Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• If you follow the news these days, it’s easy to dwell on the things that divide us and keep us apart. But it’s the experiences we share that make us human: growing old, falling in and out of love, student loans. And who among us hasn’t dropped acid, rammed two parked police cars, and led police on a high-speed chase, all while completely nude? Yes, that evergreen right of passage happened yet again Wednesday in Waukesha, when some dude (not pictured above) dropped acid, rammed two parked police cars, and led police on a high-speed chase, all while completely nude.
The incident made local and national headlines, even though this sort of thing happens all the time. If dropping acid, ramming two parked police cars, and leading police on a high-speed chase, all while completely nude is a crime (and it is), consider us guilty.
• Speaking of nakedness, did you know Milwaukee was the last major American city to allow screenings of films featuring nudity? Milwaukee Magazine went back in time to when the Milwaukee Motion Picture Commission valiantly kept the city naked-movie free. Created in 1914, the panel stayed in power until 1969, when an unedited print of—buckle up for this—Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe And Find True Happiness? screened at the Downtown Strand Theatre.
• Popular Wisconsin governor and presidential favorite Scott Walker finally signed the downtown arena funding plan into law Wednesday at the Wisconsin State Fair. The Milwaukee Business Journal reported that the location of the signing was significant because Walker believes “the arena will be good for the whole state, similar to the State Fair.” Just like Walker himself!
• Speaking of the Wisconsin State Fair and bullshit, the 2015 installment of the West Allis blowout opened to record-setting numbers. According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, approximately 90,000 folks showed up Thursday, August 6 to enjoy the food, the animals, and the sea of cover bands giving it their all with Van Halen’s “Panama.”
• Okay, one more State Fair thing: 36-year-old tightrope walker Nik Wallenda completed the longest walk of his career Tuesday night, walking 10 stories above, and 1,576 feet across the State Fair’s racetrack. The Journal Sentinel has more on the high-stepping “Flying Wallendas” descendant.
• The upcoming Milwaukee Film Festival followed its announcement of this year’s Sound Vision program (featuring the return of Stop Making Sense!) with details on its Black Lens and Rated K programs.
• Urban Milwaukee paid a visit to Downtown Books and talked to owner Keith Pajot about success, advice for folks looking to open their own used book stores (don’t do it), and the store’s resident cats.
• OnMilwaukee’s Matt Mueller reported that Jackpot Gallery in Riverwest is hoping to reopen by Labor Day.
• Milwaukee Magazine’s Kevin Mueller profiled the one and only Klassik.
• Mad Planet will celebrate its 25th anniversary with its long-running Retro Dance Party on Friday, September 25, and with music from tribute bands Radio Radio (’70s and ’80s new wave), Salford Lads Club (The Smiths), and Pretend (Testa Rosa as The Pretenders) Saturday, September 26.
• Jaill released an animated video for Brain Cream standout “Change Reaction.”
• Shepherd Express’ Evan Rytlewski talked to Marielle Allschwang about her lovely new solo album, Dead Not Done. He also talked to Renz about his upcoming EP, 2975.
• The next Underwear Bike Ride is scheduled for Thursday, August 20. Naked dudes high on LSD take note.
• Do you enjoy people in animal costumes driving cars? How about some trippy, Fear And Loathing-worthy special effects? Then the hallucinatory video for IshDARR’s “Too Bad” should be right up your alley. Naked dudes high on LSD take note.