inside Vital
July 2008 | vol. 7 issue 6 | vitalsourcemag.com
COVERED
interview
VITAL CULTURE
6 Dead man’s carnival
9
13 stages Back in Action >> R uss B ickerstaff
by Tea Krulos Photos by Kat Berger + Lynn Allen
Fire in the disco Marcus Monroe wants to change your mind about juggling. How can you resist a face like this?
15 REel milwaukee Summer Movie Ga Ga >> H owie G oldklang 24 music reviews The Black Ghosts, Into Arcadia, Earlimart, Icy Demons + Stripwax 26 record releases Alkaline Trio, John Mayer, Ying Yang Twins, The Melvins, The Hold Steady and many more 30 Subversions On Assignment: Branson >> M at t Wild
cover artist Matt Cipov is an artist and designer who has lived in the Milwaukee area his whole life. He loves it and he never plans to leave. Recent projects include set decoration and graphic design for movies, art for bands and a steady stream of commissions from people in need of something a bit strange. mattcipov.com
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NEWS+VIEWS 4
the editor’s desk Mavericks and Leaders >> J on A nne Willow 19 the funny page
VITAL LIVING 16 eat this Red, White & Bleu >> C atherine M c G arry M iller
Reviews, feature stories, local events, RSS feeds, interactive widgets, weather, 18 Slightly crunch parent news headlines and so much more. Make VITAL your homepage! Stars and Stripes Forever PLUS >> Fascinating blogs! >> L ucky Tomaszek REEL Milwaukee: the blog >> Howie Goldklang takes on film
Please Send Help >> Matt Wild’s nightlife/ publicity stunt/weekend music reports
Gray Matter and The Free Speech Zone >> Politics as unusual with Ted Bobrow and Michelle Tucker
Love Letters >> Wanderings and wonderings from Amy Elliott
Between Stages >> Russ Bickerstaff between scenes in the performing arts Dem Bones >> All things art from Stella Cretek
20 Vital’s Picks Where VITAL will be in July >> Erin L ee P etersen 31 Puzzles Plus June crossword answers
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Vital Source | 3
Vital source The editor’s desk
>>by jon anne willow
Mavericks and leaders There are only three paths in life for a free spirit: lazy dreamer, maverick and leader. Of course there’s a fourth option, and one that many attempt – some to the end of their days – avoidance of embracing one’s true nature. The strongest of these reassure themselves that they’re “doing the right thing” by attaining middle management status so their kids can have the opportunities they didn’t (though I believe this is a myth, and that foregoing your own fulfillment sets a terrible example). Others spend their lives bouncing from job to job, looking for that magical situation in which they can finally be happy. But for those who recognize their own nature and acknowledge its calling, none of the choices are easy (assuming the absence of a trust fund). Lazy dreamer is the most attractive option for the young. Life is simple: when you have ten bucks, you get three beers at your corner bar. You might have a guitar, or a cat, or a collection of first edition Raymond Carver hardbacks – things you cherish not for their material value, but because they’re special to you. You’re probably satisfactorily under-employed somewhere that offers a flexible schedule. Your friends are artists and activists, and collectively you reinforce each others’ belief in simple pleasures and the evils of material enslavement. It’s a good life for awhile, and some folks keep with it all of their days. For others, there comes a time – typically in one’s late 20s or early 30s – when la vie bohème loses its charm. You may want to set up house with your baby, you might be tired of being broke all the time or perhaps you’re simply sick of hearing that you’re a chronic fuck-up. At this disheartening fork in the road, there are two paths: the aforementioned denial of your nature (at least temporarily) or the reinvention of yourself as a maverick. Mavericks are the mythic darlings of American culture. They work tirelessly in pursuit of their personal goals while bowing to no man; they are the innovators, the self-made millionaires, the rock stars. They don’t punch a time clock. For hard-working free spirits, this is probably the best life imaginable. It’s helpful to have an in-demand business skill you can hone into a personal empire, but even if you don’t you can dedicate yourself to becoming a skilled artisan and make a nice living while maintaining your independence. One thing not taught in maverick school, though, is the catch: the successful ones will find themselves at another fork in the road, and they’ll have to make a choice: to stay free and accept the limits of the one-man band, or to build something larger than one person can achieve. It’s the very definition of irony. While mavericks enjoy (immensely, really)
widespread fraternity with other mavericks, with the people for whom they provide services and with any envious joe they find on a barstool at 5:30 on a Friday night with their shirtsleeves rolled up and their Blackberry still on, leaders enjoy no such thing. The transition is sneaky. The typical maverick starts small, building a core group of talented, like-minded people all focused on the “mission,” just like he is. Everyone is in a key role, so everyone is equal. The crew works hard and often plays hard together. It’s kind of intoxicating. For awhile. The nasty surprise for many mavericks is that, at the end of the day, it’s ultimately a “real” job for the others and at some point each of them will critically assess whether this is their best personal opportunity and how much they can invest in it for the return. They also look to him to be told what to do, which means that the once-free spirit now has to constantly assess processes, performance and short and long-term goals. In other words, he has to be the boss. And this is when the maverick has to grow up or go home, to figure out whether fulfillment lies in the initial dream or the cultivated goal. By the time he reaches this point on the map, he already spends little time doing the things he enjoyed in the first place – he teaches others to do them so he can bring in business and “be the face” of the organization. It doesn’t happen all at once, so frequently the boss still thinks he’s one of the guys long after the rest of the team is secretly relieved when he’s out of the office on calls. I think a little part of every maverick dies inside when he realizes he’s arrived at that fork. One path leads to continued independence, possibly at the expense of opportunity, the other to the greater responsibilities and concomitant rewards of leadership. It’s not as easy as it looks, and it’s understandable why so many sane people avoid it at all costs. But true leadership is needed at every level of our existence, from family to government and everything in between, and free-spirits-turned-leaders are our best hope for a future built on hard work and a unified vision. This July, as we head into the presidential election with not one, but two nominees who built their initial reputations on personal credibility, it seems many of us may be feeling the same way. And it’s about time. Let’s keep it in mind between now and November. VS
The Tilt-A-Whirl Mehrdad J. Dalamie mjdalamie@vitalsourcemag.com
The Gravitron Russ Bickerstaff rbickerstaff@vitalsourcemag.com
The Wild Mouse Jon Anne Willow jwillow@vitalsourcemag.com
The Dirty Double Ferris Wheel Lucky Tomaszek ltomaszek@vitalsourcemag.com
The Carousel Lynn Allen, Kat Berger, Troy Butero, Matt Cipov, Howie Goldklang, Jason Groschopf, A.L. Herzog, DJ Hostettler, Tea Krulos, David Rees, David Schrubbe, Kyle Shaffer, Eric Walton, Erin Wolf
The Fun House Amy C. Elliott aelliott@vitalsourcemag.com
SubVersions: The Ride Matt Wild subversions@vitalsourcemag.com
The Bumper Cars Amber Herzog, Erin Petersen, Andy Zupke
The Highland Fling Bridget Brave bbrave@vitalsourcemag.com
The Freak Show Catherine Miller chowbaby@vitalsourcemag.com
The Teacups Ryan Findley rfindley@vitalsourcemag.com
The Matterhorn Zach Bartel
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Guess Your Weight Pete Hamill music@vitalsourcemag.com
4 | editor’s Desk | Vital Source
The Giant Slide Dwellephant The Widow Maker J. Swan
“Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness.” —George Bernard Shaw
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LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, STEP RIGHT UP! Be prepared to be AMAZED and THRILLED!
Thrill to the sight of FIREDANCERS encircling the flaming RAMP OF DEATH!
Feast your eyes on BURLESQUE beauties… and SATAN wearing a THONG!
Be shocked by feats of REAL ELECTROCUTION!
All this and MUCH MORE with Milwaukee’s own cabaret and sideshow…
DEAD MAN’S CARNIVAL! By Tea Krulos Photos by Kat Berger + Lynn Allen (Black Sheep Photography) The circus has a long, romantic history in Wisconsin. The seven dashing Ringling brothers held their first circus in Baraboo in 1884, and the town remained their headquarters and wintering grounds until 1917. The site is now the Circus World Museum. Fast forward to 2008: the circus arts are dead, replaced with Nintendo Wii and flat screen TVs. Right? Wrong! Who is carrying on this ancient art? Bing! You win a cigar, kiddo. It’s Dead Man’s Carnival, a daring and different group of performers who shake together the old and the new, ultimately rendering classic Americana: a beautiful jazz siren with a nose ring, throwing flames. “A lot of these skits are a hundred years old,” says member Gypsy Geoff. “We just put our own spin on it.”
A LIGHT BULB FOR ZERO THE CLOWN Gene – Zero the Clown – stands on the stage, wrapped in heavy chains. Erik Bang approaches with a wicked-looking tazer and applies it to the metal links. Gene thrashes, and Erik sticks a light bulb in his mouth. It lights up, and the audience cheers. Gene does fire performance, juggling, and comedy sketches with lots of costume changes. He was influenced by groups he saw at Burning Man Festival that mixed traditional sideshow fare
6 | covered | Vital Source
with modern influences. These small circus groups have been popping up all over the country and Gene wanted to do something similar in Milwaukee. As he became involved with fire performance troupe Arson Etiquette and local juggling groups, he started to network with other performers. Last summer, Gene and his friend Ryan Aschebrook started booking sexy circus shows at Club ? called “Karnal:Ville.” The saucy show mixed traditional circus acts with sex toys and burlesque. The group gained a following, mostly because they were offering something different to do on a Saturday night. After a few shows, Aschebrook moved on. The group changed their name to Dead Man’s Carnival and Gene took on much of the scheduling and stage managing for the group. I ask him what the appeal of the circus is for him. He wears a suit coat over a gray button-up shirt; his clothes and posture give him the character of a magician. “It’s a medium that pursues a mixture of arts you wouldn’t necessarily get in another framework. It’s very flexible for doing everything your heart desires. That and the stripes. The striped clothing appeals to me.” He also cites the audience reaction as one of his favorite parts of performance – and there is a reaction. At a recent show I witnessed laughter, cheering, Gene (Zero the Clown)
dead man’s carnival
wolf-whistling, hooting, eyes covered in pain and even a few protests and disgusted mutterings.
THE SURREAL YARD SALE In May, two of the carnival’s performers, Pinky and Erik Bang, had a rummage sale. It wasn’t your typical knickknacks, toasters and old dishes. The spread included juggling pins, swords for swallowing, eccentric suits, a bucket of raccoon bones and stilts. I bought a mummified bat – I’m still not quite sure what I’m going to do with it, but it seemed
Erik Bang
like a steal at fifteen bucks. Pinky, who legally changed his name to Sir Pinkerton Xyloma, is trying to raise enough money to buy a used school bus. He is converting it so it will run on peanut oil and making it into a home. Some carnival members will use it for a tour of midsized Midwestern cities this summer, where they’re performing at festivals, street parties and whatever other venues they can find. For many of these small towns, it will be an eyepopping experience, the first time they’ve seen anything quite like it. “I lived in a small town, so I know how boring it can be – and how exciting it is when something different rolls in,” Pinky says. Pinky adopts a devilish persona on stage: he wears a rubber head piece with pointy devil ears and horns and paints his entire body red. He says this was inspired by old cartoons where the devil is sort of “a tragic character. A pool shark, con man, failed Casanova, and often times just sort of a clown.” Pinky’s influences include early blues and jazz and the myths and tall tales that go with them. The devil is often part of this mythology. Pinky has assembled a small house band, The Magnificents, which in addition to music does some magic and clowning. Erik Bang has worked with several groups, including the local Brewzerkus and the Big Bang Circus of Portland. He has perfected a number of circus acts, including fire breathing, stilt walking, juggling and escape acts, and he builds props and devices like double-decker bikes. Erik will move to Tucson, Arizona in August, and hopes to start a similar group there.
GYPSY GEOFF JUGGLES JOBS Gypsy Geoff enters Bremen Café wearing a red mask with a long, pointy nose that he hand-made from leather. He sits down and tells me how he got his start in a kitchen, working as a chef. During his down time, he taught himself how to juggle, using limes. He also began to learn prestidigitation – sleight of hand. “It’s important to read your audience,” he says. He loves “obtain-
dead man’s carnival
Gypsy
ing millions of reactions from people. I can open an act making people laugh, then get them dazed and confused, maybe fearful, make them ask ‘How did you do that?’” Geoff works part-time at Art Smart’s Dart Mart and Juggling Emporium. He performs at all the major summer festivals, then travels the south for winter. Next year he hopes to travel in Europe. He had a job for a while at a real circus, the Big Apple Circus of New York. He found the environment stifling and expresses how great it is to have creative freedom. He ended up quitting Big Apple and hitting the road. “I did the opposite. I ran away from the circus.”
CHASSY TO THE STAGE, PLEASE!
TRIAL BY FIRE In addition to these core members, Carnival frequently collaborates with local bands and variety shows like the neo-vaudeville group Eat The Mystery, new burlesque group Alley Cat Revue and Arson Etiquette. Shawn and Susie, who organize Arson Etiquette, spoke to me in their studio. Their friend KT (Katie Tesch) started Arson Etiquette and taught them how to fire dance using staffs and swinging chains called poi. KT and other founding members moved on, and Shawn and Susie reconstructed the group. It now includes Gene, Erik and Geoff. continued on page 8
Geoff
x
e Lu
e Chassy Dee Lux, the core group’s sole female member, was sy D Chas recently performing with Karnal:Ville at Club ?, but there was a problem: when she was called to the stage, she was in the midst of a major wardrobe malfunction. She was topless and couldn’t fasten her girdle, so Geoff and Erik had to escort her to the men’s bathroom and fasten her up. “That really brought down a lot of barriers,” she laughs. Chassy brings a burlesque element to the group, doing a striptease and skits, many with Geoff. In 2004, Chassy helped form a short-lived burlesque troupe called Brew City Burlesque. She enjoyed performing and was glad to get back onstage. “I really enjoy it a lot. The guys have been supportive and it’s a fun group to work with. There’s no bullshit drama.” At some point it occurs to me that these people are at home in their characters, not really characters at all. They don’t change clothes, punch a time clock and go to a sports bar after the show. To them, the world is one big circus tent.
Vital Source | covered | 7
Sir Pinkerton Xyloma
continued from page 7 I ask if this is a dangerous craft, with all the fire whizzing around. Shawn admits he once put his hand in the wrong place and burned his palm. Susie is quick to offer reassurance. “I’ve not seen a fire performer seriously hurt themselves.” “You learn methods to stay safe,” adds Shawn. “Most accidents are preventable. We have insurance, but we don’t want to have to use it.”
THE SHOW MUST GO ON While so many of America’s greatest forms of public entertainment wither away – the traveling circus not the least among them – plans are being laid to keep the proverbial fires of sideshow spectacle burning. Arson Etiquette plans to restart fire dancing workshops at Bucketworks soon. Geoff has had worked with Milwaukee Public Theater to co-found a program called Rainbow Cirqus School, whose mission is to teach Milwaukee Public School students circus arts. Through circus performance, the students learn that “they are not alone and nothing is impossible,” according to Geoff. “[There is] constant encouragement and focused, consistent support.” With a little luck and a lot of grease paint, Dead Man’s Carnival may yet infuse starry-eyed children and sane-minded grownups alike with that age-old desire to run away and join the circus. VS Dead Man’s Carnival performs August 9 at Stonefly and September 27 at Turner Hall. Check them out at myspace.com/karnalville. Interested in fire dancing workshops? Email arsonetiquette@gmail.com for more information.
8 | Covered | Vital Source
dead man’s carnival
Fire in the Disco Marcus Monroe wants to change your mind about juggling By Amy Elliott Photos by Brian Jacobson + Eric Walton “Everyone calls me a magician. I don’t mind it so much, but – at least get it right.” If you’ve lived through a summer in Milwaukee and you’re not a total shut-in, you’ve probably seen Marcus Monroe – he’s hard to miss on his eight-foot unicycle, juggling knives taped to torches (the “knorch,” Marcus’ own invention) with a firecracker strapped to a helmet on his head. The extreme juggler and performance artist has been a fixture on the local festival circuit since he was a teenager. In 2004, Marcus moved to New York City to start his career as an entertainer and it’s been nothing but rock star success ever since – taking the stage at all hours of the night at NYC “playgrounds for billionaires,” opening for Cake and Talib Kweli, traveling the world with a knock-off Louis Vutton bag of juggling clubs and living with two other jugglers in a “fun house” apartment in the big city. But he’s more than just a certified phenom with a pretty face: the magnetic Marcus Monroe, a 23-year-old Milwaukee native, wants you to experience juggling like you have never experienced it before. He wants to make it fresh. He wants to make it hot. He wants to change it – forever. As a kid, Marcus “was kind of the goofy juggler,” he says. “But I wanted to appeal to a mass market. I wanted to start a new style of juggling … not the traditional sequined vest, crazy, ridiculous suits, colorful ties. I realized that there are no rules. I’m my own boss. I started dressing the way I would want to see a juggler dress. I wore what Justin Timberlake was wearing. I watched pop concerts to see what Usher was wearing and asked, how can this work on me? “I looked good. And the juggling was good.” JUGGLE FEVER When he was nine, Marcus saw one of his schoolmates juggle in a talent show – “just three balls, very poorly when I think about it,” he says. “But it was so inspiring to think about, someone that young … just a kid … jugcontinued on page 10
Marcus monroe
Vital Source | interview | 9
continued from page 9 gling.” He spent that whole summer with his father learning the skill. “It took me so long, but my dad and I were so into it. I surrounded myself with everything juggling. I went to juggling clubs at UWM, started going to conventions, buying books on juggling, performing, videos – I didn’t care about school. I wanted to focus on juggling and performing.” His first performance – in overalls and a polka dot shirt, juggling to “Closer to Free” by the BoDeans on a boom box – was in fifth grade at the school talent show. Less than a year later, he was juggling at block parties, birthday parties, fairs and festivals. In high school he got a gig at Park Bar opening for bands, juggling fire, knives and glow-in-the-dark hoops. It attracted him a gathering of fans from Chicago and the attention of regional talent managers: by his senior year, he was doing TV talk shows and reality pilots and networking with young stars like Frankie Muniz and the Hanson brothers. He moved to New York after graduation to continue his education at Marymount Manhattan College, but eventually found it difficult to keep up with school and the accelerating pace of his career. “[I was] working at clubs, working with Boy George, doing random shows with people like Don Vido from Viva la Bam, meeting all of these weird people from New York. I was going to school, but at night I was staying up late going to shows, trying to get my name out there. It was tough.” He took a year off on a gamble that he could start juggling full-time and
10 | interview | Vital Source
support himself. It paid off. Marcus is in demand. He books lucrative gigs, opens for big stars, tours the high seas on cruise ships and travels Europe with New York vaudeville act Le Scandal. “People always ask me, what are you going to fall back on?” he says. “That’s the rudest thing. I dropped out of school because I was getting so much work, and my dreams were coming true, and I was having so much fun.” STREETS OF FIRE While he can afford to be selective with the gigs he accepts, he still loves to street-perform at home in Milwaukee and around the world. It helps him hone his craft and reconnect with audiences, face-to-face. “Even though it’s not the most glamorous gig in the world, and even though I could be somewhere else making a lot more money, I love interacting with people and I learn so much during those long summer days,” he says. “The street is such a raw environment – if you can control a crowd on the street and get them to stop for a half-hour and watch your show – think about the attention in a theater where people are forced to watch you.” He’s obviously still a whiz kid, but with years of experience already under his belt, he’s wise about his art, with an energized thoughtfulness. “I don’t take myself as seriously [as I used to]. The show’s a lot better – I don’t worry
marcus monroe
about the small things.” Which isn’t to say he’s less focused on transforming his chosen art form. “I always want to be innovative when it comes to my material. And creative. I want to make juggling something completely different from what we’ve thought about.” THE HEAT IS ON It’s a challenge to keep his act fresh and inspired, and with a sudden resurgence in neo-burlesque variety shows and modern circus art (see our story on Milwaukee’s own Dead Man’s Carnival on page 6), there’s new blood in the circuit – and more competition. “There are a lot of variety shows out there, and that’s fine. It makes me work harder, and I work to separate myself from them. I’m not saying I’m better than them – even though I am. [Just] be different. Be yourself. Don’t be a character.” And one of the most immediately striking things about Marcus, although his huge personality barely fits in the room, is his authenticity. It’s his philosophy – a code of sincerity – that makes his act so magical. When he’s on stage, he says, “that’s just how I am, turned up to a ten. Right now I’m a five,” he laughs. “One of my biggest influences in life is Andy Kaufman,” Marcus says. “He never juggled … but Andy played with people’s real-life emotions. He was always one step ahead of everybody else.” In his act, Marcus includes Kaufman-esque elements – missed cues, awkward timing and last-minute saves. Kaufman’s comedic style taught Marcus that “there’s beauty in the broken. You can have a piece of jewelry with a few cracks in it, [and] it’s beautiful because of those cracks. Your show can have awkward pauses or mistake, but they’re supposed to be there.” It’s a pitch-perfect summer evening on the Milwaukee River, and Marcus Monroe is home for his brother’s 19th birthday. Tomorrow they’re going to see Kanye West in Chicago; tonight they’re at Trinity, reconnecting and watching their friend Mark Ballini play music. So what’s next for the wunderkind extreme juggler? “I’ve been infatuated with vocal percussion and beat boxing.” Mark takes a break from setting up his show to give Marcus some pointers on buying a loop pedal. I ask what advice he’d give to a young, aspiring juggler. “I’d tell him not to. Because then there’s competition for me. Play sports.” But the tricks of Marcus’s trade are evident just from engaging with him: make it new, be yourself, work hard and be smart. “You can’t be stupid,” he says. “You might see my show and think I’m not so smart because I’m juggling fire. But you can’t juggle for a living and be dumb.” Marcus’ brother Lucas joins us at the bar. I ask him to describe his older brother in two sentences. “He juggles,” says Lucas. “And he’s funny.” VS Marcus Monroe will perform throughout Summerfest, busking on the grounds by day and headlining the Children’s Stage in the evenings on June 29 and July 6. You can also check him out on YouTube, on MySpace at myspace.com/marcusmonroe or at marcusmonroe.com
marcus monroe
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stages Vital culture
>>BY russ bickerstaff
nunsense 7/6-8/31
rebecca sten company 7/1 & 7/19
Rebecca gilman 7/17-7/26
BACK IN ACTION After an early June lull, the local theatre scene bursts back to life this month as seven shows open in the greater Milwaukee area – five of them on the same weekend. Possibly the busiest DIY company in town this summer, Insurgent Theatre, debuts two original shows as they prepare for touring gigs around the country in August. Theater in Madison is bustling; the Mercury Players perform their ninth annual staging of a 24-hour play, as well as a host of children’s shows. In ever-delightful Door County, Door Shakespeare opens its season’s offerings with Cyrano and A Midsummer
THEATRICAL PREVIEWS NUNSENSE Dan Goggins’ skewering of growing up Catholic is highly durable fun. Faeretale Productions presents its staging of the modern classic July 6 – August 31 at Monk’s at the Wilderness in Wisconsin Dells. 608-254-6665 or madstage.com. STUCK The UW-Whitewater Theatre and Dance Department presents the world premiere of a work by UW graduate Neil Haven – a comedy set in an old Milwaukee hotel involving an agoraphobic elevator operator and a cavalcade of offbeat characters. July 8 – 12 at the Hicklin Studio Theatre in Whitewater. 262-472-2222 or academics.uww.edu. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Door Shakespeare presents one of Shakespeare’s most popular works in the intimacy of its cozy outdoor theatre July 10 – August 23 in Bailey’s Harbor, Door County. 920-839-1500 or my.pclink.com/~gomis/doorshakespeare. PAINT THE TOWN This drama about revolution and red paint stars Kate Pleuss, Jason Hames and writer/director Rex Winsome. Before hitting the national DIY theatre circuit in August, Insurgent Theatre stages an extended run July 10 – 27 at the Alchemist Theatre. 414-426-4169 or insurgenttheatre.org.
v i t a l c u lt u r e
Night’s Dream, and in musical theater, Steven Sondheim is everywhere this month with three separate productions across the state, most notably Off The Wall’s production of The Frogs — a Midwest premiere event which should be a major boon for the classically underground company. Productions of Into The Woods and Side By Side By Sondheim are also opening this month in other corners of the state. In dance, Danceworks welcomes Rebecca Stenn this month while UWM hosts its ninth annual look at new works by graduate choreographers.
SYSTEMS Destined for the Minnesota Fringe Festival in August, Peter J. Woods’ concise, literal interpretation of the fourth wall is joined by similar works from John Manno and yours truly, Russ Bickerstaff, in an Insurgent Theatre program running in alternation with Paint the Town July 10 – 27 at the Alchemist Theatre. 414-426-4169 or insurgenttheatre.org. BLITZ IX The Mercury Players Theatre in Madison presents its 9th annual 24-hour page-to-stage extravaganza. It’s a little crazy, but who are we to judge? July 11 and 12 at the Bartell Theatre. 608661-9696 or mercuryplayerstheatre.com. THE ROCK AND THE RABBI The name alone tells you what you need to know about this modern gospel musical about the story of Peter and Jesus. The Gary Richardson/Danny Hamilton musical runs July 10 – August 17 at the Fireside Dinner Theatre in Fort Atkinson. 800-477-9505 or firesidetheatre.com. CYRANO DE BERGERAC The classic adventure/romance gets an outdoor staging in northern Wisconsin as Door Shakespeare launches its second production of the season. July 11 – August 24 in Bailey’s Harbor, Door County. 920-839-1500 or my.pclink.com/~gomis/doorshakespeare.
DAMN YANKEES The classic Adler and Ross musical closes Sunset Playhouse’s season with a Faustian tale set in the 1950s. A man sells his soul to the devil to improve the chances of his favorite baseball team. July 11 – August 3. 262-782-4430 or sunsetplayhouse.org. YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU The Summerset Theatre on the campus of University of Wisconsin - Baraboo/Sauk County presents the classic Kaufmann and Hart comedy July 11 – 26. 608-355-5300 or baraboo.uwc.edu/ summerset. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Elizabeth Bennet meets the awkwardly mysterious Mr. Darcy as Acacia Theatre stages the classic Jane Austen story in an adaptation by Jon Jory. July 11 – 20 at Concordia University’s Todd Wehr Auditorium. 414-744-5995 or acaciatheatre. com. WAIT UNTIL DARK Spiral Theatre presents the 1966 Frederick Knott thriller about a blind woman who is terrorized by the burglars who enter her home looking for a stash of heroin. July 11 – 26 at Bucketworks. 414-429-9540 or spiraltheatre.com.
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Vital culture stages THE HORSE AND HIS BOY Madison’s Lamppost Players Children’s Theatre continues its ongoing mission to stage works exclusively by C.S. Lewis with this production July 16 and 17 at Bethany Church. 608-256-6282 or madstage.com/Companies/lamppost.html. THE FROGS Off The Wall Productions extends its previously announced season with a production of the Stephen Sondheim musical based on a 2000 yearold play by Aristophanes. The book was written by Burt Shevelove and Nathan Lane. July 17 – 27. 414-327-3552 or offthewalltheatre.com. SPINNING INTO BUTTER Racial tensions explode at a college in Vermont in this 1999 drama by Rebecca Gilman. Pink Banana Theatre presents the controversial play July 17 – 26 at the 10th Street Theatre. 414-271-1371 or pinkbananatheatre.com. THE ADVENTURES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN So the big-budget movie adaptation of the classic C.S. Lewis’ novel wasn’t the big hit that Walden Media expected? Perhaps this smaller-budget stage adaptation by Madison’s First Act Children’s Theatre will have a bit more human appeal. July 18 and 19. 608-358-9572 or firstactchildrenstheatre.com. MACBETH Madison’s MadCAP Theatre stages a production of Shakespeare’s bloody classic designed to appeal to its target demographic of young theatergoers. July 18 and 19 at the Bartell Theatre. 608-219-7515 or madcap.org. MESHUGGAH-NUNS! Dan Goggis’ little-known sequel to Nunsense pairs the sisters on a cruise ship with Tevye from The Fiddler On The Roof. Fort Atkinson Community Theatre presents its production of the comedy July 18 – 27. 920-568-1271 or fortfact.org. THE MIKADO The Madison Savoyards present the Gilbert and Sullivan classic July 18 -27 at the UW Music Hall. 608-231-9005 or madisonsavoyards.org. YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN UW Whitewater Theater/Dance Department presents the classic Clark Gesner musical July 22 – 27. 262-472-2222 or academics. uww.edu/CAC/Theatre/Season.htm.
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THE 385 POUND SMOKER Alley Stage in Mineral Point, Wisconsin presents the world premiere comedy by New York playwright Paul Cohen about the bizarre death of a man who cost an insurance company $8.5 million. July 24 – August 9. 800-838-3006 or alleystage.com. INTO THE WOODS Community Players of Southwestern Wisconsin presents the witty Steven Sondheim re-imagining of fairy tales like Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. July 25 – August 2. 608-604-0343 or madstage. com/Companies/communityplayers.html. WONDERLAND MadCAP Theatre presents James DeVita’s children’s stage adaptation of Lewis Carrol’s Through The Looking Glass July 25 and 26 at the Bartell Theatre. 608-219-7515 or madcap.org.
MUSIC OF NOTE BRAHMS Pianist Anatolij Koblenz and horn soloist Gregory Flint join UWM’s Fine Arts Quartet to perform a concert featuring the work of Johannes Brahms July 1 at the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts. 414-229-4308 or arts.uwm.edu. SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM The New Court Theatre on the campus of Beloit College presents the classy Steven Sondheim musical revue July 9- 26. 608-363-2755 or newcourt.org. JOHN & JEN Music Theatre of Madison presents the heartwarming Andrew Lippa/Tom Greenwald musical July 10 - 20 at Madison’s West Side Club. 800-838-3006 or musictheatreofmadison.com. ART STEVENSON & HIGHWATER The popular Wisconsin-based bluegrass group performs July 11 at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center as a part of its free outdoor Starry Nights concert series. 262-781-9520 or wilson-center.com. MILWAUKEE ACCORDION CLUB ENSEMBLE Get a true taste of local flavor when the accordion group performs a free concert at the Wisconsin Lutheran College campus July 12. 414-443-8802 or wlc.edu/arts.
NEWTONBURG BRASS BAND The sound of early 1900’s small-town brass comes to the Wisconsin Lutheran College in a free outdoor concert July 12. 414-443-802 or wlc.edu/arts. ROBIN PLUER & FRIENDS The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center welcomes the Milwaukee vocalist in a free outdoor concert as a part of its Starry Nights outdoor concert series July 18. 262-781-9520 or wilson-center.com. MIKE MANGIONE The Chicago-based indie/folk band comes to the Wilson Center for a free concert as a part of its Starry Nights outdoor concert series July 25. 262-781-9520 or wilson-center.com. L.K. PANDIT Laxman Krishnarao Pandit, a student of the Gwalior school of music, performs a recital July 26 at the UWM Recital Hall. 414-229-4308 or arts.uwm.edu ART The New Court Theatre presents the provocative comedy by Yasmina Reza July 30- August 16 on the campus of Beloit College. 608-368-3060 or newcourt.org.
DANCE REBECCA STENN COMPANY UWM Graduate student Rebecca Stenn brings her NewYork dancers to Danceworks Studio Theatre as part of their summer DanceLab series. July 1 and 19. 414-277-8480 or danceworks1661.org. DANCEMAKERS 08 The UWM Dance Department presents its annual staging of new and diverse works by graduate students July 25 and 26 at UWM’s main stage theatre. 414-229-4308 or arts.uwm.edu. MAD HOT BALLROOM AND TAP COMPETITION Each school year, Danceworks provides dance instruction for over 2,300 students in 42 area schools, and this year, they’ve been invited to participate in this huge showcase and competition, which takes place during Festa Italiana, July 19-20 on the Bartolotta Festa Stage on the Summerfest grounds. 414-277-8480 or festaitaliana.com.
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cinema Vital culture
Summer Movie Ga Ga >>By Howie Goldklang
G
oing to the movies in the summer sucks. It is an over-priced, over-hyped rolling out of films produced for the lowest common denominato, with special effects and cherry-picked corporate soundtracks trumping good scripts and stories. Ugh. You wedge yourself into some mall parking slot, work up swamp-ass on that hot walk to the theater, touch elbows with randoms next to you who will eye your girl and eat your popcorn when you go to the bathroom. And the food and ticket prices? Eff that noise. So yeah, go to a summer movie – it will most likely suck, you’re out a good $60 and you will probably lose your girlfriend. What you need to do is cut the bullshit, organize your friends and create your own Summer Movie BBQ Series. Once you do, post it on the REEL Milwaukee Blog on vitalsourcemag.com all summer long and peep it often for the sweet lowdown on your friends and neighbors. This is totally done in full-on renegade-DIY-not-payinglicensing-fee style, so do what you do and we’ll do what we do. Want in? Yeah, you do. Here’s how to get it together. 1. STEAL A PROJECTOR Depending on how you feel about taking things from other people, this can get tricky. Without giving away too many places I may or may not have stolen from, I say for the projector, Go Big or Go Home. Drink a few beers (stealing with a buzz is more fun), march your ass into Wal-Mart and take a projector from the back electronics section. An Epson Powerlite should do the trick – fits under your arm and has that red-white-yellow input to easily connect your DVD player. This is key: walk out through the Garden Center (I may or may not be referring to the Wal-Mart on Capital and Holton). You may want to coordinate this with your getaway car. The exits over there are wide and the metal
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sensors are usually off because employees are constantly fork-lifting and hand-trucking America’s Flowers in and out. As you approach the Garden Center exit (which may or may not be on the opposite side of the parking lot from Holton), pretend to be on your cell phone and have a small, receipt-like piece of paper in your hand. Start talking a lot as you walk by the unassuming exit employees, give a reassuring nod and do not break stride. Another projector option is slightly more boring than stealing from Wal-Mart, but can still be a bit of a thrill for you and your friend with a real office job. Tell your buddy to take the never-used projector from the meeting room on a Friday night. The projector will be so happy to get lifted from its grey corporate cubicle maze that if it gets wind of your plan it might walk to your friend’s car at lunch. All your directlydeposited friend has to do is stroll into work a bit early on Monday and place the projector on the chair of a rival account executive. It’s a win-win. 2. SCREEN & SOUND This part is relatively simple. For the screen, get some heavy duty electric clamps or tape and a white sheet. Or go on eBay and get high quality, cheapo movie screen material from some punk rocker projectionist who stole old screens from storage at the local art house. Sound is pretty simple and inexpensive too; go to Radio Shack and get stereo cables to connect your stereo to your freshly stolen projector. 3. SET UP At this point you’ve done a quick mental scroll through your cell phone, identifying who can help get this together. You’re stoked, I’m stoked – this is good. Here’s a quick list for your final setup: a small table for projector, a fat orange
extension cord and power strip, a cooler, barbecue, beer. Go. Note for the Advanced: you can get mini-generators that plug into your cigarette lighter and power out like an outlet. Be sure to turn on your car every 30 minutes to ensure a safe getaway. 4. BBQ & BEER This is the lynchpin of the whole thing. You have to grill out. If you don’t do this, don’t bother. Set up the grill next to the projector so you can run both stations like some Food-TV-GrillingOut-Projectionist madman. Away you go ... and please invite me. Don’t forget to post your screening / BBQ info on our REEL Milwaukee blog at vitalsourcemag.com.
SUGGESTED DOUBLE FEATURES I’ll hold off on why these films work as a pair – but if you do one double feature show listed below, you’ll feel how summer movies should feel. You’ll just know. The Big Lebowski + Endless Summer One Crazy Summer + Dazed and Confused Rad + Gleaming The Cube Summer School + The Breakfast Club Stand By Me + Superbad Beat Street + Breakin’ Vacation + Fletch + Caddyshack The Sandlot + The Natural Tommy Boy + The Song Remains The Same (Zeppelin will rock you. Eat mushrooms when Tommy eats wingy… Not those mushrooms. Shitaki for your burger - get your mind out of the gutter.) VS
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Red,
& Bleu
eat this Vital living
>>By Catherine McGarry Miller The French celebrate their independence in July, just like us – on the 14th, the anniversary of the day the peasants stormed the Bastille and raided its cache of weapons. Their banner, like ours, is red, white and blue, colors that stand for liberty, equality, and fraternity, the ideals of the French Revolution. Taste Chef Frakes’ tribute to both cultures at his demonstration at Bastille Days on Saturday, July 12 at 2 pm. VS
White Donut Peach Beignets, Red Beaujolais Syrup & Blueberry Smash The Pfister Hotel 424 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee 414-273-8222 Brian Frakes, a Brookfield native, moved to West Palm Beach at the age of twelve. He majored in Psychology at Florida State University while launching what would be a distinguished career in hospitality as a dishwasher. Once finding his true calling, Frakes learned to cook under talented chefs in Florida and Los Angeles. It was The Pfister Hotel, and the fact that his family had moved back to Milwaukee, that drew him home again. “I was always proud of where I came from and The Pfister is clearly Milwaukee’s flagship property. It’s one of only 400 rated as a ‘Preferred Hotel’ in the world,” he says. Here’s a red, white and “bleu” play on the classic beignet. Stone fruits are back in season and donut peaches are among the best. Whip up this simple fritter batter the day before and have fresh donuts in the morning with your coffee! For donut peach beignets 2 c flour 2 T sugar 2 t baking powder ½ t salt 2 T powdered milk 1 t cinnamon 2 eggs each ½ c water 2 c roasted donut peaches, diced 2 T corn oil 2 T powered sugar Combine all dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients in a mixer and blend. Do not overwhip. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour. Deep fry generous spoonfuls of dough in hot oil until golden brown (about 4 minutes). Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Red Beaujolais Syrup 1 c Beaujolais Nouveau ½ c white balsamic vinegar 2 T brown sugar ¼ vanilla bean
Blueberry Smash 1 c blackberries 1 c blueberries 1/3 c sugar 3 T Grand Marnier Combine blackberries & blueberries with sugar in a sauté pan and heat on medium heat until sugar caramelizes. Drizzle in Grand Marnier and set aside to cool.
Gougeres (Cheese Puffs) Geneviève Leplae came to America from Vesoul, a small town east of Dijon. Now retired from teaching French at Berlitz and the Alliance Francaise, she recalls her heritage with this traditional Burgundian snack that can be made ahead and served later. A widow with five children, her oldest daughter, Anne Herisson-Leplae, is the Director of the Alliance Francaise of Milwaukee.
1 recipe Choux Paste: 1 c sifted all-purpose flour ½ c water ½ c milk 8 T butter, cut in small pieces ½ t salt 4 eggs 1 c grated Gruyere cheese (preferably imported) Bring the water, the milk, the butter and the salt to a full boil. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook and stir the mixture for about 1 minute to eliminate excess moisture. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, with a wooden spoon. Make sure the paste is smooth before adding the next egg. Stir in the grated Gruyere cheese. Mix well. With a teaspoon, place a walnut-sized amount of paste on a greased baking sheet, about an inch apart. Bake in a 350º preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or when the cheese puffs are puffed up and golden. Let cool a little before removing from the pan. This recipe makes 40 to 50 cheese puffs.
Combine ingredients in a saucepan and heat until reduced by 2/3. Set aside to cool. Drizzle sauces over beignets and enjoy!
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Stars and Stripes Forever
M
y kids are growing up, and as they get older, I believe it’s increasingly important to educate them about their duties as citizens. I worry about the ignorance of Americans of their own history, from the framing of the Constitution to why we go to war with other nations. In anticipation of Independence Day, I sat down with my kids to see what they already knew and what was left to teach. I taped it all and some of it is below. As always, they amazed me with their honesty and their interest in the world around them. Try it with your own kids soon. You’ll probably be amazed, too. ON FLAGS: LENA: You have to stand up for the color guard. ME: Why? L: You have to honor them, the soldiers that fought for us. EMMA: They already honored us by fighting, and we have to honor them back. It’s a circle. ME: What else do you know about honoring the flag? L: It can’t ever touch the ground! ME: Right. It’s considered disrespectful. L: When Grandpa Allen died, they had a flag over his coffin. E: Then they folded up and gave it to Grandma Margaret. ME: What else do you know about flags? L: Ooh! I know! If it’s raining out, you take it down. E: And you take it down at night. JEFFREY: Why at night does it have to come down? L: So no one steals it! ME: No. Flag etiquette says it should only fly during daylight. So, do you guys know what happens when someone important dies? ALL KIDS: -blank staresME: They fly the flag at half-mast. That means only part-way up the flag pole. It’s a sign of respect for the person who died. L: If I was important and I died, I would want the flag to fly way up there for me! I would want a second flagpole stacked on top and then someone to sit up there and keep that flag safe! VOTING: J: I like going with you to vote. ME: Why? J: You like to vote. And I like it when you’re happy. E: I like going with you because it’s pretty amazing to see all of the people who just come to our school to vote. It makes me feel so proud to see everyone out voting. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE: L: What’s it called when people are upset with the government and they show up in a group so the government knows? E: Protesting.
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ME: Yep. Sometimes it’s called demonstrating or marching. L: We don’t always march. You could hold a big sign that says what you believe, or make up a chant and chant it really loud. ME: That’s your responsibility as a citizen of this country. You need to tell the government in peaceful ways when you don’t agree with them. People don’t have this right in every country. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: ME: When you started fourth grade, you wanted to know what all the words in the pledge meant. Do you remember? L: Umm … no. ME: Let’s talk about it for a minute. “I pledge allegiance …” Does anyone know what “pledge” means? L: Promise. ME: Right. And “allegiance,” what does that mean? L: Does it mean “really?” Like, “I really promise.” ME: Nope. Try again? L: “Your life?” ME: Kind of. More like loyalty. So the first part means, “I promise my loyalty.” Next: “to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands.” What’s a republic? E: Like the public and the all the people? ME: Jeffrey? Do you know? J: Umm … I want to know! Umm … No. I don’t know. ME: In this case, “the Republic” means our country. The government that makes our laws and the people who live here. So now we’ve got: I promise my faithfulness to the flag and to the country that it stands for. What’s the next part? ALL KIDS: “One country. Under God. Indivisible” E: What does that mean? “Indivisible?” L: Can’t be separated, always together. ME: Exactly! So, “One country, under God, which can’t be divided.” What’s the next part? ALL KIDS: “With liberty and justice for all!” ME: Does anyone know what liberty is? E: Liberty is like freedom, right? ME: Yup. So then, what’s “justice?” Jeffrey? Do you know? J: (laughs) No. L: Is it your rights? ME: It’s the right to a fair trial and to not be held without cause … L: And innocent until proven guilty? ME: Yes, that’s a really important part of it, too. E: Justice sounds complicated. THE WAR: ME: Do you guys talk about why we’re at war in school? ALL KIDS: No. ME: You don’t discuss it in your lessons? L: We talk about math. And other school stuff. ME: So, do you guys know why we’re at war? L: We’re at war with Afghanistan because of 9/11. But I don’t know why we’re at war with Iraq. I watch the news and everything, but I just don’t get it. E: Me neither.
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news + Views funny page drawing from memory
get your war on
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>>by dwellephant
>>by david rees
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Vital’s Picks >> By erin lee petersen
Animal Crackers July 1 – Luckystar Studio Luckystar has gone wild ... literally. Their gallery has been invaded by three untamed artists who are getting downright beastly. Painter Rob Elliott hails from Toronto and lends a carnival-esque flair with his graphic and colorful work, tinged with a rapier wit and a bit of biting humor. Mixed media artist and animal lover Andrea Picard will display her mastery of painting and collage, while Milwaukee artist Jeremy Wolf displays wonderfully playful sculptures that blur the boundaries between the human and animal worlds, creating intriguing narratives and fantastic scenarios. Go ape at Luckystar! The artist’s reception will be held on July 13 from noon to 4 pm. lsmfa.com. U.S. Bank Fireworks July 3 – Veteran’s Park What would summer be without fireworks? Once again, U.S. Bank lights up the Milwaukee skyline with an amazing hourlong light show, filled with all the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ you can muster. This family-friendly tradition begins at dusk and promises more drama, artistry and suprise launch sites than ever before! Grab your lawn chairs and bring your family and friends down to the lakefront to witness this spectacular summer event. Rain date is set for July 4. travelwisconsin.com
Go bananas at Luckystar! July 1!
Updated all month long at VITALsourcemag.com
Bristol Renaissance Faire July 5 – Kenosha Take a trip back in time where “knights were noble, maids were merry and turkey legs were titanic” when you visit the Bristol Renaissa nce Faire! This Elizabet ha n festival has been a favorite among families and hardcore “rennies” for the past 20 years, and it’s back for the attack this year with all the renaissance-themed fun you can handle. See swashbuckling swordsmen, dancers, luteplucking musicians and over 100 merchants selling wares from the Golden Age. And perhaps, for those of legal age, enjoy a mug of frothy brew to quench thy thirst. renfair.com/bristol.
Pedal Pushers Prom July 12 – Stonefly Brewing Co. Do you ever wish you could re-live your prom without being a total creep? Well old friend, you’re in luck, because it’s prom night in Riverwest. The Pedal Pusher Society, Milwaukee’s own bad-ass (but all inclusive!) bicycle gang is hosting this “night to remember” at Stonefly Brewing Company. We hear there might even be contests and prizes involved for belles and beaus of the ball. It’s time to get fancy, so grab a date and your dancing shoes, all you prom kings and queens. Ditch the limo and don’t forget to bring your bike! pedalpushersociety.org.
Salman Rushdie July 9 – Harry W. Schwartz, Shorewood Internationally acclaimed author Salman Rushdie graces us this month with a reading from his latest novel, The Enchantress of Florence, at Harry W. Schwartz’s in Shorewood. Rushdie tells the story of two sensual and hedonistic cities at the height of their power, Mughal and Florence, and how their leaders are forever changed by the brutality of power. While these characters grapple with their own desires and sense of belief, Enchantress weaves in the tale of a mysterious woman traveling between the two cities, desperately trying to manifest her own destiny in a world controlled by men. This is a rare opportunity to see one of the most important living writers of our time. Tickets are required for this event. 414-963-3111 or schwartzbooks.com.
Harley Davidson Museum Grand Opening J u ly 12 – H a r le y Dav i dso n Museum After 105 years in business, Harley Davidson returns to its roots with the grand opening of the much-anticipated Harley Davison Museum. Hog enthusiasts everywhere will attend this momentous two-day event, and even if you can’t score a ticket to get inside, you can still live it up outdoors with live bands, a bike build, tattoo artists and plenty of good old fashioned home-cookin’ at the museum restaurant. And remember to dress accordingly: this is a black t-shirt event, so leave the black tie at home. harley-davidson.com or 877-436-8738
Composting Workshop July 12 – Urban Ecology Center It seems like nowadays everyone is concerned with “going green.” All too often, however, this philosophy often amounts to buying hybrid cars, expensive gadgets and pricey organic home cleaning products. But you don’t have to be a Rockefeller to help keep the planet healthy. Milwaukee’s Urban Ecology Center hosts a one-day composting workshop to teach residents how table scraps and yard waste can be used to create nutrient-rich soil, cutting down on household waste and enriching the environment. Learn how simple practices like this can make a difference in our world. 414-272-5462 xt.105 or kgmb.org.
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Milwaukee Zine Fest July 18-20 – UW-Milwaukee Golda Meir Library Zinesters, DIY publishers and crafty cats unite! The Midwest Zine Collective is proud to host the first-ever Milwaukee Zine Fest, which boasts three days of films, music and awesome indie publications. The zine fest kicks off the weekend with a fun day of kickball, live music and a potluck dinner before the requisite workshops, panels and discussions about DIY publishing. And of course, scores of zinesters and distributors will have their work on display and for sale and your reading pleasure. Got some sweet zines of your own? Even better! All are welcome (and encouraged) to participate in the fest, and setting up your own table only costs five measly bones! midwestzines.org.
vital living
M. Ward thinks you’re sexy. July 19 @ The Pabst.
Garfield Avenue Festival July 19 – Garfield Ave (between 3rd and 7th streets) You can barely walk down the street on a sunny day in this city without running into some sort of party. Here’s hoping you’ll find yourself at the Garfield Avenue Festival this year. This one-day-only bash sprawls across four city blocks with live blues bands, dance groups and, oh yes, gospel choirs! Feel free to bring the family to this kid-friendly event, where you’ll also find magicians and puppeteers – and what would a festival be without face painting? Don’t forget to fill a plate, or five, with some of the best BBQ in town! 414-223-4444.
stuff our faces with rich, flaky cream puffs and ride the zipper until we’re ready to barf. Once the sun goes down, the Miller products flow and we find ourselves singing along to the best classic rock cover bands this side of the Mississippi. There really is something for everyone, and heading down to the State Fair is a beloved tradition for many, marking the apex of the summertime. You can expect all the old favorites again this year; good food and drink, rides, livestock demos and live bands rocking out. Make sure to stop and see the piglet races while you’re there! wsfp.state.wi.us
Biographical Landscape: The Photography of Stephen Shore July 24 – Haggerty Museum of Art It takes a keen eye to make the mundane seem striking and beautiful the way Stephen Shore can. Over the past 40-odd years, Shore’s photographs have provided a window into the banal American landscape, finding charm in seemingly insipid Americana and capturing images so ethereal they appear to transcend time and space. The use of color adds richness to the photos, captivating viewers with the density of information in each piece. The Haggerty Museum of Art welcomes this traveling show, which explores Shore’s work between 1969 and 1979 and allows a re-examination of his photographs against the current cultural and physical landscape and also in the context of Shore’s broader repertoire. The Haggerty Museum will also offer lectures, workshops and gallery tours in conjunction with this exhibit. mu.edu/haggerty or 414-288-5915. Riverwest 24-hour bike race July 25-26 – Riverwest Summer is in full swing, so put the fun between your legs and ride on over to lovely Riverwest for a rip-roaring 24-hour bike race! We know it sounds crazy, but the RW 24 is a community-organized event designed to enhance this rich neighborhood and encour
The photos of Stephen Shore could make even Ohio look gorgeous. July 24 @ The Haggerty.
M. Ward at The Pabst Theater July 19 – Pabst Theater Indie-folk virtuoso M. Ward most recently earned the limelight for his collaborative project with Zooey Deschanel, aptly named She&Him, and their brand of sweet and soulful duets. Let it be known, however, that this is not Ward’s first rodeo. The gravellyvoiced crooner has been writing songs and picking guitars for almost ten years, creating a sound that eloquently recalls the American roots music and makes listeners wish that they would have stuck with those dang guitar lessons. Ward stops on his summer tour at the Pabst armed with a guitar, harmonica and piano for an enchanting evening of beautiful music. Prepare to swoon. pabsttheater.com or 414-286-3205. Wisconsin State Fair July 21-August 10 – State Fair Park The Wisconsin State Fair always makes us feel like kids again. Each year we brave the grueling sun to coo over baby livestock,
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Vital Source | july picks | 21
age biking throughout the city. Racers have the option of riding in teams or, for the ballsy few, going solo all night long. Spectators are encouraged to come out and show their support for these rough riders at various checkpoints throughout the race, which kicks off on Friday night and continues throughout the night and day until the final flag is waved the following evening. Sign up at Fuel and stock up on Red Bull, brave souls! riverwest24.com Brady Street Festival featuring Cheese Fest July 26 – Brady Street You never need an excuse to head down to Brady Street. With dozens of quaint shops, hip eateries and festivals, this classic East side destination has been a favorite of tourists and residents alike for decades. The crowds are sure to be out in droves for this year’s Brady Street Festival, boasting delicious food and, of course, cheese from local growers and artisans. Not to mention the copious amounts of luscious libations, tapped, shaken or stirred on-site by Brady Street’s best watering holes. Get your walking shoes on and hoof it down to this fun-filled event. bradyst.com/events.
trip is German Fest, complete with beer, brats and, oh yes, dachshund races. As a bonus, here’s a fun fact about last years German fest: apparently, visitors consumed about 20,000 brats and 10,000 pounds of sauerkraut! Gallery Night and Day Various Locations Every few months we are reminded that Milwaukee, despite its industrial history and boozy reputation, is a thriving community of artists, musicians, poets and radicals. Gallery Night and Day offers us a veritable smorgasbord to satisfy our aesthetic cravings, with more events than we could ever mention, much less do justice. On this lovely July evening, you’re sure to find the Vital crew rockin’ the night away at our luxurious space in the Arts Building, while local artists will grace our walls for our third gallery night show. “Wheels” features art inspired by an American legend – the motorcycle – and
other modes of transport made possible by man’s greatest invention, including trains, bikes, rollerskates and skateboards. Stop in to see how these talented gearheads and daredevils run with the concept (two words: Evel Knievel). Be sure to sidle over to The Armoury, an inspired new gallery in the historic Fortress building, to view new work by Philadelphia painter/printer Jackie Hoving and Madison’s own AOM III. Hoving plays with the concept of individual perception and reality through the use of vivid color and violent images that seem to dip below the radar as our culture becomes more accustomed to them. AOM III utilizes a style reminiscent of pop-art, often using high-fashion photo and layering them with classic painting techniques to create images that are striking and slightly subversive. Still need more ideas? Go to historicthirdward.org/events/gallerynight or check your local listings – Gallery Night is everywhere. And that’s the way it should be.
Brady Street: Come for the cheese, stay for everything else. July 26.
Milwaukee’s Ethnic Festivals Bastille Days – July 10-13 Cathedral Square Park German Fest – July 25-27 Maier Festival Park Greek Fest – July 11-13 State Fair Park Festa Italiana – July 17-20 Maier Festival Park It’s safe to say that most of us won’t be able to afford a European vacation this summer, even with the financial boost we received from those nifty surplus checks. Don’t let your lack of travel options get you down, for we live in the city of festivals, where Europe (and everywhere else) comes to us! Don your best beret and sashay to Bastille Days, where you’ll find street performers, a 5k “storming of the Bastille” and a 43-foot replica of the famed Eiffel Tower. No climbing, please. Then get ready to say “OPA!” at Greek Fest, where you can boogie down to live bands and eat all the saganaki your heart desires. Don’t fill up on flaming cheese, though, because Festa Italiana is right around the corner. Pisan or not, you’re sure to find something you’ll like at Festa, with fun music, exciting performances by Danceworks and a rare bronze casting of Michelangelo’s Pieta – just in case you can’t make it to Rome to see the real thing. Oh yeah, there may be some good food too. The last stop on this pseudo-Euro-
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vital living
Vital culture music reviews Into Arcadia • Maps for Children Self-released • intoarcadia.com Horace Walpole, the 18th century English writer/historian/politician, oh-so-properly pointed out that “this world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.” Walpole had a point, as those who are bound by the heart are usually more prone to the pathos that life dishes out. Milwaukee’s Into Arcadia have transformed their fair share of dark days into earnestly exuberant songs, rooted in tragedy, yet propelled by a sound that is anything but dreary. Their five-song EP Maps for Children, according to Otto Ohlsson (vox, guitar), was based on his childhood experiences growing up in Manchester, England. The title, Ohlsson explains, comes from “the struggle between childhood’s innocence and the corrupting nature of coming of age;” Ohlsson added that the band doesn’t plan to dwell on this theme for the duration of their musical careers, and that he believes that their next writing ventures will be “more upbeat … more dance-y.” Whatever direction the future holds for Into Arcadia, their debut EP is a pretty study in absolution from past wrongs, with beautiful driving guitars from Ohlsson and Kenny Buesing solidified by Wes Falk’s bass and Zac Weiland’s percussion. Joy Division, Doves, The Fall and early Coldplay are all familiar sounds for Maps for Children. “Time is no best friend of mine,” Ohlsson sings on “Distance Equals Time,” guitars chiming and percussion punching the wall of lyrics built to give the songs strength, even in their vulnerability. What would Walpole say about what the world holds for those who think and feel after hearing this record? – Erin Wolf
The Black Ghosts • The Black Ghosts I AM SOUND Records • theblackghosts.co.uk In my lifelong predilection to condense a review to one word, this one would garner more of an escape of breath: “Eh.” Honestly, there just isn’t enough originality (or for that matter, anything compelling) within these 11 tracks to elicit more than that. Their moniker itself is groan-worthy: how many bands do we need with the “Black” adjective or “Ghost” subject, really? Oh, and their aim is to haunt and disquiet the listener with
studied their Beck, Madonna, and early ‘90s Madchester scene. There are beats galore, with the requisite samples and sonic candy thrown in right where they should be. The tracklisting is near-perfect, with the moodier numbers spacing the upbeat disco and the (all too few!) fat-bottomed jams, which are without a doubt the highlight of the recording. Both “Until It Comes Again” and “Something New” are truly funky, with basslines that make me salivate. “Full Moon” features the collection’s best production, with acoustic guitars and strings that build to a nice crescendo. Unfortunately, the vocals never go anywhere: they don’t lie inside the instruments, nor illuminate the forgettable melodies. Although I’ve been highly critical of the templated songwriting and aesthetic, this is not a bad disc – I’ll just listen to my Codebreaker over it any day. – Troy Butero
Earlimart • Hymn and Her Majordomo • earlimartmusic.com Must a band be loud to be heard? Or exceedingly different to be noticed? Must the middle ground be mediocre? L.A. duo Earlimart’s sixth full-length release, Hymn and Her, a string of twelve easy and modest indie rock songs, has the answer: it’s lovely, for once, not to have to stare directly into the sun of a band’s persona. In fact, lack of personality creates an odd wall of detachment. The lyrics are introspective, but in a distanced philosophical sense, not a messy emotional one. “We’re much more than that/But for now it’s a deathtrap,” bassist Ariana Murray sings of allowing a rocky relationship to breathe on “Before it Gets Better.” It’s wise and cool-headed; the band values breakups and let downs as occasions for personal rediscovery. Thematically, returning “home” is the heart of the disc. The tambourine-pulsed “Logically Follow” is a favorite and the second of three tracks where Murray’s earthy vocals aren’t just harmony. Earlimart’s other half, guitarist Aaron Espinoza, leads the rest, despite a tendency to sound a little sloppy (“For the Birds”) or too much like Elliott Smith (“God Loves You the Best”). But really, that’s nitpicking. The production is subtle and elegant, with piano, organ, and viola intensifying interest and structure throughout. Hymn and Her is ideal for a leisurely, windows-down summer drive, but as the price of gas rises (and given the likely advice of introverts Espinoza and Murray), this release is better suited for winding down with a drink on living room sofa. – Amber L. Herzog
gothic eeriness. Whatever you say, guvnor. Obviously, these two Brits know what to do with the equipment. They’ve
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music reviews Vital culture Icy Demons • Miami Ice Obey Your Brain • obeyyourbrain.com An open-door policy in a musical project seems is an obvious catalyst for experimentation. But when that collective implements an initiation process – involving alter egos – all your circuit-bent guitar pedals and Godspeed You Black Emperor! albums may not prepare you for what you’re about to experience. That’s the idea behind Icy Demons’ latest, Miami Ice, as the group challenges listeners to journey into poppy experimentalism as opposed to experimental pop. Chris Powell (aka PowPow) and Griffin Rodriguez (aka Blue Hawaii) are the group’s founders, though no one really appears to be at the wheel of the project. A slew of guest artists, including Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker, make up the supporting cast on this trippy, unpredictable release. Icy Demons hit their stride amidst quirky, repetitive melodies a la Broken Social Scene on
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“Spywatchers” and “1850,” making use of everything from cello riffs to vintage keyboard sounds. And while the title track hints at pop immediacy, the songs keep shifting in the neo-prog/jazz of opener “Buffalo Bill” and the lounge room sway of “Summer Samba”. Were it not for the spacey time shifts and alien synth lines, Miami Ice might almost sound terrestrial. But this album may as well be the soundtrack to a robot-only sex party or Martians shooting up heroin. There’s certainly something to be said for the ingenuity and left-field antics that run amok on this release – it just may not be translatable in any earthly tongue. – Kyle Shaffer
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Vital culture record releases July 1 Alkaline Trio Agony & Irony Epic Bobby Digital (RZA) Digi Snax Wu Music Group Earlimart Hymn and Her Shout! Factory Los Lonely Boys Forgiven Epic John Mayer Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles Columbia
Greg Laswell Three Flights From Alto Nido Vanguard
John Mellencamp Life, Death, Love and Freedom Hear Music
The Melvins Nude With Boots Ipecac Recordings
Randy Travis Around the Bend Warner Bros. Nashville
Willie Nelson/ Wynton Marsalis Two Men With the Blues Blue Note
July 22
Ron Sexsmith Exit Strategy of the Soul Yep Roc
Candlebox Into the Sun Silent Majority Group
Patti Smith & Kevin Shields The Coral Sea Suma
The Classic Crime The Silver Cord Tooth & Nail
Nas s/t Def Jam
Street Dogs State of Grace Hellcat/Epitaph
Night Ranger Hole in the Sun VH1 Classic
July 15
The Subways All or Nothing Warner
The Hold Steady Stay Positive Vagrant
Black Kids Partie Traumatic Columbia
Lloyd Lessons in Love Motown Men Without Pants Men Without Pants Expansion Team Misery Signals Controller Ferret Music Paul Weller 22 Dreams Yep Roc
July 29 Coolio Steal Hear Super Cool Alice Cooper Along Came a Spider New West Kerli Love is Dead Island Def Jam
LL Cool J Exit 13 Def Jam Soulfly Conquer Roadrunner Rick Springfield Venus in Overdrive New Door/UME Young Jeezy The Recession Def Jam
Miley Cyrus Breakout Hollywood Forward, Russia! Life Processes Mute
Ying Yang Twins Ying Yang for President TVT July 8 Capital Lights This is an Outrage! Tooth & Nail Nick Colionne No Limits Koch Chris Difford The Last Temptation of Chris Airline Donna the Buffalo Silverlined Sugar Hill The Game LAX Geffen Great Big Sea Fortune’s Favour Redeye
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wild >> words by matt
Subversions: On Assignment Yakov Smirnoff, family fun and the forceful suppression of irony Or: Getting entertained to death in Branson, MO Yakov Smirnoff – of early ‘80s “In Soviet Union, car drives YOU!” fame – is currently fighting a losing battle against a mob of bloodthirsty, dancing pirates. Overwhelmed, he swings a plastic sword wildly through the air as he’s driven ever closer to the edge of the stage. “Oh no!” he cries. “I think we’re in for an adventure!” I’m sitting in the Yakov Smirnoff Theater in Branson, Missouri. Hundreds of semi-conscious senior citizens with pants up to their necks fill the seats around me, applauding every Russianthemed dance number and crusty joke about the differences between men and women (men and toilet seats: when will they ever learn?). I’m applauding along with them, and it isn’t until the show’s climax – in which Smirnoff serenades and subsequently waltzes with the Statue of Liberty – that the big question finally hits me: What the hell am I doing here?
Yakov Smirnoff: He’s not dead yet The armadillo, the mayor, and the ghost Branson sits astride the shores of Lake Taneycomo in the middle of the Ozarks, 40 miles north of the Arkansas border. A self-described “Family-Friendly Las Vegas,” it’s home to a ridiculous
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In Branson, ghosts hunt you.
counts Tony Orlando as one of its main selling points, that’s a tall order. We arrive on a Thursday morning, bleary and caffeine-shaky from a grueling 10-hour drive through the night. After grabbing a quick breakfast at the Farmhouse Café (I order a cheese omelet, which arrives – topped as promised – with two melted Kraft Singles) and checking into our rooms at the brand-new Hilton Convention Center (an elderly doorman claims some sort of Kenosha connection after learning where we’re from), we decide to forgo a much-needed nap and explore the town instead. Branson’s historic downtown district – all antique shops, five-and-dimes and ice cream parlors – is certainly overflowing with charm, though it quickly becomes apparent that Amy and I are the only people under the age of 200 within its ten-block radius. While admiring a
number of theaters and attractions that cater almost exclusively to the geriatric set: Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater, The Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum. Andy Williams, Bobby Vinton and the surviving members of Bill Haley’s Comets are among Branson’s red-hot celebrity fixtures, along with Mel Tillis, Ann-Margaret, and yes, Yakov “What a country!” Smirnoff. In addition to these highlights, Branson also contains plenty of standard tourist-trap fare: Hollywood wax museums, haunted houses, miles and miles of biblical-themed motels. To make a useful local comparison, Branson is a lot like Wisconsin Dells, only with fewer water parks and more theaters owned by the Oak Ridge Boys. For reasons unclear, I’ve been sent to Branson to cover its annual Summertime in the Ozarks America’s Hottest Mayor Festival. Accompanied once again by VITAL’s own Amy Elliott, my assignment is open-ended stuffed armadillo (complete with cowboy hat and and my angle unclear: should I write about holsters) in a junk-store window, a particularly how ridiculous this place will almost surely be? ancient resident helpfully informs me that armaShould I look for something deeper, a hidden side dillos are “de-struc-tive little critters,” and should to Branson rarely seen or discussed? Should I be avoided at all costs. Whether this warning just say “fuck it” and check out the Red Skelton applies to all armadillos or just gun-toting ones tribute show? In the end, I manage to come up is never made clear. with a half-baked notion that no matter what, Heeding the woman’s advice nonetheless, we I should attempt to shield our adventures with leave downtown and head to a small theme park the least amount of protective irony as possible; called Celebration City for our first scheduled I want to be truly entertained. And in a town that event: a meet-and-greet with Branson’s mayor,
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Raeanne Presley. Aside from being a total babe (Amy and I both confess to a strange crush later that evening), she’s also the wife of one of the members of Presley’s Country Jubilee, Branson’s original live show and the family dynasty that made the town what it is today. Charmed by the
Wish you were here. well-connected mayor, we stroll through the park (think a mini-Six Flags from the mid-70s), ride a surprisingly effective wooden roller coaster, and watch some sort of “Hyperactive Dogs Catching Frisbees” demonstration. Branson: so far, so good. On our way back to our hotel, many hours and drinks later (thank you, Rocky’s Lounge), we spy a large group of people armed with digital cameras, their flashes lighting up the now-darkened downtown streets. Suspecting some sort of accident or celebrity sighting (Phyllis Diller, perhaps?), we decide to investigate. It turns out to
Coming to America, six days a week be a “Haunted Branson” ghost tour, in which suckers – er, ghost hunters – are led around in hopes of catching “spirit orbs” on film. Of particular interest to the group is a long, steep alleyway that runs along the Hilton’s parking garage, surely the scene of some sort of horrific parking-ticket mishap. With little-to-no sleep in the past 36
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hours, Amy and I have become a bit punchy; and I start mocking the ghost hunters (“This parking garage sure is terrifying!”) while Amy rolls down the alley for no discernable reason. The confused group – their camera flashes quickly ceasing – are less than thrilled. Twenty minutes later – safe from wayward armadillos or spirit orbs – we’re in our beds and unconscious, the sounds of nearby Lake Taneycomo drowned out by the room’s air conditioner.
as a mad scientist. All throughout, jokes about his homeland (“Our apartment in Russia was so small that when my parents wanted to get romantic, they made me look out the window!”) an d w is t f ul reminiscences ab ou t p erforming for Ronald Reagan abound. E v er y thing’s going along s w im mingly until Shoji makes it snow and t h e s h o w ’s Yakov cries abou t 9 / 11 The iceberg is a classy touch. (twice a day!) final act, when things take a turn for the maudlin and just plain There’s a weird thread running through a lot of icky. It turns out that in addition to being Branson’s resident Russian-born funnyman, Smirnoff is also an accomplished painter, a juicy tidbit relayed to us via a short video slide show narrated by Paul Harvey (!). Following the attacks of September 11, Yakov was so deeply moved that he created a giant mural and donated it to the city of New York. The mural – an overblown Hallmark card depicting a red, white, and blue heart – hung above Ground Zero for nearly a year, no doubt inspiring many a New Yorker to think, “Yakov Smirnoff? He’s still alive?” OK. Fine and dandy. However, when Yakov The majestic Shoji Tabuchi returns to the stage and starts breaking down Theatre. – he actually starts to cry – while informing us that pieces of his mural can be purchased in his gift shop, well, I start to feel a little played. The the shows in Branson, and it goes something like knowledge that he does this “bit” twice a day for this: star-struck foreigner dreams of sharing his a paying audience doesn’t sit well with me, and talent with the world; foreigner immigrates to erases almost all the goodwill he had built up America with $50 in his pocket and spends years since co-starring in The Money Pit in 1986. honing his craft; foreigner finally realizes the Thankfully, our next show contains absoAmerican show-biz dream by building a theater in Branson and charging 40 bucks for a Saturday matinee. Of course, nowhere in this narrative is it suggested that performing for busloads of Social Security recipients in the middle of the Ozarks may actually represent the bitter end of the American show-biz dream, but hey, even the Lennon Sisters have to pay the rent. This “coming to America” theme is readily apparent in the two big shows we have lined up for our second day in town: Yakov Smirnoff and Shoji Tabuchi. Yakov’s show is exactly what you would expect from the faded ‘80s comedian: Not false advertising. shameless, pandering, tired. Opening with some “topical” jokes that would make Jay Leno blush lutely no 9/11 schmaltz. Instead, Shoji Tabuchi (oh, that Bill Clinton and his blowjobs!), the show (of the Shoji Tabuchi Theater, natch) gives the quickly turns into a strange sketch-show revue: white-hairs exactly what they want: big, blusYakov as a pirate, Yakov as the President, Yakov tery, old-timey entertainment. Due to a misprint
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The lion and the lamb. Take that how you will. on our itinerary, Amy and I arrive to the show a half-hour late. Taking our seats during a rousing rendition of “Danny Boy,” we try to process what we’re seeing: Tabuchi – a slight, middleaged Asian man with a Beatles moptop – is a classically trained violinist and, by all appearances, a connoisseur of fine sequined blazers. The show itself is almost overbearingly strange, and gives off a Lawrence-Welk-by-way-of-Barbara-Mandrell vibe. In no particular order, the next hour of our lives will include: lasers, fire-
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works, heart-attack-inducing confetti-cannons, sequins, flying dancers, flying upright bass players, flying drummers, sequins, Elvis songs, Broadway songs, Japanese songs, George Strait songs, the Beer Barrel Polka, sequins, sequins and a special Christmas medley (complete with snow!). It’s all a bit much, to be sure, but in the end I find myself utterly and completely entertained. It’s already dark when the show lets out. Figuring our evening couldn’t possibly get any stranger, Amy and I leave the glitz of Branson’s theater district behind. Driving aimlessly through the night, we lose ourselves in the emptiness of the Ozarks, Stevie Wonder and Turkish heavy metal blasting through our open car windows.
it’s got live animals, and there’s an off-chance we may see some monkeys. Noah is brand new to Branson, and is clearly meant to be the town’s pièce de resistánce. Housed in the behemoth Sight & Sound Theater on the edge of town, it’s a ridiculous spectacle: like an IMAX film come to life, the show is so big and overblown as to be rendered completely meaningless. Beginning with a PA announcement informing us that what we’re about to
The great flood It’s our final day in town, and our itinerary calls for a special press preview of Noah: The Musical. At this point, my Branson irony-shield is near the point of crumbling, and we’re both less than ecstatic with the prospect of sitting through a heavy-handed biblical story put to song. But hey,
No dogs were harmed in the production of this photo.
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see is “a fictionalized account of factual events,” there’s something off about the whole thing, something decidedly un-Branson. Indeed, we’ll find out later that the show has been brought to town by a Christian entertainment conglomerate out of Pennsylvania, and that each and every employee of the show – actors and parking attendants alike – are required to complete a “spiritual interview” before signing on. Only in Branson could something make a weeping Yakov Smirnoff seem like the height of good taste, sincerity and restraint by comparison. We leave Noah after the first interminable act. Mentally exhausted, we decide to ignore our itinerary and drive through the countryside. Crossing over the formidable Table Rock dam, we keep going until we find a small park on the far edge of Lake Taneycomo. It’s partly underwater – still flooded from the heavy spring rains – and almost impossibly beautiful and unreal. We take off our shoes and wade out to a park bench that sits just above the water’s surface. Our defenses down, we stay for what seems like hours, watching children swim out to half-submerged trees and gazebos. They jump from the trees and into the water – unafraid and without hesitation – as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Resurfacing and gasping for air, they laugh out loud and swim back, repeating the process over and over and over again. VS Matt Wild enjoyed himself thoroughly and would like to thank Amber and Matt of Rocky’s Lounge for being such kick-ass bartenders. BRANSON: BY THE NUMBERS Number of miles driven – 1,300 Amount spent on gas – $240 People met from Wisconsin – 4 Comments on our accents – 4 Haunted houses/dinosaur museums visited – 1 Jokes about Taco Bell in Yakov show – 2 Sequined blazers in Shoji show – impossible to count
Armadillos, ghost hunters, dinosaur museums, kids on leashes -- see it all at vitalsourcemag.com, with video blogs from Branson and a fictional account of factual occurrences in the form of a full-length film travelogue.
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puzzle page Vital source CryptoQuip The CryptoQuip below is a quote in substitution code, where A could equal R, H could equal P, etc. One way to break the code is to look for repeated letters. E, T, A, O, N and I are the most often used letters. A single letter is usually A or I; OF, IS and IT are common 2-letter words; and THE and AND are common 3-letter words. Good luck!
Clues: K=A R=B
Crossword
Sudoku
puzzles
Across 1 After lecture or pool 5 Brews 9 Flight data, briefly 13 Brain wave 14 Panorama 16 Starch 17 Books written quickly to make money 19 Appraise 20 Historic period 21 Old Mideast inits. 23 Promise 24 Chalice 27 Bookstore reference items 29 Egyptian fertility goddess 30 Author Fleming 32 Catchall abbr. 33 Fmr. Chinese leader 34 Main artery 36 Cloaks 39 Pudding ingredient 40 Compass pt. 41 Biz degree 43 One, in Nice 44 Painter Neiman 46 Bronx cheer 48 Actress Balin
To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1-9.
49 Declare 51 Three (It.) 52 Comic Sandler 53 Language book 55 Exit 57 Stadium cheer 58 Annex 59 Buck’s partner 60 News item 62 Reference book 68 Downwind 69 Descendent 70 Chill 71 Arizona city 72 Chess piece 73 Wails Down 1 Pelvic arch 2 Big deal 3 Lease 4 Tags 5 Book that flies off the shelf? 6 ____ Abner 7 Compass pt. 8 Swagger 9 Corn serving 10 Going places book 11 Jalopies 12 Old World duck
15 Vendor’s aim (2 wds.) 18 Valuable rock 22 Machine gun noise 24 3rd letter of the Hebrew alphabet 25 Missouri river 26 Profiles section of a book store 27 Pantry pest 28 _____ Paulo, Brazil 31 Mars, to the Greeks 34 Tom, Dick or Harry 35 God of love 37 Sewell and Sten, for two 38 Clothing joints 42 Book for dog lovers 45 69 Across, in cells 47 Maximum degree 50 Wastelands 52 Bowls 53 Expensive fur 54 Deft 56 Gunk 57 Drift 61 Caffeine source 63 102, Roman 64 Freight weight 65 In the past 66 Chafe 67 Thumbs-up reply
june Crossword Answers
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