Play in the City

"Blues" in the Park

Thursday started off as a dreary day. As I worked on my Dell desktop in my cubicle I listened to the pelts of morning rain drumming on the skylights and got a little nervous that Mother Nature would spoil my plans for the evening.

This was going to be my first time at Jazz in the Park, but the music series has been going on for 17-years as a showcase of the best local, regional and national musicians. All season-long attendees hear a variety of jazz ranging from straight ahead jazz mixed with some Latin sounds, to contemporary and acid jazz, and to everything in between.

After work, I was in a steady rush as the gray clouds began to clear to make way for blue skies and humid temperatures. I hoped that the earlier weather would have discouraged most from going to Jazz in the Park so that I could take my time and still get a nice spot for my picnic blanket. (I’m a bit naïve, I guess.)

People who are fortunate to work downtown can walk from their building and stake out a spot early-on, but for everyone else finding a good place to squat is entirely based on luck (or maybe a bit more planning than what I did).

For organizers, sponsors and vendors, the popularity of Jazz in the Park is obviously wonderful. On the other hand, several 2006 Jazz in the Park regulars that I know claim it’s getting “too mainstream,” therefore, it’s losing its appeal.

You’d think that since Jazz in the Park is put on every single Thursday during the summer that after a while, the crowds would begin to thin out. Every Thursday I drive past Cathedral Square on my way home from work and I’m always amazed by the turnout for each Jazz in the Park, and even more surprised that each week the crowd seems to get larger.

Favre Fans in Milwaukee

Milwaukee like Green Bay has an overload of Packers fans that sport the green and gold jerseys, hats, face paints and cheeseheads. It's likely that many fans in both the Milwaukee and Green Bay areas go to their TV sets on Sunday afternoon or evening to watch “the game” and have probably lost sleep over a past “big game.”

Milwaukee is part of the Green Bay Packers’ history. Just because the team’s hometown is Green Bay, it doesn’t mean the cheeseheads in southeastern Wisconsin shouldn’t get any credit.

Fans know that the Pack began playing home games at County Stadium and had their first home game in Milwaukee in the early 50s against the Cleveland Browns. For four seasons, 1966 through 1969, the Packers were the only tenant at County Stadium as the Braves moved to Atlanta. (Baseball finally returned to Milwaukee in 1970 when the Seattle Pilots moved to Brew City and became the Brewers)

In the early 90s, after Lambeau Field’s upgrade the team decided to move all of the home games there. The Packers played their last game at County Stadium in December 1994.

Seeing as the Pack played nearly half of their home games at County Stadium, Lambeau honors fans in Brew City with Milwaukee season ticket holder games. For 41 years, Milwaukeeans rooted for the Packers at County Stadium; therefore, it’s no surprise that Milwaukee supports the green and gold.

Sure football season’s official start is a couple weeks away, but that doesn’t keep Brett  Favre out of the limelight. In sports news a few months ago, Favre gained much attention for missing off-season practices due to a sore right shoulder.

Brett explained to the media that he didn’t want to worsen his injury and would take recovery in strides. According to the medical staff, his shoulder wasn’t serious yet. As a result, Favre remained off the field until the Pack concluded their workouts so not to cause any additional harm to his shoulder, said FOX 6 News.

Since then, Favre continues to work with his personal trainer on weekly cardio based workouts. This will supposedly keep him agile and full of endurance during games throughout his 17th NFL season.

Still, it seems that seasoned Favre isn’t quite ready or willing to be the Packers’ starting QB. “I don’t have the self-motivation I once had. It’s frustrating to me; it’s disappointing at times that I just can’t make myself get up and go do it. It’s much easier to say, ah, I’ll do it tomorrow,” Favre expressed in an article by the Associated Press.

Is Favre getting too old to play football? Should he have retired to Mississippi to practice being a husband and father instead of returning this season?

I’m in the majority (or is it the minority now?) who is glad Favre is back for another NFL season with the Packers. But a sore shoulder already after just recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle in February? Come on.

On top of that Favre admits that he lacks the motivation to train. At the age of 37, it’s imperative for an athlete to remain in good condition by training regularly and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Favre better find some motivation, especially since there will be young athletes chasing him on the field in about a month.

Is this foreshadowing the Packer’s season or do you think Favre’s comeback will lead the Pack to victory?

Or do you just not care?

Photographs are from MSNBC

Glad to be Back Home

Even though it was a short vacation, I’m still stuck in vacation mode. I just got back Monday night from Chicago and I realized after collapsing onto my couch and remaining there all night that I will need this week just to recover from the long weekend. I admit to claiming that the Lollapalooza weekend was supposed to be relaxing. I was so wrong.

I always forget that it’s nothing like a weekend lying on the beach. Lots of walking, sweating, sun exposure and minimal sleep evoked the realization that the three-day festival is a day too long. As my friend Scott put it, “By the end it just feels like a test of endurance or survival.” Regardless, I always leave with really good memories that make for really good daydreaming while I recuperate.

Here’s a quick Lollapalooza band recap…

Weekend Highlights 8/3-8/5

This weekend I’m taking a mini-vacation across Lake Michigan to Chicago for Lollapalooza. I’ve been anticipating this three-day music festival since, well, last year’s Lolla weekend. I’ve been privileged to see several of the bands – Spoon, Silversun Pickups, Son Volt, Blue October, G. Love & Special Sauce, Jack’s Mannequin – already this year at Summerfest.

Even though I’m thrilled to spend a relaxing weekend in a different city listening to some of the best bands around – Muse, Modest Mouse, Interpol, Spoon, The Rapture, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Morning Jacket, Kings of Leon, The Cribs – I’m disappointed to be missing an exciting weekend in my favorite city, Milwaukee.

Therefore, I decided to give all of you a quick weekend preview. Maybe you will have the opportunity to check out some of the events throughout Milwaukee. Feel free to fill me in on your weekend happenings also. I’ll do the same when I return to the lower eastside on Monday night to share some of my Lolla fun (even if it’s not Milwaukee related).

Without further delay, the following are weekend highlights:

• See "An American in Paris," starring Gene Kelly, beneath the stars for free on Friday! Bring a picnic dinner with your favorite wine to the lakeside of the Milwaukee Art Museum and dine to the '40s-style jazz music of Suzanne Grzanna before the movie screening at twilight (just before 9 p.m.).
• Many Wisconsinites wait all year to get their annual six-pack of cream puffs. Wisconsin State Fair is here, Milwaukee. Can you believe it? As usual, there are too many animals to list without breaking into song, a ton of music, amusement rides, pig races (a must!), and food other than cream puffs; for instance, an overabundance of food on a stick. If you don’t like a wooden rod probing your meat, I’d opt for the buttery corn on the cob.
• Celebrate African World Festival’s 25-year anniversary all weekend-long on the Summerfest grounds. This year, the fest is featuring retro music acts that will bring the funk to Lake Michigan. If you aren’t interested in 80’s funk or R&B, checkout the on-going choir competition, you’ll be impressed!
• Summer Sizzle, a free outdoor festival in the city's most happening neighborhood, is back this weekend. The Historic Third Ward will feature two stages of great jazz music, a variety of mouth-watering food (amazing BBQ), shopping and much more.
• If you missed the Bocce Ball tournament at Festa, go to Bay View on Saturday for Bocce Fest! This will be the perfect opportunity to show your skills and compete against other Bocce enthusiasts. If you haven’t experienced the sport of Bocce, no worries, there are lessons available throughout the day.

By the way…

One thousand Cousin's Subs box lunches will be given away at the Chase Tower (Water Street and Wisconsin Avenue) at noon this Friday. It's part of the big Downtown Employee Appreciation Week. You deserve it, people!

Don’t plan to go to Bar Louie for happy hour this Friday however. Alas, the pub was forced to close its doors for several weeks until the liquor license is renewed.

Cream puffs, music and lawn bowling are just a snippet of what’s happening in Milwaukee this weekend.

Regardless of what you do, have a fun and safe weekend!

Project Lela: Gallery Night Competition

Places like Paris, France, New York, New York, and Milan, Italy have brought us some of the most world renowned fashion designers – Chanel, Donna Karan, Armani, and Versace. Do you think it’s possible for Milwaukee to nurture the next Vera Wang or Calvin Klein? Maybe. It seems to me that MKE is home to many up-and-coming fashion designers. Who knew, right?

I have considerable respect for the fashion industry, although I’d prefer to strut around  in a T-shirt and sweatpants over wearing the latest trend. While I’ve been called a tomboy, I’ve still been known to get gussied up on occasion. I also periodically splurge on designer dresses and jeans or admire chic shoes (even though they never make them in a size 11).

One of my preferred boutiques is Ess Elle Style Studio located around the corner from my apartment. My other favorite is Lela, the fashion-forward women’s boutique in the Historic Third Ward.

Besides obsessively watching reruns of "Top Chef" 24-7, I’ve been engrossed with Bravo’s other hit series, “Project Runway,” as a panel of judges and supermodel-gone-TV host, Heidi Klum, determines whether designers are in or out.

On the perfect summer evening of July 27, city locals came to the Third Ward’s Lela Boutique to checkout the third challenge of Project Lela, Milwaukee’s version of “Project Runway.”

Droves of urbanites poured into the streets looking to experience the culture and excitement of this summer’s Gallery Night going on all around Lela’s activity.

I made my way from Franklin to the Third Ward where I spent nearly an hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic while attempting to find available parking. (I should have biked, or at least used the free Gallery Night Xpress!)

I met Eric in front of the Milwaukee Ale House and proceeded to Lela.

Project Lela is a competition for Milwaukee fashion designers to gain publicity, network in the fashion industry, and sell their products. From June 27 to July 27 contestants competed in three qualifying challenges to show their design talent by creating the most unique and well-made garment under pressure.