Our friends at Bella's Fat Cat (www.bellascustard.com)  and Maxie's Southern Comfort (www.maxies.com)  are serving two menu items just for WMSE!

The Slamburger is Bella's "Burger of the Month" and Catfish Creole is Maxie's featured item for September

 

A portion of the proceeds from each Slamburger and Catfish Creole sold throughout the month of September will benefit WMSE so stop in and try both today!

Visit WMSE.ORG for complete details.

 

Eat!

A quick shout out and hearty thanks to The Onion for the wonderful coverage of MSE Fest. If you haven't yet, go pick up this week's Onion! Here's a clip from the write-up:

Yes, today is the Earth's birthday, and WMSE could not be more proud to reside on what we feel is the greatest planet in the entire universe! Some say you're 4.55 billion years-old today, Earth, but we both know you're really only 3,999,999,999... again! [Wink!]

At WMSE, we're doing our part to save Earth from catastrophic climate change by providing a diverse schedule of excellent, commercial-free music to the greatest city on the greatest planet every minute of every day (except for when birds attack our transmitter tower).


Okay, we actually are doing something Earth-friendly around here. For the Spring Membership Drive, our new WMSE t-shirts are 100% organic (and designed by Milwaukee artist Dwellephant, who is 100% biodegradable)! Additionally, anyone who fulfills their pledge over the course of the Drive will be automatically entered to win a Specialized Hardrock XC mountain bike, courtesy of Ben's Cycle & Fitness.And as we all know, bicycles prevent asteroids from colliding with the Earth, rendering the human race extinct.Thanks, Ben's!

Which is all to say, the 2008 WMSE Spring Membership Drive kicks off at noon on Wednesday, April 23rd (tomorrow, for most of our readers). Thanks to your pre-Drive donations, we have a great head-start going into tomorrow. And remember, anyone who donates to the station before things kick off at noon will be entered to win a pair of tickets to each WMSE-sponsored show at Turner Hall Ballroom in May: The Dirtbombs, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Avett Brothers, Tiger Army, and Thee Silver Mt Zion.



Tune in and pledge your support for this great radio station. You don't want us to fall victim to the fabled rock-star-death-age of 27 now, do you?

Thanks, fellow Earthlings.



WMSE.

8:23 PM 

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This is a huge thanks to the 1800+ who attended the 6th Annual Rockabilly Chili Contest! Every dip of a ladle and pour of a cold beverage helped the station, until we found ourselves having raised more than $26,000. No, seriously, we triple-checked it.

Needless to say, this was our all-time most successful fundraising event by a lot, but we're happy above all else that everybody had such an incredible time at the Kern Center. And without further ado, your winners, as voted by the people: For Best Meat Chili, the Old German Beer Hall took first prize, and Nessun Dorma was the runner-up. The Annona Bistro won for Best Vegetarian Chili, followed by Brewed. In the Best Heat category, Koppa's Fulbeli Deli edged Flannery's, and the Great Northern BBQ Co was voted Best Table Display over Brewed.

Thank you all for being there, and to our sponsors: Milwaukee Ale House, The Onion, and Clark Graphics.

What do you want us to say here? WMSE's 6th Annual Rockabilly Chili Contest takes place this Sunday, March 2nd, from 11AM until 4PM at a huge new location, the Kern Center, 1245 N Broadway, on the campus of MSOE. Ryan and Jason have lined up 42 area restaurants/cafés/taverns to dish out 50 chili recipes to anyone with a little red ticket.

It's $5 to get in, it's $1 per 2oz serving of chili, and while all of the money benefits WMSE, we do this one because it's the most fun we have all year. Free parking in the streets and MSOE lots will make things stress-free. WMSE DJ's Jonny Z of the Chickenshack and Dietrich of Saturday Morning Car Tunes will be providing music throughout the day, and Milwaukee Ale House will supply the beer. Thanks to them, and to The Onion and Clark Graphics for their sponsorship.

So if you haven't already devised a fool-proof scientific method for calculating what constitutes the best chili, now's the time. Why? Because those 42 area restaurants/cafés/taverns are trying to out-do each other for the titles of Best Meat Chili, Best Vegetarian Chili (there will 17 of those), Best Heat, and Best Table Presentation. And those awards are determined by you! So get to training like this is Rocky IV and Sunday you're eating chili to beat the Soviets. Because you are. Don't ask how, you just are.

Friends,

So, running a full-service public radio station 24/7/366 is enough to keep us pretty busy… But every once in a while, our Station Manager decides maybe the staff is – I don't know – maybe spending a little bit too much time putting together Kinder Egg toys and setting up online identities for a rubber monkey? Yeah, maybe like that. So Crawford comes up with a pretty ridiculous new idea to make sure we stay on our toes and earn the right to keep that msoe.edu email account. That's how come you got the Rockabilly Chili Contest, the Food Slam, Local/Live… and now this:

- Win a Piece of WMSE!
- John the Savage!
- Daniel Johnston!
- Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band? and Low!
- Free stuff!
- More!!!!


Win a Piece of WMSE!
We've heard it from our listeners a thousand times before: "Hey guys, I really enjoy listening to WMSE, but I can' quite shake the urge to, you know, walk into the station and see my name and face on the wall next to that red telephone. If I could, I don't know, compete for that right, and perhaps even support the station at the same time, it would be that much awesomer." Well, ignoring the facts that "awesomer" isn't a real word and that you should really speak with more confidence, we're happy to oblige.

This Wednesday at 6AM, you can "Win a Piece of WMSE"! "No, way" you say? "Way!" we say. Ryan has set up an eBay store featuring 15 WMSE-specific items ranging from the essential (the transmitter tower, the studio A microphone) to the underappreciated (the big yellow ladder, the on-air light) to the staff's inside jokes (Brent the Monkey, the Sh*t Shrine). The winner of each auction will be named the official sponsor of the bid-upon item for the next 366 days. That's a full leap-year! A sign will be lovingly mounted next to your piece, acknowledging that you care about us enough to go all e-Thunderdome on your fellow listeners over the right to sponsor an unreliable doorbell.

All you'll need is a free eBay account and a love of commercial-free music radio in Milwaukee. Check out the Auction page of wmse.org, and stay tuned to 91.7FM for more information.


John the Savage!
Our Recording Engineer, Billy, was getting a little too comfy with those guitar/bass/drum bands every Tuesday night at 8PM. While he more than earns his paycheck, it's fun to watch him sweat a little bit. So our sadistic Promotions Director booked John the Savage for tonight's edition of Local/Live. Consisting of current and former members of El Oso, Spransy & Kolb, Dangeresque, Moonfire Funeral, and others, the six-piece busts out guitars, an upright bass, drums, keyboards, a mandolin, a couple of accordions, a trumpet, a violin, oddball percussion, and a megaphone to complete their sound. Tune in to Local/Live for a full set from the band tonight (and to find out how brilliant Billy is), and then if you like what you hear, go see John the Savage live at Stonefly this Saturday with Clementine, Jackraasch, and Innocent Civilians.

Next Tuesday, don't miss the Desert Sound Ensemble.


Daniel Johnston!
Okay, as if this week weren't wild enough, WMSE also welcomes Daniel Johnston to town for a show at the Turner Hall Ballroom this Thursday. While we don't expect anything along the lines of that scene in The Devil and Daniel Johnston where Thurston Moore and Steve Shelly were driving around New Jersey looking for our hero, we do know that the evening is going to be special. This is an extremely rare appearance from the beloved genius singer-songwriter, and we hope you can make it out to see why over the course of 25 years he's gone from cult status to being covered by the likes of Beck, TV on the Radio, Tom Waits, the Flaming Lips, Bright Eyes, Death Cab For Cutie, and all of your other favorite artists. Tickets are available now at turnerhallballroom.org, or by calling 414 286-3663.


Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band? and Low!
Last time Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band played in Milwaukee, the show sold out, so be sure to get your tickets as soon as possible for their just-announced, WMSE-sponsored all-ages show at the Turner Hall Ballroom on Friday, May 30th. If you're one of those Pabst/Riverside/Turner e-members, you can pick up your $14 tickets now, but the rest of the world can get theirs this Friday. Seeing as the band includes the core members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, tickets tend to go fast. And if you see us out and about and tell us how excited you are for that "Silver Mt Zion" show, we won't correct you. We'll probably even thank you. Time is money, after all.

On the other end of the band-name spectrum, WMSE-favorites Low are also coming back to town at the very same venue as Silver Mt Zion, for the very same price, with the very same on-sale details, but on the very different date of Friday, March 28th. We don't need to say much about the Duluth-based, Sub Pop-label band who has cornered the market on subtle, sadly beautiful "slowcore" music. And yes, we miss all of those "A Very Milky Christmas" shows here on the MSOE campus, too.

WMSE is just really happy to be sponsoring those events, and these:

Jackalope Lounj -
Miltown Beat Down 3 every Wednesday through March

Turner Hall Ballroom -
Daniel Johnston on February 7
Limbeck on February 22
The Black Lips on March 2
The Tossers on March 17
Low on March 28
The Avett Brothers on May 10
Thee Silver Mt Zion on May 30

Hotcakes Gallery -
Jack Grassel & Steve Nelson-Raney on February 8

Pabst Theater -
Carrie Rodriguez on February 15
Drive By Truckers on February 28
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks on March 20
Explosions in the Sky on March 30

MOCT -
The Source Magazine Party 2/Element's birthday on February 16

Stonefly -
Rusty P's CD release show on February 29

Kern Center -
6th Annual Rockabilly Chili Contest on March 2

Present Music -
Antigone from March 6-9
Present Music/Danceworks on April 25 & 26
Zoomusic on June 6

Alverno Presents -
Vijay Iyer Quartet on March 8
Babylon Circus on April 19


Free stuff!
Visit the "free stuff" section of wmse.org to learn how you can enter for a chance to win a copy of Play/Pause/Stop: A History of the Local Tape Culture at WMSE, our 3-CD set compiling 64 digitally re-mastered tracks of analog submissions to the radio station, most of which had not been heard since before we moved to the current Milwaukee Street location in June of 2000. WMSE will be giving away one set of "Play/Pause/Stop" to a lucky listener each week between now and our Anniversary on March 17th! Congratulations to Angela, who was selected as last week's winner.

And stay tuned to 91.7FM this week for your chance to win one of a few pairs of tickets to Tim Finn, Daniel Johnston, David Neumann, Grafton City Blues, Carrie Rodriguez, and Drive-By Truckers.


Community Co-op
WMSE continues its new underwriting option for small, local businesses with the WMSE Community Co-op, featuring Milwaukee's East Side throughout February. We thank this month's participants:

- Bull's Eye Records at 1627 E. Irving Place, just west of Farwell.
- Beans and Barley Deli, Market, and Cafe at North and Oakland.
- Yield: A bar located at 1932 E. Kenilworth Place, just off the corner of Prospect and Kenilworth.

Next month's featured neighborhood: Wauwatosa! Please contact Molly at (414) 277-2217 or tennesse@msoe.edu for more information.


All it takes to get your hands on a copy of the brand-new Live at WMSE Volume 9 is a donation of $20 to your favorite radio station. Pledge online to receive your copy today!


Thanks everyone for reading. Send any comments or questions to wmse@msoe.edu. Have a great week!

And you stay classy, Milwaukee.

With warmest regards,

WMSE.

Madam Speaker, Mister Vice President, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:

Even as we face threats from multi-national media conglomerates, unreasonable wind-chill factors, and the prospect of watching Tom Brady win another Super Bowl, the state of WMSE is strong.

(APPLAUSE)

On the homefront, we will continue to take every lawful and effective measure to protect the freedom of non-commercial music radio in Milwaukee. This is our solemn duty.

(APPLAUSE)

To build a prosperous future, we need to trust you to make wise decisions, including reading all about what's happening at the station this week:

- Live at WMSE Vol 9 is here!
- Local/Live is tonight!
- "Win a Piece of WMSE" is a week from tomorrow!
- Alessandro Bosetti is Friday!
- The events listing is next!
- More is best!


Live at WMSE Vol 9
Our brilliant Recording Engineer, Billy Cicerelli, has declared the brand new Live at WMSE disc to be the best yet, and we're having a hard time finding a reason to disagree. Billy has recorded, mixed, and mastered an outstanding compilation of some of the best on-air performances by blues artists, singer-songwriters, alt-country bands, and down-and-dirty rock 'n' rollers for this disc. Milwaukee-area acts are right there with touring artists who have stopped by the station, and they more than hold their own. Here's the newness:

1. The Wildbirds - Slowdown
2. The Stacks Edward Band - Playin' With My Heart
3. The Robert Allen Jr Trio - Lover
4. Paul Mark & the Van Dorens - Riverside Diner
5. The Buskers - Pride
6. The Heavyheads - Roll On Brother
7. The Greg Koch Trio w/ Roscoe Beck and John Calarco - Mrs Buckley
8. Paul Cebar & the Milwaukeeans - Her New Church
9. Knit Delicate - Abilene
10. Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles - Belle of the Bar
11. Mike Mangione - Waiting For No One
12. Hayward Williams - Song for Lou
13. Susan Cowsill - Believe it
14. The Bryan Cherry Band - Spiderweb

Not bad, huh? To get your hands on a copy, either stop by the station (820 N Milwaukee St) any weekday between 9AM and 6PM for instant gratification, or go online to have it mailed to the address of your choice. All it takes is a donation of $20 or more to pick up the latest and greatest thank-you gift we have to offer.


Local/Live
Tonight at 8PM, tune in for a blast from the past, as Woolton Parrish has reunited to play one single show this Saturday at Shank Hall to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The guys are treating our listeners to a preview on Local/Live, performing together for the first time in more than twelve years. The power-trio was one of the big draws in Milwaukee and Chicago throughout the late '80's and early '90's, releasing five records in their career. They were best known for their energetic live sets, though, so tune in tonight to check out one of the great alt-rock bands of WMSE's lifetime. If you like what you hear, head to the show this weekend and support a good cause.

On the February 5th edition of Local/Live, please for goodness sake do not miss John the Savage.


Win a Piece of WMSE
We made a big fuss about this unique way of supporting the station in last week's newsletter, and we'll do it again next week when you can actually start the bidding, but for now we wish to direct you to an actual "Win a Piece of WMSE" web page we built where all information is centrally located. Rather than the bullet-point listing you experienced last Tuesday, now you can see pictures of items integral to the operation of the radio station (and visual representations of a bunch of no-longer-inside jokes) along with eloquent descriptions guaranteed to make you angry over the fact that you'll have to wait until February 6th to begin bidding for the right to sponsor the aforementioned items. Click here and get angry.


Alessandro Bosetti
As always, we're pleased to help welcome a world-class musician to Milwaukee for a live concert in the intimate setting of Hotcakes Gallery. Alessandro Bosetti has decided to leave his home in Milan, Italy, for a concert in our infinitely more cosmopolitan city this Friday. Stop in and show your support for this brilliant composer and sound artist, and for Crouton Music, Jon Mueller's Milwaukee-based (and internationally-recognized) record label which released Mr Bosetti's 2007 album, Her Name. It all happens this Friday, February 1st, at 7PM. Tickets are just $8, and the show is open to all ages.


Upcoming events
We'll likely have a few new station-sponsored events listed in this space next week, but right now we just want to make sure you know that WMSE is presenting the record-release show for Milwaukee hip-hop mainstays Rusty P's on Leap Year Day, Friday, February 29th, at Stonefly. The group's fifth album, The Shape of Things to Come will be available for the first time that evening, and if it's anything like 2005's Rusty P's vs Milwaukee, we know you'll be thrilled with the product. The Crest and House of M will open things up on 2/29.

It's getting busy around here again, starting next week with Daniel Johnston (you might want to get your tickets for that one right now, by the way). Here's what's in store:

Jackalope Lounj –
Miltown Beat Down 3 every Wednesday through March

Turner Hall Ballroom –
Daniel Johnston on February 7
Limbeck on February 22
The Black Lips on March 2
The Tossers on March 17
The Avett Brothers on May 10

Hotcakes Gallery –
Jack Grassel & Steve Nelson-Raney on February 8

Pabst Theater –
Carrie Rodriguez on February 15
Drive By Truckers on February 28
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks on March 20
Explosions in the Sky on March 30

MOCT –
The Source Magazine Party 2/Element's birthday on February 16

Stonefly –
Rusty P's CD release show on February 29

Kern Center –
6th Annual Rockabilly Chili Contest on March 2

Present Music –
Antigone from March 6-9
Present Music/Danceworks on April 25 & 26
Zoomusic on June 6

Alverno Presents –
Vijay Iyer Quartet on March 8
Babylon Circus on April 19


Become a part of making great radio possible.
Pledge online today!


A final quick thank-you to everyone who attended Lady J's funeral last week Thursday. On behalf of Janet's family, we all appreciated your support on what was a very difficult day. Stay tuned to WMSE in the coming months as we nail down plans for a fitting musical tribute to our beloved friend.


Batten down the hatches,

WMSE.

Fellow music-lovers,

We hope you all had Wi-Fi installed in your snow-forts this morning, and are able to read the latest news from your favorite radio station. We're gearing up for some of our biggest events of the year, and looking forward to a couple months of great concerts right around the corner. Here's what's happening:

- Lady J funeral info.
- Local/Live guest info.
- Chili contest participants info.
- "Win a Piece of WMSE" info.
- Buzz welcomes a buddy info.
- Upcoming event info.


Lady J
We thank everyone for their tremendous outpouring of support and love in the past nine days following the passing of Janet Gering, known to you listeners as Lady J. We are touched by all of your phone calls and messages, and encourage you to share your memories of Janet with the rest of the WMSE community at a new website, ladyjtribute.net. Thanks to station alumnus Travis Detert for putting together this site.

On Thursday when Tom, Jules, Sonia, and Dewey paid tribute to Janet during her old Blues Drive time-slot, our request lines were filled for three hours by her fans. That meant a great deal to all of us, and the whole experience was very moving. It was a fitting tribute to someone we all love very much.

And many have asked, so the details for her funeral are as follows:

Visitation is Thursday, January 24th from 2:30-5:30PM, with a service to follow.
Waukesha Church & Chapel
380 Bluemound Road (Hwy J and Bluemound Road/Hwy JJ – 4 blocks South of I-94)
Call (262) 549-9100 for more information.

All are welcome to attend and pay their respects. Thank you.


Local/Live
If it's Tuesday, we must be welcoming another Milwaukee-area band into the studio for an on-air performance. This week's guest on Local/Live is Phalaphel, a five-piece band who cites influences ranging from My Morning Jacket to the Black Crowes, Danger Doom to Andrew Bird, Smashing Pumpkins to Stevie Wonder… You get the idea. Tune in tonight (and every Tuesday) at 8PM, and then go see them live at Shank Hall this Saturday at the "Kegger 4 Kevin" fundraiser. The band will be performing with The August and Pictures of Them to raise money for the Kevin M Anderson Memorial Mentorship Program. Next week on Local/Live: Woolton Parrish.


Rockabilly Chili Contest
You know how time can sometimes fly by, and things you thought happened last month were actually like three years ago? Well, the WMSE Rockabilly Chili Contest does not fall into that category. Anyone who has attended in the past knows that March 2nd cannot come fast enough, and we're seriously sick of waiting. Honestly? We want to do it tomorrow. We're ready. Ryan, Richard, and Jason have lined up an all-time record 42 restaurants serving up the completely unnecessarily huge total of 47 chili recipes (33 meat and 14 vegetarian). That breaks down to one pot of chili for almost every state in the union! (Sorry, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Delaware.)

To house the Nearly United States of Chili, we had to move to a bigger and better venue, the Kern Center on the MSOE campus. There will be more room than ever to roam, to mingle, and to eat. And eat. Aaaaaaaannnd eat. More details will be going up at wmse.org in the next few days, but just mark your calendars for March 2nd and know there will be plenty of free parking, the same low admission price and cheap chili tickets, and a beautiful new environment in which to enjoy hanging out with your fellow WMSE supporters. It's officially the biggest chili contest in town, and everyone who has been there before knows it's the best.


Win a Piece of WMSE Online Auction
Starting February 6th, you, the listener will have your chance to own WMSE! Well, sort of…

Announcing the "Win a Piece of WMSE Auction" where you, the listening public, will have the chance to sponsor the most important pieces of the station for an entire year. Your winning bid will earn you the opportunity to slap your name on a plaque attached to one of sixteen items like:

Auction Item 1: Main Studio "On-Air" Light
Auction Item 2: Entire Music Library and Live Room
Auction Item 3: The Conference Room Table
Auction Item 4: The Crappy Doorbell
Auction Item 5: "Big Mike" The Big Mic
Auction Item 6: The Transmitter Tower
Auction Item 7: Main DJ Mic in Studio A
Auction Item 8: Brent the Monkey Sitting On His Perch
Auction Item 9: The Aquarium Window Looking into Studio A
Auction Item 10: The Neon WMSE Light
Auction Item 11: The WMSE Kinder Egg Korner
Auction Item 12: Yellow Music Library Ladder
Auction Item 13: Red Bat Phone
Auction Item 14: The Sh*t Shrine
Auction Item 15: The WMSE Transmitter Shack (aka "Shack Sweet Shack")
Auction Item 16: "Pops" Krueger Framed Portrait

For the winning bid on any item, your name and picture will be posted next to it for 366 days for all station visitors to see.

The online eBay auction begins on Wednesday, February 6th! Stay tuned, and visit wmse.org in the coming days for additional information.


Buzz's Garage
Tune in to Buzz's Garage this Friday from noon-3PM, as your favorite DJ for all things punk welcomes Joey Edwards from Little Deputy Records out of Austin, TX. Joey will be spinning some music of his own, talking about what his label's been up to, and explaining what brings him to Milwaukee and WMSE.


Upcoming events
Allow us to take a minute to thank the more than 450 of you who braved the cold to check out The Walkmen and White Rabbits at Turner Hall on Friday. We had a blast with you, and the guys in the bands were thrilled with the crowd. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the WMSE table to say "hi" to Dori and Brent, and we'll look forward to meeting more new friends at many of these upcoming station-sponsored events:

Jackalope Jounj –
Miltown Beat Down 3 every Wednesday through March

Turner Hall Ballroom –
Daniel Johnston on February 7
Limbeck on February 22
The Black Lips on March 2
The Tossers on March 17
The Avett Brothers on May 10

Hotcakes Gallery –
Jack Grassel & Steve Nelson-Raney on February 8

Pabst Theater –
Carrie Rodriguez on February 15
Drive By Truckers on February 28
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks on March 20
Explosions in the Sky on March 30

MOCT –
The Source Magazine Party 2/Element's birthday on February 16

Kern Center –
6th Annual Rockabilly Chili Contest on March 2

Present Music –
Antigone from March 6-9
Present Music/Danceworks on April 25 & 26
Zoomusic on June 6

Alverno Presents –
Vijay Iyer Quartet on March 8
Babylon Circus on April 19


WMSE is listener supported radio. Without you, we couldn't be us. Contribute online today… HERE. Thank you!


Thanks as always for reading, dear friends. And yes, that was an obscure Suzanne Pleshette reference earlier in the newsletter. Have a great week, please.


Go Brewers,

WMSE.

It's a sad week at WMSE, but we'll continue to bring you the same great programming and community events, including these highlights:

- The Walkmen: Turner Hall Friday
- Conrad Plymouth: Local/Live tonight
- Avett Brothers and The Tossers: on their way
- Miltown Beatdown: Take 3


The Walkmen
This Friday, January 18th, WMSE welcomes The Walkmen back to Milwaukee for a live show at Turner Hall Ballroom. While the band consists of five guys from New York City, they would like for you to know that they fully support Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, who are up against the New York Giants on Sunday for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser took his life into his hands on Monday to call us from a crowded NYC subway station and declare the band's wishes for a Packer victory. Tune in throughout the week to hear that promotional spot, and then come see one of the best bands in the country on Friday, with one of those you'll-probably-regret-missing-them-before-they're-huge groups, White Rabbits, opening up the show at 8PM. Tickets are $12 in advance, and $14 a the door for this all-ages concert.


Local/Live
Conrad Plymouth has played with a number of bands over the years, including Deyaramond Edison, but currently performs around the state both as a solo artist and with a full band, which itself consists of some more familiar faces from our area's music scene. Tune in to this week's edition of Local/Live tonight at 8PM for an excellent set of folk/Americana in the tradition of Eric Bachman, Silver Jews, Smog, Neil Young, and M. Ward. Then see the full band live this Saturday, January 19th, at Mad Planet, 533 E Center Street, as they open for Wisconsin's own Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar) and Collections of Colonies of Bees. Next Tuesday on Local/Live: Phalaphel.


Upcoming events
Just announced, WMSE welcomes The Tossers to Turner Hall on Monday, March 17th. You heard right; the great Chicago Southside-based Celtic punk pub-rock band will be playing Milwaukee on St Patrick's Day. Pret-ty nuts, right? Well, just to throw some cashews into that mix, that day also marks WMSE's 27th Anniversary. (We hit the air on 3/17/81, because St Patrick, as it happens, is the patron saint of engineering. And, of course, WMSE is owned and operated by the Milwaukee School of Engineering.) Tickets go on sale this Friday at noon by calling 414 286-3663, or online at turnerhallballroom.org.

More newness: North Carolina's The Avett Brothers come to town on the heels of their 2007 Americana Music Awards for Duo/Group of the Year and New/Emerging Artist of the Year. The much-loved band takes to the – three guesses – right, the Turner Hall Ballroom stage on Saturday, May 10th at 8PM. Tickets for this one also go on sale this Friday at noon. The Avett Brothers, Carrie Rodriguez/Sarah Borges (February 15), and Drive-By Truckers (Feb 28) are all sponsored by Jonny Z's Friday morning Chickenshack program.

And we're thrilled to help present the third installment of the Miltown Beat Down, happening every Wednesday through March at the Jackalope Lounj, 343 N Broadway in the Third Ward. DJ Madhatter of Rusty P's welcomes some of the finest hip-hop producers in the area, who take to the Jackalope stage to "out bump" their opponents in a head-to-head battle, before accepting the challenge of the remix battle for Round 2. Preliminary rounds are underway, with the finals on Saturday, April 5th. A complete schedule is available at myspace.com/miltownbeatdown, and – sure enough – it's sponsored by WMSE.

And the rest:

Turner Hall Ballroom –
The Walkmen on January 18
Daniel Johnston on February 7
Limbeck on February 22
The Black Lips on March 2
The Tossers on March 17
The Avett Brothers on May 10

Hotcakes Gallery –
Jack Grassel & Steve Nelson-Raney on February 8

Pabst Theater –
Carrie Rodriguez on February 15
Drive By Truckers on February 28
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks on March 20
Explosions in the Sky on March 30

Kern Center –
6th Annual Rockabilly Chili Contest on March 2

Present Music –
Antigone from March 6-9
Present Music/Danceworks on April 25 & 26
Zoomusic on June 6

Alverno Presents –
Vijay Iyer Quartet on March 8
Babylon Circus on April 19


With so many reasons to support Frontier Radio this winter, perhaps the nicest one of them all is the warm fuzzy feeling you'll get inside. Support WMSE today! It's easy, so pledge right here!


Thanks again, everyone, for your love and support of our mission, and of our DJ's, especially Lady J.


Have a great week,

WMSE.

Dearest of readers,

The newsletter took a couple weeks off over the holidays, but we've been busy gearing up for 2008, which is in full swing startiiiiiing… NOW! Here's what's what:

- Indie rock gets jazzy.
- Present Music gets artsy.
- Daniel Johnston gets documented.
- Milwaukee gets Johnstoned and Malkmussed.
- WMSE gets auctioned off.


Jamie Breiwick Sextet
This week's guest on Local/Live is the Jamie Breiwick Sextet, the latest project from the Milwaukee trumpet player who has graced our airwaves with the likes of Clamnation, the Jeno Somlai Septet, and De La Buena. Tonight at 8PM, Jamie is joined for a live on-air performance by Steve Peplin, Aaron Gardner, Matt Meixner, Bryan Mir, and Sam Monroe.

In addition to originals, the six-piece will occasionally throw in a cover of anyone ranging from Sufjan Stevens to Death Cab for Cutie, Neil Young to The Beatles, and many others. The band performs live this Friday, January 11th at Points East Pub on the corner of Lyon and Jackson. Tune in to WMSE every Tuesday at 8PM for a new in-studio guest. Next week: Conrad Plymouth.


Present Music
This Saturday, WMSE is proud to sponsor Present Music's latest concert, happening at the Milwaukee Art Museum at 7:30PM. "Art, Architecture & Music" features works by Kamran Ince, Randall Woolf, and Alex Mincek, along with post-concert projects from Fashion Ninja and donebestdone.

In the midst of the regular seated concert in MAM's Windhover Hall, audience members will be able to move throughout the building for performances in galleries and other unusual spaces. The Museum's "Martin Ramirez" exhibition will also be open to all in attendance throughout the evening. (This will be one of your last chances to see these brilliant works by Ramirez before the exhibition closes on January 13th!)


The Devil and Daniel Johnston
WMSE is also just as happy as can be to help sponsor a special free screening of The Devil and Daniel Johnston at the Landmark Theatres' Oriental, 2230 N Farwell Ave, this coming Monday at 7PM. The San Francisco Chronicles calls The Devil and Daniel Johnston a "fascinating documentary that never runs short of ironies. An outsider artist in the field of indie rock, Johnston is a geeky manic depressive who has compulsively written and recorded his homemade songs since he was a teen. Whether Johnston is a genius or a wonderful anomaly remains to be seen, but director Jeff Feuerzeig has stitched together a detailed portrait of the artist's life and music that is never less than compelling."

Don't miss your chance to see it for free! All you have to do is click http://turnerhallballroom.org/emembers/danieljohnstonticket.html, and print out your free pass.

Why that movie, you ask? Why now? Hmmmm… I wonder…


Upcoming events
Oh! Because Daniel Johnston is coming to Milwaukee! In the rarest of rare appearances, the subject of the aforementioned film will be performing live at the Turner Hall Ballroom on Thursday, February 7th. Tickets are on sale now for this all-ages concert, so go to turnerhallballroom.org, or call 414 286-3663.

And on Monday, Pabst e-members will be able to purchase tickets to see Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks live at the Pabst with John Vanderslice on Thursday, March 20th. (The rest of us can get our tickets next Friday.) Mr Malkmus was, of course, front-man of the legendary Pavement, and has kept things rolling with his new band, The Jicks (now with Sleater-Kinney's Janet Weiss on drums), whom you may have seen perform live at MSOE's Todd Wehr Auditorium a few years back. Sure, you remember that, don't you? That was the night where Stephen played Pavement songs on stage for the first time since the band broke up. Best night ever! In other words, you never know what you'll see when he comes back to town. You also saw John Vanderslice at the very same spot here on campus in 2004, opening for Pedro the Lion. That night wasn't so terrible, either, to say the least. Check them both out on the same night at the Pabst.

Here is the complete list of upcoming station-sponsored events:

Present Music –
Art, Architecture, & Music on January 12
Antigone from March 6-9
Present Music/Danceworks on April 25 & 26
Zoomusic on June 6

Turner Hall Ballroom –
The Walkmen on January 18
Daniel Johnston on February 7
Limbeck on February 22
The Black Lips on March 2

Hotcakes Gallery –
Jack Grassel & Steve Nelson-Raney on February 8

Pabst Theater –
Carrie Rodriguez on February 15
Drive By Truckers on February 28
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks on March 20
Explosions in the Sky on March 30

Kern Center –
6th Annual Rockabilly Chili Contest on March 2

Alverno Presents –
Vijay Iyer Quartet on March 8
Babylon Circus on April 19


Own a piece of WMSE!
Not that you all don't already own the WMSE airwaves with your donations (of course, MSOE owns the license, but… don't be so literal! Sheesh…), but you will now have the chance to lay claim to the physical manifestation of your favorite radio station (that's us, by the way). Beginning on February 6th, anyone with an ebay account will be able to bid on various pieces of equipment, ephemera, physical structures, and, um, rubber monkeys, as a new and infinitely more interesting way of supporting non-commercial music in Milwaukee launches. The items you win will stay put, of course (turns out we need the transmitter shack), but you will be acknowledged appropriately for the one full year you sponsor any of sixteen unique-to-WMSE items. More details coming soon…


WMSE Community Co-op
The WMSE Community Co-op is featuring the Historic Third Ward all January long. We would like to thank this month's participants:

Brooks Barrow Gallery, at 207 E. Buffalo Street.
Nanakusa Japanese Restaurant, located at 408 E. Chicago Street, and at 414-223-3200
SB Framing Gallery, located at 409 E. Buffalo Street.

Next month's featured neighborhood: the East Side!
Please contact Molly at (414) 277-2217 or tennesse@msoe.edu for more information.


Become a part of making great radio possible.
It's easy! Just pledge here.


That's it for this newsletter, friends. Thank you for your continued support, and be sure to check out wmse.org, if you haven't done so lately. It's much less red and black these days.

Have a great week!

WMSE.