2008-05 Vital Source Mag – May 2008
Life’s remedy
By Charise Dawson One Milwaukeean has no trouble likening medicine to art. Dr. Curt Kommer, a Milwaukee artist and physician, will exhibit his artwork in his first gallery show at Lakeshore Gallery. The exhibit, Travelogues, a collection of oil and acrylic paintings, runs May 2 through May 31. According to Kommer, being an artist is like being a doctor: both roles require discipline and detail. “When I sit down, I can bring a lot of focus in it. A lot of the qualities of a doctor require the same focus and detail that artists need.” During his work as a family physician, Kommer made house calls to former UWM Professor of Art Joseph Friebert. The two discussed art and the late Friebert asked Kommer to show him his paintings. His encouragement inspired Kommer to continue showing other people his artwork. “He passed away about two years ago. I know he’d be so proud of me,” Kommer said. For the internationally known artist, painting was Friebert’s lifetime work. According to Kommer, he was still painting at 89 years old and reworking pieces he had done 30 years ago. “I used to be so sensitive about revising my work. You don’t want a physician who isn’t a perfectionist. You want him to get it exactly right the first time. But in art, you can start over. Friebert showed me that art is a living thing. It evolves. As it develops, we may change our minds,” said Kommer. Kommer, a Chicago native, had never left the city until he was 18. As a Chinese interpreter in the military, he took watercolor classes in Asia to relax. Ten years ago, his wife bought him a set of oil paints. He now uses oils and acrylics to create textures in his paintings. He received his M.D. from the University of California at Davis. Kommer has been with Columbia St. Mary’s since 1985. He is semi-retired from his family practice and works half-time in urgent care. Since his semi-retirement, Kommer wanted to see if any gallery would consider showing his paintings. Roger Tsang at Lakeshore Gallery was the first person he approached, and though Tsang really liked Kommer’s work, Cranston in the Third Ward was the first to show his art. Kommer and Tsang kept in touch, and about a year ago, the gallery showed and sold some of Kommer’s artwork. He was delighted when Tsang offered to have an entire show of Kommer’s work at Lakeshore Gallery. Kommer, who paints in the back bedroom of his house, said that seeing his paintings on the wall of the gallery, professionally lit, was thrilling. The exhibition is the first time the artist has seen all of his paintings in one place. “I’ve got some butterflies,” Kommer admitted about his first opening night reception at Lakeshore Gallery, a chance for art-lovers to meet the artist. “I don’t know if they are expecting me to walk around with a pipe and talk about every detail of each painting,” he […]
May 6th, 2008 by Vital Archives
A New Brain
By Charise Dawson A real-life personal experience with arteriovenous malformation and the healing power of art inspired a Broadway musical now debuts in Milwaukee. Windfall Theatre closes its 15th season with A New Brain at Village Church Arts, 130 E. Juneau Avenue. The production runs May 2 through 17. William Finn’s A New Brain is a musical journey through the author’s real life. Finn, who was hospitalized shortly after winning Tony Awards for Falsettos, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and the musical is an attempt to recreate what it was like when he thought he would die and ended up living. The main character, Gordon Michael Schwinn, is a middle-aged songwriter who becomes ill with a brain disease. Actor Larry Birkett captures the characters’ struggle ably, balancing the news of his illness with the often exhausting comfort of his mother, lover and those around him. Meanwhile, he is charged with the task of writing the song that he hopes will become his legacy before undergoing a dangerous and risky operation. Supporting roles include Mr. Bungee, a children’s television star, who torments Schwinn’s psyche by telling him he is an artistic failure. The character is played by Thomas Rosenthal, who wears a bright frog costume and roams the stage on a green vintage bicycle. Roger Delli-Bovi is Schwinn’s lover, played by Marty McNamee. McNamee creates some of the play’s most vulnerable moments, including a song in which he invites Schwinn to spend the night before his operation sleeping in his arms. When the character believes his lover will not recover from his operation, he delivers a truly memorable performance of “A Really Lousy Day in the Universe.” Mimi Schwinn, the main character’s mother, is played by Marilyn White. White brings the perfect amount of sass and heart to the role, reminding the audience that a mother is a mother, no matter how old her son is. David Flores brings laughter to the role of as Richard, Schwinn’s nurse – a quirky gay man with hilarious facial expressions and physicality and a strong, idiosyncratic bass voice to boot. Tamara Martinsek, Kristin Pagnekopf, Carol Zippel, Bob Hirschi and Ben Geroge complete the cast. Each actor shines in his or her role while managing the ensemble pieces wonderfully. A personal favorite, “Gordo’s Law of Genetics,” is a funny number, showcasing the casts’ ability to coordinate various melodies and vocal parts. The musical direction by Chris Wszalek is solid, Kim O’Brien’s choreography is lively and thoughtful. Director Shawn Gulyas moves the action through the music seamlessly, a difficult and commendable task, considering the play’s complex settings and that it was almost completely sung-through. VS A New Brain runs May 2 through 17 at Village Church Arts at 130 E. Juneau Avenue. For tickets and information, call Windfall Theatre’s box office at 414-332-3963.
May 6th, 2008 by Vital Archives
Spamalot
By Jim Cryns Like so many great comedy sketches, Monty Python’s antics tend to have an incredible life-span. From rather humble beginnings on PBS back in the ‘70s as Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the Python empire has churned out some of the most enduring cult hits of our time, including Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which was “lovingly ripped off” for Broadway three years ago in Spamalot. The production at the Marcus Center, part of Milwaukee’s Broadway Across America series (now – May 4), has something up its sleeve for everyone. If you know the films, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what’s coming, and I mean that in a good way. Spamalot is a hit with both women and men, a rarity where most musicals traditionally draw women. The loose plot follows King Arthur has he attempts to round up a cast of suitable knights to assist him in his quest for the Holy Grail: Sir Lancelot, Galahad and the timid and trouser-fouling Sir Robin. Tony Award winner Gary Beach is King Arthur, and you never get the feeling that Beach is a stage-glomming prima donna. He’s very giving onstage and present throughout the performance, save for a brief respite during the gay Galahad number. Brad Bradley, also a member of the original Broadway cast, says he loves his character Patsy: “He’d truly die for the king,” Bradley says, “and that’s an amazing quality. Patsy is dedicated, selfless, he truly cares.” Bradley admits the Python humor went over his head in high school, but he made up for lost time in college. “People come into the theater excited, even before the show starts.” American Idol phenom Clay Aiken joined the Broadway production as Sir Robin, the chicken-hearted knight who shits his armor throughout the show. Rocky Horror alumni Tim Curry originated the role of King Arthur on Broadway; Bradley says he was also great to work with. “Whenever you were with Tim,” Bradley says, “you always felt you were with the King. We’re all having a great time; we get to laugh for a living.” Familiar scenes from the movie come to life on the stage: the Trojan rabbit worked to perfection, as did the cow over the castle wall and blood-thirsty rabbit. Monks cross the stage chanting while smashing themselves in the head with wooden boards. You’ll see King Arthur defeat the Black Knight by cutting off his arms and legs, and in the “dark and very expensive forest” where the crew meets the Knights who say Ni, Patsy delivers one of the most popular Python bits, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” Bradley says numbers are cut from shows with regularity. “They cut the ‘lighter than a duck’ scene from the play, and that was kind of depressing.” Part of the convention of Python is different roles played by the same actors. Bradley says producers have to ‘kill their babies’ periodically and take out songs […]
May 2nd, 2008 by Vital Archives
Tim Fite
Timothy Sullivan ain’t proud of his past life as an MTV “one track” rap wonder, and his work under alias Tim Fite is his attempt at renewal. His free 2007 internet LP, Over the Counter Culture, lashed anger at the state of our hate- and greed-mongering union. Fair Ain’t Fair beelines to the acceptance stage. Opener “Roots of a Tree” insists that we shouldn’t be measured by bygones but by whom we have grown to be. Hippy-dippy sentiment aside, this release isn’t for the faint of heart. An f-bomb drop within seconds of play sets an abrasive tone, but more significantly, since each song is a patchwork of obscure banjo and accordion samples recovered from record store discount bins, the musicality takes patience to comprehend. It’s best to start with the approachable “Yesterday’s Garden,” about a distracted Fite accidentally driving through his girlfriend’s flowerbed. The language is plain and details are omitted, yet a lucid snapshot develops over the course of the record. Outside of literature, these moments are rare, but “Motorcade,” a scene suspended in slow-mo as if ripped from a Wes Anderson film, does it more than once, flecked by toy piano. Tympanis, snares, and other percussion — courtesy of a high school orchestra — on “The Names of All the Animals” and “Rats and Rags” pique interest and help the CD achieve more than just cut and paste. Though “Sing Along” finds Fite back in his old pop politics, he primarily continues to propel forward. “Everyone gets to make one,” he says on “Big Mistake.” If lucky, the error of apocalyptical proportions he’s saving up can match Fair Ain’t Fair’s success in overcoming his minor ones.
May 1st, 2008 by Amber Herzog
Happy Trails
It’s official: you have no good excuse to stay home this summer. Okay, we take that back. If you want to stay home this summer, you’re welcome to. But there’s a ton to do around here, so we want to make sure you have plenty of ideas for ways to enjoy yourself. Look, we hear you. Times are tight. Fuel costs are insane, which means prices for everything else are insane, too. Consumer confidence is at an epic low, and everywhere we turn, another flawed system we’ve trusted for too long seems poised to collapse: the housing market, health care, energy, the American dollar. We’re still at war. We’re facing down a mighty sense of global unease. And, increasingly, we’re called to task on the bad shape our planet is in, thanks to a hundred odd-years of industrialization, exponential growth and the unchecked exploitation of our natural resources. It’s too soon to determine the consequences of humanity’s reckless abandon, but they could be dire – even disastrous. We know that if we don’t curb the depletion soon, we’ll be helpless when things start to get really nasty. It’s enough to make you hunker down in your cellar with some canned goods and a few good books and say, “See you at Christmas.” But here’s the good news: Wisconsin is amazing. We mean it: rich natural beauty, a diverse cultural landscape, a wide swath of arts offerings. It sounds tired, but it’s true. And thankfully, traveling lightly in Wisconsin – whether you want to kayak, see Shakespeare outdoors, hear a bluegrass band or just eat some chocolate – is easy. It’s good for your wallet and for the world at large. In fact, there has never been a better time to gain perspective, to reconnect with yourself, your family and the land we all share, to learn, to be an active, fearless member of society. We are so anxious for you to have a good summer that we’ve spent some time and thought putting together this idea book of low-stress, low-cost, low-impact summer leisure options. It’s a starting point, so browse and brainstorm. Grab some Post-Its or take some notes. Tread lightly this summer, but please, whatever you do, never forget that fun is a top priority. FOR THE ACTION/ADVENTURER You might think of the rugged north woods or the towering bluffs of the driftless zone when you think of adventure travel in the Badger State, but you don’t have to go that far. Get in gear with Bike to Work Week, brought to you by the Bike Federation of Wisconsin, May 11 – May 16. It’s not just a healthier and more conscious way to conduct a daily commute; there are events planned throughout the city for every day of the week, including a Mother’s Day ride along the lakefront, a morning cruise downtown with the Mayor, daily coffee breaks at the Alterra Foundry, mid-week bar trivia, and a grand finale meet-up at Jackalope Lounj and bike-in to the movies […]
May 1st, 2008 by Amy Elliott
R.E.M.
“Accelerate” is the perfect title for this recording. After eight years of this millennium mired in a slow gear, seemingly lost on some road in the countryside of musical exploration, R.E.M. has picked up the pace and returned to the path they pretty much paved. This recording is thicker, brighter and much more confident in every aspect: songwriting, production and musicianship. The composition is pure and lean, with 11 tight songs that keep the focus on substance. It all works. Starting off with “Living Well is the Best Revenge,” Michael, Peter and Mike (with exemplary playing from second guitarist Scott McCaughey and drummer Bill Rieflin, whose work is the most urgent and propulsive in the band’s history) lay it all out for the listener. Co-Producer Jacknife Lee has situated each instrument in an incontrovertible sonic space/place. There’s a fresh sound throughout, yet it’s undeniably authentic to the band’s history. Beyond all the subtext of their redemption and rebirth, R.E.M. has not just crafted songs that are cohesive as a collection; they also stand up alongside much of their best work. And like the rest of R.E.M.’s best work, they have captured their muse in each song: four minutes or less of absolute essence. The back-to-back middle passage of “Accelerate” and “Until the Day Is Done” are prime examples: each of a different ilk, both undeniable in their certainty.
May 1st, 2008 by Troy Butero
VITAL’s Online Summer Recreation Guide
As promised, here’s our comprehensive guidebook for living low-impact this summer, with links, contact info and more good ideas than you can shake a stick at. Have fun! ADVENTURE CHARTER BOATS Lake Michigan dive charters, right outta Milwaukee. THE ALDO LEOPOLD FOUNDATION E13701 Levee Rd., Baraboo BIKE TO WORK WEEK May 11 – May 16, statewide. And check out the City of Milwaukee’s Milwaukee By Bike map! BURLINGTON CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL May 23 – 26 in Burlington CAVE OF THE MOUNDS 2975 Cave of the Mounds Rd., Blue Mounds CEDAR GROVE CHEESE In Plain. 800-200-6020 CIRCUS WORLD MUSEUM 550 Water St., Baraboo 866-693-1500 CIVIL WAR MUSEUM 5400 1st Ave, Kenosha 262-653-4140 HOUSE ON THE ROCK In Spring Green. 608-935-3639 HEIDI FESTIVAL/TASTE & TREASURE of NEW GLARUS June 27-9 in New Glarus. LEN-DER CHARTERS Lake Michigan dive charters from Milwaukee. 414-482-1430 LIVING ADVENTURE 88260 State Hwy 13, Bayfield 866-779-9503 MILWAUKEE COUNTY PARKS Need we say more? MOREL MUSHROOM FESTIVAL May 17-18 in Muscoda NEENAH STREETBALL CHALLENGE June 14-15 in Neenah PORT WASHINGTON PIRATE FESTIVAL June 6-8 in Port Washington THE RENEWABLE ENERGY & SUSTAINABLE LIVING FAIR June 20-22 in Custer SPRING FORAGER’S HARVEST May 17-18, W5066 State Hwy 86, Ogema TEN CHIMNEYS ESTATE & FOUNDATION In Genesee Depot. 262-968-4110 WISCONSIN STATE PARKS Info on all of the parks, forests, recreation areas, state campgrounds and trails. GROTTOS DICKEYVILLE GROTTO 305 W Main St, Dickeyville 608-568-3119 GROTTO OF THE HOLY FAMILY St. Joseph, WI RUDOLPH GROTTO 6957 Grotto Ave., Rudolph 715-435-3120 WEGNER GROTTO Cataract, WI MEMORIALS KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL PARK OF WISCONSIN Worzella Pines Park, Plover MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER Mead Rapids View Park, 1st and Baker St.,Wisconsin Rapids WISCONSIN STATE FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL Ben Hanson Park, 2nd Ave., Wisconsin Rapids MUSEUMS AMERICA’S BLACK HOLOCAUST MUSEUM 2233 N. 4th Street, Milwaukee 414-264-2500 BETTY BRINN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM 929 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee 414-291-0888 CAPTAIN FREDERICK PABST MUSEUM 2000 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee 414-931-0808 THE HEARTSTONE HOUSE 625 W. Prospect, Appleton 920-730-8204 THE HISTORY MUSEUM AT THE CASTLE 330 East College Avenue, Appleton 920-733-8445 HISTORIC MUSEUM WALKING TOURS 828 N. Broadway, Milwaukee 414-277-7795 INTERNATIONAL CLOWN HALL OF FAME 161 W. Wisconsin Avenue (inside the Grand Avenue Mall), Milwaukee 414-319-0848 KENOSHA HISTORICAL CENTER 262-654-5770 KENOSHA PUBLIC MUSEUM 5500 1st Ave, Kenosha 262-653-4140 MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, Milwaukee 414-224-3200 MILWAUKEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 910 N. Old World Third Street, Milwaukee 414-273-8288 MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM 800 W. Wells Street, Milwaukee 414-278-2702 MITCHELL GALLERY OF FLIGHT General Mitchell International Airport 5300 S. Howell Avenue, Milwaukee 414-747-5300 RACINE ART MUSEUM 2519 Northwestern Avenue, Racine 262-636-9177 RACINE HERITAGE MUSEUM 701 South Main Street, Racine 262-636 3926 WEIS EARTH SCIENCE MUSEUM University of Wisconsin Fox Valley Campus 920-832-0125 NATURE/GARDENS THE BARLOW PLANETARIUM 1478 Midway Road, Menasha 414-276-5760 BOERNER BOTANICAL GARDENS 5879 S. 92nd Street, Hales Corner 414-425-1130 GORDON BUBOLZ NATURE PRESERVE 4815 N. Lynndale Drive, Appleton 920-731-6041 GREEN BAY BOTANICAL GARDEN 2600 Larsen Road, Green Bay 920-490-9457 HECKRODT WETLAND RESERVE 1305 Plank Road, Menasha 920-720-9349 LAKE GENEVA ANIMAL GARDENS 5065 Highway […]
May 1st, 2008 by Vital Archives
Fever Marlene
Milwaukee’s Fever Marlene have a serious work ethic – they’ve unflaggingly made their presence known since taking up residence in their Historic Fifth Ward creative/living space, absorbing the industriousness of their neighborhood. Scott Starr (guitars, keys, vocals) and Kevin Dunphy (drums, vocals), a duo whose sound is more fleshed out than many a four- or five-piece can claim, received solid praise for their 2007 release Civil War, and their songs spin through the airwaves of local radio stations not just because they’re “Milwaukee music,” but because their music is that good. With White China, Starr and Dunphy are striding it out after a run of successful previous releases. Recorded in the infamous Chelsea Hotel in New York City, Fever Marlene have returned home to release it on their very own Rev Pop label. Dense with pianos, synthesizers, strings and various percussion and held together by Starr’s expressive tenor and Dunphy’s lovely shadow-harmonies, White China shows that the band is comfortable enough to make slight alterations, but clever enough to stick to the formula. On “Oh Berlin,” the piano intro sets an echo-y Motown backbeat, but when brassy guitar chords and Starr’s soft voice kick in, the effect is anything but dated. The sincerity of the songs lies in the vocals and lyrics, and the instrumentation follows suit by default. The upbeat “Lemon King Mahoney” and country-tinged “How Do You Love?” are diversions from the duo’s blanket of rainy-day pop. “Check for Pulse” gets closer with its looped beats and distantly drawled-out guitars – the only thing missing is the hushed sound of raindrops. White China is not Fever Marlene’s pluckiest album, but it is solidly pretty and genuinely enjoyable. Starr and Dunphy have proven that they are more than capable of the songsmith careers they have chosen.
May 1st, 2008 by Erin Wolf
The Black Keys
When music nerds think of Akron, Ohio, they usually conjure images of proto-punk college nerds as much influenced by neighboring Cleveland’s industrial wasteland as by whatever they were learning down the road at Kent State that semester — i.e. DEVO. But thanks to Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, aka The Black Keys, the new sound of Akron dates past devolution and slinks back into the primordial ooze of dirty, gritty delta blues. Their latest, Attack and Release, shuffles and shambles like the soundtrack to one of those run-down city skyline montages in some old ‘70s film where the main character is just driving and driving through town. The music’s rusty, broken-in and comfortably warm. Although the Keys are a duo, Attack and Release takes advantage of the recording studio and fills out its riffage with bass, organ and even flute (!) in the intro to “Same Old Thing.” The extra instrumentation never gets in the way, leaving plenty of space for the songs to breathe. You don’t need to get the band back together to hear their brand of blues (although I doubt they’d refuse the whole chicken and toast). Drums and guitar will suffice just nicely. The Black Keys sound like road movies and cigarettes smoked at 3 a.m. while drunkenly drifting away on your couch after another Friday night at that same damn bar again. In a good way. Seriously, if I don’t turn on TBS in another 10 years and hear “Things Ain’t Like They Used to Be,” Attack and Release’s dynamite closing track, in some flick involving either Patrick Swayze and truckers or Dennis Hopper and motorcycles, I will have lost faith in Hollywood.
May 1st, 2008 by DJ Hostettler
Exercising Ideals
“Give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.” Dave Casillas, of the newly founded Echo Base Collective, is not only familiar with this proverb; he is actively trying to live by it. “People don’t appreciate what they have. They’ve got cars, but don’t treat their cars with respect; they don’t drive respectfully. Bike riders, too. They should stop at stop signs instead of plowing through them.” This motivated 23-year-old isn’t merely preaching Utopianism. Echo Base Collective (Milwaukee’s second bike collective – the other is at 2910 W. Clybourn Street) is located in the industrial environs of Walker’s Point, between Milwaukee’s Third Ward and Bay View. It’s an exercise in idealism, but with the proper pushes from the right people, it could become a place where anyone can not only find a bicycle to get them out of doors and into a more active lifestyle, but also learn how to maintain their own bikes and help build bikes for others. Casillas’ motivation comes from his own volunteer experiences and via a cross-country biking expedition that introduced him to collectives on the west coast. He was impressed with what he encountered there. “In Portland, there are four different free bike programs. [In Milwaukee] I’ve gone through the hard work of finding the space and providing the ability to create something. It’s up to everyone else to own up to the fact that they can better their community and own lives.” Ready The collective, a bare-bones space for the moment, houses over 50 bicycles, both kids’ and adults’, mostly donated by The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee and salvaged from Casillas’ own scouting for discarded bikes. They hang from racks on the wall of the collective, ready to be worked on; many wait in storage. The trick is to find enough people to pitch in and make them all working machines. “I’m very motivated, more so than most people,” Casillas says of his mindset towards his collective. “When someone says, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ll totally help you,’ I would have to go to their house, wake them up, drag them out and probably dress them just to get them to come down. I’m really looking for people who are motivated enough to take their own initiative.” “[The other collectives I’ve worked in before] have already been established for two or three years,” explains Casillas. “Starting out is the hardest part – it’s as grassroots as you get. I need teachers, people who just want to sweep the floor – anything – even to sort through all these tires. I want to create an environment where you can just enjoy the company of other people.” Set This is the bottom line from which Casillas is building the foundation of the collective: enjoying the company of others and developing mutual respect through hard work. “I pretty much started Echo Base as a facility to put a bike between every pair of legs – […]
May 1st, 2008 by Erin Wolf
Story of the Year
By Kyle Shaffer Defining one’s sound on a passing trend can prove a death blow for most acts. But, perhaps even more daunting a thought is that of trying to reformat a band’s sound to remain relevant. Story of the Year’s heyday was the release of Page Avenue amidst an explosion of screamo bands. Two albums and a few Warped Tours later, the St. Louis crew emerges with The Black Swan, a supposedly seamless integration of the catchiness of their debut with the heavy riffing of 2005’s In the Wake of Determination. While this album may mark the group’s ability to survive without major-label support, it’s full of enough generic guitar riffs and less-than-inspiring lyrics to make the dudes in Avenged Sevenfold hold back chuckles. Throughout, this record is shaking with the fear of committing to a sound. Opener “Choose Your Fate” attempts Thrice-like energy and lands somewhere between 30 Seconds to Mars and whatever “band of the week” Vagrant Records is promoting. This is not a giant step forward in Story’s growth. Lyrically trying to tackle more serious subject matter, songs like “Message to the World” struggle to articulate communication problems between the U.S. and the rest of the planet. Even more painful is listening to lead singer Dan Marsala feign his concern for racial equality in “We’re Not Gonna Make It.” These are serious issues in the modern world, but Story of the Year’s contrived sound minimizes their importance. For a band that left a major label for ethical reasons, The Black Swan sure sounds like a record written for a paycheck.
May 1st, 2008 by Vital Archives
