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GETTING TO WORK IN MILWAUKEE

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Even with relatively short commute times, transportation groups see room for improvement

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Debby Jackson, executive director of the Wisconsin Transportation Development Association, noted that Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s 2019 Urban Mobility Report found that traffic congestion costs Milwaukee-area drivers $790 a year in additional fuel and lost productivity. Although Milwaukee may have low commute times on average, she said, “it really depends on your route.

If you routinely sit in traffic on I-94 east or west between the Marquette and Zoo interchanges, this ranking likely doesn’t reflect your daily reality.”

Still, the reasons for being grateful are undeniable.

Milwaukee’s commute times, along with being relatively short, are also remarkable for having changed very little in recent years. The Commercial Café study found that the average commute time in this city increased by only 0.9 minutes a day during the period 2008-’17. During those same years, average commute times increased by 19.9 minutes a day in Portland, Ore., and 21.7 minutes in Sacramento, Calif.

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GETTING TO WORK IN MILWAUKEE

Even with relatively short commute times, transportation groups see room for improvement ::BY DAN SHAW mong its many other assets, Milwaukee can boast of some of the shortest commute times in the country. According to a recent study by the real estate site Commercial Café, the average round-trip commute time in Milwaukee in 2017 was 44.4 minutes a day. That made Milwaukee better off in this regard than other Midwestern cities like Indianapolis (where the average time is 46.8 minutes a day) and Detroit (where it’s 50.8 minutes).

Added up over the course of a year, Milwaukee’s commute time comes to eight days of sitting in traffic on average annually. That may seem like a lot, but, once again, it could be worse. Just to our south in Chicago, people spend 69.8 minutes a day commuting, equaling 12.6 days a year.

But before they start rushing to congratulate themselves, Milwaukeeans have at least one reason for taking pause.

Commercial Café contends that the cities that have done the best combating congestion are often those that have spent the most in recent years on improving roads and other infrastructure. That admonition touches on a sore spot in Wisconsin, where transportation advocates have long argued that highway improvements have failed to keep pace with increasing traffic numbers in the Milwaukee area.

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To be sure, Milwaukee’s moderate increase in average commutes came at a time when the population itself was growing fairly slowly. The Milwaukee metropolitan statistical area—which takes in not only the city proper but also all of Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties— went from having an estimated 1,555,908 residents in 2010 to 1,576,236 in 2017, an increase of only 1.3%.

Other developments have also helped to hold commute times in check. Advances in internet services have allowed more people to work from home or from remote offices and thus forgo the need to drive to and from an office in the city, and the recent influx of young people to the many new condominiums and apartment buildings in or near Milwaukee’s center has reduced drive times, or walk times, to less than 10 minutes. But, as Jackson and others note, all that’s likely of little consolation to drivers who still find themselves stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-94 or I-43 on trips to and from the Milwaukee suburbs.

Fortunately, transportation advocates have seen some reason for hope in recent years. The state’s latest budget, for instance, includes plans to widen I-43 from Silver Spring Drive north of Milwaukee to Grafton. That long-contemplated project is just one of several deemed essential by the Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) in its Vision 2050 plan. Kevin Muhs, SEWRPC’s executive director, said he’s also hopeful the state will soon renew working on plans to rebuild the section of I-94 running between the Zoo and Marquette interchanges.

The interchanges themselves have undergone billions of dollars’ worth of construction work in the past two decades. Yet plans to expand the intervening stretch of interstate—to give it four lanes to match the four coming out of the rebuilt Zoo inCommuting continued on page 6 >

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::BY CATHERINE JOZWIK

L

ocated 33 miles northwest of Milwaukee, the village of Germantown boasts a rich Teutonic history, loads of green space, parks and excellent schools.

Originally a farming community, Germantown was settled as early as 1836. The village was incorporated in 1924. In 1963, Milwaukee County annexed Washington County land for the purpose of building a landfill. “Fearing further annexation by Milwaukee County, the surrounding unincorporated hamlets of Kuhberg, Willow Creek, Meeker Hill, Goldenthal, Rockville, Dheinsville and Germantown decided to merge into one incorporated village, and Germantown was born,” reads the Germantown village website, village.germantown.wi.us.

In 2007, Money Magazine ranked the Washington County village, which has a population of about 20,000 (according to the 2010 U.S. Census), “The 30th Most Appealing Place to Live in the United States.”

“The thing I hear most frequently from Germantown residents is that it’s a great place to raise a family,” said Steven Kreklow, who stepped into the role as village administrator two years ago.

The village’s low population density also appeals to residents and people eager to escape the hustle and bustle of urban living.

“Personally, I love the size of the village,” said Lynn Grgich, executive director of the Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce, an organization which formed in the early 1980s and a Germantown resident since 1994. “There are no long lines at the grocery store.” Germantown’s convenient freeway access makes for an easy commute to Milwaukee, West Bend and Hartford. “Everything is within 30 minutes,” Grgich added.

Village officials recently signed a contract with an engineering and planning firm, GRAEF, to develop the “2050 Comprehensive Plan.” According to Germantown’s community development director Jeff Retzlaff, 2050 is a one-year project “to address nine required topics or ‘elements’ required under Wisconsin statues, including housing, economic development, land use, transportation, natural, cultural and environmental resources, utilities and community facilities.”

Recently, a community meeting was held at the Germantown library to discuss the plan. “Our goal is to develop sub-area land use plans for a number of areas in the village that will eventually be packaged into the overall comprehensive plan,” Retzlaff explains. Areas for proposed development include historic Main Street, Holy Hill Road and the “Germantown Gateway” or the areas near the I-41 and I-45 interchange.

Spanning 34 miles, the village is home to 12 parks and contains plenty of undeveloped land for protected green space and housing developments. “In the last five years or so, we have focused on making upgrades to existing parks,” says Mark Schroeder, the village’s director of parks and recreation. The recently completed Gehl Foods Performing Arts Pavilion at Fireman’s Park (W162 N11870 Park Ave.) hosts a variety of events and activities, including summer concerts and a Thursday night beer garden.

‘Continued Growth’ in Business, Housing, Dining

Germantown has experienced a development boom in the manufacturing sector over the past year, with several industrial developments underway. “We have seen continued growth as we move up the I-41 and I-45 corridor,” Grgich says. To help support

6 | SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

business developments in the area, Germantown village officials have created five new tax incremental districts (TIFs) within the last five years.

Developed by Zilber Property Group, Gateway Corporate Park (W210 N12800 Gateway Crossing) will include a 750,000-square foot distribution center occupied by Briggs and Stratton. Dielectric Manufacturing, which recently relocated its headquarters from Menomonee Falls, is expected to open a new 198,800-square foot building and 204,400-square foot manufacturing facility in Gateway by 2020. In August, Ryan Companies US, Inc., a company based in Minneapolis, proposed to build a 243,419-square foot industrial building on 26.7 acres of land located in Willow Creek Business Park. Willow Creek, which sits on 192 acres of land between Appleton Avenue and Maple Road, is also home to Discount Ramps, a company which opened a location in the business park earlier this year.

With a median home value of $283,000, according to zillow. com, Germantown offers a variety of housing options, from apartments and townhouses to single-family homes on spacious lots. Several new housing developments, including the Wrenwood and Harvest Hills subdivisions on Freistadt Road and Saxony Village Apartments (N115 W16165 Saxony Village Blvd.), have been built in the last few years. Several more developments are underway. Coupled with highly regarded schools, these new housing developments have drawn young professionals and families to the area. “Developers are finding ways to make housing attractive to younger families,” Kreklow says.

Germantown visitors and residents have several options for dining out. At the end of July, chef Jodi Janisse-Kanzenbach, owner of West Bend’s farm-to-table establishment Café Sourette, opened Precinct Tap + Table (W161 N11629 Church St.). Precinct’s menu includes small plates and artisanal appetizers made with locally sourced ingredients, like bacon-wrapped pickled watermelon rinds and specialty personal pizzas.

Jerry’s Old Town Inn (N116 W15841 Main St.) serves up German and American fare and imported beers in a cozy atmosphere reminiscent of a German beer hall. Robert’s Frozen Custard (N112 W16040 Mequon Road) is Germantown’s premium place to indulge a sweet tooth. The business opened its doors in 2003.

Owner Darren Stamm says the village has “a terrific, small town” feel with “very neighborly people.”

Several Germantown schools, including Germantown High School and Kennedy Middle School, have been renovated after the passing of a 2016 referendum. Schroeder believes that the village’s schools “are a real asset to the community.”

The family friendly village embraces its German roots with annual events like MaiFest in spring and Oktoberfest, which will be held Sept. 28 and 29 this year at Dheinsville Historical Park (N128 W18780 Holy Hill Road). These festivals offer plenty of polka, pretzels, performers wearing dirndls and lederhosen and good, old-fashioned gemütlichkeit. Summertime festivals, like “Taste of Home,” organized by the local Kiwanis Club, also draw large crowds.

Schroeder believes that, for a smaller village, Germantown offers many recreational opportunities for all. “We’ve provided a good variety of options for families to choose from,” he says.

Grgich encourages people to visit the attractive, affable village.

“If you haven’t been through Germantown, it’s worth checking out,” she concludes.

Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n

terchange—were allowed to lose their federal stamp of approval amid Republican former Gov. Scott Walker’s adamant refusal to consider raising the state’s gas tax or vehicle registration fees. The result has been a bottleneck on the main artery into the city from the west.

Muhs said the only proven solution to congestion is so-called “dynamic tolling.” A system of this kind allows drivers to be charged more for use of the roads when they choose to drive at busy times of the day, but dynamic tolling remains unpopular and is unlikely to be adopted in Wisconsin. Barring that, the best way to keep commute times reasonable is to expand the roads.

“When it comes to addressing congestion in the Milwaukee area, we have long recommended slight increases in capacity in the interstate system,” Muhs said. “Over time, as new businesses and residents continue to move in, this should be enough to roughly maintain our current level of congestion.”

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Developments Are Booming in Germantown

What About Public Transportation?

Muhs acknowledged there is a place for public transportation. This is one area of policy where many believe local officials could decidedly do better. In Milwaukee County, County Executive Chris Abele recently proposed cutting 16 bus lines in order to make up for a $5.9 million budgetary shortfall. That change, if adopted, would eliminate not only lines that run primarily inside the city but also six “Freeway Flyers,” which suburbanites often hop onto after parking their cars at an outlying lot and ride into the city.

The possible loss of those routes, which are meant to reduce traffic congestion, is just one of the many reasons why the proposal is shortsighted, says Bruce Colburn, former president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998, which represents transit workers in the Milwaukee area. “It’s especially true for the routes they are talking about eliminating,” Colburn said. “A lot of the people who are riding these buses also have cars.” To him, eliminating bus routes will only add to the vicious cycle that got underway when fares were increased in recent years by Abele. By making the bus service both more expensive and less useful, public officials are doing nothing more than detracting from the overall appeal of public transportation and ensuring passenger numbers will be depressed even further.

Colburn said he has some sympathy for public officials who are struggling with budget shortfalls, but he also asserted that policymakers somehow always manage to find ways to pay for their priorities. Although state government is not necessarily flush with money, he noted, lawmakers were able to pony up incentives for both the construction of Fiserv Forum and the Mount Pleasant Foxconn plant. “They need to recognize that our transit system is a vital service for our whole community,” Colburn said. “Right now, it’s just phony excuses they are giving.”

Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n SHEPHERD EXPRESS

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Time to End the GOP’s Lame Duck Power Grab ::BY EVAN GOYKE

J

OSH KAUL WAS ELECTED WISCONSIN’S 45TH ATTORNEY GENERAL ON TUESDAY, NOV. 6, 2018. The next day, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and legislative Republicans began secretly crafting multiple bills to take away the power of Atty. Gen. Kaul and Governor Tony Evers. These bills were passed on a party-line vote in a rushed, all-night, “lame duck” session in December 2018, which resulted in a wave of litigation that remains unresolved and is being paid for by Wisconsin taxpayers.

One of the more transparent power grabs within the lame duck session was a provision that requires the attorney general to obtain the approval of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance prior to settling litigation that the state is involved in. Every other attorney general in Wisconsin’s history, both Democrat and Republican, has had the authority to settle litigation.

Not only is the settlement provision an unprecedented power grab, but the Republican law was so poorly written and so poorly thought out that the new law doesn’t even work. For months, Kaul sought agreement from legislative Republicans on how to implement the law. An early agreement was later tossed by Republicans, and a monthslong stalemate ensued.

Totally Unnecessary Additional Problems

Over the course of the past three weeks, as unsettled cases have begun to pile up, Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee have stumbled to try to use the law they wrote. In one hearing, held partially in public and partially behind closed doors, no

meaningful discussion could advance because of issues of confidentiality in the litigation. No cases were settled.

Next, the Republicans hired their own lawyer, doing so without debate and without a vote of the committee. This attorney is being paid $290 an hour to try and find out a way to make the lame duck law work. A week after the failed first hearing, and now with the private attorney’s help, a second hearing was scheduled, but promptly canceled.

It’s important to understand what’s at stake. Some litigation is huge, multi-state and could cost the state major opportunities at settlement money. Some litigation is small and only involves the state in a minor way. The complexity and confidential nature of litigation and settlement negotiations, even in small cases, is so fragile and protected that inserting partisan legislators will never work. There is no way to fix, tweak or amend this lame duck law; it cannot work for the legal system and the litigants within it.

Take an example from the most recent failed hearing. The case involves a car accident. The injured person, the plaintiff, was seriously hurt. The insurance company, the defendant—the insurer of the driver at fault—agreed to the settle the case. The State of Wisconsin became an additional plaintiff to recoup health care costs from the Medicaid program. In the lawsuit, all sides have now agreed on a settlement. The injured person will get justice. The insurance company will get resolution. Taxpayers will get owed health care costs. Everyone agrees on an acceptable outcome—except legislative Republicans.

We have a civil justice system that, for all of our state’s history, has functioned without needing legislative approval to settle cases. Injured people need Republicans to get out of their way. Insurance companies need Republicans to get out of their way. The lame duck power grab is now disrupting the legal system, delaying justice, increasing costs to both sides of the lawsuit and is now coming with a price tag of $290 an hour.

Kaul was elected attorney general. He should be allowed to settle cases just as every other attorney general in our state’s history has. Only with a return to the way we’ve always operated, to the respect and trust of the attorney general and the citizens of Wisconsin who elected him, will the litigation settlement process work as intended.

Evan Goyke is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n

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Decide the Presidency in 2020 ::BY JOEL MCNALLY

A

nyone who has followed Wisconsin politics over the years is used to local media overhyping the importance of the state in determining the Democratic nominee and ultimately the presidency. It’s happened ever since Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy crushed Minnesota Sen. Hubert Humphrey here in 1960. This time, though, it’s the national media that have identified Wisconsin as “the single state upon which the election could turn,” in the words of veteran Washington Post political analyst Dan Balz.

That’s the reason the Democratic National Convention is coming to Milwaukee next July. Balz actually expects four states—Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida—to decide the presidential election. Of those, he says Wisconsin might become the biggest focus nationally for both parties, especially because of its higher percentage of white, non-college-educated voters who are Donald Trump’s strongest remaining supporters. Anybody wonder why?

All four states voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 but flipped to Trump in 2016 by a percentage point or less. Trying to predict corruptly managed, narrowly decided Florida elections has always been foolish, but all three northern states already redeemed themselves in the 2018 midterms with Democratic victories in their gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. Democrats also flipped six seats in the U.S. Congress formerly held by Republicans in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Losing College Grads and Farmers

Joan Lunden, journalist, best-selling author, former host of Good Morning America and senior living advocate.

10 | S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9

Trump’s alienation of college-educated voters has taken a political toll on his party in what used to be reliably Republican suburbs.

It’s even visibly diminished the party’s edge in what was once the state’s richest source of Republican votes: the counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington. “Those counties are still voting Republican, but as much as 16 points less on the margin now than they were,” said Charles Franklin, who conducts the Marquette University Law School political polls.

Whether Trump wins reelection may very well depend on how much longer he can hold onto the support of the state’s farmers who are literally becoming collateral damage in his disastrous trade war with China. For a year and a half, more than two dairy farms a day have

gone out of business in Wisconsin. Nearly 700 closed down last year. In the first half of this year, 449 went under, up 25% from the same period last year.

That’s just dairy. Growers of corn, soybeans, ginseng and cranberries in Wisconsin all have lost hundreds of millions of dollars as China continues to slash imports of U.S. agricultural products in response to Trump’s escalating tariffs on goods coming into the U.S. from China, which, in turn, raises prices every day for farmers shopping at stores like Walmart. Total American agricultural exports to China were $24 billion five years ago. They fell to $9.1 billion last year under Trump and dropped another $1.3 billion in the first half of 2019.

But wait. Didn’t Trump create a brand-new welfare program for farmers hurt by his trade war? According to an analysis by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, payouts from the initial $16 billion appropriation were exactly what you’d expect from a Republican welfare program. A small number of wealthy corporate farms received more than half the money. One huge agribusiness in Missouri received $2.8 million. Eighty-two of the richest farmers received more than $500,000 each.

The top 1% of recipients averaged $183,331.

The bottom 80% of desperately struggling farmers averaged less than $5,000. Don’t spend it all in one place.

Who’s Doing Great?

Trump deals with the economic devastation of farmers’ lives the same way he deals with every problem: He lies about it constantly. When Trump showed up for a $3 million Republican fundraiser in Milwaukee in July, he brought the good news to Wisconsin farmers that they were doing great: “Some of the farmers are doing very well… We’re over the hump. We’re doing very well.” All that has changed since is Trump has announced two more increases in tariffs on imports from China raising prices for U.S. consumers and China retaliated by slashing U.S. agricultural imports even further. Wisconsin is well into its fourth straight year of leading the nation in farm bankruptcies.

There are plenty of reasons to be encouraged by the early organizing of the Wisconsin Democratic Party under a new activist chairman, Ben Wikler, formerly a national leader of MoveOn.org. But it’s still good to run scared right up to Election Day 2020.

After being embarrassed by a sleazy, unqualified candidate we didn’t think could be elected in a decent country, we should never underestimate Trump’s hateful message. But Trump really isn’t some kind of stable political genius who can never lose the support of those who voted for him even when he’s destroying their lives.

Proving we’re a more decent country than Trump’s bigoted, un-American version will require volunteers actively reaching every voter who wants democracy to work for everyone, not just those who live in gold towers.

That’s our responsibility as “the single state upon which the election could turn.”

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::SAVINGOURDEMOCRACY ( SEPT. 12 - SEPT. 18, 2019 ) The Shepherd Express serves as a clearinghouse for all activities in the greater Milwaukee area that peacefully push back against discriminatory, reactionary, homophobic and authoritarian actions and policies of the Donald Trump administration and others who seek to thwart social justice. To submit to this column, please send a brief description of your action, including date and time, to savingourdemocracy@shepex.com.

Saturday, Sept. 14

Halyard Park-Bronzeville-Brewers Hill Visioning Session @ America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 401 W. North Ave, 11 a.m.

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is hosting a visioning session for residents of the Halyard Park, Harambee and Brewers Hill neighborhoods regarding the restoration and redevelopment of a historic building on 2153 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, known by many as the former Schuster’s-Gimbels store. During the session, residents will identify shared values, define a set of priorities and brainstorm ideas on how to strengthen the community through the redevelopment.

Peace Action of Wisconsin: Stand for Peace @ the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and North Avenue, noon-1 p.m.

Every Saturday from noon-1 p.m., concerned citizens join with Peace Action of 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 after the protest.

Milwaukee Democrats Digital Training Session @ 4900 W. Custer Ave., 12 p.m.

Digital campaign strategists are offering free digital training for Democrats in the Fourth Congressional District and Milwaukee County Democrats. Designed for “party activists and volunteers, anyone con-

sidering running for office or working on a campaign and Democrats wanting to learn how to take advantage of digital tools to reach more voters online.” Topics will handle websites, newsletters, social media and digital advertising. Register online.

Sunday, Sept. 15

Walk to End Alzheimer’s—Milwaukee County @ Henry W. Maier Festival Park, 8 a.m.

Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. There is no fee to participate. The event will also include tips and tools for caregivers. Walk-ins are welcome.

Tuesday, Sept. 17

Political Open Mic: Making Your Vote Count @ Third Space Brewing, 6 p.m.

NEWaukee and Bridge the City are hosting a free open mic for residents, elected officials, nonprofit leaders and the business community. The goal is to educate others on how to get involved in the upcoming 2020 election. Featured speakers include Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Angela Lang of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities and Sachin Chheda, the director of the Fair Elections Project, among many others.

Fond du Lac and North Area Planning Community Meeting @ 2620 W. Center St., 6 p.m.

The City of Milwaukee Department of City Development and Alderman Russell Stamper are embarking on a year-long process to develop a new comprehensive plan for the neighborhoods surrounding Fond du Lac and North avenues. This is the first of several meetings. Discussion topics will include housing, parks, transportation, development and more.

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::OUTOFMYMIND

Pivot Point in Romantic Relationships ::BY PHILIP CHARD

“I

’m not sure how it all went bad, but it did,” Sandra told me, referring to her once-budding romance.

“It didn’t start with infatuation. We’ve both been in gaga relationships before, but ours grew gradually, so it felt steady and solid. Then, it started getting uncomfortable,” she explained.

Gradually, Sandra’s beau became more judgmental and assertive, until she began feeling “handled,” as she put it. His increasingly frequent calls and texts felt intrusive, as if she was under scrutiny. What’s more, his comments about her appearance and behavior grew more critical, implying that he wanted her to change some things more to his liking.

“When I confronted him about it, he denied wanting to keep tabs on me and said he likes me just the way I am,” she told me. “And, it did get better for a while, but the checkins and critical comments have crept back in.”

Sandra and her boyfriend found themselves poised at a key pivot point that arrives, one way or the other, in most, if not all romantic pairings. In the early stages, many courtships exist primarily in a “let it be” emotional atmosphere. Both parties simply relish their time together, enjoy the process of mutual discovery, and are content to accept each other as-is. However, more often than not, this “state of being” becomes infiltrated by a “state of having.” The predilection to possess, to have or even to control, can begin emerging, often subtly at first, only to become more pronounced as familiarity increases. If and when the state of having takes precedent over the acceptance and mutual admiration inherent

in the state of being, the tone and nature of the relationship shifts, as Sandra sensed.

“Should I be worried about this?” she asked.

“You already are,” I replied. “Your intuition is talking to you, and it’s usually wise to pay attention to what it has to say.”

“And what is the message?” she wondered.

At a minimum, Sandra was experiencing a caution light, a warning to slow down, keep her wits about her and contemplate what was transpiring with her beau. Many who are transitioning from a “being state” in their romantic pairing to an unsettling “having state” experience some manner of disquiet. Too often, however, they override their intuitive misgivings, telling themselves it’s no big deal or that it will work out somehow over time.

After all, falling in love is sufficiently compelling that, once it happens, most of us are reticent to mess with it, at least at first. And, of course, those who harbor a compelling need for attachment and belonging experience the greatest risk in this regard. Many is the romantic partner who dismisses her or his misgivings in deference to a powerful need to love and be loved.

“Loving someone is more about being with them than having them,” I suggested to Sandra.

Sure, it’s all but impossible to be in a romantic relationship without experiencing some degree of having, of wanting to possess the other person in some way, shape or form.

When extreme, this emerges as maniacal efforts to control the other person, with all the accompanying jealousy, intrusiveness, emotional abuse and, on occasion, even stalking and violence. However, outside of these severe instances, most couples exhibit these two states (being and having) in varying proportions. If there is relative balance between them, and if just being (“I accept you as-is”) takes priority over having and possessing (“I want you my way”), the relationship rarely suffers.

“You need to find out if having and managing you is more important to him than simply being with you,” I told Sandra.

While there is almost always an element of “mine” in any romantic pairing, when possessing becomes the norm, this lyric from Linda Ronstadt’s song “Love Is a Rose” proves true: “Lose your love when you say the word mine.”

For more, visit philipchard.com.

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S E P T E M B E R 12 , 2 0 1 9 | 15

NEWS&VIEWS::POLL

You’re Pretty Split on the Packers’ Fortunes Last week, we asked if you thought the Green Bay Packers will make it into the playoffs this season. You said: n Yes: 47% n No: 53%

What Do You Say? Though Donald Trump claimed he didn’t know who drew the black Sharpie line on a weather map that showed Hurricane Dorian’s possible course running through Alabama (which was never under threat from the storm), do you think he actually drew it himself? n Yes n No Vote online at shepherdexpress.com. We’ll publish the results of this poll in next week’s issue.

like the paper, but on radio! like the paper, but on radio

Tune in to Riverwest Radio (104.1 FM) at 9:30 a.m. on the last Friday of each month to get the inside scoop on what’s coming to the paper.

ETHEREAL HYPNOTIC EXPERIMENTAL KENDRA AMALIE MILWAUKEE MUSICIAN FULL INTERVIEW AT RADIOMILWAUKEE.ORG 16 | S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9

Drinks On Us!

Have you ordered your Cocktail Trail craft cocktail coupon book?

Featuring discounts at 24 Milwaukee bars and restaurants, Cocktail Trail offers coupons for free or buy-one-get one drinks at participating establishments until May 2020. order online at shepstore.com Also available in store at MKE Home, Sparrow Collective and Beard MKE.

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::CANNABISCONNECTION Kanna Xclusive Boutique Specializes in Women’s Wellness ::BY SHEILA JULSON

L

ekisha Leonard realizes that women are the primary caretakers for their families and lead the way as health care consumers. As more women embrace holistic health approaches, Leonard knew women needed a space to network and share ideas and concerns. On Saturday, July 20, she held the grand opening for Kanna Xclusive Boutique (7463 Harwood Ave., Wauwatosa), her new business that specializes in cannabidiol (CBD) products and also serves as a supportive, comfortable space for women to network and have conversations about health and wellness.

Kanna Xclusive Boutique hosts support groups and events themed around issues for women of all ages. “I wanted to create an environment where we can connect, learn and be resources for each other, not just for information but for entrepreneurial and networking opportunities,” Leonard says. The space serves support groups, book clubs and women-owned business launches. She’s also creating a woman-owned collective marketplace where entrepreneurs can rent shelf space. Vendors so far include Whipped Up Wonderful bath and beauty items, and Whisper Whip, a co-wash (conditioneronly) hair product. Both are non-CBD items.

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In 2015, Leonard was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory condition of the digestive tract. After infusion therapy and over-the-counter pain medication caused side effects, she found relief with CBD. Her mother-in-law had also used hemp oil for health benefits. Seeing a societal shift toward natural wellness, primarily in response to the opioid epidemic, she realized that women in particular could benefit from a relaxing boutique offering CBD items.

Kanna Xclusive Boutique carries Joy Organics and Green Roads CBD tinctures, soft gels, topical pain-relieving cream, beauty and body care products, as well as pet products. “I take pride in making sure the companies I carry monitor their process from seed to store,” Leonard says. “Joy Organics is a woman-owned business and host webinars to keep people informed of what’s happening in the CBD industry.” Leonard hopes to also partner with Wisconsin vendors of hemp products. She offers a 100% money back guarantee on products.

In addition to CBD products, Kanna Xclusive Boutique offers women’s wellness services that incorporate CBD. Vaginal steaming (also known as V-steaming) is where the client sits over steaming water with a mixture of beneficial herbs. The therapy is used to help alleviate menstrual cramps and bloating, menopausal symptoms and endometriosis. Leonard says broad spectrum CBD can be added to the steaming water to promote relaxation and pain relief. Clients can enjoy a relaxing beverage and light bites infused with CBD to promote relaxation. CBD Infusion Tasting Saturdays take place from 1 to 2 p.m. and offer samples of CBD-infused drinks and light edibles.

Attendees learn how to infuse drinks and food at home.

Leonard recently began working with the Southeastern Wisconsin chapter of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) to help further cannabis legalization for medicinal and recreational purposes in Wisconsin. “With regulation, people will see what’s in their products. They’ll be protected as consumers and be able to freely and legally use cannabis to ease conditions from which they’re suffering.” She cites recent recreational legalization in neighboring Illinois as a model, because it includes criminal justice reforms like expunging criminal records for marijuana convictions and reinvesting proceeds from taxes and revenue into communities hard hit by marijuana convictions.

Please note that any health claims in this article are intended for informational purposes only and are not to be taken as substitutes for medical advice. Consult with a health care professional before starting any treatment. For more information and to see upcoming events, visit kannaxclusiveboutique.com.

Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n

Labs Test Hemp Plants to Ensure Viable Crops ::BY JEAN-GABRIEL FERNANDEZ

“H

emp growers want to know where they’re standing with their crop throughout the growing season, and the same applies to the processors,” VerdaSure’s president and CEO Ilke Panzer says. This is why Assurance Laboratories, a Wisconsin-based toxicology laboratory, launched VerdaSure, a testing lab able to determine the potency of industrial hemp, to meet the needs of local farmers operating under the hemp pilot program.

The Importance of Testing

Currently, VerdaSure is able to quantify both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive constituent of cannabis, as well as cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD), when given plant samples. “Currently, 75% of industrial hemp is estimated to be grown for CBD harvest, so you would want to know the CBD content of your hemp because that may determine the price you can get when you actually sell it,” Panzer explains. By law, hemp is required to contain less than 0.3% of THC. In order to keep crops under control, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection inspects and tests hemp, so laboratories such as VerdaSure allow professionals of the industry to know where they’re standing and what their products contain throughout the growing season. “If the result indicates that THC is above the threshold, the two options growers have with the state is to have a second test done, and after that you have 10 days to destroy your crops,” according to Tim Barta, VerdaSure’s marketing manager.

“For some strains, it has clearly been documented that, initially, as you grow your hemp, the THC stays pretty steady as the CBD continues to increase as your crop matures,” Panzer explains. “Then comes a time when the CBD no longer increases; that will be when the THC starts to spike. The perfect time to harvest is right before that. We plot that evolution and send the graph back. With several data points, growers can then determine when is the right time to harvest. You can’t have more than 0.3% THC, but you want the CBD to be as high as possible, so you try to leave the crop in the field as long as you can. You have to time it right and call the state ahead of time when you see the THC value going up. But the timing of the state has been challenging because there’s such a huge number of people growing, so it’s important to call early.”

How Hemp Is Tested

For $85 per test, VerdaSure can ship a kit to growers with instructions to pick samples and collection materials and send them to the laboratory. There, technical director Adam Jansen will oversee the process as the plant material is dried in an oven, ground up and homogenized. The resulting powder is then dissolved in methanol, and a dilution of that methanol is what is analyzed.

“To do that, we use liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry,” Jansen explains. “[Mass spectrometry] is a superior detection method to many others that are used. You gain much more specificity in identifying the mass of the compound and its fragmentation.” The lab guarantees results within 48 hours of receiving the sample, but Jansen prides himself on completing the analysis of every sample received so far in less than 24 hours.

To meet the new market in Wisconsin, VerdaSure was formed from the strength of an existing laboratory with 10 years of experience, but few similar places exist. “If you are starting a testing lab for hemp only, it is very expensive to buy the [equipment to run tests]. Obviously, the state has it, larger labs that are doing a lot of other product testing have it and clinical facilities like ours might have it. But if you’re starting a brand-new lab for hemp testing only, you’d be hard pressed to spend that kind of money on testing technology,” Panzer explains.

“We wanted to make sure we get in there early on and offer the basics: THC and a variety of cannabinoids such as CBD,” she adds. “We could also look at the terpenes, flavonoids, pesticides, heavy metals and mycotoxins. Those are other things you might want to test your hemp for and things we are looking at expanding our menu for.” Among other offerings, VerdaSure can help with proper labeling, as many CBD products are over- or under-labeling the CBD potency. To protect consumers, VerdaSure provides testing so clients can be assured they are getting exactly what they think they purchased.

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::DININGOUT

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FEATURE | SHORT ORDER | EAT/DRINK

For more Dining, log onto shepherdexpress.com

Pastor Tacos from La Casa de Alberto

Great Mole, Great Prices at La Casa de Alberto

Chicken mole is also a standout. Choose either bone-in dark meat ($6.50) or boneless chicken breast ($7.50). Both come in a super thick, dark mole that’s clearly been simmering and concentrating for a long time. The dark meat is naturally moister than the breast, but the latter has been braised long enough that you can cut it with a fork. You’ll want to scoop up every last bit of mole with your tortillas or mix it into your rice.

Shrimp poblano ($12) comes with about eight plump, peeled shrimp mixed with roasted poblano pepper strips and onions. It’s similar to fajitas, but it gets a thick layer of melted white cheese on top to push it over the edge into delicious ::BY LACEY MUSZYNSKI territory. It’s also available with steak ($12) or chicken ($10) instead of shrimp.

The only appetizers here are Pico de Gallo ($2) and guacamole ($4-$6). Get the ike most critics, I don’t normally make judgments about the prices latter, as it’s always fresh and chunky. They’ll tailor the ingredients to your taste, at restaurants. The value of a meal is subjective and ultimately up to the reader. But this is a review where prices are impossible to ignore, because the too, if you don’t want cilantro or request it extra hot, for example. Chips and three types of salsas are free, but the salsas vary in quality from visit to visit. The best conversation around La Casa de Alberto is all about perceived value. is the tomato-based version simply because it’s consistent and nicely acidic. The No one can talk about eating at La Casa de Alberto without mentioning other two vary from watery to thick puree and from bland to bitter. It’s a bit of a how inexpensive it is. Milwaukeeans are frugal people, and it’s half brag, half crap shoot. helpful tip when we pass on information about getting the best value on a meal.

Also worth skipping is the shrimp a la diabla ($12). Often my go-to dish at MexiAnd for a full service restaurant, the prices here are indeed low. As a frugal percan restaurants, here the sauce is made predominantly with tomatoes instead of son, I, too, mention that fact when I’ve recommended this a chile puree. Though the shrimp are fine, there are more bell peppers than anyrestaurant, but that little adrenaline rush of scoring a great thing else, and I’d rather the sauce have much more flavor and heat. The chorizo meal deal should not propel diners to overlook Alberto’s tacos ($8 for 4), meanwhile, are hit or miss. When they’re good, they’re really good, shortcomings. with some well-done crispy bits and very little grease (and often on special for This is a restaurant I’ve been to a lot over the years, and only $5). But I stopped ordering them after they were inedibly sour one night, and most items have been good enough to order more than after sending them back to the kitchen after only a few bites, I was told that that’s once. The tacos are perhaps the best thing on the menu, just the way they always are. depending on what filling you choose. Alberto’s tacos ($6) There are some things to really love at La Casa de Alberto, but there are some come in sets of four, but you can mix and match. The tacos flaws that get ignored because people put so much emphasis on that total price. fill up a full plate, with the default toppings of lettuce, chopped It appears to be a winning strategy for the restaurant, though, tomato, red onion and cilantro piled high. Both corn and flour as long as the food is at least comparable to nearby tortillas are pretty standard, so choose whichever you prefer.

La Casa de Alberto because pricier competitors, they’ll continue to have a full dining room.

Don’t bother with the chicken filling as it’s overcooked and drip624 W. National Ave. I know that I’m cheap enough to keep going back for tacos and ping wet. Mildly spiced pastor is the best option, followed by the mole despite finding a few duds over the years.

414-643-5715 • $-$$ ground beef, which is studded with cubed potatoes.

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SHEPHERD EXPRESS

EVAN CASEY

::SHORTORDER

Big Bar Food Flavors from a Small Kitchen ::BY JAMIE LEE RAKE

Club Garibaldi (2510 S. Superior St.) claims to have the smallest kitchen of any bar in Milwaukee. From its little space, however, come big flavors. Hamburgers, wings, chicken sandwiches and deep-fried sides, including broccoli and mushrooms, figure prominently among Garibaldi’s regular selections. Your taste buds should be at least as happy if you pay heed to the nightly specials. Thursday’s pulled pork sliders are worth the trip. Puffy, sesame seed-dotted Canfora rolls are piled high with succulent pork dripping in sweet, smoky house barbecue sauce, topped with pickle chips and onion slices; my latest visit also found a Korean-style slider with the pork possessing a garlicky flavor. Patrons who don’t eat meat or want to try the least expensive sandwich should opt for the wholly satisfying chipotle black burger, which is served with crisp French fries salted just so.

Chipotle Black Burger from Club Garibaldi

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River Valley Ranch COURTESY OF RIVER VALLERY RANCH

Mushrooms and More at River Valley Ranch

W

hen Chicago restaurateur Bill Rose had difficulty finding quality fresh mushrooms for his restaurants, he decided to just start growing them himself. He purchased land in Burlington, Wis., in 1976 to begin the venture that would grow into River Valley Ranch (39900 60th St., Burlington). Today, Bill’s son, Eric, owns and operates River Valley Ranch, offering value-added products like dips and spreads, a community grocery store, vegetable crops—and thousands and thousands of mushrooms.

In recent years, Eric has noticed more curiosity about a wider array of mushrooms for flavor and culinary uses. He consistently grows white button, cremini (baby bella) portobello, shiitake and oyster. Others include lion’s mane, king oyster and maitake. He also dabbles in seasonal wild mushrooms and some medicinal varieties. He’s helping another farmer set up production for reishi and cordyceps, two fungi varieties that have gained attention for medicinal and health benefits.

Eric has 10 grow houses dedicated to mushrooms. Indoor cultivation gives the farmer the ability to control temperature, humidity and ventilation in sanitized growing conditions.

“Outdoors, that would be difficult to always provide the right conditions at the right time,” Eric notes. “We produce 15,000 pounds of mushrooms a week.” At any given time, they have 10 crops in rotation, so they have a continuous supply of fresh mushrooms.

The grocery store specializes in an evergrowing collection of locally produced, artisan foods including Purple Door Ice Cream, Anodyne Coffee, Valentine Coffee and Mavra’s Greek Oil, along with assorted cheeses and craft beers. Customers can find River Valley Ranch’s fresh mushrooms and produce,

::BY SHEILA JULSON

as well as grass-fed meats from neighboring Starry Nights Farm.

Also at the store is River Valley Ranch’s line of foods like pickled mushrooms, which Eric says are a customer favorite, along with their Portobello Salsa. Others in the line include Spinach Artichoke Dip Mix; Five Cheese Garlic Spread; Vidalia Onion Relish; and Wild Mushroom Burgundy Pasta Sauce. They also make granola, grab-and-go foods, frozen, pre-cooked foods including a mushroom medley burger made with six mushrooms, organic black beans and brown rice flour, and tamales made with organic corn masa and mushrooms.

For nearly a decade, Eric and the River Valley Ranch team had worked with Chicago-based chef Rick Bayless, best known for Frontera Grill and Frontera Foods line, to develop recipes. Together, they also crafted a seasonal heirloom tomato salsa, which they market under River Valley Ranch and make as a private label for Frontera.

Out in the field, River Valley Ranch grows tomatoes, eggplant, onions, garlic, and shallots used primarily for their products. They sell mushrooms and produce at Riverwest Co-op, as well as the South Shore Farmers Market, West Allis Farmers Market and the Wauwatosa and Fox Point farmers markets. Their spreads and salsas are on shelves at West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shop and on the menus at several fine restaurants throughout Milwaukee. Eric’s son, Jordan, operates a River Valley Ranch’s farmto-table restaurant and store in Chicago.

This year, Eric is in the process of growing 1,500 hemp plants, most of which are the Uno and Tres strains, to make cannabidiol products.

Tune in to the Shepherd Express’ “Cannabis Connection” column later this fall to check Eric’s hemp harvest progress.

For more information, visit rvrvalley.com.

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::A&E

Brought to you by The Milwaukee Art Museum

CHRISTAL WAGNER

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

Rehearsals for Skylight’s ‘Oklahoma!’

Revisiting ‘Oklahoma!’ with New Eyes SKYLIGHT PRODUCTION GOES TO THE ROOTS OF THE FRONTIER-SET MUSICAL ::BY DAVID LUHRSSEN ichard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had never collaborated until they wrote Oklahoma! Given the long string of successes they would enjoy, it was considerably more than beginner’s luck, and yet, rivalled only by The Sound of Music, nothing they would ever compose had the universality and endurance of Oklahoma!

Oklahoma! was a hit during its 1943 Broadway debut, and nowadays, according to Jill Anna Ponasik, director of Skylight Music Theatre’s upcoming production, the musical enjoys “300 productions at any given time in the U.S. and Canada.” Unlike most Broadway blockbusters, “it never had a dormant period. It never went away,” she continues.

We’re sitting at Café Bella in the Third Ward with a scroll spread across a table: a map of the Skylight production. Pasted to the scroll are the musical’s lyrics, snapshots of preliminary designs for the show and, more tellingly, period photographs from the story’s setting: Oklahoma Territory in early days.

In deciding how to stage Oklahoma!, Ponasik read Rodgers and Hammerstein’s source, Green Grow the Lilies by playwright Lynn Riggs, a child of Oklahoma settlers, and examined the historical record left behind by photographers. Attached to her scroll are portraits of unsmiling men and women in black and white, wearing work clothes and standing against a barren land. A string band poses in front of a sod house. One family is gathered around an organ, hauled with great difficulty from back east and placed on a bare, earthen field.

“They had almost nothing,” Ponasik says of those settlers. “They had very little in social guidance, material possessions or infrastructure.” Ethnic cleansing—which had already removed the Native Americans by the time Oklahoma’s settlers rushed in—left a blank space under a flat horizon. “There was nothing there, just dirt!” she continues.

Resulting from those observations, Peter Dean Beck designed an environment that “expresses the open, luminous, treacherous emptiness of the outdoors. Rather than reaching for a nostalgia that never existed (crisp white dresses, perfectly yellow farmhouses, back-flipping cowboys), our production lives in the dust and soil and

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

exposed to the weather in a world with very few comforts,” Ponasik says. She points out that Oklahoma! includes only one indoor scene; everything else occurs outdoors in an atmosphere that, in reality, must have been bleak. “Our stage is not so much a location as an environment. It will be an open space where the actors have to make the scenes happen.”

The impoverished characters will be dressed authentically. Costume designer Karin Simonson Kopischke is working with “genuine faded fabric,” Ponasik explains.

Critiquing the familiar Hollywood version of Oklahoma! (1955), which painted the scenario in charming colors, Ponasik asks, “How would a white shirt have been possible with how the settlers had to live and where they had to do laundry?”

‘A Group of Individuals Striving to Form a Community’

When examined closely, the characters in Oklahoma! dwelled in dysfunction.

“They’re not even a community yet,” Ponasik says. “Just a group of individuals striving to form a community: optimistic, making mistakes and occasionally good choices.”

Facing the real-life pioneers of Oklahoma—whose experiences are glimpsed dimly in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s polished mirror—was high mortality from accidents and violence. “The Farmer and the Cowman” were hard pressed to be friends, and there was no judicial system, just a quasi-trial at Aunt Eller’s house.”

The not-yet community of Oklahoma! includes two outsiders: the sinister loner Jud Fry, a man capable of violence, and the lone minority among the Anglo settlers, the “Persian peddler,” Ali Hakim, a clever immigrant making his way among the rubes. A string band in period costume will be on stage throughout the Skylight performances, playing the music and reacting in real time to the words as they are sung.

When Oklahoma! debuted during World War II under the Skylight direction of Rouben Mamoulian, its irresistible music, dynamic Music choreography and frontier folklore struck audiences as an American answer to a world awash in tyranny. Looking over her Theatre Oklahoma! scroll, Ponasik and I grapple with the question of why it not only triumphed at its moment of inception but has endured so well Sept. 27 and so long.

- Oct. 13 “It’s long, arching and full of incredibly rich music and theatCabot ricality,” Ponasik says. Even though the movie is more than 60 Theatre years old, “it helped lodge Oklahoma! into our cultural DNA,” she continues. And still, there seems to be no single answer. The story suggests America as an unfinished country, working through its problems to an ideal set just beyond the flat horizon. Rodgers and Hammerstein, the melodies and speech echoing an idealized past, composed a perfect marriage of words and music. Once heard, those songs refuse to leave your memory.

Skylight Music Theatre performs Oklahoma! Sept. 27-Oct. 13 at the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre, 158 N. Broadway. For tickets and more information, visit skylightmusictheatre.org or call 414-291-7800.

S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 | 25

A&E::INREVIEW MICHAEL BROSILOW

::PERFORMINGARTSWEEK For More to Do, visit shepherdexpress.com

THEATRE

Lost in Yonkers

After the death of their mother, Arty and Jay’s father is weighed down by debts. They are left to live with a stern grandmother and a hoodlum uncle so their father can pay back the loan sharks. In their strange new world of Yonkers, N.Y., the young boys learn lessons about love, responsibility and the importance of family that will carry them into adulthood.

Lost in Yonkers is a comedic drama by Neil Simon that won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for drama, as well as several Drama Desk and Tony awards. Simon adapted it for a feature film release two years after its Broadway showing of some 780 performances. Racine Theatre Guild’s production features Isaiah Dean (Arty), Jared Simonsen (Jay), Emily Mueller (Grandma), Tina Paukstelis (Aunt Bella) and Matt Specht (Uncle Louis). (John Jahn) Sept. 13-29 at Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Ave., Racine. For tickets, call 262-633-4218 or visit racinetheatre.org.

West Side Story

The Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents West Side Story, the iconic American musical from Broadway visionaries Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, in the Quadracci Powerhouse. Nominated for six Tony Awards (including best musical in 1957), this beloved musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, though set in the 1950s, remains sadly relevant for its story of forbidden love—forbidden because of racial differences.

Today, its story rings true because of so many “forbidden” love stories due to ongoing prejudice and bigotry.

“Now 62-plus years old, West Side Story is a seminal work of American theater,” says director Mark Clements. “So much so that many have some small knowledge of it even if they have never seen it live on stage.” Featuring a soaring score from one of our greatest classical music and musical theater composers, Leonard Bernstein, including beloved songs like “Maria,” “Tonight,” “I Feel Pretty” and “America” and a timeless story of love and loss, West Side Story speaks to modern audiences with a potent voice. (John Jahn) Sept. 17-Oct. 27 in the Quadracci Powerhouse, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets, call 414224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep.com.

CLASSICALMUSIC

“Memorable Titles”

Recognized for their compelling programing, the versatile Philomusica Quartet is the quartet-in-residence at Wisconsin Lutheran College. True to their name (philo: love of; musica: music), the quartet continues to delight its audiences with jewels of the string quartet repertoire season after season. Violinists Jeanyi Kim and Alexander Mandl, violist Nathan Hackett and cellist Adrien Zitoun formed the Philomusica Quartet in 2008.

“Memorable Titles” is the moniker for the quartet’s first concert of its 2019-’20 season, reflecting the fact that each of the three pieces on the program has a name (not all that common in classical chamber music). These are Amy Beach’s Quartet for Strings In One Movement, Op. 89; Ludwig van Beethoven’s Serioso String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95; and Franz Schubert’s Rosamunde String Quartet No. 13 in A Minor, D. 804. As for what those mysterious-sounding names mean, attend the concert and find out! (John Jahn) Monday, Sept. 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, 1584 N. Prospect Ave. For tickets, call 414-276-5760 or visit philomusicaquartet.com.

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Milwaukee Rep’s ‘2 Pianos 4 Hands’

‘2 Pianos 4 Hands’ is Highly Competitive Comedy

T

::BY HARRY CHERKINIAN

eddy and Richard are two boys with typical pre-adolescent interests: play hockey, jump on the cellphone, fight with their parents. But they both also aspire to be famous classical pianists. And their natural competitiveness with each other and the teachers and competitions they face are the crux of 2 Pianos 4 Hands, which opened the Stackner Cabaret’s new season last weekend.

Played—literally and figuratively—to delightfully comedic effect by Joe Kinosian and Ben Moss, these two actors play multiple roles as each other’s teachers and parents, moving at a high-energy pace under the fine-tuned direction of Laura Braza.

Written by Teddy Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt, 2 Pianos 4 Hands showcases the virtuoso talents of these two fine actors skating away on those black and white keys.

They play Beethoven, Billy Joel, name that tune. But we get a glimpse into the highly competitive world of training, practice, more training, more practice and, by the time they’re 17, the growing realization that they’re good, but not that good.

The production focuses less on character development and more on quick study caricatures, which actually fuel the humor like Kinosian’s very funny Italian “Godfather” sounding teacher, Mr. Scarlatti, or Moss’ take on heavily accented piano judges who unintentionally mispronounce words, making the bit even funnier and all too realistic.

So, the show rests completely in the hands (bad pun intended) of Kinosian and Moss, and they have a chemistry that works incredibly well together. Kinosian, a Wauwatosa native and graduate of the Milwaukee High School of the Arts, charmed audiences with his own Murder for Two a few seasons back, he is a natural born comedian.

He is the show’s center, eliciting laughs with a glance to his many well-done impressions. Moss is just as talented but with a restraint that plays well off the other.

For those who ever took piano lessons by choice or by parent (this writer included), 2 Pianos 4 Hands echoes this thought long after the final notes have been played: chasing dreams can be just as important as reaching them.

Through Nov. 3 at Stackner Cabaret, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets, call 414-224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep.com.

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

A&E::INREVIEW

A Farce Slow and Sturdy in ‘A Comedy of Tenors’

L

::BY RUSS BICKERSTAFF

ight comedy confidently slides across a stage in Sunset Playhouse’s A Comedy of Tenors. Ken Ludwig’s sequel to Lend Me a Tenor is smartly directed by Michael Pocaro, who allows everyone in the farce’s ensemble quite a bit of space to move around creatively.

Bob Fuchs plays opera legend Tito Merelli with a Chico Marxlike exaggeration of an Italian accent. It’s light mid-20th century-style sitcom humor, but Fuchs handles the heart of an aging stage legend with tenderness and empathy leaning admirably in the direction of something far deeper than what Ludwig renders in the script. Fuchs brings an admirably sharp definition between Merelli and the dual role of a passionate operatic bellhop named Beppo.

With lumbering plot elements that gradually march through from beginning to end, A Comedy of Tenors lacks the wild energy of an accomplished farce. The jokes casually filter through a plot with just enough energy to generate laughter.

Though hampered by a rather slow-moving Ludwig script, the cast carefully navigates the chiseled architecture of a sturdily structured comedy. Merelli is in Paris for a mega-concert featuring three tenors including singer-assistant Max, played with a warm emotional presence by Cory Klein.

After a minor crisis threatens the concert, charismatic young tenor Carlo (Stefan Kent) arrives to save the show, but a misunderstanding over his relationship with Merelli’s daughter Mimi threatens to derail things completely. Alyssa Pankiewicz shows promising comic talent in the role of Mimi, cast into the chaos of an unravelling concert.

Through Sept. 22 at Furlan Auditorium, 700 Wall St., Elm Grove. For tickets, call 262-782-4430 or visit sunsetplayhouse.com.

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Uncertainty, Suspicion and ‘Doubt’

D

::BY MAX MITCHELSON

oubt: A Parable, a production by A Company of Strangers, is a captivating experience that examines truth and its relation to power. The play deals heavily in the subtleties of its characters between occasionally explosive performances.

The show opens with an eerie and powerful sermon on doubt given by Father Flynn (Mark Staniszewski).

Outside of his spotlight, there is the faint light of candles held by actors to alleviate the darkness.

Set in 1964 in the Bronx, Doubt: A Parable follows Sister Aloysius (Mary Buchel), who quickly becomes suspicious after Father Flynn’s seemingly innocuous sermon on doubt. Then, when Sister James (Alexa Laur) is pressured by Sister Aloysius, she admits the odd behavior of a student and the smell of alcohol on their breath after meeting alone with Father Flynn.

Sister Aloysius’ suspicion quickly turns to the accusation that Father Flynn took advantage of the school’s first black student.

The winding narrative is punctuated by great uncomfortable monologues, constantly keeping the audience on edge. Whose truth is the truth?

Sister Aloysius’ claims lack evidence, yet foresight says that this sort of abuse was all too commonplace

in the Roman Catholic Church. Father Flynn’s overblown denials and veiled threats seem to confirm this.

It is further complicated by characters like the innocent Sister James who wants to believe the best in everyone, to the mother of the student, Mrs. Muller (Tina Nixon), who has her own doubts about her son.

The set and costumes were fittingly simple and austere to match the grave nature of the play, which combined well with blocking that was similarly limited yet purposeful. The entire experience was framed by a short essay read out by director Jessica Sosnoski before the play. As the company’s mission statement, listed on the website, for every production is to demonstrate how theater can reflect “aspects of life from a theological and philosophical perspective.”

Of course, there were stand-out performances like Nixon’s desperate monologue near the end of the performance, along with lead actress Buchel who did an excellent job establishing the presence of the stern and determined Sister Aloysius. Overall, director Jessica Sosnoski helped guide the performers and crew to create a powerful performance of Doubt: A Parable.

Through Sept. 14 at the Underground Collaborative, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. For more information, visit thecompanyofstrangerstheater.com.

S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 | 27

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OPENINGS: “China Lights: Treasure of China” Sept. 13-Oct. 20 Boerner Botanical Gardens 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners

‘The Wonders of the Dells’ at the Museum of Wisconsin Art ::BY SHANE MCADAMS

O

ne can learn a lot about a society by examining its patterns of leisure. Every place I’ve ever resided has had its own complex local vacation system that only made sense with prolonged habitation. New York had the Hamptons; Kansas City had Lake of the Ozarks. The nature of these destinations eventually revealed much about those places’ histories, geographies, cultures and class structures. “Among the Wonders of the Dells” at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (which has been extended through Sept. 15) considers how the history of one of our own region’s vacation spots came to be—from geological formations, to picturesque landscapes, to rustic getaways and, finally, to “waterpark capital of the world.”

“Wonders” is broken into two parts, starting in the darkened Hyde Gallery with a chronological photographic history and concluding with interpretations by three contemporary Wisconsin artists—Mark Brautigam, Kevin Miyazaki and Tom Jones—in an adjacent gallery. The history begins with the stories of Leroy J. Gates and H. H. Bennett, the latter a man who the catalog notes was the “right man in the right place at the right time.”

This set of coincidences refers to how the entrepreneur (Gates) sold the disabled carpenter (Bennett) his photographic equipment in 1865.

But it also suggests a more momentous collision of fates. During the second half of the 19th century, the Western world was obsessed with domesticating the wild and, inasmuch as it did, nature suddenly seemed a beautiful and majestic subject. Bennett’s photographs reflect this attitude crisply, as we see in a 1906 tinted panorama called Narrows, as well as in Ravine Bridge to Black Hawk Island. The latter work features a tourist boat and a railway bridge interrupting the arcadian vista, announcing the conflict to come as if opening the second act of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Later photographs from Bennett’s studio like Dell View Hotel (1965) feature shiny slices of glittering post-war Americana—this one of a neon motel sign—that will signify, somewhat ironically, a kind of vintage-y, untouched, rose-colored past to many.

28 | S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9

Obviously, “untouched” is relative; the Dells have been many things to many people over the years—certainly to Native Americans, who knew it long before the first Westerners ever laid eyes on it in the 17th century.

“Wonders” goes a long way to account for this fugitive metamorphosis.

Photographs by John A. Trumble and Dennis Darmek trace the Dells into their decadent mature phase where any notion of geology and place becomes interchangeable with spectacle and entertainment. This is gloriously, almost comically depicted in Trumble’s Tommy Bartlett Pyramid of Waterskiers, where the most temporary formation of balanced human bodies and timeless natural outcroppings merge into a single bizarre event.

The contemporary photographers in the show, as if in perfect step with the aching geo-homo timeline, address the contradictions and complications overlooked in the historical photos, when terms like ecology and imperialism weren’t in most imagemakers’ lexica. Kevin Miyazaki’s powerful, empathetic black-and-white portraits of the region’s locals—guest workers, lifers and Native Americans—chip away at any idealized notion of “The Dells.” Ho Chunk native Tom Jones poignantly exposes contradictory histories between Native American and modern industrial tourism through photos of pedestrian and folksy attractions that draw their thematic content from cultural stereotypes.

Mark Brautigam circles back to Bennett, probably unintentionally, by depicting the Dells’ natural splendor alongside conspicuous human presences. His photos tend to dwarf their human subjects in the manner Thomas Cole and Jasper Cropsey did in the first half of the 19th century. They, too, often paired soaring natural scenes and humbled human actors. Those early Hudson River School paintings were among the last to subordinate man with respect to nature, just before the triumphant machine of the Industrial Revolution started rolling along. So, maybe we’ve come full circle with Brautigam’s work, though hopefully we’re wiser the second time around.

Brautigam’s Overlook puts a fine punctuation mark on the show. It’s a black-and-white photo of a teenage couple sitting on a picturesque ledge, enrapt, amorous maybe, almost oblivious to the ancient rocks and water before them. They don’t notice the issues the artist seems to be aware of as he frames the composition. In spite of this, Brautigam emphasizes their youthful hopefulness rather than foolishness. As much as this photo, and the exhibition in general, unravel the myths of a complicated and synthetically constructed place called “The Dells,” it is ultimately buoyant, humane and reflective, with modern society’s maturation and potential represented in a landscape which was, itself, honed by eons of passing time. ( left ) H.H. Bennett, Lone Rock with Canoe, ca. 1900, Albumen print with hand-tinting; 8 x 10 in., MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART, 2004.006 ( right ) John A. Trumble (1929–2017), Tommy Bartlett Pyramid of Waterskiers, ca. 1970s Archival pigment print, from original negative; 16 x 13 in., WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, WHS–143121

The 2019 edition of the highly popular “China Lights: Treasures of China” features 95% new lantern displays featuring Chinese cultural gems. The handmade displays range from three feet to three stories high. The outdoor festival also includes an expanded interactive exhibit area, two stages for Asian folk-culture performances, a marketplace, two dining areas and vendors offering a variety of Asian and Western menu options. For more information, visit chinalights.org.

Society for Photographic Education Midwest Juried Exhibition Sept. 20-Oct. 27 Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) 273 E. Erie St. The SPE Midwest Juried Exhibition brings together professional and student members of this photographic organization.

The exhibited works are loosely tied by the photographic medium itself and highlight the various approaches and concerns of artists working with photography today. Works are selected by Jennifer Murray, executive director of Filter Photo, and Alejandro Cartagena, a photographer and educator based in Monterrey, Mexico. For more information, call 888-749-MIAD (6423) or visit miad.edu/miad-galleriesoverview.

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

::OFFTHECUFF

BJ Gruling and Rick Clark of Kilwins PHOTO BY CLARESA WAIGHT

SCIENCE, CHOCOLATE AND COMMUNITY AT KILWINS

Off the Cuff with owners BJ Gruling and Rick Clark ::BY JEAN-GABRIEL FERNANDEZ

“M

ix a little science with chocolate, and great confections appear,” BJ Gruling and Rick Clark claim. The two men left their careers in the scientific and medical fields to operate a locally owned confectionery, Kilwins Milwaukee, located at the Bayshore Town Center. Rick, a Canadian, and BJ, an American, met working at a hospital in Saudi Arabia and returned to North America, landing in Milwaukee. As the store’s fifth anniversary looms, the owners agreed to talk to Off the Cuff about their venture.

Can you explain how you came to operate Kilwins Milwaukee?

It was the draw of Lake Michigan. With our background in science and health care, we took the entrepreneurial leap to open our own business and opening a Kilwins store in Milwaukee seemed like the perfect fit. We wanted to be a locally owned business, and Kilwins Milwaukee became a place where we know our customers by name and what their favorite treats are. Today, we have a much broader business, working with our local businesses and community, making them personalized treat trays, gift baskets, ice cream sundae bars and more. We find out what a customer’s vision is, then we create a personalized product.

Why do you think our readers should go to your store?

Our candy kitchen is right in the front of store and complete with big copper kettles and marble table. The first thing people notice is the incredible smell of whatever we are handcrafting from fudge, caramel apples, caramel corns, brittles made with peanuts, pecans or cashews or our very own hot fudge. What sets us apart is our own fair-trade Kilwins Heritage Chocolate. We offer white chocolate, milk chocolate and various dark chocolates, including single-origin, 80% dark from Peru, Ivory Coast and the Dominican Republic. There are also a variety of chocolates and truffles to choose from. All of our ice cream and many of our chocolates are certified Kosher.

You provide sweet treats for events around Milwaukee, including the recent LGBTQ Progress Awards. Why? We support as many of our local organizations as possible, with a focus on health care and the underserved, especially in-need youth. The Progress Awards recognizes individuals and organizations who also support that goal; we are involved in the LGBTQ community where there is such a need for support. We also support our local schools, the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation, Discovery World and the American Cancer Society to mention a few. We also offer a 10% discount on all purchases for our military and veterans every day. We want to be a part of a safe and healthy community.

Fall and the store’s fifth anniversary are almost here.

Do you intend to do anything special for these circumstances?

Fall is caramel apple season. We start with our own caramel recipe and hand-stir the caramel for one-anda-half hours in a copper kettle until it’s just right; then we dip a crisp, tart Granny Smith apple and add peanuts, pecans, chocolate and other toppings to create a variety of flavors. Another fall favorite is our Perfect Apple Pie Ice Cream with a rich caramel swirl, chunks of apples and pastry pieces, which is perfect in our housemade waffle cone.

Beginning on Friday, Sept. 20, for our anniversary, we will be offering anniversary specials throughout the weekend. We will have free samples of our Kilwins Gourmet Cake and ice cream cakes, mini ice cream sundaes and free caramel corn. Customers will have the opportunity to enter drawings for various items, such as a Neroli Salon & Spa gift card package, fudge for a year and other great prizes. Of course, we can’t have an anniversary party without fun stickers and balloons for the kids.

I h a te The film blog of the Shepherd Express by Managing Editor Dave Luhrssen

shepherdexpress.com/hollywood SHEPHERD EXPRESS

S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 | 29

A&E::FILM

::BY DAVID LUHRSSEN

O

ne of the world’s most recognized fictional characters is a Jewish milkman from a tiny village in pre-revolutionary Russia. Tevye, a recurring figure in the short stories of Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem, danced his way into American popular culture as the protagonist of the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. From there, he reached the wider world through a popular film version that etched the story’s characters and songs in memory.

As the enlightening documentary Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles reminds us, Fiddler on the Roof was considered an unconventional entry in the Broadway sweepstakes of 1964, the year it premiered. A musical about a family fleeing a pogrom? Well, Fiddler on the Roof is much more than that, but even so, some asked, “Will it sell

ROADSIDE PUBLICITY

‘Fiddler’ Explores the Making and Meaning of a Classic Musical

‘Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles’

beyond a Jewish American audience?”

Joel Grey, one of the many interviews conducted by the documentary’s director, Max Lewkowicz, recalls the Japanese fan who told him that Fiddler on the Roof is her favorite musical. “What makes it speak in so many languages—and everybody thinks it’s about them?” asks Grey, who recently directed an acclaimed Yiddish-language version of the musical.

Fiddler on the Roof is the story of a family struggling to get along in a world whose many joys are encircled by ever-present dangers. They are threatened with persecution, not for anything they did but because of who they are—a message that registered in 1964 as the American civil rights movement gained momentum (and still resonates today). It becomes a hopeful immigrants’ tale in a world that continues to be shaped by immigration.

At heart, Fiddler on the Roof is about a tradition bending—but not really breaking—under

the force of modernity. Tevye and his community draw their strength, as he sings, from “Tradition,” and yet that body of law and lore can’t entirely fulfill the desires or requirements of a rapidly changing world. Should Tevye’s daughters be free to marry according to the stirrings of their own hearts in a society where marriage is arranged and love—sometimes—comes later?

Do they have the right to say no? Tevye is a stubborn patriarch with a heart. Someone once called the musical a “female empowerment” story and yes, it’s that as well.

Fiddler on the Roof can be enjoyed as nostalgia—a window to the past for people of many heritages, including Grey’s Japanese friend. But the multi-layered narrative has no one meaning.

Lewkowicz also interviews several of the musical’s creators, including composer Jerry Bock, lyricist Sheldon Harnick and book author Joseph Stein. What emerges is how, in 1964, Fiddler on the Roof could only have been born in the partic-

ular artistic and ethnic ferment of New York, the magnetic pole for outsiders with stories to tell.

Director Jerome Robbins is one example.

Credited with shaping and staging the story in the form we know it, Robbins—a brilliant but troubled artist conflicted by politics and sexuality—was deeply moved upon visiting his ancestral village in Russia. His roots gnawed at his imagination as he transformed the story with its songs—those unforgettable songs!—into an American musical thoroughly suffused by the culture of another place in time.

Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles will be shown at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Marcus North Shore Cinema. The screening opens the 22nd Annual Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival, Sept. 15-19, which features a diverse selection from many nations of documentaries, Fiddler: dramas and comedies that reflect on the A Miracle of Jewish experience.

Miracles Tickets for any film Directed by Max in the festival may be Lewkowicz purchased through Micki Seinfeld at the Rated PG-13 Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, 414-967-8235; online at jccmilwaukee.org/filmfestival; or at the JCC desk inside the North Shore Cinema beginning one hour prior to each movie. Tickets are not available for purchase directly through the theater. For more information, visit jccmilwaukee.org.

Sept. 26 - Oct. 6 Order tickets at 414.288.7504, or marquettetheatre.showclix.com

PETER ST%RCATCHER ST% AND THE

BY RICK ELICE MUSIC BY WAYNE

30 | S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9

BARKER

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

[ FILM CLIPS ] Freeland Film Festival Film festivals have spread across the world in recent years, flowering even in smaller communities, in an ever-thickening network of cinematic commerce and culture. With larger festivals as its model, Green Lake’s Freeland Film Fest will present a mix of documentaries, drama, animation and classic titles along with panel discussions, workshops, lectures and music. Many guest artists will be on hand, including Emmy and Golden Globe-winner Jane Seymour. (David Luhrssen) Sept. 13-15, various locations in Green Lake, Wis. For more information, visit freelandfilmfest.org.

The Goldfinch R A 2013, 750-page, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is adapted into a two-and-a-half-hour film sparking debate among Donna Tartt’s eager readers. Condensed into a commercial film, the story spans more than a decade.

Theo Decker (Ansel Elgort) was just 13 when a terrorist bomb killed his mother during the pair’s visit to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Through that tragedy, Theo came into possession of The Goldfinch, a 17thcentury masterwork by Dutch painter Carel Fabritius. The events and people shaping Theo’s life, along with the painting’s fate, are the heartbeat of this visually glorious, sometimes plodding, melancholy tale of Theo’s long and winding road to redemption. (Lisa Miller)

Hustlers R Writer-director Lorene Scafaria wrote this screenplay drawing on Jessica Pressler’s 2015 New York magazine article. After Destiny (Constance Wu) is charged with stealing from strip club clientele, she confides all to a seemingly sympathetic journalist (Julia Stiles). The scheme began when newbie stripper Destiny became protégé to seasoned exotic dancer Ramona (Jennifer Lopez). Aided by a ring of conspiring strippers, the pair prey on wealthy married men, drugging them in order to charge big bucks to the men’s credit cards. Giving a nuanced performance as ruthless mastermind Ramona, Lopez nearly steals the movie while Wu tugs at its heart, displaying moments of regret that are defanged by greed. (L.M.)

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice PG-13 Linda Ronstadt emerged fully formed in the late 1960s—a full-throated singer and an emotive balladeer straddling pop, country and rock. Even then, her vocal range couldn’t be contained within even a handful of genres. The Sound of My Voice is a lively documentary built on a priceless trove of archival footage and photos.

It’s told in Ronstadt’s voice, with the help of a slew of collaborators such as Don Henley, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt and David Geffen. The dislocating paranoia of arena rock pushed Ronstadt to her next step—operetta!

And it didn’t stop there. (D.L.) Opens Sept. 13, Oriental Theatre.

[ HOME MOVIES / NOW STREAMING ] n Queen + Béjart: Ballet for Life

Since Freddie Mercury moved like the Nureyev of rock, it’s only natural that the music of Queen became the basis for a ballet. Wanting to bring ballet to new audiences, choreographer Maurice Béjart composed the Queen-based Ballet for Life. The new release includes a documentary (with interviews of Brian May and Roger Taylor) and a 1997 performance by Béjart Ballet Lausanne. Béjart bent the boundaries of ballet as Mercury bent the form of rock.

n Ferrante Forever

Elena Ferrante doesn’t peddle herself on “Good Morning America;” her face as well as her identity remains unknown. And yet the author of the Neapolitan Novels is among the world’s best-selling novelists. Ferrante Forever explores her word-of-mouth, critics-driven popularity while gathering insightful comments on her work. Jonathan Franzen says Ferrante opens a universe always there, but previously unseen. Other commentators add that she writes more with sounds than images in narratives that seem ready for film.

n The Beatles: Made on Merseyside

The Beatles weren’t the only rock ’n’ roll band in circa 1960 Liverpool, England. They weren’t the first and for a long while weren’t even the most popular.

That honor went to Rory Storm and the Hurricanes and Gerry and the Pacemakers. The Beatles: Made on Merseyside looks at the foursome’s origins through interviews with their mates and lots of archival photography. Liverpool was a sooty-grim place, but an infusion of new music brought the city life.

n Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes

“It was a music that had a sound to it—it sounds like Blue Note,” says the label’s current head, Don Was. This enlightening documentary cuts back and forth between present and past—between contemporary Blue Note recording artists such as Ambrose Akinmusire and Derrick Hodge and the label’s last century roster of Miles Davis, John Coltrane. The history is fascinating: Blue Note was founded by German Jewish refugees who loved jazz (and paid musicians fairly).

—David Luhrssen

Passes and packages available now! mkefilm.org/tickets

SHEPHERD EXPRESS MFF2019_ShepherdExpress_Act2_8.29.19.indd 1

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A&E::BOOKS

BOOK|REVIEWS

Marius Petipa: The Emperor’s Ballet Master (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS),

BY NADINE MEISNER Anyone with even a passing interest in ballet has encountered Marius Petipa. Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty? Contemporary companies staging those productions are likely following Petipa’s directions or rebelling against them. In the first English language biography of the Frenchman in the court of the czars, dance critic Nadine Meisner takes a close look at Petipa’s work and has lots to examine—he composed choreography for 50 ballets, staged many more and trained the cast of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. She calls George Balanchine his “spiritual son.” Although not a familiar name, Petipa deserves to rank with the most enduring artists of the 19th century and the rich culture that thrived despite (because of?) the peculiar brand of czarist autocracy. (David Luhrssen)

Blood, Oil and the Axis: The Allied Resistance against a Fascist State in Iraq and the Levant, 1941 (ABRAMS), BY JOHN BROICH John Broich explores a less familiar Middle East battleground in Blood, Oil and the Axis, focusing on the World War II struggle between the Allies and the Axis in Iraq and Syria. Broich goes beyond the military campaigns and locates the voices of participants through diaries, letters and memoirs. The political objectives involved a familiar theme—control over Iraq’s rich oil fields—but the political divisions are surprising. Arabs supported the Nazis and the British in roughly equal percentages, sometimes from affinity but often from calculation. Especially startling: a small pro-Nazi Jewish group in Palestine who dreamed of an Israel within Hitler’s New Order. Among the book’s outstanding personalities is Freya Stark, a British woman whose charm and fortitude enabled her to conduct intelligence impossible for most men. (David Luhrssen) 32 | S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

A&E::BOOKS

BOOK|PREVIEW

Fiddling, Folklore and Family Secrets ::BY JENNI HERRICK

W

hile author Kathleen Ernst is not a Wisconsin native, she has embraced the state’s history and made it the backdrop of much of her award-winning historical fiction. This month, Ernst comes out with her 10th book in the Chloe Ellefson mystery series, Fiddling with Fate. These cliffhanging stories are set in Wisconsin in the 1980s, where protagonist Chloe works as a curator at Old World Wisconsin (the same job held by the author for 12 years, beginning in 1982 and which inspired many of her stories). In Fiddling with Fate, the enigmatic action moves from rural Wisconsin to the Hardangerfjord region of Norway, where Chloe travels after her mother’s death to uncover family secrets and explore Norwegian history from fiddling to folklore.

When she encounters a killer amidst her research, the stories of Chloe’s ancestors reveal the mysteries and the very real dangers that history has kept hidden for generations.

Ernst is a prolific writer and Fiddling with Fate is her 38th published book. A lover of history, Ernst has had creative opportunities to write about the past in both nonfiction and fiction publications, including her work with American Girl. At American Girl, she worked with a team to create the character of Caroline Abbott and write six books about her, the first of which, Meet Caroline, spent three weeks on the Publishers Weekly Top 25 Bestseller Children’s Books list.

Kathleen Ernst will appear at Books & Company in Oconomowoc for an author talk and book signing on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m.

A Free Family Day at Lynden

Urban Forest Fest

Saturday, September 21, 10am-4pm • Kids’ tree climb • Sawmill demonstrations • Urban wood furniture makers & info fair • Hands-on art and nature activities

Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra For more information: (414) 446-8794 2145 W. Brown Deer Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53217 lyndensculpturegarden.org/UrbanForestFest

BOOK|HAPPENING

Tribute to a Milwaukee Artist Ken Wood (1959-2016) kept a studio at the UW-Milwaukee Kenilworth building where he worked on films, photography and painting. His focus was often on nature, and he rendered scenes in fine, discrete detail.

One hundred-twenty of Wood’s paintings have been collected and reproduced in full color in a handsomely produced book, Aviary: Selected Paintings by Ken Wood.

The book release and reception will be held Saturday, Sept. 14, from 3-6 p.m. at Woodland Pattern Book Center, 720 E. Locust St.

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 | 33

::HEARMEOUT ASK RUTHIE | UPCOMING EVENTS | PAUL MASTERSON

::ASKRUTHIE

SPONSORED BY WINNER OF THE JEWELERS OF AMERICA’S 2019 CASE AWARD

A Trio of Troubles Dear Ruthie,

I am not looking for sex. Let me repeat: I am not looking for sex. However, I am looking for a few friends I can go to dinner with, see movies and plays with and the like. I need a group of friends to hang out with... not to date or sleep with.

I heard that it’s hard to make friends once you get older, and damn... that statement was true! I moved to Milwaukee recently, and at the age of 58, it seems nearly impossible to make new friends. When I approach guys, they think I’m interested in them sexually, when I just need a new buddy or two. Any ideas?

Let me know, Friendless but Fun

Dear Funny Guy,

Too bad you’re not looking for sex because knocking boots is a great way to meet people... assuming, of course no one is tied up or blindfolded. Don’t get me started.

I’m sure you’re a hoot and a holler to paint the town with, so take a bit of pressure off yourself. You might be trying too hard. I’d suggest you try volunteering. Help set up an event, work at a food bank, volunteer your time and you’ll meet other like-minded people also interested in friendship.

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You might also try joining a book club, becoming active in a local online community of sorts or even offer to help one of the city’s many theaters. These are all great ways to expand your social circle, my friend! (See that?

See what I did there?)

Sept. 12—Nick Offerman at The Riverside Theater (116 W. Wisconsin Ave.): Star of “Parks & Recreation,” author, actor, funny man and one of America’s favorite daddy bears, Nick Offerman struts his hilarious stuff into Milwaukee once again.

Join the self-described American humorist during this 7:30 p.m. one-man show that’s sure to have you laughing into the weekend. Stop by pabsttheater.org for tickets that start at $39.75.

Sept. 12—“An Evening with Joan Rivers & Friends” at Saint Kate Hotel (139

Dear Ruthie,

How and when do I know if my time at the casino is turning into a gambling problem?

Thanks, In the Red

E. Kilbourn Ave.): I don my best Joan Rivers drag to host this fast and funny evening of celebrity impressions. Join me and some of the city’s top drag performers as we invade The Arc Theater at the Saint Kate hotel. A $10 door charge gets you into the 8 p.m. show featuring Nova D’Vine, Lenda Jo, Shawna Love and Miss Birdee. Arrive early and enjoy the gorgeous bar and art gallery at the Saint Kate. Be sure to take

Dear Red,

While lots of folks enjoy a good time at the slots or blackjack table, gambling addictions are problems for many. You didn’t give me much to go on, but the fact that you’re asking if you have a problem concerns me.

Go see a professional who specializes in gambling addiction and talk things through.

This person can help you address your concerns and get a handle on the situation. A good therapist will also create a therapy plan for you (if needed), addressing the issue now before things get out of control.

Dear Ruthie,

advantage of the in-ground parking lot for a fun, fuss-free night.

Sept. 13—Milwaukee Coffee Connection at Milwaukee PBS (1036 N. Eighth St.): Talk about an event to “network!” Stop by the local PBS station between 8-9 a.m. to meet like-minded business owners and connect with other professionals in the LGBTQ community. Hosted by the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, this rise-and-shine happy hour is a great way to make new business contacts, meet new friends and start the day off with a smile.

Sept. 14—“Bosom Buddies: A Broad’s Guide to Broadway” at LaCage Niteclub (801 S. Second St.): Happy hours aren’t just for weekdays anymore! Join Karen

Why are gay guys so critical? This seems to be getting worse in our community. Worst of all, it’s not the young kids, it’s the older guys always making fun of other men’s hair, clothes and such. I’ve had it. It’s stupid! Have you noticed this?

Sincerely, Annoyed

Dear Annoying,

::RUTHIE’SSOCIALCALENDAR

God, your email is terrible. And don’t get me started on your lousy spelling and syntax.

And what’s with the exclamation points? (Insert eye roll here.)

Sorry, sugar. I can’t say that I’ve noticed any more reads from our community than normal, but that doesn’t mean such behavior isn’t on the rise. If you want to put an end to it (at least where you’re concerned), you’ve got to grab the gossiper by the tea leaves and let him have it. Tell the negative Nancy to cool it with the shade. Let him (or her) know you don’t appreciate that sort of talk and put an end to it. While this may not improve any nastiness spreading through our community, it will reduce it in your life.

Valentine and Maple Veneer for a new show that salutes the best of the Great White Way. Live singers, drag numbers, drink specials and more round out the 4-8 p.m. event (show at 5 p.m.). What a great way to celebrate showtunes and Saturday!

Sept. 15—Packer Sunday Funday at Woody’s (1579 S. Second St.): It’s the first noon game of the Packer season, so nab your seat early at the city’s favorites LGBTQ sports bar. Between the multiple monitors, touchdown shots, free halftime buffet, beer bust and friendly crowd, Woody’s always host the most popular game day afternoon in town.

Sept. 17—Project Q at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center (1110 N. Market St.): Know a local LGBTQ youth who might need a new friend or two? This 3 p.m. support group might help. Movies, games and art activities as well as structured programs such as lectures, seminars and discussions on social issues and self-identity concerns have made this one of the longest running social services in our community. Contact the center at mkelgbt.org with questions about this free service.

Ask Ruthie a question or share your events with her at dearruthie@shepex.com. Follow her on Instagram @ruthiekeester and Facebook at Dear Ruthie. Watch, like, subscribe and share her reality show, “Camp Wannakiki Season 2,” on YouTube today!

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

::MYLGBTQPoint of View

Our Brush with Queer Art ::BY PAUL MASTERSON

Q

ueer street artist Jeremy Novy is back in town, however briefly.

He’ll be installing a mural and, as he put it, “arting the city.” The former Milwaukeean and Peck School of the Arts graduate has garnered international recognition as a pioneer of contemporary identity art and of public art with queer political messaging in particular. He is best known for his LGBTQ iconography and, of course, his Koi. Using the time-honored genre of stenciling, Novy has practiced his art for nearly two decades. Most readily, he is recognized for his Koi. Often encountered swimming on sidewalks in expected and unexpected places, the now ubiquitous Koi appear individually, in pairs or trios, often as murals, in schools. They also take the form of pins, stickers and emblazon apparel (if they haven’t been projected on building facades by now, perhaps one day they will). They turn up in major queer cultural centers like San Francisco and New Orleans, as well as in Madison, our own fair city (most recently at Kruz Bar and Black Cat Alley) and, however unlikely, in Birmingham, Ala., as well as at art events like Burning Man in Gerlach, Nev. For aficionados, they are as much a part

of art consciousness as an Andy Warhol soup; perhaps more so, since they can be randomly encountered almost anywhere. In fact, they’re even forged. I’ve seen copied Koi on several local patios and private walkways.

But beyond the Koi, Novy’s images span queer identity from leather guys, cowboys and drag queens (including Divine and our own Dear Ruthie) to Rainbow Care Bears, bear traps and erotically charged sets of boot prints intimately facing each other. Then there are the murals, often grand in scale, of symbolic flights of monarch butterflies, geese and gulls.

Unfortunately, Milwaukee’s staid aesthetic has deprived it of a highly evolved queer art scene, street or otherwise, like those embraced elsewhere. For emerging LGBTQ artists of any discipline, fertile ground for their talents is lacking so they move on. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, to lose one artist like Novy may be regarded as misfortune; to lose so many looks like carelessness. Carelessness, indeed.

The thing is, our art institutions are restricted by certain entities that dole out funding for projects and programming. There are conservative forces at work within them. Especially in today’s politically charged environment, they are not disposed to promoting queer culture in a positive light. Then, there are audiences who expect to be entertained but not necessarily motivated to critical thought (at least not when it comes to LGBTQ issues). The theater scene is a perfect example. While one can cite occasional examples of a mainstream house staging works with relevant queer content, they still remain old school in their sensitivity with the theme or characters appropriately neutered for straight consumption.

This puts queer artists in the awkward dilemma of compromising their creativity to accommodate the limitations of local tolerance or, like Novy and others, of leaving. Sadly for Milwaukee, this loss negatively impacts not only LGBTQ life but the city’s intellectual and artistic progress, and those Koi just serve as a reminder.

Comment at shepherdexpress.com. n

Find things to do in the Milwaukee area with the most comprehensive events calendar in the city.

Visit shepherdexpress.com/events

Drinks On Us!

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Featuring discounts at 24 Milwaukee bars and restaurants, Cocktail Trail offers coupons for free or buy-one-get one drinks at participating establishments until May 2020. order online at shepstore.com Also available in store at MKE Home, Sparrow Collective and Beard MKE.

Cocktail Trail SHEPHERD EXPRESS

S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 | 35

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SHEPHERD EXPRESS

::MUSIC

FEATURE | ALBUM REVIEWS | CONCERT REVIEWS | LOCAL MUSIC

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Farm Aid 2019 Rolls into Alpine Valley ::BY BLAINE SCHULTZ “I hope that some of the money that’s raised for the people in Africa, maybe they can take a little bit of it—one or two million maybe—and use it to pay the mortgages on some of the farms that the farmers here owe to the banks”—Bob Dylan at Live Aid, 1985 In 1985, famine in Ethiopia grew to such devastating proportions that rock stars organized and played benefit concerts in London and Philadelphia that were transmitted by satellite to televisions around the globe.

Dylan’s seemingly offhand comment above sparked an annual event whose need remains ongoing. Now in its 34th year, Farm Aid will take place at Alpine Valley Music Theatre on Sept. 21.

Dylan’s torch was picked up by musicians Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp who organized the first Farm Aid, held in Champaign, Ill. in 1985. (In 2001, Dave Matthews joined them on the board of directors.)

Since then, Farm Aid has traveled to different venues each year. (In 2010, Farm Aid was held at Miller Park in Milwaukee.) But the message remains the same: “to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on the land.”

The Issue

According to Farm Aid’s website, a handful of corporations control our food from farm to fork. Their unbridled power grants them increasing political influence over the rules that govern our food system and allows them to manipulate the marketplace— pushing down the prices paid to family farmers and driving them out of business. Corporate-written policies spark growing food safety concerns and less transparency in the marketplace.

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

“We have to keep letting farmers know that we This corporate-controlled food system damages rural believe in them, whether we live in the city or not. You communities, local economies and public health as well as the soil and water needed to sustain food production. can do something to change the world, just by changing the food you eat. Start from the bottom up”—Neil The first Farm Aid was put together in six weeks and Young from the Farm Aid website raised $7 million. Since then, the nonprofit organization has raised $57 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture, whose mission is to Young, Nelson, Mellencamp and Matthews are artkeep family farmers on the land. ists with long careers and large followings of fans, not Farm Aid works with local, regional and national orto mention contacts within the music industry. What ganizations to promote fair farm policies and grassroots they also share is that they project images that make organizing campaigns designed to defend and bolster them right at home with Farm Aid. Not afraid to get family farm-centered agriculture. They have worked behind movements, they all have made music that with farmers to protest factory farms and inform farmers relates to rural landscapes. and eaters about issues like genetically modified food Young went so far as to record an album titled The and growth hormones.

Monsanto Years. With the band Promise of By elevating the voices of family farmers, the Real (led by Willie Nelson’s sons Lukas the organization supports the farmer to beand Micah), the album took aim at Chevron, Farm come advocates for farm policy change. In Starbucks, Wal-Mart and Monsanto’s proAid 1990, after years of Farm Aid advocating for duction of genetically modified seeds. In organic farmers, Congress passed the Organic 1985, Young took out a full-page ad in USA Alpine Foods Production Act, establishing a certificaToday, an open letter asking President RonValley tion program for organic farms. ald Reagan, “Will the family farm in America Music die as a result of your administration?”

Theatre In 1987, Nelson and Mellencamp testiThe Event Saturday, fied before the U.S. Senate about the famThe annual music concert serves to eduSept. 21 ily farm crisis and corporate monopolies cate and organize the public while offering a expanding in agriculture. In 1989, Farm day of music in many genres.

Aid was Nelson’s baby, using 16 of his tour This year’s performers include: Willie Neldates as the annual event. In response to son & Family, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, the Great Flood of 1993 in the Midwest, Farm Aid Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Bonnie Raitt, Luke created the Family Farm Disaster Fund to support orCombs, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Lukas ganizations that worked directly with farm families Nelson and Promise of the Real, Margo Price, Jamey stricken by the flood. In 2004 Farm Aid published Johnson, Tanya Tucker, Brothers Osborne, Yola, Particle the guide, 10 Ways to Ensure Healthy Food for You and Kid, Ian Mellencamp, Wisdom Indian Dancers and HoYour Family.

Chunk Thundercloud Singers.

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::LOCALMUSIC

::THISWEEKINMILWAUKEE

The Wigs Return for Another Round of Power Pop

THURSDAY, SEPT. 12 A Conversation About Mental Health with Charlamagne tha God @ Turner Hall, noon

Charlamagne tha God is a leading force in the mental health discussion in America.

Best known for being co-host of the nationally syndicated hip-hop iHeartRadio program “The Breakfast Club,” he is the author of The New York Times best-seller Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It and Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 13

::BY BLAINE SCHULTZ

Barbara Stephan CD Release @ The Cooperage, 7 p.m.

Milwaukee is brimming with under-the-radar talent. Case-in-point, vocalist Barbara Stephens, who wrote Come on Over to Me, a Motown-inspired album backed by a 10-piece band. Stephan sings the hell out of the songs and is backed by as fine arrangements and studio production you will hear anywhere. While Stephan references vintage Motown and iconic vocalists, the energy of the songs is reminiscent at times of Raphael Saadiq. The concert will also feature local funk-jazz group, Cigarette Break.

Black Arts MKE Presents Hip-Hop DNA, Volume I @ Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall, 7:30 p.m.

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

Hip-hop is the art of looking backward and forward at the same time. Producer Kiran Vedula, aka Q the Sun, celebrates the music and people who helped define the sound of American popular culture, from Nina Simone, George Clinton and Kraftwerk to Dr. Dre, Pharrell Williams and Metro Boomin. The live performance shows the evolution and interconnectedness of five decades of music and dance, while exploring the influences of African, Latin, European and Eastern traditions. According to Black Arts’ mission statement, it’s about “making your own lane and challenging the status quo,” but it’s also “rooted in community building, bridging gaps and passing on knowledge to the next generation.”

Jamie Breiwick’s Dreamland @ Blu, 8 p.m.

If there were a Mount Rushmore for 20th-century American music, Thelonious Monk’s image would be there.

The world is still catching up to his ideas. Milwaukee trumpeter Jamie Breiwick’s ensemble, Dreamland, is named for one of the jazz composer’s compositions and presents challenging interpretations of his music.

A brief Wigs timeline: *1979 – the Wigs form *1981- File Under: Pop Vocal LP released *2009 - the Wigs reunite for the release of File Under: Pop Vocal on CD *2013 - the band reunites for the reissue of the My Chauffeur (1986) soundtrack *2014- the Wigs appear at Summerfest Cushinery said the band will dig deep into past

Jamie Breiwick

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18 Pieta Brown w/ Peter Mulvey @ Anodyne, 7:30 p.m.

Pieta Brown was born as songwriter Greg Brown’s daughter, but as an artist, she has carved out her own niche; call it folk, Americana or whatever, it doesn’t matter. She is as honest and brave a songwriter as you will find. Live, her performances find that zone where you forget where you are. Milwaukee expatriate Peter Mulvey has release 18 albums. His annual tour by bicycle and humanistic-political songwriting demonstrates his engagement in the world around him.

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I

n 2013, the Wigs reunited for what they said would be their “last show ever.” Fortunately for fans, the early ’80s Milwaukee power-pop band has a short memory. They are currently gearing up for a Shank Hall show.

The band is “in that overwhelming place where a million details need to come together,” guitarist Jim Cushinery said. “But at the same time, we know it will be over in the blink of an eye and we are trying to breathe and remain present for our own enjoyment.”

Cushinery hasn’t promised another swan song, as this year marks the band’s 40th anniversary. The Wigs will perform their 1981 LP, File Under: Pop Vocal, in its entirety by the original 1979 lineup of Marty Ross and Cushinery on guitar and vocals, Bobby Tews on drums, and Robert Pachner on bass.

When the Wigs reunited in Los Angeles in 1982 the sound changed, adding more keyboards. To faithfully represent that era, Robert Pachner will switch to keyboards for the second half of the show and Severo Jornacion from The Smithereens will lend a hand on bass.

and present material as well as selections that never made it onto a set list. He and Ross will also perform songs written by close friends who have since passed. “The idea is to give the crowd a look under the hood,” he said.

The Wigs initially played their last shows in Milwaukee during the summer of 1982. A July 2 show was broadcast live on WQFM. “We recently came into possession of a recording of the broadcast and were struck by how well it represented the band. It was a warm-up to what was to be our final Summerfest appearance and the band was on fire,” Cushinery said.

“We pressed 100 copies which will be handnumbered and available at the show.” They have no intention of doing a formal release, he said.

What has he done lately? “I write constantly, despite the ever-evolving challenges in today’s music world.” Cushinery said. “Recently, I began playing bass for a smart punk-pop band called The Ex Teens. It’s a lot of eighth notes and non-stop smiles from four guys who came up in the early ’80s.” He also said Ross has been active, performing with the Wrecking Crew as well as with Monkee Mickey Dolenz (Ross acted in “The New Monkees” television show.)

The Wigs recently recorded a version of Petula Clark’s 1964 hit, “Downtown.” First performing the song at Summerfest in 2014, they began the recording back then but The Wigs only recently finished it Shank Hall up.

Saturday, “I am happy it took this long, because the Sept. 14 song’s uplifting lyrics 8 p.m. speak directly to the current antagonistic climate of the internet,” Cushinery said. “Extract yourself from the anti-social media time-suck, get out of the house and actually socialize. Rub elbows.

Look people in the eye. Listen to the rhythm of their inflections and let them understand yours.”

He said the band is producing a video for the release of the song using crowd-sourced content and have reached out to fans to shoot brief video clips or photos of their downtown and include themselves in the image. “We need more and would love for it to be Milwaukee-centric,” Cushinery said.

The Wigs perform along with Sam Llanas at Shank Hall on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. For tickets, visit shankhall.com.

Find things to do in the Milwaukee area with the most comprehensive events calendar in the city.

Visit shepherdexpress.com/events

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

MUSIC::LISTINGS To list your event, go to shepherdexpress.com/events and click submit an event

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

Bremen Cafe, Bandoleer Bacall w/Saebra & Carlyle, and Dirty Fuss Cactus Club, An evening dedicated to David Berman Caroline’s Jazz Club, Wicked Long Day Club Garibaldi, Wizard Rifle w/Lost Tribes Of The Moon Company Brewing, Mean Jeans w/Clowns & Platinum Boys County Clare Irish Inn & Pub, Acoustic Irish Folk w/Barry Dodd Jazz Estate, McCullough / Shultz Quintet w/Tim Hagans Mason Street Grill, Mark Thierfelder Jazz Trio (5:30pm) McAuliffe’s On The Square, Open Mic Night O’Donoghues Irish Pub (Elm Grove), All-Star SuperBand (6pm) On The Bayou, Open Mic Comedy w/host The Original Darryl Hill Pabst Theater, Keb’ Mo’ Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Woodland Groove Rave / Eagles Club, Grandson w/Nothing Nowhere (all-ages, 8pm) Riverside Theater, Nick Offerman Rounding Third Bar and Grill, World’s Funniest Free Comedy Show Shank Hall, Alice Peacock w/Chely Wright Sheryl’s Club 175 (Slinger), Acoustic Jam w/ Milwaukee Mike & Downtown Julius Smoke Shack at the Mayfair Collection, Matt MF Tyner (5pm) The Back Room @ Colectivo, Gus Johnson The Cheel / The Baaree (Thiensville), Thursday Grooves: Simply Id (6pm) The Miramar Theatre, College Sessions #3 The Packing House, Barbara Stephan & Peter Mac (6pm) Transfer Pizzeria Café, Latin Sessions: Carlos Adames

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

American Legion Post #399 (Okauchee), The Ricochettes Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Julie’s Piano Karaoke Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co., Nineteen Thirteen Blu Milwaukee, Jamie Beiwick - Dreamland Cactus Club, Junkyard Samurai w/Genesis Renji & Will Rose Caroline’s Jazz Club, Paul Silbergleit Quartet Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: Mod Violets w/The Unheard Of (8pm); DJ: The Nile (10pm) ComedySportz Milwaukee, Will Durst w/Dobie Maxwell & Art Kumbalek Company Brewing, Vocokesh w/ST 37 & Punk Guilt Compass Bar (Mequon), Matt MF Tyner County Clare Irish Inn & Pub, Traditional Irish Ceilidh Session Iron Mike’s, Jam Session w/Steve Nitros & the Liquor Salesmen Jazz Estate, The Flat Five (7:30pm & 9:30pm), Late Night Session: DJ Gramma Matrix (11:30pm) Lakefront Brewery, Brewhaus Polka Kings (5:30pm) Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Freddy & the Blifftones Los Mariachis Mexican Restaurant, Larry Lynne Revue Mamie’s, The Blues Disciples Mason Street Grill, Phil Seed Trio (6pm) Mezcalero Restaurant and Bar, The Falcons Pabst Milwaukee Brewery & Taproom, Conniption w/Reflections of Flesh Pabst Theater, The Fab Four - The Ultimate Tribute Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Geoff Landon & Friends Rave / Eagles Club, The Hu (all-ages, 8pm) Red Rock Saloon, Broseph E Lee Shank Hall, Pundamonium: The Milwaukee Pun Slam Smith Bros. Coffee House (Port Washington), Jude and Francesca The Brass Tap, Joe Kadlec The Cheel / The Baaree (Thiensville), Friday Night Live: Pierre “Untouchable Lee” Group (6pm) SHEPHERD EXPRESS

The Cooperage, Barbara Stephan CD release The Miramar Theatre, Emo Nite Up & Under, Conundrum

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

1175 Sports Park & Eatery (Kansasville), American Idiots!

American Legion Post #449 (Brookfield), The Ripple Effect Bremen Cafe, Sleeping Pills w/Waley Brown, Somegirl & Texas Dave Trio Cactus Club, Hear Here Presents: Super Doppler, Paper Holland & Sleepy Gaucho Caroline’s Jazz Club, Paul Spencer Band w/James Sodke, Michael Ritter, Adekola Adedapo, Hal Miller & Steve Lewandowski Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: Fly & The Swatters w/ Roxie Beane (8pm); DJ: Mr. Action (10pm) Colectivo Coffee (Lakefront), Close Enuf Band (10am) ComedySportz, ComedySportz Milwaukee!

Fat Charlie’s (Richfield), Vinyl Road (6:30pm) Five O’Clock Steakhouse, Kirk Tatnall Fox & Hounds Restaurant (Hubertus), Larry Lynne Solo (6pm) Fox Point Farmers’ Market, Darele Bisquerra (10am) Jazz Estate, Devin Drobka Trio (8pm), Late Night Sessions: Yanni Chudnow Trio (11:30pm) Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, John Stano, Paul Smith & Andy Jehly Mason Street Grill, Jonathan Wade Trio (6pm) Mulligan’s Irish Pub, CLOVE (6pm) Pabst Milwaukee Brewery & Taproom, Lost Orange Cat Pabst Theater, Dead Horses w/Joe Pug Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Jeff & Charles Duo Rave / Eagles Club, Lil Tjay (all-ages, 8pm) Riverside Theater, Vince Gill w/Jedd Hughes Shank Hall, The Wigs w/Sam Llanas Slinger House (Slinger), Joe Kadlec Stonewood Village, Stonewood Village Makers Market w/The Oxleys, and Fields & Fortresses (10am) The Back Room @ Colectivo, Stephen Kellogg The Cheel / The Baaree (Thiensville), Blues Addiction The Miramar Theatre, Hekler w/OG Nixin (allages, 9pm) The Packing House, Joe Jordan & The Soul Trio (6:30pm) The Rock Sports Complex, In the Umbrella Bar: Screaming Cucumbers (6:30pm) Unitarian Church North, Wisconsin Singer/Songwriter Series: Katie Dahl Up & Under, Alcohol is Rehab

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

Bremen Cafe, Comedy Open Mic (8pm), Music Open Mic (10pm) Jazz Estate, Latin Jam Session w/Cecilio Negrón Jr. Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Poet’s Monday w/host Timothy Kloss & featured reader Cai Saint Logan (sign-up 7:30pm, 8-11pm) Mason Street Grill, Joel Burt Duo (5:30pm) Paulie’s Pub and Eatery, Open Jam w/hosts Josh Becker, Annie Buege, Ally Hart or Marr’lo Parada Up & Under, Open Mic

Shank Hall, Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root w/ Dirk Miller The Cheel / The Baaree (Thiensville), Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones (6pm) The Miramar Theatre, Citizens (all-ages, 9pm) The Packing House, Carmen Nickerson & Kostia Efimov (6pm)

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Brewtown Eatery, Blues & Jazz Jam w/Jeff Stoll, Joe Zarcone & David “Harmonica” Miller (6pm) Cactus Club, A Vulture Wake w/Avenues Holiday Inn Milwaukee Riverfront, Sonic Boomers (6pm) Jazz Estate, Funk Night with Jack Reed Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts / Riverwest Artists Association, Tuesday Night Jazz Jam Mamie’s, Open Blues Jam w/Marvelous Mack Mason Street Grill, Jamie Breiwick Group (5:30pm) Pabst Milwaukee Brewery & Taproom, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys w/J.P. Cyr & The Midnightmen Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Al White (4pm) Shank Hall, Emily Wolfe The Back Room @ Colectivo, Susto w/Neighbor Lady The Cheel / The Baaree (Thiensville), Alive After 5: String Along Band (6pm) Transfer Pizzeria Café, Transfer House Band w/ Dennis Fermenich

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

1175 Sports Park & Eatery, Sebastian Bach (Kansasville) Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. (Walker’s Point), Peter Mulvey w/Pieta Brown Bremen Cafe, Dara Rilatos w/Stillhouse Junkies Cactus Club, Walker Lukens Caroline’s Jazz Club, Tommy Vega Latin Jazz Iron Mike’s, B Lee Nelson & KZ Acoustic Jam Jazz Estate, Extra Crispy Brass Band Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, Polka Open Jam Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Acoustic Open Stage w/feature Richard Travis (sign-up 7:30pm, start 8pm) Mason Street Grill, Jamie Breiwick Group (5:30pm) Pabst Theater, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes w/MonoNeon Paulie’s Field Trip, Wednesday Night Afterparty w/ Dave Wacker & guests Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, In Bar 360: Al White

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

American Legion Post #449 (Brookfield), Our House Angelo’s Piano Lounge, Live Karaoke w/Julie Brandenburg Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery, Brewtown Brewgrass (5pm) Bremen Cafe, Bad Year w/Castle Black, Bear Bones, Man Random & VexNation Cactus Club, Milwaukee Record Halftime Show: Flat Teeth (12pm), David Lopez w/Joe Bianco, Analise Elle & Mayyh3m Circle-A Cafe, Alive at Eight: Johnny G. & guests (8pm); DJ: John Riepenhoff & Sara Caron (10pm) J&B’s Blue Ribbon Bar and Grill, The Players Jam Old Brooke Beer Garden, Jude and The Dude (1pm) Pabst Milwaukee Brewery & Taproom, Carrie Nation & The Speakeasy w/S.S. WEB Riverside Theater, Byron Cage & Dorinda ClarkCole (5pm) Rounding Third Bar and Grill, The Dangerously Strong Comedy Open Mic Scotty’s Bar & Pizza, Larry Lynne Solo (4pm) Shank Hall, Kristin Hersh Electric Trio w/Fred Abong The Back Room @ Colectivo, Duster The Sugar Maple, Thollem

9/12 Dramatic Lovers 9/17 Negative/Positive

S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 | 39

NUMERO UNO

THEME CROSSWORD

By James Barrick

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

© 2019 United Feature Syndicate, Dist. by Andrews McMeel Syndication

40 | S E P T E M B E R 12 , 2 0 1 9

DOWN 1. Marmoratum — 2. Air 3. Living legend 4. Brown bat 5. Commences 6. Peaceful relations 7. Ship of 1492 8. A state: Abbr.

9. Certain pen: Hyph.

10. Cornflower 11. Foul and fuel 12. O.T. book 13. — passim

14. Common abbr.

15. Cheated, in a way 16. Inter — 17. Bridge support 18. Seltzer 24. Socrates’ forte 26. Serviceable 29. Consider 32. Hillside 33. Collins and Silvers 34. Son of Jacob and Leah 35. Long leaf 36. Unclench 37. Not readily noticed 38. Catches 39. Large hard seed 40. Chaotic 41. Source of bad luck 42. Massage 44. Prompted 45. Domed structure 46. Bear 49. Scholarly books 51. Supercharger, for short 53. Pry 54. Change a travel plan 56. River in Idaho 58. Stormed 60. Gob 61. Religious observance 63. Worthless stuff 64. Quit

65. Sauvignon — 66. Contemporary of Debussy 67. Scottish farm 68. Female ruff 69. Take out 70. Was reckless enough 72. Disregard 74. Too familiar 77. Before very long 79. Cookout need 81. An archangel 82. Neighbor of Mont.

83. Mandarin orange 84. Ivories 86. Nearly: 2 wds.

88. Outdid 90. “— and Sensibility” 91. Pilsner 92. Admiral Andrea — 93. Amounts 94. Freshly 95. Tantum — valent 96. Dry measure 97. Stoma 98. “Garfield” dog 99. Flightless bird 100. Old flames 102. Girl in Trinidad 103. Mousse 105. Uh-uh

Solution to last week’s puzzle

9/5 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 16 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

What to name them?

Solution: 16 Letters

© 2019 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate Inc.

73. Relaxed: 2 wds.

75. Investment vehicle: Abbr.

76. Fervent 77. Like a kite, perhaps 78. Doctor’s order 79. Peter the Great or Ivan the Terrible: Var. 80. A state: Abbr.

81. Harmless: Var. 84. “— are a few of my favorite ...”

85. Get going: 2 wds.

87. Deglet Nour, e.g.

88. Covered with sequins 89. Yarn fuzz 90. Blackboard 92. Cervine creature 93. Species of marten 96. Tops out 97. Address portion 101. Not at all cooperative 104. Heretical 106. Bill of fare 107. Jam-packed 108. Sault Sainte — 109. — -memoire 110. Sultan of — 111. Modify 112. Out in front 113. Fender and Durocher

Abigail Adam Alan Alexis Amy Ann Brenda Brian Carl Christopher Debra Donald Emma Evelyn Gary Harry Helen

Henry Jacqueline James Jane Jason Jean Jeffrey Joe John Joyce Juan Judy Keith Kelly Lisa Lori Martha

Nancy Nicole Noah Patricia Paul Peter Ralph Robert Rose Roy Ryan Sandra Sara Scott Stephanie Tyler

9/5 Solution: Our formative years

Solution: Popular or unusual?

ACROSS 1. Skinner or Redding 5. Resort town in Alberta, Canada 10. Indifferent 15. Puts a lid on 19. Purplish color 20. Henri — Benoit Matisse 21. Ceiling 22. Miscellaneous mixture 23. Timeworn 25. Empty 27. Miss from Madrid 28. Lineage diagrams 30. Papal crown 31. Stylish 32. Data 33. Bending movement in ballet 35. NHL players 38. Opening 39. Gooselike water bird 43. Bruce or Kravitz 44. On the fritz: Var. 47. Hebrew letter 48. Genus of succulent plants 49. Pony-drawn carriage 50. Old Greek coins 51. Injured a muscle 52. Little bit 53. Lumberjack 55. Containers 56. Serous sac 57. Greatest lengths 59. Work for piano 61. Created 62. Rhapsodized 63. Stretch out 64. Tropical tree 65. Belgium’s “City of Bridges” 67. Musical sound 68. Well-thought-out 71. Printer type 72. Mrs., in Mannheim

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

SHEPHERD EXPRESS Date: 9/12/19

::FREEWILLASTROLOGY ::BY ROB BREZSNY VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Novelist Wallace Stegner wrote, “Some are born in their place, some find it, some realize after long searching that the place they left is the one they have been searching for.” I hope that in the last nine months, Virgo, you have resolved which of those three options is true for you. I also trust that you have been taking the necessary actions to claim and own that special place—to acknowledge it and treasure it as the power spot where you feel most at home in the world. If you have not yet fully finished what I’m describing here, do it now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Earth’s species are going extinct at a rate unmatched since the dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago.

Among the creatures on the verge of being lost forever are birds like the cryptic treehunter and Spix’s macaw, as well as the northern white rhino and the vaquita, a type of porpoise. So why don’t we clone the last few individuals of those beleaguered species? Here are the answers. 1. Cloned animals typically aren’t healthy. 2. A species needs a sizable population to retain genetic diversity; a few individuals aren’t sufficient. 3. Humans have decimated the homes of the threatened species, making it hard for them to thrive.

Conclusion: Cloning is an inadequate stopgap action.

Is there a better way to address the problem? Yes: by preserving the habitats of wild creatures. Inspired by this principle, Libra, I ask you to avoid trying halfway fixes for the dilemmas in your personal sphere. Summon full measures that can really work.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Though patched together and incomplete, the 2,200-year-old marble sculpture known as the Winged Victory of Samothrace is prominently displayed at Paris’s Louvre Museum. It’s a glorious depiction of Nike, the winged goddess of victory, and is regarded as one of ancient Greece’s great masterpieces. For hundreds of years it was missing. Then in 1863, an archaeologist discovered it, although it was broken into more than a hundred pieces. Eventually, it was rebuilt, and much of its beauty was resurrected.

I see the coming weeks as a time when you, too, could recover the fragments of an old treasure and begin reassembling it to make a pretty good restoration.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I’ve learned that I must find positive outlets for anger or it will destroy me,” said actor Sidney Poitier. That can be a dynamic meditation for you during the next three weeks. I think you will derive substantial power from putting it into action. If you’re ingenious and diligent about finding those positive outlets, your anger will generate constructive and transformative results.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 1905 at the age of 30, Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote the novel Anne of Green Gables. It was a tale about an orphan girl growing up on Prince Edward Island. She sent the manuscript to several publishers, all of whom rejected it. Discouraged, she put it away in a hatbox and stored it in a closet. But two years later, her ambitions reignited when she re-read the story.

Again, she mailed it to prospective publishers, and this time one liked it enough to turn it into a book.

It soon became a bestseller. Since then, it has sold more than50 million copies and been translated into 36 languages. I figure you Capricorns are at a point in your own unfolding that’s equivalent to where Lucy was shortly before she rediscovered the manuscript she’d put away in the hatbox.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The Toxorhynchites are species of large mosquitoes that don’t buzz around our heads while we’re trying to sleep and will never bite our skin or suck our blood. In fact, they’re our benefactors. Their larvae feast on the larvae of the mosquitoes that are bothersome to us. In accordance with astrological omens, I propose that you be alert for a metaphorically comparable influence in your own life: a helper or ally that might be in disguise or may just superficially seem to be like an adversary.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Audre Lorde identified herself as a black writer, lesbian, librarian, mother, feminist, civil rights activist and many other descriptors. But as ardent as she was in working for the political causes she was passionate about, she didn’t want to be pigeonholed in

SHEPHERD EXPRESS

a single identity. One of her central teachings was to celebrate all the different parts of herself. “Only by learning to live in harmony with your contradictions can you keep it all afloat,” she testified. These approaches should be especially fun and extra meaningful for you in the coming weeks, Pisces. I encourage you to throw a big Unity Party for all the different people you are.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Hi, I’m your sales representative for UnTherapy, a free program designed to provide healing strategies for people who are trying too hard. Forgive me for being blunt, but I think you could benefit from our services. I don’t have space here to reveal all the secrets of UnTherapy, but here’s an essential hint: Every now and then the smartest way to outwit a problem is to stop worrying, let it alone and allow it to solve itself.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): People in Northeast India weave long, strong suspension bridges out of the living roots of fig trees.

The structures can measure up to 150 feet and bear the weight of hundreds of people. In accordance with astrological omens, let’s make these marvels your metaphors of power for the coming weeks. To stimulate your meditations, ask yourself the following questions. 1. How can you harness nature to help you to get where you need to go? 2. How might you transform instinctual energy so that it better serves your practical needs? 3. How could you channel wildness so that it becomes eminently useful to you?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If you climb to the top of Mount Everest, you’re standing on land that was once on the floor of a shallow tropical sea. Four-hundred-million-year-old fossils of marine life still abide there in the rock. Over the course of eons, through the magic of plate tectonics, that low flat land got folded and pushed upwards more than five miles. I suspect you Geminis will have the power to accomplish a less spectacular but still amazing transformation during the next 10 months.

To get started, identify what you would like that transformation to be.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In 1996, when Garry Kasparov was rated the world’s best chess player, he engaged in a series of matches with a chess-playing computer named Deep Blue. Early in the first game, Deep Blue tried a move that confused Kasparov. Rattled, he began to wonder if the machine was smarter than him. Ultimately, his play suffered and he lost the game. Later, it was revealed that Deep Blue’s puzzling move was the result of a bug in its code. I’ll encourage you to cultivate a benevolent bug in your own code during the coming weeks, Cancerian. I bet it will be the key to you scoring a tricky victory.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): American hero Harriet Tubman escaped slavery as a young woman. She ran away from the wealthy “master” who claimed to “own” her and reached sanctuary. But rather than simply enjoy her freedom, she dedicated herself to liberating other slaves. Nineteen times she returned to enemy territory and risked her life, ultimately leading 300 people out of hellish captivity. Later, she served as a scout, spy and nurse in the Union Army during the Civil War, where her actions saved another 700 people. In 1874, the U.S. Congress considered but then ultimately rejected a bill to pay her $2,000 for her numerous courageous acts. Don’t you dare be like Congress in the coming weeks, Leo. It’s crucial that you give tangible acknowledgment and practical rewards to those who have helped, guided and supported you.

Homework: “We have been raised to fear the yes within ourselves, our deepest cravings,” wrote Audre Lorde. True for you? 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 877873-4888 or 900-950-7700.

::NEWS OF THE WEIRD ::BY THE EDITORS OF ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Whata Way to Go

A

Whataburger location in Bastrop, Texas, was the scene of a gruesome plunge to an oily demise on Saturday, Aug. 31. As customers waited in line at the counter, the Austin American-Statesman reported, kitchen workers tried to catch a mouse scampering across the food-prep counter. A customer captured the scene on video as the mouse, fleeing a person trying to trap it, leapt into a fryer full of hot grease. On the video, an employee can be heard asking, “Who else needs a refund?”

The video was posted to Facebook, prompting Whataburger to comment that the location had been closed, and “the entire restaurant has since been cleaned and sanitized.”

Asleep at the Wheel Police in Hamilton Township, N.J., say an unnamed 80-year-old woman snoozed right through an apparent carjacking on Wednesday, Aug. 28, even though she was in the car.

The victim told police she had fallen asleep in her car after parking in her driveway at around 9 p.m. She called police around 4 a.m. to say she woke up laying on the driveway and that her car was missing, but she had no recollection of how she got there, the New York Daily News reported. Police observed a fresh abrasion and bruise on her face. The car was recovered later that day in Trenton, but the search is still on for suspects.

Don’t Mess with Texis In the Mexican state of Tlaxcala, high school instructor Luis Juarez Texis inflamed the ire of parents when he made students wear cardboard boxes (with cut-out eye holes) on their heads as they took an exam in order to deter cheating. Parents are calling for Texis’ removal, OddityCentral reported, saying the boxes amounted to “acts of humiliation, physical, emotional and psychological violence.”

Others, however, applauded Texis’ idea, with one saying the boxes “teach them a great lesson.” Texis told reporters the students consented to the anti-cheating method.

Smart Kitchen In Jacksonville, Fla., as Hurricane Dorian approached on Tuesday, Sept. 3, Patrick Eldridge became concerned that his Smart car would “blow away.” So, he proposed to his

wife, Jessica, that he park it in their kitchen.

(Her car was already in the garage.) She doubted he could do it, but “he opened the double doors and had it in. I was amazed that it could fit,” Jessica told the Associated Press.

She said there was still room to move around and cook in the kitchen, but that their “dogs were confused.” Dorian, as it turned out, narrowly missed Jacksonville as it moved up the East Coast. It went nowhere near Alabama, incidentally.

Pizza Perps Two unidentified crooks in the Bronx, N.Y., went to great lengths Monday, Sept. 2, to rob a Little Caesar’s pizza shop. Video shows one thief holding open the drive-through window, the New York Post reported, as the other attempted to crawl through it, but workers rushed to push him back out. Changing tactics, the two then entered through the front door, threatened workers with a knife and made off with… a $23 pizza. “They did all that just for pizza?” a police source told the paper. Chances are, the evidence is long gone.

Poles Apart The former Spearmint Rhino Gentleman’s Club in Trenton, Wisc., has found an unlikely new life as the Ozaukee Christian School, opening on Monday, Sept. 16, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Kris Austin, the school’s administrator, said the stripper pole had been removed, along with the leopardprint carpet, but the stage and bar are still there, and the building is still owned by the Spearmint Rhino chain, based in California.

It’s an arrangement school leaders have had to come to terms with. “Our take on it is that people are people,” said school board president David Swartz. “We’re sinners, too. Even though we don’t agree with their business model per se.”

Spring’s Back!

Jamie Quinlan, 12, of Louth, Lincolnshire, England, was bouncing on a trampoline in his friend’s backyard in early September when a spring broke off and lodged in the boy’s back.

Jamie’s dad, Ian, rushed him to Sheffield Children’s Hospital, where surgeons removed the spring. “It took them about 10 minutes to actually get the spring out of my back,” Jamie told Sky News. “The doctors said they had never heard of something like this happening with a trampoline.” He said he didn’t realize the piece of metal had entered his back, but “All my friends looked shocked.” © 2019 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 | 41

::ARTFORART’SSAKE

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’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, what with the school days back on the docket for our youth, I surely do hope that the Badger State educational standards for our young Einsteins includes those grim Grimm brothers’ fairy tales for the learning. The cat’s pajamas they were for me back when I was an occasional attendee at Our Lady In Pain That You Kids Are Going Straight to Hell But Not Soon Enough—which reminds me of a little story that also acknowledges the red, white & blue Miss America Competition coming up Sunday evening and broadcast on ABC—coincidentally three letters of the alphabet several of the contestants can recite from memory, what the fock: Once upon a time, a blonde, a brunette and a redhead were crossing an enchanted bridge in Magical Fairyland when they ran into a fairy, wouldn’t you know. The fairy told the gals that they would be granted a magical transformation if they jumped off the bridge and called out their wish. The brunette immediately jumped off the bridge and yelled “Eagle!” She turned into a beautiful bird of prey and flew away. The redhead jumped off the bridge and called out “Salmon!” She turned into a gorgeous shimmering salmon and swam upstream to spawn. The blonde was so overcome with excitement that she jumped off the bridge without thinking of her wish. She panicked: “Crap!” And so was of a piece, ever after. Ba-ding!

And so now would be the time to again recall that once upon a time, shortly after Dr. Seuss left us for the big Whoville in the sky surely, I recalled reading the good-doing Doctor’s books to the kids and thinking how I sure would like to get ahold of whatever it was that guy was on.

I recalled that actually my favorite reading is kid books. There’s pictures. They’re never long enough to get boring. It doesn’t take you a day and a focking half just to read one tiny printed page of pure eyeball strain. Sure, they’re a little light on the sex parts, but you can’t have everything. And you also

don’t get depressed the same as like reading a regular adult book about some miserable knob when you realize no matter how wretched this jag gets in the story, he’s still better off than you are.

That’s because reality sucks big time, no if ands or butts, doubts or questions about it, no sir. But kids, from Day One get read a dream-stream full of talking dragons, magic lamps and magic carpets, secret passageways, guys who can see for miles and they think, “Yes! What a groovy world of ours this is.” And then quicker than you can say “Sam I Am” things take a turn, a dive, a spill and it’s “Sam, what’s with the sham?” Oh boy oh boy, kids get geared for living in cool castles with the mega-babe princess and a boatload of wishes, and then—KABOOM! Instead of “…happily ever after,” it’s “Chapters 5 through 32 by Monday… Get a job… Your application has not been accepted…

We also found something with the driveshaft… Due to an increase in our cost for materials… The doctor called, the results came back, he wants to see you immediately…” Focking swell.

So of course, kids hate school ’cause by that age they’re getting a pretty good clue as to the low lowdown, don’t like it one bit and I can’t blame them.

Yeah, “growing up”—the polite way of saying “getting the focking shaft sideways,” ain’a?

When the kids learn there’s no castles, no princess babes, no bag-o’-wishes, the first thing they do is turn on a drug. Maybe our kids would be better off if we read to them tractor manuals or 1040 longform instructions instead of this jive about Oobleck and giants. Yes sir, that might maybe cut down on some of that ol’ imagination, but hey, when was the last time you ever read a help-wanted ad that said, “Only the imaginative need apply”?

And speaking of imaginative, another shameless plug here, just so you know, for the big show, “Two Guys From MKE,” Friday, Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m., down there by the ComedySportz on South First Street. It’s presenting Will Durst, our country’s numero-uno political satirist, and Dobie “Mr. Lucky” Maxwell, consummate professional and the once and future King of Uranus. Plus, yours truly will play the part of traffic-cop emcee, what the fock.

So, time for me to go filch some material so I’ve got something to say, and see you then ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.

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Wilson Theatre in Vogel Hall Tickets on sale now Box Office: 414-273-7206

Adrian Belew

Sat, October 5 • 8pm

Box Office: 414-766-5049

Justin Townes Earle

Thurs 9/12

Fri 9/13

Alice Peacock, Chely Wright $20

Pundamonium $10

Wed 9/18

Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root w/Dirk Miller $20 Fri 9/20

Nobody’s Girl COLIN GILMORE

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Mon 9/30

Billy Cobham Crosswinds Project feat. Randy Brecker 75TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION TOUR

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Thurs 10/10

Matt Gilmour Band $10 adv/ $12 dr

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George Winston

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10/18 Trashcan Sinatras 10/19 Jon McLaughlin 10/20 3.2 featuring Robert Berry 10/24 Roots of a Rebellion 10/25 Rasputina 10/26 Super-Unknown, Big Bang Baby, TEN Chicago 11/1 Yipes! 11/2 Think Floyd USA 11/6 Savoy Brown featuring Kim Simmonds 11/8 Mike & Friends: Grateful Dead Tribute 11/9 California Honeydrops 11/11 Jesse Malin 11/12 Corb Lund 11/14 Trigger Hippy 11/15 Kinky Friedman 11/16 Damaged Justice: Metallica tribute, Bulletproof: Godsmack tribute 11/17 Donna the Buffalo 11/22 Dead Letter Office: R.E.M. Tribute, Without U2: U2 tribute 11/27 Seaside Zoo: Grateful Dead Tribute 11/29 & 11/30 The R&B Cadets 12/4 Samantha Fish 12/6 The Steepwater Band 12/7 No Quarter: Led Zeppelin tribute 12/11 Kung Fu 12/13 KICK - The INXS Experience 12/14 Southbound: Allman Brothers Tribute 12/16 The Sleighriders 12/21 Koch Marshall Trio 1/10 PHUN 44 | S E P T E M B E R 12 , 2 0 1 9

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