Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• We could be really clever and load up on obscure Simpsons references for this bit of news, but hey, it’s Friday, so let’s cut to the chase: Okilly Dokilly, “the world’s only Nedal band”—a.k.a. a Ned Flanders-themed metal band—is set to play Cudahy’s new X-Ray Arcade on Saturday, April 6. Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Okilly Dokilly plays original music loaded with “direct Ned quotes,” and puts on shows “that weave together comedy and brutality.” Also:
Guttural screams and pounding drums provide a soundtrack for the pummeling of an inflatable donut as green sweaters and round glasses blur across the stage.
Playboy Manbaby and The Eradicator will play in support. Tickets to the all-ages show are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. X-Ray’s Simpsons machine will be free all night, of course. [Facebook]
• The MECCA is back! Well, sort of. A sports bar named The MECCA Sports Bar and Grill is coming to the Milwaukee Bucks “live block” outside the Fiserv Forum. The bar, located next to Good City Brewing, will “recreate the in-game experience by featuring state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment built around the centerpiece of a 36-foot high-definition screen.” And no, it won’t feature the old Robert Indiana MECCA floor. [Urban Milwaukee]
• General Mitchell International Airport saw more than 7 million local passengers pass through its gates in 2018. [Wisconsin Public Radio]
• Oh yeah: General Mitchell International Airport is losing its “General” and gaining a “Milwaukee.” The airport has changed its name to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. [FOX6]
• Summerfest is raising the roof in winter—literally. Crews raised a portion of the roof of the American Family Insurance Amphitheater from 39 to 65 feet. According to Summerfest, “the lift expands stage production capabilities in the Amphitheater, which will now have the ability to host larger and more complex tours.” [Summerfest]
• Milwaukee art collectors Jan Serr and John Shannon have hired a curator for their recently opened museum, The Warehouse, located at 1635 W. St. Paul Ave. Laura Sims Peck, formerly of the UWM Union Art Gallery, has accepted the job. [OnMilwaukee]
• The valuation of the Milwaukee Bucks has soared to $1.35 billion—a 145% increase since the current ownership group bought the team for a paltry $550 million in 2014. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• VISIT Milwaukee made a new video about Milwaukee, which dubs the city “totally random” and “totally wonderful.” Agreed! [VISIT Milwaukee]
• Coming this season to Miller Park: Sprecher Root Beer! [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Returning next winter to Café Benelux: the wildly popular Lux Domes, which will host their last parties of the season on March 3! [CBS 58]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!