For this installment of On The Record, host Tyler Maas took the show on the road. The Fox Valley expat drove 100-some miles north on Highway 41 to record this episode in his dad’s garage bar on the outskirts of Appleton. You might be wondering why an episode of a Milwaukee-intensive podcast took place in northeast Wisconsin. The answer can be both simple and nuanced, depending on how you look at it. The easy reason is that Mile Of Music—a three-year-old Cory Chisel-curated festival taking place in downtown Appleton from August 6 to August 9—just finalized its lineup this week, and of the near-200 acts slated to perform, 30 of them hail from in and around Milwaukee. Included on the bill are such local mainstays as GGOOLLDD, Whips, Twin Brother, NO/NO, Vic And Gab, Trapper Schoepp, Hugh Bob & The Hustle, Greatest Lakes, Brett Newski, Body Futures, Bright Kind, and many more. As noteworthy as more than 15 percent of a massive festival’s lineup hailing from a market two hours south (for the second straight year) is, Milwaukee’s connection to the Fox Cities runs much deeper than that.

With the help of Grantland staff writer, former A.V. Club Milwaukee city editor, and Appleton native Steven Hyden, along with Appleton Post-Crescent entertainment writer Shane Nyman, the trio discussed Mile Of Music. In the process, they unearthed the undeniable trend of former Fox Cities musicians who are presently making a mark in Milwaukee music, reminisced about Concert Cafe and Ryan’s Ballroom, and discussed bands like Tenement and Dead Horses currently thriving despite having members split between both regions. Shit, they even talked about the WAMI Awards for a few minutes!

As always, this episode is brought to you by our friends at Ale Asylum, which was enjoyed on air, and 42 Ale House/42 Lounge. The Fox Cities-born, Milwaukee-based music used in this episode comes courtesy of the Midwestern Charm (“Can’t Stand It”) and The Obsoletes (“Down To Milwaukee”). Subscribe to On The Record via iTunes or Stitcher (for free!)