Friday Photos Friday, 28. November 2008
Breakwater The North End The Edge 1824 E. Park Place Park Lafayette
Nov 28th, 2008 by Dave Reid
IT Gallery
IT Gallery, the latest art gallery to open in Milwaukee, is situated on the corner of Ogden and Jackson in the 601 Lofts building.
Nov 26th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
MIke Brenner & Hair
This just in from Mike, along with a new-ish jpeg of his pate topped in pink. Yes, he’s still working on his MBA and emails that “The Decider” slot in The Onion will be mostly minimal and mostly previews. It’s hard to imagine him being minimal isn’t it, but certainly not hard to imagine him being part of The Onion.
Nov 26th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
The Bruce Bowl???
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so, of course, our thoughts naturally turn to … FOOTBALL! Understandably, most Packers fans are in a state of shock following the whupping the team took from the New Orleans Saints in the very same stadium which was the site of the team’s Super Bowl win way back in 1997. Now I really don’t want to dredge up the angst of the Brett Favre controversy of last summer. Really, I don’t. But as a lifelong fan of the New York Jets I just have to say that I am deliriously excited about that team’s prospects this year with Mr. Favre under center. Let me be clear that I root for the Packers and have been very disappointed by their performance this season. Aaron Rodgers has played very well, especially considering the enormous pressure placed on his shoulders by the team’s management. It isn’t often that a 13-3 team is turned over to an unproven young quarterback when a hall of fame caliber one is still healthy and capable of playing. In fact, as I’ve said before, how thrilling would it be for the Packers and Jets to have faced each other in this year’s Super Bowl? But that’s unlikely to happen. At 5-6, the Packers are going to struggle to even make the playoffs. Now bear with me as I raise the possibility of an extremely unlikely scenario that could only happen while I live here in Wisconsin. It now appears possible that the Giants and Jets, two New York teams who play in New Jersey, might actually meet in the Super Bowl. It couldn’t be called the Subway Bowl, unless the sandwich shop decided to pony up a whole bunch of dollars. The Turnpike Bowl, maybe or the Garden State Bowl, perhaps. Then again, Jersey purists might argue that fans in southern New Jersey are among those crazed fans of the Eagles and they might want no part of such a contest. Yet with the Great Bruce Springsteen scheduled to entertain during halftime one must admit there would be something special about a contest between the Jets and the Giants. It would amount to a rematch between Brett Favre and Eli Manning that would appeal to even the biggest Aaron Rodgers fan among the hardcore Packer Nation. So I submit to you now, for your consideration, that if the Packers fail to make a run for the Super Bowl that you might join me in rooting for such a rematch that we’ll just call The Bruce Bowl.
Nov 26th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
Common Council Retains Five Member Firefighter Crews
The most notably items on the agenda were the Common Council's actions regarding Mayor Barrett's vetoes.
Nov 26th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Jimminy Crickets
Some things to consider: Walk. Run. Crawl. Cricket Toes is a new local site with a bit of this and a bit of that, fun and interesting, and so far, devoid of mouthy rants. Go to www.emergeartzine.com, a new quarterly (next issue is January 09) mag showcasing artists from Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa and Indiana. Hopefully, it won’t be a publication disguised as an advertising vehicle. What’s needed is a clear and concise look at the featured artists which seem to be “emerging.” December 1 is the deadline for artists submissions for the January issue, and well, the hook is they’re charging $12 for 3 –10 submissions. I haven’t seen their October 08 debut issue, but it’s said to be in galleries here and there. Rotating “guest jurors” will decide who makes the cut. Ms. Ketarkus, owner and director of Grace Chosy Gallery in Madison will select for January. The mag is being navigated somewhere in Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin. There’s been a strange lack of coverage for the Nohl Fellowship exhibit at inova/Kenilworth, and the usual whine about the decline of female contenders for the title of “established,” and/or “emerging.” All in all, it was a decent show, but wouldn’t have been without the addition of the Black Box section for viewing film & video. Is the tail wagging the dog? The newest batch of Fellowship winners are heavy into those disciplines.
Nov 25th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Breaking News!
Jimmy Von Milwaukee is, yes he is, hosting his annual Xmas Craft event on December 20th. The site is yet to be announced, but he reveals participants will include the ever-faithful Julie Lindemann & Johny Shimon and perhaps a special showing of Milwaukee’s maker of sculptures fashioned from trash…Mike “Ringo” White. “Ringo was in to recycling years before it became chic,”quipped JVM, who is doing some recycling of his own. He reports that he’s pumping iron these days and morphing flab into abs. Stella will be incognito in Arizona on December 20 and is sorry to miss the gala. One of her fave possessions is a Xmas Craft Shimon & Lindemann photograph of her wearing a Packers’ helmet while perched on the lap of Bob Watt. Just so you know, December 20 is the birthday of Bo Derek, and the anniversary of the Jones Town Massacre. Von Milwaukee likes to build his events around special dates. And isn’t this special? Mike Brenner, artist/writer/former syrup on the cakes at Hotcakes is going to be an art critic for the Onion in their Decider section. If he thinks he had problems running a Riverwest Gallery, just wait until the herds of artists rush forth seeking his attention. Does this mean he’s no longer going to be pursuing a degree in Business Administration at UW-Mil?
Nov 24th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Chinese Democracy. LET’S DO THIS.
Fig.1: At least that godawful Asian-style font didn’t make it onto the album art, i guess If you’re on top of pop culture, you’ve probably already listened to the new “Guns ‘n’ Roses” album, as it’s been streamable on the “G’N’R” MySpace since Thursday. Me, i listened to it for the first time while at work on Friday, but since i was in an office environment, cranking the muthafugga wasn’t really an option. I did, however, hear enough of it to know that Chuck Klosterman is on crack rock. In his review of Chinese Democracy for The Onion, Klosterman (with whom i agree on some issues [the validity of hair metal as a genre] but disagree vehemently on others [the boneheaded contention that hair metal was valid essentially because it sold a lot of records]) attempts to mark the release of Axl Rose’s Citizen Kane Plan 9 From Outer Space as some sort of cultural turning point: Chinese Democracy is (pretty much) the last Old Media album we’ll ever contemplate in this context—it’s the last album that will be marketed as a collection of autonomous-but-connected songs, the last album that will be absorbed as a static manifestation of who the band supposedly is, and the last album that will matter more as a physical object than as an Internet sound file. This is the end of that. Uh…really? Says who? You? Fig.2: It’s called a camera, Chuck. When i click this button, it will create an image of you. Like magic! Oh, wait, i get it. Look at that photo…he’s totally stoned. That explains it. But still, i really did enjoy his musings on Motley Crue in Fargo Rock City, so maybe i should give the album another listen, at home where i can hear everything, yes? After all, it may be impossible to review the album in a vacuum away from the 17 years of anticipation, or whatever the hell else Chuck contends, but in the end, it’s about whether or not it’s a good record–or at least, a passable listening experience. Granted, with this much time gone, “almost as good as Use Your Illusion” would likely be a success. So, blah blah, enough with the buildup–i’m gonna hit “play” on the MySpace player and blog my thoughts as i absorb that which we thought would never see the light of day, and that which many of us plain didn’t give a shit about. But hey, that’s what obsessing about pop culture is all about–caring about shit that ultimately is pointless. So join me, won’t you? 1. Chinese Democracy Ok, opening reminds me of, like, “In the Beginning” from Shout at the Devil. I thought Axl hated the Crue? But in time, our nations grew weak, and our cities turned to slumswait, opening riff. Very processed. Ha! That first guitar lead totally sounds pasted over the top. …Man, this already doesn’t sound like a band…at least, it sure doesn’t sound like one playing live. Ooh! Big explosion at the […]
Nov 24th, 2008 by DJ Hostettler
The Daly News
World history and personal history collide in this charming musical about the lives of a Milwaukee family during World War II. During the war, Martin and “Schatzie” Daly had five children– four sons and a daughter. All four sons enlisted in the military, and the daughter married a military man. The family was scattered around the globe. To keep everyone in touch, Martin Daly wrote a weekly newsletter he called “The Daly News” that collated all the information from letters received from his children and then included news from the home front, as well. He did this for more than three years. Photo by Mark Frohna When Jonathan Gillard Daly, the youngest son of Martin’s oldest son, was presented with the complete Daly News as a Christmas present by his mother, he was immediately struck by the story. Several years later, we have the result: a delightful musical produced by the Milwaukee Chamber Theater, starring Jon Daly, Jack Forbes Wilson, and Jeff Schaetzke. The Daly News is a charming blend of personal anecdote and grand story. All parts in the show (including the women) are played by the three male actors. They move from one character with the addition or subtraction of a coat, a sweater, a hat. For the most part this works well, with the exception of the Daly wives. Because they make such brief appearances, it’s nearly impossible to keep them straight with no tip except a small hat. Wilson moves effortlessly between the youngest Daly son, who starts off the play as a pipsqueak teenager before enlisting in the Marines, and brother Gene, who is living in a foxhole in the South Pacific. Jon Daly anchors the show as both himself, recounting personal experiences with his uncles, and as patriarch Martin Daly. Jeff Schaetzke takes a hilarious turn as Schatzie, among many others. The underlying theme of The Daly News is not the war, despite the fact that the war is the catalyst for everything that happens, but rather is the relationship between fathers and sons. The Daly family is representative of many families in that the affection between men remains unspoken. Despite everything, the boys all strive to present witty banter to their father in their letters, not the reality of the what they are living. Martin writes his newsletters in the same tone. Despite everyone’s pain at separation and the uncertainty of war, no affection is explicitly expressed. Jon Daly makes a point of calling attention to this at the end of the show, reflecting on his own relationship with his father. The Daly News runs in the Broadway Theater Center Studio Theater until December 14. 414-291-7800 or www.chamber-theatre.com for tickets.
Nov 24th, 2008 by Ryan Findley
Nohl Rap
The gender issue surrounding the annual Nohl Fellowships is a dead issue, but if you must beat it to death, you may as well ask how many racial minorities made the cut? Anyone with disabilities? How about old folks like me? Perhaps fewer women than men applied for the fellowships? You’re chasing your tails folks. Since when should awardees be selected on the basis of anything but what’s in front of the faces of the judges? Get over it. How many of you readers have actually visited the current Nohl event at inova/Kenilworth? I’ve been there three times and never noticed anyone else but the reflection of myself in the windows. Plus a few faces staring at me from the outside of the Prospect Avenue entrance. I even ran out and tried to entice outsiders in, to no avail. But hear tell, the place was packed on opening night, which is party time and schmooze-ville. Nothing wrong with that, but art is more than wine & cheese, or beer & brats. Recently a local gallery dealer sniffed that he didn’t like the show. His nose actually wrinkled as if he was inhaling the scent of Limburger cheese. His lip curled. And while we’re at it, how many gallerists ever visit each others’ exhibits? Can you name three? Two? One? Art sales are at a new low (lower than usual in M’waukee). Auction houses are in a snit. As the scene shrinks, the pressure mounts for more and more coverage of the visual arts. Ad sales plummet, printing costs rise, publications tank in the wake of online coverage. In the 80s, the economy fueled art sales and everything else open to inflationary prices, and then, wow! it all came tumbling down, in a kind of art foreclosure sale. Of course there are still uber-bucks around to purchase the really BIG stuff, and allegedly, “bargain” hunters are swooping in to scoop it u. Vultures.
Nov 24th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Weekly Bookmarks – Monday, 24. November 2008
DOT throws lives in limbo – JSOnline Milwaukee County raises cost of bus passes again – JSOnline Milwaukee design firms to merge – BizTimes Milwaukee fights for more road money Delays push back Staybridge Suites opening to March – BizTimes OnMilwaukee.com Living: Bus bike racks vote today (and other cycling events) Good Harvest Market opens Thursday in Third Ward – BizTimes Groundbreaking ceremony held for The Brewery parking structure – BizTimes U.S. Green Building Council upgrades LEED – The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
Nov 23rd, 2008 by Dave Reid
Madama Butterfly
Opera is the grandest spectacle on the stage, and the Florentine takes this to heart as it opens its 75th season with Madama Butterfly. The production is a work of sumptuous indulgence, from the set to the costumes to the layers of music. Puccini’s story is set in an idyllic estate near Nagasaki in Japan. An American naval officer, Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, has contracted with a marriage broker to take the young, beautiful Cio-Cio-San (Butterfly) as his bride. Perfect for his mercurial and self-indulgent temperament, the lease on the house and the marriage can be cancelled with 30 days notice. But while he sees the union as a dalliance while he bides his time until he finds a “real” American wife, Butterfly takes it seriously. She falls madly in love with Pinkerton and renounces her ancestral religion in favor of Christianity, causing her family to disown her. When Pinkerton abandons her, she is left alone, save for her faithful maid Suzuki and the child that Pinkerton sired, whom she names Sorrow. When Pinkerton returns to claim the child with his wife Kate in tow, Butterfly is heartbroken. After kissing Sorrow goodbye and telling him that she does this for his future, she takes her own life, using the same dagger that her father used to take his. “It is better to die with honor than to live without honor,” she sings. It is advice Pinkerton should take. All the performers have exceptional vocal talents. Robin Follman as Butterfly soars, capturing innocence and lost innocence. Jennifer Hines as Suzuki is her loyal companion, sometimes slipping into zealousness — there is an amusing scene between her and Goro, the marriage broker, in which she chases him around the yard with a rake in hand. Joel Sorenson as Goro is appropriately terrified of the diminutive servant. Guido LeBron acts as Pinkerton’s whispered conscience, admonishing him from the start to be careful in the role of the Consul Sharpless. You rather wish that Sharpless was sharper and able to do more for the heartbroken Butterfly than shake his head sadly. The set designed by Paul Shortt is both grand and intimate. He creates the idyllic setting for Butterfly and Pinkerton’s love with infinite care, creating a place that is both home to them in the brief happiness of their love and later the scene of Butterfly’s heartbreak. The costumes are gorgeous, from Kate’s 19th-century jacket and bustle to the kimono robes of Prince Yamadori, a later suitor of Butterfly’s. In none of Puccini’s works is the male lead likable, but there is not greater cad in all of opera than Lt. B. F. Pinkerton. His callous treatment of Butterfly, even after joyous times and sweet words, reminds all of us to beware of the insincerity of shallow people. VS The Florentine Opera presents Madama Butterfly at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts until this Sunday. If you miss this production, they will be mounting Semele at the Pabst Theater from February 27 […]
Nov 22nd, 2008 by Ryan Findley
