Every Friday, Stuff We Missed looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for, well, stuff we missed throughout the week.
• Lost in all the hubbub of Thursday’s Summerfest lineup drop (Jenny Lewis! Japanese Breakfast! DEBBIE GIBSON!) was the fact that no artists were announced for the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage. So what gives? Milwaukee Journal Sentinel music critic Piet Levy posed that question to the folks at Summerfest, who revealed that the stage will A.) no longer be sponsored by Johnson Controls, and B.) it will be rebranded as a DJ-only space called the Sound Waves Stage. Huh!
A statement from Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. reads:
The new Sound Waves Stage will replace the JCI World Soundstage with 88Nine Radio Milwaukee at Summerfest 2023. Sound Waves boasts a new fan experience with large video walls, upgraded sound and light system, along with curated theme nights hosted by DJs. This new concept will be the place to dance all day and night, while enjoying the vibes of Summerfest. Stay tuned for the daily lineup.
We are working with our longtime partner Johnson Controls on new opportunities for the upcoming season.
As Levy notes, the Johnson Controls stage played host to many local artists over the years (the above picture is of D’Amato and friends in 2017), including local DJs. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Juuuuust as a judge was about to decide whether or not the City of Milwaukee should assume ownership of the long-vacant Northridge Mall, local group Phoenix Investors swooped in with a purchase agreement—and a plan to renovate the property, lol. Is it a legitimate plan or just another stalling tactic from former owner Black Spruce? The case is back on hold, so we’ll see. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Sonora’s, a.k.a. a new Mexican restaurant specializing in “authentic, rustic” dishes, is opening May 29 at the old Simple Cafe space at 2124 N. Farwell Ave. “I want it to look and feel and taste and smell really authentic. Like walking into grandma’s house, and your nose is just exploding with all of these scents of food, that’s my vision. It’s got to feel like home, it’s got to be exceptional,” owner George Ortiz tells [Urban Milwaukee]
• Is Milwaukee suing Kia and Hyundai over the whole “stolen Kias and Hyundais” epidemic? Yep, Milwaukee is totally suing Kia and Hyundai over the whole “stolen Kias and Hyundais” epidemic. “Defendants—through their designing, manufacturing, and distributing of automobiles that are dangerously susceptible to theft—have created, contributed to, and maintained a public nuisance that substantially interferes with rights common to the general public,” reads a recently filed lawsuit. [WISN 12]
• Mayor of Milwaukee Bobby Portis just launched a new podcast, “Keep It A Buck.” “The podcast name ‘Keep It A Buck’ came from the idea of keeping it real or keeping it authentic with the podcast conversations along with the play on Portis’ NBA team, the Milwaukee Bucks,” explains the [Milwaukee Business Journal], helpfully.
• The owners of the Hot Box Pizza food truck plan to open a new pizza joint called Doh’p, located at 2509 E. Oklahoma Ave. in Bay View. “The restaurant’s title is a double entendre—referring both to the dough used for Hot Box’s wood-fired pizzas, as well as a subtle nod to the operation’s marijuana-themed menu,” explains [Urban Milwaukee], helpfully.
• Following a good ol’ fashioned local government clown show, the Milwaukee Common Council hit Sherman Park hookah bar Infinity Lounge with a 60-day suspension. The punishment was “based on a six-item police report that included complaints of excessive noise, violence, litter and alleged strippers.” [Urban Milwaukee]
• Let’s finish with some Wauwatosa Stuff We Missed, shall we? First up, national firm Slick City wants to open an indoor amusement park—complete with “24-foot slides similar to that of the giant slide at State Fair Park”—at 1435 N. 113th St., near Mayfair Road. The park would be aimed at children aged 5-16. Fun! [TMJ 4]
• Also, Wauwatosa might be getting a CBD bakery called Kelly’s Greens. Neat! [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee! And you too, Wauwatosa! Happy Tosa Restaurant Week!
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