Two powerful Milwaukee forces, Sarah and Joey Turbo, will take over the airwaves of 88Nine this Wednesday from 4-5 p.m. to share indie-rock music that has inspired their current musical projects and — more importantly — spread the word about a chance to do some good in our city.
The Sarah Turbo-led punk-rock band Sex Scenes played their first show just last year but has rocketed to venues in Milwaukee and beyond, recently reaching new heights by opening for Jack White at his surprise show this fall at The Rave.
Meanwhile, Joey Turbo (aka Milwaukee’s former Platinum Boy) has shapeshifted into a brand new indie-synth-pop project, No Motel. This is a duo — Turbo alongside Shaina Perry — for anyone with eclectic loves such as Pere Ubu, Suicide, Butthole Surfers and the Beach Boys.
Both of their bands are in the lineup for Carafest coming up Dec. 7 at Promises. Cara Corder, who frequently hosts “Cara-oke” at the bar, was recently the victim of a hit and run that left her at the scene in life-threatening condition. The response from the Milwaukee music community was immediate, including a GoFundMe page still collecting donations and the upcoming benefit show for Cara’s recovery.
The impressive lineup features Power of Dusk, Sex Scenes, Diamond Life, No Motel, World In Action (featuring Cactus Club owner Kelsey Kaufmann) and Destros. It’s a genre-diverse roster that speaks to the nature of the Turbos and Promises: accepting of all as long as they’ve got taste.
With that mantra in mind, former bandmates Joey Turbo and Casey Hughes opened Promises in Walker’s Point in the summer of 2022. It’s a smorgasbord of vibes and quite possibly the only home to both a life-sized poster of 22-year-old Kate Bush and a stuffed version of Porky the Pig. Think of it like Pee-Wee’s Playhouse for adults who have good taste in music.
The Stefon-level “hottest club” descriptors are very real within the walls of Promises, which also house some of the most refined live shows you simply will not find anywhere else in the city. Their humble A.I. social-media promos lead you to a perfect balance of professional meets DIY.
While the Turbos know how to have a good time, their mission has always been rooted in bringing Milwaukee together and celebrating the underground goodness we have in this city.
