Thanks to solar flares, folks have been seeing the northern lights around these parts lately. But that's not what I'm talking about.
A decade after it opened, Potawatomi Bingo Casino is giving its Northern Lights Theatre a makeover soon.
The venue will shut on Aug. 23 for five weeks of renovations.
In addition to a new look, in the form of new carpeting, wallpaper and decor, the 500-seat theater will also be reconfigured. If you've ever been seated perpendicular to the stage in a booth, you'll applaud this news.
Although the Northern Lights will reopen in September, a grand opening event is slated for October, during which time the venue will host the likes of Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Willie Nelson and Bad Company.
So, you can check the newly glowing northern lights in the sky this week, but you'll have to wait a few weeks to see a shimmering new Northern Lights in the Menomonee Valley.
I'm working on getting a rendering of what the new theater will look like. Check back because if I get one I'll add it 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.
