Winter wasteland: 6 things to look forward to during Milwaukee’s hibernation
What to do when you're sick of drinking by yourself at home in early 2010
Peter J. Preston
Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar, taking "On The Road" on the road.
Milwaukee is a great place to live for nine and a half months out of the year. We have beautiful parks, fun and plentiful festivals, and the nicest people in the world. Unfortunately, those other two and a half months of living in Milwaukee can be downright miserable are presently staring us down in our cold, frostbitten faces. Not only is it too frigid for all but the most masochistic among us to spend time outside, but the entertainment options have frozen up as well. But before you put a whiskey bottle and shotgun in your mouth, keep in mind that there are still things to look forward to in January, February, and March. Here are six reasons to circle the calendar in early 2010.
The Rural Alberta Advantage: Jan. 14, Mad Planet
Why it’s worth looking forward to: The Rural Alberta Advantage is, as its name suggests, from Canada, but its music isn’t as plain or cocky as it might suggest. Rather, the Toronto trio weaves sleepy and spare melodies against ornate percussion, pairing a sighing organ with knee-weakening strings. Oh, and it’s also a great live band, as last summer’s show at Cactus Club attested.
Tide you over: Check out the band’s 2008 debut Hometowns—it sounds a bit like a more pop-friendly White Stripes record.
Anthony Bourdain: Jan. 22, Riverside Theater
Why it’s worth looking forward to: “Bad boy” and “world-renowned French chef” aren’t two descriptions usually seen together, but then again, Anthony Bourdain isn’t your typical food designer. The Kitchen Confidential: Adventures In The Culinary Underbelly author is known for smoking like a chimney, drinking like a fish, and swearing like a sailor, and he’s also more than willing to talk about his past affairs with heroin and coke. Bourdain’s rock-star allure might explain why he can fill a theater like the Riverside despite being just a guy talking about food onstage.
Tide you over: Bourdain’s TV show No Reservations airs on Travel Channel at 9 p.m. on Mondays.
Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar: Jan. 30, Turner Hall
Why it’s worth looking forward to: While recording music for an upcoming Jack Kerouac documentary, One Fast Move Or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur, Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) and Jay Farrar (Son Volt) met and thought, "Hey, let's record an album together with lyrics inspired by Kerouac's 1962 novel Big Sur. It sounds like a novelty project, but Gibbard and Farrar manage to wrangle sweet melodies and punchy harmonies out of the dense source material.
Tide you over: You can order the CD and DVD for $19.99 at onefastmove.com.
The Magnetic Fields: March 4, Pabst Theater
Why it’s worth looking forward to: So dour he’s charming (when not, like, adolescently dour), Magnetic Fields mastermind Stephin Merritt has evolved into one of the best songwriters to be rhyming and coupling since the days when stately men did so in cravats. However indie-rock his sound, Merritt’s antecedents really are the likes of Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.
Tide you over: The Magnetic Fields’ latest album, Realism, drops Jan. 26.
Kevin Smith: March 12, Pabst Theater
Why it’s worth looking forward to: Kevin Smith has made a lot of different stuff in his day. Movies, comic books, and podcasts keep him busy—and that’s not even covering his Twitter, his New Jersey comic book shop, and his two books of essays, among other sundry pursuits. All of which is to say that Kevin Smith has a lot to talk about, which bodes well for an event that’s pretty much just him, a questioner, and a microphone.
Tide you over: Smith has released several live DVDs, including 2008’s Sold Out: A Threevening With Kevin Smith
Flogging Molly: March 12, The Rave/Eagles Ballroom
Why it’s worth looking forward to: St. Patrick’s Day is not only one of the holidays of the winter, it’s practically a beacon signaling that spring is near. So there’s a little something extra to be jazzed about for this show. Los Angeles’ Flogging Molly has managed to strike a near-perfect balance of punk rock and traditional Irish music on discs like 2002's Drunken Lullabies and 2004’s Within A Mile Of Home, with tin whistles and fiddles fighting to be heard over crashing guitars.
Tide you over: Pick up a case of Guinness and Flogging Molly’s 2008 effort Float, and you have the next best thing to March 17.
