Music - Dec. 2, 2009
Blow Pops reunite to recapture the magic at Shank
The Blow Pops play Friday night at the club, 1434 N. Farwell Ave., along with Ward and Jeff and John Murphy from Shoes. Show time is 8 p.m. and the cover charge is $10. We caught up with Jarvis last week and asked about the gig, the band's popularity on the Web and the prospects for making this reunion a bit more permanent.
Tags: blow pops, lackloves, shank hall, mike jarvis, jack rice, nick randazzo, tim buckley

Music - Nov. 23, 2009
Gig roundup: The Cranberries go for another spin
Earlier this year, Potawatomi announced a Dolores O'Riordan show at the Northern Lights Theater only to announce its cancellation not long after. But it wasn't long before we learned why. Word got out that her band,The Cranberries -- which went on hiatus six years ago -- was reuniting and coming to Milwaukee.
Tags: The Cranberries, Dolores O'Riordan, Potawatomi, Riverside, Noel Hogan, Camera Obscura, Turner Hall, Liam Ford, Mark Shurilla and the Greatest Hits, Tommy Greywolf, Jayne "Firecracker" Taylor, Shank Hall, Pat McCurdy, Electrix Six, Mad Planet, The Gay Blad

Music - Nov. 19, 2009
Cross Canadian Ragweed feels at home on the road
A lot of bands would crumble under a schedule that includes between 200 and 250 live shows per year, but Cross Canadian Ragweed is still going strong after 15 years. The "red dirt" band from Texas, by way of Oklahoma, brings its high-energy show to Milwaukee's Shank Hall Friday night.
Tags: cross canadian ragweed, randy ragsdale, shank hall

Music - Nov. 16, 2009
Gig roundup: Benson "poised and ready" for Turner
Although he's now on solo record No. 4, for many people Brendan Benson is still the guy who plays in Grammy-winning band The Raconteurs with Jack White. But don't let White's shadow eclipse Benson's shining talent. Dive into his latest disc, "My Old, Familiar Friend," and you won't struggle to find his adeptness at catchy melodies swathed in ringing guitars. See him this week at Turner Hall.
Tags: Saosin, Brendan Benson, Turner Hall, Cory Chisel, Megadeth, The Rave, Cascio Interstate Music, GuitarFest, Rob Zombie, Medeski, Martin & Wood, The Mad Planet, Skybox, Shank Hall, Savoy Brown, Paul Cebar, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Peaches, Amanda Blank

Music - Nov. 9, 2009
Gig roundup: Green River Ordinance gets grassroots support
It was a long way to go, but Fort Worth quintet Green River Ordinance got there in a short period of time. The band's name refers to the colloquial name for laws banning door-to-door sales. So it's ironic that a groundswell of support led to an opening slot for Bon Jovi in Dallas just a couple years after the band recorded its debut in its church basement.
Tags: Green River Ordinance, David Cook, The Script, Riverside, White Rabbits, The Dig, Glass Ghost, Turner Hall, Slightly Stoopid, Club Garibaldi, Monsters of Death, Shank Hall, The Rave, The Fiery Furnaces, Tommy Castro, Digital Leather

Arts & Entertainment - July 1, 2009
Lost And Found
Tuesday June 30th, 2009 - Milwaukee, WI   Should have bought a lottery ticket today. I felt a good vibe all day and everything I did fell into place. It started with getting up early and finally starting to sort out the collection of sports cards I bought several months ago. It had been...
Tags: Larry Reeb, Buddy Guy, Summerfest, Funny Bone, Shank Hall