Feb 2019 - Beer & Art, MSO, Movie Reviews, Cold Sweat
Happy balmy-frigid February,
Just a quick reminder for Art & Beer. Beer & Art by Anita! Join me for some day drinking this Sunday at the Component Brewing Company (2018 S 1st St. #207, Milw 53207) in Bay View. My Fusion Foto Art series will be on display for three months. I’ll also have earrings, art cards and books at the reception. If you can’t make it I could be convinced me to meet you for a beer anther time. It’s on the second floor, and a little tricky to find – follow the hops on the floor. Video And here is another promo video I created with my Fusion Foto Art.
Tom and I were very lucky to be invited by dear people to hear an MSO concert at the Pabst Theater. . You would not think parking downtown on a Sunday would be such a hassle. We left the house 40 minutes early (for a 15 minute ride). Closed bridges, no left turns, and no free street spots forced us to opt for a creepy lot on Mason & Water. It was the most murdery parking lot I have ever seen, complete with 45 degree ramps and crumbling concrete. We made it to our seats with only 5 minutes to spare. New conductor Ken-David Masur’s deft command was a joy to see and hear. The highlights were the Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto (written as a showpiece for Beethoven himself) with guest pianist, Orion Weiss. His touch and dexterity were phenomenal. There was also a brass feature that sounded like Christmas to me, and a Spring composition that began with random notes of birds a-twittering. Delightful. Mendelsohn’s ‘Italian’ Symphony No. 4 was the finale, and it brought down the house. The 4th movement is a tarantella. Masur told the same story I had just shared with some of my piano students. The rumor is that if a tarantula spider bites you, the only cure is to do a wickedly wild dance called the tarantella! This symphony is prominently featured in the 1979 movie “Breaking Away” (follow links for movie trailers).(follow links for movie trailers). It’s an oldie, and personal favorite - watch if you can. It’s a sweet and really funny coming of age story about 4 Indianapolis high school graduates with no plans, except for Dave – who is obsessed with the Italian cycling team. The cast is strong – Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, and Paul Dooley as the dad. Great dialogue, no special effects. Just a good story – and great Italian music!
Continuing with movies - I just re-watched “Hidden Figures” this week. A day later Katherine Gobel Johnson passed away at the age of 101. The movie features the struggles of three brilliant and strong black women who worked for NASA at the dawn of the space and computer age. An astonishing story about remarkable woman and their families – told with a good dose of grit and humor. And all the fabulous 60’s clothing, songs and sets. My sweet pal Cindy was over for the annual Oscar weekend, so I actually saw a few new movies, too. “Harriet” – with a stellar and Oscar deserving performance by Cynthia Erivo. She sang on the credits, too. I first became aware of her in the quirky and violently funny “Bad Times at the El Royal”. She plays a 60s lounge singer who is thrown in the mix with a bad lot of 7 strangers with secrets in a deserted hotel. Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, John Hamm and Chris Hemsworth also star. Very ‘Pulp Fiction’. Erivo does a lot of a cappella singing. And very well. She won a Tony for playing Celia in ‘The Color Purple’ on Broadway. An amazing talent. Also watched “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. I generally love Quinten Tarantino’s movies. But I must say, I was very underwhelmed. It was so long, and it took forever for anything interesting to happen. Boring. There are many more movies I need to see! Tom gives rave reviews to ”1917”.
Finally had a chance to see Tom’s new band – Cold Sweat and the Brew City Horns. The band is not new. He is the new bass player. They knocked my socks off! Killer vocals by Tracy Hanneman, dancing horn players, and a hard driving rhythm section. Non-stop R&B classics by Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, etc. Pure joy in my world. Follow them – they are playing a lot of events and festivals this summer. I took this video at the Saloon on Calhoun – Jungle Boogie!
Cheers,
Anita
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Anita Burgermeister, eclectic independent artist in Milwaukee ~ creator of faux finishes, murals, fine art, photography, websites & more. Sharing news about creative people & events in art, music, magic, dance, dining, film, writing, architecture, inventions, life & other stuff. Hope you enjoy and read often!
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