Music - July 30, 2009
Battle judging was no easy task
Judging Milwaukee Downtown's Battle of the Bands at River Rhythms in Pere Marquette Park Wednesday night wasn't as easy as I expected. That's because while I was primed for a slate of cover bands, instead I got a slate of bands working primarily on their own music.
Tags: Milwaukee Downtown, Banshee Music, Kevin Brandt, River Rhythms, Westown Association, Signalfire, Eric McKinney, Melissa Czarnik, Katz Sass, Honky Tonk-itis, Jeff Horrigan

Music - July 21, 2009
Bands, let's get ready to ruuummble!
Kevin Brandt asked me to join him and Banshee Music's Jeff Horrigan in judging the fourth annual Downtown Battle of the Bands hosted by Westown Association at Pere Marquette Park. The event, on Wednesday, July 29 from 5 to 9 p.m., takes place during River Rhythms and is part of Downtown Employee Appreciation Week.
Tags: Westown, River Rhythms, Downtown Battle of the Bands, Banshee Music, Jeff Horrigan, Kevin Brandt

Music - Dec. 22, 2008
Gig round-up: Testa Rosa re-gifts great songs at Shank
Milwaukee's Testa Rosa released one of the best records in Milwaukee in 2007, but were sadly silent in '08, aside from playing some gigs. But as the trio prepares to rock the house on Boxing Day at Shank Hall, we decided to talk to Damien Strigens about what Testa Rosa is up to these days and what folks can expect on Friday, Dec. 26 at the OnMilwaukee.com Regifting Extravaganza.
Tags: Shank Hall, Testa Rosa, Damien Strigens, Cake, Riverside, Cactus Club, The Rave, Copper Box, Hunger Task Force, Kevin Brandt, John Sieger, Subcontinentals, Guido's Racecar, Oh My God, White Tie Affair, Crystal Method, Rusted Root, Stellar Spark VI, The Ne

Bars & Clubs - Nov. 26, 2008
The most wonderful night of the year (for a cocktail)
The discussion cropped up in the editorial office the other day and we thought it would make a good discussion for Thanksgiving Eve. What is your favorite night of the year to enjoy a social drink? Is it tonight, which has a "reunion" vibe? Is it New Year's Eve, St. Patrick's Day or Opening Day, which have a "see how long you can stand" vibe? Is it Halloween, which has an "incognito" vibe? Or, is it another night that strikes your fancy?
Tags: thanksgiving eve, best drinking day, opening day, st. patrick's day, kevin brandt, new year's eve, halloween

Summerfest Guide - July 6, 2008
Do Summerfest nooners lead to deep relationships?
For the bands that never make the cut at the Big Gig, there is griping and dissatisfaction. From the ones that do, however, sometimes there is still griping. That's because not every gig at Summerfest is at 10 p.m. on the Miller Lite Oasis or at 7:30 p.m. in the Amphitheater.
Tags: Wooldridge, Summerfest, Kevin Brandt, Vic Thomas