13th Annual Rockabilly Chili adds Split Lip Rayfield to the line up

Already guaranteed to be a day of fun and food, WMSE is turning up the heat at its 13th Annual Rockabilly Chili fundraiser with the addition of one of the best bluegrass bands in the country to the line up – Split Lip Rayfield.

Hailing from Wichita, Kan., this three-piece scorcher of a band played the WMSE Backyard BBQ last year and blew the crowd away with their hard-paced bluegrass.  Bassist Jeff Eaton plays a standup bass that is made out of a gas tank with one string from a weed wacker and affectionately calls it the “Stitch Giver.”  Joined by Eric Mardis on banjo and Wayne Gottstine on mandolin, they’ve created a sound that appeal to fans of Flatt & Scruggs and Metallica.

WMSE’s Rockabilly Chili fundraiser is a competition that pits more than 50 Milwaukee restaurants, cafés and caterers against one another to determine the city’s best chili as voted on by event attendees. Awards are given to winners in five different categories: best meat, best vegetarian, most unique chili, best heat, and best vendor display/presentation. This year the Milwaukee Fire Department will compete for best Fire House Chili. Returning this year are the chili pepper races in the mold of Miller Park sausage races, and a growing children’s area. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 1 on the first and second floors of the MSOE Kern Center, 1245 N. Broadway.

Advance tickets are $12 and include 4 chili samples. Additional chili sampling tickets can be purchased at the event for $1 each. Bring two or more non-perishable food items to donate to the Hunger Task Force and you’ll receive two additional sample tickets. Children 10 years or younger are FREE.

This is the hottest event in town to kick off the spring season.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.