Last night, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee brought hundreds together to enjoy a night of diverse music and live storytelling.
The event, Band Together, aimed to break down barriers, encourage conversation and provide a lively social experience, using music as the catalyst.
Local bands Sista Strings, Foreign Goods, De La Buena and REYNA performed for the audience. In between sets, actors from Milwaukee Repertory Theater performed a slam poetry piece, and Milwaukee Municipal Judge Derek Mosley, who earlier this year received a life-saving kidney transplant, shared his story alongside his donor, Waukesha Judge JoAnn Eiring.
“Band Together” was a production of Radio Milwaukee’s Cultural Commons initiative, in cooperation with P3 Development Group.
Keep scrolling to find stories from the event, including a video of Mosley and Eiring's speaking on stage and interviews with local musicians about the emerging spirit of artistic collaboration in Milwaukee.
Local artists Reyna, Foreign Goods and members of New Age Narcissism reflect on the status of the music scene in Milwaukee as bands continue to work together creatively. Click the player below to listen.
Then, watch Judges Mosley and Eiring share their personal stories in the video below. They explain how crossing 124th St., the physical border between Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, forever changed their lives.
Cultural Commons is funded by the Heil Family Foundation, Gen 6 Foundation, Argosy Foundation and Greater Milwaukee Foundation.