Ooh-whee! We made it. Seems like summer might stick and this weekend is when it finally proves it. The best part about all this upcoming nice-ness is that there's a flock of stuff to fly with if you're looking to get out and doing some fun stuff like...
#1
Bay View Gallery Night
This Friday's BVGN is many things. On the surface it is a great opportunity to see a huge lineup of local artists while touring many Bay View establishments, but there are so many other fun things to do in Bay View both while the galleries are open and closed. In many way's BVGN is the organizing structure for a great night of art but also countless other small spin-off shows.
How you gettin' around down there? Some walk, others like 88Nine's Justin Barney and McKenzie Boettcher have realized biking is perhaps the best option. They've joined the Rush-Mor Records crew for their BVGN Roll Out which is kind of like an eccentric and curated bike tour of the area and the many spots having art. Their tour eventually ends in a dance party at Corazon South after BVGN.
Bay View Jazz Fest is the most obvious beneficiary to BVGN's largesse and sports a dope looking lineup scattered over ten spots, so it'll be easy to enjoy both art and music as you wander the streets of BV. Tonic Tavern's lineup is particularly solid with local jazz legend Manty Ellis Quartet and young upstarts Foreign Goods leading the way.
Post gallery events are plenty but I'd check in at Cactus Club later in the evening for an event called Gallery Flow. Gallery Flow has 88Nine faves and MKE hip hop veterans the Rusty P's, plus Vincent Van Great and others I know less, like JJ Jabber and Mammyth. Looks like a nice way to keep the party going strong all night long...
#2
I mean, duh!? Not to be morbid, but with as many greats that seem to be going, how can you not look at seeing one of the greats, like Aretha Franklin live? As life has shown us, anything can happen, and usually when you take that for granted with artists that have always been around. Not that Aretha is in any danger that I know about, but I'm still regretting having never seen Prince and maybe it's his ghost that's telling me to seize the moments that come your way because like you, I have always wanted to see the Queen of Soul perform, like some bucket-list-type stuff.
If I need to tell or sell you on this artist or her show at the Riverside Theater tomorrow night you're not reading this blog anyway. That said, all you need to know is that there are tickets still available. Amirite?!
Friday at 7pm @ Riverside Theater, 116 West Wisconsin Ave. Downtown
#3
Tasty Fest!
One of the things that I'm diggin' is all these small music festival/fundraisers that have sprung up in Milwaukee. Last week Gloss Records had their Gloss Weekend and similarly, local record label Tasty Tapes lays claim on Riverwest this weekend.
Starting tonight, the label that has so many band s we also feature on our air, will put together four different showcases at three venues; Mad Planet, Linneman's and Riverwest Public House. Bands like NO/NO, The Rashita Joneses, No No Yeah Okay, The Pukes, Sat. Nite Duets, Surgeons In Heat, Tigernite and Klassik!
Tonight @ Riverwest Public House: The Young Revelators / Ladders / Antler House / Tapebenders / SIN BAD
Friday @ Linneman's: Surgeons In Heat / NO/NO / Sat. Nite Duets / Body Futures / The Grovelers / Lunar Bedrooms
Saturday @ Mad Planet: Tigernite / Slow Walker / The Rashita Joneses / Faux Fiction / The Pukes / Indonesian Junk
Sunday @ Mad Planet: Klassik / No No Yeah Okay / Mortgage Freeman / Brat Sounds / The Old Prospectors / The Bang Bang
#4
A teachable moment...
This weekend, Bay View's Humboldt Park turns 125 and all I can say is, man that's old. All the stuff that's happened in the world since the 1890's; world wars, the internet, telephones, 88Nine... you get my drift. Anyhoo, this Saturday Humboldt Park Friends, Saint Francis Brewery, and Milwaukee County Parks will host the anniversary celebration with local historian John Gurda giving a historic overview and Ron Winkler leading a walking tour of the park.
As you can imagine, this is a family-friendly event taylor-made for park lovers and amateur historians. Gurda's great and his historical overview of the park'd be interesting even if you weren't interested already and the walk and talk with Winkler should be a fun way to explore the park. And because it's a birthday, they'll also have cake.
Saturday from 3-6 p.m. @ Milwaukee’s Craft Beer Garden at Humboldt Park, 3000 S. Howell Ave. Bay View
#5
Soul Train!
As a kid who grew up in the 80's, I gotta admit that the only reason I dance the way I do (and when I dance I get the heff down!), is because I grew up with Don Cornelius and the Soul Train dance line on the regular. I remember the dance line was my favorite part, they always had the fleek-est dressed, best dancin people on the show. I'd get up and do my best imitation of the moves, cause if I had to grow up, this is what I wanted my adult life to have in it.
Well this Saturday, Company Brewing in Riverwest is taking it waaaaaayyyyyy back for a retro party that actually seems cool. They'll have Mike Regal hosting in the Don Cornelius role and a host of other performers taking us back in time for a night of dancing, music and good times. I can dig it!
Saturday at 10pm @ Company Brewing 735 E Center St. Riverwest