Rock for the Ride

Words by Erin Wolf

As a musician, imagine picking up a guitar or sitting behind a drum kit and not being able to play or hit in rhythm, no matter how much prior practice. The central nervous system plays an important part in music that most musicians don’t even give a second thought to. Take away basic nervous system functionality, and undoubtedly, it would be the forefront of thought. For several locals, it already is.

Benefit shows are nothing new, but the cause behind each one is what counts. This Friday, four local bands, steered by local musician and event organizer Stephanie Swinney, are taking the stage to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis, which devastates the nervous systems of thousands of people, musicians and non-musicians, alike. To raise awareness, in addition to the annual cycling ride, the MS 150, Swinney started organizing shows to garner additional funds. Swinney’s own personal experience with the disease fueled her passion for the cause, her own enthusiasm helping the event to become a growing success. Swinney gives Fan-belt the details of this year’s event, which features music by local pop-punk and pop-rock bands Molitor, The Hussy, Jail and Bored Games.

TGIT: Our Weekend Picks!

photo of the Pulltops courtesy of MySpace

Thursday, April 30th – Sunday, May 3rd

International Pop Overthrow Festival: Linneman’s (1001 E. Locust), 8 p.m. (Thursday-Saturday), 3 p.m. (Sunday)

Nope. This isn’t a four-day stint of bands covering Material Issue’s  1991 album of the same name: The International Pop Overthrow Festival is a four-day pop festival that started eleven years ago in Los Angeles, and has since crept Midwest-wards. Other IPO festivals are being held in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Cleveland and even Liverpool, England. Milwaukee’s version hits this weekend as Linneman’s plays host to some of Milwaukee’s finest procurers of major chords jammed into a less than five-minute time slot: Bored Games, the Pulltops, Heathrow, the Reckless Hearts, the Nice Outfit, the International Date Lines, Jetty Boys and Certain Stars are just a few of the bands that will be taking the stage.

 

image courtesy of Google

 Friday, May 1st – Sunday, May 3rd

Okka Disc 15th Anniversary Celebration: The Sugar Maple (441 E. Lincoln), various times

The best in avant garde music and free-form jazz will be filling the cavernous space of Milwaukee’s premiere spot for craft beer, the Sugar Maple this weekend. Owner of the Sugar Maple, Bruno Johnson, prior to feeding Milwaukee’s appetite craft beer has fed Milwaukee’s growing appetite for music cerebrally akin to a Rubik’s Cube through his Okka Disc label. Okka Disc, throughout its fifteen year existence, has put forth music by Peter Brotzmann, Ken Vandermark and Joe McPhee. See these avant gard-ists and more: Jeb Bishop, Tim Daisy, the Engines, Survival Unit III and Collections of Colonies of Bees will all be playing throughout the weekend, with a special Saturday afternoon set at Johnson’s additional, more intimate establishment, The Palm Tavern (2989 S. Kinnickinnic).

image courtesy of MySpace

Friday, May 1st

E=MC Hammer + Zebras, ifIHadAHifi, All Tiny Creatures, Dear Astronaut @ The Borg Ward (823 W. National), 6:30 p.m.

Celebrate, because Madison’s Zebras and Milwaukee’s E=MC Hammer are releasing a split this Friday. Anyone with a penchant to shake off some excess energy should take to this show like a thirteen year old to a paintball gun. Zebra’s high energy riffage  and shouts is Pretty Girls Makes Graves’, tougher, more cracked-out older sister and the drums and bass duo of E=MC Hammer (Peter Woods and Danny Friedman) is loud, crunchy, abrasive and carnival-esque headbanging at its finest. Also playing: ifIHadAHifi, All Tiny Creatures and Dear Astronaut.

TGIT: Our Weekend Picks!

Photo of Eric Blowtorch and the Welders courtesy of MySpace

Thursday, March 26th

Eric Blowtorch and the Welders + the Chalice in the Palace DJs, Public Property @ the Miramar Theater (2844 N. Oakland Avenue), 8 p.m.

According to The Beat magazine, “Public Property has a sound that is full-tilt reggae even though they don’t try to sing in fake patois and write original material that actually sounds original. Lots of syncopated rhythm breaks, bursts of pure groove and passionate musical interludes, flesh out songs written by various band members.” The Iowa City group should be a good match-up for Milwaukee’s own Eric Blowtorch and the Welders, who will be featuring a new line-up to keep things sounding fresh and the audience on their toes.

 

Photo of This Specific Dream by J. Arpke

 Friday, March 27th

This Specific Dream + Thunders, John the Savage @ The Cactus Club (2496 S. Wentworth), 10 p.m.

This Specific Dream started out as an instrumental rock band in the early ’00s, but have since morphed into something more realized and focused than just a re-creation of a high school symphony ensemble. They now have the chops to sink into their gauzy guitars and layered rhythms which have always served as the focal point, creating dreamy soundscapes familiar to fans of Canadians, Godspeed, You Black Emperor and locals canyonsofstatic.

 

Photo of Streetzn YoungDeuces courtesy of MySpace

Streetzn YoungDeuces @ Club Rain (906 S. Barclay), 9 p.m.

With their hit single “Shawty So Strapped”, Milwaukee’s Streetzn YoungDeuces, rappers and cousins, have been putting the city on the map as far as local rap and hip hop goes. On their own co-founded EMP Entertainment, they’ve just released a mix tape, and finished up a stint with Crunk Energy Drink. In a recent interview with Yo! Raps, Young Deuces said, “…the city is behind us one hundred percent…we rep Milwaukee everywhere we go, always in a Mil hat or throwing up our ‘M’s’ for the city, so when they see us it’s love, because we show love back.”

 

Photo of Bored Games courtesy of MySpace

 M.O.T.O. + Bored Games, Tony Sagger, Pigs On Ice, All Creatures @ Frank’s Power Plant (2800 S. Kinnickinnic), 10 p.m.

“Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron” proclaims Bored Games‘ MySpace page as an indicator as to what to expect from the local pop four-piece if you’ve never heard of them, prior. Featuring members of Beach Patrol, Uh-Oh, Jambox and the now-defunct Lefty Loosie, the emphasis is heavy on the pop vocal harmonies and the catchy song composition that had pop bands in the sixties creating impromptu dance parties for people everywhere, anywhere.