With events like the annual Pablove show now becoming staples on the city’s concert calendar, there’s long been at least some charitable component among Milwaukee creatives. However, the creation of recent benefits like Riverwest FemFest, Arte Para Todos, and the forthcoming Cream City Comedy Festival has seen a crescendo of generosity among local artists, musicians, and creatives, who are willing to donate their time, talent, and sweat equity at an astounding and inspiring level for the sake of special (and predominately local) organiations.

Host Tyler Maas was joined at Milwaukee Record HQ by Johanna Rose, a busy local musician and co-organizer of this year’s FemFest and Arte Para Todos benefits. Joining her in the studio were Milwaukee comedian (and former funniest man in Vermont) Phil Davidson and Chicago-by-way-of-Milwaukee comic Sammy Arechar, two of Cream City Comedy Festival’s three founders. They all discussed the formation and focus of their particular benefits, the underlying hope for artistic exposure and collaboration, and why artists who are struggling to make a living in their creative fields are willing to play for free to support worthy causes.

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Vander Mill. Music in this episode comes courtesy of Piles (“Blue Glue”) and Antler House (“Nitwit”). Subscribe to On The Record via iTunes or Stitcher (for free!).