2008-09 Vital Source Mag – September 2008
Spiritualized @ Turner Hall, 9/9/2008
Spiritualized @ The 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago About a decade ago, Spiritualized all but tore down The Rave with an evening of musical pummeling and a head-shearing light show. The several dozen other fans in attendance will back me up. Anyone at Tuesday night’s show realizes how fortunate we are that Jason Pierce and band came back to Milwaukee. Emerging from the fog, Pierce — along with his four bandmates and two backup gospel singers — set the stage with a riveting, heavy version of “Amazing Grace”. With that they set the controls for the dark side of Turner Hall as the band’s modus operandi built on chaotic, driving crescendos and walls of sound only to bring songs back down to stark vocal arrangements. Even the sound man played the board like another instrument. There have been few musical nights like this since the U.S. Government took codeine off the shelves. Touring in support of the album Songs in A&E, whose back story might have been Pierce’s brush with the reaper during a nasty bout of double pneumonia, except the material was writ beforehand. Thus tunes like “Death Take Your Fiddle” (which sounded like an ancient Appalachian ballad) or “Soul on Fire” (which could rival anything on the modern hipster radio stations) already fit like a glove. And incandescent wailing vocals at the end of “Come Together” sounded less like a wake than a Baptist revival meeting down by the river. In the beginning (well, the ’80s at least) there was Spacemen 3, a Rugby, England band that pillaged the best of American music (Velvets, Elevators, Bo Diddley, Suicide, MC5, Sun Ra, Red Krayola), dipped it in morphine and created a quiet storm. Following an acrimonious/not acrimonious split (take your pick) with co-leader Sonic Boom, Jason Pierce (aka J Spaceman) formed Spiritualized in order to take the next logical steps. These days, Pierce’s voice has weathered to a fine, weary patina, reminiscent of Peter Perrett of the Only Ones, a fellow traveler familiar with the power of a script. Never straying far from the twin towers of spiritual transcendence and escapism, at Turner Spiritualized’s take on “Lay Back in the Sun” (“Good dope and good fun”) – something of an homage to Brian Wilson and Beach Boys — made groups like The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Raveonettes seem like kids who just got a fuzzbox for Christmas. “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space” was transformed in to an elegiac waltz that segued into just Pierce and the gospel voices singing a stunning last verse of Elvis’ “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You”. Thought it’s doubtful that many from the religious right were in attendance, Pierce’s affinity for blending rock and religious themes was well represented on “Lord Can you Hear Me,” as well as Spacemen 3’s “Walking With Jesus” and “Take Me to the Other Side.” All good things must come to an end as the evening’s finale built to a maelstrom […]
Sep 10th, 2008 by Blaine Schultz
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 by Tea Krulos
Isn’t it Romantic?
The Milwakee Rep opens its 2008-2009 season at the Stackner Cabaret with a classy, romantic evening of music. The first of three openings in as many weeks for the Rep, Isn’t It Romantic? features the powerfully rich voice of singer Jimi Ray Malary leading William Knowles on piano, Don Linke on bass and Scott Napoli on Drums. The jazzy quartet swims through a selection of songs assembled by playwright and director David Hunter Koch, whose work last graced the Stackner stage in last year’s Hula Hoop Sha-Boop. Koch also put together Ellington: The Life and Music of the Duke for the Rep Cabaret’s 2005-2006 season — a show which also featured Malary, Knowles and Napoli. Isn’t it Romantic? carries a series of songs through a typical cycle of romance: Solitude “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” among others) gives way to new love (“S’Wonderful,” a particularly swinging version of “My Funny Valentine” and more), which follows through into the deepening of the relationship (“Lady is a Tramp”) and moving in together (“Love is Here to Stay’) before exploring the difficulties that come with a long-term relationship (“Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off”). After intermission, the cycle swings in the other direction, peppered with clever, poetic observations about love and relationships from David Hunter Koch – marriage, he says, is life’s way of keeping you from arguing with strangers. Scenic designer Susannah M. Barnes has put together a beautiful art deco set for the show that is stylish and rich in detail. Four paintings show the backs of four women dancing with four men. Light spills onto the stage through stained glass. The atmosphere may lack the smoky clinking of glasses and ambient chatter one might expect from a traditional romantic cabaret atmosphere, but Barnes’ set gives the impression of a jazzy little slice of virtuoso perfection. You’re not hearing the scratches or pops and imperfections that make this style of music so appealing to modern ears, but the clarity and purity of the experience here makes for some really great cabaret theatre. VS Isn’t it Romantic? runs through November 2nd at the Stackner Cabaret. 414-224-9490 or visit the Rep online.
Sep 8th, 2008 by Russ Bickerstaff
Those Crazy Ladies in the House on the Corner
The Sunset Playhouse opens its 49th season with Those Crazy Ladies in the House on the Corner by Pat Cook. The comedy revolves around three aging sisters who’ve created an insular world for themselves in their family home. The three are proud of their independence and of their reputation. When the town doctor tricks them into taking in a boarder who happens to be a nurse, they discover more about their own capabilities and their family history. The sisters, Maggie, Dora and Lydia – played by Dolores Ivanchich, Inge Adams and Frances Klumb respectively – impress and delight from the first moments on stage. In a demonstration that proves why the town thinks they are, indeed, crazy and cranky, all three simultaneously talk, listen and respond to one another. Adams’ impeccable timing makes Dora’s sarcasm crisp and smarting, while Ivanchich radiates sweetness as the slightly memory-challenged sister; she’s especially lovely in the last scene after ‘tasting’ a bit too much egg nog. Klumb is no-nonsense as a former teacher still able to rule over her son and the town doctor. The three connect on stage with such ease that it’s almost impossible to imagine that they haven’t lived with or near each other their entire lives. As Dr. Arnold “Doc” Lomax, Pat Perkins is fresh and able to match the three feisty leads. His physical comedy is authentic – he makes getting wrapped up in a telephone cord while drunk look natural and not a choreographed venture. Less successful is Nasreen Ameri as nurse and boarder Jean Mitchell. Each line is delivered with the same faux enthusiasm no matter what is happening on stage, and she struggled to connect her character with anyone else on stage. Occasionally she even looked uncomfortable, breaking character. An entrance-and -exit comedy can sometimes look cramped if adequate space and doors are not provided, but Scenic Designer Paul Meeusen, interning under technical Director, J. Michael Desper, designed a marvelously open set that provides the room needed for a play that takes place in just one room with a nine-person cast. Meeusen and Despar utilized three levels to make answering the doorbell and going upstairs a more dynamic aspect of each scene. Artistic Director Mark Salentine should be commended for choosing a play that shows elderly women not as just grouchy or doddering, but as individuals with vigor, defiance and love. Though the writing and plot itself in Pat Cook’s play often falters, the problem of children trying to decide when their elderly parents can no longer live on their own is or will be shared by almost everyone. Salentine’s rendition will appeal to multiple generations of families. VS The Sunset Playhouse’s production of Those Crazy Ladies in the House on the Corner runs through September 17th. 262-782-4430, or visit Sunset online.
Sep 8th, 2008 by Russ Bickerstaff
The Wonder Bread Years
John McGivern returns to the Marcus Center this month for another run of Pat Hazell’s comedic monologue The Wonder Bread Years. One of the most recognizable actors in town, McGivern’s memories of growing up in a quirky Milwaukee has natural appeal for his fellow boomers and beyond. While Hazell wrote The Wonder Bread Years as something of a cross between a motivational speech and a standup comedy routine, John McGivern’s distinctive performance style turns it into a theatrical monologue that maximizes an audience’s empathy. McGivern’s enthusiastic delivery infuses these stories with the commonality of American youth – even for those of us not a part of the generation in question. McGivern mixes his own memories of childhood with those written for the stage by Pat Hazell, which localizes the monologue in Milwaukee – just enough. The show hopes to remind everyone of the wonder of their childhood regardless of age, but for someone born in the mid-1970’s, it’s interesting to see people from another generation audibly reacting in unison to pop cultural references from nearly half-century ago and commenting on them during intermission and idle moments. From those tiny boxes of cereal to tough skin jeans, bag lunches and a number of other icons of a generation, much of the show is pretty specific. As pop culture continues to fragment into an endless miasma of pop subcultures under the engine of emerging user-driven media, it’s fun to hang out with one of the last generations to share the same narrowly slices of pop Americana as they are brought to the stage and rediscovered one by one. There is no question that McGivern is the primary reason why so many people see this show, and the reason why continues to be sparklingly clear. He has incredible stage presence that is alarmingly natural, even when he’s delivering the same story he did dozens of times at the Marcus Center last year. When he interacts with the audience, he seems to have a genuine appreciation for the people who have come to see him perform. Clearly he’s enjoying what he’s doing here and it’s an enjoyment that is conveyed to the audience in a way that seems almost effortless. VS John McGivern stars in Pat Hazell’s The Wonder Bread Years now through September 21 at the Marcus Center’s Vogel Hall. 414-273-7206 or marcuscenter.org.
Sep 5th, 2008 by Russ Bickerstaff
If you’re in love with value, then I’m in love with you
What happens when two of Milwaukee’s best bands decide to play a Saturday afternoon show at 7 Mile Fair? Turns out, not much. Items discussed in the following column: ridiculous flea markets, drugs, top-flight dental insurance, the unashamed prolonging of youth. It’s a gorgeous day at 7 Mile Fair and I’m staring at a Scarface beach towel that looks like it could cover half the city of Miami. I’ve just come from a productive visit to the helpfully named House of Socks, and before that, a booth offering not only pony rides, but a chance to have your picture taken with a real live monkey. Zack Pieper – of local rock outfit the Trusty Knife – walks up beside me, sipping a beer and smoking a cigarette. His band has just finished setting up on a small outdoor stage located between the bathrooms and a building offering everything from old slot machines to alligator-skin cowboy hats. Surveying the scene, Zack shakes his head and sighs. “This is what happens when a joke goes too far.” Ah, 7 Mile Fair, a place where the joke always goes too far. (Note: I have no idea what that means, but it sounds good, doesn’t it?) Outdoor booths bursting with fresh produce and grilled corn-on-the-cob sit peacefully next to tables full of used auto parts and off-brand electronics that would make even Radio Shack blush. Live animals dot the sprawling grounds here and there, as well as stands up to their proverbial eyeballs in assorted junk and strangely ubiquitous Scarface merchandise. The brainchild of Michigan-born entrepreneur Charles Niles, the Fair is a place that – according to the official website – built in 1961 on a foundation of “simple trust and a hearly [sic] handshake.” Forty-seven years later, I’m here to witness the Trusty Knife and fellow Milwaukee funsters Crappy Dracula play on a whim to a diverse and unsuspecting crowd. A proud tradition of trust and hearly handshakes hangs in the balance. As expected, there’s not exactly a ton of interest in lo-fi psych rock (Trusty Knife) or abrasive, Dead Milkmen-inspired snot rock (Crappy Dracula) from the 7 Mile crowd. The few people lingering near the area walk off with a shrug as the music begins, while the occasional passerby gives nothing more than a raised eyebrow and a puzzled glance. An old woman appears early on and politely asks if the darn racket can be turned down a little. A Hispanic couple takes a short breather near the stage while their daughter jumps to the music. All in all, it’s an enjoyable and ultimately uneventful afternoon, just a bunch of Milwaukee indie-rock goofballs (myself included) entertaining themselves at the largest outdoor junk store in the Midwest. After sneaking off to the parking lot for a quick, um … breather, I wander through the fairgrounds, wondering just what in the hell is really going on. Here I am, a 30-year-old man (gulp), spending the day with my friends as they play music at […]
Sep 1st, 2008 by Matt Wild
Let’s talk about (child) sex (uality)
My oldest daughter turned 13 this summer, and she looks very much like she’ll look until she enters college. She may get a little taller and her figure a little fuller, but her features are all there now. Not one trace of baby roundness touches her anywhere. Lena is a beautiful young woman who turns the heads of young men everywhere she goes. I see her watch herself in the mirror frequently, and remember doing the same thing at her age. She smiles, frowns, flips her bangs up and back down again. Turns to the side, looks at her tan lines from the summer. Stands on tiptoe to see if the back pockets of her jeans look good. Turns back around to make sure she’s just right before leaving the bedroom for the morning. She is blooming – it is apparent in everything she does. Clearly, she’s feeling the hormonal shift of the early teen years and trying to find her place in a world that suddenly seems supercharged with sexual energy. Many adults believe that this is the beginning of sexuality in children – the early teen years when suddenly boys have leg hair and girls have breasts. But that’s simply not true. Human beings are sexual creatures from the beginning of their lives. It’s just that this is the first time their sexuality is immediately visible to the outside world. Birds do it, bees do it… I know that it makes some adults uncomfortable to acknowledge that young children, even infants, are already sexual (though certainly not ready to be sexually active for a very long time). But it makes sense, biologically speaking. Though humans have socially, economically and intellectually evolved to a place where baby-making isn’t the primary goal for many, it is our most basic biologic function. Like every creature on earth, we were put here to propagate. That’s why it feels good to touch and be touched. Just ask any fivemonth-old baby who manages to grab at his or her genitals during a diaper change. This isn’t an early perversion showing itself. It just feels good. Babies in utero are seen touching themselves frequently during ultrasounds. The drive to reproduce is deep in every race, including ours. Toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners and grade schoolers are all, to some degree, exploring their own physical selves, and sometimes the physical self of someone else, too. (“Wanna play doctor?”) This discovery process is normal and healthy. It gives our children the ability to claim their bodies for themselves, so that later, when it’s time to share with someone else, they feel a sense of ownership and therefore the right to say “No” when they don’t want to be physical. House rules So, what’s a parent’s part in this process, aside from being the dismayed mother or father who really can’t have Jimmy playing with himself in the living room during a dinner party? It’s tough. I have tried hard to give my children a sense of positive sexuality without […]
Sep 1st, 2008 by Lucky Tomaszek
New Faces
By Peggy Schulz Arts groups in Milwaukee are used to dealing with turnover – it’s the nature of the beast. But the 2008-2009 season will introduce even more fresh faces than usual. Along with a handful of smaller-scale galleries and museums (see Judith Ann Moriarty’s visual arts preview on page 22), at least five major arts institutions in Milwaukee have new leaders on board as a sixth, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, prepares to welcome a new Music Director and a new Pops Conductor in 2009. Roll call Perhaps the most familiar new face to the Milwaukee arts scene is one known worldwide for composing, conducting and arranging – Marvin Hamlisch, the new Principal Pops Conductor for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Hamlisch’s distinguished career is notable for any number of reasons; he has won virtually every music award that exists, including three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, a Tony and three Golden Globe awards, plus a Pulitzer Prize for his groundbreaking show, A Chorus Line. Hamlisch is an enthusiastic advocate of the power of music to bring people together. “Music can make a difference,” he says. “Music is truly an international language, and I hope to contribute by widening communication as much as I can.” To further propel the momentum for its upcoming 50th anniversary season, world-renowned conductor Edo de Waart will assume his position as Music Director of the MSO with the 2009-2010 season, but anticipation of his arrival is already feverish. de Waart has conducted every major orchestra in the world, and Time Magazine called him “one of the world’s most accomplished and sought-after conductors.” He is currently Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest Holland. Wisconsin is not totally new to de Waart: he currently lives in Middleton with his family. But it was far from a default decision. Before de Waart would commit to the MSO, he had to conduct them. “I rehearsed with the orchestra in December for two days. I had a ball. It was fantastic.” de Waart is excited to begin work with the MSO in 2009, but for Milwaukee audiences salivating to see the man in action, he’ll conduct two upcoming concerts: October 31 – November 2 and November 7 and 8, 2008 Like de Waart, Daniel Keegan, recently installed CEO of the Milwaukee Art Museum, has ties to Wisconsin – he grewup in Green Bay. Prior to joining the Art Museum in February,Keegan served as Executive Director of the San Jose Museum of Art in California for seven years, and he was Executive Director of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City for three years before that. According to Keegan, “The chance to work here was an offer I couldn’t refuse.” Part of the attraction of the Art Museum is that it’s “an internationally recognized, fabulous collection, and a very talented staff. The opportunity to lead this institution is tremendous.” Keegan already is impressed by the level of […]
Sep 1st, 2008 by Vital Archives
Father & Son Lunch Box Specials
Vanessa Goodman and Erick Fisher met at the The Trellis in Williamsburg, Virginia, where they worked long hours for chef/owner Marcel Desaulnier, a James Beard Award- winner and chocolatiere known as “The Guru of Ganache.” Fisher apprenticed at restaurants while still in school in his ethnically diverse hometown of Long Beach, California. Devon Seafood Grill lured him to Philadelphia and then to Milwaukee in November 2006. Of their three children, Charlee, Erick and Chancellor, it is Chance, the youngest at 6, who has developed a passion for cookery. When time allows, father and son are working on a cookbook together. Says Erick, “It’s his idea. He’ll ask me a question about something and I’ll make him go look it up and then we’ll make it together. He’s really into this cooking thing, no matter how hard I try to dissuade him. When I push him away, it just increases his hunger for it. This is a business that takes me away from my family a lot so you can’t be in it halfway – you have to be really good at it.” To Chance, who started working with food at his Montessori school in Philly, it’s simple. “I just created stuff and didn’t use a recipe – it turned out pretty good!” He is still thinking of a title, but he does believe that his wraps are “very tasty.” VS Chancellor Fisher’s Favorite Lunch Cucumber & Cherry Tomato Salad Photos by Dane Haman 5 medium cucumbers 1/2 cup sour cream 3 T mayonnaise 1 bunch fresh dill, stems removed 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes Salt & pepper to taste Peel each cucumber and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and slice each half into 1-inch sections (half moons). Place cucumbers in large bowl and add sour cream and mayonnaise and stir until blended. Add dill and blend well. Add cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper. Chill for about an hour. Bologna & Cheese Wrap – makes 4 wraps “Chance likes Lebanon Bologna – it is a tangy & tart beef sausage from Lebanon, PA. It goes really well with Swiss cheese and mustard. We haven’t been able to find it since we left the east coast, so you can substitute your favorite lunchmeat and cheese combination,” says mom Vanessa. 1/2 lb. Lebanon Bologna or Roast Beef 1/2 lb. Swiss cheese 1/4 cup low-fat ranch dressing 4 t mustard 4 leaves of Romaine lettuce 1 kosher dill pickle, sliced thinly Wash lettuce and let dry. Spread thin layer of ranch dressing and mustard on each wrap. Add meat and cheese, then lettuce and pickles, and roll tightly. Finish off this great lunch with a bunch of washed fresh grapes. Erick Fisher’s Grilled Veggie Chicken Sandwich Next time you’re grilling on the weekend, throw on a couple extra chicken breasts and the veggies for this weekday lunchtime repast. Use the veggie relish as an accent to any grilled meats. 1 5-oz. chicken breast, grilled 2 slices smoked mozzarella cheese 2 slices sourdough bread, […]
Sep 1st, 2008 by Cate Miller
The Silent Years
By Kyle Shaffer Maybe it’s time pop music got a little more contemplative. It’s all in good fun to keep the party going, and no one wants to be a walking rain cloud, but maybe the only frontier left for the genre lies in the gap between metallic truth and blinding possibility. To muster all your courage and face up to your existence, greeting it with “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met,” seems a task for the theologians and philosophers. But The Silent Years make this a mission for the common folk, binding melody to wonder with their most recent release, The Globe. There’s depth in the simplicity and quirky straightforwardness here that will no doubt invite comparisons to Nada Surf or the Shins. Lead singer Josh Epstein makes bizarre observations and realizations that evoke everyday conversations without sounding like a burnt-out Malkmus-ian knock off. Whether in the sunny bounce of “Someday” or the almost withdrawn folk of closer “Lost At Sea”, The Silent Years present an outlook of comfortable uncertainty, never pressing agendas and always looking for input. And for all its accessibility and spunk, there’s not a single note played to be a selling point. There’s a candor in the songwriting and a purpose in the band’s delivery that’s undeniable. The Silent Years are the real deal, and they invite us all to search for meaning beyond our doorsteps. “May we all find something in this. Hallelujah!” Amen, dude.
Sep 1st, 2008 by Vital Archives
Emilíana Torrini
Icelandic songstress Emilíana Torrini is not Björk, but she certainly sounds like her. It’s not just her heritage or soprano, but her irreverence and eclecticism, too. Torrini’s voice is quirky and youthful, yet emanates street-smarts, which also brings anti-folk singer Regina Spektor to mind. Unfortunately, Torrini is best known for contributing a track for the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ending credits. Not a Peter Jackson fan? Then Torrini has probably already slipped two full-length critically acclaimed releases over your head. Hopefully her third release to the U.S., Me And Armini, will reach an audience beyond geek. To the effect of “Gollum’s Song” from LOTR, “Birds” and “Bleeder” are moody and stunning, but what makes Torrini worth listening to is her affinity for the weird and witchy. Though “Gun” features a riff so close to the O’Jay’s “For the Love of Money” that it sounds like Donald Trump is at the door, its breathy almost-barks and hostile finger snaps carry it and give it edge. Likewise, “Jungle Drum,” a scat about the thrill of new love, and “Ha-Ha,” a scoff at a washed-up former lover, are extravagant originals that make it apparent that Torrini is not in denial about her onomatopoeia obsession. Less extreme opener “Fireheads” and the sexy island-vibe title-track still show Torrini in good form, but “Big Jumps,” which plays like Jack Johnson, is too radio-friendly. If she wants to keep her cred, and comparisons to Björk, Torrini should dial down the pop and keep barking, snapping, scatting and scoffing though her next release.
Sep 1st, 2008 by Amber Herzog
