If you are staying in Milwaukee this summer, consider yourself lucky. From a celebration of almost every ethnicity at the Summerfest grounds to free live music every night of the week, events to attend pop up as spontaneously as those flowers in the street medians. The city truly embraces and appreciates every warm weekend.
With all the summer music tours, movie openings and natural aspects the city has to offer, the buzz is deafening, and it's not just from the cicadas.
MUSIC
Summerfest, June 28 to July 8
Even if the Pink Floyd rumor isn't true, Roger Waters is still on hand to play Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety during the 40th anniversary of the 'fest. As a concept album that only proves its importance and seems less abstract over time, having the opportunity to hear this live should not be missed. The Fray also (strangely) headline the Marcus Amphitheater, along with Bon Jovi and John Mayer, all on separate nights. Tool and Toby Keith also headline, illustrating the range of genres at the festival that still decisively ignore hip-hop.
Also confirmed is the always eccentric, ever relevant, Weird Al Yankovic.
Warped Tour, July 31
The lineup never changes much over the years, but neither does the ticket price. For $26, enjoy punk-rock staples such as Bad Religion, Alkaline Trio and Throwdown, as well as many other bands of the pop-punk variety at the Summerfest grounds.
Lollapalooza, August 3 to 5
With Intonation Fest canceled, Lollapalooza easily picks up the slack in booking a multitude of bands, and the Amtrak may be the best way to arrive at the festival. In a great location in downtown Chicago, where Pearl Jam, Daft Punk, Ben Harper and more than 70 other bands perform, the steep ticket price of $195 is a fair deal when averaged. If more obscure indie rock is your flavor, there is the Pitchfork Music festival on July 13 to 15, which features The New Pornographers, Steven Malkmus and Cat Power, with two-day passes only costing $35.
Outdoors
Brewers' baseball
"College Nights are Friday Nights"
And I quote these beautiful words from the Web site: "College students will be able to receive Terrace Reserved and Bleacher tickets for half price on Friday home games when showing their current college ID, excluding the Miller Lite Beerpen."
Disc golf
Dretzka Park "18,"
12020 W. Bradley Road
An 18-hole course that is said to be one of the best courses in Wisconsin, with "concrete tee pads and tournament-quality disc baskets." Players must bring their own discs.
Bicycling
Stop by the many bike shops around Milwaukee and pick up a city bike map, which will help you navigate the many trails and paths. See especially the Oak Leaf Trail, a green path that is mostly separated from the street and runs through most of the city.
Indoors
Aligning with the Joseph Campell philosophy, the summer movies assert that all the stories have been told. Now, they just need to be retold two, three or even four times.
"Spider Man 3"
Peter Parker faces his inner nemesis along with other villains, like Sandman and Venom, on Friday. Widely thought of to be the last in the series, the film carries a PG-13 rating, so perhaps the makers are taking the last one to extremes.
"28 Weeks Later"
On May 11, the zombie virus is back. But this time, it's more understated. Sweet.
"Shrek the Third"
May 18. Half the fun is trying to catch the jokes that the kids won't get.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
July 13. Half the fun is being a kid again.
"Transformers: The Movie"
The live-action adaptation hits theaters July 4. Just from the previews, it looks like the already-strong story will only be complimented by CGI and the robot battle on Earth.
"The Simpsons"
July 27. After 18 years on the air, the show still feels as if it owes its fans. Though the movie has been hyped for more than a year now, producers are still tight-lipped on the details. Until recently, since the media has taken the bait that audiences will be blinded by a full-frontal nude appearance by Bart.
Italian Film Festival
From May 22 to 24, the Varsity Theatre will show three Italian films to the public free of charge. "La Febbre," "Alla Luce Del Sole" and "La Destinazione" will be shown with English subtitles at 7 p.m. each night. The event is sponsored by the Italian Club at Marquette.
A few reasons to save that summer electric bill to prove residency .
Mitchell Park Domes
524 S. Layton Blvd.
Free on Mondays from 9 to 11:30 a.m. with proof of Milwaukee county residency.
Milwaukee Art Museum
Free on Mondays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon with proof of residency.
Milwaukee Public Library
In addition to free air conditioning, after you have your library card for two weeks you can check out up to 15 pieces of media. This grants you access to more random DVDs than you will ever have time for, as well as countless library books.