{image1}It's not easy keeping this city beautiful, but someone's got to do it. The girls of Beauty have sure been doing their part, whether it was doing nails at Art Bar, or turning heads at MIFF's opening night ceremony at the Milwaukee Art Museum. The lovely ladies donned the classically elegant wares of local designer Shanel Regier as they strolled through the crowd. OK, so that isn't making any of us personally more attractive. But you have to admit that being in their presence kind of makes a girl want to put on some lipstick or something.
And then there are the style savvy individuals who need no help whatsoever from the fashion world. Old Man Malcolm stole the show at Onopa on Friday night, but this time, it wasn't just his music that got our attention. He had the privilege of announcing that LL Cool J's canceled show was to be replaced by none other than A Tribe Called Quest. What!!??
Despite last-minute notice, and questionable acoustics, more than a few Milwaukee music lovers made their way to The Rave in hopes of finding out how something so big seemed to happen over night? Among the curious was Bill Kern, lead singer and guitarist for the city's own rock outfit, Across the Rubicon. Who is that, you ask? "We're probably best described as what would happen if the Foo Fighters and Elvis Costello had a baby," says Kern. If that sounds appealing, you're in luck. The guys are releasing a self-titled EP next month and are set to open for Muse at The Rave on Nov. 14.
One of Kern's early music projects, Gwen, (go way, way back for that one) included the talented stylings of guitarist Dylan Jones. Although he now resides in Chicago, Jones is still a semi-regular fixture in the Milwaukee music scene. You may have seen him with Black Elephant, or perhaps you've caught him jamming with Growing Nation. If you were at RC's Jazz Orgy on Friday, you definitely saw him performing as one third of The Burnt Trio, a band as spontaneous and unpredictable as the jazz they played. Hearing that the originally scheduled act canceled, Jones hooked up with friend and bassist Tim Williams and drummer Maurice Lydell on a whim to fill in. What resulted was a three-hour improv session that was so impressive, there's rumor that the guys will collaborate again in the near future.
It was a performance not to be missed, but even if you did, there's hope for you yet. Soon you'll have Internet access to everything that happened at all of the film festival events thanks to Establishment Productions' Howie Goldklang and his collaborator, Trey Kirchoff. The two teamed up in a gracious effort to document this year's festival in its entirety. Stay tuned for more info on their soon-to-be launched Web site that will take you on a visually creative journey down MIFF memory lane.
So, Goldklang has rightfully made a name for himself as Milwaukee's man with the plan for video and film production, but who's this Trey guy? Let me introduce him as a talented entrepreneur with his morals in check, who is trying to get his T-shirt label, Xanadu, off the ground. If you've ever needed a reason to feel good about the clothes you buy, this is it. All the designs are created by local artists, and then screen printed onto American Apparel tees. At only $15 a pop, you wonder how he does it? "I'm not profit driven," he says. "I'm art driven." In the spirit of supporting Brew Town talent, be sure to check out his stuff at UPROC skate shop in Riverwest.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
