Back-to-Back All-You-Can-Drink Shows

By Michelle Lindeman, do414_michelle

All right, I’m just going to come out and say it - your cover’s blown. There you are, sitting and snacking and reading Do414.com’s freaking fantastic blog instead of studying for finals week. I can’t say I blame you, what better way to celebrate being (nearly) done with exams than to party with 2 (t-w-o!) back-to-back all-you-can-drink shows this week!

As beautifully covered by Casey here, Wednesday’s $5 all-you-can-drink show at Club Anything was a smash, but I hope you didn’t get too crazy because you’ll need to save some energy to make a fool of yourself at Riverwest Public House on tonight. It’s also a fundraiser for the Midwest Small Press Festival! (Drink for a cause!)

You know the drill by now - RSVP here to win free entry and free drinks all night, show up at 9:00 p.m. so I can slap a wristband on ya, make sure to bring $5 for the show and $10 for infinite drinks.

The three groups performing Thursday reach across the musical spectrum to bring a little sometime for everybody. Milwaukee’s American Rock band Sat. Nite Duets has blown us away time and time again with their performances at Do414 shows, and we are proud to welcome them back for another! Do they sound familiar - you may have heard them on 88.9!! They also recently won Album Artwork of the Year for One Nite Only, from the Radio Milwaukee Music Awards.

YLLA brings a hard rock edginess and progressive guitar to the table at Riverwest PH. Their energy is catching, and they’ve even hinted at playing a new song at the show. These loud dudes recently played with Awkward Terrible, don’t miss them!

Rounding out the lineup is John Muther of Adventure Music. This solo performance is sure to feature friendly banter and sweet acoustics. His songs are catchy and familiar, and I can’t wait until he gets heated up this summer with the rest of the Adventure Music band. We hope to have them all back for another show!

TL;DR Come get drunk on Thursday at Riverwest Public House and jam with Sat. Nite Duets, YLLA, and John Muther in a fundraiser for the Midwest Small Press Festival.

Fahri’s “Final Disconnect Notice”

Do you know what I miss? 90’s indie rock. For the young ones reading this, there once was a time when indie rock was more about attitude, less about style. It was a time when band’s could get away with wearing ripped jeans and a plain t-shirt instead of carefully thought-out wardrobes. In fact, there was a time when Indie rock used to mean independent rock.

On Fahri’s new album, “Final disconnect notice,” one can be certain that they’ve done their homework on 90’s indie-rock. The fuzzy guitars high in the mix, the bare-bones drums and the laid-back vocal vibe.

The album opener ” Lazy Fruit” is a perfect representation of the album: strong melodies buried beneath waves of fuzz and understated drum grooves.

“The Island Cannible King” (my personal favorite) brings to mind the fuzzy layered guitars of My Bloody Valentine and Yo La Tengo, with the vocal style of Stephen Malkmus on top.

Singers Miles Murray and Sarah Long take turns at vocals, but not in the cutesy back and forth, I’m a boy, you’re a girl manner. In fact I don’t recall hearing them sing at the same time even once.

As I mentioned before, Fahri have no problem paying tribute to musicians of the past, but they do it very well. It also helps that they’re under the influence of some greats.

Worrier Headline First $5 All-U-Can-Drink Show!

Do414 has quickly gained the reputation of continuously putting on excellent shows, constantly giving away tickets to the best shows in Milwaukee, and hooking our readers up with the cheapest drinks in town. This Wednesday, we are going to out do anything we have ever done before. People love our $10 All-U-Can-Drink shows, right? Well what do you say we give the all you can drink thing a try, this time for only $5! That’s the plan this Wednesday at Club Anything.

I love cheap drinks as much as the next guy, but the night wouldn’t be complete without some great music. That is where Milwaukee’s own Worrier comes in. A lot of bands self describe themselves as “a little bit of everything.” With Worrier, you could actually make a pretty strong case towards that argument. By seamlessly blending steady drum beats, technical bass lines, mathy guitar riffs, and well timed synth effects, you find yourself advance-rock band who may be having an identity crisis in all of the right ways.

Also on the bill is Milwaukee indie band Animals In Human Attire. We love the guys in this band as they are a part of some other great projects here in Milwaukee. But these guys constantly strive to put a mark in this local scene. I can only expect that to be shown in full effect when they play Club Anything on Wednesday.

So don’t miss it! The show is only $5 and you can drink all you want house tap beer for another $5! Please join us, let us know that you want us to continue to do these types of shows. As always, you can RSVP for this event and you’ll be entered to win free entry as well as free drinks all night. Put on your dancing shoes, bring some singles to tip your bartender, and make arrangements for a safe ride home as we will be getting silly that night. The show starts at 9:00pm; don’t be late!

Soda Snobs for Sprecher

Craft beer culture is expanding. Microbreweries and national brands alike are creating greater varieties than ever before, and consumers, in response, are more hesitant to wash their cultured palettes with “just any old beer.” But what about soft drinks?

Most grown-ups carry on drinking adult beverages with absolutely no knowledge of the secret world of underground soda snobbery. Oh yes; we are all around you. We have been lurking in the shadows, waiting for our opportunity to show the world that Dr. Thunder does NOT “taste just like” Dr. Pepper.

This is the basis of our firm friendship with the fine folks at Sprecher. If you watched our totally professional, artistically motivated brewery tour documentary, you already know that Sprecher has several soda flavors, including some brand new additions. Of course, none are so celebrated as their original root beer—and for good reason. It is acute, full of texture and more subtle than other sugar-filled substitutes.

Sprecher’s reliance on flavor mastery rather than overt sweetness carries over to the new members of their soda family. Their ginger ale hasn’t gone the way of other modern 7-Up clones, and takes instead to a bolder, sharp taste.  Likewise, Gorilla Grape smacks of actual concord grape with gentle, yet thoroughly crisp carbonation.

All these new blends and more are available at your local watering hole, but feel free to cut out the middle man and marvel at the craftsmen at work in the Sprecher Brewery.  Soda snobs, fizzy freaks and carbonation junkies unite!

(Source: Do414.com)

Chicago Nine Piece Coming to Café Lulu

There are a lot of things I hate about the city of Chicago: F.I.B.S, Cubs fans, tolls, my ex-girlfriend, etc. But one thing I don’t hate about the Windy City is their music scene. They have pumped out some pretty amazing national bands over the years and a lot of it stems from a strong local music scene. A fine example of this powerful music scene is Elephant Gun, who will be gracing Milwaukee with their presence on Saturday night (5/12) at Café Lulu.

Comprising of nine members, this nonet has a sound that shows the strength of each individual member. Paying close attention to arrangement, this band has perfected their elaborate sound without sounding cluttered. Horns, violins, keys, guitar, and heavy drums are all blended together with attention to their individual craft. Every thing you hear is supposed to be there and it never once sounds like too much is going on. They have a sound that allows each member to express themselves individually and mesh seamlessly as a band.

Joining them on the bill is Milwaukee’s own Liar’s Trial. You may remember them from our very first all you can drink show at Riverwest Public House. They put on a great show then and they have promised to do it again on Saturday. If you missed that show, don’t worry! Just be ready for a fun way to kick off the show with Milwaukee’s best country – punk act.

Join Do414 in welcoming Chicago’s Elephant Gun to Café Lulu on Saturday night. Entry is only $5 and the show doesn’t start until 10:30. But we’ll be there early enjoying a couple of drinks and so should you! If you RSVP on the Do414 page, you’ll be entered to win free entry for you and a friend.

Do414 Presents @ Stonefly Friday 5.11

Michelle Lindeman, do414_michelle

Stonefly Brewing Company is a constant source of award winning brews, delicious food, and excellent entertainment. This Friday May 11th is no exception, Do414.com is bringing you another wicked good $5 show at 9:00 p.m. Hustle down to see Snowbirds, Myles Coyne and the Rusty Nickel Band, and Big Falls.

Snowbirds embraces alternative country headfirst, with a decidedly pop flavor. Walking a line with The Wallflowers and The Jayhawks, their self-titled debut album released last year has left hungry fans wanting more. Listen here.

Indie-folk group Myles Coyne and the Rusty Nickel Band is an ever-changing lineup of talented musicians, with front man Myles Coyne at the helm. Clearly influenced by Bob Dylan and Sufjan Stevens, their exciting stage presence and often unique subject matter makes the Rusty Nickel Band a can’t-miss. Listen here.

Big Falls perfectly rounds out this trio of performers with a harmonious set, featuring soulful lyrics and an atmospheric folk lilt. There’s a rumor going around that Big Falls has started recording a 6 track EP. As always, Do414 will keep you posted. Listen here.

RSVP here for a chance to win free entry on Friday for you and a friend!

Appalacian folk in the heart of Bay View

                                           **About the performers**

Dastardly

If you ever find yourself in any of the following situations, I recommend letting Dastardly provide the soundtrack:

*On a freight train headed westbound while you’re sharing whiskey with a man named Toothless Joe*

*Swimming down a river with a black Labrador swimming close behind you*

*Driving a pick-up truck through the Appalachian mountains*

If you haven’t guessed it yet, Chicago’s Dastardly make old-time western folk music, but here’s the kicker: The lead vocalist, Gabe Liebowitz, is one hell of a crooner. In fact, he can croon with the best of the crooners: Morrissey, Robert Smith, even Frank Sinatra. I once saw Gabe bring a crowd close to tears with his solo rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” 


Kalispell

Like Dastardly, Kalispell is influenced by Appalachian folk, but on the opposite end of the spectrum. To break it down into a simple analogy:

Dastardly is to slamming whiskey, as Kalispell is to sipping moonshine. Does that make sense? What I’m trying to say is that kalispell’s music is music to think about your life to. It’s beautiful and it’s deep.


Jared Bartman

Jared Bartman plays music that sits on the thin line between folk and soul music. He strums his guitar like a bluesy folk player, but has the voice of a soul singer. Although his songs mainly consist of vocals and guitar, he keeps the arrangement complex enough to grab your attention and keep it.

Do414 Tastemaker Spotlight 3

Welcome to another Do414 TASTEMAKER SPOTLIGHT! Every month we check in on our great city’s entrepre-Do-ers to see what they have in store for MKE. We take a look at the month ahead and bring you interviews from the month’s featured promoters.

What does Battlecry do? Do you do more booking or are you more into promoting events?
Battlecry is an independent promoting company made up of music makers and enthusiasts creating unique shared experiences by connecting some of our favorite touring artists with Milwaukee’s best bands, clubs and rockers.

Who started Battlecry / how did you get involved?
It began as a group project headed by me (Brandon) and Keegan (Pavlik), stemming from the 2009 Cream City Music Festival that took place at Catalano Square in the 3rd Ward. A bunch of additional pals got together and planned that out and things kept rolling from there. Now, we’re whittled down to a team of four and planning a couple events/shows every month.Fellow show-goer buddies Erin Wolf and Amelinda Burich hopped on board to share their love of getting new bands into the ears and eyes of their friends and friends-to-be. After about a year and bursting at the seams, the Lady Cannon offered her talents and energies to help grow Battlecry.  

What sorts of events do you specialize in?
We like to bring in musicians that we all agree are great and hope that by promoting and sparking interest, people will come out, have an experience that is great and come back for another one.

We aim to put on fun shows that we would personally like to go to.

To your mind, what does Battlecry represent to its community and to Milwaukee at large? What do you stand for?
We’re hoping to leave people with the good feelings and memories of seeing a really solid show at a mid-sized venue.We are lucky enough to have the opportunity to host a pretty expansive selection of National bands in Milwaukee. While we love our city, it is a tougher market to get a good draw and we are often pigeon-holed into off nights. This forces us to stick to our guns and only bring in our very favorite acts that we know will resonate just as much with our community as they do with us. The benefit to this is we’ll occasionally book an act we love months in advance, and by show date the band has a big blog buzz and a larger audience can experience some of our cities’ best underground acts as openers. 

Malacara, Wolf, Amelinda and Cannon… how did you all get such interesting names!?
“It’s my last name. Not very interesting, but absolutely true.” (Wolf)
“My mom made it up.” (Amelinda)
And, my last name is said to come from an ancestral Spanish pirate. (Malacara)

How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if indeed that wood chuck decided to chuck wood as he understood it?
Enough.

• 5.02 - Battlecry Presents Sleepy Sun w/ Castle Thunder & Moss Folk @ Cactus Club
• 5.03 - Do414 Presents Kalispell, Dastardly and Jared Bartman @ Tonic Tavern
• 5.11 - Do414 Presents: Snowbirds, Myles Coyne and The Rusty Nickel Band, and Big Falls @ Stonefly Brewing Company
• 5.12 - Milwaukee Beatdown Fest @ The Miramar Theatre
• 5.23 - Do414 Free Beer Promo Party for JIGGA STARDUST @ Crisp
• 5.26 - Kane Place Record Club, The Gazzetiers, Bassel and The Supernaturals @ Mad Planet  
• 6.03 - Thrice (final tour), Animals as Leaders and O’Brother @ The Rave

As evidenced by the list above, there is just a lot of cool shit to do in Milwaukee.  And it is all thanks to people like Battlecry’s Brandon Malacara who are getting it done on the front lines. 

Stay tuned for next month’s TASTEMAKER SPOTLIGHT.

And, as always, keep on Doin’ that 414!

Man, I Rode that Bomb to the Dance Floor

by CJ Kaegi

There are few things in today’s inflated economy that are still a dollar. Hell, you’ll struggle to find something for a dollar at a dollar store! This makes Crisp’s dedication to your wallet almost as laudable as their dedication to serving excellent booze.

I was charged with the “task” of visiting the Brady Street-based pizza bar last Wednesday night, when they offered one of the best hump-day drink specials in Milwaukee. You see, the fourth day of every week is Get Bombed Wednesday at Crisp, and, well, when in Rome…

With only five dollars (tip included), I drank three cherry bombs and a Point beer in ten minutes. Shortly thereafter, I took to their dance floor, for which Daniel Naked provided music, and proceeded to make a fool of myself. Oh, the sacrifices I make for Do414.

Don’t worry about getting too drunk as Crisp is a PIZZA bar and you can order by the slice! So the next Wednesday you and your wallet are hungry for good times, eats and dance, stop by Crisp and have some fun!

PS. Do414 and Crisp have an obligation to you, Milwaukee. We want you to get drunk every Friday and Saturday. That is why Crisp provides us with weekly booze party giveaways to liberate the sober masses. We’re talking a choice of ten pitchers of beer or several vodka towers. (Yes, vodka towers!)

Waco Brothers & Hugh Bob and the Hustle at Cactus Club

by Michelle Lindeman, @do414_michelle

It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that the weather’s been a bit unpredictable these past few weeks. I’m an aspiring meteorologist, so here’s how to prepare for tomorrow night:

Step one: Eat a snack, everything’s better with a snack.
Step two: Deodorize your jean jacket, the more safety-pinned patches, the better.
Step three: Knock the dust off those rockin’ cowboy boots.
Step four: Wear a Stetson, Stetsons are cool.
Step five: Go to Do414.com and RSVP to win a pair of tickets to Waco Brothers & Hugh Bob and the Hustle tomorrow night, 10:00 p.m. at Cactus Club!

The Waco Brothers are storied to bring down the house everywhere they go with a unique blend of punk/rock-and-roll, featuring strong composition and a healthy dose of dark humor. One listen, and you’ll feel like you’ve been part of their following for years. Grab a beer and get ready to discover your new favorite drinking song.

They’ve got button-downs, they’ve got suspenders, they’ve got moustaches! I’m sold. Hugh Bob and the Hustle is Milwaukee’s very own brand of self-described “North Country”, delivering sounds you’d expect straight out of Nashville. Primarily made up of members from Wildbirds, they recently toured with Nikki Lane and even did a little collaborating this past February at Hotel Foster. Their debut album is anticipated this spring, and we can’t wait to take a listen.

Purchase your tickets for Waco Brothers & Hugh Bob and the Hustle here, don’t forget to RSVP to win from Do414!

Upcoming Shows:

Waco Brothers 

Fri. 5.25 at 8:30 p.m. - Beat Kitchen w/The Riptones

Hugh Bob and the Hustle

Sat. 7.28 at 9:00 p.m. - Summer Concert Cruise Series