Vol VII • Issue 4 • May 2008
2 | Vital Source
vitalsourcemag.com
inside Vital
May 2008 | vol. 7 issue 4 | vitalsourcemag.com
COVERED
featured
VITAL CULTURE
6 Happy trails It’s official: you have no good excuse to stay home this summer
12 EXERCISING IDEALS Echo Base Collective wants to connect kids to bicycles - and self-respect
14 reel milwaukee Chris gets a gig >> howie goldklang 15 vital cinema Son of Rambow >> russ bickerstaff 16 stages Fantasy and romance >> russ bickerstaff 27 music reviews R.E.M., Story of the Year, Tim Fite, The Black Keys, Fever Marlene 29 record releases T-Bone Burnett, Death Cab for Cutie, Neil Diamond, Sarah Bettens and many more
cover artist Marla Campbell is an illustrator living on Milwaukee’s East Side. She also teaches from time to time and likes baking cookies and taking her dog Hilo on walks. See more of her work at marlacampbell.com.
30 Subversions Beloit >> mat t wild
NEWS+VIEWS 4 The Editor’s Desk No more gilding the lily >> jon anne willow
ONLINE @ VITALSOURCEMAG.Com All of VITAL, every month, plus...
Milwaukee’s most interesting bloggers REEL Milwaukee: the blog >> Howie Goldklang takes on film Gray Matter and The Free Speech Zone >> Politics as unusual with Ted Bobrow and Michelle Tucker Between Stages >> Russ Bickerstaff between scenes in the performing arts Dem Bones >> All things art from Stella Cretek
Please Send Help >> Matt Wild’s nightlife/ publicity stunt/weekend music reports Love Letters >>Wanderings and wonderings from Amy Elliott ALSO! Reviews and criticism; feature articles, local events, RSS feeds, interactive widgets, local weather, news headlines and more REMEMBER! Subscribe to eNews for important updates, monthly party invites and fabulous prizes
vitalsourcemag.com & myspace.com/vitalsource
23 The Funny Page
VITAL LIVING 18 Slightly Crunchy Parent Essure: Be careful what you wish for >> lucky tomaszek 20 eat this Mom’s sweet comforts >> lucky tomaszek 24 Vital’s Picks Where VITAL will be in May >> amy elliot t and lindsey huster 24 Puzzles Plus April crossword answers
Vital Source | 3
Vital source The editor’s desk
>>words by jon anne willow
No more gilding the lily “To gild refined gold, to paint the lily... is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” —Shakespeare, from King John (1595): This morning my son and I were planning his 10th birthday party. I live in East Town Tosa, a neighborhood that straddles the border between affluent aspirations and working class reality. His first few years of school, in the early 2000s, I was frequently faced with extravagant birthday parties and gift-giving that felt like either intense competition between parents or the setting of an unhealthy precedent. Of course, everyone’s intentions were good, but it still bugged me. So each year when Harry’s turn to “celebrate” came, I sent a note to parents asking that he not receive gifts in excess of $20 and informing them that we would not open presents at the party, but would send thank-you’s afterward. To my surprise, a few parents whispered their approval in my ear, though just a few followed suit. Harry’s parties get great reviews – we’ve done a backyard camp-out, a day at Miller Beach, an all-night Star Wars movie-thon (complete with light saber battles in the living room) and my favorite – inviting three boys over to pick up all the sticks in my yard, then burning them in the fire pit while roasting marshmallows. Two for one, everybody wins! And here’s what you don’t see at his get-togethers: boys comparing the gifts they brought; begging for more tokens when they run out first; crying quiet tears in the back seat because they didn’t win a big prize at the arcade. The reason is simple: true satisfaction has little connection to money. And Harry’s story is a metaphor for what I see all around me these days. Over the last decade, so many fools (yeah, I said it) have spent up their available credit simply because they could, blindly swallowing fantasy stories about an ever-expanding economy and America’s lifestyle entitlement. They believed it was okay to pay way too much for a house because interest rates were low; they justified gas-guzzling, expensive-to-insure, high-payment vehicles for the flimsiest of reasons, which in fact came down to no more than, “It’s shiny and I want it like an Oompa Loompa – now.” At the same time, over 40 million citizens were without health insurance and 13 million children were living below the poverty line. If put to the question, only the most megalomaniacal of conservative thinkers could believe the situation was good for the future of the nation. It just goes to show another apparent deficiency in our education system: the lack of emphasis on cautionary tales. The Panic of 1893, the 1907 Bankers
Panic (the 4th in 34 years), the Crash of 1929, the Great Depression, the 1973 oil crisis, the 1979 energy crisis, the 1990 oil crisis leading to the Gulf War, five recessions in less than 30 years. The list is incomplete, but long enough to establish a pattern: We rise, we fall. As individuals we don’t control market forces except when we do or don’t buy flat screen TVs and houses, which, at any rate, weren’t put on this earth because God wants us to be happy, but to create profit for the seller. It’s not a nefarious arrangement inherently; the exchange of goods and services has been powering human development since the beginning. But when we use self-gratification as dominant personal compass, we never fail to screw ourselves. Some good things have occurred in response to our recurring failures of excess – the Federal Reserve, the Progressive Era, the New Deal, the Civil Rights Act and many others. And that’s what I see beginning to happen now on a neighborhood level. People are reconsidering mass transit and I think they will soon demand it; affordable health care is a top priority; “Made in the USA” can actually influence purchase decisions. Previous arguments against solar and wind power development are starting to sound as ludicrous to the public at large as they have always sounded under scrutiny to the interested. On a microcosmic, but possibly more significant level, we’re thinking more about what we need than what we impulsively want, and probably assigning greater value to what we have. We’re taking better care of our stuff and helping each other out. We made fun of our grandparents for these same behaviors, but it turns out they were pretty smart after all. My father is retiring on my grandfather’s savings. Dad was an art dealer; Grandpa was a ditch digger for the city. I’ll be “retiring” on whatever I save between now and the day I can’t work anymore. Maybe some will be left for my son. And maybe – dare I dream it? – he’ll have savings of his own when he retires. Probably not, though. Certain lessons don’t seem to stay learned. VS In Memory My friend Bill Estes, general manager for Wisconsin Public Radio’s Milwaukee station, WHAD, 90.7 FM, passed away very suddenly on April 13. I’ll miss him terribly, as will his family and everyone at WPR, where he worked for 35 of his 57 years. We love you, Bill. Safe travels. jw
Tony Shaloub Mehrdad J. Dalamie mjdalamie@vitalsourcemag.com
Kurtwood Smith Russ Bickerstaff rbickerstaff@vitalsourcemag.com
The Socialist Party Zach Bartel, Erin Petersen, Andy Zupke
Harry Houdini Jon Anne Willow jwillow@vitalsourcemag.com
Georgia O’Keefe Lucky Tomaszek ltomaszek@vitalsourcemag.com
Roy Chapman Andrews Amy C. Elliott aelliott@vitalsourcemag.com
Captain Frederick Pabst Matt Wild subversions@vitalsourcemag.com
The Packers Troy Butero, Marla Campbell, Howie Goldklang, Jason Groschopf, A.L. Herzog, DJ Hostettler, David Rees, David Schrubbe, Kyle Shaffer, Erin Wolf
Oprah Winfrey Tony Bobrov tbobrov@vitalsourcemag.com
The Incomparable Hildegarde Catherine McGarry Miller chowbaby@vitalsourcemag.com
Laura Ingalls Wilder Ryan Findley rfindley@vitalsourcemag.com
Gene Wilder Dwellephant
Les Paul Pete Hamill music@vitalsourcemag.com
4 | editor’s Desk | Vital Source
Pere Marquette Lindsey Huster Orson Welles J. Swan
Distribution Each month, 20,000 copies of VITAL Source are available free at over 600 metro locations. Additional copies $2 each. Send request, with check or money order made to VITAL Source, at the address below. Call to ensure availability of requested materials, or email inquiries to: info@vitalsourcemag.com.
Most material herein belongs to Vital Publications, LLC, and cannot be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Reprint and copyright inquiries must be made in writing. Subscriptions are available for $27 per year. Send check or money order, attn: Subscriptions, to address below. VITAL Source Magazine 133 W. Pittsburgh Ave., Ste. 409 Milwaukee, WI 53204 Phone: 414.372.5351 Fax: 414.372.5356 On the Web www.vitalsourcemag.com www.myspace.com/vitalsource
vitalsourcemag.com & myspace.com/vitalsource
vitalsourcemag.com
Vital Source | 5
Big sky, fresh air and many ways to love Wisconsin summers By Amy Elliott
O
It’s official: you have no good excuse to stay home this summer.
kay, we take that back. If you want to stay home this summer, you’re welcome to. But there’s a ton to do around here, so we want to make sure you have plenty of ideas for ways to enjoy yourself. Look, we hear you. Times are tight. Fuel costs are insane, which means prices for everything else are insane, too. Consumer confidence is at an epic low, and everywhere we turn, another flawed system we’ve trusted for too long seems poised to collapse: the housing market, health care, energy, the American dollar. We’re still at war. We’re facing down a mighty sense of global unease. And, increasingly, we’re called to task on the bad shape our planet is in, thanks to a hundred odd-years of industrialization, exponential growth and the unchecked exploitation of our natural resources. It’s too soon to determine the consequences of humanity’s reckless abandon, but they could be dire – even disastrous. We know that if we don’t curb the depletion soon, we’ll be helpless when things start to get really nasty. It’s enough to make you hunker down in your cellar with some canned goods and a few good books and say, “See you at Christmas.” But here’s the good news: Wisconsin is amazing. We mean it: rich natural beauty, a diverse cultural landscape, a wide swath of arts offerings. It sounds tired, but it’s true. And thankfully, traveling lightly in Wisconsin – whether you want to kayak, see Shakespeare outdoors, hear a bluegrass band or just eat some chocolate – is easy. It’s good for your wallet and for the world at large. In fact, there has never been a better time to gain perspective, to reconnect with yourself, your family and the land we all share, to learn, to be an active, fearless member of society. We are so anxious for you to have a good summer that we’ve spent some time and thought putting together this idea book of low-stress, low-cost, low-impact summer leisure options. It’s a starting point, so browse and brainstorm. Grab some Post-Its or take some notes. Tread lightly this summer, but please, whatever you do, never forget that fun is a top priority.
6 | Vital Source
happy trails
FOR THE ACTION/ADVENTURER you might think of the rugged north woods or the towering bluffs of the driftless zone when you think of adventure travel in the Badger State, but you don’t have to go that far. Get in gear with Bike to Work Week, brought to you by the Bike Federation of Wisconsin, May 11 – May 16. It’s not just a healthier and more conscious way to conduct a daily commute; there are events planned throughout the city for every day of the week, including a Mother’s Day ride along the lakefront, a morning cruise downtown with the Mayor, daily coffee breaks at the Alterra Foundry, mid-week bar trivia, and a grand finale meet-up at Jackalope Lounj and bikein to the movies at the Marsupial Bridge on May 16, co-sponsored by VITAL. Looking for more action? We might not have mountains, but you can still mountain bike in Milwaukee County Parks on the three-mile Alpha Trail in Whitnall Park (connecting to the five miles of Crystal Ridges trail) and the 2.5-mile loop in Hoyt Park. Biking not your thing? Maybe you can kayak to work. The Milwaukee Urban River Trail has made it easier than ever for person-powered vessels to navigate the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers, with a number of launch and portage locations throughout the park system. Wisconsin’s most important archeological site is Aztalan State Park in Jefferson, a middle-Mississippian village that is, oh, a thousand years old or so. Hang out at the old stockade, hike its 172 acres of oak woods and prairie, boat the Crawfish River or fish for Northern pike, catfish and walleye. And learn something while you’re at it! If you’d rather take it to the streets, try the Streetball Challenge in Neenah, June 14-15, where more than 2,000 men and women compete on 400 teams in a three-on-three basketball tournament – played in the downtown streets. That’s awesome. It’s open to anyone over the age of eight of all skill levels. Application deadline is May 14. Or just head out to spectate. We’re sure there will be pick-up games. If you are up for a northwest adventure, give Living Adventure in Bayfield on Lake Superior a call for guided sea kayaking, overnight inter-island trips and an excellent off-shore shipwreck tour. No need to worry about getting in the water – you can see the wreck right from your boat. Of course, if you are dive-certified, Lake Michigan offers better shipwreck diving than almost anywhere in the world, and a number of dive charters are available to take you to the best sites, including Adventure Charter Boats and Jerry Guyer’s Len-Der Charters.
Pirates finally get some respect at the Port Pirate Fest, June 6-8
FOR THE FAMILY it’s tough for families to make dollars stretch and keep impatient brains engaged, but we think with a little tenacity you can handle this summer with grace – even enthusiasm. Seriously, who doesn’t love New Glarus, which offers something for everyone during Heidi Festival and Taste & Treasure of New Glarus, June 27-29. Sample fine noshes and brews while you enjoy sidewalk shopping, a festive Swiss atmosphere and a performance of that classic children’s play about a girl with braids, a gruff old man and the Alps. We hear there will actually be goats onstage. It’s a proven fact that kids love spelunking, so indulge them with a trip to the Cave of the Mounds, a national landmark widely regarded as the jewel box of major American caves. A guided tour of the limestone cave, with its paved walkways and handrails, is easy even on little feet or shaky knees. From there it’s only a 30-minute excursion to the recently-renovated House on the Rock, an astounding exhibition of whimsy, imagination, curiosity, antiques, warped perspectives, and other things that will fill children with awe, astonishment and perhaps a good kind of terror.
happy trails
We’re not even sure what this is, but you’ll find it at the House on the Rock
continued on page 8
vital souce | covered | 7
continued from page 7 Port Washington is close enough for a family bike trip, if your kids are older and heartier, and from June 6-8 it turns into a landlubber’s paradise of mayhem and merriment with the annual Port Washington Pirate Festival. This event, suitable only for scallywags, wenches and their little brats, features a live pirate invasion, a thieves’ marketplace, children’s activities, street performers, a parade, music – you know, everything you expect from pirates. And it’s free! Yo ho ho! Another “can’t miss” is the Wisconsin-wide Free Fishing Weekend, held annually the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June. All the waters of the state are open, including the Great Lakes and rivers bordering Wisconsin. Everyone can fish without a fishing license – although all other fishing regulations (length limits, bag limits, etc.) apply. Because children under the age of 16 never need a fishing license, the motto for Free Fishing Weekend could be “take a grown-up fishing!”
FOR THE FOODIE a february article in the new york times chronicled wisconsin’s “candy delta”: a frozen-in-time triangle of quaint towns and decadent chocolate shops between Green Bay, Manitowoc and Oshkosh. But the candy shop tradition lives on across the state and right here in Milwaukee – look no further than Stam Chocolate, Kehr’s Candies, The Chocolate Tree or Niemann’s Homemade Chocolate Shop. Of course, for the serious chocoholic, this summer’s must-attend event is the Burlington Chocolate Festival in Burlington, May 23-26, which tempers the chocolate fever with cooking demonstrations, a wine tasting, fireworks, a carnival (give yourself 30 minutes to digest before you ride the Tilt-o-Whirl), a 5k “Chocolate Chase” and more. There are plenty of places to try cheese around here, but if you find yourself in central Wisconsin, consider a visit to Cedar Grove Cheese in Plain. They hand-make traditional cheeses using organic, non-GMO, rBGH-free ingredients – and they use an innovative, trademarked “Living Machine” to clean up their wash water and return it to Honey Creek fresh and pure. It’s radical in its own humble way and provides a superb environmental learning experience to accompany your gourmet tasting. In Muscoda in southwestern Wisconsin, sample a strange and rare delicacy during the Morel Mushroom Festival, May 17-18. Buy morels, sell morels and stuff yourself with morels, then attend a lecture, browse arts and crafts, visit the Ho-Chunk Bison Ranch and stay for the fireworks. There is ample camping, hiking, hunting and fishing in Grant County. Muscoda is also the home of self-taught salvaged metal sculptor Ellis Nelson, whose work you can see throughout the town – or at his studio. Just stop by – allegedly, he loves visitors. If you want to go farther this summer, spend a weekend in the fields, forests and wetlands of Ogema, hosting the Spring Forager’s Harvest May 17-18. Learn to identify and harvest edible plants, then cook them into a delectable found feast. You’ll hike to Wisconsin’s highest point and visit a virgin tract of forest. Meals and campsite are included for $125. Think of it as purchasing insurance for the next time you are stranded in the wilderness with nothing to eat.
FOR THE EGGHEAD we understand and accept that some of us aren’t “outside” people, but don’t let an aversion to bugs and heat keep you shut in for the season.
Chocolate: it’s not bad for you if you eat it with fruit
Circus world — face your fears
In Kenosha, celebrate the grand opening of The Civil War Museum, the first of its kind in the country, June 14-15. The Museum explores life on the home front as well as the battlefield and the social, political and economic influences and implications of the War. The first temporary exhibition studies the wreck of the Maple Leaf, a Union transport vessel sunk near Jacksonville, Florida by a Confederate torpedo. A hidden gem a mere 30 miles from Milwaukee in Genesee Depot, especially for lovers of theater, antiques and old houses, is Ten Chimneys, the breathtaking country retreat of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Their estate is filled with furniture, décor and accent pieces hand-selected by the couple, comprising a magnificent survey of 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s art and home wares, and situated on 60 green, continued on page 10
8 | covered | Vital Source
happy trails
vitalsourcemag.com
Vital Source | 9
Harley celebrates 105 badass years
continued from page 9 rolling acres. Throughout the summer, public lectures and readings evoke the Golden Age of theater arts in an unparalleled setting. Science geeks, environmental advocates and anyone interested in reducing their footprint should make it a point to attend the Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair in Custer. We’ll only say this once: it is the largest energy fair of its kind in the world, featuring over 260 exhibitors, 170 workshops, a clean energy car show, a farmer’s market and a “green home pavilion” designed to help you find sustainable, efficient and responsible home design ideas and products. The Fair provides mass transit options straight from Milwaukee. If you can’t make it to Custer, you’ll find another benchmark of sustainability in Baraboo – the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center is the greenest building in the country. Take a guided tour to learn about the grandfather of wilderness preservation and wildlife management, as well as the features of the Legacy Center – solar power, geothermics and sustainable materials – that allow it to produce more energy than it consumes. As long as you’re in Baraboo, pay a visit to Circus World Museum, where you’ll find the restored town Ringlingville, where the famous Ringling Brothers spent their winters, as well as the world’s largest collection of antique circus wagons. Throughout the summer, see circus shows daily in the Hippodrome, Circus World’s permanent big top.
FOR MUSIC LOVERS the steel bridge songfest celebrates its fourth season June 12 – 14 in Sturgeon Bay. Steel Bridge benefits the preservation of Michigan Street Bridge, the iconic gateway to Door County and a historic Wisconsin landmark. The structure, built in 1930, is one of only two like it in the country. Organized by pat mAcdonald, the event brings together more than 100 bands and musicians from across the nation to perform, speak out and create. One of the most unique aspects of the Fest is The Construction Zone, a five-day collaborative songwriting workshop for 25 invited artists, who will be performing around town during the weekend. Fest headliners include mAcdonald, Jackson Browne, Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s, Eric McFadden of P-Funk, Victor DeLorenzo of the Violent Femmes, Ian Moore and Louise Goffin. Jazz in the Park and Florentine at the Lake are grand outdoor music traditions in Milwaukee, and Madison has one of its own –
10 | covered | Vital Source
Concerts on the Square, free performances by the Madison Chamber Orchestra on the grounds of the state capitol. The 2008 season marks the series’ 25th anniversary, so it’s sure to be bigger and more beautiful than ever. Rough it and bring a blanket and a picnic, or make a donation and reserve a table with linens and a catered meal. Get a true taste of rustic Wisconsin at Bill Jorgenson’s Heritage Farms Bluegrass Festival, June 13 – 15 in Kewaunee. Banjo-man Bill Jorgenson, the father of Wisconsin bluegrass, died last year at the age of 77, and this year’s festival is held in his memory. Spend three days getting down to the authentic sound of ten Midwestern bluegrass bands, then stay up past your bedtime dancing in the barn – or around the bonfire. Country food from the farm kitchen will be available for purchase and there are three fullservice campgrounds in the vicinity for the ultimate backwoods hospitality experience! Closer to home, our fave summer music spree is the late-season Global Union, hosted at the band shell in Milwaukee’s Humboldt Park by Alverno Presents. There’s a palpable feeling of community friendliness and worldly goodwill when you bring in acts of all different flavors from all over the world and let people enjoy their talent and passion for free. We’re looking forward to it.
IF YOU’RE STILL STUCK … t h er e’s way mor e to su m m er i n m i lwau k ee t h a n festival season (though of course festivals are fun, too) – you could easily plan a full-on long-weekend vacation without ever leaving the county. Of course, for enthusiasts of that other kind of bike, there’s a great deal in store this summer. It’s Harley Davidson’s 105th Anniversary, August 28-31. The ride-in is bigger than ever, with 105 major starting cities across the country and 80 smaller starting points. And the Harley-Davidson Museum opens in July at 6th and Canal in the rejuvenated Menomonee Valley. Harley-Davidson is one of Milwaukee’s great industrial icons, and the design of the museum reflects that legacy while making serious steps toward environmental sustainability. Plus, everyone knows that motorcycles get way better gas mileage than cars. If you still find yourself feeling shut in – or just broke – remember all of the fabulous civic institutions you can access for cheap or free as a city resident: the Milwaukee Public Museum is free on Mondays, Milwaukee Art Museum on Wednesdays. Take $1.75 off each admission to the Milwaukee County Zoo on Wednesdays. For $10, get a “Magnificent Three” pass valid for admission to the Charles Allis Art Museum, Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum and the Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion. That’s a whiz-bang $3.33 a visit – and you don’t have to see them all the same day! Alright, so you’re out of ideas. Or you’re full of them. The next step? Visit our website, where you’ll find contact information, planning resources, links to maps, routes and trails, and about a dozen other ideas that we couldn’t fit in print. There’s everything you need to minimize your impact and maximize both your money and your enjoyment. Until then, happy trails. VS Still have questions, or ideas to share? Come see us at the Jackalope Lounj on May 16, or send us an email through the website.
happy trails
vitalsourcemag.com
Vital Source | 11
Echo Base Collective wants to connect kids to bicycles – and self-respect By Erin Wolf “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.”
D
ave Casillas, of the newly founded Echo Base Collective, is not only familiar with this proverb; he is actively trying to live by it. “People don’t appreciate what they have. They’ve got cars, but don’t treat their cars with respect; they don’t drive respectfully. Bike riders, too. They should stop at stop signs instead of plowing through them.” This motivated 23-year-old isn’t merely preaching Utopianism. Echo Base Collective (Milwaukee’s second bike collective – the other is at 2910 W. Clybourn Street) is located in the industrial environs of Walker’s Point, between Milwaukee’s Third Ward and Bay View. It’s an exercise in idealism, but with the proper pushes from the right people, it could become a place where anyone can not only find a bicycle to get them out of doors and into a more active lifestyle, but also learn how to maintain their own bikes and help build bikes for others. Casillas’ motivation comes from his own volunteer experiences and via a cross-country biking expedition that introduced him to collectives on the west coast. He was impressed with what he encountered there. “In Portland, there are four different free bike programs.
12 | feature | Vital Source
[In Milwaukee] I’ve gone through the hard work of finding the space and providing the ability to create something. It’s up to everyone else to own up to the fact that they can better their community and own lives.”
The collective, a bare-bones space for the moment, houses over 50 bicycles, both kids’ and adults’, mostly donated by The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee and salvaged from Casillas’ own scouting for discarded bikes. They hang from racks on the wall of the collective, ready to be worked on; many wait in storage. The trick is to find enough people to pitch in and make them all working machines. “I’m very motivated, more so than most people,” Casillas says of his mindset towards his collective. “When someone says, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ll totally help you,’ I would have to go to their house, wake them up, drag them out and probably dress them just to get them to come down. I’m really looking for people who are motivated enough to take their own initiative.” “[The other collectives I’ve worked in before] have already been established for two or three years,” explains Casillas. “Starting out is the hardest part – it’s as grassroots as you get. I need teachers, people who just want to sweep the floor – anything – even to sort
through all these tires. I want to create an environment where you can just enjoy the company of other people.”
This is the bottom line from which Casillas is building the foundation of the collective: enjoying the company of others and developing mutual respect through hard work. “I pretty much started Echo Base as a facility to put a bike between every pair of legs – as long as you’re willing to go through the effort of putting it together, knowing how [a bike] works [in order to] have a higher appreciation of it.” In his past experience with bike collectives, Casillas has watched people who were both physically and socially inactive become fit, knowledgeable and concerned about the world beyond their door. “I’m trying to increase people’s motivation to tread a little lighter and be a little more conscious of everything they’re doing. Breaking it down into the basic elements of a bicycle [is what I want to do].” Philosophically, it’s about respecting one’s self and others and living by one’s values. Casillas knows that this self-respect can be instilled at an early age, which is why he wants to work with Milwaukee’s youth to make sure that they not only have a bicycle to call their own, but that they also appreciate where it came
exercising ideals
from and know how to maintain it themselves. “One of the main elements of this collective is to work with kids, because if anyone’s really going to have problems in the future, it’s them.” He cites not only the negative social influence but also the unprecedentedly sedentary lifestyles of a young generation raised on TV, video games and computer access. The heartfelt belief that Echo Base’s work can make a difference is his driving motivation, but affecting meaningful change in the long run holds inherent challenges. In the case of the Echo Base Collective, the immediate need is for volunteers. “I want to start a program where we give kids bikes, but right now, we don’t have the manpower. We have about 30 kids’ bikes. They need to be checked over from point zero to point one hundred. I want to have workshops with kids, but since we’re low on volunteers, it’s going to have to be kids bringing in their own bikes to have them fixed with their parents.”
Once Casillas has the manpower to get the bikes rolling and volunteers to teach maintenance and do maintenance, there will be ‘free’ bikes available to kids. The only stipulations: “They’ll need to have a helmet, a lock, a light and a parent to say it’s okay.” Echo Base is far from being just a glimmer in Casillas’ eye. It’s an actual building. The building has actual bicycles. There is some real funding from Casillas’ own pocket from his job as a cook and from fundraisers put together by local musicians and traveling musicians. Now it’s time for the actual community step in. “People don’t know what it is I’m really trying to do here,” Casillas mentions of Echo Bases’ part-time alter-ego as venue for the aforementioned concert fundraisers. “People [come in and] see 20 bikes on the wall, and don’t know what they’re there for.” Casillas wants to see the collective work in the Milwaukee community because, from his travels, he knows that such things are not just idealistic fantasies, but realities. He believes that each individual in our community can greatly benefit from volunteering just a little time and effort. “Volunteering helps a person understand and respect themselves a little more than they think it will. And there’s a higher enjoyment of life when you respect yourself.” VS Echo Base Collective is located at 830 S. Barclay Street. To volunteer time and/or learn how to build a bicycle or help build bicycles for your community, e-mail echobase1@riseup.net. Donations of bicycle parts, bicycles and tools are also needed and appreciated. For more information, visit myspace.com/830southbarclay.
exercising ideals
Vital Source | feature | 13
Chris gets a gig >>By Howie Goldklang
H
ello to everyone in WI Film Land. Peep this exclusive REEL Milwaukee interview with Milwaukee filmmaker / jack of all on-set trades Chris T.K. Coyne for an inside look at Universal Pictures’ Public Enemies, with Oscar-nominated director Michael Mann (The Aviator, Heat, Ali, Collateral) and Oscar-winning actor Johnny Depp (21 Jump Street, Cry Baby, Nightmare on Elm Street). Chris is on the set full-time as an office and costume production assistant, so he gets to see it ALL. Enough of my hot air.
How did you hear about Public Enemies / get hired? I had been reading about Public Enemies for a while. I just could not picture a film of that scale [Ed.: upwards of $100 million] happening in Wisconsin. Take into consideration the weather and the fact that we only see the sun in Wisconsin for a precious few months in the summer – the weather is not on the side of the filmmaker. But then you add in a check for 25% of your budget from the state and the weather becomes something you can deal with. As far as getting my foot in the door, you could have the best
14 | reel milwaukee | Vital Source
resume in the world and it doesn’t matter unless someone knows you. I submitted my resume to a few different departments and didn’t get any calls back. And then a friend of mine knew someone who was working on the film and was able to recommend me. When they say it is all about who you know, they mean it. Most of the crew is from L.A. or New York. Michael Mann has worked with much of his team on previous projects. You can’t blame him for that. It would be like a CEO throwing out his whole staff and hiring new people every year. By working with the same people he is able to get more done and be more efficient.
Bring us up to date on your filmmaking background and how you landed back in WI. I left Wisconsin in 1997 and headed to Colorado College for my Bachelors, then moved to Washington DC to work on documentaries. I worked with the Discovery Channel for a while and then decided that I really wanted to get back into film. I decided to go to film school for an MFA [and] ended up at Savannah College of Art and Design. The great thing about their program was the industry professionals who brought their knowledge to the classroom. My professors ranged from people who produced The Breakfast Club to people who directed Angelina Jolie and Leonardo DiCaprio before they became mega-stars.
v i t a l c u lt u r e
I left Savannah College planning on heading to Los Angeles. And then gradually, bit by bit, the possibility of film in Wisconsin started to become a reality. For starters, the new tax incentives are solid and some of the best in the U.S. Wisconsin also has a lot of places people haven’t seen on screen. Before I ended up on Public Enemies, I was in the process of producing a feature independent, Gods and Robots (godsandrobots.com). As soon as my duties are done on PE, I will go back to trying to bring that film to the big screen. My work as a Director of Photography is at my website, christkcoyne.com. I currently have a number of short films in festivals.
Any good stories from the set? Near misses? Flubs and flaws?
the last second, the camera department needed someone to dress up in period clothing and jump into the scene. I had long hair and a beard at the time. They sent me to hair and makeup. I had five women cutting my hair and trimming my beard at the same time. It was quite the whirlwind. I got back to set and jumped into period clothing and then got a 30-second tutorial on how to use the camera. The camera was actually shooting Kodak Vision 3, 35mm stock. There is a good chance it will end up in the film as the view from the news cameras. My goal is to be a professional Director of Photography, so getting to shoot Johnny Depp under award-winning Director of Photography Dante Spinotti (Last of The Mochicans, The Insider, L.A. Confidential, Heat) was a dream come true. [The temperature] was in the 30s, not snowing but definitely raining. I was only out there for three hours in the rain. The other extras who were out there for eight hours in 1930s clothing were troupers. Filmmaking is like sausage; you only want to see the finished product. The illusion of filmmaking glamour is just that – illusion. At the end of the day you spend 16 hours on a 30-second scene. You have to love making movies if you want to do it for a career. If you don’t, you’ll burn out really fast. VS
My best time so far has been getting to shoot on a vintage Mitchell 35 camera from the 1930s that was in front of the line (part of a scene). At
For more information on Chris Coyne and the Public Enemies crew, check out their hush-hush blog at publicenemiescolumbus.blogspot.com.
What has surprised you most about Michael Mann and the way he runs a set? This is a loaded question – enough to say he has a unique style of directing. Were you to find me in a bar and had we had enough to drink I might tell stories. I will say he is shorter than I expected.
cinema Vital culture SON OF RAMBOW >> by Russ Bickerstaff Starring: Bill Milner, Will Poulter, Adam Godley, Ed Westwick, Jules Sitruk, Natalie Hallam, Charlie Thrift, Eric Sykes, Zofia Brooks Written and Directed By: Garth Jennings Paramount Vantage Rated PG-13
N
early two years after the critical disaster that was the huge-budget Hollywood adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, British Director Garth Jennings pasted together a smallbudget film that quite nearly atoned for his work on the Walt Disney mega-turkey. With a tiny cast of virtually no-ones working on an extremely small scale, Jennings follows up a large-scale misstep with a brilliant work of independent cinema. In the haze of the early 1980s, a primary school boy named Will (Bill Milner) struggles with acceptance amongst his peers. His family belongs to an ultra-conservative Christian sect known as the Plymouth Brethren. Thanks to Brethren doctrine, Will is not allowed to watch television, go to the cinema or even listen to the radio. After a particularly rough day at school, the imaginative, artistic Will falls in with an irreverent misfit named Carter (Will Poulter). Will’s social world is instantly transformed as Carter becomes his first real friend – and when he discovers a bootleg video of Rambo: First Blood. Carter and Will join forces to create a video tribute to the now-classic action flick. Will and Carter face classic difficulties in filmmaking: scheduling problems, budget concerns and safety issues all play out on a grade-
v i t a l c u lt u r e
Bill Milner and Will Poulter in Son of Rambow
school level. When a popular French foreign exchange student (played with sophisticated precision by Jules Sitruk) asks to be in the film, Will and Carter suddenly find themselves dealing with the difficulties inherent in employing a big-name star. Son of Rambow’s textbook Hollywood plot structure doesn’t offer any surprises, but with sheer exuberance, the film derives its almost-limitless joy from the passion that draws people to cinema in the first place. Poulter and Milner prove to be consummate professionals, carving compelling performances from Jennings’ cunningly simple script. There may be very little here beyond a simple love for film, but it proves to be far more than enough to keep it together. VS
Vital Source | cinema | 15
Vital culture stages
robert robinson 5/10
>>by russ bickerstaff
the nerd 5/2-5/25
OVER THE TAVERN 5/2-5/18
FANTASY AND ROMANCE The 2007-08 performing arts season draws to a close in May with laughter and passion. The Madison Rep opens its production of the hit comedy that worked so well last year at this time for the Milwaukee Rep with Larry Shue’s The Nerd. Closer to home, In Tandem finishes its first season at the newly completed Tenth Street Theatre with The Girl in the Frame, a comic musical about marriage and romantic fantasy. Windfall Theatre shows the passion and intimacy of which musical theater is capable with A New Brain, William Finn’s autobiographical play about brain cancer. It just might be the most emotionally affecting
THEATRICAL PREVIEWS A NEW BRAIN Windfall Theatre closes its season with this contemporary musical by composer William Finn. It’s a deeply personal, autobiographical piece about Finn’s battle with brain cancer. May 2 -17 at Village Church Arts. 414-332-3963 or windfalltheatre.com THE NERD Go west for a rousing game of socks and shoes with charmingly intolerable Rick as The Madison Repertory Theatre presents the classic 1980s comedy by former Milwaukee Rep fixture Larry Shue. May 2 - 25 at the Overture Center’s Playhouse. 608-258-4141 or madisonrep.org OVER THE TAVERN Tom Dudzick’s prequel to comedy King O’ The Moon comes to The Waukesha Civic Theatre May 2 -18. Meet the Pazinskis: a middle-American family living an idyllic life in the ‘burbs in the 1950’s. 262-547-0708 or waukeshacivictheatre.org ONE ACTS: THE NEXT BIG THING Pink Banana Theatre presents the next in its series of one-acts on the stage of the Alchemist Theatre. Featuring work from a number of local playwrights. May 8 – 24. 414-426-4169 or alchemisttheatre.com
16 | stages | Vital Source
evening of musical theater to come along all season. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra hosts its single biggest blockbuster this side of The Messiah as legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma comes to town on the seventh. In dance, the Milwaukee Ballet closes its superb season with a little bit of fancy fantasy dance as it brings The Kingdom of Shades and Offenbach In The Underworld to the stage alongside a new work by Artistic Director Michael Pink. In another imaginative take, visiting company Storybook Dance Theater presents a family-friendly performance based on Alice in Wonderland.
SHADOWLANDS Acacia Theatre presents the real-life love story of British novelist C.S. Lewis and American poet Joy Davidman. William Nicholson’s acclaimed drama runs May 9 – 18 at Concordia University’s Todd Wehr Auditorium. 414-744-5995 or acaciatheatre.com THE MISS FIRECRACKER CONTEST The Strollers Theatre in Madison presents Beth Henley’s heartwarming comedy about one girl’s search for acceptance through tap dancing, roman candles and strange behavior in a hoop skirt. May 14 – 31 at the Bartell Theatre. 608-661-9696 or madstage.org THE COVER OF LIFE The Isadora Theatre Company in Fish Creek presents the R.T. Robinson drama about women left behind during World War II and the cover of Life Magazine. May 15 – 25 in Door County. 920-493-3667 or isadora.com THE SPITFIRE GRILL The Skylight Opera Theatre closes its season with a production of the acclaimed musical drama May 23 – June 15 at the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre. 414-291-7800 or skylightopera.com GUYS AND DOLLS The Racine Theater Guild presents the beloved mobster musical by Loesser, Swering
and Burrows. May 16 – June 8. 262-633-4218 or racinetheatre.org THE GIRL IN THE FRAME In Tandem Theatre closes its first season at the Tenth Street Theatre with a farcical fantasy musical. A man’s dream girl steps out of a photograph, causing complications in his relationship with his fiancé. May 29 – June 15. 414-444-6144 or intandemtheare.com PLAY IN A DAY 3: THE 24-HOUR MUSICAL! Alamo Basement and Insurgent Theatre present a fully staged musical extravaganza written in a single day. May 10 at the Tenth Street Theatre. 414-271-1371 or insurgenttheatre.org THE BOYS NEXT DOOR A kind, overworked social worker looks after a group of mentally handicapped men in this endearing comedy by Tom Griffin. May 22 – June 8 at the Sunset Playhouse in Elm Grove. 262-782-4430 or sunsetplayhouse.com
MUSIC OF NOTE GRAND SLAM FINALE: THE BASEBALL MUSIC PROJECT The Fox Valley Symphony closes its season with an evening of symphonic music arranged and composed around the theme of baseball. Hall of Famer Dave Winfield narrates the
v i t a l c u lt u r e
stages Vital culture evening, which includes music by Sousa, Randy Newman and James Horner. May 3 at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. 920-968-0300 or foxvalleysymphony.com AUSTRIA-HUNGARY: CAPTIVATING CONTINENTALS Jeffrey Siegel presents the final show in this season’s Keyboard Conversations series with a concert featuring pieces by Strauss, Liszt, Dvorak and Bartok. Wisconsin Lutheran College May 7. 414-443-8802 or wlc.edu/arts YO-YO MA GALA The world-famous cellist joins the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for a concert featuring Beethoven’s Seventh and Strauss’ Don Quixote. May 7 at the Marcus Center. 414-291-7605 or mso.org NATIONS ON PARADE Cellist Joseph Johnson joins Andreas Delfs and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for a concert featuring Beethoven’s Seventh, Harris’ Third Symphony and a cello concerto by Saint-Saens. May 9 -11 at the Marcus Center. 414-291-7605 or mso.org THE SING-ALONG SOUND OF MUSIC The Skylight Opera Theatre presents a singalong evening to the beloved film classic. Bring your lederhosen May 9 – 10 to the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre. 414-291-7800 or skylightopera.com CANTUS — INTO TEMPTATION This all-male vocal group has gained a name for itself performing everything from chant to folk to spirituals to pop to classical. May 10 at the Wilson Center. 262-781-9520 or wilson-center.com ROBERT ROBINSON AND TCC Celebrating the rich tradition of African-American gospel music, this multi-cultural vocal group brings its harmony to the Schauer Center May 10. 262-670-0560 or schauercenter.org MENDELSSOHN STRING QUARTET This New York quartet, now celebrating its 30th anniversary season, performs with Jonathan Bliss May 17 at the Wilson Center. 262-781-9520 or wilson-center.org A NEW SPIRIT The Concord Chamber Orchestra welcomes The Master Singers of Milwaukee in a concert featuring the work of Lehar, Hovhaness and Leonard Bernstein. May 18 at St. Mathew’s Evangelical
v i t a l c u lt u r e
Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa. 414-347-0881 or concordorchestra.org IN THE BEGINNING The Bel Canto Chorus closes its season at the Wilson Center with a concert featuring pieces by Aaron Copland and Franz Josef Haydn. May 18. 414-481-8801 or belcanto.org INNOCENCE LOST: MUSIC OF THE ‘60’S The Waukesha Symphony Orchestra closes its season with a concert commemorating the turbulent 1960’s. Soprano Marjorie Owens performs the score to two scenes from 1966’s Anthony and Cleopatra. Also featuring Mahler’s First Symphony and a piece by Richard Strauss. May 20 at Carroll College’s Shattuck Auditorium. 262-547-1858 or waukeshasymphony.org GRANDEUR AND WORSHIP Andreas Delfs conducts the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in a concert featuring Bach’s Mass in B minor. Featuring guest vocal soloists Hyunah Yu and Alfred Walker. May 23 and 24 at the Marcus Center For The Performing Arts. 414-291-7605 or mso.org
ONGOING Suddenly Last Summer with Dramatist Theatre through May 10 at the Marion Center. 414-243-9168 or www.dramatiststheatre.com Hula Hoop Sha-Boop, Milwaukee Rep at the Stackner Cabaret. Through May 11. 414-224-9490 or milwaukeerep.com A Year With Frog And Toad, First Stage Children’s Theatre at the Marcus Center. Through May 18. 414-273-7206 or firststage.org Fat Pig, Renaissance Theaterworks at the Broadway Theatre Center’s Studio Theatre. Through May 18. 414-291-7800 or r-t-w.com Armadale, Milwaukee Rep at the Quadracci Powerhouse Theatre. Through May 25. 414-224-9490 or milwaukeerep.com Read weekly theatrical and musical reviews on our website at vitalsourcemag.com.
FROM GERMANY TO RUSSIA Nationally acclaimed violinist Hilary Hahn joins The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Jun Markl for a concert featuring Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Schumann’s First Symphony and Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia. May 29 – June 1 at the Marcus Center. 414-291-7605 or mso.org
DANCE ALICE IN WONDERLAND Storybook Dance Theatre mixes dance with music and multimedia tricks to bring Lewis Carroll’s enduring work of children’s literature to the stage at the Schauer Center May 9. 262-670-0560 or schauercenter.org SEASON FINALE The Milwaukee Ballet closes its season with a show of three works. The Kingdom of Shades from La Bayadere accompanies Offenbach In The Underworld and a new piece by Artistic Director Michael Pink. May 15 – 18 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. 414-902-2103 or milwaukeeballet.org
Vital Source | stages | 17
Essure: Be careful what you wish for f you’re sure you’re done having children, and want a permanent form of birth control, talk to your doctor about Essure,” purred the smooth female voice at the end of the radio commercial. I had heard this ad a couple of times and thought, ‘Essure? What’s that?’ Because I worked in women’s health care for about a decade, it’s rare that I haven’t heard anything about something as basic as a birth control method. A quick glance at the Essure website gave me the snapshot. A doctor places a very small coil in each of a woman’s two fallopian tubes. The coils cause mild irritation inside the tubes, which prompts the body to produce scar tissue. Over a period of three months, enough scar tissue builds up to block the tubes so that sperm can’t pass through to fertilize the eggs. In the interim, a woman must use another form of birth control. At the end of three months, the woman needs to have an imaging test (specifically a hystereosalpingogram, or HSG) of her uterus performed to determine whether her tubes are fully blocked. On the surface, the procedure makes sense, and even sounds appealing.
Falopian tube Essure coil
Essure coil
Uterus
Ovary
Ovary
Vagina
A dream come true? The site’s Benefits and Risks page features a long list of positives, with several items seemingly taken directly from the “birth control wish-list” of many women I know. Essure is a non-surgical sterilization procedure that can be performed in a doctor’s office with no cutting whatsoever. It doesn’t use any hormones or silicone, both of which have received negative press recently and are causing women to think carefully about what goes into their bodies. The fact that the procedure is often covered by insurance makes it seem like a dream come true. But as with anything, it’s important to look past the hyped-up language and directly into the facts.
that quickly, but many need three to five days, “The Essure procedure is covered by most health and some women claim that it took up to two insurance plans …” weeks. Remember, each of us is different. The procedure is usually covered, however, the follow-up HSG rarely is. The cost on that was “No general anesthesia required - … Although reported to be $900 to $2,000. some physicians may offer general anesthesia, this is not a requirement of the procedure …” Turn the coin over It’s true that the procedure doesn’t require general anesthesia. However, many doctors require it for If you’ve been reading my columns for very long, the placement of the coils. you know that I’m typically skeptical of any medical procedure that is hard-sold to the public. So, “No hormones or silicone - … Essure micro- despite the fact that the risks were buried in a inserts do not contain silicone or release PDF several clicks down from the Essure home hormones…” page (and invisible to search engines), I dug them The inserts are hormone and silicone free, but they up and looked them over carefully. Essure makes the following claims on its website: contain nickel, which many people are allergic There were just two clinical trials for the “Quick recovery - … most women return to their to. If you’ve ever had a reaction to jewelry or Essure Permanent Birth Control Procedure, testthe snap on your jeans, you are at risk to have ing its effectiveness on a total of 745 women. normal activities within one day.” Some women return to their normal activities a reaction to the inserts, as well. This seems like an awfully small sample size,
18 | slightly chrunchy parent | Vital Source
vital living
slightly crunchy parent Vital culture especially since the trial period was only five years old at the time the results were published. Essure does disclose that “(v)ery little is known about how well the Essure micro-inserts work beyond the first 5 years. What is currently known about the Essure micro-inserts may change as new information becomes available.” But “what is currently known” is still plenty. Of the 745 women in the trials, 104 were unable to have both coils placed during the procedure. Sixteen had one or both of the tubes come out of their bodies. Thirteen had either their fallopian tube(s) or uterus perforated by one or both coils. When a perforation occurs, the coil is then floating in the abdominal cavity or the uterus. Not only will Essure not be able to provide any birth control in that case, it will probably need to be surgically removed. Because it takes approximately three months for Essure to be fully effective, the trials tracked the women for 15 months after the placement procedure, so that the first year of infertility could be studied. The problems reported from this period of time included steady or recurrent back pain for 67 women, abdominal pain for 28 and painful sexual intercourse for 27 women.
vital living
But wait, there’s more The Summary of Risks paperwork dutifully reported these statistics, but couldn’t possibly reveal how the women who had undergone the placement procedure felt about the Essure method. I was able to find a few online bulletin boards where women were sharing their own experiences and this told me more about Essure than any of my other reading. To be clear, more than 90% of the women posting on the largest bulletin board were positive about the procedure and their resulting sterility (though several posters sold a little too far past the close to be trusted as innocent participants). However, I did read about some very negative experiences, both in having the coils placed and in their effectiveness. Women are reporting ongoing, persistent pain in their backs, sides and/or abdomens. Many women say their periods have changed since the procedure. For some, it got shorter and easier. For others, it was much longer and much more painful. I read several reports of one or both coils perforating the fallopian tubes and requiring major surgery to remove them. For other women, one or
both coils just went missing. They weren’t in the fallopian tubes, nor could they be located in the uterus or in the abdominal cavity. This was the case in one woman who had been told that her tubes were completely blocked at three months post-procedure, but then conceived twins. In total, I read about four pregnancies after women had been told that they were sterile. In one very sad case, the woman’s back-up birth control method failed in the first three months after coil placement. Her husband’s sperm was able to travel to the egg, but the fertilized egg was not able to return to the uterus via the mostly blocked fallopian tube. She had an ectopic pregnancy (in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus) and her tube ruptured one night, waking her with terrible pain and requiring immediate surgery to remove the tube and ovary. Essure is brought to us by the same medical industry that has given women Thalidomide, the Dalcon Shield, Norplant and Premarin. For better or worse, the world we live in is driven by profit, even in what should be an inviolable realm – our basic physical well-being. As always, it’s important to be a knowledgeable consumer, especially of medical care. VS
Vital Source | slightly crunchy parent | 19
Vital living eat this
>>by catherine mcgarry miller
Mom’s sweet comforts
F
ood has always been a human fascination that far surpasses its integral role in survival. We love things that taste good; we crave the flavors that remind us of our childhood, that excite us and that make taking nourishment an experience beyond simple sustenance. Some of us enjoy expanding our palates at a trusted bistro. For others, the sampling of new flavors invites us to recreate the experience in our own kitchens. In this new VITAL column, we’re pairing recipes from area gastronomic gurus with those of community contributors who just love to
cook. All are here for your enjoyment, and for you to try at home. We hope these recipes will open up fresh and fabulous culinary territory for you, while introducing local resources for high quality and inventive foods and beverages. This month we celebrate Mother’s Day with two recipes that embody the spirit of Mom’s kitchen magic. The first is an elegant spin on an old chestnut by Chef Cristopher Taube of the Milwaukee Chop House; the second is one of my own mother’s favorite cakes that’s easy and delicious.
Chef Christopher Taube’s Grilled Peach Melba
Mary Miller’s Apple Walnut Cake
Milwaukee Chop House milwaukeechophouse.com
(Adapted from Cate Miller’s book, The Gutless Gourmet)
This dessert, first created in the late 19th century, was seminal French chef Auguste Escoffier’s panegyric to his favorite opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba. The original was made with vanilla ice cream and fresh peaches with a raspberry sauce. La Melba, who worried about the effect of cold ice cream on her valued vocal chords, would appreciate the unfrozen mascarpone substitution in Chef Taube’s luscious version.
My mother took great pride in her cooking and this cake was one of her triumphs because it’s simple, sensational and so moist it lasts for a week in the fridge if not gobbled up sooner! 4 c coarsely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples 2 c sugar 2 eggs ½ c vegetable oil 2 t vanilla 2 c flour, sifted 2 t baking soda 2 t cinnamon 1 t salt 1 ½ c chopped, toasted walnuts*
For the whipped mascarpone: ½ c mascarpone cheese ¼ c crème fraiche (or sour cream) 1 T honey 2 T granulated sugar In a mixing bowl with a wire whip, combine the crème fraiche, sugar and honey. A little at a time, add the mascarpone cheese, incorporating well after each addition. Cover and refrigerate until needed. For the Apple brandy gastrique: ¼ c cider vinegar ¼ c apple brandy ¼ c granulated sugar 1 T unsalted butter Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepot and bring to a boil, reducing until just before the caramel stage. Add the apple brandy. Continue cooking until reduced by half and remove from fire. Whisk in butter and hold warm. For Grilled Peaches and to Assemble: 1 fresh peach, halved ¼ c apple brandy gastrique ¾ c whipped mascarpone
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine apples and sugar and let stand. Beat eggs slightly, then beat in oil and vanilla. Sift and mix flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir in apples and walnuts. Spread dough out in a 13x9x2 inch pan and bake one hour. *To toast walnuts: Spread shelled nuts in a single layer in a shallow pan. Heat in a slow oven at 275 degrees, for 25 to 30 minutes. Fresh Lemon Frosting 4 T butter 3 c confectioner’s sugar 2 T fresh lemon juice 2 T water Dash salt Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in lemon juice and salt. Add water as needed to reach spreading consistency. Wait until cake is thoroughly cooled before frosting.
Grill peaches over moderate heat until tender, turning often. (You may sauté the peach halves in a small amount of butter instead.) Remove from grill and cut halves into four quarters. Lay two on a plate in an X. Top with mascarpone mixture and drizzle generously with apple brandy gastrique.
20 | eat this | Vital Source
v i t a l LIVI N G
vitalsourcemag.com
Vital Source | 21
22 | Vital Source
vitalsourcemag.com
funny page news + Views drawing from memory
get your war on
v i t a l c u lt u r e
>>by dwellephant
>>by david rees
Vital Source | funny page | 23
Vital’s Picks >> By lindsey huster
Updated all month long at VITALsourcemag.com
International Pop Overthrow May 1-4 – Linneman’s Traditionally, pop music has been scrutinized for its surface-level tendencies, the simplicity of its melodic structure and questions of authenticity. But it’s come into its own in recent years, and of course, pop music is a closet secret of even the most critical connoisseur (who can’t resist Michael Jackson after a hard day?). For that very reason, International Pop Overthrow comes to Milwaukee to spread its mission of love, appreciation and education that the genre so richly deserves. After years of festivals in Chicago and New York, IPO has finally expanded to the Milwaukee area this May. On the roster for MKE includes a smorgasbord of Milwaukee pop favorites, including the power-pop Knit Delicates, the moody, spooky new-wave rock of The Dark Horse Project and classic alt-rockers Litmus Vinyl. Show some support for a few Milwaukee favorites and give in to your popish tendencies at IPO. internationalpopoverthrow.com Milwaukee Short Film Festival May 29: Kick-off party, Art Bar May 30/31: opening night/Various programs, The Alchemist Theatre June 1: Juried Films and Awards, Times Cinema Great things come in small packages - babies, puppies, kitties, the Milwaukee Short Film Festival. Now in its 10th year, MSFF proves once again that even just a little (a few minutes, perhaps) can go a long way. Under the direction of Ross Bigley and Dirty Job Films, MSFF gives May a kick with a kick-off party at Art Bar and three days of short film screenings, some made in Milwaukee, some shipped in from around the world. May 30 is opening night, with special screenings including the premiere of VITAL blogger R. Michael Gull’s Victim, followed by an after-party performance by Binky Tunny and The Farmland Chokehold. Saturday’s program includes Homegrown Films, World View Day and a “Late Night” screening of darker material, followed by an after-party with music by the Independent Idols. Juried films and festival awards are Sunday at the Times Cinema. The small and the modest shall inherit the earth, we think, and MSFF proves once again to be doing great things in small doses on Milwaukee’s film scene. Tickets for May 30 and 31 at alchemisttheatre.com, complete schedule at dirtyjobfilms.com VibranC hosted by IN:SITE Sherman Park Wake up! It’s spring! See some art. You don’t even need to go to a gallery. Instead, stay outside, enjoy the weather and take a stroll through Sherman Park, where temporary installation advocates IN:SITE have produced a whole new round of projects in public spaces. This spring’s theme, “VibranC,” brings a broad spectrum of works to liven up your ho-hum paths of commute, and you might be surprised where you find it: how about a refurbished vending machine where your change can buy you photographs of Milwaukee, by Green Gallery owner John Riepenhoff? Maybe you’ll be taken aback by IN:SITE’s interactive trashcans which come locked and loaded with a message about the waste produced by consumerism.
24 | may picks | Vital Source
08
It might just be the quiet gorgeousness of the Sherman Park Community Association’s “stained glass windows” that really catch your attention. Participating artists include Melanie Kehoss, Carrie Hoelzer and Cari Enot. Keep your eyes peeled. insitemilwaukee.org Elmbrook Historical Society 14th Annual Civil War Days Reenactment May 3-4 – Elmbrook Historical Society If you’re in need of some historical perspective this spring, you might consider taking in the 14th Annual Elmbrook Historical Society Civil War Days Reenactment. During this two-day event, relive the tension of the Gray and Blue coats (all actors of course) as they camp out overnight on the grounds of the Dousman Sragecoach Inn and demonstrate the daily trials of a soldier’s life in the Civil War era. Watch them cook and prepare for battle while canons boom in the distance – how realistic! And don’t leave without watching a skirmish or two and see Abraham Lincoln give his inaugural address. 262-782-4057 or elmbrookhistoricalsociety.org Sing-along Sound of Music May 9-10 - Cabot Theatre Soon, the hills of Milwaukee will be alive with the sound of much needed sing-along. Julie Andrews fans and musicals playgoers will bond in the only way they know how: The Sound of Music! Featured in full-screen Technicolor along with subtitles for less-hardcore fans, all attendees will have an equal opportunity to take part. The event will begin with a vocal warm-up and everyone will get a pack of props to be used throughout the film. Those with great tailoring skills (and chintzy curtains) are invited to take part in the costume competition. So stretch those vocal chords before this movie says so long, farewell at the Skylight Opera. 414-291-7800 or skylightopera.com A Prairie Home Companion May 10 – Milwaukee Theater From its 1974 inception in St. Paul, Minnesota to a movie starring none other than Lindsay Lohan, A Prairie Home Companion has endured as perhaps our most beloved and reliable radio program, reaching more than 4 million listeners each week across the country. Jermaine & Bret are Flight of the Conchords. Baguette?
Get yourself an education with M.I.A. at Turner Hall.
The variety show, featuring the soothing voice and sparkling wit of Garrison Keillor, is known for its fresh folk musicians as well as the beloved “News from Lake Wobegon” pieces, written by Keillor. Enjoy the acclaimed public radio broadcast in the comforts of the Milwaukee Theater. A live taping of Prairie is a special event indeed, and always sells out. 414-908-6001 or prairiehome.publicradio.org Flight of the Conchords May 11 – Riverside Theater Bret – here. Jermaine – here. Murray – present. All right, now that roll has been called we can get down to business. Flight of the Conchords will be playing in Milwaukee at the Riverside Theater. Things have really picked up for the New Zealand self-proclaimed “4th most popular guitar-based-digibongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo” since HBO picked up the former BBC show in 2007. Now things are better than ever for the comedy-musical duo that shares a one-room apartment in New York City. With a new album that features some favorites of the show Jermaine and Bret can finally land a gig or two and more than one fan. 414-286-3663 or pabsttheater.com M.I.A. May 12 – Turner Hall Ballroom Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam is no longer missing in action (thankfully for Milwaukee). Also known as M.I.A., everyone’s a winner now that she’s making fame with the release of her second album Kala, named affectionately after her mother. M.I.A’s wildly artistic demeanor and political outcry pours easily from this album, which has drawn followers from a wide variety of musical genres, including hip-hop, raga, electro and everything in between. So don’t miss this wildly-hyped and celebrated artist whose latest album was dubbed number one of the year by both Rolling Stone and Blender. This Turner Hall performance is sure to not only sell out, but also pack and deliver — like UPS trucks. 414-286-3663 or pabsttheater.org Swap-O-Rama-Rama May 17 – Future Green Tis’ the season for spring cleaning! Before you retire your frumpy frocks and garbs to the ever-heaping landfills, stop by Future Green to put a tried and true enviro-saying to action: reduce, reuse, recycle! Swap until you drop with other pre-worn (but just as lovable) articles from conscientious clothing consumers, and tap into some inner DIY skills to transform those homely hand-me-downs with embroider y, stamping, k nitting and on-site silk-screening. Before you know it, you’ll be leaving this event guilt-free, with a new wardrobe, a still-full wallet and less landfill waste. 414-294-4300 or futuregreen.net continued on page 26
Vital Source | may picks | 25
seminars and special prices will be also be available for potential buyers. 414-271-7885 or laackeandjoys.com 4th Annual Pug Fest May 18 – Milwaukee County Sports Complex With an endearing snout, wrinkled face and screw tail at the end of this four-legged friend, few dog lovers can resist the charm of the pug. Owners and admirers alike will gather at the Milwaukee County Sports Comlpex for the 4th Annual Milwaukee Pugfest to showcase, celebrate and (literally) bless this beloved beast. Show off your pug’s personality with a costume and talent contest or run him through a few pug races (exercise for the pug; entertainment for the people). Or learn about Midwest pug rescues – maybe you’ll even take one home with you! Grab your outstanding Otis and give him a day he’ll never forget: some fetch, fun and new puggy friends. milwaukeepugfest.com See the cutest ugly things on earth at Pugfest.
Paddlefest 2008 May 17-18 – Laacke and Joys “When nature calls you outdoors, how do you answer?” So begs the slogan of Laacke and Joys. But if you ask the largest manufacturer and retailer in Milwaukee the answer is easy – with a paddle! This May, test out over 100 different models of canoes and kayaks at Paddlefest 2008, Wisconsin’s largest test-paddling event. Giving a new meaning to the saying “try before you buy,” Laacke and Joys will allow customers take a spin (hopefully not a swim) in the Milwaukee River with the canoe or kayak of their choice. Clinics,
26 | may picks | Vital Source
Schwartz Live at Alverno: Barbara Walters May 29 – Pitman Theater For years, Barbara Walters has been asking all the questions. She made history as the first female evening broadcast news anchor. With every interview, from world leaders to notorious newsmakers to pop culture and silver screen icons, Walters has paved the way for women and has become an icon herself. And now, after 40 years, Barbara Walters is finally taking a chance at answering all the questions her fans and admirers have for her. With the release of Audition: A Memoir, fans get a first hand look at what it took for Walters to climb to the top of the media pole. To get a better account and even a chance to meet Walters herself, attend this historic night at the Pitman Theater. 414-382-6044 or schwartzbooks.com
music reviews Vital culture R.E.M. • Accelerate Warner Brothers • remhq.com “A c c eler at e” is t he perfect title for this recording. After eight years of this millennium mired in a slow gear, seemingly lost on some road in the countryside of musical exploration, R.E.M. has picked up the pace and returned to the path they pretty much paved. This recording is thicker, brighter and much more confident in every aspect: songwriting, production and musicianship. The composition is pure and lean, with 11 tight songs that keep the focus on substance. It all works. Starting off with “Living Well is the Best Revenge,” Michael, Peter and Mike (with exemplary playing from second guitarist Scott McCaughey and drummer Bill Rieflin, whose work is the most urgent and propulsive in the band’s history) lay it all out for the listener. Co-Producer Jacknife Lee has situated each instrument in an incontrovertible sonic space/place. There’s a fresh sound throughout, yet it’s undeniably authentic to the band’s history. Beyond all the subtext of their redemption and rebirth, R.E.M. has not just crafted songs that are cohesive as a collection; they also stand up alongside much of their best work. And like the rest of R.E.M.’s best work, they have captured their muse in each song: four minutes or less of absolute essence. The back-to-back middle passage of “Accelerate” and “Until the Day Is Done” are prime examples: each of a different ilk, both undeniable in their certainty. — Troy Butero Story of the Year • The Black Swan Epitaph • storyoftheyear.com Defining one’s sound on a passing trend can prove a death blow for most acts. But perhaps even more daunting a thought is that of trying to reformat a band’s sound to remain relevant. Story of the Year’s heyday was the release of Page Avenue amidst an explosion of screamo bands. Two albums and a fe w Warped Tours later, the St. Louis crew emerges with The Black Swan, a supposedly seamless integration of the catchiness of their debut with the heavy riffing of 2005’s In the Wake of Determination. While this album may mark the group’s ability to survive without major-label support, it’s full of enough generic guitar riffs and less-
v i t a l c u lt u r e
than-inspiring lyrics to make the dudes in Avenged Sevenfold hold back chuckles. Throughout, this record is shaking with the fear of committing to a sound. Opener “Choose Your Fate” attempts Thricelike energy and lands somewhere between 30 Seconds to Mars and whatever “band of the week” Vagrant Records is promoting. This is not a giant step forward in Story’s growth. Lyrically trying to tackle more serious subject matter, songs like “Message to the World” struggle to articulate communication problems between the U.S. and the rest of the planet. Even more painful is listening to lead singer Dan Marsala feign his concern for racial equality in “We’re Not Gonna Make It.” These are serious issues in the modern world, but Story of the Year’s contrived sound minimizes their importance. For a band that left a major label for ethical reasons, The Black Swan sure sounds like a record written for a paycheck. — Kyle Shaffer Tim Fite • Fair Ain’t Fair Anti- • anti.com Timothy Sullivan ain’t proud of his past life as an MTV “one track” rap wonder, and his work under alias Tim Fite is his attempt at renewal. His free 2007 internet LP, Over the Counter Culture, lashed anger at the state of our hate- and greed-mongering union. Fair Ain’t Fair beelines to the acceptance stage. Opener “Roots of a Tree” insists that we shouldn’t be measured by bygones but by whom we have grown to be. Hippy-dippy sentiment aside, this release isn’t for the faint of heart. An f-bomb drop within seconds of play sets an abrasive tone, but more significantly, since each song is a patchwork of obscure banjo and accordion samples recovered from record store discount bins, the musicality takes patience to comprehend. It’s best to start with the approachable “Yesterday’s Garden,” about a distracted Fite accidentally driving through his girlfriend’s flowerbed. The language is plain and details are omitted, yet a lucid snapshot develops over the course of the record. Outside of literature, these moments are rare, but “Motorcade,” a scene suspended in slow-mo as if ripped from a Wes Anderson film, does it more than once, flecked by toy piano. Tympanis, snares, and other percussion — courtesy of a high school orchestra — on “The Names of All the Animals” and “Rats and Rags” pique interest and help the CD achieve more than just cut and paste. Though “Sing Along” finds Fite back in his old pop politics, he primarily continues to propel forward. “Everyone gets to make one,” he says on “Big Mistake.” If lucky, the error of apocalyptical proportions he’s saving up can match Fair Ain’t Fair’s success in overcoming his minor ones. – A.L. Herzog continued on page 28
Vital Source | music reviews | 27
Vital culture music reviews The Black Keys • Attack & Release Nonesuch Records • nonesuch.com
Fever Marlene • White China Rev Pop • fevermarlena.com
When music nerds think Milw aukee’s F ever of Akron, Ohio, they Marlene have a serious usually conjure images work ethic – they’ve of proto-punk college unflaggingly made their nerds as much influpresence known since enced by neighboring taking up residence Cleveland’s industrial in their Historic Fifth wasteland as by whatWard creative/living ever they were learning space, absorbing the down the road at Kent industriousness of their State that semester — neighborhood. Scott Starr i.e. DEVO. But thanks (guitars, keys, vocals) and to Dan Auerbach and Kevin Dunphy (drums, Patrick Carney, aka The vocals), a duo whose Black Keys, the new sound is more fleshed sound of Akron dates past devolution and slinks back into the primor- out than many a four- or five-piece can claim, received solid praise for dial ooze of dirty, gritty delta blues. Their latest, Attack and Release, their 2007 release Civil War, and their songs spin through the airwaves shuffles and shambles like the soundtrack to one of those run-down of local radio stations not just because they’re “Milwaukee music,” but city skyline montages in some old ‘70s film where the main character because their music is that good. is just driving and driving through town. The music’s rusty, broken-in With White China, Starr and Dunphy are striding it out after a run of successful previous releases. Recorded in the infamous Chelsea Hotel in and comfortably warm. Although the Keys are a duo, Attack and Release takes advantage of New York City, Fever Marlene have returned home to release it on their the recording studio and fills out its riffage with bass, organ and even very own Rev Pop label. flute (!) in the intro to “Same Old Thing.” The extra instrumentation never Dense with pianos, synthesizers, strings and various percussion and held gets in the way, leaving plenty of space for the songs to breathe. You together by Starr’s expressive tenor and Dunphy’s lovely shadow-harmonies, don’t need to get the band back together to hear their brand of blues White China shows that the band is comfortable enough to make slight altera(although I doubt they’d refuse the whole chicken and toast). Drums and tions, but clever enough to stick to the formula. On “Oh Berlin,” the piano intro sets an echo-y Motown backbeat, but when brassy guitar chords and Starr’s guitar will suffice just nicely. The Black Keys sound like road movies and cigarettes smoked at 3 a.m. soft voice kick in, the effect is anything but dated. The sincerity of the songs while drunkenly drifting away on your couch after another Friday night lies in the vocals and lyrics, and the instrumentation follows suit by default. at that same damn bar. In a good way. Seriously, if I don’t turn on TBS in The upbeat “Lemon King Mahoney” and country-tinged “How Do You another 10 years and hear “Things Ain’t Like They Used to Be,” Attack Love?” are diversions from the duo’s blanket of rainy-day pop. “Check for and Release’s dynamite closing track, in some flick involving either Patrick Pulse” gets closer with its looped beats and distantly drawled-out guitars Swayze and truckers or Dennis Hopper and motorcycles, I will have lost – the only thing missing is the hushed sound of raindrops. White China is not Fever Marlene’s pluckiest album, but it is solidly pretty and genuinely faith in Hollywood. –DJ Hostettler enjoyable. Starr and Dunphy have proven that they are more than capable of the songsmith careers they have chosen. –Erin Wolf
28 | music reviews | Vital Source
v i t a l c u lt u r e
record releases Vital culture May 6 T-Bone Burnett Tooth of Crime (Second Dance) Nonesuch Cheap Time s/t In the Red Toni Childs Keep the Faith 429 Gavin DeGraw s/t J Neil Diamond Home Before Dark Columbia Firewater The Golden Hour Bloodshot
v i t a l c u lt u r e
Johnny Mathis A Night to Remember Columbia
The Cab Whisper War Fueled By Ramen
No Age Nouns Sub Pop
Ryan Cabrera The Moon Under Water EMI
Russian Circles Station Suicide Squeeze Shy Child Noise Won’t Stop Kill Rock Stars Keith Sweat Just Me Rhino
May 13
The Charlatans You Cross My Path Cooking Vinyl Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs Atlantic The Fashion s/t Epic
Sarah Bettens Shine Universal
Filter Anthems for the Damned Pulse Recordings
Foxy Brown Brooklyn’s Don Diva Koch
Lil Wayne Tha Carter III Cash Money
Jason Mraz We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things Atlantic The Myriad With Arrows, With Poise Koch Old 97’s Blame It On Gravity New West Pras Experience Magic Image Entertainment We Are Scientists Brain Thrust Mastery Astralwerks Ween The Friends EP MVD Audio
May 20 Keith Anderson C’mon Columbia Nashville
The Wedding Present El Rey Manifesto
May 27
Jeremy Jay A Place Where We Can Go K
Al Green Lay It Down Blue Note
Cyndi Lauper Bring Ya to the Brink Epic
John Hiatt Same Old Man New West
Spiritualized Songs in A&E Spaceman/Universal
Jesse McCartney Departure Hollywood
Donna Summer Crayons Burgundy
Midnight Juggernauts Dystopia Astralwerks
Sybris Into the Trees Absolutely Kosher
Usher Here I Stand LaFace
Vital Source | MAY record releases | 29
wild >> words by matt
Beloit The winter had been cruel and callous, leaving the author teetering on the brink of insanity. Could a simple trip to Beloit – complete with 60-degree weather and a ridiculous house party – finally turn things around, as well as begin to rectify a decades-old sin? Of course it could.
W
hen I was 16 years old, I took a trip with my then-girlfriend to her hometown of Shawano, Wisconsin. We stayed with the family of one of her childhood friends, a family that seemed to be a Midwest version of Salinger’s Glasses – all artistic brilliance and deep-seated neuroses set loose in a picturesque northern Wisconsin town. Appropriately, our weekend was filled with an endless array of off-center adventures: smoking pilfered cigars in a nearby park, cutting each other’s hair in the driveway while blasting the Violent Femmes, trying our hands at hot-wiring a car, getting drunk at a play that one of the family’s older siblings had written. It was one of those improbable, perfectly summer-tinted weekends that stays with you for the rest of your life, and one that I managed to totally cock up at the last minute. Saying our goodbyes on a bleary Sunday morning, my girlfriend’s friend politely asked how I had slept the night before. For whatever reason, I decided to give her a nasty, semisarcastic response, something along the lines of, “Pretty lousy. Thanks for sticking me on the smallest couch you could find!” My incredibly lame sense of humor lost on her, she shot me an icy glare and hissed, “I think it’s time for you to go home.” Fourteen years later, this inexplicable faux pas rattles through my head as I arrive in lovely Beloit, Wisconsin. VITAL’s own Amy Elliott has graciously agreed to spirit me across county lines – to the home of her alma mater – in hopes of saving me from certain doom at the hands of an unrelenting winter and an increasingly suffocating city. Scenic strolls,
30 | subversions | Vital Source
cocktail parties, and absolutely no benefits for injured roller-girls have been promised (joking!). The weather calls for 60 degrees and uninterrupted, unprecedented sunshine. We’ll be staying with Amy’s friend Lynn, operating under the assumption that my houseguest manners have improved slightly in the past decade-and-a-half. Having never visited before, I’m pleasantly surprised to find Beloit a charming little getaway of a town, and absolutely nothing like the awful Kenosha/Racine hellhole I had envisioned (not joking!). Checking in at Lynn’s, we decide to take a walk through the nearby campus. Beloit College is everything my 16-year-old self imagined a college would be: sprawling, idyllic, and home to at least one guy named “Davis.” Far from the concrete nightmare of UW-Milwaukee, it’s the kind of place that reminds you that college is, in fact, a good thing. Well-worn student houses dot the grounds, and an on-campus bar/venue – the C-Haus – is busy with out-of-town bands loading in their gear. Amy even points out a dorm tower where all the, um, “indoor” kids live, a place where staging a lightsaber battle on the front lawn whilst kicking a sweet, sweet trenchcoatand-shorts ensemble is not just tolerated, but actually encouraged. A few hours and some alarmingly strong margaritas later, we gather a small posse and head to The Bop, a neighborhood bar owned and operated by a woman named Bert. It’s here that I realize just how far from Milwaukee I really am. I know this for two reasons: 1.) I’m not sitting at Polish Falcons, listening to Queen on the jukebox and wishing I were dead, and 2.) I catch a glimpse of those creepy, low-budget Madison-area newscasts – you know, the ones that look like they’re being taped in a bedroom and everyone’s name seems to be “Scott.” Leaving The Bop behind, we make our way to a rumored house/dance party, a prospect only made bearable due to the fact that I’m
guaranteed to know absolutely no one. I spend most of the party off to one side, insanity and ill-advised dancing swirling around me. It’s all quite charming, really: watching these people – most of them a decade younger than me – throwing a ridiculous party, believing they’ve discovered something new, something bold and vital. The truth, however, is that I’ve already seen it – have danced with the same people, have struggled to find the same lousy cup of beer, have been to this same party hundreds of times over. I remember one in particular – a New Year’s party – when my friend Brian ended the evening with an impromptu piano performance of a Talking Heads song, all of us standing around him, screaming and singing along: “We’re going boom, boom, boom, and that’s the way we lived…” And then, the ending. A ridiculous swell of drunken voices: “In a great big room, and that’s … the way … we … lived!” Back in Beloit, it suddenly comes to our attention that the cops have shown up. Amy and I decide to call it quits and are heading for the door when we’re stopped by a clearly nervous partygoer. “Hey, the cops are out there! No one leaves this house!” We just laugh and walk past him, leaving it all behind. VS Matt Wild’s house guest manners have indeed improved, thank you.
vitalsourcemag.com
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: c = s
k=a
Crossword
Across 1 Wine county 5 Operatic song 9 Air pollution 13 Frosted 14 Flippers 15 Musical notation 16 Give up 19 Tennis part 20 Mythical craft 21 Antecedents 22 Allow 23 Type of paper 24 Battery contents 27 Rabbit 29 Auction off 32 Muse of poetry 33 Cry of surprise 34 Fabrication 35 Allot, with “out” 36 Coal container 37 French door part 38 Business abbr. 39 Landlord’s due 40 Shady spot 41 Cheers 43 Aquatic plant
Sudoku
puzzles
To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1-9.
44 Camera feature 45 Coral reef 47 Mme., in Madrid 49 Diving duck 50 Some votes 51 Behold 54 Take corrective action 57 Telephones 58 Praise 59 Assortment 60 London’s ___ Park 61 Doctrines 62 Nonverbal OKs Down 1 Pesky insects 2 Suffer 3 Chipper 4 Commotion 5 Blazing 6 Command attention upon arriving 7 Division word 8 Blond shade 9 Ladles 10 Do yardwork 11 Assayers’ stuff 12 Solidify
15 Greek portico 17 With 39 Down, Emerson predecessors 18 Flubbed 23 Take in a foreign national 24 Hippodrome, e.g. 25 Come down with an illness 26 Resident (Suffix) 28 Maturing 30 After dotted and finish 31 Bad look 32 Arab ruler 37 The Black Cat writer 39 See 17 Down 40 Bored 42 Mainstay 46 Ballpark figure 48 Marsh growth 49 Dog command 50 Goat hair fabrics 51 Fodder holder 52 Geraint’s lady 53 Freudian topics 54 Edu. institution (Abbr.) 55 Actor Wallach 56 Adams of Get Smart
april Crossword Answers
Vital Source | puzzle page | 31