This event has been postponed, but Draft and Vessel Tosa is still tapping the special Mikerphone beer and donating proceeds from each pour (and from 4-pack sales) to Joey's Song and still collecting items for the future raffle. Stay tuned!
On Wednesday, Jan. 5, Draft & Vessel, 7479 Harwood Ave. in Wauwatosa, hosts a benefit for Joey’s Song, which raises money to fund epilepsy research.
Joey’s Song was founded by Mike Gomoll in honor of his son Joey, who passed away unexpectedly in 2010 at just 5 years old from Dravet's Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy his entire life.
While Dravet's robbed Joey of most of his ability to speak, it did not stop him from communicating with everyone he met, and it most certainly never prevented him from laughing, smiling, singing or dancing.
Ever since, Mike has worked tirelessly to raise money, focusing on music, a love of which father and son shared. There have been CDs and big concerts, like the one slated for Jan. 8 at The Sylvee in Madison.
Gomoll has also collaborated on a Joey’s Song beer with Chicago’s Mikerphone Brewing. The lager debuted in 2018 and is now back.
At Draft & Vessel, that brew will be feated and 100% of sales from the keg to Joey's Song. There will also be four-packs for sale and $1 from each of those will also be donated, along with a $1 from every pour of two other Mikerphone brews on tap.
Owner Rob Novak says there will be a raffle, too, with, “some awesome beer packages donated by local and regional breweries, including New Glarus, Mikerphone and Phase Three, signed music memorabilia and albums from artists involved in the concert, gift certificates for great local restaurants, and some surprises like skate/surfboards!”
Raffle tickets will be sold on-site during the event.
“We will also have some virtual drop-ins and a recorded performance or two from artists involved with the concert,” says Novak. “Between now and then we will be giving away tickets to the show, and we'll give some away that night, too!”
The Draft & Vessel event runs from 5 until 10 p.m., but raffle tickets will be available as soon as the venue opens at 3. The drawings will take place at 9 p.m.
“Draft & Vessel is being an incredible partner for Joey’s Song,” says Gomoll. “They will have some amazing auction items, along some making drink specials!! Plus, a special digital meet and greet with Butch Vig. D&V is helping us make Joey’s Song a statewide event.”
Meanwhile, the Saturday, Jan. 8 hybrid in-person and virtual concert in Madison will feature The Know-It-All-Boyfriends (Vig’s current band), Rick & Daxx Nielsen, Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner, Big Star’s Jody Stephens, Belly’s Tanya Donelly and Gail Greenwood, Fountains of Wayne’s Chris Collingwood, Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!, Miles Nielsen and Kelly Steward, Letters to Cleo’s Kay Hanley, Cory Chisel, Joey’s brother Sam Gomoll and others.
The gig will be co-hosted by Charlie Behrens and Mystery Science Theater 3000’s Joel Hodgson.
All proceeds will be benefit epilepsy research.
Buy in-person or livestream tickets at joeyssong.org.
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.
