On The Record

On Monday, July 29, we hosted the 5th annual Roast Of Milwaukee at Club Garibaldi. With the help of 88Nine on-air personality and the night's emcee, Dori Zori, we treated a packed house to some localized laughs from Eric Smith, Elijah Holbrook, Raegan Niemela, Mike Kobin, Gary Zajackowski, Amy Westrup, Jeff Spankowski, Drew Flagge, and a drop-in appearance from a special "celebrity" guest. As always, the jokes weren’t just at the expense of Milwaukee. A portion of the show’s proceeds will be donated to Milwaukee Women’s Center. If you missed to show (or if you just want to hear it again), you can stream it below. Thanks to all who performed, all who attended, and to Miller High Life for sponsoring this year's Roast. We'll see you next year!

Spread the word, ya friggin' turds. Ignoring the advice of pretty much everyone we asked, Milwaukee Record decided it would be a good idea to show MacGruber at Avalon Theater this month. As the January 23 screening approaches, we wanted to spend some time talking about the film, how it's a misunderstood masterpiece, and why people should set aside their perceptions of the low-grossing 2010 cult comedy and give it a shot. Joining host Tyler Maas in appreciating MacGruber is artist, one half of 88Nine's "CineBuds" show, and Milwaukee Film employee Kristopher Pollard. The pair recently met in a conference room at Milwaukee Film's gorgeous new offices to talk about how each of them happened upon this under-appreciated SNL film, what makes it one of the funniest (if not the funniest) comedy of this young century, and what lines and scenes stand out to them. Warning: there are some spoilers in the episode, but who cares?! Hopefully this long discussion about MacGruber will help encourage you to come out to Avalon T

The first On The Record episode of 2019 finds us catching up with a familiar friend. Frequent guest, longtime Milwaukee improviser, and local LGBTQ+ icon Jacob Bach came to our brand new office to help us break in our recording studio. Since the last time he was on the show, Bach has stepped away from comedy and his outdoor guide business to, instead, shift his focus to music. Later this month, Bach's new band (Neidhoefer) will put out its debut album, with the first public show slated for February 9. Before the project—which also features members of Wavy V, Population Control, Moth Light, and more in its ranks—formally introduces itself to Milwaukee, the frontman and founder of the "northwoods folk band" spoke to host Tyler Maas about his decision to take a break from improv, his mindset when he was immobile much of last year, and why music is the most vulnerable medium of expression. Along the way, Bach plays a song from the forthcoming album and, as expected, he and Maas go off on some strange tangents. Th

Even though the Green Bay Packers still have two games left this year, the season is pretty much over. Last week's loss to the Chicago Bears mathematically eliminated Green Bay from playoff contention for the second consecutive season. Despite making the Pro Bowl, Aaron Rodgers hasn't looked himself lately. Mike McCarthy was fired earlier this month, and a few veteran players are surely on the way out as well. All things considered, it's been a tough year. Instead of bothering to look for more reasons to keep watching the 2018 Packers, we decided to devote a whole podcast episode to looking back at better times. Host Tyler Maas asked Rick Katschke—friend of the site, vintage commercial enthusiast, former Family Feud contestant, and longtime Packer backer—to come to his kitchen and talk about the '96 Packers squad that won Super Bowl XXXI. With a team photo nearby, they talked about each and every player on the team, memories of that historic season, and updates on where some of those Packers are today. If you

Midway through its third season, This Is Us has quickly become one of network TV's biggest shows. The generation-jumping NBC drama has captured the hearts of millions, won a slew of accolades, earned heaps of critical acclaim, and inspired a handful of knockoffs on other channels. The show recently entered its fall break, and boy, do viewers have a lot to talk about! Though it has absolutely nothing to do with Milwaukee in any way, This Is Us devotee/On The Record host Tyler Maas asked Matt Mueller—an OnMilwaukee writer and This Is Us recapper—to meet him at Club Garibaldi for a lengthy, winding discussion about the show. There, they talked about their introductions to the program, what they've thought about this chaotic and busy first half of the third season, things they like and dislike about This Is Us, and characters they want to see more (or less) of in the next eight episodes. They also make some very specific predictions about where the series is headed. Warning: there are tons of spoilers, so if you'

Brown Deer, Wisconsin native and realistic Packers fan Gareth Reynolds is best known as the co-host of The Dollop, a popular American history podcast that has landed him a book deal and has brought him to perform in places like Iceland, Australia, and throughout the United States. On top of being a world-renowned podcast personality, as well as a writer (Arrested Development, You're The Worst) and actor (New Girl, Maron), Reynolds regularly tours as a stand-up comedian. Last week, we hosted a special homecoming appearance for Reynolds at Club Garibaldi. Prior to that sold-out show, the comedian sat down with host Tyler Maas to catch him up on everything he's been up to since the last time he was on the podcast. Within that 18-month span, Reynolds co-wrote a book, toured Iceland and Australia, wrote for two beloved TV comedies, and landed a few more acting roles. He spoke about his show's international popularity, the differences between the Arrested Development and You're The Worst writers' rooms, how he got

This week's guest is Wisconsin Bike Fed youth programs manager Jake Newborn. Thanks in large part to the work Newborn and his colleagues do at the Bike Fed, it has arguably never been a better time to ride a bicycle in Milwaukee. There are more dedicated bike lanes than ever, new legislation being passed to protect cyclists and pedestrians alike, and there's a bunch of unique bike-centered events that bring riders together all year long. Perhaps the most notable Bike Fed-affiliated undertaking is the Santa Cycle Rampage, which brings hundreds of Claus-clad riders to local bike lanes every December. Prior to this year's Rampage (scheduled to take place Saturday, December 1), host Tyler Maas met up with Newborn at the Bike Fed's Milwaukee office in Silver City. There, they spoke about the upcoming Santa Rampage, the variety of other events and services the organization offers, ways the city and state must improve for riders, and non-Fed-fueled things like Riverwest 24 and the Bike-In Movie series that help make

This week's guest is one for the ages! Host and lifelong Packer fan Tyler Maas was fortunate enough to get half an hour of LeRoy Butler's time to talk about the All-Pro safety and Green Bay legend's storied career. The Pro-Bowler and Packers Hall Of Famer told Maas about playing under Bobby Bowden at Florida State, being drafted by the perennially pitiful Pack in 1990, memories from Green Bay's unforgettable Super Bowl XXXI-winning season in 1996, and his historic first "Lambeau Leap" 25 years ago. Along the way, Butler talked about the work his foundation does to combat bullying, his upcoming wedding (which is open to the public, by the way), and whether he thinks induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame might be in his future. Oh, and players like Jeff Thomason and Ron Cox come up in conversation, too!

Half a century after his death in a North Vietnamese prison camp following horrific injuries, unimaginable hardship, and unspeakable torture, United States Air Force Captain Lance P. Sijan’s name and heroics are still as remarkable and important as they were in 1968. For those who knew the Milwaukee native and Medal of Honor recipient during his brief-but-brilliant life, the love and legacy he left behind are just as special as his bravery in battle. Thanks to the tireless efforts of his little sister, Lance's life, his accomplishments, his courage, his resilience, and his message all live on to inform and inspire future generations—both in Milwaukee and throughout the world. Janine Sijan Rozina has been present at many dedication ceremonies and has been the honorary recipient of many of her sibling’s awards and accolades through the years. Around 10 years ago, she decided to "become very proactive in maintaining his legacy." Since then, Sijan Rozina has been working on a documentary about Lance. Sijan has be

From Thursday, October 18 through Thursday, November 1, the 2018 Milwaukee Film Festival will transform this old black-and-white town into a glowing Technicolor dream. (Not that there's anything wrong with black and white films, of course.) More than 300 films will light up the screens of the Oriental Theatre, Avalon Theater, Times Cinema, Fox-Bay Cinema Grill, and the new Jan Serr Studio Cinema (located inside the Kenilworth Building). Dozens of filmmakers and special guests will hobnob with the hobnobbers. Oodles of events will keep the city in a tizzy. We'll host a horror-movie-themed axe-throwing party at AXE MKE. You're welcome. In preparation for the fest, host Matt Wild and fellow film buffs Maggie Iken and Mack Bates sat down to talk all things MFF2018. Can't-miss films, can't-miss events, and Matt's long-lost student film, Super Hot Dog Man (featuring Bates as God), were all discussed. As always, this episode is brought to you by Surly Brewing, a Minnesota-based brewery and the official beer of On Th

Though sports is always a relevant topic (especially in Wisconsin), each autumn seems to bring about a competitive crescendo of sorts. But it's never been quite like this. The Brewers are in the NLCS and have their sights set on the World Series. Next week, the Bucks will start the 2018-19 season with a new arena, a new coach, and the Eastern Conference's best player. The Packers are, um, trying to figure it out after five inconsistent games. Ramie Makhlouf—co-host of "The Big Show" on 105.7 The Fan—is familiar with all this. The sports talk radio personality and stand-up comedian returned to Milwaukee Record headquarters to tell host Tyler Maas his thoughts on the Brew Crew's playoff chances, make some predictions for the Bucks' upcoming campaign, and to tell Packers fans to "chill the fuck out." Along the way, Makhlouf and Maas talk about the bad baseball team they both play on and they try to pronounce the name "Equanimeous St. Brown." This episode is brought to you by Surly Brewing, a Minnesota-based brew

After yet another long, fun, and exhausting summer of entertainment in Milwaukee, fall has come. Historically, autumn's arrival has been a time in which things slow down in the city, as residents retreat inside and prepare from another harsh and uneventful winter. However, recent years have brought an uptick in post-summer events, including new festivals like Beet Street, Abby Jeanne's Cosmic Weekend, and Fuel Cafe's Doomsday event. That's not even counting the countless concerts, comedy shows, film screenings, and random one-off events taking place between now and late December. To help find the best, weirdest, and most interesting events taking place in Milwaukee this fall, host Tyler Maas enlisted the expertise of Milwaukee Magazine and Shepherd Express music writer Kevin Mueller. From his dining room, Mueller and Maas ran through some standout shows, talked about the handful of autumn festivals happening in the city, weighed the appeal of Napoleon Dynamite and Jake "The Snake" Roberts live shows, and talk

This week's On The Record is a rare out-of-town episode that features an extra special guest. Host Tyler Maas traveled to Madison to spend some time chatting with the incomparable Brooks Wheelan. The accomplished comedian, former Saturday Night Live cast member, and Iowa native took some time before his pair of shows at Comedy On State last Friday to tell Maas about his Midwestern roots, his love of Madison (and other experiences in Wisconsin), his stressful stint on SNL, themes his new material touches on, and his awesome Entry Level podcast. This episode is brought to you by Surly Brewing, a Minnesota-based brewery and the official beer of On The Record. Join Surly at Somerset Amphitheater for the brewery’s annual Darkness Day on Saturday, September 29. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Piles ("Blue Glue") and WORK ("As It Turns Out, He Didn't Actually Have Tuberculosis").

Since starting in 2008, Mondo Lucha! has brought high-flying wrestling action, burlesque dancers, and live music to its annual Turner Hall showcase. Along the way, the variety show has managed to work with renowned pro wrestlers, sell out numerous shows, and become a must-attend Milwaukee event. Just how big has Mondo Lucha! become? This year's 10th Anniversary Spectacular sold out within a month of being announced, despite there being absolutely zero information about who'd be wrestling and who would be playing (at least until this week) at Turner Hall on September 7. Even without any details, the show sells itself. Prior to the 10th Anniversary, host Tyler Maas joined Mondo Lucha! founders Andrew Gorzalski and Jay Gilkay to talk about the incomparable show's origin, standout moments from its decade-long run, some behind-the-scenes anecdotes, what's planned for this year's Spectacular, and where the show is headed. This episode is brought to you by Surly Brewing, a Minnesota-based brewery and the official be

Back in 2015, we decided to help informally kick off the Milwaukee Comedy Festival by asking eight comedians to take the stage at Bremen Cafe and gently (or, in some cases, straight-up viciously) make fun of the city they love in our inaugural Roast Of Milwaukee event. Following the wonderful response to those verbal punches thrown in the direction of Milwaukee, we decided to do it again with an even bigger and better event at Club Garibaldi the following year. Then a standing-room-only affair last August. Since there's no shortage of material about Milwaukee out there, we figured we'd do it again. On Monday, July 30, a sold-out crowd at Club Garibaldi enjoyed a ton of jokes, plenty of jabs, and unofficially kicked off the Milwaukee Comedy Festival at the 4th annual Roast Of Milwaukee. Comedians Dana Ehrmann, Patrick Tomlinson, Matt Werner, Carter Deems, Jeff Wheatley-Heckman, and Kaitlin McCarthy all lambasted the city (and each other). Milwaukee Comedy Festival founder Matt Kemple and other media personalit

Originating long before the city had anything even resembling a sustainable comedy community, Milwaukee Comedy Festival has grown and evolved in kind with Milwaukee's humor scene. From August 1-5, the Milwaukee-curated undertaking will offer an eclectic blend of stand-up, improv, and sketch comedy in its 13th year. In addition to the festival itself, which boasts the likes of Colin Quinn and the Lady Parts Justice League, there are also some pre-MCF kickoff shows (including our Roast Of Milwaukee event). Before the fun kicks off, host Tyler Maas went to The Underground Collaborative—the site of the vast majority of the weekend's shows—to talk about all things Milwaukee Comedy Festival with founder Matt Kemple, along with co-producers Kaitlin McCarthy and Greg Bach. Together, they discussed the festival's origin, ways it's grown and evolved through the years, what to expect at the 2018 Milwaukee Comedy Festival, and how they (through their work at Milwaukee Comedy) are working to improve stand-up in the city a

This isn't our first podcast about beer and it probably won't be the last. The reason for the topic repetition is simple: Milwaukee brewing is continuing to grow, change, evolve, and improve. Recently, Milwaukee's reputation as "Brew City" has been bolstered with a steady string of new breweries, taproom expansions and relocations, limited bottle releases, increased acceptance from local consumers and area businesses alike, interesting collaborations, and unique events happening all around town. There's still work to be done and lots of room to grow, but Brew City is on the rise once again. It's impossible to keep tabs on everything happening in and around the realm of Milwaukee brewing, but Kathy Flanigan does one hell of a job trying to keep up. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter and author of Beer Lover's Wisconsin has been on the front lines of the city's (and state's) recent brewery boom and has spent years on the beer beat. She took time away from the newsroom—and the taproom—to meet host Tyler Maa

Summer is here! Yes, today officially marks the first day of the best season in the best city for festival fun. Milwaukee earns its "City of Festivals" nickname every summer with dozens upon dozens of block parties, outdoor celebrations, weekly concert series, and a myriad of other events ending with "fest." All the while, traditional venues are still hosting great concerts and comedy shows with regularity. It's tough to keep a handle on everything happening between mid-June and the end of September, but dammit if we won't try. In the waning hours of spring, host Tyler Maas invited WMSE radio personality Sid McCain (aka Squid Inc.) to the sweltering Milwaukee Record office to discuss how Milwaukee summers differ from those in the various other North American places she's called home, what festivals are their personal favorites, events they're especially excited for, things their media companies are doing, and Warped Tour. Yes, a ton of things were missed, but this is a pretty good start! This episode is broug

For readers of a certain age and sensibility, Edgar Cantero‘s Meddling Kids will go down as easy as a bowl of sugar-coated cereal on a Saturday morning. In the summer of 1977, a group of Scooby-Doo-esque teen detectives—Andy, Peter, Kerri, Nate, trusty dog Sean—crack their biggest mystery yet, exposing the infamous Sleepy Lake monster for what it really is: a guy in a mask trying to get his hands on the treasures buried beneath old Deboën Mansion. But something doesn't sit right; thirteen years later, the so-called Blyton Summer Detective Club reforms to put to rest lingering doubts about the case. Lovecraftian horror, pop culture panache, and slapstick set pieces all figure into an animated romp about growing up, letting go, and the inherent dangers of the Necronomicon. During his recent tour to promote the paperback release of Meddling Kids, Cantero stopped by Boswell Book Company for an "in conversation" event with Milwaukee Record's Matt Wild. The two talked the genesis of the book, its "double-nostalgic"

The way Milwaukee—and Wisconsin as a whole—prepares and appreciates food has evolved in countless ways over the last decade. Few (if any) people have had a closer, better, or higher resolution view of the state's all-encompassing culinary growth and improvement than Arthur Ircink. As owner, executive producer, and director of Wisconsin Foodie, Ircink has been instrumental in documenting much of that dining development over the course of 10 seasons of his Emmy-winning TV series. Along the way, he became co-owner, publisher, and editor in chief of Edible Milwaukee, which gives his ardent food appreciation another platform to be displayed. With an 11th season of Wisconsin Foodie on the way, a new issue of Edible Milwaukee set to be released this week, and local dining showing no signs of slowing down, Ircink has no shortage of work ahead of him. However, he took some time out of his schedule to welcome host Tyler Maas into his production office to have a beer and talk about just some of the astounding things goi