{image1}If you're an info junkie, a local music fan and a cell phone owner, then veteran Milwaukee music scenester, and Sparkler Records co-founder, Joe Kirschling has got just the thing for you. The former Menlo and New Blind Nationals drummer -- who now pounds the skins for The Nice Outfit -- has launched MKE Pop Undrgrnd, a text messaging service that aims to keep you up on what's going on in Milwaukee music.
"MKE Pop Undrgrnd is a new way to stay on top of major, yet often overlooked, events going on in Milwaukee," Kirschling says. " Once people join, they receive a couple short text messages each week with reminders about the best local music, film or arts events going on in the city. Occasionally, I'll send out a poll that MKE Pop participants can respond to and everyone automatically receives the results when it's completed. Once the service gets enough users MKE Pop can become an event itself; a 'flash mob' ... Or something to that effect."
The service went live at the beginning of December and has had some joiners, and a few messages have gone out. Kirschling says he's not looking to tax subscribers' inboxes, however.
"I don't want to send out too many messages because I don't want the service to become a burden. I want people to look forward to receiving the text messages. Also, the service is anonymous. When people sign up, I only get a notification that someone has signed up but I don't get any other information like phone numbers. Perhaps the service isn't for everyone; only people who really want to stay on top of happenings in the Milwaukee scene. Or maybe just the truly lazy people who can't be bothered to log on to www.onmilwaukee.com or read one of our fine independent weeklies for something to do."
Kirschling says that stumbling upon a site for text messaging groups fueled the idea for MKE Pop Undrgrnd. He also says that it fits perfectly with his goal of promoting local music.
"In my constant reading and Web browsing I came across a site that allowed me to set up these text messaging groups," he says. "I initially set one up for a group of my friends, but then I began thinking about the bigger picture. I thought about how many people this could reach in Milwaukee. I've been involved with the Milwaukee music and arts scene for years. For me this is just another in a string of experiments in ways to promote local arts events in Milwaukee. I'm friendly with many of the local music promoters, bands, artists and film-makers so I'm pretty plugged into the Milwaukee scene."
And keep your eyes open, because Kirschling is keeping his mind open to new ideas.
"Depending on the success of this service I may start a more high-volume early warning service or other more narrowly targeted messaging services in the future. In the meantime I'm just having a blast promoting my favorite things about the MKE Pop Undrgrnd."
To subscribe to the free service, click here.
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.
