By Tony Spencer

A great wave of change has been mounting and near the culmination of the Summer of 2010 that wave began to peak. Riding at the crest of this transformative wave is the cast and crew of the ABC reality show Extreme Makeover Home Edition (EMHE). This rejuvenating wave has brought the life-changing crew right into the Fox Valley of Wisconsin, bringing with them the promise of a new beginning and the spirit of goodwill.
Their destination, the final stop of this wave and the epitome of personal and social transformation, is Neenah, Wisconsin. Out of 5 families in Northeast Wisconsin qualifying for this once-in-a-life time metamorphosis, the Arboleda family of Elm Street in Neenah are the lucky recipients of the realization of the American Dream.

The spin-off of another short lived ABC reality show of a similar name has spent the better part of a decade traveling the country in search of families worthy of a second chance at happiness and hope that is aptly deemed extreme.  Whereas EMHE’s predecessor focused on cosmetically transforming one individual through a series of aesthetic changes to wardrobe, style and even physical alteration through plastic surgery, Extreme Makeover Home Edition strives to change the lives of both families enduring a range of hardships and the communities in which they reside.

by Jennifer Droese

September will surely bring one big battle – the DARE to Battle 2010! that is. Hosted by the Winnebago County D.A.R.E Advisory Board, six Wisconsin Youth Band finalists will compete in a charitable music  competition at the Leach Amphitheater on the 18th of the month. This festival-like atmosphere no doubt will cause a stir. 

In efforts to spread the message to local teenagers as well as the community about substance prevention and avoiding alcohol, local youth musicians are teaming up with D.A.R.E and stepping forward to ‘rock out’ in this day-long event. A total of 18 bands entered, however, the amount of inquiries and last minute add requests were in high numbers. Though late entries were not accepted, the bands will be able to enter next year’s event.

Competing for different prizes, showcasing their talent, and playing music, each band will perform and voting will take place to determine the final top band in the Valley. Many contestants auditioned and sent in their demo CDs, pictures, biographies and links to their social networking pages like Facebook and Myspace. The auditions were open Statewide to musicians ages 13 to 24. The bands that made the cut will now face off during a live, outdoor music event, leaving the top band with the title of “The best Band in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley.” 

By Jim Lundstrom

Grafton, Wis., may seem an unlikely place to be included in the Mississippi Blues Trail, but earlier this year the Mississippi Blues Commission, which administers the trail, designated Grafton historically important enough in the history of the blues to be included as the northern end of the trail.

What did Grafton contribute to blues history? It was the home of a recording studio responsible for producing 25% of the nation’s “race records” in the 1920s and ‘30s, featuring the likes of Louis Armstrong, Skip James, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton, Ma Rainey and many more.

Heartless Bastards, Builders and Butchers, Peter Wolf Crier – Union Memorial Madison Free outdoor show on the shores of Lake Mendota

So, there were problems with the sound and the show started late. First up were Peter Wolf Crier. I didn’t really that much care for Peter Wolf Crier, my date Andrew said it best. I have a hard time respecting a band that doesn’t stand up.

Then came Builders and Butchers and frankly, was a little bummed there was a second act. Until about halfway through their second song. Then I was glad there was another band because they were really good. Buncha cool things about this band. Sometimes there were two drummers, it seemed like most people in the band could play three or four instruments, there was an electric banjo shaped like a metal guitar, the lead singer guy totally reminded me of a young Mike Barfield, red hair, great voice, nervous tick, seemed to be a very talented and versatile band. The Butcher and Builder sound is pretty much straight ahead rock, a tich on the Americana side, a tich on the folky side; I thought they might be friends of the Heartless Bastards from Austin but it turns out they are from Portland, which makes sense too.