Me with Chris Talaska, owner of our newest local business, CM Salons, at their opening event on Saturday, June 15. Check out the great writeup they got in NOW here.
Check out these South Shore and South Milwaukee headlines …
Also, Chris Smith appeared on Steve Scaffidi’s show on AM 620 on Monday, to talk about Crusherfest. Check out the interview here. Find the June 10 rebroadcast; the interview starts about 1:45 into the show.
The 2019-20 season will bring more memorable performances to the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center.
The lineup was announced last month, and you can purchase a ticket to four or more shows (a subscription) through their box office now, to choose your seat before the general public tickets go on sale at the end of July.
I always look forward to their varied lineup of shows, and it never disappoints. The South Milwaukee PAC challenges us artistically as a community, and that’s why it’s celebrating its 15th season this year … with hopefully another 100 to come.
South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center (SMPAC) will celebrate its 15th Anniversary Performing Arts Season next year and recently announced the 2019-2020 Performing Arts Series at a Preview & Tasting Party hosted by the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Council, Skyline Catering & Express Deli, Azteca Restaurant, and the Milwaukee Gourmet House.
“Our 15th anniversary season will feature eight performances chosen for their high-energy, opportunities for community collaboration, and broad appeal,” said Rachel Sorce, Executive Director. “The annual Performing Arts Series is designed for people of all ages and aesthetics, and we encourage experience-seekers to join us for these exciting performances.”
The 15th Anniversary Season will open September 21 with ARTRAGEOUS: The Interactive Art & Music Experience, an energetic and visually stunning production where large-scale paintings are created live on stage while musicians, singers and dancers entertain and engage our audience. On October 19, sing along to the music of one of the most prolific and beloved songwriters of our time when Matt Vee Family & Friends celebrate the music of Neil Diamond in I Am… He Said. Local choir members will join the band on stage for part of the show. To start the holiday season, we’ll present The Mark O’Connor Band, a multiple Grammy-winning artist with one of the most distinguished careers in the business, on November 16. Coming Home will feature the band’s impeccable style of progressive bluegrass, country and Americana. We’re proud to present America’s trailblazing first ladies of mariachi, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles®, in Navidad Mexicana on December 13. Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles® brings sensitivity, beauty, warmth and vivacious spirit to the historic art of mariachi.
For the second half of our season starting on January 30, we will feature Shaun Boothe’s Unauthorized Biography Series, a critically acclaimed musical project that celebrates the world’s greatest cultural icons to educate and challenge us to “live our legacies”. Half TED Talk, half live music concert, Boothe uses multimedia and motivation to deliver powerful and transformative messaging. For a fun romantic date or group night out, get tickets for the Australian performers, The Tap Pack, in Las Vegas style level up old-school cool as the new “Kings of Swing.” In our first-ever Canine Cabaret, the adorable Mutts Gone Nuts rescue dogs will steal your heart and then your socks! For our season finale, we’ll curate a special 15th Anniversary Variety Show that will be like no other. Auditions start soon. Visit southmilwaukeepac.org for details. Sponsored by Molthen-Bell.
From Crusherfest to showcasing beautiful local gardens — that’s how we roll in South Milwaukee!
More details on the June 22 South Milwaukee Historical Society Garden Tour & Art Fair here. It’s one of my favorite events of the year.
The tour also got love in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. From the story …
Patti Bergeson, president of the South Milwaukee garden tour on June 22, said gardens in her area are also looking lush due to the rain and are likely to look even better in the weeks to come.
“Everything is getting super green and lush, including the lawns. … The rain is helping, but people are a little behind. They can’t get out there and manicure their gardens like the want to. But it’s not a crisis if they are a little behind because avid gardeners know what they need to do. They want to be proud of their gardens, so they will try extra hard to get them on point for the tour.”
Bergeson said her tour has an eclectic group of gardens ranging from large to small city lots that use all available spaces to add color and beauty to the yard. Included are ponds with waterwheels, fairy gardens, decorated sheds and rock accents.
“All of the gardens are wonderful habitats for birds and small wildlife and are labors of love, which add hours of enjoyment to the lives of the gardeners,” she said. “The gardeners combine ornamental trees, shrubs and perennials with annuals to create wonderful spaces for entertaining and enjoyment.”
A variety of flowers, artwork and hardscaping will be visible.
“At one home the homeowners created an outdoor living space for summer,” she said. “There’s a destination hosta garden where tourgoers can buy hostas, and a stop at Wil-O-Way in Grant Park where gardens were recently renovated by master gardeners. At that location a local artist will also be painting a shed with flowers and will transform it into a beautiful flowerscape,” she said.
What an amazing turnout for Crusherfest, as we celebrated a local icon in a way that will be remembered for years to come.
I am so happy for the Lisowski family, and so proud of this city.
I can’t wait to see what’s next!
My goal: To become famous for hosting one of the most unique festivals in the country, and being home to a beautiful work of art that perfectly honors this larger-than-life man. This weekend was only the beginning.
And more than anything, that’s what I love most about the effort to erect the Crusher statue in downtown South Milwaukee — that it inspired a community to work together toward a singular goal worthy of a great man.
I saw it as Chris Smith first approached a few of us at City Hall with this crazy idea, expecting we might see this day come 10 or 20 years from now, not less than 24 months later.
I saw it shortly after the idea went public and viral, and hundreds of people donated for the statue in days, often $5, $10, $25 at a time, and a couple — including South Milwaukee’s own Molthen-Bell & Son Funeral Home — coming in at $10,000.
I saw it as momentum built around getting this done, and this formerly crazy idea from our city attorney quickly became real, as in, “South Milwaukee is really going to get a Crusher statue … how ’bout that?”
I saw it with the Lisowski family, who has been so supportive as this has ramped up, and remain so today.
I saw it as South Milwaukee native Beth Sahagian, sculptor Tom Holleran and the team at Vanguard Sculpture Services eagerly took on the project — with their work of art to be unveiled today for the world, and generations to come, to enjoy.
I saw it as we began work on figuring out where to put the statue, settling on a city-owned parking lot that 100 years ago was Depot Park, a community gathering place that will again proudly used that way again, right in the middle of our successful weekly farmers’ market.
I saw it as Crusherfest plans started to take shape, as Chris Smith and Crusher Foundation supporters started work on organizing an event worthy of the “Wrestler Who Made Milwaukee Famous.”
I saw it as the site plan progressed and buildout began, as the transformation from a soul-less patch of asphalt to what you see today went from idea to reality in about four weeks — a remarkable feat that only happened due to the hard work of dozens of volunteers, our city engineer, and companies like Butch Miller Construction, Kujawa Enterprises Inc. and EK Construction.
I see it today, as dozens of volunteers, local businesses and organizations step up to put on this event and make this day even more special.
Indeed, today this big bet on our proud past and promising future pays off with a beautiful, bold and lasting tribute to our most famous native son, someone who was the epitome of the traits that continue to make South Milwaukee such a special place.
Hard work. Dedication. Community pride. Kindness. Family first. Fun.
We have a terrific story to tell in South Milwaukee, one that is uniquely ours and absolutely authentic. Da Crusher is a part of that, and we proudly celebrate him, his family and everyone who made this happen both today and in the years ahead as every fan who visits this new local landmark shares their Crusher photo with the world.
We, as a city, united behind a big idea in a way that not many communities would. We wrote this chapter of our story, together, and today we share it with the world.
I can’t be prouder to say … This is Crusher Country!
Thousands of people are headed to Crusherfest this weekend, and that’s incredibly exciting for our city.
If you’re new to South Milwaukee, welcome! And if you’ve been here before, welcome back!
Here are 10 things to do while you’re in town … and anytime of the year, really. Let’s go, turkeynecks!
Visit Grant Park. From the terrific Seven Bridges urban nature trail to the bustling beach area — including burgers, custard and beer at Ferch’s Beachside — to the county’s oldest golf course, this iconic park is a community treasure. Discover it for yourself this weekend.
Check out the Crusher display at the South Milwaukee Library. Get a look at a teenage Reginald Lisowski in old South Milwaukee High School yearbooks, and see old newspaper clippings, programs, and other items from his professional wrestling career, thanks to this partnership with MEARS Monthly Auctions. The library, 1907 10th Ave., is open from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and weekdays.
Work off that turkey leg. Bike or walk (or drive) the Oak Creek Parkway, with a stop at the Mill Pond, site of the former mill, around which our city was born. On Sunday, join a walking tour — “Suburban Soles — Nature Thru the Lens,” observing nature through photography, starting at 10 a.m. at Grant Park Area 5.
Eat local. Get on Yelp for a list of our local restaurants. From authentic local Mexican, Chinese, Italian and Jamaican food to gastropub and American staples to sausage to rolled ice cream, there are a lot of local dining options to consider, after you check out the vendors at Crusherfest, of course (many of which come from South Milwaukee, including Azteca Restaurant and Milwaukee Gourmet House, China Chef and The Tap Room). Pro tip: Try the garlic bread at Barbiere’s Italian Inn South Milwaukee, just feet from the statue.
Take a trip to the past, with a drive through the historic Grant Park neighborhood. Some of my favorite homes in the city can be found along Fairview, Hawthorne and Emerson Avenues. Our oldest homes — and oldest church and cemetery — are near Fairview and Hawthorne.
Bless your dog. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1314 Rawson Ave., is hosting Bark’s at St. Mark’s on Sunday, with a church service starting at 9 a.m. Details here. Then head to Crusherfest for the polka mass!
Attend a Crusherfest after party. It’s on Saturday night at Borak Entertainment, our new nightclub, just a block from the statue, where you may also be able to get a dance lesson or two.
Take in the market, and a show (next time). OK, there aren’t any public performances this weekend at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, but I can’t leave this off a “must-do” list in South Milwaukee. We are rightfully proud of our PAC, and you can see why with their recently announced 2019-20 season. More details here. And I must plug the South Milwaukee Downtown Market, held every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. into October, at Crusher Plaza. Check out more than 40 vendors, grab dinner, listen to weekly live music and get a picture with Da Crusher! We take live outdoor music seriously in South Milwaukee, too …
I had the pleasure of meeting of meeting Frieda Abosovski recently, and she told me about this terrific fundraiser in honor of former Rocket student-athlete Albert Nazifi. It’s open to the public, so please check it out!
From the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission …
In 2019 SEWRPC staff continue to make progress on the plan, with work continuing on Chapter 4—Inventory Findings. The Chapter will include an extensive review and analysis of all available surface water quality data, which will be evaluated in light of our completed field observations in 2016 and 2017. Chapter 4 also will include a summary history of the mill pond and dam, an inventory of the biological data, channel conditions, and a habitat assessment for the streams in the watershed, and an estimate of pollutant loadings to the stream. The Chapter provides a historic and “existing conditions” assessment of the Oak Creek watershed which will lay the groundwork for recommendations and strategies for restoration, which will be presented in Chapter 6 of the plan.
The SEWRPC staff anticipate the next Advisory Group meeting to review Chapter 4 sections to be in fall 2019.
From Milwaukee County, following the closure of Interfaith …
Eras Senior Network, a community based nonprofit organization, is providing interim support services to the Neighborhood Outreach Program (NOP) in Milwaukee County. The Board of Directors of Eras thanks all community stakeholders for their input as we work together to define and serve the needs of all older adults in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties.
The South Milwaukee meeting is from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on June 19 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 2507 5th Ave.
I asked Brian Morrison to pull together a list of all the live music this summer in South Milwaukee, and I wasn’t prepared for the result — it’s even more than I thought! Thanks, Brian, for taking this on.
And enjoy some sweet sounds this summer!
Have music to add to this? Send it along, erikbrooks32@gmail.com.
It’s Da Crusher, of course! Shot the night of Crusherfest, as we unveiled this statue to the world. Do you have a photo you’d like to share on the blog? Send it along.
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