Pink Concert in Milwaukee

About a year ago, I found out P!nk was coming to Milwaukee and my friend Kacey asked right away to go. I have loved her since her punk days of the early 2000s and she has just gotten better since then.

I bought tickets within the first 10 minutes they went on sale because I knew it was going to be a big hit. So from March to November, we patiently waited for the concert to get here. Then P!nk came down with voice issues and rescheduled until January. I'm glad she didn't cancel, but it was sad to think we have been in waiting almost a year to see her.

But it was definitely worth the wait. Unfortunately it was rescheduled from a Sunday to a Thursday so we didn't have the day to enjoy downtown Milwaukee and had to rush around after work. We got stuck in some traffic and then had to park and hoof it through downtown to find dinner. So many places were packed, we eventually found Bistro 333 at the Hyatt had seating available.

The manager came over and took our drink order almost immediately and we thought - yes perfect a good spot for a quick bite. Unfortunately this wasn't the case. We got our drinks and looked over the menu a bit. We placed the order with the manager and that's when I saw they had one server and she was running around like a nut.

I got the Turkey and Havarti on a pretzel bun and Kacey got the Angus burger. For lack of pictures of the food, I can best describe the entrees and completely unequal. I received turkey piled high with melty Havarti and pears on a warm pretzel bun with lettuce and mayo. Kacey received a burger plain on a bun. He wasn't asked what he wanted on it only how he wanted it cooked. He immediately asked for mayo to help with the burger and another round of drinks but none of it ever came and we couldn't get the managers attention. My sandwich was so big, I gave Kacey half of mine and he ate the blah burger meat with ketchup. We were really disappointed in the quality of his food and the service.

The server came over and apologized for not making it over to us and that she was slammed. All I can say is - Hey Hyatt, you are across from the US Cellular Arena, Milwaukee Theater and Bradley Center - wouldn't you staff your bar for all event nights adequately? Maybe someone called in sick, but then the manager shouldn't have left until the server could get things under control.

We decided to not let it dampen our spirits and headed over to the BMO Harris Bradley Center for the show. A $14 cocktail in hand (ouch!) and we made our way to our actual nosebleed seats. We were one row off the ceiling but it wasn't too horrible. I probably will never pick those seats again if I can help it, but I did like that I was straight on from the stage.

P!nk puts on a spectacular show. She is so athletic, funny, daring and has an amazing set of vocals.  Her show is almost like Cirque du Soleil with all the acrobatics and dancing. She dangled from a spinning orb on the stage and then spun in the middle really fast and still sang. There were some parts where she was out of breath from the dancing and let us take over the songs but I didn't mind.

Even with her ear piece not working some of the time and you could tell she was frustrated, she still went along with the show even saying she didn't need to hear herself as long as we thought she sounded good. One of my favorite quotes from her "We talk in kids language now about my shows, I am frustrated and feel like Belle." Later she commented on hearing herself in the earpiece was like Nemo and then when it was all better she felt like Cinderella!

She sang, played the drums and piano, danced, flipped, twisted and laughed all over the stage in heels! Her show is very entertaining and she is purely awesome. If she comes again I am there. On a personal level, she has motivated me to realize that if I put my mind to something, I can most likely accomplish it. Physically you can't be her awesome body and I hope to work towards a healthier lifestyle and get back into dancing.

Enjoy the shots from the show here is a link to my YouTube videos to enjoy. 

*Update - here is the link for Tap Milwaukee's thoughts of the show. I agree 100%! 
  http://m.tapmilwaukee.com/pnk-wows-crowd-with-exceptionally-imaginative-performance-b99176254z1-239538391.html

 

 

 

Braise & Mumford Night

Last night ranks really high on my list of dinner and concert evenings! My friend Shauna and I tried out Braise before the Mumford & Sons concert last night and we were really impressed.

Braise is one of a handful of restaurants in Milwaukee that really focuses on using local ingredients. It is Milwaukee's first Community Supported Restaurant (CSR!) We chose to go to Braise as part of the Eat Milwaukee Challenge, that I found out thru this Nibble, going on now through September 15. I figured if I couldn't make dinner with fresh Farmer's Market fair, I could at least try to eat local and this was a great option. I hope to get to the Waukesha Farmer's Market Saturday and pick up some goodies!

Ok back to dinner. We made a reservation not knowing that the place really isn't very busy at 5:30 on a Tuesday night, but we didn't want to risk the chance of being late to Mumford, so I'm glad we made one. We decided to sit outside on cute copper colored chairs and butcher block-esque tables. Shauna had seen on the restaurant's Facebook page that they offer different sliders each day, however the sliders are only available at the bar and we were already seated outside. When she found out they were a beef and horseradish slider, I thought I was going to be eating solo and texting her while she ate at the bar, but she said she would come back for the sliders some other time.

Our server promptly greeted us with water and fresh bread and butter and told us a bit about the menu. They have a Market Menu each week that is a 3-course meal - either Root-To-Leaf or Head-To-Tail. Last night was a pork option or a heirloom tomato and although tempting, I thought I would be too full if I ordered it. (No one wants a sleepy person next to them at a concert!)

After reviewing the impressive cocktail and wine list, I settled on a Zuma Rosso red and Shauna went with a white wine. I chose the Kale & Quark Tart with tomatoes and chickpeas on the side and Shauna got the Roasted Chicken with feta and veggies. We enjoyed the nice summer breeze and chitty-chatted a bit. On Saturday, Shauna asked me to be her Maid of Honor (squeeeee!!!!!) and so most of the talk revolved around wedding planning. I'm beyond excited and honored to be a part of her and Jack's big day next summer!

I was very impressed with the plate presentation of the food. Everything was so colorful and fresh.

Forgot to grab a shot before I dug in!

My kale was cooked down with onions and oil and placed onto warm Quark (from Clock Shadow Creamery I must assume) inside the tart. It was heavenly and not too rich. The cherry tomatoes were cut in half and scattered amongst chickpeas covered in a Greek yogurt sauce.

Braise Milwaukee

Shauna's chicken breast was sliced over a bed of veggies and she said it was lovely. It was very Greek and she liked the flavors together very much.

We enjoyed another glass of wine each and she got an espresso before we left. She said it was nice and strong just what she needed before the concert. I used the restroom before leaving and they truly are trying to leave as small of a carbon footprint as possible with their place. Actual towels are used to dry our hands and a basket is under the sink for the used ones to go into. Yay for not killing too many trees!

I will definitely go back to Braise for another meal (sliders) and classes. If I enjoy it as much next time, I might consider becoming a member. There are some great perks and I love staying local :)

We drove around for a bit trying to find free/close parking and ended up about a mile away on Barclay and Oregon. It was a beautiful night so we didn't mind the walk.

Beautiful Milwaukee sunset

Our friend Tory's "house" in the distance

The concert was at the Marcus Amphitheater and so before we took our seats, we enjoyed the views (and smells, whew!) of Lake Michigan. We caught it right at sunset. Bear's Den is a great opening act for Mumford, but The Vaccines were a bit too hard for my taste.

Milwaukee from Marcus

Mumford & Sons - Milwaukee

Mumford did not disappoint. I have waiting forever for them to come to town and regardless the review the silly JSOnline reporter gave the show, I thought it was outstanding. The intimate lighting was a highlight for me!

I thought the band was personable and fun while still being crazy-skilled musicians. Marcus choked on a bug during Light and laughed his way through two more songs while he reminisced the scene from Dumb & Dumber about eating a June Bug. Too awesome. Then they zoomed in on an instrument with a sticker that said Milwaukee America's Drunkest City and he told us he has shotgunned a PBR or two in his days! So fun. The lighting, the sound, the voices, the singing along of the crowd - it was a great show.

Mumford & Sons - Milwaukee

Mumford is going to take some time off and just live for a bit and then get in the studio and write and record another album but the plan to be back and I plan to be there!