WMSE celebrates its 30th anniversary with another Radio Summer Camp, a five-day music festival that combines local and national acts, July 27-31, at a range of area venues. This has quickly become one of – if not the – most exciting annual rock and roll event in Milwaukee.
The Radio Summer Camp kicks off Wednesday, July 27 at Turner Hall Ballroom with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Tweak Bird and Milwaukee's own Call Me Lightning. On Thursday, July 28 The Rave hosts Montreal duo, The Handsome Furs, whose new Sub Pop record, "Sound Kapital," is a great modern synth pop.
Then on Friday and Saturday, a range of acts – including Richard Buckner, Daniel Martin Moore, Rafter, Blueprint, William Tyler, Dosh, Haley Bonar, A Lull, The Giving Tree Band, Carbon Leaf, French TV, Virtual Boy DEDE, Jaill, Heidi Spender and the Rare Birds, Juiceboxxx, The Pills, Wereworm, Vic & Gab, Group of the Altos, Conrad Plymouth and many more – perform as part of the festival in local clubs.
As it did last year, the event ends with an all-day Backyard BBQ at Cathedral Square Park on Sunday, July 31.
"The goal of this whole thing," says Ryan Schleicher, WMSE promotions director, "is to continue bringing greater visibility to what is happening, and what can happen, with Milwaukee's music scene. We're celebrating the music and we're celebrating the venues that make the music possible."
You can buy tickets at individual events or spring for a four-day pass. Complete details on ticket options and the festival line-up can be found on the WMSE website.
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.
