The Anodyne cafe on Bruce Street has long been a reliable source of solid live-music options. From sharp local acts to perhaps slightly under the radar national artists, you could stop by the Walker’s Point location on just about any random night and spend an enjoyable hour or two of sipping and singing.
What’s happening at the Anodyne on Bruce in a couple weeks, however, is far from random. On Oct. 17, the venue will host one of its biggest shows ever when Yo La Tengo takes the stage as part of a tour that forces us to be selective about the details we share.
A quick explainer: For a multitude of reasons involving our identity as a non-commercial radio/media entity, we take great pains to remain nonpartisan. So when a situation like this arises, with a core 88Nine artist announcing a Milwaukee-area concert in conjunction with a particular campaign, we focus on the former rather than the latter because we feel it’s important to let you know about opportunities to see bands we like and support.
So how did Yo La Tengo wind up booking a gig at Anodyne when past visits to Milwaukee have brought them to rooms like Turner Hall? A couple months ago, the band announced an effort to line up a series of intimate acoustic concerts pretty much wherever they could pull up a couple chairs — living rooms, backyards, actual music venues, etc. The only requirement was that the person trying to book the show had to donate to a particular presidential campaign.
For the show Oct. 17, Anodyne has set up a ticketing system that operates in a similar fashion. Again, we will not get into the details here. All you need to know as a music fan is that, in exchange for $100 (or more if you’re feeling generous), you can see Yo La Tengo in a much more intimate room than they normally play.
We’ll leave it there, but feel free to visit the event page on Anodyne's website for more information.
