Local music
Keep your ears happy this holiday season with the gift of music. The Brew City has much to offer for the music lover on your holiday wish list, and TCD’s staffers Dan Shafer and Curt Yorkey share what’s on their local music wish list for the season.
Though I hadn’t lived on the East side long enough to truly appreciate its bygone glory, I still miss the days when Atomic Records was Atomic Records. But with the way the Exclusive Company has stepped it up since Atomic’s demise, it’s hard to be too upset as a fan of the hard copy. You have to love any place that has in-store signings artists as wide-ranging as Umphrey’s McGee, Talib Kweli, Kings Go Forth and Mastadon, and keeps an up-to-date selection on multiple platforms all year round in their eight locations statewide. The spring event that Record Store Day at Exclusive has become is one of my favorite yearly traditions, and there’s plenty more for the holidays, with items from the Black Friday edition of Record Store Day still on the shelves (if you hurry).
For your holiday wish list, consider a gift card to the venues of the Pabst Theater Foundation. This was one of my favorite gifts I received last Christmas. From the card came tickets for The National at the Riverside and The Black Angels at Turner, two of my favorite shows of 2011. This winter, I’m looking forward to two Turner shows in early February; the first being on Feb. 4 with Smith Westerns, who put out one of my favorite albums of 2011 with Dye It Blonde, and Heartless Bastards on Feb. 9, who I’ve seen rattle the walls at Turner twice before, once as headliners (when they recorded two songs for the Pabst’s Blue Ribbon Vision, seen below), once opening for The Gaslight Anthem, and I don’t want to get too hyperbolic, but I’m expecting big things; they’ve set the bar high. This year, get a free $20 gift card with a $100 purchase, and be sure to get on the Pabst’s eMembers list for exclusive deals year-round — it’s one of the best deals in town.
Mega Media Xchange
Locations: 1709 N. Farwell Ave., 7320 W. Good Hope Rd., and 19555 W. Bluemound Rd. in Brookfield.
You’re not going to find anywhere in the city with lower prices and better quality on used CD’s, DVD’s, Blu-ray and games than MMX. Ok, I’ll admit I’m a little biased here as I was a long-time employee, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Before you go wait in endless lines at the Best Buys of the world, find virtually the same quality at a better price and support great people at a great local business in the process. Long live resale!
Call Me Lightning at Cactus Club
Christmas comes early at the Cactus Club this year with a performance from Call Me Lightning on December 23. The Milwaukee band’s most recent album, When I Am Gone My Blood Will Be Free, is among my favorite pick-ups of 2011. Also at the show will also be a food drive for Hunger Task Force and a Toy Drive for Children’s Hospital and donations are encouraged.
Check out more locally-owned stores for the music lovers on your wish list.
- Rush-Mor Records
- Bullseye Records
- Record Head
- Cream City Music
- Top Shelf Guitar Shop
- Wade’s Guitar Shop
- Add your own in the comments below!
But arguably the greatest of them all was a band named Ambush, a band of brothers so to speak. Three triplets and a younger brother who would rock the roof off of places like Billy’s Old Mill and TA Verns. The younger brother, Jeff Skorik, headed down to Nashville more than 20 years ago to continue his love of music. While in Nashville, he started a band called The Excuses, that gained a lot of local notoriety.
Rumor has it The Excuses may be going on a little tour in 2012 with a very possible stop in Milwaukee. I cannot divulge how I have received this information, however, I have stayed in contact with those from Scavenger Songs (a highly successful music writing/producing company in the ’80s) throughout the years and it looks likely that the leader of Ambush may be bringing his musical talents back to Milwaukee some 25+ years later.
Seeing Jeff Skorik perform again back where it all started? Well now that’s a gift thousands of Milwaukee-ans would love to see again.
– Curt Yorkey, Sales Manager
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Finally, from all of us at TCD, we encourage you to make a donation to the Keep Live Music on WMSE Kickstarter project. The Kickstarter project is intended to outfit the new studio and produce the Best of Local/Live. On Sunday, Dec. 18, WMSE will host the WMSE Kickstarter Christmas at the Tonic Tavern in Bay View. The event will feature 15 Milwaukee musicians playing their take on Holiday Classics along with original material. Not long ago, TCD and WMSE teamed up for the 12 Songs Holiday Project, featuring free songs and videos of holiday songs performed by local artists including Frank Almond, 1913, Celebrated Workingman, Invade Rome and the Philomusica Quartet. Click here for more on the Kickstarter project to keep live music on the airwaves in Milwaukee.
Add your store in the comments below, and be sure to click over to TCD’s Local dining wish list, TCD’s Local Gift Guide and TCD’s guide to food drives.
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