Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• So, anything new in Milwaukee? Kind of a boring week, huh? Yawn. Sure, there was that thing where the former county executive announced he was running for President of the United States. And yeah, there was the announcement that a former Milwaukee beer company would be returning to town and bringing back hundreds of jobs opening a microbrewery and restaurant. Oh, and the arena thing. Other than that, kind of a dud week. Chalk it up to the dog days of summer, we suppose.
Anyway, here are a few morsels of news we managed to scrape up:
• The beloved (and adorably quaint) Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum will be closed for “re-imagining” beginning August 3. Mary Louise Schumacher at the Journal Sentinel writes that the updated attraction “will include new storefronts and businesses and reflect cultural and economic changes of the post-Industrial era. The museum hopes to create a ‘heightened sensory experience’ that includes hands-on displays, hidden ‘secrets,’ the ability to eavesdrop on conversations from the past and even smells.”
“Heightened sensory experience”? We don’t like the sound of that…
• Bruce Murphy at Urban Milwaukee suggested that the much-ballyhooed “entertainment district” expected to sprout up around the new Bucks arena might, well, suck. A pertinent quote:
“In Bay View all kinds of young entrepreneurs have put untold hours of sweat equity into creating unique bars and restaurants and retail shops. The Bucks entertainment district, by contrast, will pick from off-the-shelf national retailers. Rather than locally unique, it will mimic other huge entertainment complexes.”
Murphy does note, however, that the Bucks have promised 25 percent of the bars and restaurants in the entertainment district will be locally owned.
• According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, crowds for the fourth annual Milwaukee IndyCar Series race were once again “so-so.” “I don’t think there’s anywhere you could’ve gone in town and not know the race is on,” said Michael Andretti, whose company advertised the race. Raise your hand if you were absolutely inundated with ads and promotion for the event over the past few weeks. Didn’t think so.
• The A.V. Club premiered a video for Maritime’s “Satellite Love” (not to be confused with Lou Reed’s or MST3K’s “Satellite Of Love”), from the band’s upcoming Magnetic Bodies/Maps Of Bones, due October 16 on Dangerbird Records.
• The website for Festa Italiana was hacked this week and replaced with some pro-Palestinian messages, reports the Journal Sentinel. Festa kicks off today; its website is back in order.
• Your Bublr Bikes News of the Week: Six Bublr stations will be installed near UWM by the end of the year. More stations are expected to be announced soon. The Milwaukee Business Journal has more.
• Looking for another druggy summer song? Get hooked on “Overdose” by El-Shareef.
• Shepherd Express’ Evan Rytlewski talked to Appleton band Tenement about its instantly-beloved, and then instantly-forgotten excellent new double album, Predatory Headlights. Curse you, insanely abbreviated press cycles!
• Field Report’s Chris Porterfield stopped by Wisconsin Public Radio to play a few songs and talk about life on the road (and at home).
• Klassik celebrated the release of his latest album, Seasons, last night at the Miramar. The LP contains songs from the past four seasonal-themed EPs (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall), plus a few new tracks. Fake Shore Drive has the album premiere.
• Did you miss WebsterX opening for Lupe Fiasco at Summerfest? If so (or even if you were there), you can relive the spectacle via this ain’t-fucking-around video.
• Milwaukee Public Schools and the National Football League will host a one-day officiating academy next weekend at Bradley Tech High School. The Journal Sentinel has more on this intriguing Ed Hochuli fantasy camp.
• East Side fancy-grilled-cheese shop Melthouse Bistro closed this week. The Journal Sentinel reports that the restaurant’s owners, Troy and Susan Davis, are currently hunting for a new location.
• Walker’s Point bar and restaurant Blue Jacket will close next Friday, says OnMilwaukee.
• Tap Milwaukee invited the always-awesome Tigernite over for its live Sound Check series. A release show for the band’s debut album is set for August 1 at Cactus Club.
• And finally, the Journal Sentinel has details on that dumb and disastrous-sounding water slide coming to W. Highland Ave. July 25. The transformative fruits of “placemaking,” folks.