Sugar Maple Hosting Joe Pera-Themed Pop-Up

Warm Apple Nights pop-up flyer. Image courtesy of Sugar Maple.

“Perhaps there’s a school in Riverwest or Wauwatosa that could use a choir teacher. I’d get a new style of clothing and then all my new coworkers would say, ‘hey, would you want to meet us on Friday night for a beer on Kinnickinnic Avenue?'”

This is Joe Pera‘s inner monologue from an episode of “Joe Pera Talks With You,” in which he contemplates moving to Milwaukee.

And while you might not find him on Brady Street anytime soon, the Adult Swim comedian will likely make an appearance in Bay View come mid-June. Sugar Maple‘s latest pop-up, Warm Apple Nights, is an homage to Pera and coincides with his June 15 tour stop in Milwaukee.

Held in partnership with Milwaukee Record, Warm Apple Nights will take place June 13 through 16, promising an art show, vendor fair and other entertainment, as well as themed cocktails and several different food vendors.

The pop-up will be held at the bar, 441 E. Lincoln Ave.

The four-day celebration is set to begin on Thursday, June 13, with an artists’ reception to kick off the art show, which will be on display throughout the duration of the pop-up. The reception will run from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Ready to Roll will be serving specialty egg rolls from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday’s festivities will include Bean Arch Comedy, a show featuring Dana Ehrmann, Matty Field, Luise Noe and Greg Bach, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sweet Smoke BBQ will be on-site from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

On Saturday, Sugar Maple will host a themed vendor fair, during which local artists will sell handmade crafts and other goods. The vendor fair will run from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Meanwhile, attendees can feast on a pancake brunch, with proceeds benefiting Savage Support, an organization that aids those who are fighting breast cancer.

The evening will bring a second comedy show, Hotties Only Comedy Show, featuring Chastity Washington and another performer who is yet to be announced. Ready to Roll will return from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The pop-up’s final day will feature tintype Father’s Day portraits by photographer Margaret Muza from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Another photo-op, this time with Gus’ (Pera’s basset hound) brother, will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Also on Sunday, the bar will host a Joe Pera look-alike contest at 2 p.m., with prizes for first and second place. Frogwater, a two-person band with a diverse repertoire, will take the stage from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Component Brewing Company will make its own contribution to the pop-up, providing a specially-brewed beer for the duration of the weekend. A special menu of themed cocktails and mocktails will also be served.

Those who attend the pop-up are encouraged to bring donations for a weekend-long food drive, held on behalf of Project Concern, a food pantry catering to St. Francis and Cudahy.

Pera has not publicly revealed if he will attend the pop-up, but will be in town on June 15. He’s slated to perform at the Pabst Theater.

Pera’s show, “Joe Pera Talks With You,” first premiered in May 2018; the third and final season aired in 2021.

Hours for the pop-up will be Thursday through Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from noon to midnight and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. It’s just the latest pop-up for the Sugar Maple, which in the past year has also celebrated Nintendo, “Avatar” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

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