Crossroads Collective To Host Weekly Concert Series
Plus four more recurring events coming to Black Cat Alley and Ivanhoe Plaza.
Black Cat Alley. Photo taken June 30, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
It’s been two weeks since Summer Soulstice rolled through the East Side, turning out music fans in droves to jam to an array of local bands. Now, Crossroads Collective is seeking an encore.
Starting in July, the food hall, 2238 N. Farwell Ave., will host a weekly concert series, Black Cat Rising, bringing live music to Black Cat Alley each Thursday from July 6 through September 14.
“It’s really reminiscent of Summer Soulstice,” said Paige Hammond, general manager of Crossroads Collective. “The musicians will really be able to liven up the space more than anything else, so we’re hoping people come and dance, drink and order food.”
The food hall will activate its outdoor bar for the series, offering a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as high-top tables where guests can order food directly from any Crossroads vendor to be delivered to the alley, located between E. Kenilworth and E. Ivanhoe places.
Shanghai, a speakeasy that’s only accessible through Black Cat Alley, will also be open during Black Cat Rising. If you can find the entrance, expect to enjoy craft cocktails, absinthe and a brief respite from the upbeat energy in the alley.
The series will highlight a lineup of emerging bands representing a wide range of genres including indie-folk, hip-hop, R&B and alt-emo. Lake Drive, Social Cig, Chapped Lips and Run Along Forever will be featured, along with eight other local bands.
The concert series is set to kick off on Thursday July 6 at 7 p.m. Each concert is slated to last about two hours, and will be free and open to the public.
Further Activation
In addition to the concert series, Crossroads Collective is planning an additional four recurring events that will activate both Black Cat Alley and the newly-created Ivanhoe Plaza.
Starting July 8, MKE Yoga Social will host a weekly yoga practice in Black Cat Alley, followed by smoothies from Nute’s Cafe at Crossroads Collective. The first event is free to attend. Registration is required and can be completed online.
The recently-pedestrianized Ivanhoe Plaza will also host a range of programming throughout the summer.
Each Sunday in July, Brunch Beats will take over the plaza, offering music from Fuzzy DJ Logic accompanied by brunch specials from each of the food hall’s vendors. Each week, the DJ will play throwback music from a different decade, starting with a 60s-era The Beatles set and working his way up to 2000s hits.
Attendees can expect specialty brunch cocktails from The Pharmacy, fried chicken and waffles from Brew’d Burger Shop, a Mexican-Asian fusion breakfast burrito from Dia Bom, cereal milk ice cream from Scratch and more. The Counter will host its sibling business, Discourse Coffee, for a pop-up each week, bringing a caffeine-boost to the event.
The food hall will open early for the weekly event, which will run from 10 a.m. to noon on July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30.
Want to bust a move on the streets of Milwaukee? The East Side Latin-Dance Night series will teach you how to do just that. The free event will start with a tutorial from Daync Academy instructors. Later in the evening, the floor will open to free dancing for the remainder of the night.
The series will be held at Ivanhoe Plaza starting at 6:30 p.m. on July 15 and 29 and Aug. 12 and 26.
Dia Bom will offer a special Latin street food menu during each dance session.
On Mondays at 6 p.m., Crossroads Collective is hosting its trivia nights al fresco on the plaza. The weekly event will include seven rounds of free trivia hosted by Milwaukee musician John Justus, who will keep guests entertained with original performances each week.
Of the new plaza, Hammond said she’s happy to see the space put to good use, and is excited to enhance the area with family-friendly programming.
“It feels like a completely different environment,” she said. “The ability to bring people to the neighborhood with this kind of programming is something we’re really excited about.”
“Especially on the weekends, it’s great when it’s full of people and just seeing everybody with their different food out there,” added Hannah Gulledge, assistant manager at Crossroads Collective. “It’s exciting to see people bring lively and together again.”
Crossroads Collective is seeking community input on additional programming opportunities for the area. Ideas and input can be directed to info@crossroadscollectivemke.com.
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