Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• The 2018 Wisconsin State Fair is in the books, and it was a big one: a record-breaking 1,037,982 souls passed through its deep-fried and sexy, sexy gates this year, making 2018 the sixth year in a row that fair attendance has topped 1 million. And somewhere in those 1,037,982 fairgoers is the person—or persons—responsible for jacking a State Fair golf cart and somehow driving it all the way downtown. It’s a story that could only happen in Wisconsin, West Allis, and/or Grand Theft Auto.
According to WISN:
A golf cart with a “Fairest of the Fairs” banner that went missing from Wisconsin State Fair park was found Sunday morning, more than 10 miles away from where it was last seen.
A WISN 12 NEWS viewer provided photos and video of the vehicle, lodged beneath a tree near North Milwaukee Street and West Juneau Avenue.
Over on Reddit, people have been speculating that the perpetrator(s) may have used the Hank Aaron State Trail to make the improbable run, which sounds about right. As for the identity of the perpetrator(s), we have our money on a disgruntled Bird user, Dorf, or one of the dudes from Jackass. [WISN]
• Speaking of the Wisconsin State Fair, Charlie “Manitowoc Minute” Berens went there, too. [YouTube]
• A marijuana-themed restaurant chain based out of Fort Collins, Colorado (natch) called Cheba Hut (natch) wants to open a Milwaukee location. Cheba Hut specializes in toasted subs (natch) and various other “munchies” (natch). “Milwaukee deserves Cheba Hut,” Cheba Hut’s chief operating officer told BizTimes. “The city is full of loyal, hard working people. That’s who we are, and we connect well with those kinds of folks.” Cheba Hut’s only current Wisconsin location is in Madison (natch). [BizTimes]
• Here’s the full schedule for Milwaukee’s inaugural Hip-Hop Week MKE, which runs August 20-28. [88Nine Radio Milwaukee]
• Amazon may buy the Landmark Theatres chain, which currently operates the Downer Theatre. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Ald. Mark A. Borkowski isn’t a fan of the “Streetcar Called ‘Disaster.'” [press release]
• Milwaukee hardcore band Detenzione released a new EP and it’s a scorcher. [Bandcamp]
• Liam O’Brien’s Faithless Followers released a new EP, too, Nowhere To Go. [Bandcamp]
• Sean Anderson (Antler House, Yum Yum Cult) released a lovely new song, “Sinsinawa,” under his Supertentacles moniker. [Bandcamp]
• Field Report will be the special guest at next weekend’s WMSE Backyard BBQ. The band fills out a lineup that includes Buffalo Gospel, The Vitrolum Republic, Altered Five Blues Band, Bailey Dee, and headliners Old 97’s. [WMSE]
• Speaking of BBQ, the third annual Big Gig BBQ, coming to Henry Maier Festival Park September 2, will feature the inaugural Amateur Rib Cooking Competition. [OnMilwaukee]
• The 42, a new multi-purpose facility in the Pabst complex, is opening its doors with a five-day music series beginning August 29. [OnMilwaukee]
• Last week, Vincent Van Great and Dana Coppafeel released a new track, “Phone Keeps Ringing.” Now, there’s a VHS-tastic music video to go along with it. The clip was shot and edited by Brett Schmidt, and features Instagram model @SweeetCarol1ne. [YouTube]
• The executive editor of a “leading live-entertainment industry news outlet” has determined that Fiserv Forum’s opening entertainment lineup—which includes Metallica, Foo Fighters, The Eagles, and Twenty One Pilots in a single week—is “awesome.” [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• The also-awesome Lex Allen made Paper‘s list of “50 LGBTQ Musicians You Should Prioritize.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Longtime downtown Italian restaurant Louise’s, 801 N. Jefferson St., will close on August 25. [BizTimes]
• Here’s why the [Green Bay Packers] suck this year. [Deadspin]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!