Interviews I Led Things I Wrote

Things I Wrote

Milwaukee Magazine •

Milwaukee Music Notes: Natalie Sue & The Steed Is a Band Becoming

Songs of Experience took flight like fireflies at the Cactus Club on an August evening, delivered by Derek Pritzl, Valley Fox and headliners Natalie Sue & The Steed. I can think of many ways to begin the end of a summer marred by a rising dew point, 1,000-year flooding and unkindly chaos, but none better than warming my spirit to pedal steel and tight harmonies among a packed crowd blessed to believe that summer continues.Taking the stage alone with an acoustic guitar, Derek Pritzl, from Valders...
Milwaukee Magazine •

44 Years of ‘Frontier Radio’: Four Stories from WMSE’s Early Days

I embarked on a project to record the stories of the DJs from the early years of WMSE. Interviewing four DJs on the frontier of free-form radio in Milwaukee was an illuminating experience; they reminded me of the incredible power music has on our community and led me to many new explorations in sound. Ultimately, I hope to interview many more of WMSE’s foundational voices, preserving their histories for future freaks of “Frontier Radio.”
WMSE - 91.7FM •

DAIISTAR & L.A. Witch - Shank Hall - April 30

Maybe I’ve spent too long bathed in the red light of the Roadhouse, succumbing to the incredible bands David Lynch chose to amplify loose ends at the conclusion of each Season 3 episode, but boy do I wish he could conjure a Season 4 and let L.A. Witch do their thing as the credits roll on another inexplicably sonic and sensual experience.

Speaking of sonic sensuality, L.A. Witch guided the Shank Hall crowd, supplying sorcery with songs that feel like they’ve been to sea, bending us to hypnotic planks we’d walk at the swoon of their gorgeous sound. You can only lose yourself to so many guitars and lead vocalist/guitarist Sade Sanchez slays strings that’ll have you looking for a mirror that remembers your face.
WMSE - 91.7FM •

SMOKE N' MIRRORS @ UPTOWNER: A Concert Review

"Shutdown at the Uptowner" Alright, let’s get right to it: the Uptowner got shut down by two baby faced cops at 8:40 p.m. before SMOKE N’ MIRRORS could begin their second set, which would’ve been tight n’ blazing, based upon the first set we saw Thursday night. The drummer was tight as tight can be, tastily filing whenever space gasped with satisfaction from the sweet sax and organ foundation. We’ll get back to Milwaukee’s finest in a moment, but first, about the police: a noise complaint surfaced from across the street,...
Milwaukee Record •

Hey MPS: More Montessori, please: An Essay

In these critical four years of adolescence, our children are forced to sit still, raise their hand to request permission to use the restroom, be silent, and keep their eyes on the teacher. How does the leadership style of Command and Control prepare our teens for living their future lives? My hope is that MPS schools adopt Montessori as their curriculum and do it soon. Command and Control serves no child, only the adults who command.
Milwaukee Magazine •

Young Rockers from 7 Countries Communed at The Rave for School of Rock Showcase

As rain slipped steadily from the summer sky, I prepared to venture indoors to experience Milwaukee’s School of Rock Shorewood shred through two classics. I’ve been going to The Rave since the ‘90s and I’ve seen Weezer, The Flaming Lips and Bad Religion in this hallowed, some say haunted, hall. On Wednesday, June 18th, teens worldwide took the stage and rocked every bit as loud as the legends who preceded them. 
Sure, they may have been shorter in height and experience than Rivers Cuomo, but the...

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