As my second semester at UWM begins, I have a very important assignment to complete. No, I don’t have a 20 page term paper due (yet anyway); I must find my self a J-O-B. So I ask all you folks in the blogosphere, would you like to employ me? I have experience in food and beverage, retail, hospitality and clerical work but I am open to any opportunity should it present itself. I am a very dedicated, loyal employee and guarantee that I would be a wonderful asset to any employer. I would love to send any potential employer a copy of my resume if you are interested. Please just leave me a comment with your email address or phone number and I will contact you ASAP!
Since moving to the eastside, I have frequented this wonderfully dive-y joint on Farwell regularly. While it may not seem like much from the modest sign outside, dwarfed by the Orpheum’s flashy marquee, Landmark Lanes has a lot to offer.
The crew before a stellar evening.
When you first enter you will be led down a flight of stairs into the body of the beast. Landmark isn’t just a bowling alley, it’s an adventure. It includes three separates bars, around 16 lanes, a game arcade complete with big buck hunter (amongst other awesome options), numerous pool tables and a handful of cork and electronic dart boards.
My friends and I usually gather at the Mark around 9:30 on Thursday nights. Right now they have league bowling until around ten so we down a few beers before we hit lanes. If you end up going on a Friday or Saturday night, they have great cosmic bowling. A pair of shoes cost $ 2.11 and a game of bowling is about $12 dollars (for 4 people). And if you’re lucky/ have the right sized feet you can snag one of the few pairs of neon flamed shoes they have. Now the Mark is a REAL bowling alley, so you won’t find any electronic scoring here. Make sure to brush up on your manual scoring skills before visiting.
After enjoying a few beers (domestic taps are only 2 bucks on Thursdays, and rail mixers are 3 for you all who like to live on the edge) throwing a few strikes and taking in a few tunes (their jukebox has a great selection) we turn in our shoes and move on to the back bar, where the wonderful Roy hosts karaoke.
While the Mark doesn't have a big menu (frozen pizzas at the bar) they do have a fully stocked vending machine. Combos for dinner is a must,
While they selection of songs doesn’t include current favorites like “Poker Face” the classics are readily available and so are diverse people. The Mark has a pretty solid group of regulars that keep the place hoppin. Karaoke can get busy so make sure to get your requests in early if you want to belt it out before 2am.
So whether you are looking to shoot a little pool or sing a little Dusty Springfield, Landmark is the place for you. I honestly believe that everyone would be better off with a little Mark in their life.
It has been a few days now since the Eastside lost a few very wonderful establishments. While it is a miracle no one was seriously hurt in the blaze, so many homes and bussinesses were lost. I hope these places can rebuild and bring their business back to the people of the eastside soon.
After hearing good things about this downtown institution, and visiting their permanent booth on the Summerfest grounds year after year, a friend and I decided to grab a beer and a bite at Major Goolsby’s and see what all the hype was about.
The place was surprisingly empty for a Saturday night but there weren’t any sporting events across the street (at the Bradley Center) or on tv, which is usually how this bar draws in most of its customers. The place is a sports museum of sorts, with pictures, trophies, jerseys, etc. adorning almost every inch of the walls.
The most accurate bust of Brett Favre I have ever seen!
Don’t worry about going here with someone interesting, cause no mater how dull the conversation gets, you can always keep your self intrigued by simply looking around. The beers are decently priced for a downtown joint and the Bloody Mary I had was pretty darn good; really well seasoned and garnished with a stick of sausage among other goodies. The food here is simple but cheap, and tasty.
Major Goolsby’s, which has been Milwaukee’s number one sports bar (so their website says) for over 30 years, played an Oscar worthy (by my standards anyways) role in Major League; many of the movies bar scenes took place in the Milwaukee establishment. Also, Reggie Jackson got arrested here for refusing to give a fan an autograph (and getting a little rough with him). Now I ask you Milwaukee, what other noteworthy events occurred at Major Goolsby’s? I’d really like to know.
Before the Peaches show, I grabbed dinner and drinks with friends at Rock Bottom Brewery on Wells and Plankinton. Two of my friends, who had tickets to the Widespread Panic show later that evening, were excited to see that the beer special for the night was “Love Tractor” IPA (named for a song by Panic). Rock Bottom, with over 35 restaurants nationally, takes pride in its beer and it’s rare that you will find any two locations with the same brew menu; they tailor the beers they make and their names to the region the restaurant is located in.
The brewery is big, with brew kettles in the center of the restaurant, surrounded by glass, so patrons can peer in and see where the magic happens. The ceilings are high and décor simple, with lots of wood and an open floor plan. The Grateful Dead, Zeppelin and Phish played over the speakers; I’m not sure if they normally play this type of music or if it was just for the Widespread show, but we sure enjoyed it! I ordered a bourbon veggie burger and a side salad. The burger was topped fried onions and a sweet and tangy bourbon sauce.The salad was huge and had one of my favorite additions, dried cranberries.
Megan likes fish. I really wish I liked fish... 😦
My friend Megan ordered the smoked salmon fish and chips.It was recommended by he waiter and while I’m not a fan of fish, Megan said it was a really tasty twist on a classic. My other friend Devin ordered the chimichurri turkey burger and a Caesar salad. The burger was way bigger than the bun (which is always a good thing) and was topped with a heap of fresh pico…mmmm…. tasty.
Turkey Burger; Thanksgiving birds wish they could be this cool.
We would have hung out longer in our high sided, intimate booth but we had to make sure we got to our respective music venues on time. While I am generally anti-chain, I was pleasantly surprised by Rock Bottom; I am definitely going to have to go back sometime when the weather’s a little warmer and I can enjoy the outdoor seating they have right on the river.
This is my friend Devin. She likes salad and I heart her!
Imagine a forty something ex elementary school music teacher, crossed with Freddy Mercury, Ziggy Stardust, and Marilyn Manson and you get Merrill Beth Nisker, the Canadian also known as PEACHES. After seeing Peaches perform at The Majestic in Madison last May, I was hooked. Not only is her music like a drug, her live shows will melt your face off.
Lady Gaga (left) and Amanda Blank (right); musically related.
My friend Kevin and I arrived at Turner Hall just in time to grab a beer and claim a nice spot close to the action before the opener Amanda Blank took the stage. This Philly based rapper/singer had great energy and sick beats; she reminded me of a hip hop version of Lady Gaga (before she went all “poker face”).
Blank’s band consisted of a roots inspired drummer and two DJs mixing the tunes. After (w)rapping up a forceful set, Blank prepared the crowd for her mentor, Peaches.
Peaches, on her Harley made out of ballons that rode around the stage.
Peaches’ band, The Sweet Machine, includes a creepily awesome Gwyneth Paltrow look alike on guitar, a hot young shirtless guy on keyboards and a grizzly looking, long haired drummer. They made their entrance wearing suits of black hair, with Peaches close behind looking something like a cross between a Muppet and Elvira. Opening with her song “mud,” Peaches immediately had the audience entranced. It wasn’t long before things started to get crazy.
Looks like shes standing on solid ground....
Peaches asked “Milwaukee, want to be part of something that’s never been done before?” Of course we said yes. “Ok, well Jesus walked on water, and I’m gonna walk on you.” What? We all thought..
...But no, we are holding her up with our mighty muscles.
But she was serious and began taking steps onto peoples raised hands as she continued to sing in perfect pitch. “If you let me fall, the shows over,” she declared as we all gathered in tight to ensure our idol’s safety.
As the show continued, Peaches shed costume after costume ending up in a flesh colored leotard and a blinged out “peaches” necklace that would make any rapper jealous. Right after she performed her hit “F&*% the Pain away” and before she began the encore, Peaches serenaded us with her own acapella version of the theme song from Laverne and Shirley. Despite being sprayed with champagne and spit on (with fake blood), the crowd’s energy never faltered and neither did Peaches’ amazing stage presence. With her raunchy lyrics, crazy costumes, dance beats, and raw style Peaches puts on a show you should NEVER pass up!
Thanks for the wonderful weekend Turner Hall… I am sure we will see each other again soon…
My favorite Milwaukee music venue was erected in 1882 by Henry Koch, the same talented guy that whipped City Hall together just a couple of years later. The Milwaukee Turners, a society of German immigrants originally formed to create a resistance against the French conquest of Europe during the time of Napoleon, commissioned the building of the facility for the use of its members and other immigrants. The Turners got their name from the German word turnen, which describes the calisthenics and gymnastic exercises members of the resistance practiced. The building includes a restaurant/ beer hall, ballroom with wrap around balcony, large meeting rooms and a gymnasium.
In my opinion, the best music venue in Brew City.
My friend and I arrived early to Turner in order to make sure we grabbed some seats for the opener; Nathaniel Ratcliffe and The Wheel. The Denver based troupe, all adorned in flannel (except for the lonely female stand up bassist), provided soothing tunes for the crowd as they settled in. The sound they created, reminding me at times of Cash mixed with Wisconsin’s own Bon Iver, was folksy with a seasoning of country and was greatly enriched by the frequent addition of soothing vocal harmonies. About halfway through their third song, my friend and I quickly tugged on each others shoulders and pointed to the curly haired shadow looking down on the audience from the balcony above. Grinning like school girls, we gazed up at Mason and sipped our $3 PBR silos while he watched his opener for a few songs.
Bad picture, but AWESOME music.
After a great set by The Wheel, Mason took the stage and we joined the sea of fans gathered at his feet. While I have seen Jennings more than half a dozen times, last night was a treat for me; rarely have I watched him perform with a full band. With six albums under his belt and a large catalog of music to choose from, Mason included a wide array of songs in his set list playing everything from “Nothing” (the first song on his first album and my FAVORITE) to “The Field” (a Springsteen-esque song on his not yet released album about the Iraq war). After major support from the crowd, Mason came out to do an acoustic encore. But the folks at Turner Hall (myself included) were not satisfied and the full band returned to serenade us one more time. I really can’t articulate the energy in the room as the band slid into a cover of “The Weight”(take a load off fanny); the band members took turns singing the verses over the unified voice of he audience. With everyone dancing, and the decades old floor of the ballroom bouncing with the rhythm, I wondered if we would soon all find ourselves free falling to the gymnasium below. But the floor held, and the band played on.
Round one of my two night affair with Turner Hall was a GREAT success. Thanks Mason, you never disappoint me!
Gotham City has Batman, Metropolis has Superman and now Milwaukee has the Watchman. Patrolling the streets of Downtown Brew City, The Watchman is there for your protection. The Watchman is a member of the Great Lakes Hero’s Guild, a group of 9 real life superheroes who protect the fine citizens of the cities in which they reside. “Unfortunately there is only one of me, so I’ve got a lot of ground to cover,” The Watchman told a channel 6 reporter. Not only is protecting the Downtown area a lot for one superhero to handle, The Watchman also has a family, full time job, and attends school while he’s not out saving lives. And maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll see this masked man at a local charity function; a portion of The Watchman’s time is spent attending local events to help raise money for worthy causes.
So the next time you’re walking home after a night of drinking on Water Street, and see someone creeping through the shadows of the night, It might be a robber, or it might just The Watchman making sure you get home safely.
Brew City Newbie 