Author Matt Wild

Whenever life gets you down, just remember there’s a “Karma Chameleon” parody called “I’m A Milwaukeean”

July 26, 2017

In Monty Python's "Galaxy Song," a ditty from the group's 1983 film The Meaning Of Life, Eric Idle offers this bit of existential comfort food:Whenever life gets you down, Mrs. Brown And things seem hard o...

Mandatory Milwaukee: Oakland Gyros serves the city’s best Greek food, day or night

Matt Wild

July 25, 2017

Some places come and go, while some places become icons. Mandatory Milwaukee is all about the latter. Join us as we revisit beloved and well-worn local staples with fresh eyes, and explore how they might figure...

Let it all hang out with this Underwear Bike Ride video

Matt Wild

July 24, 2017

In honor of this weekend's Riverwest 24, it's "Bike Week" here at Milwaukee Rec...well, okay, it's not, but we totally should have thought of that earlier. Anyway, to tide you over until the big 24-hour extrava...

Judge rules against Milwaukee’s Pokemon Go-inspired ordinance, Milwaukee responds

Matt Wild

July 21, 2017

Has it already been a year since Milwaukee's picturesque Lake Park was invaded, trampled, and—gasp—used by hordes of folks playing Pokemon Go? Yes, yes it has. Since those dark, damaging days (pictures of which...

Guns N’ Fucking Roses will play BMO Harris Bradley Center November 7

Matt Wild

July 21, 2017

Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.• You know where Guns N' Fucking Roses are going to be Tuesday, November 7? The...

Help paint a new mural in Sherman Park

Matt Wild

July 20, 2017

It's been nearly a year since the fatal police shooting of 23-year-old Sylville Smith touched off days of unrest in Milwaukee's Sherman Park neighborhood. In that time, the neighborhood has moved on, balancing ...

Settle in and enjoy The Directionals’ new 17-minute song/video, “Vashta Nerada”

Matt Wild

July 20, 2017

The ideal length for a pop song is somewhere in the neighborhood of three minutes. Why? Well, it's complicated. (Wired looks at the reasons behind the standard here.) And while extremely short or extremely long...

Milwaukee rock duo form The Crystal Gayles, pen song for down-on-her-luck country star

Matt Wild

July 18, 2017

It's the middle of the afternoon at an East Side hair salon and a member of Pet Engine, Stephen Ziel, is getting his hair cut by a former member of The Lovelies, Liv Mueller. Moments ago, Violent Femmes bassist...

“Cat Videos Live!” is coming to Turner Hall, is something we all need right now

Matt Wild

July 17, 2017

It's Monday. Our country is bitterly divided. Politics are insane. Our planet is doomed. George Romero died yesterday. So did Martin Landau. McDonald's is really going through with that whole "getting rid of Hi...

In case you blinked last week, here’s all the new shit they’re building in Milwaukee (July 9-15)

Matt Wild

July 17, 2017

Depending on which news sources you follow, Milwaukee is going through either a "renaissance" or a "reinvention." Or maybe it's a "reboot" or a "reimagining," like that crappy Tim Burton version of Planet Of Th...

831,769 people went to Summerfest this year, despite the best laid plans of Red Lobster

Matt Wild

July 14, 2017

Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.• Summerfest 2017 is over and the numbers are in: 831,769 people enjoyed the Bi...

Now there’s an Aaron Rodgers to Randall Cobb Hail Mary bobblehead

Matt Wild

July 14, 2017

Take yourself back to January 8, 2017. Five seconds remain in the first half of the 2017 NFL Wild Card Playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants. The Packers have the ball. It's 4th and...

Stream the anthemic, excellent debut from Kate Moths, ‘Reverse Earth After Birth’

Matt Wild

July 14, 2017

Listen hard enough and you can hear the heart of '90s midwest emo still beating in Milwaukee. It lives on in newer bands like Estates, and veteran bands like Maritime. Now, add the perfectly monikered Kate Moth...

Now you can enjoy the “Sculpture Milwaukee” sculptures via a narrated trolley tour

Matt Wild

July 12, 2017

Last month we took a whirlwind tour of the 22 new Sculpture Milwaukee sculptures lining Wisconsin Avenue this summer. As one does, we also arbitrarily ranked them. We stand by our rankings (Immigrant Family, se...

The Shins brought Summerfest 50 to a close and it was kind of perfect

Matt Wild

July 10, 2017

There's something bittersweet about the final day of Summerfest. Vendors are packing away mountains of fresh roasted nuts, patrons are desperately stumbling around like its closing time, and the final serviceab...

Nick Offerman will return to Riverside Theater in November

Matt Wild

July 10, 2017

Enough talking: Nick Offerman—noted humorist, writer, woodworker, and Ron Swanson—will return to Milwaukee's Riverside Theater Thursday, November 30. (That's a week after Thanksgiving, which seems to be an espe...

Three Milwaukee businesses will be featured on July 20 episode of ‘Married At First Sight’

Matt Wild

July 10, 2017

Are you a big fan of Lifetime's Married At First Sight? No, we haven't heard of it, either. It's apparently a reality show where two people are paired up by "relationship experts" and have to agree to get marri...

High Dive will kick off Riverwest 24 with two-year anniversary show

Matt Wild

July 7, 2017

Has it already been two years since High Dive opened in Riverwest? Yes, it has. The summer of 2015 saw the new bar—headed by longtime Riverwest resident Jason McBrady—take over the shuttered Impala Lounge/River...

Here’s the schedule for the second annual Synth Fest MKE

Matt Wild

July 7, 2017

Milwaukee, as you may have heard, is the "City of Festivals." It doesn't take that title lightly. Between June and August the city is absolutely stuffed with events bearing the "fest" suffix, from big-time shin...

10 non-music, non-food/drink Summerfest attractions, ranked

Matt Wild

July 6, 2017

There's only a weekend and some change left of Summerfest 2017, but there's still plenty to see. Huey Lewis & The News! The Shins! Atmosphere! REO Speedwagon! Tom Petty (again)! Step off the main Henry Maie...