Arkham House’s “weird fiction” legacy
The Sauk City-based publishing house never rose to financial success, but the Wisconsin imprint is nonetheless responsible for publishing the first works of major sci-fi and horror writers including H.P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury.
Oct 30th, 2013
Art and Absinthe
Great Lakes Distillery pays homage to the Green Fairy and the bohemian art of La Belle Epoque with a poster contest for their Amerique 1912 absinthe.
Mar 1st, 2011
The secrets of Sedgwick
Tea is allowed into Sedgwick's inner sanctum and shadows one of the illusive street artists nocturnal adventures.
Aug 25th, 2010
Mysterious “hornheads”
The faces were everywhere - but what were they? Tea does a little flat-footing to find the illusive character behind a swath of flyposters on the East side.
Aug 24th, 2010
A 2010 derby odyssey
The Brewcity Bruisers prepare to kick some roller derby butt as Season 4 kicks off Saturday. Not a super-fan yet? No worries. Here's a quick primer.
Jan 14th, 2010
A day at the movies
New roller derby flick, "Whip It," gets our Brewcity Bruisers correspondent riled up for a few big-screen dreams of his own.
Oct 5th, 2009
The Krumosa Edition
It's a red hot summer in roller derby, and Tea has the need-to-know, plus a killer summer vacay drink recipe.
Aug 24th, 2009
The Milwaukee Comedy Festival
No funny business: Milwaukee comedy has a life and a character all its own. See for yourself at the Milwaukee Comedy Festival this weekend 8/6 - 9. Here's our preview.
Aug 4th, 2009
Pump up the polka!
When The Squeezettes play, the beer that made Milwaukee famous will make a fool out of you, and you will do the hokey pokey, and you want to know why?
Jul 23rd, 2009
Travel team update
By Tea Krulos Photos by Bruce Berna The Brew City Bruiser’s All-star Travel Team kicked off the summer travel season with two games I’m calling the “secret brunch bouts” because they were both on Sunday afternoons and not open to the general public. From what I understand these bouts took place for the love of derby and to help the team meet the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA, commonly pronounced woof-da!) standards. The first of these secret brunch bouts took place May 31st against the Arch Rival Roller Girls from good ol’ Saint Louie. The Archettes flew over the Brew Crew’s heads and won the bout, 81-70. The Bruisers won the nail biter second bout against the valkyries of the Twin Cities Northstar Roller Girls by JUST ONE POINT, 92-91! Great job Bruisers! The next home bout for the Travel Team will be open to the public July 18 against Madison’s Dairyland Dolls. More info at www.brewcitybruisers.com
Jun 17th, 2009
Battlestars vs. Paper Dolls
The Brewcity Battlestars, a B-Team of skaters from the four teams that make up the Brewcity Bruisers league, play their first bout in Appleton against the Paper Dolls.
May 21st, 2009
CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT
Time flies when you’re having fun and the next thing you know, it’s the end of the season. Time for the moment of truth! Season One champs The Rushin Rollettes sought to regain their title, while contenders Maiden Milwaukee hoped to win it for the first time. Also banging heads in a grudge match were the Shevil Knevils and the Crazy 8’s.
May 17th, 2009
MAY 2009
Tea Krulos, the Edward R. Murrow of Milwaukee roller derby, gives us the late-season lowdown on the Brewcity Bruisers, with an April 18 bout recap, what to expect in the Championship, plus Mondo Lucha, pancake breakfast and more.
May 1st, 2009
Q & A SMACKDOWN with ANDREW GORZALSKI of MONDO LUCHA
The First Mondo Lucha took place last fall, and watching was like having your senses slammed onto a sweaty mat. A misfit crew of masked luchador wrestlers, circus performers, a house band (this show the band is Maritime), and tantalizing burlesque dancers gave the audience the wow wow wee, and left everyone hungry for more. TCD caught up with Mondo Lucha co-producer and promoter Andrew Gorzalski to ask him about the second Mondo Lucha this Saturday, April 25 at Turner Hall Ballroom.
Apr 22nd, 2009
MARCH MADNESS ROLLER DERBY
The Rollettes now have the best record this season with 4 wins and 1 loss. Rollette jammer Jackie O’Nihilate tore up the track with 31 big points, followed closely by her team mates Reina Pain and Rhoda Ruin, both with 29 points. Ruin says the Rollettes are the team that just keeps going.
Mar 21st, 2009
Mardi Gras Roller Derby
As you’ll note we’ve got a place holder where the column head used to be. This is because after receiving a “cease and desist” notice on our column title, this column and Vital Source entered the exciting world of COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT. But we’re not pissy. In fact we are giving you a chance to vote for a new name for the column. Stay tuned for more details! Now back to the derby! DAREDEVILS OUT-STUNT NINJAS! Shevil Knevils, 70, win over Crazy 8’s, 49 It was a night of triumph for the underdog team of the Shevil Knevils as they won their first match this season, winning over the Crazy 8’s 70-49 Jammers Irrational Velvet, the Eviscerator, Femaldehyde, Trash Talkin’ Tina and Moby Nipps were in fine form on the track. Blockers like Terror Lapinski, Nasty Canasta, and many others made it difficult for the 8’s jammers to break through. The 8’s found a lot of their players sitting in the penalty box and had trouble sustaining momentum. I talked with jammer Irrational Velvet about the victory. “I’m thrilled about the Shevils beating the reining season champs for a second season. I have to say, the 8s are a blast to play against. When jamming, I did what I could to nickel and dime the score board. Lots of small victories jam by jam really added up for us,” Velvet said, then added about her team. “Each Shevil gave all of herself for every second of the bout to chisel away at victory. All in all, we really harnessed our aggression and played a smart, cohesive bout.” PINKOS PUMMEL PINKIES with POINTS! Rushin Rollettes, 89 win over Maiden Milwaukee, 52 The Rushin Rollettes continued their reign of terror as they defeated Maiden Milwaukee 89-52. They once again unleashed their assault of jammers including Hacksaw, Jackie O’Nihilate, Rhoda Ruin, Fly Girl, Reina Pain, and High D. Voltage. The Maidens had an impressive jammer ensemble this evening as well with the always reliable Rejected Seoul, Super Hera, Grace Killy, Damaged Goods, and the mysterious Sea Hag kicking out the jams. However, the Rollettes gained an early lead and the Maidens never recovered. I checked in with Rollette Roadie Foster to talk about the win. “I am so proud of the Rollettes! I feel that we played together as a team for the first time this season and I think the championships are now in our grasp. Rhoda Ruin stepped it up and proved she is indeed a fantastic jammer. She was amazing!” Foster said, then continued to cite Rollette performances. “I also thought fellow Captain Jackie O’Nihilate, newbie Sevo and second year Rollette Melba Toastya had fantastic games. We came in ready to win and that’s just what we did.” Foster also talked about her favorite part of the game. “My favorite moves are always hitting jammers out of bounds and slowing up so that they have to wait to come back in. It makes them so angry! And I love laying a […]
Mar 1st, 2009
Roll out the derby!
DERBY VODCAST: VOLUME 2! You know it’s a derby match in Wisconsin when the stands are filled with fans despite the frigid temperatures – and when the half time show features the Beerleaders dancing a polka with audience members to the oom pah pah-powered sounds of “Roll out the Barrel.” Polka hits were provided by the tuba and accordions of The Squeezettes. The Vital Source crew – from the comfort of the Bruisers’ new PRESS BOX – shot track footage and interviews for the vodcast (above! just hit play! -ed.) and sent live updates to Vital Source’s Twitter feed (keep up: twitter.com/VitalSourceMag). We were joined by the talented Geoffrey Saucer of the Derby News Network (derbynewsnetwork.com) who writes recaps on the Bruisers and Madison’s Mad Rollin Dolls. MAIDENS MONKEY WRENCH THE NINJAS! Maiden Milwaukee, 99 wins over Crazy 8’s, 60 It was a great night for the Maidens who won big over the Crazy 8’s in an upset victory. This was the first loss this season for the 8’s who were last season’s championship winners. The Maidens showed a lot of energy and remarkable team work. Jammers Rejected Seoul (with 36 points), Romaniac (38 points), and Super Hera (25 points) tore up the track with incredible performances, zig zagging through the pack. Rejected Seoul and Super Hera both got alone time on the track early on in the game because the 8’s jammers had fouled out. This allowed the Maidens to quickly rack up the points, and just 5 jams into the game they had built a 38-6 lead. Super Hera commented on her team’s success. “Saturday demonstrated the momentum of the Maidens when we work together. We won because we remembered the fundamentals and played as a team. The Maiden blockers really stepped up their game, paralyzing the 8’s defense and making it easy for the jammers to rack up the points. If we continue playing at this level, there is no doubt that you’ll see the Maidens in the championship,” Hera said. The 8’s are still down to twelve players this season due to injury and other factors, and it looks like it might be beginning to wear them down. Blockers and pivots Servin Justice, Termiskater, Kat Scratch Fever, and Little Miss Tuffhit were all out on the track for 60-70% of the game. If you compare that to the other teams, only a couple of skaters were on the track past the 50% mark. Jammers Abba Zabba (15 points), Pabsty Cline (6 points), and team Captain Cookie Ciano (39 points, making her the highest scoring jammer for every bout this season), along with the rest of the short staffed team, couldn’t close the gap. 8’s blocker Andicent Proposal spoke about her team. “The Maidens are an incredible team this season. They have a lot, and I mean A LOT of fierce ladies skating with them. We had an uphill battle during this bout with a number of our players out due to injuries. I think that we […]
Jan 26th, 2009
The HOLLASKATE bout
The derby was fast and furious on this frigid December night. I was joined by the Vital Source magazine crew as we filmed our first VS Derby vodcast. We had a blast talking to some skaters and got some great footage. What a night! NINJAS STRIKE IN SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME DEFEAT! CRAZY 8’S, 75 win over RUSHIN ROLLETTES, 72 It was an incredible match! Everyone was on the edge of their seats as this tie game went into a sudden death overtime jam, with the 8’s winning by a mere three points. What made this win even more compelling was that the 8’s were down to just 11 skaters, while the Rollettes were rolling with 18. And talk about high rollers- howsabouts Crazy 8’s Captain Cookie Ciano, who was high scorer for the second bout in a row with 47 big points! The game was neck and neck throughout, ending with a 69-69 tie when the clock ran out. I asked Rollettes jammer High D. Voltage to talk about her personal highlights of the game. “That would have to be the tough defensive walls that the Rollettes put up in order for me to get through. A jammer is only as good as her defense, which makes it much easier to skate through the pack. That’s what made it possible for me to get those two grand slams in the second period, thus taking the lead for a short time. The tempo of the game was also very exciting, and being able to be a part of the first overtime in Bruiser history. Of course, I wish that I came up on the winning end but being able to hold my own against Cookie, who is a machine or at a minimum … not human, makes me feel pretty good. Her focus and tenacity is the core of their team.” Voltage said. Voltage led the Rollettes with 28 points, followed by Smirk Savage with 17 and Jackie O’Nihilate with 15. Reina Pain also scored 4 points, though she appeared to suffer from an injury early in the second half. I asked her what the deal was. “Yeah, I hurt my tailbone from a nasty digger I took. I’m not sure how I even did it or if someone put a block on me. I almost want to say that me being the klutz I am did it to myself! I can’t even sit down on it yet, talk about needing a chiro appointment!” I also asked what she felt the toughest part of the bout was. “I think the whole thing was intense. I think when we had to go into overtime, [that] was probably the toughest. There is always so much pressure on each team by that point because you know that’s the jam that makes it or breaks it. I thought we all played really well out there and one thing that Hacksaw said was, ‘It’s not just one girl who loses or wins a game, it’s the […]
Dec 12th, 2008
Fall back into derby
After missing much of the off season, the old Krulos is back to report on the Bruisers. I’ve teamed up with our fine friends and roller derby fans at Vital Source magazine to bring you the good Derby word every month, so check back for post-bout recaps, commentary and maybe even some video action. You didn’t hear it from me. I watched the bout with Carny Power, one of the league founders (along with Butch Cassidy, who has moved on, and Jesse Jameson, who still laces up the skates with the Rollettes), and she was able to lend helpful insights throughout the bout. Thanks Carny! RETURN OF THE COLD WAR? RUSHIN ROLLETTES, 92 win over MAIDEN MILWAUKEE , 51 Jammer Rejected Seoul (far left) of Maiden Milwaukee edges past Rushin Rollettes jammer Fly Girl (Photos by Joe Kirschling) After suffering losses at the end of last season, the Rollettes were eager for a comeback, and they got it with a 41 point win over the Maidens. The Rollettes returned with most of their key players from last season as well as a few new skaters. Jammer High D. Voltage helped erase an early 14 point lead by the Maidens and later scored a “Grand Slam,” which is when a jammer skating solo cruises by all the other team’s players. Other new Rollettes include Sevo, Voodoo Grrrl, and HackSAW, who used to skate for the Reservoir Dolls in Madison league the Mad Rollin Dolls. “I had a lot of encouragement joining BCB from both Madison and Milwaukee on transferring,” HackSAW told me. “I developed my love for skating and derby in Madison and the Reservoir Dolls helped shape that. I LOVED every second of the bout and sharing it with not only my team but a league of kick ass women role models. I can’t wait for the next bout and the chance to kick butt with my fellow comrades!” I also spoke to the notoriously lippy Smirk Savage, one of the Rollettes’ star jammers. I asked her if the Rollettes were back for another championship winning season. “The Rollettes were never gone! We were simply down for a hot minute at the end of the season there, but we’ve got some amazing new additions this season who’ve significantly contributed to this first win,” Smirk said before explaining the Rollettes’ win formula. “We’re gunning for the championship again this year! Getting back to the roots of Rollettes derby … hit them hard, hit them fast, kill kill kill, and win win win!” The Maidens tried to hold their own, with stellar skating from jammers like Rejected Seoul, co-Captain Madd Mallett, the crazed Romaniac and new recruit Super Hera, who formerly played with the Dominion Derby Girls straight outta Virginia Beach. The energetic skating, however, wasn’t enough to turn the tide pink. HALFTIME REPORT The Beerleaders in zombie gear Back again for the Bruisers fans are the rah rah rahing, pom poming, beer running Beerleaders, led this year by Robin Ya’Blind and […]
Nov 17th, 2008
Tantalizing belly dancers shake it
The Shape Up Shoppe has been a fixture on Kinnickinnic Street since 1980. The building features an exercise room geared toward women, a whirlpool and sauna. On the second level, there are a few spaces for classes, and even a Magaritaville-themed deck that overlooks the neighborhood. Tina Skenadore has been an instructor at the Shoppe for 17 years. She teaches many classes, including aerobics and Zumba. When I admit I don’t know what “Zumba” is, she informs me that it is an aerobic exercise combining Latin flavors including tango, salsa, merengue, reggaeton, hip hop, mambo and calypso. Skenadore also teaches belly dance classes and heads the belly dance troupe India, which has had a steady flow of festival gigs this season including at the Wisconsin State Fair, during halftime for the Brew City Bruisers and at Pridefest. They will perform outside the Shape Up Shoppe at the upcoming Bay View Bash on September 15. Belly dancing as a dance form can probably be traced to ancient Egypt; famous advocates include Alexander the Great, Thomas Edison and the Mata Hari. The art has enjoyed a popular resurgence in recent decades, and troupes can be found in most major cities, shimmying and shaking from coast to coast. I talked with Skenadore at the Shape Up Shoppe and then sat in on a class. In the large room, one wall was covered with mirrors, a giant trampoline rested against the wall and a cargo net held a dozen exercise balls. The class consisted of six women – normally there are more, but several students were on summer vacation, Skenadore explained. The group started with some stretching and warm up moves, the abdomens flexing dramatically, the arms waving and flowing. The women were wearing T-shirts, shorts, and coin-covered hip scarves. The jingling from the hip scarves sounded out in a rainy splash. They moved into a dance routine, and Skenadore counted off the moves. “Up up up up, up 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Up … and down. Up … and down. Up for two, down for two. Up up, down down.” They move into a new routine. “You’re gonna LOVE this one!” One of the students yells to me as they break into a routine heavy on the thrusting, rotating and swaying of the chest. Then they fling their arms up, spin, CLAP CLAP CLAP, shake shoulders and hips, CLAP CLAP CLAP. The next routine involves moving to the left eight steps, then to the right eight steps. “Now, without getting too crazy, let’s move a little faster!” Skenadore instructs. Skenadore says they are always looking for new students to learn this ancient art of sensual intrigue, so sign up for a class and shake it! VS The Shape Up Shoppe is located at 2697 S. Kinnickinnic Street. You can find a performance schedule for India and info on belly dance classes at bellydanceinbayview.com. More information about the Bay View Bash available at bayviewbash.org.
Sep 8th, 2008
Spotted at Warped Tour
On August 1, I find myself heading to the Vans Warped Tour for the second year in a row. Ah, the Warped Tour, where good old fashioned rebelliousness meets capitalism at its worst: overpriced food, water, and t-shirts. I am chaperoning my 14 year old goth/emo/punk rock sister and her friends. “Just make sure they don’t get in trouble.” My Ma tells me. “You know how teenagers are.” Sure, Ma. I know. Kinda. If there is anything that makes me feel like an old, old 30 year old, it’s the Warped Tour. The median age here must be 16, and the only people older than me here must be Pennywise. I feel like someone trying to be a hip dad, or like a creepy middle aged man who’s really into Britney Spears. Wait, did I say “middle aged”?! What if I die at 60? I could be having a mid life crisis! Maybe now is the time to hang out with the youngsters and see what they’re up to . 1:24 PM My sister Marg and I arrive at the gates of the Marcus Amphitheater grounds. I immediately feel like a crotchety old man when I express my disgust for the incredible amount of flyers littering the ground. Most of them are from Turner Hall Ballroom and the Rave (with those annoying two drink minimum tickets stapled to the flyers); it looks like a semi-truck full of these flyers has exploded, blanketing the ground. The litter inside the gates is just as bad and gets worse as the day wears on. Warped Tour is all about swag, and most of it ends up on the ground. It may be the punk rock thing to make a mess, but shit, someone’s got to pick it up. I see a couple of interesting handmade t-shirts while waiting in line to buy a pair of $37 (!) tickets. Two girls wear shirts that say “I kiss emo boys” and one guy has a shirt that says “Sober Man: Protector of car keys, defender of lost memories.” 2:00 PM Marg meets up with her friends, who are on a half-crazed shopping high, toting bags stuffed with the latest thing. Marg wants to venture off with them, so I decide to go check out gothabilly band The Horrorpops at the Hurley.com stage. I end up at the Hurley stage instead of the Hurley.com stage, where The Devil Wears Prada is starting their set. The group should not be confused with the book/Meryl Streep movie of the same name. They also do not dig the dark lord as they are a Christian thrash act. They sound pretty silly to me, so I wander around another 15 minutes before I finally find the Hurley.com stage, inside the Amphitheater. I catch the last half of the Horrorpops set and it is really good. 2:30 PM I run into Marg and her friends and Marg points out two young women, dressed almost identically, each with dozens of rainbow-colored beaded […]
Aug 4th, 2008
Dead Man’s Carnival
Photos by Kat Berger + Lynn Allen (Black Sheep Photography) The circus has a long, romantic history in Wisconsin. The seven dashing Ringling brothers held their first circus in Baraboo in 1884, and the town remained their headquarters and wintering grounds until 1917. The site is now the Circus World Museum. Fast forward to 2008: the circus arts are dead, replaced with Nintendo Wii and flat screen TVs. Right? Wrong! Who is carrying on this ancient art? Bing! You win a cigar, kiddo. It’s Dead Man’s Carnival, a daring and different group of performers who shake together the old and the new, ultimately rendering classic Americana: a beautiful jazz siren with a nose ring, throwing flames. “A lot of these skits are a hundred years old,” says member Gypsy Geoff. “We just put our own spin on it.” A LIGHT BULB FOR ZERO THE CLOWN Gene – Zero the Clown – stands on the stage, wrapped in heavy chains. Erik Bang approaches with a wicked-looking tazer and applies it to the metal links. Gene thrashes, and Erik sticks a light bulb in his mouth. It lights up, and the audience cheers. Gene does fire performance, juggling, and comedy sketches with lots of costume changes. He was influenced by groups he saw at Burning Man Festival that mixed traditional sideshow fare with modern influences. These small circus groups have been popping up all over the country and Gene wanted to do something similar in Milwaukee. As he became involved with fire performance troupe Arson Etiquette and local juggling groups, he started to network with other performers. Last summer, Gene and his friend Ryan Aschebrook started booking sexy circus shows at Club ? called “Karnal:Ville.” The saucy show mixed traditional circus acts with sex toys and burlesque. The group gained a following, mostly because they were offering something different to do on a Saturday night. After a few shows, Aschebrook moved on. The group changed their name to Dead Man’s Carnival and Gene took on much of the scheduling and stage managing for the group. I ask him what the appeal of the circus is for him. He wears a suit coat over a gray button-up shirt; his clothes and posture give him the character of a magician. “It’s a medium that pursues a mixture of arts you wouldn’t necessarily get in another framework. It’s very flexible for doing everything your heart desires. That and the stripes. The striped clothing appeals to me.” He also cites the audience reaction as one of his favorite parts of performance – and there is a reaction. At a recent show I witnessed laughter, cheering, wolf-whistling, hooting, eyes covered in pain and even a few protests and disgusted mutterings. Gene (Zero the Clown) THE SURREAL YARD SALE In May, two of the carnival’s performers, Pinky and Erik Bang, had a rummage sale. It wasn’t your typical knickknacks, toasters and old dishes. The spread included juggling pins, swords for swallowing, eccentric suits, a bucket of raccoon bones […]
Jul 1st, 2008
Leah Jee rocks the BBC
Talking to Leah Jee is a cheerful experience; you get the impression she spends a great deal of time happily rocking out. She has carried this attitude with her from her home in sunny California, moving here in 2000 with a scholarship to Marquette. Jee plays an infectious, energetic, pop-punky Orange county-y sound, a ray of South Cali supersonic sunlight that blinds the frozen no-fun-niks of the local scene. Leah Jee and The Boys (her back up band: Jim Sinicki, bass, Lior Dar, drums, Bryan Burch, guitar) have played it all, from the sweat-soaked, beer-swilling masses at Summerfest to intimate serenades on a stormy night at the Riverwest Commons. The band toured in November, playing dozens of gigs in home, sweet home, California, from San Francisco to San Diego. “The California music scene was absolutely receptive to us, and we had a great fan response every show we played.” Jee told me. The band will hit the road again in May for a mid-Atlantic and East Coast tour. On March 8, Jee will rock the BBC, celebrating the release of her new EP, All The Things I Forgot To Mention, recorded at Studio Z in Milwaukee over several months. Leah Jee and the boys always give an ebullient live performance, and if the audience is lucky, they’ll hear a rockin’ cover of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” which wowed the crowd so much at one performance that they demanded the band play it a second time. Speaking of Paula Abdul, Miss Jee will be one of three guest judges for the Alverno College Idol contest, a replica of American Idol. Jee will certainly bring a healthy dose of Vitamin C to the contest. Leah Jee’s CD release is March 8 at 8PM at BBC, with Evenstar, The Identity Theft, and Now You Have Audio. The CD is available online.
Mar 5th, 2008
