacock and Col. Mustard, legendary weapons like the lead pipe and revolver and familiar venues like the conservatory and the billiard room. Justice for Mr. Boddy! March 9-25 at the Margaret Brate Bryant Civic Theatre Building, 264 Main St., Waukesha. For tickets, call 262-547-0708 or visit waukeshacivictheatre.org.
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A&E::CLASSICALMUSIC
A&E::DANCE DANCE|REVIEW
CLASSICALMUSIC|REVIEW
Ferocious Moves in Danceworks’ Inspiring ‘Women Who Dance’
MSO Were ‘Fantastique’ in Performing Berlioz
::BY JOHN SCHNEIDER
S
arah Wilbur is a consummate theater artist. In her self-made, 45-minute, almost-solo performance “Disclosure Tactics,” the founding artistic director of Danceworks Performance Company easily commanded Next Act Theatre’s stage in a high-speed performance that seized the mind, provoked deep laughter and inspired the kind of genuine community formation among audience and artists that is the point and joy of live theater. While dancing ferociously, Wilbur explained that in 2007 she moved to Los Angeles and met many women who once danced but had replaced it with gym workouts like “yoga booty ballet.” Milwaukee women, she saw now, were similarly inclined. Her unspoken suggestion was that women, once they age, won’t risk dancing’s bodily displays; one’s “worth,” in a sense, subjected to the measuring gazes of an audience. An expert comic, Wilbur made herself the brunt of the joke, the punk kid in sunglasses who doesn’t know when to stop. “Can you see me? Can you hear me? Just kidding,” she’d repeat anxiously. She wanted to know our names. We had to spell them for her while she tried to dance a movement for each letter in the massive aural jumble that resulted. She charmed women in the audience into introducing themselves. She introduced the sound man. She packed the stage with very different, colorfully costumed Milwaukee women, each dancing her own dance, whatever her age or training. We sang, holding hands. No kidding. Wilbur’s work was the inspiration for Women Who Dance, last weekend’s concert assembled by Dani Kuepper who succeeded Wilbur in 2007 as artistic director. Kuepper choreographed the concert’s joyful prologue “Pattern, Repattern, Unpattern, Repeat.” Against an amusing recording of a woman describing quilt making, we watched the skilled Danceworks women ensemble abandon itself to dance making. A fascinating piece by Danceworks company member Christal Wagner and her musician partners in the three-woman Cadance Collective followed on opening night. Flautist Emma Koi and cellist Alicia Storin improvised darkly against an uncanny film of Wagner alternately dancing and drowning. Cut to Wagner live onstage as if struggling to escape or embrace the dream. Next, Karlies Kelley’s Panadanza dancers showed us how Hispanic women boldly present themselves in dance as human folk and goddesses. So what should we make of women who dance? Clowns, rebels, egoists, pioneers, people? Men, it seems, don’t risk such exposure at any age. Athletics, I guess, is the acceptable venue. Something to think about.
::BY RICK WALTERS
S
ymphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz is the most outlandish classical masterwork ever written. Familiar as it is, its oddities never cease to astound, especially when played as well as the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra performance of Sunday afternoon. To say that Berlioz was unconventional is an understatement. The five-movement symphony was inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven symphonies, and by Berlioz’s obsessive love for an Irish Shakespearean actress—a woman he had never actually met—even though he understood no English. (They would soon meet, marry and separate.) The wild story of the symphony has the composer imagining he poisons the beloved woman in a nightmare and is marched to the scaffold to meet his death. A bizarre, surrealistic “witches sabbath” scene ends the piece. Guest conductor Joshua Weilerstein returned to MSO and led a good, credible account. Honestly, any conductor is lucky to lead this very capable current edition of the orchestra, which plays so thoroughly well for anyone. I’ve heard more heated, dramatic renditions of the symphony, but all the contrasts and unique orchestral colors came through, punctuated by crisp, brilliant brass outbursts in the final movements. Margaret Butler was a poignant heroine in the long English horn solo. Todd Levy worked his magic in breathtakingly soft playing in the third movement solo. In the first two movements I was struck by the lovely sound of the first violins, playing with finely spun ensemble sound. Canadian violinist Karen Gomyo is the kind of classy artist that conquers immensely challenging music without showing the effort of it. She played with beguiling, silvery tone in the Concerto No. 1 by Sergei Prokofiev. This music is both angular and ethereal, and Gomyo captured both qualities elegantly, blazing through the brief, demanding second movement. She was impressive in fast scale work, and expertly tuned high trills that dominate the final section. The concert began with the blessedly brief Bump by American composer Christopher Rouse (b. 1949). This is a rowdy concert conga, often so loud and thickly scored that it just seemed overly noisy and busy. It was the opposite of the transparent sound so evident in the Prokofiev concerto.
CLASSICALMUSIC|PREVIEW
'Catch a Rising Star'
DANCE|MORE-TO-DO
Instrumental soloists take center stage to show their skills in concert with the Wisconsin Philharmonic. Featured will be 17-year-old violinist Julian Rhee of Brookfield—winner of the 2017 Wisconsin Young Artist Competition, and 18-yearold pianist Eric Chen—2017 Chapman Memorial Piano Competition Winner. Other guest soloists will be flautist Scott Metlicka, oboist Suzanne Geoffrey, clarinetist Christopher Zello, bassoonist Andrew Jackson and horn player Kelly Hofman. Works on the program include the 1934 Flute Concerto by Jacques Ibert, Wolfgang Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Winds and the immortal, lovely and very challenging Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. As an added treat, the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Blair Ensemble will be performing in the lobby of the Wilson Center prior to the concert. (John Jahn) Sunday, March 11, at the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts, 19805 W. Capitol Drive. For tickets, call 262-547-1858 or visit wisphil.org/event-tickets.
Monarchs, Mounds, Migrations
CLASSICALMUSIC|MORE-TO-DO
DanceCircus Artistic Director Betty Salamun directs a varied cast of dancers, musicians and guest performers in this original performance piece. Monarchs, Mounds, Migrations interlaces stories of epic migratory monarch butterfly journeys and ancient Mississippian mound builder cultures with similar tales of creativity, struggle and movement derived from America’s newest migrant communities. Both pre- and post-show conversations with artists and historians will shed further light on the performance and its subject matter. March 8-11 at Next Act Theatre, 255 S. Water St. For tickets, call 414-278-0765 or visit nextact.org.
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'Brass at the Border IV'
The Milwaukee Festival Brass takes a short road trip to meet friends along the Wisconsin-Illinois border for a collaborative concert titled "Brass at the Border IV." This concert not only features our local ensemble of brass instrumentalists, but also the Chicago Brass Band, Illinois Brass Band and the Madison Brass Band. Sunday, March 11, at Milton High School, 114 W. High St., Milton. For tickets, visit mfbrass. org/brass-at-the-border.
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
[FILM CLIPS] Gringo R
An American corporation intent upon saving money sends mild-mannered Harold (David Oyelowo) to Mexico seeking a facility to manufacture the company’s new medical marijuana pill. All is well until Harold is kidnapped for ransom by a Mexican cartel. His bosses, Elaine and Richard (Charlize Theron and Joel Edgerton, respectively), hire Mitch the mercenary (Sharlto Copely) to rescue Harold, but Mitch’s unconventional methods are problematic. Filled with outrageous situations, this action-comedy casts Theron as a corporate vixen using her every last asset to full effect. Meanwhile, Copely’s off-kilter mercenary finds Harold depending upon not only his wits, but also upon prayer and luck. (Lisa Miller)
The Hurricane Heist PG-13
Combining the disaster and heist genres, a category 5 hurricane rolls into Southern Alabama moments before overly ambitious criminals can rob $600 million from a U.S. Treasury vault. Maggie Grace portrays Treasury agent Casey, keeper of the vault code. When she escapes, helped by meteorologist Will (Toby Kebbell), the crooks are in hot pursuit. Fortunately, Will knows enough about hurricanes to use the storm against the robbers while keeping himself and Casey alive. Excellent special effects take their toll on the film’s $35 million budget, shaved by using Bulgarian locations to stand in for coastal Alabama. Perhaps the screenplay was outsourced, too, because we rarely hear so much cringe-worthy dialogue in the same film. (L.M.)
The Strangers: Prey at Night R
Released 10 years after the original, this slasherhorror revisits killers targeting random prey simply
because it’s fun. New actors step up to play Dollface (Emma Bellomy), the Man in the Mask (Damian Maffei) and Pin-Up Girl (Lea Enslin), but they remain the same ruthless threesome. This time, after a family arrives at a secluded and strangely deserted mobile home park, the killers set about brutally terrorizing their quarry. Movies of this ilk depend upon the intended victims’ ability to run, hide and fight back. Here, the family best bring its A-game, because their trailer-home offers little protection. Though not a favorite of critics, The Strangers grabbed $82 million on a $9 million budget. Its mysterious killers and unHollywood ending earned it a cult following. We can only hope that this one’s ending will also thumb its celluloid nose at conventional wisdom. (L.M.)
wisconsin public radio presents
Making Waves live from turner hall
A Wrinkle in Time PG
7:30 p.m. April 19
Meg Murry (Storm Reid) is a mentally gifted middle school student and the multi-ethnic daughter of two renowned physicists. Meg’s low self-esteem is compounded when her father (Chris Pine) goes missing. Along with her brilliant younger brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), and fellow classmate Calvin (Levi Miller), Meg meets three beings who claim they can help the kids find Mr. Murry. These lovely celestial guides are Mrs. Which (a white-haired Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon topped in red hair) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling). Their guides use a method of wrinkling time to transport the kids to other life-sustaining planets. These other worlds are spectacular; however, the kids learn Meg’s father is battling a great evil that is intent upon engulfing the universe. Disney’s theatrical release remakes the 2003 TV movie adapted from Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 novel. (L.M.)
$25 tickets at wpr.org/presents
[HOME MOVIES /OUT ON DIGITAL] Underground
The madness of war is a Fellini-esque carnival in Emir Kusturica’s 1995 masterpiece. The comedy conveys horror and the horror gives rise to humor in this sprawling yet focused story. It begins with the Nazi assault on Belgrade in 1941 and concludes in the Cold War under the dictatorship of Yugoslavia’s maverick Communist, Marshal Tito. Marko, a hustler with Communist sympathies, sells guns to the wartime partisans. After Tito’s victory he becomes the regime’s leading cultural official. His wife, Natalija, slept with the Nazis and with the partisan leader, Blacky. The latter is lionized as a martyr in Marko’s postwar memoir and the kitschy movie produced from it. Underground shows how facts can be weird and their memorialization can be stranger still. The film was condemned unseen as pro-Serb by Western Europe’s pseudo-intelligentsia, led by Bernard-Henri Lévy, but won the Cannes Palme d’Or. The brass band endows Underground with madcap melancholy.
Federico Fellini’s Orchestra Rehearsal
Nowadays, seen out of context, Federico Fellini’s Orchestra Rehearsal (1978) could be watched as simply a gentle spoof of the idiosyncrasies in a symphony orchestra rehearsing for an unseen (but heard) TV director making a documentary. But fully understood, the squabbling cast of musicians (performing a score by Fellini’s favorite composer, Nino Rota) is a humorous allegory for the ideologically contentious, disorderly politics of ’70s Italy with its options of militancy, reaction or cynicism.
Nowhere in Africa
They are lucky. Walter and Jettel and their daughter Regina are Jews who left Germany in 1938 just a few months ahead of Kristallnacht. Life on Kenya’s dusty plains is a hard adjustment for this upper middle-class couple, especially for Jettel, forced to trade satin sheets and china for mosquito nets and tinware. Marital strife, cultural adjustment, wartime internment and mild displays of anti-Semitism face them in this story sweetly told from Regina’s memories. —David Luhrssen SHEPHERD EXPRESS
a n
e x o t i c
d r a m a
by Rok Vilčnik This could happen in any jungle...
Tarzan, Jane, and a Hyena-called-Mike, grapple with love, middle-age, the fate of the jungle, the animal kingdom, and all humanity. This extraordinary play, a U.S. premiere by award-winning Slovenian playwright Rok Vilčnik, is smart, funny and unexpectedly moving.
featuring: Mark Anderson Isabelle Kralj Don Russell
March 16 – 24, 2018 Kenilworth 508 Theatre 1925 East Kenilworth Place Tickets: gigantetarzan.brownpapertickets.com or 1.800.838.3006 info: theatregigante.org
Artistic Directors Isabelle Kralj & Mark Anderson
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A&E::VISUALART
VISUALART|REVIEW
Eye Candy at Art*Bar’s ‘Art Candy’ Installation ::BY KAT KNEEVERS
T
here’s ear candy, there’s eye candy and then there’s “Art Candy,” as seen in the current installation at Art*Bar. Ari David Rosenthal, John Kowalczyk, Brandon Minga and Cassie Genc are the artists featured, and while a sense of vivid color reigns, their styles vary in interesting forms. Moving between the recognizable and the abstract, Rosenthal addresses landscapes, the body and recognizable portraits including Presidents Obama and Lincoln in manners that draw from forms like Shepard Fairey’s Hope portrait of Obama. Other pieces dwell in what might be presumed to be various visions. The Sedona Blend series shows trees and distant horizons that are given the transient
VISUALART|PREVIEW
::BY TYLER FRIEDMAN
ighteen months ago, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation—the charitable arm of the financial services giant—was fast approaching its 25th anniversary. Over the past quarter decade, the Foundation has dispersed $320 million in support of its mission to improve the lives of children and communities. The question was how to best celebrate the occasion. “We decided to tell the story of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation through the impact of the non-profits we have supported, each of which received an additional $10,000 in connection with the anniversary,” says Lynn Heimbruch, assistant director of strategic philanthropy at Northwestern Mutual. In its finished form, the anniversary celebration has taken the form of the “Giving Gallery: Community in Process,” an exhibition of 26 original works of art by 17 artists with ties to Wisconsin. Each artist was paired with one or more nonprofits that have, in collaboration with the Northwestern Mutual Foundation, positively impacted our communities. Artists spent time with their nonprofits, observing, interviewing and conceptualizing a work of art that would capture the organization’s singular spirit. The resultant works are as diverse as their creators and inspirations. In honor of the American Red Cross, Madison artist Hiroko Yamada created a metal dragonfly, exponentially larger than an actual dragonfly. “In Japanese culture, dragonflies carry the spirits of ancestors in times of need,” explains Heimbruch. Mutópe Johnson, professor of art and design at UW-Whitewater, represents a watchful community, which can be viewed as a the sort of ideal envisioned by Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee. Asked about outcomes, Heimbruch says, “We hope that the ‘Giving Gallery’ will inspire people to donate their time, treasure or talent. That way, the tentacles will expand and the effect will multiply.”“Giving Gallery” is on display throughout 2018 on the first floor of Northwestern Mutual Tower & Commons in Milwaukee, 808 E. Mason St. After its time here, it will travel to Northwestern Mutual outposts in New York City, Tucson, Ariz., Phoenix and Philadelphia. Northwestern Mutual’s ‘Giving Gallery’
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nature of dusk with black shadows tinged by red and orange highlights. Moving into other parts of the exhibition, we find collaborations between Rosenthal and Kowalczyk. They are a blend of the two artists in many ways, with crisp architectural forms bounded by lyrical abstractions. Kowalczyk, in his solo pieces, particularly exemplifies this. Dreamlike imagery is overlaid by geometric structures of grids and stars and the like. They are indeed mystical, with works featuring totemic images of tigers or compositions like 4th Dimension Chanting Hawk. Otherworldly in another way are Brandon Minga’s laser engravings and multimedia assemblages. Eschewing overt abstraction, Minga incorporates oddball figures and familiar places plus text, as in his piece Pfister, where a woman’s face and line of a body hover over a depiction of the famed hotel. A bicycle and gears hover around her, recalling the compositions of Dada artist Hannah Höch. The overall impression of Minga’s pieces, with their sepia tones and hardware, is a steampunk puzzle, something to be sorted out, perhaps. Genc is a most intriguing artist in this exhibition. Her works are also vivid and colorful, but in the sense of visions and imaginations of space exploration. This is perhaps the delight of her work, in that she shows places, things and people that inspire a sense of the unknown, and her pieces are ready to draw you there. Though billed as art candy, there is substance in this show. Through April 17 at Art*Bar, 722 E. Burleigh St. Ari David Rosenthal and John Kowalczyk Chicagolicious
“At Home”
‘Giving Gallery’ Celebrates 25 Years of Community Support
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SPONSORED BY
Carthage College, H.F. Johnson Gallery of Art 2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha Two contemporary Chicago artists make the mundane magnificent in “At Home,” opening at Carthage College’s H.F. Johnson Gallery of Art on March 12. Gwendolyn Zabicki is a painter who relishes challenges and has the chops to see them through. Her canvasses pick out unusual perceptual experiences from the flow of daily life, such as the disorienting reflection on a teakettle cleansing a stinky sponge with boiling water. Recently, Zabicki has focused on mirrors, and mirrors mirrored by other mirrors, and mirrors whose surfaces and reflections have been adulterated with vinegar. Ann Toebbe’s paintings, collages and drawings can be similarly, agreeably disorienting. Toebbe paints domestic interiors in two dimensions, which grants the viewer a God-like panoptic view, similar to a topdown videogame perspective. Toebbe’s dynamic use of color and depth of detail hold the attention and fire the imagination. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, March 15 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. and there will be an artist lecture on Monday, March 19 at 5 p.m. SHEPHERD EXPRESS
A&E::BOOKS BENOIT LEVAC
A&E::OFFTHECUFF
Voices from the Aftermath of Ferguson OFF THE CUFF with DAEL ORLANDERSMITH ::BY MALAINA MOORE
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Kim Thúy
BOOK|PREVIEW
A VietnameseCanadian Immigrant’s Story
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::BY JENNI HERRICK
anadian writer Kim Thúy fled war-torn Vietnam in 1978 at 10 years old, and her sparse debut novel Ru, which received the Governor General’s Literary Award and was longlisted for Canada Reads 2015, tells a dynamic story that, while not autobiographical, parallels many of the events in Thúy’s own life, as it flows back and forth in time from a child’s upperclass upbringing in Saigon to a forced emigration to Quebec. Written in short vignettes, this slim novel is aptly named, for in Vietnamese, ru is a lullaby; in French, a stream. In her second novel, Mãn, Thúy returns to the distant landscape of war through her meditative parable of how one family’s safe reality can be woefully inadequate at times. In the beginning, it appears as if protagonist Mãn, who fled Vietnam as a child, has settled into a comfortable existence in Canada where she enjoys cooking traditional Vietnamese cuisine in her husband’s restaurant and serving as a dutiful wife. It is only after a trip to Europe that the woman reconsiders the identity she has created for herself. Told with a moving minimalist style, Mãn is a very tender love story. Thúy’s novels were originally published in French and translated into English by Sheila Fischman. Boswell Book Company is pleased to welcome her to the store at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 8. This free event is co-sponsored by Alliance Française de Milwaukee.
ael Orlandersmith is the writer and performer of Until The Flood which opens March 13 at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Following the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Orlandersmith conducted hundreds of interviews with people living in the St. Louis region to learn their reactions. She created eight characters from these interviews, each with a unique perspective on the story. She portrays each of them in this acclaimed one-woman show. She’s interviewed by young Milwaukee playwright Malaina Moore. Where did you begin your career? I am from New York City. East Harlem. As an actor, I began as a teenager. There’s a place called the Nuyorican Poets Café and I began to do work there. I also began to study theater as a teenager at the American Academy of Dramatic Art. I went to college to study theater and film. What motivated you to begin writing your own work? Growing up in the ’70s and the ’80s, it was the era of the black musical. And that’s not what I did. And at that particular time it was only singing or playing Mammy and prostitutes, and I didn’t like that stuff because I didn’t want to do that.
What are the themes of your plays? My themes tend to be dark. I tend to write about the darker side of childhood, sins of the father, sins of the mother, combined with poetry. What is your writing process like and what inspires your ideas? Well, I create my own work because if I didn’t create it, I wouldn’t be working. My topics come to me primarily through stuff I went through as a kid. Something that always bothers me is when people say, “Oh, you’re a black female playwright.” No, I am a playwright, it’s a given that I am black and female. Within the course of the day, it’s expected that I’m listening to jazz or hip-hop, and maybe I am but I could also be listening to opera which I also listen to because I listen to a lot of different things. So what moves me can come from music, it can come from painting—because I wish I could paint, I’d love to. Even from film because I watch a lot of film, what some people would call “world cinema,” and I hate that because it’s all cinema. It may not be conventional, it may be from Asia or Africa but it’s all a part of the world. So maybe I’m watching an African film or a film from India—it’s all eclectic with me. My thinking is not linear in the conventional sense of the word. You not only wrote Until the Flood but you play every character? The way Flood is written, yes, I am doing it solo now. But it’s written so it can be multi-character, single character, anybody of any race and or gender can do it because if we are going to talk about inclusion and not stereotyping, it has to be consistent. How did you turn the information that you got from those you interviewed in Ferguson into the characters we’ll see in Until the Flood? Well, they are composite figures. I had the chance to sit down with Michael Brown Sr. and I said, "What happened to you affects all of us—but having said that, one of the words I’m going to use is 'boundary.' I do not have the right to do you. I am not interested in documentary theater. I want to write a play about this event and get a good sense of how people feel about this event and that’s it." He nodded and he got it. Another thing is that you’ve got the history of Ferguson that’s never had a black or Jew on their police force. It’s the history and the racial divide of their city. And then you have the individual stories of Michael Brown and Darren Wilson. I’m looking at their personal narratives. If you stand up to make a political statement, that’s wrong. My job as a storyteller and writer is to tell the story. The humanity will come out through telling the different kinds of truths about it. When people ask, “Are you going to tell the truth about this?” I say, “Well, there are so many different kinds.” Not many people realize Michael Brown and Darren Wilson are the flip sides of the same coin so I had to think what makes one person go one way and one another. I don’t think Darren Wilson is happy, I don’t. And then people say I am defending him. I’m not defending him, I’m humanizing. You have to humanize people because to make him into some big redneck—that’s a caricature. It’s not about liking, but understanding. The nicest person in the world is capable of cruelty, the cruelest person experiences moments of kindness. Performances are March 13-April 22 in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Stiemke Studio, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets, call 414-224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep.com. Dael Orlandersmith
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
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; Across Borders ; Across Time ;
::HEARMEOUT ASK RUTHIE | UPCOMING EVENTS | PAUL MASTERSON
SPRING 2018
Ensemble Caprice iLove Baroque Mar 17 | 5:00pm Silent Auction Fundraiser & Chocolate Reception 3:00 pm UWM – Zelazo Center
::RUTHIE’SSOCIALCALENDAR March 7: 2018 State of the Cream City Foundation at Marquette Alumni Memorial Union (1442 W. Wisconsin Ave.) Brett Blomme, President and CEO of the Cream City Foundation, invites to you this 5:30 p.m. reception and presentation, regarding the exciting plans the foundation has for the year. Enjoy free appetizers, a cash bar, entertainment by the City of Festivals Men’s Chorus and more before the brief 6:15 p.m. program.
…
“The ensemble has established itself as an immensely thoughtful and progressive force on the musical scene.” — THE NEW YORK TIMES
414.225.3113
|
EARLYMUSICNOW.ORG
You are invited to our Milwaukee Women’s Leadership Luncheon
featuring Ashley Brundage, Inclusion Consultant and VP at PNC Financial Services Group
Wednesday, March 28 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saz’s South Second 838 S 2nd St Milwaukee, WI $30 for Chamber members $40 for non-Chamber members Register online at www.WisLGBTChamber.com 26 | M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 8
Suffer the Rude Boyfriend in Silence? Nah! Dear Ruthie,
I don’t have a problem with my brother being gay. In fact, I love him. My problem is with his boyfriend— how he eats to be exact. This guy has the worst table manners I’ve seen. I’m not picky about stuff like that, but this guy is disgusting. He chews with his mouth open, talks with food in his mouth, spits when he talks, eats with his hands, gets food all over his face, the list goes on. Do I say something to my brother? To his boyfriend? Do I just suffer in silence during family meals for the rest of my life? What do you think?
Thanks Gorgeous, What’s Said Fred Dear Freddy,
Open up and say “ah...that’s disgusting.” There’s nothing worse than talking to a man over dinner, when a slice of ham flies outta his mouth and lands on your cheek. Charming! I once dated a guy who could work chop sticks with his feet. Interesting? Possibly. Sickening? Definitely! The difference is that he could control his table manners (odd as they may be). It sounds like your bro’s boy isn’t going to change any time soon, however, so if you love your brother, let it go. It sounds like your only complaint about this fella is his eating habits, so sit far enough away from the disgusting diner and avoid eye contact over meals. Who knows? Your brother might dump the chump in the end, and mealtime will turn marvelous once more!
March 8: GAYme Night at UWM LGBT Resource Center (2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., Union WG-89): Geek Week continues at UW-Milwaukee with this 4-7 p.m. night of gaming, friends, snacks and socializing. Video games are provided as well as tabletop options. Bring cards or your favorite board game to share. Need more info? Contact peerout@uwm.edu with questions about the free event. March 8: Taste of Milwaukee at Italian Community Center (631 E. Chicago St.): Join local foodies for this 38th annual celebration of all things yummy in Cream City. Seventeen of the town’s tastiest offer their best during the 5:30-8:30 p.m. nosh fest. Take a bite out of your week, with live entertainment, a $500 cash raffle, silent auctions and more. Tickets start at $100 and can be found at broadscope.org/support-our-mission/events/taste-of-milwaukee. March 9: ‘Always…Patsy Cline’ Teaser at Colectivo Coffee (2211 N. Prospect Ave.): Sit back, relax and let the heartwarming lyrics of country icon Patsy Cline wash over you during a 4 p.m. concert. The cast of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Always…Patsy Cline offers a sneak peek of the upcoming production with this free show. March 9: Old Fashioned Fest at The Garage at the Harley-Davidson Museum (400 W. Canal St.): My amigos at Shepherd Express raise their glasses in a toast to a Wisconsin whistle wetter—the almighty Old Fashioned. Seventeen bars and restaurants compete for the whiskey versus brandy showdown, with your vote naming the winners. Find tickets to the 5-8 p.m. tasting via shepherdtickets.com. March 10: Glow Crazy Party at Club Icon (6305 120th Ave., Kenosha): It’s time to “glow” crazy (get it?) with the kids down south during this black-light party. Free glow sticks and neon T-shirts (while supplies last), five DJs and glowing cocktails make this a trippy night for the books. The craziness starts at 10 p.m. March 11: ‘Mary’s Kingdom: The Return of Dick’ at Hamburger Mary’s (730 S. Fifth St.): They’re back! The city’s top drag kings hit the stage at the kitschy burger joint for a 7 p.m. revue. Best of all, Dick Fitswell makes his longawaited return in this must-see show. March 14: ‘What Happened to My Goals?’ at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C. (1000 N. Water St.): The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce offers this noon lunch-and-learn to help you achieve your 2018 goals. The workshop offers an oversight of goal setting, steps to achieve your objectives and more. Free to chamber members, the one-hour noon workshop costs non-members $10. Want to share an event with Ruthie? Need her advice? Email DearRuthie@ Shepex.com. Be sure to follow her on Facebook (Ruthie Keester) and Twitter (@ DearRuthie). SHEPHERD EXPRESS
::MYLGBTQPoint of View
RESOLVE CONFLICT? Sign up for Dispute Resolution Training 40 Hour Mediation Training
Sign Up Now! Five Days Only. June 18–22, 2018
stritch.edu/conflict
‘Hark! The Lark’ and Other Queer Art ::BY PAUL MASTERSON
T
he Milwaukee Art Museum recently opened a new exhibit, “Coming Away: Winslow Homer and England.” The extraordinary show of some 50 works by Homer and his contemporaries adds to the pantheon of LGBTQ artists (or those presumed to be) represented in the museum’s collection and past special exhibits. Among the regulars usually on view are Kehinde Wiley, lesbian cross-dresser Rosa Bonheur, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Andy Warhol, Marsden Hartley, reclusive lesbian Agnes Martin, Ellsworth Kelly, impressionist Gustave Caillebotte and others. MAM’s special exhibits have not shied away from gay artists either. In the past decade, major shows have been dedicated to Francis Bacon, Gilbert and George, Andy Warhol and Thomas Hart Benton. Others have included gay artists like German expressionist filmmaker F.W. Murnau. In the case of Winslow Homer, the academic debate regarding his affinities goes on. One has to remember that, until relatively recently, being out not only risked career and reputation, but could also have meant imprisonment, castration or execution. Born in 1836, Homer lived until 1910. This wasn’t the best era to be out and about—just ask Oscar Wilde. Nevertheless, evidence abounds that Homer SHEPHERD EXPRESS
could well have been gay. He never married, and although some academics play the “married to his art” card to explain his confirmed bachelorhood, he did have time for close male relationships. One, an apparent Paris fling of two years with fellow artist Albert Kelsey, is documented by a photo of the pair. Some say it emulates a typical marriage portrait. Its reverse is inscribed “Damon and Pythias,” not only a reference to mythological Greek lovers but also a popular period code for a gay couple. There’s also his 25-year relationship with Lewis Wright, his servant, with whom he lived until his death. Their domestic arrangement was something of the talk of the town in rural Prout’s Neck, Maine. However, that may also have had something to do with Wright being African American. Like French impressionist Caillebotte, Homer’s early subject matter was male-centric which was somewhat unusual for the time. He also employed boys to model as women for his female subjects. The works on view in the MAM exhibition are largely from Homer’s time in an English fishing village from May 1881 to November 1882. Many depict women at toil. But one piece is often cited for its homoerotic suggestion. Summer Night features a female couple on a seafront boardwalk. Highlighted by radiant moonlight, they dance cheek to cheek. The woman facing the viewer has her eyes closed as if lost in a deeply romantic moment. One might say she’s imagining dancing with her husband who’s away at sea—or maybe she loves the one she’s with. Homer may have ended the debate himself in 1908. Regarding his love life, he famously told a biographer, “I think it would probably kill me to have such a thing appear—and as the most interesting part of my life is of no concern to the public, I must decline to give you any particulars of it.” Enough said. Winslow Homer, The Gale, Oil on canvas, 1883–93, MUSEUM PURCHASE, IMAGE COURTESY OF THE WORCESTER ART MUSEUM.
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::MUSIC
For more MUSIC, log onto shepherdexpress.com
DAVE ZYLSTRA
FEATURE | ALBUM REVIEWS | CONCERT REVIEWS | LOCAL MUSIC
Modular Addict
Modular Addict Helps Musicians Build One-of-a-Kind, DIY Synthesizers
::BY EVAN RYTLEWSKI
t least a couple of times a day, a passerby pops into Modular Addict’s storefront on Kinnickinnic Avenue and almost immediately walks out completely perplexed. The store’s founders admit that it’s not necessarily the easiest space to grasp. “We’re a synth DIY store and hack space, the first as I know in the world,” says Tyler St Clair, though even that description probably doesn’t clear much up for most people. Think of it as a music shop for people who build their own instruments. A synthesizer has several basic components, but by mixing and matching parts and modules—I’m simplifying a lot here, it can get quite complicated—builders can create a truly one of a kind instrument with its own signature sound. “Basically as time went on, people were like, I don’t really care what some dude at Yamaha wants me to believe is the best way to do this,” says St Clair, who runs the operation with Logan Erickson and John Karbassi. “So, what people started doing is saying, ‘I like the filter on this keyboard, but I don’t like anything else about it. I want to use the oscillator from this keyboard,’ and so on and so forth. So all those little sections on a keyboard you can buy independently. If you go to Guitar Center and buy a keyboard, you run the risk of sounding like everybody else after a while, but by building your modular synthesis, you are effectively building your own keyboard, and it’s not going to sound like anybody else because there are so many possibilities.” The options are quite literally limitless. St Clair points to some of the dozens of synthesizers on Modular Addict’s display rig, a dazzling spread of panels, lights and knobs. One panel is filled with Russian characters. “There’s one company that cloned an entire Russian synthesizer,” he says, before pointing to another with some bizarre coils on it. “There’s this guy in China who made this
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one. I don’t know what this does, but you touch it and it makes connections. And this one has code, but when they built it the code was wrong, so it started spitting out this weird shit and they kept it that way.” The shop’s “hack space” is basically a couple tables of building stations, where enthusiasts gather to construct their gear or fix broken equipment or drum machines; Modular Addict also hosts regular community builds and synth meets. It’s fitting that the store is in an old hobby shop, because modular building is very much a hobby. “A lot of guitarists are getting into it, because it parallels a lot of what guitarists do with pedals,” says St Clair, who also records under the moniker Stagediver and runs the Milwaukee electronic label Radio Graffiti. “I have seen people come into the store who have never built anything before, they don’t really know much about what any of this does, and now it’s like you can’t get them to leave because they’re so addicted to it. And there’s definitely the psychological satisfaction of ‘Hey, I built this.’ You can take pride in knowing I didn’t just go to the store and buy this prebuilt thing from Korg or whatever. We also get a lot of hip-hop producers coming in, because they’re looking for ways not to sound like anybody else, and they can run their drums through filters to get all these different effects.” Modular Addict does most of its business online, and it does quite a lot of it. As one of the only businesses of its kind in what’s turning out to be a rapidly growing market, the shop ships all over the world (apparently Indonesia has a thriving synth scene). But St Clair says they wanted a physical space to help turn what’s historically been an anti-social hobby—basically the musical equivalent of ham radio—into a real community. The hope, St Clair says, is that by bringing musicians together to exchange knowledge and work off of shared sounds and technology, the shop could even help the city establish its own indelible musical identity. “We’ve always been these sort of basement-dwelling electronic guys, but we thought, ‘Let’s take our knowledge and let’s destigmatize and rebuild,’” St Clair says. “That’s our mantra here: Rebuild Milwaukee. There’s a huge electronic history here, and we wanted to be the next chapter in that history.” Modular Addict is located at 2633 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. and online at modularaddict.com.
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
::LOCALMUSIC GWEN VIEGUT
MUSIC::CONCERTREVIEW
NIGHTMARES ON WAX BROKE OUT THE SOUL AND HIP-HOP (AND SOME FURNITURE) AT THE PABST THEATER ::BY THOMAS MICHALSKI
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SHEPHERD EXPRESS
Gas Station Sushi
Gas Station Sushi Overcome the Challenges of Teendom ::BY LAUREN KEENE
T KELLEN NORDSTROM
ou’ve got to give the Pabst Theater Group a lot of credit for stocking their “Back Room” venue—snuggly tucked away inside Colectivo’s Farwell location—with far more than just the typical coffee house fare of folky singer-songwriters, spoken-word acts and the like, instead offering an unpredictable and adventurous slate of up-and-coming artists and obscure cult favorites. Thankfully, they also have the good sense to realize that public interest sometimes makes such intimate venues impractical, which is exactly why Friday night’s performance from trip-hop pioneer Nightmares on Wax was soon relocated to the roomier atmosphere of the Pabst Theater itself. After the smaller space quickly sold out, many fans of the multitalented U.K. composer, producer, DJ, etc. also known as George Evelyn feared they’d be left out in the cold (or nursing coffee and listening from afar), and some could be overheard expressing their relief as they stretched out among the Pabst’s first floor. There to warm them up was Chicago duo Air Credits, a spin-off of mashup makers The Hood Internet featuring underground MC ShowYouSuck, who, in between hits of aggressive acid-rap, never missed an opportunity to remind the audience that they specialized in “rap music from the future.” While their sound doesn’t quite live up to the complicated, somewhat cliché mythology that surrounds the project, involving an imminent apocalyptic disaster and the survivors’ attempt to keep music alive, it’s engaging nevertheless and got a warm response from the crowd, who seemed genuinely interested in their new album, Wasteland Radio New Archives, which just so happened to be released that very day. By the time they finished their set, the seats had started to fill up in earnest, mostly with aging technoheads and ravers, some of whom even represented with their Massive shirts for the by now nostalgic occasion. While catching Nightmares on Wax at a cozy venue like the Back Room would no doubt be incredible, his live stage setup would make just about any venue feel almost as intimate. Aside from an extended drum kit stuck into a rear corner, it looked more or less like your average living room—complete with a couch that Evelyn kicked back on, a coffee table strewn with keyboards and samplers and some comfortable-looking armchairs, which two guest singers casually curled up in whenever they weren’t lending their talents to Nightmares on Wax’s rich, soulful blend of hip-hop and electronica. Lighting sage every so often to set the mood, Evelyn led his small circle of friends through a dubwise set that occasionally detoured into his deep, stoner-friendly discography, but for the most part focused on his brand-new album, Shape the Future, including standouts like “Deep Shadows.” Despite being the type of mellow sounds that are perfect to zone out to, Evelyn also injected some passionate calls to action, recounting how a friend translated the E-inspired love vibe of Ibiza clubs into an important charitable foundation. It was legitimately Nightmares on Wax inspiring, and far fewer would have heard it at the Back Room.
oday’s teenagers have traded in their old leisure activities, like mall trips and movie screenings, for confronting corrupt politicians and organizing nationwide rallies. Now more than ever, it feels like the adolescents of Generation Z are steering cultural shifts towards the future. As some of the youngest members of the Milwaukee music scene, the teenage girls of Gas Station Sushi are teaching themselves how to demand respect as they continue their transition from teenagers to young adults in a child-unfriendly music community. Nyanna, Olivia, Caterina and Maya met at Girls Rock Milwaukee during the summer of 2013. Aged 11 and 12, each girl came into the summer camp without much music experience, but two summers later, Gas Station Sushi was formed. After a gig at Riverwest FemFest last winter, the girls won some recording studio time from a festival-wide raffle and used the opportunity to record their debut EP, Uglier in Person, whose title was inspired by an infamous Milwaukee lawyer. The girls received their first taste of working in a professional studio with sound engineer Amy Upthagrove (Red Lodge, Awktopus) and cranked out a five-song release. Many adults in bands know how hard it is to schedule band practice, and for high school students who are still driving with their learner’s permits, getting together is even more difficult. AP classes, after-school jobs and volunteering are only a few of the pressures high school kids face today, and the GSS members admit to sometimes feeling overwhelmed by their commitments. To maintain a sense of balance, the girls devote their Sundays to band practice at guitarist Caterina’s house. The girls often keep their band activities on the downlow around their high school-aged peers. They say only their closest friends know about their weekend activities, and drummer Maya says she was shocked when she learned a girl in the grade above her was sporting a Gas Station Sushi sticker on her water bottle. “I don’t know her, but I guess she’s been to one of our concerts,” she says. “It was cool; it was a unique thing to experience.” Bassist Olivia and singer Nyanna both keep their lips sealed about their band, though Nyanna remembers someone asking her about Gas Station Gas Station Sushi after they saw a picture of the band on Instagram. The girls acknowlSushi edge that being in a high school band is an anomaly these days, especially when fewer and fewer young people are fans of rock music. “Nobody at my Friday, school is cool enough to be in a band,” says Olivia. March 9, 7 p.m. Their adolescent, underage status means booking gigs is a lot harder, Anodyne Coffee and even getting their friends to come out to shows is a constant struggle. Roasters “We can’t go to a lot of venues,” says Caterina, “and when we do play bars, there’s beer everywhere. When I walk in, I feel like I look like a child.” Even though they’ve played their share of bar shows, Olivia agrees playing in adult-friendly venues can still feel ostracizing—especially in a city where so few all-ages venues exist. “We’ll walk in to set up, and people look at us like, ‘Why is this child here?’” she says. “We have to walk in and firmly say, “I am setting up! I am playing here in an hour!” Not being taken seriously by the adults around them is a struggle that follows Gas Station Sushi almost everywhere they go—although Olivia says being surrounded by consistently low standards does have occasional perks. “You’re able to prove yourself to people,” she says with a smirk. Gas Station Sushi play an EP release show with Red Lodge and Rocket Paloma at Anodyne Coffee Roasters on Friday, March 9 at 7 p.m.
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MUSIC::LISTINGS THURSDAY, MARCH 8
Amelia’s, Jackson Dordel Jazz Quintet (4pm) Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Acoustic Guitar Night Cactus Club, Screaming Females w/Radiator Hospital & Detenzione Cafe Carpe (Fort Atkinson), The New Pioneers Company Brewing, International Women’s Day w/RuthB8r Ginsburg and Friends County Clare Irish Inn & Pub, Acoustic Irish Folk w/Barry Dodd Frank’s Power Plant, Beaker w/Honolulu Millionaires, Beefus & The Canvasmen Jazz Estate, Organ Night w/Dan Chase Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Hoyl record release Mason Street Grill, Mark Thierfelder Jazz Trio (5:30pm) Mezcalero Restaurant, Ultimate Open Jam w/Abracadabra O’Donoghues Irish Pub (Elm Grove), The All-Star SUPERband (6pm) Pabst Theater, RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bingo Hall: Bingo Anniversary Bash w/Al White & Friends (11:30am & 4:30pm), In Bar 360: Gabriel V2 (8pm) Rave / Eagles Club, Theory Of A Deadman (all-ages, 8pm) Rounding Third Bar and Grill, World’s Funniest Free Comedy Show Shank Hall, Cory Branan w/Two Cow Garage & The Atomic Spins The Bay Restaurant, Ian Gould The Packing House Restaurant, Barbara Stephan & Peter Mac (6pm) Transfer Pizzeria Cafe, Martini Jazz Lounge Turner Hall Ballroom, No Sleep Podcast Up & Under Pub, A No Vacancy Comedy Open Mic
FRIDAY, MARCH 9
Alley Cat Lounge (Five O’Clock Steakhouse), Ali & Doug Duo American Legion Post #449 (Brookfield), Indigo Dog American Legion of Okauchee #399, Our House Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Julie’s Piano Karaoke Anodyne Coffee (Walker’s Point), Gas Station Sushi CD release party w/Red Lodge & Rocket Paloma Broken Bat Brewery, Hot Off The Grill Cafe Carpe (Fort Atkinson), Garnet Rogers Clarke Hotel (Waukesha), Dick Eliot Jazz Guitar (6pm) ComedySportz Milwaukee, ComedySportz Milwaukee!
Company Brewing, DR, TS & the Middle Men w/Redshift Headlights & Good Night Gold Dust County Clare Irish Inn & Pub, Traditional Irish Ceilidh Session Frank’s Power Plant, Dick Pix Montana AF-party w/Something To Do, Uncle Fergus Magic Whiskey Band, Mechanical Life Vein & standup comedy w/Greg Bach, Christopher Schmidt, Stacy Pawlowski, Tyler Menz & Matt Werner Hops & Leisure (Oconomowoc), BIG MUrFF and the Divers Iron Mike’s (Franklin), Jam Session w/Steve Nitros & Friends Jazz Estate, Hush Ensemble (8pm), Late Night Session: Gypsy Jazz w/Scott Hlavenka & Friends (11:30pm) Lakefront Brewery, Brewhaus Polka Kings (5:30pm) Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, The Rumble Roots w/Frugal Stu & the Coupons Mamie’s, Robert Allen Jr. Mason Street Grill, Phil Seed Trio (6pm) Miller Time Pub, ShamROCK Kick-Off Party w/Ian Gould & Pat McCurdy (5:30pm) Pabst Theater, We Banjo 3 w/Talis Pillars Pub (West Bend), 5 Card Studs Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bingo Hall: Bingo Anniversary Bash w/Bobby Way & The Wayouts (11:30am & 4:30pm), In Bar 360: Jason Ray Brown (9pm), In the Fire Pit: Superfly (9pm) Rave / Eagles Club, Ty Dolla $ign w/Marc E. Bassy, Dre Sinatra, & Toni Romiti (all-ages, 8pm), Keys N Krates w/Promnite & Jubilee (allages, 8pm), Knuckle Puck w/Boston Manor, Free Throw, Hot Mulligan & Jetty Bones (all-ages, 6:30pm) Red Dot Wauwatosa, One Lane Bridge Reefpoint Brew House (Racine), Joe Kadlec Riverside Theater, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias Route 20 Outhouse (Sturtevant), Udo Dirkschneider w/Elm Street & Wrath Shank Hall, Victor Wainwright The Bay Restaurant, Harold Stewart & Friends The Iron Horse Hotel, The B Side Band The Packing House Restaurant, The Barbara Stephan Group (6:30pm) Turner Hall Ballroom, Bahamas w/The Weather Station Uptowner, Chicken Bacon
SATURDAY, MARCH 10
7 Mile Fair (Caledonia), Houserockin’ Blues Revue w/Kevin Cannon, Mary and James Davis & James Cosey (12pm) American Legion Post #449 (Brookfield), Suave Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Piano Night Anodyne Coffee (Walker’s Point), Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound Cactus Club, Girls Rock Benefit w/Sundial Mottos, Pleasure Thief & Gas Station Sushi Cafe Carpe (Fort Atkinson), Karen Johnson Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: Magnetic Minds w/Birth Of Tragedy (8pm); DJ: (10pm) Club Garibaldi, Awktopus w/Tapebenders, Future Plans & Beach Static ComedySportz Milwaukee, ComedySportz Milwaukee! Company Brewing, So Greedy presents: The B.I.G. Tribute Cue Club of Wisconsin (Waukesha), Totally Neon Five O’Clock Steakhouse, Kirk Tatnall Frank’s Power Plant, H1Z1 w/Ratbatspider, OnceTheSun, Reflection of Flesh, A Silent Truth & Consume The Divide (6pm) Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Vocals & Keys Hops & Leisure (Oconomowoc), Dirty Boogie Jazz Estate, Jeff Davis “Tone Collector” (8pm), Late Night Session: Ryan Meisel Quartet (11:30pm) Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, Horror Show: Roosevelt Dolls, Fiendish Phantoms & Dale T Wamboldt Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Well Known Strangers w/Pretty Beggar & Zach Pietrini Mamie’s, The Blues Disciples Mason Street Grill, Jonathan Wade Trio (6pm) Mezcalero Restaurant, Looking Back Motor Bar & Restaurant, American Blues w/Dave Potter, Robert Stroger & Jimi Schutte (5:30pm) Pabst Theater, Railroad Earth w/Roosevelt Collier Trio Pam’s Fine Wines (Mukwonago), Rebecca and the Grey Notes Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bingo Hall: Bingo Anniversary Bash w/Do-Wa-Wa (9am), In Bar 360: Naked ‘80s (9pm), In the Fire Pit: The Mantz Brothers (9pm) Riverside Theater, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias Route 20 Outhouse (Sturtevant), Sham Rock The House (3pm) Shank Hall, Albert Cummings w/Twila Jean Slinger House (Slinger), Joe Kadlec Smith Bros. Coffee House (Port Washington), Martelle Jossart Trio The Cheel (Thiensville), Val Sigal & The ZydeCats w/Jeannie Holliday The Coffee House, Kaia Fowler and SistaStrings The Packing House Restaurant, Lem Banks, Jeff Stoll, Alvin Turner & Omar (6:30pm) Trinity Three Irish Pubs, Atlantic Wave (10:30am), Trinity Irish Dancers (2pm), Leahy’s Luck (4pm), DJ Slim Rick & DJ Zovo (10pm) Unitarian Church North, Wisconsin Singer/Songwriter Series presents: Kitty Donohoe Up & Under Pub, Spare Change Trio Var Gallery & Studios, Classical Guitar: Nanae Fujiwara & Dominic DiIanni
SUNDAY, MARCH 11
ALL SERVICES UNDER ONE ROOF
7 Mile Fair (Caledonia), Houserockin’ Blues Revue w/Kevin Cannon, Mary and James Davis & James Cosey (12pm)
Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Live Karaoke w/Julie Brandenburg Cactus Club, UNCUT- We Can Do It! Cafe Carpe (Fort Atkinson), Anna Tivel & Jeffrey Martin Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: Early Sunrise (8pm); DJ: Sheppy (10pm) Dopp’s Bar & Grill, CCMC Open Jam w/Texas 55 (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, Hot and Dirty Brass Band (2pm) Lakefront Brewery, Keg Stand Up Comedy Pabst Theater, Golden Dragon Acrobats (3pm) Riverwest Artists Association, Jerry Grillo w/John Hefter (4pm) Rounding Third Bar and Grill, The Dangerously Strong Comedy Open Mic
MONDAY, MARCH 12
Jazz Estate, Mark Davis Trio Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Poet’s Monday w/host Timothy Kloss & featured reader Brian Sevedge (sign-up 7:30pm, 8-10:30pm) Mason Street Grill, Joel Burt Duo (5:30pm) Pabst Theater, Lucius w/Ethan Gruska Paulie’s Pub and Eatery, Open Jam w/Christopher John The Roadhouse (Dundee), Jonny T-Bird Open Jam Up & Under Pub, Open Mic w/Marshall McGhee and the Wanderers
TUESDAY, MARCH 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, Sweet Sheiks Mamie’s, Open Blues Jam w/Stokes Mason Street Grill, Jamie Breiwick Group (5:30pm) Pabst Theater, ‘The Musical Box’ Genesis Tribute Shank Hall, Terrapin Flyer w/Scott Guberman from Phil Lesh and friends The Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, Jazz Jam Session Transfer Pizzeria Cafe, Transfer House Band w/Dennis Fermenich
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14
Cactus Club, MELT Presents: Machine Girl w/The Demix & Tarek Sabbar Caroline’s Jazz Club, American Blues w/Joe Moss, EG McDaniel & Jimi Schutte Conway’s Smokin’ Bar & Grill, Open Jam w/Big Wisconsin Johnson Jazz Estate, Duo Night w/MRS. FUN Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, Polka Open Jam Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Acoustic Open Stage w/feature Liam Slater (sign-up 8:30pm, start 9pm) Mason Street Grill, Jamie Breiwick Group (5:30pm) Mezcalero Restaurant, Larry Lynne Trio Mo’s... A Place for Steaks, The 730 Project: Dick Blau & Jerry Weitzer Nomad World Pub, 88.9 Presents “Locals Only” Pabst Theater, Rodriguez Paulie’s Field Trip, Humpday Jam w/Dave Wacker & Mitch Cooper Tally’s Tap & Eatery (Waukesha), Tomm Lehnigk The Packing House Restaurant, Mauree McGavock & Kostia Efimov (6pm)
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::ONTHECOUCH
CLASSIFIEDS
Something bugging you? Find out what the Shrink thinks
What to do with the Boomerang Kid? Dear Shrink,
Our 25-year-old son graduated from college more than a year ago. It took him longer than expected, but we’re happy he successfully finished. He (and his debt) came home to live with us “temporarily,” but here we are, 16 months later, and he shows no sign of wanting to leave. He tells us he is looking for a job in his field and having no luck. He has had a number of part-time, minimum wage jobs but “gets bored” or “oversleeps” and either quits or gets fired. Selfishly, my husband and I were really starting to enjoy all of our kids being launched and having our empty nest to ourselves. How do we get him to get on with his life so we can get on with ours?
The Shrink Replies
Ahh, kids. They’re so cute when they’re babies. And if you’re really fortunate, they turn into decent, interesting, thoughtful human beings, but not without a lot of bumps, bruises and missteps along the way. If it makes you feel any better, you are not alone; there are plenty of people wondering the same thing as you are— how to get this beloved adult child of yours out of your house. It’s a parental psycho-emotional conundrum: You love him to pieces, and you also want to wring his neck some days. There’s a name for this cultural epidemic: “Boomeranging.” It’s no longer seen as a sign of immaturity or inadequacy for Millennials to return home for a while after graduating (or dropping out) as a pause to reboot before beginning their life in the cold, cruel world of jobs and bills. There are plenty of plausible arguments to be made for this, not the least of which is being able to save some money as they embark on a life of student loan payments, paying rent, etc. So, when this arrangement is proposed, either by the child, the parent, or both, it seems like a pretty good idea. The rub comes when you realize that your comfy, happy, well-appointed home has become a bit too comfy for Junior. After all, why would anyone want to leave 1,000-count Egyptian cotton sheets? The best-case scenarios for the “boomerang kid” dilemma are those that set the parameters of the arrangement in place before the movein happens. In your case, though, you’re faced with the task of installing a new set of rules where there haven’t been any before. So, here’s my advice: Sit down with your husband and talk about the current domestic conditions and see if you’re on the same page. Don’t assume you are; sometimes one partner is much less irritated SHEPHERD EXPRESS
about having a “roommate” than the other. If you agree that you are ready to intervene so that this situation doesn’t become permanent, get ready to set some boundaries and make a deal to back each other up in enforcing the agreement. Include your son in a respectful, adult conversation about what your concerns and needs are and ask him what he’s thinking about as his next steps. It’s important to have this chat with him at a time when you’re feeling fond of him and not when he’s gotten on your last nerve for “forgetting” to take the garbage out—again. While it might appear as if he is happy with his squatting arrangement, once again, don’t assume so. He might be just as eager to fly the coop but is feeling, literally, afraid to leave home. See if you can get him to talk about his fears; you can remind him of his strengths (after all, he earned a college degree!) and reassure him that he can do “scary” things and still be okay. Make a contract and have everyone sign it. I know it seems contrived, but documents hold more weight than the spoken word. People hear what they want to hear, especially during difficult conversations. Seeing the terms of the agreement, literally in black and white, leaves no room for misinterpretation. Things to cover in this contract are: His responsibilities—such as paying rent, doing household jobs, respecting your rules about noise, coming home late or not at all— after all, he’s living with his parents and parents will always worry. His plan—what he feels he needs to do to be ready to launch—things like getting a job or jobs that will allow him to cover basic living expenses, finding roommates to live with, saving enough money for an apartment, ramping up his efforts to either pursue a job in his field or explore getting trained in an alternate career. His move-out date—a reasonable goal might be six months, with a check-in at the four- and five-month points, and a reminder that you are expecting him to be out of the door and will be enforcing this (even if it means changing your locks!) for the good of all parties. It might sound harsh but, trust me, a contract like this provides the necessary clarity and a structure everyone can live with. An added bonus is that it gives him, and you, a welcome break from the annoying, daily interrogation about his plans or lack of them. Who knew that parenting a young adult would be so hard? After all, you’re dealing with another human being who is capable of behaving like an adult but chooses not to do so. You know the saying: “The best things parents can give their children are roots and wings”? It takes all of your best parenting skills—patience, good timing, creative manipulation, balancing your heart and your head—to continue to be the safe, secure roots your son needs and, at the same time, give him a loving, but firm, shove to flap his wings and fly. On the Couch is written by a licensed mental health professional. Her advice is not meant to be a substitute for mental health care. Send your questions to onthecouch@ shepex.com. Comment at shepherdexpress.com.
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M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 31
HAVING A BLAST! 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 14 4 7 2 22
32 | M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 8
75.Always 76.Big boats 77.Raised platform 78.Trucks 79.Kind of British gun 80.“Norma —” 81.A water sport 85.Equals 86.Imbue 88.— prosequi 89.Funeral coach 90.Annexes 91.Influences 92.Short 93.Something soporific 96.Goes ‘round and ‘round 97.Tijuana neighbor: 2 wds. 101. British car part 103. Aid in aerodynamics research: 2 wds. 105. Mr. Saarinen 106. Subdued 107. Italian river 108. Done for 109. Sketched 110. Rods for roasting 111. Candle 112. Hit DOWN 1. Cuts down 2. Inter — 3. Tirade 4. Roundabout 5. Buddhist doctrine concerning the soul 6. Stadiums 7. Weaponry 8. Cap-a- — 9. Tardier anagram 10.Worried anagram 11.A star sign 12.Tricks 13.Purpose 14.Prayer beads
15.Broccoli bit 16.Learning 17.Charity 18.The good old days 24.Journey 26.Supporting structure 29.“Bus Stop” playwright 32.Mix 33.Column molding 34.Relate 35.Convex molding 36.Jacket 37.Yarn fuzz 38.Youngman the comedian 39.Jacket, British style 40.Shaw the bandleader 41.Affirmatives 43.Less skillful 44.Anchor 47.Tackle box items 49.Apothegm 51.Inclines 52.Patch locale 53.Passover meal 54.Dodge 56.Lahr and namesakes 58.Dog breed, for short 59.Some writers 62.Fetch 63.Steep slope
64.Seasons goddesses 65.Leonine group 66.“Friends” name 67.NHL players 69.He was Austin Powers 70.Feel 72.Chinos 74.Woody stem 77.Language varieties 79.Mealtimes for restaurant-goers 81.Wales 82.Relaxes 83.Move about 84.Bug’s undoing 85.Doomed soldier 87.Lea 89.Orion, e.g. 91.Dulcet 92.Mooch 93.Was indebted 94.Bridge support 95.About: 2 wds. 96.Tractor trailer 97.Cut 98.Lab compound 99.Knee joint 100. Mr. Cassini 102. Knock 104. Princess in light opera
Solution to last week’s puzzle
R I A L G N E D O
E A D N I G R O L
G N O R L E D I A
L R I D A O N G E
I E L G R A O N D
A D R O N L G E I
N O G E D I A L R
2
18
1
19
3
13
13
16
3
14
13
9
9
18
14
18
3
2 14
8
13
2
9
16
4 24
14
23
20
16
11 17
16
13 2
19
15
6 18
22
9 2
23
10 16
16
16
24
12 20
21
3 9
9
3
5
6
25 25
16
26 13
13
3 18
11
16 6
24
9
11
5
11
2
16 1
6
18 16
16
13 3
5 3
18 16
13
13 13
3/1 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 22 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.
Sunny Days Again Solution: 22 Letters
© 2018 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate Inc.
ACROSS 1. Supreme being in Hinduism 5. Tailor 10.Whipsnake 15.Aileron 19.Ardor 20.Persian wheel 21.U. of Maine’s home 22.“Whatever — Wants” 23.Old merchant ship 25.Cyclones 27.Fills 28.Fairground attractions 30.Check 31.Furrows 32.Smallish ones 33.Faithful 34.Ivanhoe’s love interest 37.Belgian province 38.Elevator shaft 42.Oust 43.Wilde’s “Lady — Fan” 45.Wrath 46.Baptistery 47.Endless 48.Burden 49.Drones and queens 50.Antiquity 51.Aquarium creature 53.Boys 54.Izzard or Cibrian 55.Brigands 57.Queen the detective 59.Sets 60.Girl in the Pyrenees 61.Kind of egg or apple 62.Branch 63.Dig-site discovery 65.Explored 68.Reforms 71.Layers 72.Ship part 73.Tell, in a way
D G E I O R L A N
16
2
Albany Alva Avoca Ayr Bega Bluff Bowen Broome Bungan Byron Bay Capes Coogee Corio Dampier Dee Why Eden
Fun Iluka Kiama Lorne Main Manly Marlo Mindil Noosa North Steyne Nowra Onslow Orbost Palm Play
Rest Robe Rock Sale Sarina Sawyers Shells Surf The Basin Tide Watego Wave Yamba
3/1 Solution: That day we all hoped out house would win
Solution: Time to kick back and relax
© 2018 United Feature Syndicate, Dist. by Andrews McMeel Syndication
O L N A E D I R G
22
10 4
2 17
9
8 2
Creators Syndicate
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SHEPHERD EXPRESS Date: 3/8/18
::FREEWILLASTROLOGY ::BY ROB BREZSNY PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): According to my assessment of the astrological omens, you’re in a favorable phase to gain more power over your fears. You can reduce your susceptibility to chronic anxieties. You can draw on the help and insight necessary to dissipate insidious doubts that are rooted in habit but not based on objective evidence. I don’t want to sound too melodramatic, my dear Pisces, but THIS IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY! YOU ARE POTENTIALLY ON THE VERGE OF AN UNPRECEDENTED BREAKTHROUGH! In my opinion, nothing is more important for you to accomplish in the coming weeks than this inner conquest. ARIES (March 21-April 19): The men who work on offshore oilrigs perform demanding, dangerous tasks on a regular basis. If they make mistakes, they may get injured or befoul the sea with petroleum. As you might guess, the culture on these rigs has traditionally been macho, stoic and hard driving. But in recent years, that has changed at one company. Shell Oil’s workers in the U.S. were trained by Holocaust survivor Claire Nuer to talk about their feelings, be willing to admit errors and soften their attitudes. As a result, the company’s safety record has improved dramatically. If macho dudes toiling on oilrigs can become more vulnerable and open and tenderly expressive, so can you, Aries. And now would be a propitious time to do it. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): How will you celebrate your upcoming climax and culmination, Taurus? With a howl of triumph, a fist pump and three cartwheels? With a humble speech thanking everyone who helped you along the way? With a bottle of champagne, a gourmet feast and spectacular sex? However you choose to mark this transition from one chapter of your life story to the next chapter, I suggest that you include an action that will help the next chapter get off to a rousing start. In your ritual of completion, plant seeds for the future. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): On April 23, 1516, the Germanic duchy of Bavaria issued a decree. From that day forward, all beer produced had to use just three ingredients: water, barley and hops. Ever since then, for the last 500+ years, this edict has had an enduring influence on how German beer is manufactured. In accordance with astrological factors, I suggest that you proclaim three equally potent and systemic directives of your own. It’s an opportune time to be clear and forceful about how you want your story to unfold in the coming years. CANCER (June 21-July 22): What’s your most frustrating flaw? During the next seven weeks, you will have enhanced power to diminish its grip on you. It’s even possible you will partially correct it or outgrow it. To take maximum advantage of this opportunity, rise above any covert tendency you might have to cling to your familiar pain. Rebel against the attitude described by novelist Stephen King: “It’s hard to let go. Even when what you’re holding onto is full of thorns, it’s hard to let go. Maybe especially then.” LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In his book Whistling in the Dark, author Frederick Buechner writes that the ancient Druids took “a special interest in in-between things like mistletoe, which is neither quite a plant nor quite a tree, and mist, which is neither quite rain nor quite air, and dreams, which are neither quite waking nor quite sleep.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, in-between phenomena will be your specialty in the coming weeks. You will also thrive in relationship to anything that lives in two worlds or that has paradoxical qualities. I hope you’ll exult in the educational delights that come from your willingness to be teased and mystified. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The English word “velleity” refers to an empty wish that has no power behind it. If you feel a longing to make a pilgrimage to a holy site, but can’t summon the motivation to actually do so, you are under the spell of velleity. Your fantasy of communicating with more flair and candor is a velleity if you never initiate the practical steps to accomplish that goal. Most of us suffer from this weakness at one time or another. But the good news, Virgo, is that you are primed to overcome your version of it during the next six weeks. Life will conspire to assist you if you resolve to turn your
SHEPHERD EXPRESS
wishy-washy wishes into potent action plans—and then actually carry out those plans. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the 2002 film Spiderman, there’s a scene where the character Mary Jane slips on a spilled drink as she carries a tray full of food through a cafeteria. Spiderman, disguised as his alter ego Peter Parker, makes a miraculous save. He jumps up from his chair and catches Mary Jane before she falls. Meanwhile, he grabs her tray and uses it to gracefully capture her apple, sandwich, carton of milk and bowl of jello before they hit the floor. The filmmakers say they didn’t use CGI to render this scene. The lead actor, Tobey Maguire, allegedly accomplished it in real life—although it took 156 takes before he finally mastered it. I hope you have that level of patient determination in the coming weeks, Libra. You, too, can perform a small miracle if you do. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot was a connoisseur of “the art of roughness” and “the uncontrolled element in life.” He liked to locate and study the hidden order in seemingly chaotic and messy things. “My life seemed to be a series of events and accidents,” he said. “Yet when I look back I see a pattern.” I bring his perspective to your attention, Scorpio, because you are entering a phase when the hidden order and secret meanings of your life will emerge into view. Be alert for surprising hints of coherence. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I suspect that in July and August you will be invited to commune with rousing opportunities and exciting escapades. But right now I’m advising you to channel your intelligence into well-contained opportunities and sensible adventures. In fact, my projections suggest that your ability to capitalize fully on the future’s rousing opportunities and exciting escapades will depend on how well you master the current crop of well-contained opportunities and sensible adventures. Making the most of today’s small pleasures will qualify you to harvest bigger pleasures later. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): If you saw the animated film The Lion King, you may have been impressed with the authenticity of the lions’ roars and snarls. Did the producers place microphones in the vicinity of actual lions? No. Voice actor Frank Welker produced the sounds by growling and yelling into a metal garbage can. I propose this as a useful metaphor for you in the coming days. First, I hope it inspires you to generate a compelling and creative illusion of your own—an illusion that serves a good purpose. Second, I hope it alerts you to the possibility that other people will be offering you compelling and creative illusions—illusions that you should engage with only if they serve a good purpose. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I do a lot of self-editing before I publish what I write. My horoscopes go through at least three drafts before I unleash them on the world. While polishing the manuscript of my first novel, I threw away over a thousand pages of stuff that I had worked on very hard. In contrast to my approach, science fiction writer Harlan Ellison dashed off one of his award-winning stories in a single night, and published it without making any changes to the first draft. As you work in your own chosen field, Aquarius, I suspect that for the next three weeks you will produce the best results by being more like me than Ellison. Beginning about three weeks from now, an Ellison-style strategy might be more warranted. Homework: What would the people who love you best say is the most important thing for you to learn? 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
Russian Dope
A
s the 2018 Winter Olympics got underway—and athletes from Russia were forced to compete under the Olympic flag and be designated as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” (OAR) as punishment for systemic doping at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi—bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva proudly wore a T-shirt that read “I Don’t Do Doping.” But, on Friday, Feb. 23, Sergeeva became the second Russian athlete to fail a doping test (curler Alexander Krushelnitsky also failed a drug test). Sergeeva had been a vocal critic of the Olympic policy toward Russian athletes, telling Yahoo Sports: “If we are here, and we are clean, we should be able to walk under our flag.”
Here Comes the Judge! District Judge Joseph Boeckmann, 72, took a personal interest in the young men who came through his courtrooms from 2009 to 2015 in Cross and St. Francis counties (Arkansas) with traffic citations or misdemeanor criminal charges. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that Judge Boeckmann routinely dismissed those charges pending completion of “community service”—which the judge would arrange through private phone calls with the men. The “service” amounted to providing sexual favors or allowing Judge Boeckmann to take pictures of them in “embarrassing positions; positions that he found sexually gratifying,” a court document revealed. Boeckmann, of Wynne, Ark., admitted to the charges in October and was sentenced Feb. 21 to five years in prison. Prosecutors had agreed to a lesser sentence in light of Boeckmann’s age, but U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker ordered the maximum sentence, saying, “[H]e acted corruptly while serving as a judge. That sets his crime apart.”
Compelling Explanations On Friday, Feb. 9, the Texas Third Court of Appeals upheld the four-year prison sentence Ralph Friesenhahn, 65, of San Antonio received after his fourth DWI conviction in 2016, rejecting arguments from his lawyer, Gina Jones, that the state’s legal limit for alcohol concentration discriminates against alcoholics, who have a
higher tolerance for liquor. “You’re not being punished for being an alcoholic,” Sammy McCrary, chief of the felony division for the Comal County criminal district attorney’s office, told the Austin American-Statesman. “It’s the driving that’s the problem.”
Special Delivery At the beginning of February, several residents along a block in Marina, Calif., were hit by mail thieves. But the criminals probably didn’t know what hit them when they stole Rosalinda Vizina’s package. Sfgate.com reported that Vizina, an entomologist, had ordered 500 live cockroaches for a study she’s working on. “I feel a little bad for the roaches in case they got smushed or tossed or something like that,” Vizina told KSBW. “For the thieves, I hope they went everywhere,” she added.
Mullet Mania Down Under The mining town of Kurri Kurri, Australia, cut loose on Saturday, Feb. 24, with a new festival to draw visitors: Mullet Fest, a celebration of the infamous hairstyle and those who wear it. Local hairdresser Laura Johnson came up with the idea, which included contests (Junior Mullet and Ladies’ Mullet categories, etc.) and bands like The Stunned Mullets. Winner of the junior division prize, Alex Keavy, 12, told The Guardian: “It’s not a hairstyle, it’s a lifestyle.” He pledged to use his $50 prize to buy his girlfriend a pie. More than 180 contestants competed for Best Mullet of Them All. Meryl Swanson, the local Labor MP and a contest judge, said she was “looking for pride, people embracing the mullet, finding self-worth in it.”
Wichita Windfall Christina Ochoa of Wichita, Kan., and her mom, Christy, explained to The Wichita Eagle that more than 50 $5 withdrawals Christina made from a Central National Bank ATM during a five-day period in mid-January were for a “money cake” she was making as a gift for someone. But the bank says the faulty ATM was dispensing $100 bills instead of $5 bills, and that Christina received $14,120 instead of $1,485. In a lawsuit filed on Monday, Jan. 22, the bank sought $11,607.36 (plus interest) it says is owed by Christina. The bank is also trying to seize two cars she bought during the same period—claiming that the $3,000 down payment for one of them was made up entirely of $100 bills. © 2018 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 8 | 33
THEBACK::ARTFORART’SSAKE
Creature from the Hack Lagoon ::BY ART KUMBALEK
I
’m Art Kumbalek and man oh man manischewitz what a world, ain’a? For starters, I’m having a hard time believing another month of March is upon us like your live-action news team on a flake of snow. The month that’s supposed to come on like a lion and go out like a lamb, or, show up like a lamb and then tear ass like a lion upon retreat; or is it go in like a lamb and come out like lamb chops? Fock if I can remember. Anyways, you may perhaps rejoice to learn that I’m cutting this essay off at the knees this week on account of the Daylight Saving Time crock-of-clock sneaking up this weekend to steal an hour from me. And let me tell you, at my age I don’t have a spare hour to pony up with no guaranteed payback. If I go deader than a doornail before October, I’m screwed out of 60 minutes, Jack, and I’m not going to let that happen. Yes sir, a portion of that lost hour was planned for whipping out a full-blown comprehensive essay and any time left over was to be devoted to finishing off the book-novel Finnegans Wake by the Irish guy what’s his-name. I started it some years ago but got sidetracked. I still got about a 600 pages to go, so please, no one tell me how it turns out, OK?
But before I go, I ought to mention I heard that our President Trumpel-thinskin fired off a couple, three pretty good jokes the other day at the Gridiron Club dinner the other day, what the fock—the Gridiron Club, you may recall, being the longtime D.C. outfit for media types and assorted hangers-on. So I put on my thinking cap and thought of two that the orange circus peanut could use the next time he gets an invite to chow down with the enemy, or perhaps to regale his fellow cellmates when he finally winds up where he belongs: The police arrived and found a woman dead on her living room floor with a golf club next to her body. They asked the husband—who had just returned from a really truly wonderful outing at one of my fabulous Trump golf courses—“Is this your wife?” And the husband says, “Yes, that’s her all right.” The cops asked the husband if he had killed her, and the husband says, “I believe that I did.” Then the cops say, “It looks like you struck her eight times with this 3-iron. Is that correct?” And the husband says, “That’s technically true, but how ’bout you put me down for a five.” Ba-ding! Okey-dokey, abuse of women and cheating at golf. Our leader could sure deliver that story, ain’a?
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And this one: So I’m lying in bed with Melania and I say, “I am going to make you the happiest woman in the world.” And she says, “Oh, that’s nice. I’ll miss you.” Ba-ding! And now, the big finish: When you slide out of bed come Sunday morning and you realize you’ve been heisted of an hour, please remember the words of Sir Groucho Marx: “Time flies like the wind. Fruit flies like bananas.” Focking-A, ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.
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Visi Vi s t uss on Ma Ma arc rch 9 , fr rc fo om m a.m. to p. a. p m. m and re an ece ce eiv ivve a an n env n el elo op pe w wiith th a spe peci cial gifft or or offer in off offe nsi side de. de Lim Limi Li miit on one ne p pe er ho hou ous use eh hol o d. d. Whi h le e suppl up ppl plie es la astt. Gree Gr een n eld ld, WI W loc ocat a io on o on nly ly.. t th
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