http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ The battle against HIV turns a new page Medical treatments for HIV and AIDS have advanced to the point where patients are now leading longer, healthier lives than ever before, with some patients living more than 25 years after being diagnosed. The flip side of that good news is that with AIDS out of the headlines, young, at-risk populations...]]> Milwaukee Symphony ventures into Bartok’s classic The subterranean quality of Bartok’s ominous score for Bluebeard’s Castle, the dark harmonic undercurrent of his only opera, may seem surprisingly tame for those familiar with the shock waves of dissonant sound outbursts characterizing the Hungarian composer’s later works, where music spills boldly across a broad limitless tapestry like the splatter of a black-and-white Pollock canvas. Unlike Pollock, Bartok usually...]]> Tonight @ The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, 8 p.m. Kevin Ramsey’s musical revue Soultime at the Apllo opens with a scene in the basement of the legendary Apollo Theater, the 75-year-old venue that has given countless African-American performers their start. Bricks adorn a long section of wall; at one end rests actor C.E. Smith...]]> An insightful history of recorded music Greg Milner’s Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music (Faber & Faber) is a brilliantly researched and mindfully provoking text on the history of capturing sound. A genealogy of recorded music, it stimulates awareness of the evolution of recorded sound and how we have deployed it in our own lives. Perfecting Sound...]]> Tonight @ Boswell Book Co., 7 p.m. Saying Michael Bowen is a local mystery writer doesn’t quite do justice to just how local his books are. His latest novel, Service Dress Blues, is not only set in Milwaukee, but also includes many of the city’s landmarks in pivotal scenes, from Juneau Park...]]> Art Preview Cedarburg and surrounding areas will hum with activity when Ozaukee County Arts Weekend (Oct. 9-11) opens the studios of 50 local artists to the public. A countywide map of self-guided tours can be picked up at the Cedarburg Cultural Center (W62 N546 Washington Ave.), which will also be hosting its fall exhibition, “Bold and/or Red...]]> Sept. 30, 2009 ]]> Sept. 23, 2009 ]]> Love, poetry and tragedy for Keats and Brawne With autumn comes early rumors of Oscar nominations and, always among them, an early contender for Best Picture: Masterpiece Theatre Division. This season’s front-runner in that category, Bright Star, is based on the romance between 19th-century British poet John Keats and the woman who lived next door, Fanny Brawne... ]]> Warm service, hearty food in quiet setting Ilija’s Place is located in a quiet residential neighborhood away from the factories of Cudahy. It is easy to pass by this plain, red brick building with dark windows, though a neon sign and ornamental ironwork around the...]]> Impressive Mexican Menu One of the area’s most consistent Mexican restaurants is located just a short distance from the airport: Jalapeno Loco (5067 S. Howell Ave.). Everything is good, whether your preference is pork enchiladas or a fine Oaxacan mole. ]]> Candy-maker’s tour provides a bellyful of beans As All Hallows’ Eve draws near and the act of downing ungodly amounts of candy is considered socially acceptable, it’s time to find what lies at the center of the ubiquitous jelly bean. Just south of Milwaukee, in the village of...]]> Tonight @ UWM Union Theatre, 7 p.m. Heddy Honigmann paints a lively and endearing—but also somber—portrait of life in her native country Peru with her latest documentary, Oblivion. Honigmann profiles the average citizens of Lima, who are trying to make a living and enjoy life in the face of poverty. Many of her subjects...]]> Tonight @ Potawatomi Bingo Casino, 8 p.m. Given that they’re getting older and that they’re soft-spoken alums of 1960s television, it’s easy to write off The Smothers Brothers as a nostalgia act without remembering how boat-rocking the duo once was. While their bickering brothers routine was tame, their “Comedy Hour” program was anything but...]]> Detective novel filled with exquisite detail, explosive energy Are you sitting down? Thomas Pynchon—post-surreal political hippie/punk slinger of prose full of history, hilarity, piss, vinegar and exquisite, often distracting detail—has written an old-fashioned detective novel, Inherent Vice (Penguin), and it’s less than a thousand pages... ]]> As the Soviet Union dissolved and the Iron Curtain crumbled, many decided to leave their various homelands to seek opportunities elsewhere. Some came to Milwaukee, including a few musicians. One of them, Moldovan accordionist Stas Venglevski, probably had no idea that his new home was once the accordion capital of America...]]> It’s not a particularly extraordinary story, but it’s been repeated so many times it has taken on the air of a myth: a heartbroken Justin Vernon retreated for the winter to his father’s northern Wisconsin cabin to lick his wounds, emerging from his three-month exile with a self-recorded album. The same way Blood on the Tracks owes nearly...]]> Oct. 4, 2009 ]]> Tonight @ The Borg Ward Collective, 7 p.m. Touring in support of Resisting the Viral Self, their first complete studio album after a plethora of live bootlegs and scattered other recordings, the Cincinnati ensemble Realicide re-envisions hardcore for the 21st century, pairing it with caustic, industrial...]]> Milwaukee-native Diana Laurence is a published novelist who transverses genres with a unique and broad repertoire of work, including the award-winning Soulful Sex anthology and vampire fiction like Bloodchained and Looking on Darkness.]]> Theater Review Clarence Darrow was called America’s “sophisticated country lawyer,” an agnostic who passionately believed in helping the underdog and strongly supported the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Boulevard Theatre opened Clarence Darrow last weekend...]]> Jack White’s Summit with Jimmy Page, The Edge Rock guitar gods were a product of the 1960s and Jimmy Page, who went on to reign over much of the ‘70s with Led Zeppelin, was an original member of the pantheon. By the time the Edge gained acclaim, punk rock had already questioned the efficacy of guitar gods. But if the ‘80s had a presiding spirit of guitar grandeur, the Edge defined it with U2. When Jack White...]]> Keep an Eye on the Sky (Rhino) Their name couldn’t have been more optimistic or revealing. Big Star wasn’t conceived as an art project or an alternative to anything, but as a band following the pop-rock line first drawn by the Beatles and other great ‘60s groups. But the star they were born under in the early ‘70s was not a sign of success, at least when measured in sales and airplay...]]> Smooth Summer Shorewood’s Cafe Nation Smoothie Nation (1926 E. Capitol Drive) is a small, unique place to grab a cup of coffee or a dessert smoothie. The latter comes in many flavors. One favorite is the orange dreamsicle, so sweet and creamy that your taste buds will jump with pleasure. Also, try their super fruit smoothie...]]> Grilled Lobster Special Everybody likes a good deal. How about a Maine lobster dinner for $12.95? This is the Wednesday evening special at Karen Jean’s Oyster Bar and Grill, which is located in the Milwaukee Public Market next to the St. Paul Fish Co. Seating is casual—just a stainless steel counter with a few seats.]]> Fueling the Hogs With the 105th anniversary of Harley-Davidson barreling down on Milwaukee this summer, plus the opening of the motor company’s museum, thirsty minds turn to thoughts of the best beverage for the season. ]]> Grilled Lobster Special Everybody likes a good deal. How about a Maine lobster dinner for $12.95? This is the Wednesday evening special at Karen Jean’s Oyster Bar and Grill, which is located in the Milwaukee Public Market next to the St. Paul Fish Co. Seating is casual—just a stainless steel counter with a few seats.]]> Afternoon Tea Whether you trace its roots to the opulent courts of the Sun King or the corseted interiors of Victorian England, there’s no doubt tea-drinking ought to be rated among mankind’s most pleasant pursuits. The tearoom that sits above George Watts & Son’s china and crystal shop, with its unhurried atmosphere... ]]> Natural Makeover The outdoor tables at the Hi Hat Lounge (1701 N. Arlington Place) are some of the East Side’s most coveted spots for casual dining. The lounge’s neighboring facility, The Garage, has now added a weekday lunch menu that will allow more time to sit in the sun or eat indoors.]]> Fiendish Food One of my favorite Mexican foods is camarones a la diabla—the devil’s shrimp. In theory means shrimp in a fiendishly spicy red pepper sauce, but even in Mexico the level of spicing varies considerably. A simple beachside restaurant at Zihuatanejo served camarones lived up to this fiery reputation. ]]> Lunch on the RiverWalk When we reviewed Yaffa (106 W. Wells St.) in January, the Mediterranean restaurant was only open for dinner. Now that summer has arrived, weekday lunches have returned. Yaffa’s outdoor deck, located directly on the RiverWalk, provides a pleasant lunchtime setting in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. ]]> Milwaukee Symphony ventures into Bartok’s classic The subterranean quality of Bartok’s ominous score for Bluebeard’s Castle, the dark harmonic undercurrent of his only opera, may seem surprisingly tame for those familiar with the shock waves of dissonant sound outbursts characterizing the Hungarian composer’s later works, where music spills boldly across a broad limitless tapestry like the splatter of a black-and-white Pollock canvas. Unlike Pollock, Bartok usually...]]> Michael Moore examines the American Dream In Capitalism: A Love Story, the polemical director Michael Moore utters the ultimate heresy in contemporary American society. Capitalism isn’t merely flawed, he says. It’s not just slightly skewed in favor of haves over have-nots. According to Moore, the reigning national ideology is degrading to individuals and society. Capitalism is, in a word, evil...]]> Ron Faiola talks up Friday tradition German rivaled English as the spoken language of Old Milwaukee. Socialists ran a clean municipal government and Old World craftsmen built a city of impressive public buildings and pleasant neighborhoods of modest, well-crafted bungalows. A canopy of Dutch elms covered the streets. Once one of America’s most distinctive towns, an honor shared...]]> Milwaukee’s Taj Mahal It is unlike any other building in Milwaukee. The Tripoli Mosque resides in a residential neighborhood on Wisconsin Avenue, just up the road from the Pabst Mansion. When the Clas, Shepherd & Clas architecture firm designed the structure in 1926, they based it loosely on the Taj Mahal and combined elements from Persian, Indian and Islamic architectural styles. Towering above the surrounding trees and three-story apartment buildings, the ornately tiled dome crowns a large...]]> Theater Preview Matt Goldman and Pat Hazell’s Bunk Bed Brothers presents a light comedy about two baby-boomer brothers who return to their childhood home to spend the night in the bedroom they used to share. The substance of their childhood has been largely preserved, as the bedroom looks just as it did when they...]]> Theater Review Clarence Darrow was called America’s “sophisticated country lawyer,” an agnostic who passionately believed in helping the underdog and strongly supported the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Boulevard Theatre opened Clarence Darrow last weekend...]]> Art Preview Cedarburg and surrounding areas will hum with activity when Ozaukee County Arts Weekend (Oct. 9-11) opens the studios of 50 local artists to the public. A countywide map of self-guided tours can be picked up at the Cedarburg Cultural Center (W62 N546 Washington Ave.), which will also be hosting its fall exhibition, “Bold and/or Red...]]> Art Review The architect exhibits art on a daily basis, as every residential and commercial design subtly defines a city’s skyline and streets. In an effort to highlight the artistic nature of architecture, an exhibition titled “Unseen Architecture: MKE” (through April 1, 2010) at the William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising & Design celebrates inspirational...]]> An insightful history of recorded music Greg Milner’s Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music (Faber & Faber) is a brilliantly researched and mindfully provoking text on the history of capturing sound. A genealogy of recorded music, it stimulates awareness of the evolution of recorded sound and how we have deployed it in our own lives. Perfecting Sound...]]> Book Review From the discovery of a hobbit-like species living in Indonesia 18,000 years ago to the observation of a comet crashing into Jupiter, this book from the editors of Time magazine covers the distance in time and space. The title is a bit misleading...]]> Classical Review Yo-Yo Ma is the biggest draw in classical music. In a gala concert with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra last Wednesday he delivered everything we’ve come to expect from him in the Schumann Cello Concerto: gorgeous tone, heartfelt commitment and obvious joy in passionate...]]> Tonight @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. After beginnings playing fairly traditional, albeit unusually cerebral hard-edged emo in the ’90s, Omaha’s Cursive began moving in more ambitious directions, recording elaborate song-cycles like 2003’s Ugly Organ, and 2006’s Happy Hollow, an indictment of small-town values and organized religion. After a long hiatus that threatened to become permanent, the band returned reinvigorated for this year’s Mama, I’m Swollen, a more soulful... ]]> While driving yesterday morning I heard FM 102.1, Milwaukee's alternative rock station, play three Smashing Pumpkins songs in a row. Several hours later, in the early afternoon, I turned on the station again and caught another three Pumpkins songs, includ]]> Maintaining the Pabst legacy Whether it’s the Pabst Blue Ribbon serving tray that’s down in grandpa’s basement bar or the magnetized Blatz bottle opener that’s always been on Uncle Karl’s refrigerator, tiny traces of our town’s brewing legacy have been with many of us since before we can remember. This weekend, guests of the Captain...]]> Crack down on the fraud peddlers Debate over how to resolve the nation's financial emergency is taking a salutary direction for the moment, as politicians of both parties refuse to be herded by the Bush White House into a ridiculous $700-billion swindle. Before Congress approves such a stunning expenditure to save the undeserving hides of the super-rich, they may at least create provisions for independent oversight, new regulation, public equity and homeowner relief.]]> Few bands seem to have more contempt for the structural formality of sheet music than San Francisco's Deerhoof, a trio whose rhythms waver with all the precociousness of lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki's schoolgirl voice. So it was with some irony that the first taste of Deerhoof's latest work was a single released as sheet music well before a recorded version surfaced. ]]> DJ Madhatter (aka Jordan Lee) is part of the WAMI award-winning hip-hop group Rusty Ps. If he’s not scratching tunes at joints like Jackalope Lounj, The Jazz Estate or Stonefly Brewery, he’s teaching turntablism at the prestigious Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in two-week workshops. ]]> The last time I heard Donald Glaude I was at Mighty, a San Francisco venue tucked away in the shaded alleys of the Mission District. The year was 2006; it was late September and I had traveled to the Bay Area alone to dance away the weekend at the U.S. version of The Love Parade. ]]> A cannabis comedy If you smoke dope too often and for too long, you'll wind up acting like one-a dope, that is. The comedy Smiley Face is a day in the discombobulated life of Jane, a twentysomething pothead and wannabe actress who can't face the morning, or the afternoon and evening, without sucking on her bong. Her already precarious grip on everyday reality slips away entirely when she accidentally gobbles down a half-dozen pot-laced cupcakes in her refrigerator. Jane panics, not because the buzz inside her brain has grown louder than ever, but because . . . ]]> Art Review When Richard Sennett published his provocative thesis on the diminishing boundaries between public and private selves in the late '70s, things like reality TV and the Patriot Act were unheard of. Today they're incontrovertible facts that have further breached this boundary. ]]> Art Review "New Intersections: Form and Meaning in Design," the current exhibit in the Brooks Stevens Gallery at MIAD is, as it intends to be, completely fun and very provocative. As consumers, we may not always understand the aim of product design when we're shopping for everyday objects like toothbrushes and potato peelers, but on some level we do understand what attracts us to a product. ]]> Thrifty Travel With gas prices going up and down like a yo-yo it's hard to imagine that a trip anywhere could be cheaper by driving. Get ready, because in some cases it's true. I'll be exploring driving vs. train, driving vs. plane, and any other transportation in the next few columns. Take our near neighbor to the south, Chicago. Whether you decide to brave the roads, which are often torn up with construction, or to take Amtrak, you can find lots of bargain ways to travel to and in this great city. ]]> Plus Heroes and Jerks of the Week In the spirit of former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who is under investigation for politicizing the Department of Justice, J.B. Van Hollen may be using our state attorney general’s office for partisan political shenanigans. The Republican Party has spent the last several years unsuccessfully trying to find evidence...]]> A Shepherd Q&A with Fighting Bob Fest speaker Phil Donahue Phil Donahue is angry. Sure, Donahue is still the warm, witty and generous man who interviewed thousands of guests as the host of "Donahue," which revolutionized TV talk shows by including the audience in each discussion. But Donahue is angry, too. Angry at the Bush administration's lie-laden arguments for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Angry at the members of Congress who parroted the administration's talking points and obediently voted for war.]]> The financial "bailout" bill will pass Congress and be signed by the president. The only questions are when that will happen and what it will contain. The "when" should be within days of Congress' return this week. The content is obviously more difficult. ]]> Sports in Real Life The Interstate highways across the nation, as well as the shock absorbers on the Madden Cruiser, breathed a collective sigh as NFL broadcasting icon John Madden will take a break from his magic bus. Madden will miss the road trip to Tampa, his first abandoned broadcast in 476 games, since Reagan first moved Nancy into the White House. Madden, 72-years-old, says he's just taking a break from the rigors of the road. ]]> Online Edition I am a 26-year-old bisexual female.I just got into a relationship with a woman for the first time. My partner and I have used a vibrator once, and I really enjoyed it. My question to you is: How do I ask her to use it again? When we used it, we used mine, and I asked her if she owned one. She said she did, and now I would like to use hers. ]]> Tonight @ Alverno College - 7:00 PM In his breakthrough book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, UC Berkeley professor Michael Pollan charted the history of four distinctly different meals, and in the process dug up some ugly truths about the food Americans eat (chief among them is ]]> Two Milwaukee institutions have taken very different approaches to awarding tickets to this weekend’s ultra-sold-out Hannah Montana concert at the Bradley Center. North Shore Bank is hosting an orderly drawing today at noon (which, despite the lack ]]> I have no beef with Juno. It seems that every year the public selects one quirky indie comedy for mainstream success, and especially compared to recent years' selections (Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine), Juno is a worthy pick: a genuinely funny]]> Hitting the brick wall In a little village in Bangladesh a wedding has been prepared for a couple that has never met. Nazneen's father has arranged her marriage to an older Bengali man living in London. Dressed in bridal finery, Nazneen is placed at the stern of a boat casting off from her birthplace. She looks out from under her veil with forlorn eyes at her unsmiling family watching her recede into the distance. It's a sad parting and the beginning of an uncertain future. Most of Nazneen's story, told in the sterling British production Brick Lane, takes place in a dreary London neighborhood crowded with Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants. Murmurs of English xenophobia against Muslims . . . ]]> Tonight @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. After beginnings playing fairly traditional, albeit unusually cerebral hard-edged emo in the ’90s, Omaha’s Cursive began moving in more ambitious directions, recording elaborate song-cycles like 2003’s Ugly Organ, and 2006’s Happy Hollow, an indictment of small-town values and organized religion. After a long hiatus that threatened to become permanent, the band returned reinvigorated for this year’s Mama, I’m Swollen, a more soulful... ]]> Tonight @ the Oriental Theatre - 7:00 PM Like many outsider musicians, Daniel Johnston’s work has a childlike quality to it, but it’s also saturated with darker themes that have earned him an extensive following from musicians as disparate at Pearl Jam, Bright Eyes, and Yo La Tengo. ]]> Today @ the Milwaukee Art Museum History and art collide in the Milwaukee Art Museum’s latest featured exhibit, Foto: Modernity in Central Europe, 1918-1945, an expansive collection that documents the emergence of photography in both art and popular media throughout those years. The exhibit charts not only the technological innovations in . . . ]]> A quick tutorial on blogging. Writing a blog, or “blogging”, on ExpressMilwaukee.com is very easy and beneficial for your clients, your company, and the Shepherd Express. ]]> Tonight @ the UWM Union Theatre - 7:00 PM The UWM Union Theatre’s 2008 Festival of Films in French and its ongoing Experimental Tuesdays series converge tonight for a 7 p.m. screening of Corpora Luminum: The Body in New French Experimental Cinema, a collection of bold shorts by contemporary French auteurs exploring the human body and physiological processes . . .]]> Tonight @ the UWM Union Theatre - 7:00 PM The UWM Union Theatre’s 2008 Festival of Films in French and its ongoing Experimental Tuesdays series converge tonight for a 7 p.m. screening of Corpora Luminum: The Body in New French Experimental Cinema, a collection of bold shorts by contemporary French auteurs exploring the human body and physiological processes . . .]]> A quick tutorial on blogging. Writing a blog, or “blogging”, on ExpressMilwaukee.com is very easy and beneficial for your clients, your company, and the Shepherd Express. ]]> Chris Crites has branded himself as the Bag Painter, and it’s easy enough to see why. In place of the traditional canvas, he paints directly onto recycled paper shopping bags.]]> Tonight @ the Shorewood Schwartz Bookshop - 7:00 PM The setting of Russell Banks’ latest thriller, pre-World War II Europe, suggests a tale of grand historical intrigue, but Banks is too much of a seasoned purist to fall back on post-Da Vinci Code cliches. ]]> Tonight @ the Bradley Center - 7:00 PM The Milwaukee Bucks take on the L.A. Clippers tonight at a 7 p.m. game at the Bradley Center. ]]> Tonight @ the UWM Union Theatre - 7:00 PM The UWM Union Theatre’s ongoing 2008 Festival of Films in French isn’t all glamorous shots of gorgeous people strolling through scenic Paris. Many of the selections take a look at the country’s bleaker side. For instance, Wesh, Wesh, What’s Going On?, a 2005 drama that screens at 7 p.m., follows an immigrant family living . . .]]> Today @ the Pabst Theater - 3:00 PM The Festival City Symphony returns to the Pabst Theater for another program of classical music targeted toward listeners of all ages. Today’s 3 p.m. bill is themed around nature’s influence on classical music, and features earthy compositions Jan Sibelius, Edvard Grieg and Beethoven, whose “Symphony No . . .]]> "Hiatus" is a well-known code for "pretty much broken up," and Electrelane, sadly, are on hiatus. It'd be hypocritical for any rock writer to cry too loudly about the disbanding, since Elecrelane never received much love from the press, which almost surel]]> Tonight @ the UWM Union Theatre - 7:00 PM The UWM Union Theatre’s ongoing 2008 Festival of Films in French isn’t all glamorous shots of gorgeous people strolling through scenic Paris. Many of the selections take a look at the country’s bleaker side. For instance, Wesh, Wesh, What’s Going On?, a 2005 drama that screens at 7 p.m., follows an immigrant family living . . .]]> Chris Crites has branded himself as the Bag Painter, and it’s easy enough to see why. In place of the traditional canvas, he paints directly onto recycled paper shopping bags.]]> Today @ the Pabst Theater - 3:00 PM The Festival City Symphony returns to the Pabst Theater for another program of classical music targeted toward listeners of all ages. Today’s 3 p.m. bill is themed around nature’s influence on classical music, and features earthy compositions Jan Sibelius, Edvard Grieg and Beethoven, whose “Symphony No . . .]]> Tonight @ The Rave - 8:00 PM More melodically inclined than their jam-rock counterparts, Tea Leaf Green have steadily increased their fan base through incessant touring and a few endorsements from heavy-hitters like Trey Anastasio. Tonight, the group splits an 8 p.m. show at the Rave with Moonalice, a seven-member jam band with roots . . . ]]> While driving yesterday morning I heard FM 102.1, Milwaukee's alternative rock station, play three Smashing Pumpkins songs in a row. Several hours later, in the early afternoon, I turned on the station again and caught another three Pumpkins songs, includ]]> As winter begins to rear its blustery head, let's take a look back at a handful of this fall's major indie-rock albums and see how they stand up against conventional wisdom with our reoccurring feature, Overrated/Underrated: The Good Life – He]]> ]]> Tonight @ Turner Hall Ballroom - 8:00 PM Beneath her deceptively small frame and her little-girl haircut, singer Sia boasts a surprisingly powerful set of pipes, the kind that light torch songs. She built up her resume through her chilled-out work with Massive Attack and, most prominently, Zero 7, but her strong new solo release, Some People Have Real Problems, trades . . . ]]> Tonight @ the Milwaukee Theater - 7:30 PM In new film Be Kind Rewind, Jack Black and Mos Def recreate Disney’s The Lion King on a shoe-string budget using life-size puppets. It’s a clever joke with a great visual, but viewers looking for a more realized adaptation of the The Lion King would be better served by the grand musical version performed at the . . . ]]> Today @ the Midwest Airlines Center - 3:00 PM until 9:00 PM Over 400 news cars—including 2009 models not yet on the market—are on display at the Greater Milwaukee Auto Show, which runs through March 2 at the Midwest Airlines Center. Among the other attractions are an exhibition on fuel-efficient vehicles, a collection of 1950s muscle cars from the Wisconsin . . .]]> Tonight @ the Bradley Center - 7:00 PM The Milwaukee Bucks face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at a 7 p.m. Bradley Center game.]]> Michael Moore examines the American Dream In Capitalism: A Love Story, the polemical director Michael Moore utters the ultimate heresy in contemporary American society. Capitalism isn’t merely flawed, he says. It’s not just slightly skewed in favor of haves over have-nots. According to Moore, the reigning national ideology is degrading to individuals and society. Capitalism is, in a word, evil...]]> Ron Faiola talks up Friday tradition German rivaled English as the spoken language of Old Milwaukee. Socialists ran a clean municipal government and Old World craftsmen built a city of impressive public buildings and pleasant neighborhoods of modest, well-crafted bungalows. A canopy of Dutch elms covered the streets. Once one of America’s most distinctive towns, an honor shared...]]> Love, poetry and tragedy for Keats and Brawne With autumn comes early rumors of Oscar nominations and, always among them, an early contender for Best Picture: Masterpiece Theatre Division. This season’s front-runner in that category, Bright Star, is based on the romance between 19th-century British poet John Keats and the woman who lived next door, Fanny Brawne... ]]> Steven Soderbergh’s soft comedy Whistle-blowers are often heroes in Hollywood movies, transcending the usual disdain for turncoats and snitches because of the righteousness of their cause. But what if the whistle-blower turns out to be a crook, and nuts to boot? That’s the ambiguity at the heart of The Informant! Loosely adapted by the prolific...]]> R.J. Cutler captures real-life Anna Wintour In the satire The Devil Wears Prada, the fictionalized version of Vogue’s long-reigning editor is depicted as an acid-edged queen of cruelty. In the documentary The September Issue, the real-life Anna Wintour is displayed in a softer light. Here, the Vogue powerhouse is a setter of high standards for herself and those around her. Wintour isn’t warm, fuzzy or accessible... ]]> Short documentaries depict life after U.S.S.R. At first, the wind is the only sound in a frozen landscape edged by a horizon of snow-covered trees. Suddenly comes the soft insistence of running reindeer, herded across the screen from left to right by men in a sled of jangling bells. It’s the oddly haunting opening of Vacation inNovember, one of four short documentaries in a program called “After History: The Films of Pavel Medvedev,” 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at the UW-Milwaukee Union Theatre...]]> Ben Affleck enhances Mike Judge’s newest comedy To all appearances, Joel is a successful entrepreneur whose American dream of developing his own line of food flavor extracts has come true. But at home, Joel (Jason Bateman) is a frustrated man. Once his wife, Suzie (Kristen Wiig), dons her sweat pants, usually at 8 p.m. sharp, the door of sexual opportunity slams shut. In fact, they haven’t had sex for months, partly because of his crushing workload at the...]]> Great movies in small doses If you ask Milwaukee residents about film around town, many people will point you in the direction of the nearest multiplex playing the latest Hollywood offering. But, fact is, there are many fans and producers of progressive cinema in the city. Skeptics need only look to the Milwaukee Short Film Festival (MFSS), now on the brink of its 11th year... ]]> Jeffrey Levy-Hinte captures the power of music James Brown spun around in a testifying frenzy of cold sweat, executing splits and turns with gymnastic precision as his rhythm section dug an impossibly hard, percussive groove and his horn section, fanning out across the stage like a swing orchestra, punctuated the music with staccato blasts. Soul Brother No. 1 was in excellent form that night in 1974 when he headlined a bill in the country then called Zaire (and since restored to its previous name, Congo). Brown was on a...]]> Demetri Martin, Eugene Levy star in nostalgic trip Since music was the ostensible reason for Woodstock, a Woodstock movie minus the music might seem an empty endeavor. Fact is, many of the half-million who flocked to the festival 40 years ago heard little and saw less of the all-star lineup. Traffic into the festival site had congealed. Sightlines and sound were dubious, and many participants probably caught little more than the wafting snippets of sound heard in Ang Lee's film...]]> Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne play star-crossed couple The leafy brownstone-lined streets of Manhattan, and the electric gleam of the skyline over Central Park at night, have long been the perfect setting for cinematic romance. Ada­m, a story of star-crossed young lovers playing out against this idyllic background, delivers the usual plot with a twist or two. For starters, the protagonist, Adam (Hugh Dancy), has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism that makes understanding the feelings of others, and their socially...]]> Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera and that mystical emotion When Charlyne Yi, a geeky girl in thick glasses and boyish clothes, thrusts a microphone at shoppers in a mall, asking if they've ever been in love, most give her wide berth. Soon enough, her indie film on the vagaries of love, Paper Heart, finds another, more effective way to answer her pressing question. Paper Heart is a movie about... ]]> Cooking with Meryl Streep After World War II the apogee of American cooking was the tuna fish casserole topped with crumpled potato chips. Julia Child changed that. Her Mastering the Art of FrenchCooking was to the kitchen what the Kinsey Reports were to the bedroom-a seminal book that broadened the spectrum of expectations. Addressed to "the servantless American cook...]]> Adam Sandler’s Unhappy Humorist The inner adult trapped inside Adam Sandler, struggling to be understood as serious or at least sympathetic, has surfaced before in movies as varied as Punch-Drunk Love and The Wedding Singer. In Funny People, Sandler plays George Simmons, a version of himself contemplating the seriousness of his own demise...]]> Oscar-winning film depicts mourning in Japan Death spares no land, and the living respond differently from culture to culture. In Departures, the Japanese way of mourning is depicted through a protagonist, Daigo, who stumbles into his country's counterpart of America's funeral industry.Before the film opened anywhere in the United States, Departures earned a footnote in the annals of Oscar history by winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, beating the unforgettable Israeli animated feature... ]]> The U.S. occupation of Iraq has inspired a panoply of cinematic depictions. Despite their topicality, these films have ended up being box office duds. The Hurt Locker, which focuses on a bomb disposal unit in Baghdad, has been greeted by a chorus of critical plaudits...]]> Hogwarts students face a new dark age In the second-to-last novel in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter cycle, the young wizard has begun his sixth year at Hogwarts and is feeling the sap of being a teenager in his limbs. There is turnover in the faculty and Harry's nemesis, Draco Malfoy, is back for another term. Meanwhile, Lord Voldemort and his minions grow bolder by the day, striking against muggles and magicians alike, determined to plunge the world into a new dark...]]> Love and fate in Manhattan The Smiths were a band offering cold comfort to the lovelorn, and a relationship begun out of shared admiration for Morrissey's morose reflections on emotional failure is surely born under the sign of doom. And "relationship," that weasel word meaning everything or nothing at all, is the best description for what transpires between Tom and Summer in (500) Days of Summer. Brought together during an elevator ride by a Smiths song, the 20-somethings work in a greeting card company, producing...]]> Robert Kenner exposes a toxic chain of consumption Philip K. Dick, an author of unsettling science fiction, wrote of fearsome systems behind the placid surfaces of our world and mechanisms of control as invisible as ghosts. But even Dick, who died in 1982, never imagined the horror of agribusiness and its hidden influence across the globe. Since the '70s, the food we've been eating isn't the same as before, deceptively similar appearances aside, and the consequences are dire. ]]> Shuttering in the Dark. Another Asian horror Night has fallen on a remote, deserted highway. A young married couple drives sleepily through the darkness toward their honeymoon cabin near Japan’s Mount Fuji when a gaunt, staring woman wanders into the road and is struck by their speeding car. When the couple regains consciousness after doing a figure-eight down a ravine, they can’t find the woman’s body. But the Body will find them, turning up especially in photographs . . . ]]> Across the Tracks. Making movies in Milwaukee? After opening scenes around the kitchen tables of their homes, the two very different teenage girls at the heart of Tracks finally meet in the girls-room mirror at school. They don’t like what they see at first, but find each other again through the Internet and become fast friends. Catherine (Amanda J. Hull) comes from a solid though not entirely perfect upper-middle-class family where mom takes an interest and sets expectations. Claire (Rebecca Rose Phillips) is lowermiddle-class; her mom snarls at her from across the room. When Claire is called . . . ]]> The race to succeed Gov. Jim Doyle takes shape An open seat in the governor’s chair is a rare thing. Yet the race to succeed Gov. Jim Doyle is attracting few candidates from both political parties. On the Democratic side, only Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton and 17-year-old Jared...]]> For 26 years the Shepherd Express has been Milwaukee's voice for news, events and culture. With Express Milwaukee, we are taking a bold step into the next phase of participatory media, offering a website with many familiar features from the Shepherd Express plus additional commentary by our most popular writers and opportunities for readers to network and share their own opinions. ]]> A quick tutorial on blogging. Writing a blog, or “blogging”, on ExpressMilwaukee.com is very easy and beneficial for your clients, your company, and the Shepherd Express. ]]> ]]> Welcome What Are the Rules For Express Milwaukee? ]]> ]]> Registration Be a part of the community. ]]> Content ]]> How to Submit ]]> Rules of Conduct ]]> Press Releases December 4, 2007 ]]> Press Releases September 18, 2007]]> Press Releases December 18, 2007 ]]> It’s not a particularly extraordinary story, but it’s been repeated so many times it has taken on the air of a myth: a heartbroken Justin Vernon retreated for the winter to his father’s northern Wisconsin cabin to lick his wounds, emerging from his three-month exile with a self-recorded album. The same way Blood on the Tracks owes nearly...]]> As the Soviet Union dissolved and the Iron Curtain crumbled, many decided to leave their various homelands to seek opportunities elsewhere. Some came to Milwaukee, including a few musicians. One of them, Moldovan accordionist Stas Venglevski, probably had no idea that his new home was once the accordion capital of America...]]> Sept. 27, 2009 ]]> Michael Jackson died this afternoon, the Los Angeles Times has confirmed. The news marks the end of the singer's long, painful decline. Michael Jackson was, without a doubt, the most tragic pop star the world has ever known. Other singers and rockers have]]> A guilty pleasure that grows less guilty and more pleasurable with each album, Paramore packs all the thrills of their male-fronted emo-rock peers, but leaves behind none of the slimy residue. The group’s latest, Brand New Eyes, out today, is their tighte]]> And with one lovely, understated gesture, The Avett Brothers' I and Love and You, Rick Rubin has nearly atoned for destroying Weezer. Lionized though the guy may be, Rubin is an overzealous producer, one whose vision sometimes trumps that of the ar]]> Sept. 23, 2009 ]]> Rufus Wainwright released this week a live CD and DVD, Milwaukee at Last!!!, which he recorded at the Pabst Theater in Aug. 27. I haven't seen the DVD yet, but it was a fantastic concert, with Wainwright making great use of the theater's acoustics singing]]> Thursday, Aug. 20 ]]> Milwaukee says goodbye to one of its breeziest bands next month, when Sleep Tight Co. play one last show at the Cactus Club on Oct. 24, a fitting autumn farewell for a band that always played lovelorn summertime pop. In a city where pop bands tend to be k]]> A Whole Lotta Melodica Melodica, cello, French horn, electrified ukulele and mandolin in a rock band, and it’s not prog? Believe it: The Barrettes put a punk sheen on all those elements, adding some of the fiercest chick-rock vocals Milwaukee has produced in some time. The Barrettes recall ’80s English...]]> Where the Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968 (Rhino) With its long bohemian history, San Francisco became the Mecca for the American counterculture in the 1960s. But even as hippies flocked to the bay wearing flowers in their hair, the big city to the south never fell silent. Los Angeles was the West Coast headquarters...]]> Release (Rock Ridge Music) On Release, Sister Hazel’s ninth CD this decade, the Florida-based jangle rockers decided to make the songwriting process more democratic. Rather than have lead vocalist/acoustic guitarist Ken Block do most of the heavy lifting, each of the five members penned at least two tunes. The result is an...]]> Presidential Candidate - Republican Born in America-controlled Panama, John McCain followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and pursued a career in the navy, graduating from the Annapolis academy in 1958. ]]> Presidential Candidate - Democratic Although Obama was born in Hawaii and spent time abroad with his mother, his roots as a young man are in Chicago, where he was a community organizer. ]]> As baseball’s regular season entered its final week, the Brewers were in the thick of the National League playoff race—though not as contenders. By finishing their schedule against Philadelphia, Colorado and St. Louis...]]> I’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, I hear there’s been a load of scuttlebutt all over, under, sideways and down America’s Dairyland lately]]> Milwaukee Color During last year’s filming of Public Enemies, a film depicting the true story of FBI agent Melvin Purvis’ attempt to apprehend criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd, many Wisconsinites learned for the first time...]]> Twenty-two years is a long time for anything in a world where change can come too rapidly, too often. It’s especially long in radio, where burnout, turnover and corporate consolidation have thinned the herd of radio veterans. Steve Palec...]]> Candy-maker’s tour provides a bellyful of beans As All Hallows’ Eve draws near and the act of downing ungodly amounts of candy is considered socially acceptable, it’s time to find what lies at the center of the ubiquitous jelly bean. Just south of Milwaukee, in the village of...]]> Warm service, hearty food in quiet setting Ilija’s Place is located in a quiet residential neighborhood away from the factories of Cudahy. It is easy to pass by this plain, red brick building with dark windows, though a neon sign and ornamental ironwork around the...]]> Impressive Mexican Menu One of the area’s most consistent Mexican restaurants is located just a short distance from the airport: Jalapeno Loco (5067 S. Howell Ave.). Everything is good, whether your preference is pork enchiladas or a fine Oaxacan mole. ]]> Marge Krupp and Steve Kagan Give Krupp a Chance in Congress. Residents of southeastern Wisconsin can send a strong message about the direction of this country by voting for Marge Krupp to represent the First Congressional District. Krupp, a chemical engineer and businesswoman, is facing longtime incumbent Republican Paul Ryan...]]> ENDORSEMENTS 2008 Voters in Oak Creek and South Milwaukee can choose an Assembly representative who will truly represent their needs by electing Glen Brower. A fourth-generation South Milwaukee resident, Brower is a longtime public servant who can be trusted to do the right thing when acting on issues that are important... ]]> ENDORSEMENTS 2008 Longtime state Rep. Sue Jeskewitz decided not to run for re-election this year, which provides voters in the 24th Assembly District with a rare opportunity to give equal consideration to both candidates running for this seat. We support Democrat Charlene Brady. Brady has served her community as a member of the... ]]> Sheldon Wasserman and Robert Wirch Sheldon Wasserman is the best choice for North Shore residents. Wasserman, an ob-gyn who has served in the state Assembly since 1994, is well positioned to become a leader in the state Senate on tax policy, health care and education reform. Although some Republican voters may hesitate to cross party lines and vote...]]> State Assembly District 22 Candidate ]]> State Assembly District 22 Candidate ]]> State Assembly District 22 Candidate ]]> Presidential Candidate - Democratic Although Obama was born in Hawaii and spent time abroad with his mother, his roots as a young man are in Chicago, where he was a community organizer. ]]> State Assembly District 22 Candidate ]]> Presidential Candidate - Republican Born in America-controlled Panama, John McCain followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and pursued a career in the navy, graduating from the Annapolis academy in 1958. ]]> ENDORSEMENTS 2008 The 2008 election could alter our course, and Sen. Barack Obama is the one person who could transform that desire for change into real results. That’s why Obama has earned the endorsement of the Shepherd Express as the next president of the United States. ]]> Jing's offers charm in the rear of a renovated Third Ward building. There are perhaps a dozen tables, tall ceilings and a window that offers little to view but provides sunlight. It's more colorful in the evening, when light emanates from red paper globes suspended from the ceiling. ]]> Mediterranean Life One of the oldest Cousins submarine sandwich shops closed a few months ago on Farwell Avenue, just south of Brady Street. Now the site has a new occupant: La Dolce Vita (1673 N. Farwell Ave.). The interior received a long-overdue remodeling and features bright décor. You order at the counter, though the food is delivered to the table.]]> Get Your Motor Running The Harley-Davidson Museum opened just in time for the corporation's 105th anniversary celebration this summer. The Motor restaurant proved to be a popular attraction with its exciting steel and glass dining room. The food is good enough to attract locals and the tall windows would be great for viewing a snowstorm. The menu has some decent and unusual items, including walleye sliders and three different flathead flatbreads. These paper-thin crusts...]]> It's amazing what can happen when financial profit is not the primary focus of an enterprise. While the ashes of our economic market rain down upon us, practical business organizations like co-operatives provide a safe haven.]]> An airport landmark General Billy Mitchell was predicting the future of aerial warfare when a restaurant opened near the airfield that would bear his name. Under different names and... ]]> Exploring a holiday tradition Some holiday customs are so old and established that, as a culture, we've lost sight of their origins and the journey they made to land a spot on our exclusive list of cherished traditions. Eggnog's seasonal sojourn to the dairy cases of American grocery stores usually begins in early November and ends shortly after New Year's. The rich drink is typically made with eggs, milk, sugar and/or cream. It can be homemade or store bought, made with skim or soy milk, found with or without alcohol, served hot or cold and garnished with all sorts of culinary accoutrements, from ground nutmeg and cinnamon to peppermint sticks, whipped...]]> Meet the artists and educators The Express Yourself Milwaukee, Inc. artistic team is made up of professional artists and art therapists skilled in their disciplines. While they're not working with EYM, they support themselves through their art. ]]> Express Yourself Milwaukee, Inc Express Yourself Milwaukee celebrates the power of creative arts to transform the lives of underserved youth in the community. Express Yourself immerses young people into the creative world of music, dance and visual arts, celebrating cultural diversity and collaboration.]]> Check out the figures! DEMOGRAPHICS * 700 young people, ages 7–21, served annually * 70% male/30% female * 95% low-income * 85% African-American, 10% Caucasian, 5% Latino/Asian/Native American * 100% of the youth served are involved in special education programming * 33% of the youth are in the foster care system ]]> Think back to seeing a small child busy with her coloring, lost in creation. No hunger, no fighting, no need other than the task at hand. Her breathing slows, her eyes, hands, mouth and spirit all connected in the present. I have seen this same shift in the kids I work with at the detention center, and in adults and kids in psychiatric facilities, excused for a brief time from their turmoil. The energy changes, the molecules in the room seem to shift...healing is present. ]]> ]]> Meet the artists and educators The Express Yourself Milwaukee, Inc. artistic team is made up of professional artists and art therapists skilled in their disciplines. While they're not working with EYM, they support themselves through their art. ]]> ]]> Express Yourself Milwaukee, Inc Express Yourself Milwaukee celebrates the power of creative arts to transform the lives of underserved youth in the community. Express Yourself immerses young people into the creative world of music, dance and visual arts, celebrating cultural diversity and collaboration.]]> Check out the figures! DEMOGRAPHICS * 700 young people, ages 7–21, served annually * 70% male/30% female * 95% low-income * 85% African-American, 10% Caucasian, 5% Latino/Asian/Native American * 100% of the youth served are involved in special education programming * 33% of the youth are in the foster care system ]]> Express Yourself Milwaukee, Inc responds to violence in our city In the world we desire, childhood is a carefree and innocent time of life. In the world we have, it is too often marked by violence and trauma. The "Remembrance Tree" was an artistic response, at one of Express Yourself Milwaukee's program sites to respond to the loss of youth, done in collaboration with Golda Meir School for the Gifted and Talented, and a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board. ]]> Express Yourself Milwaukee's Annual Show Each year Express Yourself Milwaukee, Inc. presents a grand performance that represents the culmination of a year’s worth of multi-disciplined arts study, creation, and practice by the participants of five Milwaukee agencies and schools serving youth in-risk. ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> Tonight @ the Bradley Center - 7:30 PM Although the ’90s largely killed the commercial hopes of hyper-polished, hard-rock bands of their ilk, Bon Jovi weathered the bad times, and although these days the group doesn’t move albums like they did in their late-’80s heyday, they still release number one records without breaking a sweat. Their latest . . .]]> Community Working Together Express Yourself Milwaukee is an organization founded on the collaboration of artists and the art of collaboration. Truly, collaboration is an art. Partnership is not easy. It is a union, which requires release of individual egos and of self-promotion in order to succeed. So, the process is as, or possibly more important than the material outcome. ]]> We are proud to announce that our new studio space located at 1300 W. Fond du Lac, in collaboration with Running Rebels, is now open. The summer program runs through August 7, Mondays-Thursdays. 12:30-3:30 PM. To Register please call the Express Yourself Office at (414) 272-3498. ]]> On Thursday May 15, the Express yourself Milwaukee Show "Celebrate" was indeed a celebration of our year of hard work and collaboration. ]]> Celebrate! Performance 2008 Each year Express Yourself Milwaukee, Inc. presents a grand performance that represents the culmination of a year’s worth of multi-disciplined arts study, creation, and practice by the participants of five Milwaukee agencies and schools serving at-risk youth. ]]> ENDORSEMENTS 2008 Longtime state Rep. Sue Jeskewitz decided not to run for re-election this year, which provides voters in the 24th Assembly District with a rare opportunity to give equal consideration to both candidates running for this seat. We support Democrat Charlene Brady. Brady has served her community as a member of the... ]]> Marge Krupp and Steve Kagan Give Krupp a Chance in Congress. Residents of southeastern Wisconsin can send a strong message about the direction of this country by voting for Marge Krupp to represent the First Congressional District. Krupp, a chemical engineer and businesswoman, is facing longtime incumbent Republican Paul Ryan...]]> Sheldon Wasserman and Robert Wirch Sheldon Wasserman is the best choice for North Shore residents. Wasserman, an ob-gyn who has served in the state Assembly since 1994, is well positioned to become a leader in the state Senate on tax policy, health care and education reform. Although some Republican voters may hesitate to cross party lines and vote...]]> ENDORSEMENTS 2008 Voters in Oak Creek and South Milwaukee can choose an Assembly representative who will truly represent their needs by electing Glen Brower. A fourth-generation South Milwaukee resident, Brower is a longtime public servant who can be trusted to do the right thing when acting on issues that are important... ]]> How big business buys state Supreme Court justices The plotline for the dramatic state Supreme Court race between Justice Louis Butler and conservative Burnett County Judge Michael Gableman, heavily shaped by sleazy, corporate-financed ads ]]> I'm hoping this will be a good place to share what's happening in the world of advertising right here in brew town.]]> The most recent readership audit performed by The Media Audit in Milwaukee shows that the monthly audience of the Shepherd Express exceeds 300,000 for the first time. That's a growth rate of 12%. Wow.]]> ENDORSEMENTS 2008 Voters in Oak Creek and South Milwaukee can choose an Assembly representative who will truly represent their needs by electing Glen Brower. A fourth-generation South Milwaukee resident, Brower is a longtime public servant who can be trusted to do the right thing when acting on issues that are important... ]]> ENDORSEMENTS 2008 Longtime state Rep. Sue Jeskewitz decided not to run for re-election this year, which provides voters in the 24th Assembly District with a rare opportunity to give equal consideration to both candidates running for this seat. We support Democrat Charlene Brady. Brady has served her community as a member of the... ]]> Sheldon Wasserman and Robert Wirch Sheldon Wasserman is the best choice for North Shore residents. Wasserman, an ob-gyn who has served in the state Assembly since 1994, is well positioned to become a leader in the state Senate on tax policy, health care and education reform. Although some Republican voters may hesitate to cross party lines and vote...]]> Marge Krupp and Steve Kagan Give Krupp a Chance in Congress. Residents of southeastern Wisconsin can send a strong message about the direction of this country by voting for Marge Krupp to represent the First Congressional District. Krupp, a chemical engineer and businesswoman, is facing longtime incumbent Republican Paul Ryan...]]>