For Bradley Burns, spinning records is as much of a visual experience as it is an audio one. The Bay View artist is an avid creator of recycled toy sculptures - what he calls "mutants with an attitude" - and although he's sold them for years, these days they tag along with Burns to his DJ gigs.
Burns -- and his mutants -- will spin 78s on his Hamilton Mighty 920 portable sound system a couple of Sunday nights a month at Sven's Café, 2699 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
The next gig is Sun., Feb. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event is free.
An independent artist who sells his work at art shows and craft fairs (including Milwaukee's DIY extravaganza, Art vs. Craft), Burns owned an East Side retail business in the '90s called "Saved By The Light." Today, he operates a small production company called Dustbin Records, and works as a "Hawaiian DJ" who spins "swing island style" for weddings and private parties.
"I'll bring out the paradise feeling in your event," he says.
He collects vintage 78s, finding them at flea markets and rummage sales for less than a dollar each. He says he prefers the sound of these oldies, and spins everything from Ella Fitzgerald to country classics.
"78s have a very warm sound," says Burns. "Nothing sounds like them; with all of their beautiful pops and scratches."
Sven's, which opened in 2004, is a cozy, non-smoking café serving homemade soups, sandwiches, paninis and coffee drinks.
For more information, call Bradley Burns at (877) 582-5990.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
