Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• Winter is coming! Winter is coming! Er, well, winter is already here, and so is the chance to snag some sweet Brewers Game Of Thrones bobbleheads! Much like the second book in the immensely popular Game Of Thrones saga, Dragons Of Winter Night, these bobbleheads will transport you to the magical world of Krynn, where beloved heroes Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, and the diminutive Tasslehoff Burrfoot wage war against the White Walkers, the Draconians, and the Chicago Cubs. Sick of winter? Well, it’s just like Jaime Lannister once said: “If you don’t like the weather in Qualinesti, just wait a minute!”
Anyway, Milwaukee’s National Bobblehead Hall Of Fame and Museum is one of the select retail partners carrying the FOCO-released, HBO- and MLB-licensed bobbleheads. The first series, available for preorder now, features Night King, Ice Dragon, and Mascot Iron Throne bobbleheads for all 30 Major League Baseball teams. (Fingers crossed for one of Bupu the Gully Dwarf!) Here’s more info:
Iron Throne ($60): Every MLB mascot along with several current stars are featured on the iconic Iron Throne. These players and mascots, wielding a bat and proudly displaying their team banner, are more than ready to make sure any opposing team is willing to bend the knee.
Night King ($45): Each team has the grim Night King poised to make his move. With his frozen bat, icy team logo, and noble team heraldry, the Night King is sure to signal that baseball is coming.
Ice Dragon ($60): This series’ focus is a bone-chilling Ice Dragon. Battle-scarred with wings outstretched, this piece also prominently displays each team’s icy logo.
A second series, featuring actual MLB players, will be released in April, a.k.a. spring, a.k.a. the third book in the immensely popular Game Of Thrones saga, Dragons Of Spring Dawning. [National Bobblehead Hall Of Fame]
• In more museum news, the Brew City MKE Beer Museum, a.k.a. that Milwaukee County Historical Society “pilot museum” in the old Applebee’s in the Shops of Grand Avenue, will close on March 3. According to a press release: “The demand for this type of museum concept has now been proven and the Historical Society has been working with community partners to identify a new location.” [OnMilwaukee]
• Milwaukee Film has successfully raised more than $10 million in order to restore the Oriental Theatre and provide itself with its very first operating reserve. A capital campaign was launched in 2017, in advance of the non-profit assuming the lease of the historic East Side theater. Congrats! [BizTimes]
• Dead Bird Brewing has launched a Kickstarter to help open its brewery and taproom at 1726 N. 5th St., “just a few blocks north of the Buck’s new arena the Fiserv Forum.” The campaign has a $10,000 goal and runs through March 30. [Kickstarter]
• Speaking of the Fiserv, the arena has a new “nine-foot by nine-foot illuminated globe in the shape of the Johnson Controls logo” that will glow green every time the Bucks win a home game. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Milwaukee has a pilot program for dockless bikes, and San Francisco-based bike and scooter-sharing startup Lime is the only company that seems interested (so far). [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Jeff and Dana Redmon are the brains behind a new gallery/artist studio space called Scout. The venture is located at 1104 W. Historic Mitchell St. and is set to open in May. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Multidisciplinary artist Rosy Petri is Pfister Hotel’s new Artist in Residence. [OnMilwaukee]
• That long-in-the-works Riverwest hostel, Cream City Hostel, plans to open June 1 at 500 E. Center St. [OnMilwaukee]
• The Hop’s general manager, Darryll Simpson, is leaving his post for a new gig in New Orleans. Simpson has been with the Milwaukee streetcar system since 2017. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Campsite 131, an “elevated version of Milwaukee’s Camp Bar,” is now open at 131 N. Jackson St. So long, camping; hello “glamping.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• There’s a new pasta bar coming to the old John Hawks Pub space in Downtown Milwaukee. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• A new beer joint called “Unlocal Beer Co.” is opening in 2020 and…well, that’s about all we know. [OnMilwaukee]
• There’ll be a new coffee shop in a new apartment building. [OnMilwaukee]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!