Aug 16, 2018 Print Edition

Aug. 16 - Aug. 22, 2018 shepherdexpress.com

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irish fest august 16-19, 2018

Next Steps for County Transit ... page 4

Piecing Together the ‘Puzzle’ of Life ... page 24

We Banjo 3 Make Themselves at Home at Irish Fest ... page 28

Time to PLAY. AUGUST 25

ALL STARS

P R E S E NT S

WITH JAMES YON, JERSEY “THE HAITIAN SENSATION” AND DEAN NAPOLITANO As seen on The Lowdown, Stand-up for Diversity, Good Morning America, the Montreal Comedy Festival and more.

SEPTEMBER 8

SEPTEMBER 22

OCTOBER 13

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HAL SPARKS

ELIOT CHANG

ANDREW SCHULZ

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

AL

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OCTOBER 27

NOVEMBER 10

QUINN DAHLE

NOVEMBER 24

JOE MACHI

JOE YANNETY

DECEMBER 15

IAN BAGG

DECEMBER 29

ASIF ALI

ALSO AT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS THE ATER AUGUST 24

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

OCTOBER 10

OCTOBER 12

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER— NEW ORLEANS LIVE!

SEPTEMBER 21

THE FAMILY STONE

FEATURING ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES AND ORIGINAL FOUNDING MEMBERS OF SLY & THE FAMILY STONE, JERRY MARTINI AND GREG ERRICO FEATURING PHUNNE STONE

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BONEY JAMES

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TICKETS AVAILABLE AT ticketmaster.com / 800.745.3000 or visit the NLT Box Office 1721 WEST CANAL STREET I MILWAUKEE, WI 53233 I MUST BE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OLD TO ATTEND SHOWS I FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 414-847-7922 ALL SCHEDULES SUBJECT TO CHANGE I MANAGEMENT RESERVES ALL RIGHTS ©2018 FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMUNITY, WISCONSIN

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::NEWS&VIEWS

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FEATURES | POLLS | TAKING LIBERTIES | ISSUE OF THE WEEK

Two of the most commonly cited reasons for bus ridership decline across the country are the rise of rideshare services like Uber and Lyft and a recovering economy giving more people access to cars. Additional factors include increased home delivery from companies like Amazon, lower college enrollment and more people working from home. While many of these issues are common modern phenomena, it’s worth noting that MCTS’ troubles are nothing new.

A 2008 Public Policy Forum report asserted that “the recent history of transit in Milwaukee County is one marked by desperation and false hope.” Data compiled in 2015 by the same group showed a 37% decrease in ridership from 2000 to 2014. Actions taken by MCTS show that the transit service understands something needs to change.

Next Steps for MCTS

Milwaukee County Transit System Revamps Amid Declining Ridership ::BY ROB HULLUM

us ridership is on the decline nationwide. Of 35 major metro areas, 31 saw less ridership in 2017 than the year before. At the bottom of that list is Milwaukee. Big changes to the GO Pass program made in 2017, which gave senior citizens and persons with disabilities free rides, deserve a lion’s share of the blame according to Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) chief marketing and communications officer Brendan Conway.

Funding is also an issue. As operations costs have risen, MCTS receives less state funding, its largest revenue source, than it did in 2009. “Our problem is we don’t have an adequate funding mechanism from the State of Wisconsin,” said Milwaukee County Supervisor John Weishan Jr., who chairs the Committee on Transportation, Public Works and Transit. “We’ve had to eliminate and reduce routes because we get less funding from the State of Wisconsin,” he added. “That’s going to result in lower ridership numbers.”

4 | AUGUST 16, 2018

Over five public meetings held throughout June and July, MCTS met with community members about the most expansive redesign Milwaukee County’s bus system has undertaken in at least 40 years. “We are looking at the system, and there is a goal of redesigning or reimagining it to better fit modern transit needs,” Conway said. “With the map that we have right now, if someone went into a 25-year slumber, and you woke them up and showed them our transit system, it wouldn’t look all that different. Some of the bus lines are the exact same routes.”

Specific goals for the project—called MCTS Next—focus on faster service, more connections and increased accessibility. There are also some simple changes that MCTS hopes to accomplish.

Currently, Route 67 runs on 76th Street, and Route 76 runs on 60th Street. For simplicity’s sake, Conway said that Route 76 would likely be moved to 76th Street. But other changes will be more politically difficult. By redesigning routes, some low-use stops may be moved or cut altogether. While this may improve service, it is likely to receive pushback from the riders used to using those stops.

Conway hopes that MCTS Next will help attract more riders. “In every other city where they have done these types of things—and there has been a dozen or more—they have seen some success in increased ridership,” he said. This is because as much as bells and whistles attract media attention, riders are really just looking for efficient service. “Wi-Fi on the buses gets attention; heated bus stops get the headlines. But, if you really get down to what people want, it’s for the bus to come more often.”

MCTS is currently doing initial public outreach, which is the first of what will eventually be three or four phases. The next step will be creating a map of new routes with improvements and changes. After additional public input, MCTS would seek buy-in from local elected officials and then implement the changes. The redesigned system is likely another two years away.

MCTS continued on page 6 >

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

MILLER HIGH LIFE THEATRE

500 W. Kilbourn Avenue (6th & Kilbourn) • Milwaukee Wisconsin MillerHighLifeTheatre.com

UW-MILWAUKEE PANTHER ARENA

400 W. Kilbourn Ave. (Kilbourn & Vel R. Phillips) • Milwaukee Wisconsin UWMPantherArena.com

Pre-Race Street Party!

Powered by Harley-Davidson®

Kilbourn Avenue in front of the UW-M Panther Arena 5 bands • bikes • vendors • games • food • beer Free admission • Noon-8 PM Friday, August 31

Tickets are sold at the Miller High Life Theatre Box Office, by phone at 1.800.745.3000, or online at Ticketmaster.com. Convenience fees apply. GROUPS call 414-908-6092 or email GroupSales@wcd.org. The Miller High Life Theatre Box Office is open Monday-Friday, 10AM-2PM. SHEPHERD EXPRESS

AUGUST 16 , 2 0 18 | 5

NEWS&VIEWS::NEWS&VIEWS > MCTS continued from page 4

In the meantime, MCTS has seen success with a new app that is nearing 25,000 downloads. “When you talk to people—particularly younger people who used to ride the bus but maybe don’t anymore—the thing that we heard was that they don’t want to own a card,” Conway said. “They don’t have cash. It’s on their phone.” The app allows users to plan their trip, track their bus and buy their ticket from a smartphone.

Increasing speed of service is the goal of another multimillion dollar project in the works for MCTS.

Rapid Transit for Wisconsin Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has been in the works for Milwaukee County since 2016.

The nine-mile route would begin at the muchdelayed Downtown Couture high-rise and use dedicated bus lanes throughout 53% of the route, fewer stops, traffic signal priority and pre-board ticketing for higher-speed travel through Wisconsin Avenue and Bluemound Road to the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center in Wauwatosa.

BRT works best in dense urban areas like much of this proposed route. The one-mile strip of Wisconsin Avenue between the Milwaukee River and Marquette University serves about 10,000 transit passengers every

6 | AUGUST 16, 2018

“WI-FI ON THE BUSES GETS ATTENTION; HEATED BUS STOPS GET THE HEADLINES. BUT, IF YOU REALLY GET DOWN TO WHAT PEOPLE WANT, IT’S FOR THE BUS TO COME MORE OFTEN.” day according to UW-Milwaukee urban planning professor Robert Schneider, who teaches a course on BRT. “If you just think about all those people on those buses going up and down Wisconsin Avenue, that’s an incredibly large number of people being moved very efficiently and using

that valuable public space very efficiently,” Schneider said. “BRT is going to help enhance that service along that corridor and ultimately connect even more people to the west.”

Another benefit Schneider sees for BRT is the potential for increased investment along its route, which was a selling point for the streetcar. “Ultimately, if you have high-quality rapid transit like this, you can see an increase in development potential near the station,” he said. “There are parts of the Near West Side that have not seen development in decades, and this can be an opportunity for more activity, more investment, more businesses and more jobs in that corridor.”

As for whether BRT will help increase ridership, Conway is confident. “Bus Rapid Transit projects across the country time and time again increase ridership not only in that specific corridor, but also across the whole system,” he said. “As you get people out of their car and they ride the bus, they become more comfortable riding other places.”

MCTS hopes to fund 80% of the estimated $53.5 million project through the Federal Transit Administration’s Small Starts program. Conway said MCTS will find out about the funding this fall, though he admits that he may have to “knock on wood” because, “as you may have read, things in Washington, D.C., are a little crazy these days.” If all goes according to plans, the BRT route will begin operations in 2020 or 2021, around the same

time as MCTS Next. The project’s website claims BRT will only add about 1% to MCTS’ overall operating and maintenance costs.

The Value of Public Transit It’s easy to see declining ridership numbers as a sign that the bus is an obsolete form of transportation in the days of Uber, Lyft and other mobility options. This narrative is partly fueled by talking points from rightwing interests sponsored by the fossil fuel industry.

Randal O’Toole, a senior fellow at the Koch Brothers-founded Cato Institute, recently wrote that “there seems to be no positive future for public transit.”

But, according to Schneider, the value of public transit is obvious—not just for those who are unable to drive or can’t afford a car, but also for those who want to use public space more effectively, reduce parking demand, increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists, ease traffic congestion and protect the environment. He also said that achieving the best possible transit system for Milwaukee needs to be a group effort.

“It’s not just MCTS that is a part of this conversation,” Schneider said. “It needs to be urban planners and developers, too, because how we arrange our city, the urban form itself, needs to be supportive of transit if we are going to make it as efficient as possible.”

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AUGUST 16 , 2 0 18 | 7

NEWS&VIEWS::NEWS&VIEWS

HOW SWEET WATER MINIGRANTS HELPS PROTECT MILWAUKEE’S ECOSYSTEM ::BY CATHERINE JOZWIK

S

ince 2010, Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust (a.k.a. Sweet Water)—a Milwaukee-based organization committed to protecting freshwater from Lake Michigan, as well as streams and rivers throughout Southeastern Wisconsin—has awarded nearly $300,000 in grants to fund 100 local projects for non-profit groups and community organizations. Formed in 2009 by local groups, including the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), Sweet Water focuses on helping eliminate “non-point source pollution,” said Dave Libert, Sweet Water’s interim executive director.

Many initiatives focus on using technology and science to help minimize water pollution. “We’re looking to support groups to make an impact on the ground,” said Libert. He added that the organization awards 10 to 15 mini-grants from $1,000 to $5,000 each year.

Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church in Milwaukee’s Washington Heights neighborhood is a recent recipient of these funds. With a $4,520 grant, the church was able to add three “StormGUARDen” systems that combine aspects of a rain barrel and rain garden to create an environment-friendly way to manage storm water. Rainwater from rooftops flows through a downspout into troughs and spills over into planting containers where soil filters and plants absorb the contaminants. Excess water from the planting containers overflows to the bottom water reservoir where water is released into the ground.

StormGUARDen holds as much water as 6 1/2 rain barrels, noted Carrie Bristoll-Groll, principal civil engineer and owner of Stormwater Solutions Engineering and holder of the patent for the product. These systems provide several ecological benefits for gardens, including a reduction in water overflow and bacteria and other pollutants found on rooftops and the ability to grow fruits and vegetables in the trough.

Milwaukee non-profit organization ReFlo is reaching out to young people by using cell phone technology to promote the importance of water conservation and sustainability around the city.

With a $5,000 grant the organization received from Sweet Water in 2016, ReFlo created Water Story MKE, a free iPhone app that helps educate users about the importance of hidden water sites throughout Milwaukee. The app connects to six pilot sites, including Cream City Farms at Walnut Hill, the Brewery neighborhood and the Lakefront Pumphouse. Users can learn the history of these sites, play trivia games and more.

At first glance, many of these sites don’t appear to be important water management areas. But Water Story MKE helps reveal the sites’ not-so-obvious histories. “The app is sort of a portal into this other story. We basically coupled the design between water history and how people are doing green infrastructure at these sites today,” said Michael Timm, app developer and manager of the Milwaukee Water Stories program for ReFlo.

Getting the Word Out

Volunteer organization Common Ground uses text blasts to inform the public when to limit or stop water use—not showering, washing dishes or doing laundry during heavy rainfalls, for example. “If people use these alerts, we can reduce the amount of overflow,” said Common Ground organizer Larry Krolikowski.

Conserving water during storms creates less lake pollution. Milwaukee’s deep tunnel, an underground pipe 30 feet in diameter build in the 1990s to handle sewer overflows, occasionally fills up during heavy rainfalls. “When this happens, MMSD has no choice but to release sewage into the lake,” said Krolikowski. People can subscribe to these alerts by texting the word “Waterdrop” to 797979.

According to Krolikowski, several criteria determine whether or not a blast is sent out, including how localized the rain is and how heavy it’s falling. Originally, text alerts were used by area meteorologists, including CBS-58’s Drew Burgoyne and Channel 12’s Mark Baden. Although the text alert information was broadcast on news stations, “we weren’t getting the younger people, so we turned to social media,” said Krolikowski.

A $3,200 grant awarded by Sweet Water enabled Common Ground to hire Ricardo Jaimes, a graduate student enrolled in UW-Milwaukee’s Freshwater Sciences program, as a social media intern. “The mini-grant was to help us get the word out,” said Krolikowski. “This year, we’ve tripled the number of subscribers (to the text alerts).” Nonprofits and neighborhood groups can apply for mini-grants starting in September. Applications are reviewed in January and February, and awards are given out in April.

For more information on Sweetwater mini-grants, visit swwtwater.org.

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Building ‘A Community Connection’

A storm water engineer for 25 years, Bristol-Groll is used to working on largescale projects around the city, such as water management for ponds. She added that the City of Milwaukee has a mandate in place for disconnecting downspouts by the year 2025. StormGUARDen was developed to ensure people have water when the mandate goes into effect. She added that many people in the community came to watch and help with the installation of the three StormGUARDen systems. “The church is hoping to use this as an outreach; there’s a community connection, growing fruits and veggies,” she said.

8 | AUGUST 16, 2018

New Report Finds Milwaukee’s Water Technology Cluster Spurs Innovation and Replenishes Regional Economy ::BY MARY SUSSMAN Milwaukee’s cluster of 150 water-related technology companies was chosen as a case study in Rethinking Cluster Initiatives, a recently released Brookings Institute report. It found that the practice of clustering high-value industries in one place was a factor in promoting growth in regional economies.

With growing global demand for water technology, potential revenues for Milwaukee’s water technology cluster could range from $12 to$20 billion annually.

“Regions grow based on their ability to provide environments where firms want to cluster,” the report concluded. The report also found that clustering is driven by several factors, including the ability to “spur continuous innovation; develop dynamic entrepreneurship systems that replenish economies with good jobs; and engage strong local academic, civic and public institutions that can facilitate these processes.” Clustering allows for higher productivity through sharing facilities, infrastructure and suppliers; enhancing worker matching; and bringing about knowledge exchange and innovation among independent entities.

Milwaukee’s water cluster was chosen as a case study for the report, along with clusters in bioscience technology in central Indiana, agriculture and drone technology in St. Louis and automotive technology in South Carolina. The Milwaukee case study states: “New innovations and products are being developed; startups are being launched; large firms are mentoring and investing in promising young firms; interns and graduates are being placed in local companies; cluster members are growing, collaborating and becoming more competitive; new firms and talent have moved in; growth is occurring around the water district; and Milwaukee has positioned itself as an undisputed global water hub.”

The reality of Milwaukee’s “water cluster” first became known in 2007 when the Water Council first formed as a loose consortium of legacy business and community leaders. A consulting firm “discovered” a cluster of water technology businesses in Milwaukee. Later, a UW-Milwaukee study identified about 120 local firms with water technology expertise and services. In 2013, the Water Council opened the Global Water Center, which became a growing hub for legacy and start-up water technology companies, an incubator for water start-ups, as well as a cutting-edge water research center for UWM and Marquette University.

Early on, the Water Council lobbied for the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences, which opened in 2014.

The study notes that, under the umbrella of the Water Council—described as a “sustained and wellresourced organization”—Milwaukee’s water cluster companies can focus their energies on solving “a critical and ongoing world problem” aided by “significant investment and buy-in” by state and local governments and universities.

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StormGUARDen at Spirit of Lutheran Church SHEPHERD EXPRESS

NEWS&VIEWS

::SAVINGOURDEMOCRACY ( AUG. 16 - AUG. 22, 2018 ) The 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, Aug. 16

Canvass and Phone Bank for Democrats @ Tom Palzewicz Campaign Headquarters (12201 W. Burleigh St., Suite #7), 4-8 p.m.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT & PATRONAGE IN 2018!

BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, NEXT SPRING WILL BE HERE! ALTHOUGH WE’RE CLOSED FOR THE SEASON, WE ARE ALREADY PREPARING FOR THE NEXT. SEE YOU IN MARCH, 2019!

Tom Palzewicz, Julie Henszey and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin will host a weekly canvass and phone bank every Thursday from 4-8 p.m. until the Tuesday, Nov. 6, election.

Volunteer opportunities include canvassing, phone banking and more.

6204 S. Howell, Milwaukee

Friday, Aug. 17

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

414.768.0126

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GarveyFest 2018 @ Multiple Locations

The Pan-African Revolutionary Socialist Party will host the 29th GarveyFest, celebrating the life of Pan-Africanism icon Marcus Garvey. Events include a social hour at Brownstone Social Lounge (524 N. Water St.) from 5-6:30 p.m. on Friday, a celebration at the Parklawn YMCA (4340 N. 46th St.) from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday and a walk, run and ride along the Hank Aaron State Trail beginning and Sixth and Canal streets from 9-11 a.m. on Sunday.

Saturday, Aug. 18

Peace Action Wisconsin: Stand for Peace @ the corner of Lincoln Memorial Drive and Michigan Avenue, noon-1 p.m.

Every Saturday from noon-1 p.m., concerned citizens join with Peace Action Wisconsin to protest war and, literally, “Stand for Peace.” Signs will be provided for those who need them. Protesters are encouraged to stick around for conversation and coffee afterward.

Monday, Aug. 20

Resist Prison Torture @ Milwaukee Public Library (814 W. Wisconsin Ave.), 5-6:30 p.m.

Two members of the Industrial Workers of the World’s Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee will be on hand at the library to answer questions about their work and give interested persons more information on joining the cause.

Tuesday, Aug. 21

Domestic Human Trafficking 101 & Volunteer Training @ New Berlin Public Library (15105 W. Library Lane, New Berlin), 6:30-8 p.m.

Redeem and Restore Center will host a workshop and volunteer training about how to help survivors of human trafficking. Participants will hear from a survivor, get the opportunity to ask questions and learn more information on how to help combat the issue.

Wednesday, Aug. 22

Meeting of the Whole @ Clinton Rose Senior Center, (3045 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive), 9:30-11 a.m.

Every other month, the Milwaukee Community Justice Council, a committee of Milwaukee-area criminal justice agencies created by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, hosts community meetings to gather information and receive feedback. The meetings are open to the public.

Prison Strike Solidarity @ Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (1015 N. 10th St.), 5:30-8:30 p.m.

The CloseMSDF coalition will gather between the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility and the Milwaukee County Jail in solidarity with the nationwide prisoner strike. Organizers will share news and updates about the strike, as well as write letters to incarcerated persons facing retaliation.

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 Donald Trump and others of his kind have planned for our great country.

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AUGUST 16, 2018 | 9

NEWS&VIEWS::TAKINGLIBERTIES

WhoDoesn’t Want Better Gas Mileage? ::BY JOEL MCNALLY

T

here’s a common, everyday issue that reveals just how little Donald Trump and Republicans actually care about all those “forgotten Americans” who desperately hoped two years ago a self-absorbed billionaire blowhard would somehow be on their side. That issue is gas mileage. Seriously, is there any driver in America who doesn’t want to get better gas mileage?

It’s not an issue affecting pampered heirs to family fortunes who’ve been chauffeured about in limousines since they were toddlers. Republicans in Congress have other priorities. They’re eager to join Trump in rolling back improved mileage standards for the U.S. auto industry simply to destroy another political achievement of former President Barack Obama and make a bundle of money for their own wealthy campaign contributors in the oil industry.

Halting improvements in gas mileage also coincides nicely with the new mission of Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),

namely to stop protecting our environment and discontinue efforts to reduce wildfires, flooding, drought and other devastating weather extremes caused by polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gases. That’s why the EPA proudly supported the Trump administration’s announced freeze on Obama’s improvements in gas mileage at 37 miles per gallon in 2020 instead of continuing to increase gasoline mileage to more than 50 miles per gallon by 2025.

Money Out of Our Pockets Trump and Republicans taking more money out of your pocket to swell the profits of oil companies comes at an awkward moment economically. Trump brags about a robust economy, but his own Labor Department reported last week rising prices had already totally wiped out the meager wage gains made by U.S. workers over the past year. The cost of living rose 2.9% from July 2017 to July 2018, while wages increased 2.7%.

One of the primary culprits causing inflation to hit a six-year high this summer was energy prices. A gallon of gasoline increased 50 cents over the past year to an average of $2.87 according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). That’s just the beginning. Americans are about to begin paying far more for many other products as a result of enormous tariffs Trump is slapping on imports to start a raging trade war.

If coming up with new ways to hurt ordinary Americans sounds like a really bad idea

shortly before midterm elections that could create an important check on a dangerously incompetent president, you’re right. Obviously, Republicans can’t publicly admit they’re stopping improvements in gas mileage negotiated with the auto industry and already underway and forcing drivers to pay more for gasoline just to make their oil company pals richer. So, they pretend to believe some of the most laughably outrageous lies Trump has ever come up with, and that’s really saying something.

Get this: If you saved lots of money by driving a more fuel-efficient car like Obama wanted everybody to do, it could kill you.

Shelling out more money to Exxon actually protects your life. If it were suddenly much cheaper to drive, people would drive a lot more. The more people drive, the more time they’re on the road. The longer they’re on the road, the more chances they have to get into fatal accidents.

The administration even made up (and we mean that literally) specific numbers of deaths that would be prevented by paying more for gasoline. It claimed there would be 6,340 fewer fatalities through 2025 if new cars got worse gas mileage—like Trump wants. But, if cars with excellent gas mileage are killers, old klunkers are just as deadly. The White House claims a similar number of lives would be saved, because new cars without improvements to gas mileage would be cheaper to buy.

More people could afford them and wouldn’t be driving around in unsafe klunkers.

Poor people don’t drive unsafe cars that keep breaking down by choice. They’ve never been able to afford new cars. And there are many factors causing traffic fatalities but saving money on gasoline isn’t one of them. Fuel efficiency isn’t even a major factor increasing the price of new cars anymore. U.S. car makers already sell passenger cars in Europe that get between 40 and 60 miles per gallon and SUVs that get more than 50. They could easily make them for us. The new technologies increasing the cost of new cars are actually safety improvements including backup cameras and lane departure detection. That’s why fatalities per miles driven have steadily dropped as gas mileage has risen.

Fill the Scott Holes?

Wisconsin is caught between two conflicting Republican election schemes. Gov. Scott Walker won’t increase the state gasoline tax to repair Wisconsin’s lousy roads, the fourth worst in the nation according to a U.S. Department of Transportation study. But Trump and congressional Republicans want to force drivers to pay more for gasoline anyway to attract more campaign contributions from the oil industry. It’s the worst of all worlds—paying more for worse gas mileage while driving on roads filled with “Scott-Holes.”

Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n

NEWS&VIEWS::POLL

You Say Democrats Should Run on a More Progressive Platform Last week we asked you if Democrats should run on a more openly progressive platform in the 2020 presidential election than they did in 2016. You said: n Yes: 89% n No: 11%

What Do You Say? Do you think Donald Trump’s effort to encourage a boycott of Harley-Davidson will succeed? n Yes n No Vote online at shepherdexpress.com. We’ll publish the results of this poll in next week’s issue.

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NEWS&VIEWS::ISSUEOFTHEWEEK

For Nonprofit Organizations, Advocacy, Lobbying and Voter Registration Should Be the Norm—Not the Exception ::BY FRANK MARTINELLI

I

n their efforts to uncover more deeply rooted causes of problems facing our community, nonprofits sometimes learn that there are existing laws, regulations or public and corporate policies that hurt the people they serve. Nonprofits can then take action through advocacy and lobbying to change or eliminate such laws, regulations and policies. And the law is very clear—such advocacy and lobbying are allowable activities for tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.

Indeed, nonprofit groups have a long history of success in such advocacy to advance civil rights, environmental protections, gender equity and other issues, but here’s the problem: Many nonprofits don’t engage in advocacy, lobbying and voter registration. A recent study conducted by Ashlie Benson and Kyle Hagge—Trinity Fellows at Marquette University—found this to be the case for most Milwaukee-based nonprofits. In many cases, nonprofit boards decide not to engage in advocacy because they believe that, as a tax-exempt organization, they’re prohibited by law from doing so. This is simply not true.

Advocacy is one of the most effective tools nonprofits and foundations can use to advance their missions and serve their communities. The term “advocacy” includes broad efforts such as legislative lobbying and election-related activities, and the combination of advocacy and direct services can dramatically increase the mission impact of any nonprofit.

According to Stand For Your Mission’s ongoing campaign—an initiative launched by the premier training resource for nonprofit boards in the U.S., BoardSource— here’s a more accurate description of what 501(c)(3) taxexempt organizations can (and can’t) do.

These activities are allowed: Educating the public and decision-makers about your

work in a nonpartisan way.

Sharing information about how public dollars positively impact your work and your community.

Communicating how broader issues impact your mission and the people that you serve.

These activities are allowed as long as nonprofits carry them out in compliance within certain reasonable guidelines: Voter education, registration and candidate forums.

Naming legislators who support (or oppose) a specific piece of legislation.

Limited lobbying on behalf of the organization.

Lobbying and campaigning as private citizens.

These activities are not allowed: Organizational support for (or opposition to) a candidate or set of candidates.

Spending federal grant funds on lobbying.

So, why are so many nonprofit boards avoiding advocacy? What are the barriers to board involvement in this powerful activity? There are at least three.

The mistaken belief that the law doesn’t allow taxexempt nonprofits to engage in advocacy and that their tax-exempt status will be imperiled. The response: Provide board leaders, and sometimes their staff, with accurate information to demonstrate that advocacy is, in fact allowable, and that their exempt status will not be at risk.

The belief that advocacy is “mission drift,” and that it doesn’t fit with their mission. The response: Demonstrate that advocacy is not mission drift if it advances the nonprofit’s mission. Clarify that such advocacy would be centered on issues that align with their mission. Also, share strategies that enable nonprofits to incorporate advocacy into their work in cost-effective ways.

The fear of a backlash against advocacy on the part

of donors, funders and some board members. Once again, this resistance sometimes arises from the mistaken belief that advocacy is not allowable. The response: Meet with donors, funders and board members to provide accurate information that advocacy is allowed, and that it will advance the mission that donors, funders and board members presumably support.

There is another reason why there is sometimes a backlash against nonprofits using advocacy strategies. At times, the resistance to such activity is the result of personal and business interests of some donors, funders and board members that conflict with the advocacy positions which a nonprofit might take to advance the mission. The response: Address these potential conflicts of interests that may affect current donors, funders and board members and seek a resolution that puts the mission first.

Going forward, the plan should be to explain the nonprofit’s advocacy role and positions on issues to prospective supporters—stressing that advocacy helps to advance the mission that has attracted the donor or funder in the first place. As for board member vetting and recruitment, fully explain the nonprofit’s mission-aligned advocacy role and positions on issues and clearly communicate the expectations for board member involvement in advocacy, thus assuring that there are no potential conflicts of interest. And, if any conflicts arise, determine how they can best be managed in keeping with the board’s policies or suggest non-board involvement opportunities within the nonprofit.

A Collective Agenda

What if nonprofit advocacy, lobbying and voter registration became the norm, not the exception, in Milwaukee?

Imagine a critical mass of Milwaukee nonprofits engaged in issue advocacy and lobbying around a collective agenda that addresses the root causes of problems facing our community—one focused on challenging and changing the underlying systems that cause so much of the pain and injustice in Milwaukee. Imagine thousands of new educated, engaged and networked voters in Milwaukee unified around a collective agenda for systems change. Things would be different; things would be better.

To learn more about nonprofit groups, their missions and potential community engagement activities, call Stand For Your Mission at 202-349-2500 or visit standforyourmission.org, or call the Alliance for Justice Bolder Advocacy Project at 866-675-6229 or visit bolderadvocacy.org.

Frank Martinelli represents The Nonprofit Repositioning Initiative.

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::DININGOUT SHEPHERD STAFFF

FEATURE | SHORT ORDER | EAT/DRINK

Thai Bangkok Express

Thai, Hmong Options Abound at Thai Bangkok Express

sweet and sour sauce and topped with peanuts; crab wonton, and there are a couple of different Thai salads, which are similar to garden salads and topped with Asian-inspired dressings. The vegetarian spring rolls ($1.50 each) were flavorfully spiced and fried crisp. They came with sweet and sour sauce, but they were good enough to stand on their own.

There are five soup selections, including egg drop ($3.50). Other categories on the menu includes entrees, curry dishes, fried rice and noodle dishes, and most can be made vegetarian with tofu, chicken, beef, pork or seafood. You can also choose your preferred spice level—mild, medium, hot, xhot or “on fire.” We chose medium, which had quite a kick. Proceed with caution if you go with hot, xhot, or certainly “on fire.”

The gang pad pak curry dish ($9.25) with tofu had a flavorful, creamy, red Thai curry sauce that was balanced with stir-fried pea pods, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, celery, mushrooms, carrots, baby corn, eggplant and cab::BY SHEILA JULSON bage. I couldn’t really taste the eggplant, but the dish overall was delicious, and the tofu was cooked just right—crisp on the outside and not mushy or his past spring, Thai Bangkok Restaurant opened dense inside. a second location on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side, My husband enjoyed the pad kee mao, also known as the “drunken noodle” named Thai Bangkok Express. Primarily for carryout, dish with chicken, stir-fried rice noodles, scallions, peppers, broccoli, bean customers order at the counter, and it takes about 15 sprouts and egg, topped with a hearty brown sauce. In both dishes, the vegminutes for the food to be prepared and bagged to go.

There are also eight tables if you choose to eat in. Décor etables still retained a slightly crisp freshness.

There is a small section on the menu with fish and is sparse, save for a large decorative fan and duck dishes ($9.25-$13.25) and five Hmong dishes ($8.25a couple of pieces of artwork throughout the $12.25), including sausage, laj ntses (fish laab) and fried small space. There’s a poster near the counter Thai Bangkok tilapia in a special Thai Bangkok tangy sauce. You can get that pictures the restaurant’s more popular additional vegetables, meat or tofu for a small upcharge.

Express dishes.

Beverages available include Thai iced tea, Thai coffee, coThe menu of Thai entrees and dishes is ex9201 W. Capitol Drive conut water and Coke and Pepsi products. tensive; every option is numbered, which helps 414-585-9993 Thai Bangkok Express is tucked into a busy intersection when ordering. The helpful employees behind thaibangkokexpress.com near a strip mall, so it might be easy to pass it up, but don’t; the counter will make recommendations for Handicap Access: yes the quality food, good portions and pleasant, helpful staff customers who are not familiar with Thai or make it a must-stop for quality Thai and Hmong food. $ • CC Hmong cuisine. Appetizers include spring M-Sa 11 a.m.-9 p.m. rolls, chicken wings, tofu tod ($6.25), in which breaded tofu pieces are drizzled with a zesty (left) Sesame Chicken (right) Pad Cashew w/ Beef Closed Sundays

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DININGOUT::SHORTORDER

Milwaukee Panini at Sam’s Tap ::BY DAVID LUHRSSEN

Blink once and you’ve passed it. Sam’s Tap (3118 S. Chase Ave.) is a tiny place refurbished out of a decaying dive bar, The Long Trail. Almost entirely gutted (only the bar and the vintage Blatz sign remain), Sam’s is a neighborhood hipster hangout with wood floors, a replica antique tin ceiling and just enough room for a slender handful of tables. Sam’s has interesting specialty drinks, including the whiskey twist (described by one patron as “a Millennial old fashioned” with lemonade and bitters), daily soup specials (from the Soup Market) and giant soft pretzels (served with quark cheese and honey or brown mustard). For something more filling, Sam’s has a pizza oven and a pair of panini presses. Try the Milwaukee panini: perfectly toasted, sprinkled with oregano, loaded with corned beef and sauerkraut and slathered with Swiss cheese. The prices are, as they say in Milwaukee, “reasonable.” The service is friendly and so are the customers.

Milwaukee Panini from Sam’s Tap

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DININGOUT::EATDRINK

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n increasing number of women in Milwaukee are contributing to the city’s culinary landscape by working as chefs and opening their own restaurants. Mary Dess, chair of the culinary arts department at Milwaukee Area Technical College, says about half of the school’s culinary students are women. “When I went to school, it was predominantly male,” she said. “Women took shorthand, and they took typing. The movement has progressed tenfold since I was young.”

Dess adds that greater societal awareness and women assuming professional roles traditionally occupied by men have contributed to the number of women entering culinary professions.

However, statistics show that only about 33% of restaurants nationwide are owned by women, and about 7% of head chefs are women. Sarah Edith Obear, head chef of the French restaurant Le Reve in Wauwatosa, feels that there is “a saturated male population” of chefs and restaurant owners in Milwaukee. “It’s kind of hard to go up against the odds, knowing that, as a woman, you might not be taken seriously,” she says.

Obear, who attended Lakeshore Culinary Institute in Sheboygan, Wis., started working at Le Reve’s salad station several years ago.

Through perseverance, she eventually assumed the role of head chef at the restaurant. She feels fortunate to work with many women, some in management positions, saying, “I’m lucky that I have positive women role models to work with.” Forming friendships, she adds, is one of the best aspects of her job. Obear enjoys going to restaurants around town and chatting with their chefs. “A lot of Milwaukee chefs are closely knit,” she says.

Juliana Edelen, a server at Kimpton Journeyman Hotel in the city’s Third Ward, said although she works in a restaurant with a female head chef and beverage lead, guests still assume they are male. Says Edelen, “It can be very frustrating to hear things like, ‘The chef is fantastic, give him my regards.’”

Working in a kitchen can be stressful and physically demanding, with long hours and lots of time pressures. Working in the business and industry field can allow for greater work-life balance, as hours tend to be regular, according to Dess. “It’s a great industry, a good option for women who want to stay balanced,” she explains.

Caring for ‘a Different Baby’

Barkha Limbu Daily, Nepalese owner of The Cheel in Thiensville, Wis., had to adjust to life in an American kitchen quickly—especially the colorful language and expletives often used by male cooks and chefs. “In the food industry, it’s hot and heavy in the kitchen,” she says. “I just tell guys what I expect.”

Daily does not tolerate swearing on the job and encourages open communication. She strives to create a culture of inclusiveness among her staff, which she feels has been effective.

Daily and her husband, Jesse, are the parents of a 14-month-old son, Lok Blaze Daily.

She feels that balancing work and home life is one of the most challenging aspects of the culinary profession. She added that owning a restaurant is like caring for “a different baby.”

Sometimes working 60-hour weeks, Daily often struggles to find quality time to spend with her family. “I don’t think there will ever be a balance because the restaurant industry is so demanding,” she says. “But when I get home, I try to compartmentalize; I try to be 100% to celebrate small milestones and find joy in little things.”

Obear, who recently married, had to juggle work and planning a wedding. “It’s hard with women in my age group,” she says. Obear has a piece of advice for women who want to enter the culinary industry. “Just ignore the stigma. Don’t feed into the idea that it’s got to be a man’s world, because it’s not true. There’s no shortage of badass chefs in Milwaukee— many are women.”

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

::SPORTS The Milwaukee Brewers’ Daytime Struggles

T

he Brewers came one hit away from tying a fascinating, if frustrating, franchise record as they collected 19 hits in the contest and somehow still lost, 8-7, to the Braves on Sunday. It was just the second time in franchise history they’ve had that many hits in a nine-inning game and failed to secure the victory. (They had 20 hits in a 17-10 loss to the Pirates in 2002.) and, while the way the Brewers lost on Sunday was surprising, the fact that they lost was hardly a surprise. Entering the game, they were 4-14 in Sunday games this season.

They’re now 16-29 in day games, including a stretch where they went just 3-17 during the day since Sunday, June 10.

Those daytime losses have taken on all kinds of forms. Sunday’s loss wasn’t even the Brewers’ highest-scoring daytime loss of the season. On June 17, they lost 10-9 to the Phillies. Chase Anderson started that game and allowed six runs in five and 1/3 innings. The Brewers scored four in the ninth to make it close but still came up short. Then, on July 14, the Brewers lost a pitchers’ duel, falling behind 2-0 to the Pirates in the first inning and losing 2-1 in Pittsburgh. Chase Anderson was also the losing pitcher on this day, although the lack of offense was the primary issue. But not all the daytime losses have been close games. On June 30, the Brewers lost 12-3 to the Reds, and on July 22, they lost 11-2 to the Dodgers. Those games got so far out of hand that Erik Kratz was called upon to pitch in both of them.

As alluded to above, Chase Anderson has been a part of several rough Brewers day games this season. Sunday was his 10th daytime appearance, and the Brewers have lost seven of those games. One of the wins was a game where he allowed five runs over three and 2/3 innings, but the Brewers bailed him

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

::BY KYLE LOBNER

out and beat the Mets anyway. Anderson’s ERA is 5.08 in day games and 3.23 under the lights this season. Corey Knebel has also had a rough go of it during the day, allowing 13 earned runs in 13 and 2/3 innings.

As Different as Night and Day As a team, however, the Brewers’ pitching staff is largely the same regardless of when the game starts: They’ve held opposing batters to a .719 on-base plus slugging during the day and a .702 mark at night. The bigger gap shows up on the offensive side, where Brewers hitters lose 86 OPS points when a game starts before 5 p.m.

Day games are a little rough on hitters across baseball, with the average MLB hitter seeing his on-base percentage and slugging fall off by a combined 11 points in games played under those conditions. The Brewers’ gap, however, is nearly eight times larger than the average. During the day, the Brewers’ OPS is .673—fourth worst in baseball. At night, it’s .759, which is baseball’s eighth best. A few hitters have bucked this trend, most notably Eric Thames and his nine home runs during day games; but Ryan Braun, Manny Pina, Travis Shaw, Christian Yelich and Jesus Aguilar are all noticeably better at the plate in the evening.

Whether the issue is the Brewers’ sleep cycle, routine or simply bad luck in a small sample size, they need to figure out a way to reverse this trend quickly: Sunday’s loss in Atlanta was the first of four day games in eight days, including a pair in Chicago this week against the Cubs. All told, 12 of their remaining 41 games this season will take place during the day, including each of their seven remaining Sunday games. The difference between a good season and a great season might be finding a way to win before dark.

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FEATURE | FILM | THEATRE | ART | BOOKS | CLASSICAL MUSIC | DANCE

IS STEVEN SPIELBERG OVERRATED? ::BY STEVE SPICE

he phenomenal success of Steven Spielberg, the versatility of his enormous output and his undiminished prestige make it difficult to evaluate the remarkable breadth of his achievements. Nonetheless, the distinction between artistic ability and populism remains in question, haunting his legacy which remains elusive. One is aware of his enduring optimism, his driving sense of cinematic imagination rich in storytelling energy and his affection for children. The audience-friendly quality of his films is in itself misleading because Spielberg is clearly a cinematic artist of the first rank not given to morbid introspection.

He is masterful with small but memorable details: the dying soldier in Saving Private Ryan calling “mother” with his intestines spilling out; the first ominous thud of the tyrannosaurus’ leg without revealing the massive form; the tentative bathers in Jaws reluctant to be the first in the water; the little girl in red in Schindler’s List. Such scenes are constructed with loving, micromanaged care and convey almost unendurable suspense. The audience holds its breath as tension generates. Yet Spielberg’s superb detailing sometimes obscures the fact that even his best films withhold a certain conclusive determination. He is characteristically inclined for an upbeat conclusion. We are spared the true horrors of Auschwitz in Schindler’s List. As in Saving Private Ryan, the mood is ameliorated by unnecessarily sentimental epilogue.

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Spielberg’s optimism is best served in his more popular adventure series. The Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park movies are too much fun to be taken seriously, but who won’t find them exhilarating? Even Spielberg’s feature debut, Duel, showed these tendencies. One nerve rackingly anticipates how and when the malevolent truck will attack the driver. Spielberg’s tense cliffhangers may not be as subtle as Alfred Hitchcock’s, but they augment his underrated reputation as a master of suspense. One historian wondered how Spielberg could have produced such dissimilar films as Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List in the same year (1993), yet the films share Spielberg’s characteristic perverse optimism. The dinosaur and the Nazi commandant receive their just deserts. A change of venue does not diminish Spielberg’s unyielding optimism. Both films leave us with a balanced sense of a cinematic job well done.

The success of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, despite its odd plot structure, again displays Spielberg’s unyielding optimism even in the realm of science fiction. E.T. has aged less well. Delightful children may not be the most obvious venue to the vast mysteries of outer space, but the disingenuous appeal of the children won over many naysayers. Spielberg’s popularity unfairly diminishes his reputation as an artist, yet his approach is so cinematically rich with immeasurable filmic detail that one cannot but credit him as a brilliant filmmaker of the highest order.

One wonders at the change of direction in his most recent films.

Attempts at sophistication have led to some surprisingly disappointing results. Munich strains to give credence to Israeli vengeance, but the film is bogged down by Tony Kushner’s overwrought screenplay and a quasi-documentary cinematic style combined with violence that doesn’t seem to suit Spielberg. Hardly more exciting is the rather flaccid spy-exchange melodrama Bridge of Spies, which seems boring by comparison despite Tom Hanks’ attempts to enliven the situation.

One begins to miss the standard of excitement which so characterizes the best of Spielberg and wishes that he would leave current social commentary to those lacking his flight of unbridled imagination.

Unfortunately, even the much-heralded Lincoln seemed to be less about the Great Emancipator himself than the congressional conflicts which resulted in the Emancipation Proclamation. Even the star performance by Daniel Day-Lewis seemed subject to the limitations of a politically underwhelming screenplay. We are deprived of the visceral excitement which characterizes Spielberg’s best work.

The Post misuses Tom Hanks and emphasizes the overly restrained performance by Meryl Streep in a situation where the conflict between freedom of the press and national security might have resulted in a more exciting scenario. The earnestness with which the cast attacks the overwritten screenplay only undermines the potentially exciting cinematic experience in a film unfavorably compared to the subtler All the President’s Men. So, is Spielberg an artist or a populist? Even a cursory look at his body of work identifies a filmmaker—often inspired and inspiring— who must be placed among the first rank of directors based upon his dedication to cinema as a source of inspiration, enlightenment and excitement. Even the more widely heralded Hitchcock and Billy Wilder have never quite matched the unstated quality of a joyous spontaneity which characterizes his best work. (I will not comment on Ready Player One. Spielberg’s attempt to experiment with virtual reality is so atrociously inept and so glaringly overproduced—one reviewer said that it gave him sore eyeballs—that I prefer to believe that he gave up on the film and simply tossed it to the special effects department.)

Yet Spielberg’s historical legacy leaves something to be desired.

Even his finest films seem too reticent, somewhat lacking the ultimate sense of aesthetic cohesion that completely satisfies. Spielberg’s pleasure in his own work seems to verge on self-indulgence, despite the sincerity of his finest efforts. It’s ironic that many consider Jaws his greatest achievement. Its tension provides a challenge well met.

Spielberg remains a great director who has yet to make a great film.

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::THISWEEKINMILWAUKEE FRIDAY, AUG. 17

Weezer w/ White Reaper @ The Rave, 8 p.m.

Since reuniting in the early ’00s, Weezer has been uncommonly prolific for a ’90s alternative band, releasing nine albums with a tenth, yet another self-titled album, on the way.

And while many of the band’s new singles have found airplay on alternative rock stations, few have had the impact of their cover of Toto’s schlock-rock classic “Africa.” Weezer covered the song in response to a social media campaign from their fans, and they must be glad they did: The cover became their first number one alternative hit in a decade (the last one was “Pork and Beans”). This month Toto tried to cash in on the viral exposure, recording an in-kind cover of Weezer’s “Hash Pipe.”

SATURDAY, AUG. 18 IndiaFest @ Humboldt Park, 11 a.m.

Not all of the city’s great ethnic festivals take place on the lake. For six years running, Humboldt Park in Bay View has hosted its annual IndiaFest, an enormous celebration of Indian culture featuring music, dance, art and fashion. Timed in conjunction with Wisconsin’s first-ever official India Day, this year’s daylong event culminates in a trio of concerts on the main stage starting a 5 p.m.: Rang-E-Ghazal, Misty Trails and Bollywood Hungama Beats, who showcase some of the more modern, danceable sounds of India. As always there will be plenty of children’s activities as well.

Milwaukee Irish Fest

THURSDAY, AUG. 16 Milwaukee Irish Fest @ Summerfest Grounds

The name Milwaukee Irish Fest doesn’t do justice to just how global the event is.

The festival isn’t just Milwaukee’s celebration of Irish culture—it’s the biggest celebration of Irish culture in all of North America, and a virtual Lollapalooza of Celtic music. Each year Celtic bands travel from all over the globe to play the festival, with performers this year including Gaelic Storm, Screaming Orphans, Chicago Reel, Frogwater, Colm Donnelly, Hearthfire, Jiggy, Pay The Devil, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Reilly, Tallymoore, The Coronas and We Banjo 3 (see our feature in this week’s Music section). In addition to the music, there are also dance performances, a cultural village, whiskey tastings, hurling competitions, a Celtic Canine Area, children’s activities and fireworks. (Through Sunday, Aug. 19.)

A La Carte @ Milwaukee County Zoo

Anybody who’s been to the Milwaukee County Zoo knows that nobody visits for the cafeteria, yet for one weekend a year the zoo becomes a culinary hot spot. This year’s A La Carte event will feature food from more than two dozen vendors including Three Lions Pub, The Soup Market, Saz’s, Aladdin’s, Café el Sol, Miss Beverly’s Deluxe Barbeque and Hue Vietnamese Restaurant. It’ll also feature music from The Beatles cover band 1964 The Tribute (on Thursday night), Wynonna Judd’s band Wynonna & The Big Noise (on Friday night) and classic rockers ASIA featuring John Payne (on Saturday night). (Through Sunday, Aug. 19.)

Wilson Center Guitar Festival @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center Fifty-five guitarists from more than 40 cities around the world will compete for $32,000 in cash prizes at the latest installment of the Wilson Center’s annual Guitar Festival. It’s a three-day weekend featuring classes and clinics from a host of master guitarists, as well as vendor displays and concerts, including a headlining show Friday from blues and rock legend Elvin Bishop featuring Bob Welsh and Willy Jordan.

Other highlights include a Friday night fish fry, a guitar yoga session Saturday morning and a Saturday afternoon block party featuring Milwaukee singer/songwriter/ rocker Brett Newski. For the complete lineup visit wilson-center.com. (Through Saturday, Aug. 18.)

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Brew City Cigar Festival @ Heidelberg Park, 6 p.m.

Nearly two dozen cigar manufacturers will show off some of their finest products, along with more than 50 beer, wine, liquor and food vendors, at this event celebrating the finer things in life. Now in its sixth year, the Brew City Cigar Festival will donate a portion of ticket sales to the Milwaukee chapter of Pets for Vets.

Ticket prices range from $95-$250.

Fat Joe w/ Yung Joc and Ying Yang Twins @ Miller High Life Theatre, 7 p.m.

One of the titans of Bronx hip-hop, Fat Joe carved out his place in rap history in the ’90s, when he launched the label Terror Squad and introduced the world to fellow Bronx legend Big Pun. Over the years Joe has proven himself surprisingly resilient, though, scoring a run of big rap hits including the 2004 club smash “Lean Back” and, more recently, his triumphant 2016 Remy Ma and French Montana collaboration “All The Way Up.” At this concert, Joe will be supported by fellow 2000s radio staples Yung Joc (who scored the 2006 hit “It’s Goin’ Down”) and Ying Yang Twins, the ridiculous Southern rap duo behind party singles like “Salt Shaker” and “Wait (The Whisper Song).” Rising Milwaukee rap star Munch Lauren is also on the bill, along with Erlwill and Mr. Competition.

Fat Joe SHEPHERD EXPRESS

RANKIN

Read our daily events guide, Today in Milwaukee, on shepherdexpress.com

Shelby Lynne

SUNDAY, AUG. 19

Shelby Lynne w/ Dana Erlandson @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.

Like a lot of winners of the Grammy’s Best New Artist category, country singer Shelby Lynne wasn’t exactly a newcomer when she took home that award in 2001.

Before she found acclaim with her breakthrough 1999 album, I Am Shelby Lynne, she had already released five albums and spent well over a decade navigating a music industry that had continually tried to repackage her sound for the widest audience possible. On her recent records, she’s veered away from the glossy pop of I Am Shelby Lynne and toward a rootsier, more rustic Americana sound. Her latest release, Not Dark Yet, is a duets record with her sister Allison Moorer that includes covers of Jason Isbell, Townes Van Zandt, Merle Haggard, The Killers and Nirvana.

MONDAY, AUG. 20

A little bit inspiring.

A little bit unexpected.

Hip-Hop Week MKE @ multiple locations

No music speaks to the times quite as vividly or as pointedly as hip-hop. It’s yet another sign of how respectable the once-insurgent genre has become that this month Milwaukee is hosting an official Hip-Hop Week, sponsored by Alderman Khalif Rainey. It kicks off on Monday, Aug. 20, with a 1 p.m. press conference at the Miller High Life Theatre, followed by a networking event and free concert at the theater featuring Milwaukee rappers that night, then continues through Sunday, Aug. 26 with an eclectic lineup of panels, concerts and parties at venues around the city. Highlights include a conversation with hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc Friday, Aug. 24 at the Miller High Life Theatre; a Ghosface Killah concert at the Rave that same night; a live score of the kung-fu film, 36 Chambers, from RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan at the Oriental Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 25; and a block party outside the new Milwaukee Bucks arena on Sunday, Aug. 26.

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

All sorts of art of every sort of taste.

Duane Hanson, Janitor, 1973. Polyester, fiberglass, and mixed-media. Gift of Friends of Art M1973.91. Photo by John R. Glembin. © Estate of Duane Hanson/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 | 19

PAUL RUFFOLO

A&E::INREVIEW

DANCE

Danceworks’ Tap Dance You Can Chew On ::BY JOHN SCHNEIDER

MCT’s ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily’

THEATRE

MKE Chamber Theatre Opens with Holmes, Watson and Wilde ::BY RUSS BICKERSTAFF

T

alented director Marcella Kearns works with an equally talented cast in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s seasonopening production of Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily. Kay Allmand summons the warmth of beauty and simple

mystery to the role of famed actress Lillie Langtry.

She is being blackmailed by a mysterious figure who has stolen love letters exchanged between her and an heir to the throne years in the past. Distraught, she turns to her good friend Oscar Wilde (a sharply witty Rick Pendzich) who contacts the only person who could possibly help Langtry: the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes—the latter played with soulful precision by Brian J. Gill. The central trio of Gill, Pendzich and Allmand mix a dynamic which deftly carries some of the livelier moments in the plot.

Holmes is aided in the case by a charismatically compassionate Ryan Schabach as Dr. Watson. A terrifyingly poised Matt Daniels reaches into the more overpowering end of his energies to render Holmes’ great antagonist, Professor Moriarty. Daniels has a cool, menacing passion in the role of a man with little regard for human life. Milwaukee theater veteran Karen Estrada and relative newcomer Jesse Bhamrah give life to the edges of the plot as a couple of Moriarty’s associates who suffer their own conflicts.

Though there may be moments that feel a bit drawn-out here and there, Kearns and company keep the pacing quite brisk from beginning to end. Two hours of intrigue glide by fluidly despite a few notable lapses in the action.

Through Aug. 26 at the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre, 158 N. Broadway. For tickets, call 414-291-7800 or visit milwaukeechambertheatre.com.

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“E

verything you do in life is the study of something,” Amy Brinkman-Sustache told me recently. You can chew on that for days. Such speculation inspired the engaging studies of Tapology, Danceworks on Tap’s 2018 concert for Danceworks DanceLAB. Brinkman-Sustache introduced the show by defining Ethnomethodology, the study of how we learn to identify with groups and the title of her company’s opening number. A dancer executes a step; another imitates it. Complex developments follow. You can view it as just a good tap dance and/or a consideration of growing up and/or a serious examination of dance traditions we take for granted. Why is tap dance like this? What do dance traditions say about us as individuals and cultures? The dancers made decisions regarding who to imitate, follow, pair with and group with; or they chose, if it’s a choice, to stand outside. This opening dance, I think, encouraged us to view the concert with different eyes—always thinking, asking why, excited for what’s next.

Annette Grefig’s Cardiology was next: genuine tap virtuosity set to tiny electronic beeps that gathered speed in worrisome fashion and finished with that flat line hum. Vitality always, but how often does tap dance address mortality? Beyond cute, Kelly Kotecki’s Genealogy paired a mom (Kotecki) and her young daughter, inviting us to feel in the moment the force of that relationship on both of them. Brinkman-Sustache’s minimalist Photology, lighted by handheld flashlights, focused our attention on footwork and rhythm.

Grefig’s Somnology was a dreamy clown show: Dancers in pajamas and tap shoes lying on the floor danced in sleeping and snuggling positions—hilarious and liberating. Grefig’s Psychology followed: a gripping duet by the choreographer and Gabi Sustache, all high-speed nerve tapping, twitching, scratching, muscle spasms and waking anxiety. Then, Rhythmology brought a crowd of new faces onstage; the students of Brinkman-Sustache’s summer tap workshop showed how well they’ve learned.

Kathak is Indian classical dance; Bollywood commercializes it. BrinkmanSustache’s Mixology combined kathak dancing by Kanchana Srinivasan and Cyenthia Vjayakumar with tap dancing by Brinkman-Sustache, Grefig and Sustache. The styles were equally, joyfully partnered, revealing cultural similarities and differences. Then, tap masters Bob Balderson and Lamont Johnson partnered for Sociology, bringing lifetimes of tap to bear—heading for Los Angeles on Route 66. Nikki Platt choreographed the exhilarating climax, Swingology: all-stops-out tap flash to increasingly up-tempo renditions of Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing.” What a show!

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A&E::VISUALART PUBLIC RECEPTION Thursday, August 23 6 – 8 p.m.

GALLERY HOURS Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

SPECIAL HOURS Saturday, September 1 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Sunday, September 2 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Mathew Hintz Spirit of the Open Road

Works of a licensed Harley-Davidson Motor Company artist and MIAD alum who passed away last year at age 41.

On view through October 20 Brooks Stevens Gallery Free admission

miad.edu/galleries

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OPENINGS: “The 730 Projection: 300 Images from Photographer Dick Blau’s The 730 Project”

Beginning at sundown on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 300 images from photographer Dick’s Blau’s “The 730 Project” will be projected onto an empty storefront window on Wisconsin Avenue—immediately west of Mo’s Irish Pub, 142 W. Wisconsin Ave. The dusk-to-dawn show will run in a continuous hour-long loop accompanied by a soundtrack recorded and composed by Morgan Jones. The final track is a collage that features the keyboard work of house pianist Jerry Weitzer, mixed with sounds of the surrounding streets.

“Embedded Language”

Aug. 15 • Pfister Hotel • 424 E. Wisconsin Ave. Performance artist and former Pfister Hotel narrator Dasha Kelly will present “Embedded Language”—a discussion on perspective, projection and the impact of personal story as they relate to Sanford Biggers’ BAM (Seated Warrior), 2017. The piece is part of a series in which Biggers marks and mutilates wooden African “power” figures, created for the tourist trade, then casts them in bronze to both hide and exaggerate the violence done to the original. Biggers’ work refers to waves of violence against citizens of color. The discussion commences at 6 p.m. Please register in advance on the Sculpture Milwaukee website.

“Egypt: A Personal View”

Aug. 19-Oct. 14 • Alfons Gallery • 1501 S. Layton Blvd.

“I worked to tell the stories of people whose lives ran parallel to my own life, while contrasting with it greatly in so many ways,” Waukesha’s award-winning photographer Bill Lemke explains. “Throughout these travels, I sought to capture the emotions of the people I met; their joy and pride as well as their sorrows.” An exhibit featuring images captured by Lemke during his 1985-1992 excursion to Egypt opens at the Alfons Gallery. As the gallery’s director and curator, Valerie J. Christell says, “Through photographs of people and places that he encountered throughout Egypt, Lemke provides us with an extensive dose of the Egyptian culture of that era. He is able to open our minds to aspects of ourselves and connections to our world through his distinctive lens.” For more information, call 414-385-5273 or visit alfonsgallery.org.

Bill Lemke, Arms on the Train, Aswan, Egypt

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SHEPHERD EXPRESS

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A&E::FILM

[ FILM CLIPS ] Alpha PG-13

Set during an ice age 20,000 years ago, Alpha is a tale of few words. Teen Keda (Kodi SmitMcPhee) awakens injured and alone after being left for dead during his first hunting expedition. Believing he will perish unless he finds his tribe before winter, Keda befriends a young wolf also separated from its pack. Together, they navigate treacherous terrain. Written and directed by Albert Hughes, this adventure is set in Europe during the Upper Paleolithic Era but was filmed against breathtaking Canadian mountain vistas and minimalistic Icelandic backgrounds. Solid storytelling and IMAX 3D cinematography elevate this drama that examines the roots of our bond to our canine friends. (Lisa Miller)

Crazy Rich Asians PG-13

‘Puzzle’

Piecing Together the ‘Puzzle’ of Life

to Manhattan and stares gap-mouthed at the celestial ceiling of Grand Central Station. The universe beckons! Her partner turns out to be the wealthy, flamboyantly eccentric Robert (Irrfan Khan), who draws her into—who knew?—the subculture of competitive jigsaw puzzling.

They are an odd couple—the diffident and apologetic Agnes and the lordly and cynical Robert. She is scarcely aware of the world beyond her street and he is glued to reports of every faraway catastrophe. For Robert, puzzles offer a glimmer of meaning in a random ::BY DAVID LUHRSSEN universe; they grant him power to order chaos he setting of Puzzle’s opening into a transitory picture of reality. For Agnes, frames can easily be mistaken it’s more about sharpening her innate intelfor the past: a housewife vacu- ligence and engaging faculties that had gone ums an old-fashioned living slack from disuse. Before long, she gains selfroom, dim in the curtain-filtered confidence and begins to challenge her hussunlight, and hangs colored balloons and a band. And yes, Agnes and Robert fall in love.

In Puzzle’s early scenes, Agnes veers close chain of letters spelling HAPPY BIRTHDAY. It could be 1950, but as the party begins, the to a caricature of a pre-1970 housewife transcontemporary hair and clothes bring the scene posed somehow to 2018. Why is she such a into the present. Agnes (Kelly Macdonald) is servant? After all, her husband isn’t abusthe birthday girl as well as the housewife, and ing her, her sons are undemanding and her she is serving the cake and doing the work as priest isn’t commanding her to be subservient. As the story progresses, Puzzle presents family and friends enjoy her happy day.

Although Agnes appears entirely content her more believably and engagingly as a in the traditional housewife role, the pensive woman searching for and finding her voice new age piano music signifies that something while gaining awareness. Robert is a splash of color, a plot device, while is missing. Absentmindedly, the real story is shouldered by she begins to assemble one Agnes and her family. Husof her gifts, a puzzle whose Puzzle band Louie (David Denman) pieces—significantly—form is clueless but affable, narrow Kelly Macdonald a map of the world. Sitting but not close-minded, and his Irrfan Kahn outside and gazing at the cresanger, confusion and pain are cent moon in the morning sky, Directed by palpable. Their youngest son, she begins to glimpse another Marc Turtletaub Gabe (Austin Abrams), is world beyond her house and brash and raises eyebrows by Rated R the narrow streets of a bluebringing his vegan Buddhist collar New York suburb. girlfriend to dinner. Eldest Puzzle becomes a fable of son Ziggy (Bubba Weiler) is escape—or return? Agnes’ sheltered life is centered on a working-class husband who sulky but determined, braving dad’s disaploves her even if he takes her subservience for proval for wanting to become a chef, not a car granted, two decent college-age sons finding mechanic.

In the end, Puzzle asks a question it cannot their footing in life and a benign if not entirely fulfilling Roman Catholic parish. Responding answer: Is it possible to have everything we to an ad for a “puzzle partner,” she ventures want in a world where taking one road means for the first time since—what, before 9/11?— abandoning the other?

T

24 | A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 8

Adapted from the bestseller by Kevin Kwan, this romantic comedy is seen from the perspective of American-born Rachel Chu (Constance Wu). A New Yorker and the longtime girlfriend of Nick Young (Henry Golding), Rachel agrees to be his date for the Singapore wedding of Nick’s best friend. Rachel is unaware, prior to their trip, that Nick’s family is fabulously wealthy, so she is ill-prepared for the disapproval of Nick’s protective, imperious mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh). Raised by a single mother, there is evidence Eleanor’s concerns are valid in the difficult marriage of Nick’s favorite cousin, Astrid (Gemma Chan). Despite distractions of extreme opulence (Nick’s cousin’s wedding costs $40 million dollars!), the film is firmly grounded in family traditions and the chemistry between its principal characters. (L.M.)

Mile 22 R

Mark Wahlberg portrays CIA operative James Silva. Paired with a top-secret tactical team, Silva sets out to retrieve and transport a high-priority informant. The group’s 22-mile journey to get their informant to an extraction point is a perilous exercise in outwitting the terrorists that hunt them. Director Peter Berg filmed modern combat-style action sequences for realism by using several camera teams to capture separate elements in real time. This fourth collaboration between Wahlberg and Berg is the first of a planned trilogy. Released by American company STXfilms, the studio was founded with sizeable Chinese investments and an eye toward making films for both Chinese and American markets. (L.M.)

[ HOME MOVIES / NOW STREAMING ] The Nursery

A UW-Madison student takes a babysitting job in the remote outskirts of the capital and strange things begin to occur—and accelerate once her one sensible and two doofus friends arrive to party. It sounds like ’80s horror but writerdirectors Christopher Micklos and Jay Sapiro set the tale against a contemporary backdrop of anti-depressant meds, spooky chat rooms and unsettling images arriving on everyone’s screen. The Nursery earned two awards at Milwaukee’s Twisted Dreams Film Festival.

The Three-Way Wedding

What better way to begin a French romantic-sex comedy than in bed? But in director Jacques Doillon’s The Three-Way Wedding, it’s not entirely clear if playwright August (Pascal Greggory) is imagining sex with ex-wife Harriet (Julie Depardieu) as an exercise for finishing his play. And then she arrives at his villa with boyfriend Théo (Louis Garrel), cast as that play’s leading man. Art follows life and life follows art in this witty production.

Love After Love

Quiet and conversational, Love After Love catches life in a sequence of midmoments. Its characters ponder the vagaries of happiness until anger, sickness and death dare to intrude into their comfortably upholstered upper-middle class existence. Andie MacDowell (Sex, Lies & Videotape) dominates with her subtly expressive features, drawn into a picture of composure under stress—until the picture cracks. Love After Love also stars James Adomian and Chris O’Dowd as members of the increasingly squabbling family.

“Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In: The Complete Fifth Season”

The groundbreaking television series reached its 100th episode during season five (1971-1972). The cast took potshots at most everything through comedic non sequiturs delivered by (and fired at) four-star guest stars such as Johnny Carson, Johnny Cash, Hugh Hefner, Bob Hope and John Wayne. The irreverent variety show is a time capsule that points the way to television’s future. With its fake newscasts and send-ups of current events, “Laugh-In” was a predecessor to “SNL.” —David Luhrssen SHEPHERD EXPRESS

A&E::BOOKS DAVE ZYLSTRA

::

::OFFTHECUFF

BOOK|PREVIEW

TBEY Fills the Gap in Milwaukee Arts Education

Fate and Family in Chloe Benjamin’s ‘The Immortalists” ::BY JENNI HERRICK

D

o you believe in the prophesies of fortune tellers, palm readers and psychics? What if an intimate prognostication revealed the exact date of your death?

Would this mortal revelation change how you lived your life? In Chloe Benjamin’s novel The Immortalists, a secret visit to a traveling psychic— and the fateful prophecies she proclaims— heavily influence the lives of four siblings over the course of five decades, spanning events from the AIDS epidemic to 9/11. Benjamin’s award-winning sophomore release follows the intimate lives of the Gold children, beginning with that fateful meeting with a mystical seer in 1969 that reveals their ultimate destinies. The Immortalists is a sweeping, magical narrative that deftly tackles the realities and illusions of this world and the next by introducing readers to four salient characters that you’ll care about and who will make you think.

Published in January of 2018, The Immortalists became an instant New York Times bestseller.

This beautifully told family saga has topped numerous literary “best of” lists including InStyle’s “10 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018” and “Good Morning America's”“Best Books to Bring to the Beach this Summer.” Benjamin was born in California but completed her MFA in fiction at UW-Madison and continues to reside in Wisconsin. She is also the author of The Anatomy of Dreams, which was long-listed for the 2014 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.

Benjamin will visit Books & Company in Oconomowoc at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16.

Chloe Benjamin SHEPHERD EXPRESS

OFF THE CUFF WITH TBEY ARTS CENTER’S CONTESSA LOBLEY ::BY EVAN RYTLEWSKI

F

or 18 years, Milwaukee’s TBEY Arts Center has been introducing students to visual arts, dance, music and theater with programs designed to offset the cuts to arts education in public schools. This month, the nonprofit will host two of its biggest event of the year: its 10th annual A Journey Through Dance student showcase at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m., and its inaugural Stargazed benefit concert at Turner Hall Ballroom on Friday, Aug. 24, featuring singers Sammie and Grace Weber.

Ahead of those events, TBEY Executive Director Contessa Lobley spoke with Off The Cuff about the organization’s background and its mission.

How did TBEY start?

I started TBEY when I was 16 years old. With my background being in performing arts and dance, I wanted to establish a one-stop shop arts organization and a program that I could participate in at the same time, since I was that age. I was seeing that the first thing to go with budget cuts at Milwaukee Public Schools was art programs, so it started with me thinking about the kids behind me, who wouldn’t be exposed to the arts.

How does your organization combat that?

We have our core program, which is our afterschool arts program. It’s more of a training and technique mentorship program, where we work with students 9-19 in training for the arts. We help them with possible auditions, higher education. We have a relationship with UW-Milwaukee Peck Schools of the Arts and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, so we help them with their portfolios and auditions to get into those schools, while providing them with other life resources.

Our ARTReach program is where we go into community organizations as well as schools to provide art programming, including workshops and pop-up sessions. We actually have a contract with MPS where we have art programs for their Fill The Gap program. We offer those art services

and programs to MPS schools, as well as the choice and charter schools.

Can you tell me about your Stargazed event?

That’s our first annual benefit concert. With a lot of nonprofits, they have an annual gala or some type of big fundraiser. We wanted to do something that encompassed who we are and what we do, so we felt what better way than to do an evening of music. So, we decided to look at highlighting local artists as well as bringing in two national artists. One is Grace Weber who is actually from Milwaukee, and we’re very excited to have her, given her initiative in the community with the 88.9 Music Lab—she has her own nonprofit in collaboration with the radio station, and we thought that was just phenomenal. So, the concert is just to bring awareness to our program, what we do, who we are, and to benefit our scholarships that we offer throughout the year to our students.

Have any of your students gone on to careers in the arts?

Absolutely. We have several students that are in L.A. and Atlanta. We have students at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, as well as students with Debbie Allen’s company who are in training there, so we have several students who have pursued a career in the arts over the years.

Growing up in a city like Milwaukee, it seems like a lot of students might not even consider that the arts could be a viable career path.

Absolutely, and that’s one of the main focuses here at TBEY. We focus on the training and technique, and all of our teaching artists are working artists. They’re performing.

They have galleries. That’s real important to have in front of the kids, so they can see that you can have a career in the arts.

To learn more about TBEY Arts Center, visit tbey.org.

A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 | 25

Know Your Status.

::HEARMEOUT ASK RUTHIE | UPCOMING EVENTS | PAUL MASTERSON

Get Tested.

FREE HIV AND STD TESTING AT OUR BRADY STREET LOCATION MONDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHTS. NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED.

::RUTHIE’SSOCIALCALENDAR

BESTD

Aug. 17—Dippin’ Thots with Big Dipper at D.I.X. (739 S. First St.): One of America’s favorite gay rappers, Big Dipper, hits Cream City with a visit to this hot spot. The night includes a drag show hosted by Baby Bear, as well as ice cream, popsicles and drink specials to help you beat the heat at the 10 p.m. party.

C·L·I·N·I·C

Aug. 18—Courage MKE Volleyball Tournament at Fat Daddy’s (120 W. National Ave.): Whether you spike a ball or a drink, you’ll want to get some sand between your toes during this third-annual co-ed tournament that benefits Courage MKE. Registration opens at 11:30 a.m. with the games starting at noon. (Bring cash or check for $150 per 6-person team.)

Enjoy light snacks between the games as well as a free lunch, prizes and, of course, adult beverages that are available for sale at the bar.

BESTD Clinic, 1240 E. Brady Street Go to bestd.org for more information.

Aug. 18—ABBA vs. Queen vs. Blondie at Mad Planet (533 E. Center St.): The ultimate ménage à trois of 1970s/’80s music mayhem comes to fruition at this 9 p.m. dance fest. Part of Mad Planet’s “VS” series, this threesome of iconic awesomeness promises to keep you hopping until bar close.

Dear Ruthie,

I’m hosting a party next week, and a friend asked if she could bring her psycho sister along. I don’t like this woman (the sister) and don’t want her in my house. She has a history of stealing, is on drugs, and I just don’t need her knowing where I live. Plus, she’s rude, and I do not want to expose my other guests to her. What should I tell her? Or, do I just suck it up and let her bring the bitch?

Feeling Pissed, F-This Fred

Dear Freddy,

Yikes! No one wants a tweaker at their party, ticking off guests and casing the joint. After all, you didn’t fill those deviled eggs only to have some psychopath stuff them into her purse. (Do psychopath’s have purses?)

Regardless, if you told her she could bring a guest or a “+1,” you’re in a bit of a bind. You told her she could bring someone of her choice, and now she is.

Simply let her bring her sis, hope things work out (which I’m guessing they will) and hold your friend accountable if anything goes wrong.

If you didn’t tell your gal-pal she could bring a guest, and now she’s asking if her sister can tag along, simply tell her “no” and leave it at that. You don’t have to explain yourself. Your house, your party, your rules. And when all else fails...alcohol!

26 | A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 8

Aug. 19—Madison Pride Parade (State Street, Downtown Madison): Relish one of the last pride events of summer when you head to the state capital. A great, family-friendly time will be had by all when you take in this parade and rally. The fun steps off at 1 p.m. at 500-600 blocks of State Street. The parade marches up State Street to Capitol Square for an enthusiastic rally. The party continues to 4 p.m., with plenty of bar hopping to follow. Visit outreachprideparade.org for more information.

Aug. 19—Uncut Night at Cactus Club (2496 S. Wentworth Ave.): Described as an “unadulterated, unfiltered and raw drag review,” this naughty night of music, queens and more promises to get your blood pumping.

The 9 p.m. show features six performers, a DJ and a $5 cover charge.

Aug. 20—Preview of “Camp Wannakiki” at Hamburger Mary’s (730 S. Fifth St.): Watch the latest episode (a day before anyone else) of this wild, whacky and wonderful reality drag competition, featuring hilarious queens from the Midwest—including Milwaukee. I play hostess both on the web series and at this kooky 7 p.m. preview night, so join me for some fun. You’ll enjoy performances from some of the contestants, special beverages and more. Call 414-488-2555 for reservations.

Aug. 21—Testing Tuesday at Harbor Room (117 E. Greenfield Ave.): Take control of your health and know your status with free HIV testing and STD screening. The 6-9 p.m. schedule offers plenty of options for you to pop into this Levi/Leather bar. You’ll also find free prevention and health care kits, as well as $10 Walmart Gift Cards for qualified participants.\ Don’t miss Ruthie’s new reality show, “Camp Wannakiki” on YouTube. Want to share an event with Ruthie? Email DearRuthie@Shepex.com and follow her on Instagram @ruthiekeester and Facebook at Dear Ruthie.

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

::MYLGBTQPoint of View

Let’s Not Have Mayhem in Madison ::BY PAUL MASTERSON

T

he Madison Pride Parade takes place this weekend on Sunday, Aug. 19. As it happens, the date falls in the shadow of the one-year anniversary of the Neo-Nazi rally Charlottesville, Va., in which 32-year-old counter protester Heather Heyer was murdered and dozens of others injured. The Washington, D.C., commemoration of that event by retro-Third Reich brawlers failed because of a unified collation of the left.

The Pride Parade is also just days after the primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 14. Considering all of this, one would expect that, after 18 months of suffering the current regime’s hate and homophobia, the transformational power of people coming together for a communally celebrated occasion such as a LGBTQ pride event, would serve to bring diverse groups closer and unify them with a sense of common mission. Sadly, for Madison’s upcoming Pride Parade, that’s not the case.

OutReach LGBT Community Center, the parade’s organizer, announced last Friday that, aside from required police security presence, no uniformed or other contingent of any city, county or University of Wisconsin police— including MPD Pride and the Madison Police Department LGBTQ Employee Resource Group—can march in the parade itself. The decision came only a week after OutReach released a statement explaining that the MPD (Milwaukee Police Department) contingent could march in civilian clothes and without a squad car. According to Madison Police Chief Mike Koval, MPD was happy to comply and had made T-shirts for the occasion. It planned to pass out rainbow wrist bands as well. He also cited MPD’s ongoing programs to mitigate community mistrust.

Then came the revised announcement in response to certain community factions representing transgender people of color and other marginalized constituents. Because of the history of police violence against them throughout the country, they demanded a ban on any and all police presence, even as security.

They threatened a boycott and asked parade supporters to withdraw their sponsorships.

OutReach acquiesced accordingly. Dozens of SHEPHERD EXPRESS

impassioned comments posted online (largely devoid of name calling, although one equated the “T” in LGBTQ to “terrorism”) applauded or condemned the Outreach decision. Advocates cheered, invoking the Stonewall Uprising even though the half-century since has brought incredible strides in equality. Ban opponents raised their objections arguing that faith-based groups have not been barred from marching despite the continuing and aggressive anti-LGBTQ oppression by many organized religions.

Ironically, the Pride Parade ban came just days before a scheduled town hall meeting on the subject. Now, the OutReach action has created anger and frustration that may taint any semblance of mutual trust. With a pall thrown over not only the meeting but the Pride Parade itself, the mood can hardly be conciliatory and geared to finding consensus.

Suddenly, the consequences of the OutReach decision will have to be part of the equation.

The irony cannot be lost on any observer that the Madison community center’s “OutReach” moniker has been turned into its opposite. The banning of the police just days after accepting them not only divides the LGBTQ community but further alienates those who should be welcomed in the spirit of outreach.

Faced with the divide-and-conquer tactics our enemies so gleefully pursue, by blithely indulging the divisions in our community, we’re doing their work for them.

Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n

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::MUSIC MUSIC

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FEATURE | ALBUM REVIEWS | CONCERT REVIEWS | LOCAL MUSIC

We Banjo 3 Make Themselves at Home at Irish Fest ::BY JOSHUA MILLER

e Banjo 3 has traveled a long distance since forming in Ireland nearly seven years ago. Their story starts in Galway, a harbor city located on the country’s west coast.

Known as the fourth largest city in Ireland, Galway is rich in history and culture. You don’t have to travel far to find musicians performing at pubs and street corners. It’s a place where music collaboration is encouraged and celebrated. In 2011, two sets of brothers, Enda and Fergal Scahill and Martin and David Howley, came together to form the band.

It didn’t take long for others to take notice of their music. We Banjo 3 quickly became a favorite around the country thanks to their unique “Celtgrass” sound, which blends together traditional Irish music, Americana, bluegrass and pop music.

Eventually, they decided to test their luck in America. In 2012, they performed their first U.S. show at Milwaukee Irish Fest. They enjoyed it so much that they’ve returned every year since.

“Milwaukee is kind of our hometown gig,” says singer and guitarist David Howley. “The first time we played, we had maybe 10 people there because we were playing earlier in the day. At the end of the weekend, there were a lot of people trying to jam their way in to see us. We knew at that stage that something magical was happening.”

Howley says each year they challenge themselves to “bring something bigger and different.” For example, last summer they toured with a three-piece horn section. This year is particularly special as they’re promoting their latest album, Haven, which came out last month. Their Friday performance will be devoted to performing the album in full. Saturday’s set will have a mix of old and new music. For Sunday’s set, the band will collaborate with other musicians at the fest.

“We do kind of a party stage where we get as many people as we can on stage with us to play some songs together,” Howley says. “That’s been really enjoyable for us. I think it’s cool for festivalgoers to see bands that normally don’t play together.”

Music can provide a haven for people in uncertain times, he says. Hence the title of the band’s album.

“We often get people coming up to us after shows saying, ‘I was having a bad day, but then I came out

28 | A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 8

to the show.’ That’s really important,” says Howley.

“The world’s gotten particularly crazy, so the music needs to be a place where people can stretch out.

And also connect with other people whose views might be different from theirs.”

“At festivals, we see people in the front row, and they’re all different shapes, sizes and colors, and everybody’s different. But they’re all there for the unified reason of listening to music and having a good time,” he continues. “With this album, we wanted to give people something that was meaningful and had a message but was also inclusive of everybody.

It’s been powerful to have people connect so much with the songs.”

“Light in the Sky” is one of the songs people have particularly gravitated towards. The song is a rallying anthem for those dealing with mental health issues.

I think a lot of young people feel that, when they set off, they have to be successful. They don’t think they

can’t call home and say that it didn’t work out,” says Howley. “In the darkest moments, where it feels like it’s at its worst, that’s where you really need to hold on most, and you can get better and reach out for help. The song’s so triumphant, which I feel it really needs to be. It is a triumphant message that, if you hold on, things will get better.”

The band hasn’t sweated adjusting to having half of its members move to the U.S. Howley moved to Nashville two years ago, and his brother moved recently as well. “We travel and tour so much that, personally, I don’t feel like I live anywhere,” We Banjo 3 says Howley. “Friendship is very important in our band. I Milwaukee think the band has benefited Irish Fest from us having really good Friday, relationships with each other.

Aug. 17, I think that shows up in the Saturday, music. It’s nice having a home Aug.18 base when we’re in Ireland but also in America when we’re Sunday, there as well.”

Aug. 19 It helped the band as they recorded their first album in the U.S. with their touring sound engineer, Frank Marchand. “Frank is an amazing engineer and has been on the road with us, and he had a really great studio,” says Howley. “We stayed at an Airbnb and cooked a lot of meals together and really bonded as a band. We were so comfortable.

The first or second take was the one we used. That speaks to the energy of our music.”

We Banjo 3 will perform at Milwaukee Irish Fest’s Coors Light Stage on Friday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m., Saturday Aug. 18 at 8:15 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. For the complete festival lineup, visit irishfest.com.

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

::LOCALMUSIC

::CONCERTREVIEW

Culture Club Offered More Than Just Nostalgia at the Riverside ::BY JAMIE LEE RAKE

M

::BY EVAN RYTLEWSKI

group play B-sides. “I don’t even remember writing (that),” George harrumphed in a bit of amazement that others would recall the dregs of their catalog fondly. Though Culture Club’s amalgam of ’60s-’70s soul, skittering Afro-pop, lovers rock, reggae sweetness and undercurrents of country made for one of the more artistically nuanced sounds Star Hits readers glommed onto back in the day, George acknowledged with apparent humility that they’re entertainers and privileged to be so.

One of the more entertaining twists of the band tackling their smashes is the way they would elongate some numbers. That could mean upping the quotient of dub effects for reggae-indebted numbers such as “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and George’s late’80’s U.K. #1 hit reworking of Bread’s “Everything I Own,” a mini-jam reprising “It’s A Miracle,” and a soul-gospel vamp by one of their four background singers amending “Different Man,” a tune from this fall’s forthcoming album, Life.

That and other numbers such as “Runaway Train” and “Let Somebody Love You” plumb the same multi-cultural stylistic wells as Culture Club did in their salad days but with autobiographical allusions, about which George was coyer on pieces like their show-closing biggest single, “Karma Chameleon.”

The only misstep of the evening was their cover of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted To Love.” By the time they played it, George had already revealed himself to be a far humbler and relatively earnest guy than the arrogant horndog of Palmer’s original rendition, making it was a tough sell. But it wasn’t much of a blemish on an otherwise engagingly glossy evening of fondly recalled musical memories.

T

COURTESY OF BOY GEORGE

erely because a band has been relegated to the nostalgia circuit doesn’t mean they can’t put on a show with current relevance and worthwhile new music.

Culture Club proved both ideas true with a show at the Riverside Theater that found the mid-1980s mainstays both eager to please and triumphant.

The triumph comes in the group’s four principals reconciling long-seeded acrimonies to make their current tour happen. And, as he referenced in prefacing one of his group’s newer numbers, lead singer Boy George has overcome drug abuse and other struggles to emerge a seemingly stronger man.

That strength hasn’t necessarily extended to the upper range of George’s vocal range.

That kind of spry singing lent a hint of aural androgyny to the gender-fluid wardrobe he flaunted during the early years of MTV. He has, however, developed a richer lower end that added powerful luster to the 15 tunes he, three other Club mates, a bevy of background singers and ancillary musicians shared for an audience crazed for Ronald Reagan Decade reminiscing.

Opening boisterously with David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” affirmed the group’s comfort with being purveyors of nostalgia. George later shared that his mother complained that Bowie couldn’t sing after her son played “Space Oddity” for her, but in an early display of his wit, he told his mum, “You’ll get used to it.”

His eagerness to please with Culture Club’s own run of hits came with a soft dismissal of overly obsessive fans demanding that the

Culture Club

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

SONJA KRAMER-HAAG

Liam O’Brien Celebrates the Beauty of Impermanence

hough these days his music falls squarely under the banner of folk, Liam O’Brien is a composer at heart. He was only 14 when the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra performed one of his compositions as part of a youth program, a piece called “Medieval Fanfare” that was more than a little inspired by the movies (“it’s definitely reminiscent of what a pre-teen would come with,” he recalls.)

“Heading into college I thought I was going to go the academic composer route,” O’Brien says “I went to school for theory and composition at Lawrence University, and during that time I was in bands, too. I also play saxophone so I was doing jazz, too. I just loved music, so I was pursing all these different ways of playing music at the same time.”

Like many college students, though, the path O’Brien set out on his freshman year was not the one he ultimately landed on. “Somehow through the swirl of college I shifted focus and started getting really into recording, because I began to see that as the modern composer’s palate, just being able to explore the sounds as you complete them in the studio, rather than writing them down on a pad,” O’Brien says.

These days O’Brien records for a living. He now runs his own studio in Milwaukee, but he still approaches his own music with a composer’s sense of experimentation. For his new EP credited to Liam O’Brien’s Faithless Followers, Nowhere to Go, he and a small cast musicians tracked all six of its songs live in continuous takes. “I think of it as one thing, like a symphony,” he says.

Written during an unsettled time in his life, while he was living on a farm in Western Wisconsin, its opening tracks are sparse and naked, folk music in the most traditional sense. But from there the EP swells, growing gradually more restless until it culminates in the large, restless swells of its penultiLiam mate track “Understatement” (ironically the least understated track on a O’Brien’s record that otherwise prizes that trait). Like Phil Elverum’s records as The Microphones, the EP plays like a journey, a study in impermanence.

Faithless “If I had to put one word down as a philosophical theme, that would be it, Followers impermanence,” O’Brien says. “I think there’s joy in impermanence. People Anodyne get hung up on the angst of being mortals, but I find so much joy in being Coffee able to experience the now, because now is the only time now is going to Friday, happen. So that’s my whole message. That’s what I’m trying to convey with Aug. 17 , the music. Things come and go.”

O’Brien is releasing the EP as a cassette, which will be packaged as 8 p.m. part of a hardcover book containing art from the musicians that contributed to it. And in keeping with the ephemeral, in-the-moment spirit of the EP, for its release show O’Brien has lined up a one-time ensemble of 12 musicians to play perform it in its entirety, among them Mike Noyce (who’s played with Bon Iver and The Tallest Man on Earth), Ousia Whitaker-DeVault (of RuthB8r Ginsburg and Sweet Shieks), Dria Rushing (aka DJ Dripsweat) and Charlie Celenza (of Soul Low), as well as openers Apollo Vermouth and Caley Conway.

O’Brien cites the spontaneous, one-off nature of performance as one of the things that excites him the most about live shows. “Every time I play a show, there’s new people or there’s old people coming back,” he says. “Sometimes I play with two people, sometimes 12. I’ve toured solo before, too. So I really wanted to be flexible. I enjoy keeping things fresh all the time.”

Liam O’Brien’s Faithless Followers plays an EP release show at Anodyne Coffee, 224 W. Bruce St., on Friday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. with Apollo Vermouth and Caley Conway.

A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 | 29

MUSIC::LISTINGS

::ALBUMS Elvin Bishop’s Fun Trio

Something Smells Funky ’ Round Here (ALLIGATOR RECORDS) There’s something to be said for blues performers longevity, and that holds true for 75-year-old Elvin Bishop. One of the remaining founders of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, formed in 1963, Bishop is still strumming his Gibson ES-345 with the unique finger-slide style he learned from veteran blues artist Earl Hooker. The result is Bishop’s approach to vintage blues on his new CD, Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here.

Backed by Fun Trio members Bob Welsh on piano/guitar and Willy Jordan on percussion/vocals, the album’s 10 cuts don’t break new ground so much as they effectively revisit the classic blues style that swept up Bishop back in the 1950s. Throughout the disc Bishop and Welsh effectively trade guitar leads, while Jordan slaps out rhythms on a Peruvian cajón. The lack of bass and drum kit is never evident.

The title song is Bishop’s political commentary, with the funky smell coming from Washington, D.C. “Another Mule” and “The Way Willy Likes It” offer the group’s spin on standard country blues, while “Bob’s Boogie” lets Welsh loose with a great barrelhouse piano rag. During Jackie Wilson’s classic “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” vocalist Jordan conjures up some sweet sounds. It’s just too bad Bishop didn’t bring in female backup singers like those Wilson employed for the chorus. The ladies are conspicuous in their absence.

—Michael Muckian Elvin Bishop and the Big Fun Trio perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17 at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center’s Guitar Festival.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 16

Amelia’s, Jackson Dordel Jazz Quintet (4pm) Cactus Club, The Waley Brown w/Whiskey and The Devil & Bandoleer Bacall Caroline’s Jazz Club, Sonic Soul from Chicago Clarke Hotel (Waukesha), In the Five Points Pub: Ginni & JoAnna Marie (6pm) Colectivo Coffee (Lakefront), Colectivo’s Música del Lago County Clare Irish Inn & Pub, Acoustic Irish Folk w/Barry Dodd Heritage Deer Creek, Summer Concert Series: The Garbage Picker’s Band (6:30pm) Jazz Estate, Ben Sidran Jazz in the Park (Cathedral Square Park), STEEZ (6pm) Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, Open Jam: Roadhouse Rave Up Mason Street Grill, Mark Thierfelder Jazz Trio (5:30pm) Matty’s Bar & Grille (New Berlin), Smokin’ Live & Local Mezcalero Restaurant, CP & Stoll w/Chris Peppas & Jeff Stoll O’Donoghues Irish Pub (Elm Grove), The All-Star SUPERband (6pm) On the Bayou, Open Mic Comedy w/host The Original Darryl Hill Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Phil Norby Potbelly Sandwich Shop (East Side), Texas Dave (12pm) Rave / Eagles Club, Bronco w/Banda Nuestra Tierra, Banda Arrazadora & Banda AgaVeña (all-ages, 9pm) Rounding Third Bar and Grill, World’s Funniest Free Comedy Show The Back Room at Colectivo, The Shacks The Bay Restaurant, VIVO w/Warren Wiegratz The Packing House Restaurant, Barbara Stephan & Peter Mac (6pm) Transfer Pizzeria Cafe, Latin Sessions: Cecilio Negron Jr. Turner Hall Ballroom, Rebirth Brass Band Up & Under Pub, A No Vacancy Comedy Open Mic Veterans Memorial Park (Kenosha), Peanut Butter & Jam Concert Series: Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials (11:30am & 6pm) Vretenar Memorial Park (St. Francis), The Sensation

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17

American Legion Post #399 (Okauchee), The Ricochettes Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Julie’s Piano Karaoke Anodyne Coffee , Liam O’Brien’s Faithless Followers EP release show w/Caley Conway & Apollo Vermouth Cactus Club, The Cinemasonic Experience: Joe Quinto EP release w/Jayne Joyce & Shle Berry Cafe Carpe (Fort Atkinson), The Kevin Prater Band Cedar Creek Park (Cedarburg), Magic Giant (6:30pm) Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: Lee’s Cash & Carry w/This Thing We Do (8pm); DJ: Daniel James (10pm) Clarke Hotel (Waukesha), Dick Eliot Jazz Guitar (6pm) Colectivo Coffee (Lakefront), Friday Nite Music Series ComedySportz Milwaukee, ComedySportz Milwaukee!

Company Brewing, Fankh n’ Friends w/host Ms. Lotus Fankh County Clare Irish Inn & Pub, Traditional Irish Ceilidh Session Five O’Clock Steakhouse, Rafael Mendez Frank’s Power Plant, Man Random w/Not The Cops & Arcade Mode Hales Corners Park, Traveling Beer Garden w/music (5pm) Iron Mike’s (Franklin), Jam Session w/Steve Nitros & Friends Jazz Estate, We Six (8pm), Late Night Session: Jesse Montijo & Dinosaur Rocket (11:30pm) Juneau Park, Traveling Beer Garden w/music (5pm) Kim’s Lakeside (Pewaukee), Andrew Gelles Lakefront Brewery, Brewhaus Polka Kings (5:30pm) Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Jason Seed Stringtet Mamie’s, Harvey Westmoreland Mason Street Grill, Phil Seed Trio (6pm) Milwaukee Athletic Club, AURA Music Series: No No Yeah Okay Monument Square (Racine), Music on the Monument: The Jimmy Le Rose Band (11:30am) Pabst Theater, Gladys Knight Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: T&Z Duo from Clique (9pm), In the Fire Pit: The Mantz Brothers (9pm) Rave / Eagles Club, Weezer w/White Reaper (all-ages, 8pm) Riverwest Public House, The Lark and the Loon Shank Hall, Derrick Procell w/Danny Miller Band

St. John’s Lutheran Church (Oconomowoc), Maple Road Blues Band (5:30pm) The Baaree (Thiensville), Friday Night Live: The Hannemann Trio (6pm) The Bay Restaurant, Trevor Mihalski The Packing House Restaurant, Carmen Nickerson & The Carmen Sutra Trio (6:30pm) Turner Hall Ballroom, Tom Arnold Up & Under Pub, Various Small Fires

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18

Arriba Mexican Restaurant (Butler), Greg & Ollie Davis Duo Big Head Brewing Company, Jonny T-Bird Cactus Club, Greatest Lakes w/Airo Kwill, Minor Characters & Bum Alum Cafe Carpe (Fort Atkinson), Satchel Paige & Eric Miller Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: Devious Ones w/Color TV (8pm); DJ: WarLock (10pm) Coffeeville Company (Jackson), Jonny T-Bird & Big Dad (11am) ComedySportz Milwaukee, ComedySportz Milwaukee!

Edgewater Pewaukee, Joe Kadlec (2pm) Five O’Clock Steakhouse, Kirk Tatnall Fox Point Farmers Market, Doc Green and the Machine (10am) Frank’s Power Plant, The DUIs w/The Kreutzer Sonata, The Stalones & Final Ultimate Hales Corners Park, Traveling Beer Garden w/music (5pm) Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Vocals & Keys Hops & Leisure (Oconomowoc), Take it Easy (Eagles tribute band) Jazz Estate, Andrew Trim Quartet (8pm), Late Night Session: Joe Niemann Quartet (11:30pm) Juneau Park, Traveling Beer Garden w/music (5pm) Lapham Peak State Park, SummerStage Music Series: The WhiskeyBelles (6:30pm) Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Big Dill & the Boys album release w/Wurk & Sleepy Gaucho Mason Street Grill, Jonathan Wade Trio (6pm) Miller High Life Theatre, Fat Joe w/Yung Joc and Ying Yang Twins Milwaukee Boat Line Dock, Brew City Boat Series: Plaid Hawaii Milwaukee County Zoo, Caribou Stage: Katz Sass, Grimm Brothers & Asia (12pm) Milwaukee County Zoo, Zoofari Stage: The Sensation (12pm) Monument Square (Racine), Saturday Sounds on the Square: Dave Braun Trio (2pm) Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Gabriel V2 (9pm), In the Fire Pit: Chicken Wire Empire (9pm) Shank Hall, Michigan Rattler w/ Luke Callen St. Louis Catholic Church (Caledonia), Festival: Larry Lynne Band (6pm) The Back Room at Colectivo, Joan of Arc w/Tan (members of CoCo Bees/Volcano Choir, Seven Days of Samsara, Worrier) The Bunker (Waterford), “MAD MAX” Wounded Warrior Fundraiser w/No Quarter (1pm) The Cheel (Thiensville), Big Al Dorn & The Blues Howlers The Local/Club Anything, Statiqbloom & Project .44 w/ Replicant & Plvgues The Packing House Restaurant, Adekola Adedapo, John High, Omar & Geno (6:30pm) The Rock Sports Complex, Summer Concert Series in Umbrella Bar: Road Crew (6:30pm) Up & Under Pub, Three Unassisted

SUNDAY, AUGUST 19

Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Live Karaoke w/Julie Brandenburg Cactus Club, UNCUT: w/host Lenda Joe & Jaida Essence Hall, Bebe Cream, Lavish Jules, Coco Monet, Coco Iman & DJ Dripsweat Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: Goodmorning Valentine (8pm); DJ: John Riepenhoff & Sara Caron (10pm) County Clare Irish Inn & Pub, Dick Eliot Jazz Guitar (5:30pm) Dugout 54, Dugout 54 Sunday Open Jam Frank’s Power Plant, Jason’s Summerslam Party (5pm) Hops & Leisure (Oconomowoc), Full Band Open Jam w/host Wapatui (6pm) Iron Mike’s (Franklin), Jam Session w/Kenny Todd (3pm) Jazz Estate, Miles Over Mountains (6pm) Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Green Party and NORML Reggae Fundraiser commemorating the music of Bob Marley Miramar Theatre, Afton Shows Presents (all-ages, 6pm) Rounding Third Bar and Grill, The Dangerously Strong Comedy Open Mic Shank Hall, Shelby Lynne w/Dana Erlandson

The Baaree (Thiensville), Sunday Funday Open Jam w/ Andrew Gelles & Friends (4pm) Turner Hall Ballroom, Yacht Rock Revue

MONDAY, AUGUST 20

Cactus Club, Reverend Beat-Man & Nicole Izobel Garcia w/Lil’ Bobby Bleed (BLEED) & The Ornerys Jazz Estate, Latin Jam Session with Cecilio Negrón Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Poet’s Monday w/host Timothy Kloss & featured reader Jabril Faraj (sign-up 7:30pm, 8-11pm) Mason Street Grill, Joel Burt Duo (5:30pm) Paulie’s Pub and Eatery, Open Jam w/Christopher John & Dave Wacker Silver Spring House, Rick Holmes Plays the Blues Up & Under Pub, Open Mic w/Marshall McGhee and the Wanderers

TUESDAY, AUGUST 21

Braun’s Power House, Cadillac Pete & The Power House Blues Band Cactus Club, Ceramic Animal w/Super Doppler & A-Z Chill On the Hill (Humboldt Park), Who’s Your Daddy Trio w/ Matchstick & Beto y Azul (6pm) Frank’s Power Plant, Duck and Cover Comedy Open Mic Italian Community Center, Rev. Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys w/Westside Andy (6:30pm) Jazz Estate, Bad Habit Rabbit Kilbourn-Kadish Park, Skyline Music: King Solomon (5:30pm) Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Frugal Stu & The Coupons EP release Mamie’s, Open Blues Jam w/Marvelous Mack Mason Street Grill, Jamie Breiwick Group (5:30pm) Miramar Theatre, Tuesday Open Mic w/host Sandy Weisto (sign-up 7:30pm, all-ages) Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Al White (4pm) Potbelly Sandwich Shop (East Side), Texas Dave (12pm) Shank Hall, Danielle Nicole The Baaree (Thiensville), Alive After 5: String Along Band (5:30pm) The Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, Jazz Jam Session Transfer Pizzeria Cafe, Transfer House Band w/Dennis Fermenich

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22

American Legion Post #449 (Brookfield), The Falcons (6:30pm) Cactus Club, Vanity Plates w/Starterjacket, Something Like A Monument & Flat Teeth Cafe Hollander (Downer), Patio Performance Series: B~Free & Quinten Farr (5pm) Caroline’s Jazz Club, Jimi Schutte American Blues Company Brewing, Lamon Manuel & Skech185 w/Taiyamo Denku & WC Tank Conway’s Smokin’ Bar & Grill, Open Jam w/Big Wisconsin Johnson Currie Park, Traveling Beer Garden: Keg Tapping w/Vern & the Originals (5pm) High Dive, The Voodoohoney Pirates Iron Mike’s (Franklin), B Lee Nelson Acoustic Jam Jazz Estate, Steve Lewandowski & Jim Sodke play “Undercurrent” Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, Polka Open Jam Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Acoustic Open Stage w/feature Chris Haise (sign-up 8:30pm, start 9pm) Mason Street Grill, Jamie Breiwick Group (5:30pm) Paulie’s Field Trip, Wednesday Night Afterparty w/Dave Wacker & guests Pewaukee Lakefront Park, Waterfront Wednesdays: Montage (6pm) Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Al White Sanger House Gardens, Sanger House Jazz in the Garden: Jack Grassel & Jill Jensen (6pm) Shank Hall, Birdtalker w/Sons of Daughters Tally’s Tap & Eatery (Waukesha), Tomm Lehnigk The Cheel (Thiensville), Anthony Deutsch & Andrew Trim (6:30pm) The Packing House Restaurant, Carmen Nickerson & Kostia Efimov (6pm) Totalgame Sports Bar, Wacky Wednesdays w/host The Original Darryl Hill Washington Park, Washington Park Wednesdays: Extra Crispy Brass Band, The New South Rampart Street Paraders & Dead Man’s Carnival (5pm) Westallion Brewing Company, Rick Holmes Pro Jam w/host Robert Allen Jr. Zeidler Union Square, Westown Farmers Market: Josh Cohen (11:45am) SHEPHERD EXPRESS

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Weekly rent starts at $99 plus sec. dep. Utilities incl.

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Lovely Upper East Side Unit For Rent 2 BR. 2471 N Palmer St. Rent $875. Shown by appt.

Call 414-445-4741.

SERVICES SHEEHAN CONSTRUCTION Brick, Block, Stone, Stucco, Tuck pointing, Chimneys, Retaining Walls.

Concrete Work. New and repair. Free Estimates.

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HEALTH Anna Soothing Service plus 262-989-9514 • 2-11pm Booking at Mt Pleasant Location (from 2-7pm) or will travel to your location, home or hotel. Safe and selective areas only. See the website for more info about massage and services offered. Military & Cash discount. Major Credit Cards accepted. anna-anointing-care. business.site Your home goes here.

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Call Ralph 262-3635885 or email: ralph@ greenfieldgallery.net Disclaimer: The Shepherd Express makes no representations or warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, regarding any advertising. Due diligence is recommended before entering into any agreement with an advertiser. The Shepherd Express will not be held liable for any damages of any kind relating to any ad. Please check your ad the first day of publication and notify us of any changes. We are not responsible for errors in advertising after the first day. We reserve the right to edit, reject or reclassify advertisements in our sole discretion, without notice. We do not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate or intend to discriminate on any illegal basis, or are otherwise illegal. NO REFUNDS for cancellation after deadline, no copy changes except to price or telephone number.

A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 | 31

FOUR OF A KIND

THEME CROSSWORD

By James Barrick

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 16 20 11

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7 3

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4 5

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6 13

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32 | A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 8

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25 8

21

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21 16

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20 3

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8/9 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 23 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

Where’s the First Aid Kit? Solution: 23 Letters

© 2018 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate Inc.

25. Famed midnight rider 68. Monster 69. Blackens with heat 26. Black Sea city 70. — — events 31. Portray 71. Contends 32. Button-measure unit 72. Lake to the west 33. Folklore being 74. Kind of market 34. Barbarian 75. Gladden 35. Happen again 78. Crave 36. Worship 79. Regular expense 37. Abdul or Prentiss 80. Go by 38. Fizzles 81. Position of esteem 39. Attack 82. Make turbid 40. Name on a rap sheet 88. Sullies 41. At liberty 89. Called for 42. Kind of month 90. Frozen treat 44. Dryly matter-of-fact 91. Sprinkle 45. Spindrift 93. Where Minos ruled 48. Shock weapon 94. Ferments 49. Abrasive substance 95. Safety-razor brand 50. Hied 96. Cygnet 51. More accurate 97. Await judgment 57. Icy pinnacle 98. Break or chip, as a 58. Column order stone 59. Suffix for Milan or 99. Legumes Nepal 100. Absent 60. The underground DOWN 101. Pond 61. Simian creature 1. Bamboozle 102. Like the Sahara 63. Food from above 2. Reference 104. Go off course 64. Lugs 3. Any snake, e.g.

105. — -Wan Kenobi 65. Step on it 4. Block 106. New Deal org.

66. Reduce significantly 5. Is sparing 107. Dir. letters 6. Summer camp requisite 67. Swords 7. OT book Solution to last week’s puzzle 8. Length unit 9. Thrombocyte 10. Fashions 11. General meaning 12. Work units 13. — bono publico 14. — volatile 15. Croatia’s capital 16. Lamb, in the alternative 17. File 18. Bone: Prefix 24. Chief 84. Dye 85. Wanton looks 86. Ersatz butter 87. Bound 89. Chthonic god 90. Young salmon 92. Dilettantish 93. Antic 94. Dabbling duck 95. Genus of vipers 98. — Kringle 99. Hungarian sheepdog 100. Prof. org.

103. 23-A or 47-A or 77-A or this: 4 wds.

108. Harangue 109. Put an end to 110. — -garde 111. Dress of a kind 112. Conjunctions 113. Dried 114. Rope 115. Sized up

21

11

20

25

Adhesive Arm Back Blood Bones Break Campus Cap Cast Chemotherapy Coma Concussion Ease ECG Endocrinology Fall Femur

Graze Hand Head Help Implant Insulin Iron Kit Knee Leg Life Lungs Nurse Otitis Oxygen Pain Panic

Panic Radio Ribs Save Scald Shock Skill Skull Spleen Support Tibia Triage Ulna Vein X-ray

8/9 Solution: Enjoyable putting food on the table

Solution: Be prepared for an accident

ACROSS 1. Strikebreaker 5. Impish child 10. Dance moves 15. Naught 19. Kind of palm 20. Dravidian language 21. — incognita 22. Woe is me!

23. ENT doc 27. Join 28. Slaughter of baseball 29. Ultimate end 30. Curtain 31. Like the White Rabbit 32. Pry 33. Delight 35. River rafting site 38. Dossiers 39. Table-top game 43. A cheese 44. Beeping gadget 45. Alone on stage 46. Reed or Ferrigno 47. Alternative view 52. Web address 53. Soap plant 54. Composer — Khachaturian 55. Tabula — 56. Evaluate anew 58. Corrosion 60. Farm cat 62. Spooky: Var. 63. Saunter 64. Where the buck stops 65. An aperitif 68. Got along 69. Cascade 73. Baby talk 74. BMW brand 75. Agitate 76. — — fault 77. Brain-wave machine 83. Girl in Cleveland

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© 2018 United Feature Syndicate, Dist. by Andrews McMeel Syndication

13

10 2

Creators Syndicate

737 3rd Street • Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-337-7003 • info@creators.com

SHEPHERD EXPRESS Date: 8/15/18

::FREEWILLASTROLOGY ::BY ROB BREZSNY LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never really be elegant,” wrote French author Honoré de Balzac. I think that’s an exaggeration, but it does trigger a worthwhile meditation. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you’re in a phase of your cycle when you have maximum power to raise your appreciation of elegance, understand how it could beautify your soul and add more of it to your repertoire.

So here are your homework meditations: What does elegance mean to you? Why might it be valuable to cultivate elegance, not just to enhance your self-presentation, but also to upgrade your relationship with your deep self? (P.S.: Fashion designer Christian Dior said, “Elegance must be the right combination of distinction, naturalness, care, and simplicity.”)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Many of us imagine medieval Europe to have been drab and dreary. But historian Jacques Le Goff tells us that the people of that age adored luminous hues: “big jewels inserted into book-bindings, glowing gold objects, brightly painted sculpture, paintings covering the walls of churches, and the colored magic of stained glass.” Maybe you’ll be inspired by this revelation, Virgo. I hope so. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you can activate sleeping wisdom and awaken dormant energy by treating your eyes to lots of vivid reds, greens, yellows, blues, browns, oranges, purples, golds, blacks, coppers and pinks.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): An astrologer on Tumblr named Sebastian says this about your sign: “Libras can be boring people when they don’t trust you enough to fully reveal themselves. But they can be just as exciting as any fire sign and just as weird as any Aquarius and just as talkative as a Gemini and just as empathetic as a Pisces. Really, Librans are some of the most eccentric people you’ll ever meet, but you might not know it unless they trust you enough to take their masks off around you.” Spurred by Sebastian’s analysis, here’s my advice to you: I hope you’ll spend a lot of time with people you trust in the coming weeks, because for the sake of your mental and physical and spiritual health, you’ll need to express your full eccentricity. (Sebastian’s at venuspapi.tumblr.com.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A blogger who calls herself Wistful Giselle has named the phenomena that make her “believe in magic.” They include the following: “illuminated dust in the air; the moments when a seedling sprouts; the intelligence gazing back at me from a crow’s eyes; being awaken by the early morning sun; the energy of storms; old buildings overgrown with plants; the ever-changing grey green blue moods of the sea; the shimmering moon on a cool, clear night.” I invite you to compile your own list, Scorpio. You’re entering a time when you will be the beneficiary of magic in direct proportion to how much you believe in and are alert for magic. Why not go for the maximum?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Since 1969, 8-foot-2-inch-tall Big Bird has been the star of the kids’ TV show “Sesame Street.”

He’s a yellow bird puppet who can talk, write poetry, dance and rollerskate. In the early years of the show, our hero had a good friend who no one else saw or believed in: Mr. Snuffleupagus. After 17 years, there came a happy day when everyone else in the Sesame Street neighborhood realized that Snuffy was indeed real, not just a figment of Big Bird’s imagination. I’m foreseeing a comparable event in your life sometime soon, Sagittarius. You’ll finally be able to share a secret truth or private pleasure or unappreciated asset.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Activist and author Simone de Beauvoir was one of those Capricorns whose lust for life was both lush and intricate. “I am awfully greedy,” she wrote. “I want to be a woman and to be a man, to have many friends and to have loneliness, to work much and write good books, to travel and enjoy myself, to be selfish and to be unselfish.” Even if your longings are not always as lavish and ravenous as hers, Capricorn, you now have license to explore the mysterious state she described.

I dare you to find out how voracious you can be if you grant yourself permission.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to my reading of the astrological omens,

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

the coming weeks will be prime time to vividly express your appreciation for and understanding of the people you care about most. I urge you to show them why you love them. Reveal the depths of your insights about their true beauty. Make it clear how their presence in your life has had a beneficent or healing influence on you. And if you really want to get dramatic, you could take them to an inspiring outdoor spot and sing them a tender song or two.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In her book Yarn: Remembering the Way Home, Piscean knitter Kyoko Mori writes, “The folklore among knitters is that everything handmade should have at least one mistake so an evil spirit will not become trapped in the maze of perfect stitches.” The idea is that the mistake “is a crack left open to let in the light.” Mori goes on to testify about the evil spirit she wants to be free of. “It’s that little voice in my head that says, ‘I won’t even try this because it doesn’t come naturally to me and I won’t be very good at it.’” I’ve quoted Mori at length, Pisces, because I think her insights are the exact tonic you need right now.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “The prettier the garden, the dirtier the hands of the gardener,” writes aphorist B. E. Barnes. That’ll be especially applicable to you in the coming weeks.

You’ll have extra potential to create and foster beauty, and any beauty you produce will generate practical benefits for you and those you care about. But for best results, you’ll have to expend more effort than maybe you thought you should. It might feel more like work than play—even though it will ultimately enhance your ability to play.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author and theologian Thomas Merton thought that the most debilitating human temptation is to settle for too little; to live a comfortable life rather than an interesting one. I wouldn’t say that’s always true about you, Taurus. But I do suspect that in the coming weeks, a tendency to settle for less could be the single most devitalizing temptation you’ll be susceptible to. That’s why I encourage you to resist the appeal to accept a smaller blessing or punier adventure than you deserve. Hold out for the best and brightest.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I’ve learned quite a lot, over the years, by avoiding what I was supposed to be learning.” So says the wise and well-educated novelist Margaret Atwood.

Judging by your current astrological omens, I think this is an excellent clue for you to contemplate right now. What do you think? Have you been half-avoiding any teaching that you or someone else thinks you’re “supposed” to be learning? If so, I suggest you avoid it even stronger. Avoid it with cheerful rebelliousness. Doing so may lead you to what you really need to learn about next.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Sometimes you make it difficult for me to reach you.

You act like you’re listening but you’re not really listening. You semi-consciously decide that you don’t want to be influenced by anyone except yourself. When you lock me out like that, I become a bit dumb. My advice isn’t as good or helpful. The magic between us languishes. Please don’t do that to me now. And don’t do it to anyone who cares about you.

I realize that you may need to protect yourself from people who aren’t sufficiently careful with you. But your true allies have important influences to offer, and I think you’ll be wise to open yourself to them.

Homework: Make a boast about how you’ll pull off a feat you’ve previously lacked the chutzpah to attempt. 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

A Really Cold Case

W

hen an employee of Sarabeth’s Restaurant in New York City opened the walkin freezer door on Aug. 5, a man jumped out, yelling, “Away from me, Satan!” and grabbed a knife from the kitchen, which he used to threaten restaurant staff. Carlton Henderson, 54, of Cave Creek, Ariz., struggled with workers but eventually fell unconscious and was transported to Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the New York Post reported.

Authorities don’t know why or how he entered the freezer or even why he died as yet, but they did determine he was charged last year with two 1988 cold-case murders in Boston. He had been released on bail the week before the freezer incident and was scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 14.

A Hair-raising Experience Armed thieves in New Delhi, India, left a craftsman deep in debt after they made off with 500 lbs. of wigs and raw hair worth more than $20,000 on July 27, according to Associated Press. “People think wigs are cheap, but they cost a fortune to make,” wigmaker Jahangir Hussain said. In fact, he had borrowed more than $17,000 to buy hair last month from South Indian wholesalers. India exports wigs and hair extensions to the tune of $300 million a year; much of the raw materials are collected at Hindu temples where people shave their heads as a religious sacrifice, a practice called tonsuring.

How Cello Can They Go? Chicago cellist Jingjing Hu, a student at the DePaul University School of Music, found herself being escorted off an American Airlines flight on Aug. 2 after trying to return to the Windy City from Miami with her instrument. Hu paid in advance for an extra seat for her cello, worth almost $30,000 and housed in a hard case, and had no trouble on her flight from Chicago to Miami, where she participated in a music festival.

But, on her return trip and after settling herself (and her cello) into their seats, a flight attendant approached her and told her she would have to leave the plane because the aircraft was too small for her instrument. Hu was booked on a flight the next day on a larger plane. American blamed the incident on “miscommunication,” according to WBBM TV, but Hu’s husband, Jay Tang, said, “I don’t think we did anything wrong here, and I think the way they handled it was humiliating.”

What Could Possibly Have Gone Wrong?

Zemarcuis Devon Scott, 18, of Texarkana, Ark., really wanted to attend a rap concert in another state, so on July 4, he executed his plan to get there. Scott was seen by Texarkana Regional Airport security officers around 2:30 a.m. jumping a fence and trying to get into an American Eagle twin-engine jet parked there.

When police arrived, Scott was inside the cockpit and sitting in the pilot’s seat, the Texarkana Gazette reported. Scott, not a licensed pilot, told officers he thought there wasn’t much more to flying a plane than “pushing buttons and pulling levers.” On July 31, he was charged with commercial burglary and attempted theft; he’s currently grounded at the Miller County Jail.

A Vested Interest in Business Apparently, the unofficial “uniform” for Bay Area techies and venture capital investors is a vest, so the Japanese company Uniqlo is cashing in with a vest vending machine at the San Francisco International Airport. The airport’s public information officer, Doug Yakel, says the machine is no joke; it earns $10,000 a month on average. Do the math: At $49.90 apiece, the company is selling about 200 of its ultra-light down vests each month. “This is the first time we’ve had clothing available for sale from a vending machine, which we thought was very unique,” Yakel told Business Insider.

Epic Fail The Baltimore Sun reported that a driver’s license examiner in Glen Burnie, Md., got a whiff of something illegal on Aug. 6 when she approached a car about to be used in a driving test. She called Maryland State Police, who found Reginald D. Wooding Jr., 22, of Baltimore waiting in his mother’s car to take his test. But he never got the chance. Wooding was in possession of marijuana, a scale, more than $15,000 in suspected drug-related money and a 9mm Glock handgun with a loaded 30-round magazine.

Today’s Euphemism: “Technical Stuff” Airport security at Berlin’s Schönefeld Airport evacuated a terminal on Aug. 7 after spotting “suspicious content in a luggage piece” during a routine X-ray, according to CNN. The bag’s unnamed owner was summoned, but he was reluctant to identify the mysterious items, calling them just “technical stuff.”

After an hourlong investigation involving the bomb squad, the 31-year-old traveler admitted to German federal police that the items were sex toys—including a vibrator and other electric devices—he had brought along for his trip.

He was allowed to proceed after a thorough baggage inspection found nothing potentially harmful (at least to non-consenting adults), and the terminal reopened shortly afterward. © 2018 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 | 33

THEBACK::ARTFORART’SSAKE

Irish Spew ::BY ART KUMBALEK

I

’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, no time to whip out a big-time essay this week, no sir. I’m due to get over by the Uptowner tavern/charm school to meet up with the guys so’s to make our Irish Fest plans where each year we toast but good our personal heroes of, and with, Irish blood like W.B. Yeats, Buster Keaton and Gotham Police Chief Clancy O’Hara, what the fock.

Except the Uptowner isn’t open yet, so first I’ll slide over by this 24-hour joint that slings the hash with a cup of Joe whether you like it or not. Come along if you want, but you leave the tip.

Hattie: Well, well. How ya’, Artie, what’s your pleasure?

Art: Hey, Hattie. Hattie Venta, at this time of day?

I thought you only worked the graveyard shift. The regular gal, Bea, isn’t sick or something, is she?

Hattie: Oh no, Artie. She wanted the day off so she could take her little nephew to the Zoo where they’re having a food festival with music. Whatever will they think of next—a festival with music and food outdoors. Isn’t that nice?

Art: You bet, Hattie. That’s nice. I myself stopped eating food at the Zoo years ago, ever since I noticed what seemed to be a statistical anomaly that involved the number of pepperoni pizza slices sold and the population of Monkey Island.

Hattie: You don’t say so, Artie. Now let’s cut the chit-chat and get down to business. Are you going to order something, or do I need to call the police on

you for loitering?

Art: Jeez louise, Hattie, what’s the hurry? I’m the only customer here.

Hattie: That’s right, Artie. And you know I get flustered when there’s a rush. So what’s it going to be—my way, or the highway?

Art: Calm down now Hattie. I’ll just have a nice cup of the blackest, thickest and cheapest of whatever it is you’re calling plain-old American coffee today, thank you very kindly.

Hattie: Now was that so hard, Artie? I like a customer who knows how to play ball. But aren’t you forgetting something?

Art: I don’t think so, Hattie. I’m fine with just the coffee.

Hattie: The tip! Don’t play games with me, Artie.

I need the tip up front just so there’s no shenanigans.

Art: No problem, Hattie. There you go.

Hattie: That’s a nice boy, Artie. But Georgie Porgie Washington needs his twin if you want that cup of coffee, mister.

Art: All right already, Hattie. There. Go get yourself something nice.

Hattie: And here’s your coffee, just like I promised. So what do you hear, what do you know, my little Artie.

Art: I hear we got the Irish Fest this weekend down by the lakefront. You ever go to that fest, Hattie?

Hattie: Not me, Artie. But my father was Irish, he would’ve loved to go. They called him a layabout because he never worked a day in his life; so I’m sure he would have had the time to go there.

Did you know, Artie, that on his tombstone it says,

Circulation Drivers NEEDED The Shepherd Express, Milwaukee’s best news, arts and entertainment publication, has a need for Circulation Drivers. The qualified candidate must have a good driving record, an appropriate vehicle with insurance, be reasonably physically fit, and available every Wednesday beginning in the morning.

The Shepherd Express is a great place to work and has been recognized by The Business Journal as one of Milwaukee’s Top Workplaces.

To apply for the position, contact Josef at 414-264-2537

34 | A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 1 8

“Curse is the work of the drinking man.” Isn’t that nice?

Art: Sounds familiar, something like Oscar Wilde once sort of said, that “Work is the curse of the drinking man.”

Hattie: Don’t you smart-mouth me, Artie. He passed away when I was just young girl. He had a bad accident when he tried to replace a light bulb all by himself. But I’ll never forget a little story he used to tell his friends when they came back to the house after the taverns closed: So listen, this Englishman, a Frenchman and an Irishman were at the pub discussing families. The talk turned to children and surprised they are to learn they each have a 15-year-old daughter they struggle to understand.

The Englishman’s problem is that he found cigarette butts under his daughter’s bed. “I didn’t know she smoked,” was his complaint. The Frenchman then says that he’d found cognac bottles under his daughter’s bed. “I was not aware that she drank,” he confessed. And the Irishman says his situation is the toughest—he’d found condoms under his daughter’s bed. “Ah lads, what kind of father am I that I did not know my daughter even had a dick?”

Art: Yeah. That’s a nice story, Hattie.

Hattie: I knew you’d like it, Artie. You’re such a good boy.

Art: As always, it’s been a treat, Hattie. I’m thinking I ought to go before you get too busy.

So thanks for the coffee—and for bending my ear there, Hattie-licious. See you next time.

Hattie: Oh Artie, you’re a little devil, aren’t you.

Take care.

(OK, it’s off to the Uptowner. If you see me there, then you buy me one ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.)

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36 | A U G U S T 9 , 2 0 1 8

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