Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee

Music Biz Dropout in Just 13 Months

Word came today that Starbucks is handing over the daily management of its Hear Music record label to Concord Music Group after giving it a go for one measly year. Nice effort! Course, as Mike posted yesterday, the corp's shares plummeted more than 10% in Thursday trading, so I suppose relinquishing control can only be a good thing for the label.

Might I suggest changing the label name to something a little less, oh I dunno, lame as the first order of business? Seriously, dudes, Hear Music? You may as well call it Listen to Milquetoast... or Watch Paint Dry... or Wear Black Socks and Garters with Shorts. Come to think of it, any one of those is better than what ya got.

Link

Happenings: Weekend Picks April 25-27, 2008

Acoustic/Folk
Linneman's, 1001 E. Locust Street
April 25: Victoria Vox w/ melaniejane @ 10PM

Blues
The Jazz Estate, 2423 N. Murray Avenue
April 27: Matt Hendricks @ 9:30PM

Jazz
Caroline's, 401 S. 2nd Street
April 25: LaClave Latin Jazz @ 9PM
April 26: Paul Spencer Band @ 9:30PM

Polka
Kochanski's Concertina Beer Hall, 1920 S. 37th Street
April 25: Chad Pzrybylski @ 8PM
April 27: Polka open jam @ 2PM

Reggae
Club Timbuktu, 520 E. Center Street
April 26: King Solomon @ 10PM

Dance
Danceworks Performance Company @ Humphrey Scottish Rite, 790 N. Van Buren Street
April 25-26: "Having an Affair" w/ Present Music @ 7:30PM

Theater
Boulevard Ensemble Studio Theatre, 2252 S. Kinnickinnic Avenue
April 25-26: "Eureka!" @ 8PM
April 27: "Eureka!" @ 2:30PM

Visual Art
Haggerty Museum of Art, 530 N. 13th Street
April 24–July 13: Caras Vemos, Corazones No Sabemos: The Human Landscape of Mexican Migration

Walker's Point Center for the Arts, 911 W. National Avenue
April 25: Opening Reception for Art in the Balance: Conflict and Harmony, 6-9PM

Experimental Film
Woodland Pattern, 720 E. Locust Street
April 25: In Anticipation of May Day: Catching up with Chris Marker @ 7PM

Coffee Stocks: 10%?!

Starbucks' stock experienced a shocking 10% drop today, as it issued poor first-quarter numbers and a profit warning.

Happenings: See This Play

I can't tell you when the last time I saw a play was, but I can tell you when the next one will be: sometime between tomorrow and May 18th.  Check it out here.

Illy Plans Infusion into Middle East

Three-quarters of a century seems like a long time, but in terms of human history, not to mention geological time, it's not even a blip. Nevertheless, the 75 year old Italian coffee upstart Illy is planning to bring their specialty coffee right into the heart of the java roasting and imbibing elder region of the Middle East via Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Illy's coffee is apparently already available in Dubai, but only at five-star hotels, so the majority of locals haven't yet had the chance to sample the brew and make their pronouncements.

Compared to the nearly 1000 year tradition of coffee roasting in the Middle East, Illy is but a mere infant, so we'll see just how well they make out in a world where the java juice is profoundly venerated.

Link (via Coffee Talk)

Wellness Wednesday: Medical Miscommunication

Contributing writer and friend of this blog Suzanne Kreuziger has recently been the subject of an AP newswire story about the inability of patients to communicate with their physicians via e-mail.  My limited experience bears this out.  I recently submitted a question to online medical advice site askadoctor.com, which advertises three answers from physicians who remain anonymous.  Despite this, none of the physicians answered my question and my money was refunded.  I ended up sending a snail mail to my regular doctor, and was called into his office.  During the office visit, he acted peevish and impatient.  My contribution to my health insurance—I'm lucky to have decent insurance—is about $130 a month, with a $25 office visit co-pay.  That money buys me peace of mind regarding a possible emergency, but little in the way of day-to-day wellness. 

There's a Hipster Sucker Born Every Minute

Some very cunning folk have designed this line of handmade coffee cuffs made from architectural veneer offcuts. And you can wear it as a bracelet, too!

I'm all for reclaiming material for practical purposes, but, seriously, $70 for a jacket to put around your disposal java cup?! Really, this is just for hipster suckers looking for a conversation starter. Am I right, people?

Link (via Boing Boing)

Snapshot: I Like Pike

I have to revisit my assessment of Starbucks' Pike Place Roast.  I have been drinking it a couple times a week, and it seems to be getting better and better.  Tonight, I'm having it decaf at the E. Silver Spring Dr. location in Whitefish Bay.  Though I came in an hour before closing, I was assured that the brew was fresh, as the taste proved. 

I wish the same transformative touch would be applied to the store experience, though this would doubtless be even more difficult than the coffee change.  This particular store is the somewhat less inviting than a grade school classroom (which is what the furniture reminds me of).

Celebrate Earth Day: Give to WUWM Radio and Get Some Cool Eco-Schwag

You may well be asking yourself, "What does this post have to do with specialty food and coffee?" My answer to that is, "Absolutely nothing! But a blog is a blog, so I'm gonna use it."

One day only--that is today, aka Earth Day--give an on-line donation of $45 or more to WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio and get yourself an eco-friendly pack thank you gift. As as added bonus, you'll be automatically entered into their Eco-Friendly Contest, with prizes donated by Outpost Natural Foods and REI.

It's what I like to call a triple win--good for WUWM, good for you and good for the planet--so Give Now!

Ride and/or Eat for the Arts

Alterra Coffee announced yesterday that it's a 15-mile sponsor of the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts. Bully for them! The annual bike ride, now in its 28th year, benefits the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF)--always a great and worthy cause seeing as we'd be all but mad if it weren't for the spirit reviving arts of theater, music and dance.

You can register to take on the challenge of a 5-, 15-, 25-, 50- or 75-mile route on Sunday, June 1, 2008. Due to physical limitations beyond my control and more than a good dose of fear that I'd never make it back home, I'll be unable to join y'all. Rest assured though, if they had a Yoga Practice for the Arts, I'd be the first one to roll out my mat.

But wait, there's another way to help UPAF without doing major bodily harm. Tomorrow, April 23, twenty Milwaukee restaurants are participating in Eat for the Arts and a portion of the day's proceeds will be going to the 2008 UPAF Campaign. Now that's my kind of giving.

Saddle up and/or belly up to support your local performing arts!