When the sevens clashed, 33 years ago, Jamaican vocal trio Culture warned that you'd better do right, because things would be dread and bitter.
But fear not. As the 10s clash at midnight Sunday, the vibe will be much sweeter -- though you could order a cocktail with bitters -- as The Pfister, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave., celebrates the 10th anniversary of Blu.
Located on the 23rd floor of the historic Downtown hotel, Blu has just about the best downtown view of any bar in the city. If you're allowed in the ladies' room, you apparently are also treated to another great view ... or so I am told. Alas, we men get zero loo view.
Last time I was at Blu -- back in July -- enjoying cashews and wine with the love of my life, we tried to remember what the space looked like when it was called La Playa. A quick shudder, a thanks for all that is Blu and back to our drinks and the live jazz that brought the room alive that evening.
It was just any Saturday night and it felt like a party.
So, you can expect that when Blu is really ready to party, a good time is nearly guaranteed.
The anniversary party, which actually starts on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 4 p.m., and ends when bar time rolls around early on Sunday, Oct. 10, includes drink specials, live music by Kyle Feerick, The Color Truth and others, free appetizers, raffle prizes (including a pair of roundtrip Frontier Airlines tickets), a champagne toast at midnight and free mini spa treatments.
The event also serves as a kick-off for a 10-week Saturday night live music series.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
