In the heart of the Riverwest neighborhood is a weekly showcase of some of Milwaukee’s most talented voices.

Linneman’s Acoustic Open Stage began in 1993, making it the city’s oldest open mic and a staple of the local music scene.

“Linneman's is an institution, and it's meant a lot to tons and tons of people,” said Chris Porterfield, frontman for Milwaukee-based band Field Report and an alum of the open mic. “It's a really special place. And what Jim and Marty have built is a great gift and service to our city.”

Jim Linneman and Marty Hacker are longtime partners in life and nightlife. The venue’s namesake rarely misses an installment of the Acoustic Open Stage, and he was there the night we were on hand to experience the energy of a community built on a shared love for music.

“Each and every Wednesday we have a featured performer who gets a half hour,” Linneman explained from the stage as he introduced Ethan Munson, the night's spotlight artist. “And to be the feature here, you have to come in and take part in our Open Stage and show a love for music and the desire anyway to write your own songs.”

In this episode, we take you inside a typical Wednesday night at Linneman’s — a space for seasoned performers to connect with newcomers; and an eclectic mix of people, songs and instruments, ranging from banjos and guitars to keyboards and even a kazoo.

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Guest host: Rachel Tarby

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the support of our Radio Milwaukee members.

A true calling always finds its way to you. Valencia Caldwell is living proof.

Her father was an air-traffic controller who always encouraged his children to follow their dreams. After his death, a special flight helped lead Caldwell back to her first love — one that wouldn't be easy to reconnect with.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates there are 213,000 aircraft pilots and engineers in the country. Just 4% are African American, and organizations like Sisters of The Skies estimate there are fewer than 200 Black women professional pilots in the United States.

Undaunted, Caldwell has been accepted to the United Aviate Academy, an intensive flight school through United Airlines. On this episode, podcast host Kim Shine talks with her about the often-turbulent path she's followed back to flying and how she turned to her community to help support her dream.

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Host: Kim Shine

You can contribute to Caldwell's GoFundMe here.

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Step by step… Left foot, then right. 

Each month, line dancing takes over the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace at a free community event held in partnership with Primetime Line Dance.  Whether they're grooving on the floor or have two left feet, participants say the classes build community,  boost their mental health and provide an all-around good time. Kim Shine joined in as everyone celebrated the event's one-year anniversary. 

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

On Saturday outside Milwaukee City Hall, solidarity showed itself in the form of hundreds of bike riders. They came together in the name of one of their own: Alex Pretti.

A longtime resident of Green Bay before he moved to Minneapolis, Pretti would make the trip to Milwaukee for the annual Riverwest 24 bike ride. When the 37-year-old was shot and killed by federal border patrol agents while protesting against President Trump’s immigration operations, communities across the country looked for something — anything — they could do in response.

Many of those communities banded together to hold bike rides in honor of Pretti. More than 500 people joined the one in Milwaukee, which added to the 100+ events held as far away as Finland and Australia. The sentiments shared at these rides centered on simple ideas, like the ones shared by Milwaukee resident Parabh at city hall.

“We believe in our basic human rights,” he said, “and those are some things that no one can really take away from us no matter how hard things get.”

You can hear more from the event, including a letter from one of Pretti’s Riverwest 24 teammates, in the full audio story.

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Host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Mister Rogers once challenged us by saying: “Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered just one kind word to another person.”

When he gave us these instructions, it wasn’t hard to look at the neighbors to the left and right of our home, and then imagine friendly conversations with them. But what about the neighbors we pass on the street everyday on our commute — those sleeping under bridges, at bus stops, in tents.

As temperatures recently dropped to negative-15 degrees in Milwaukee, the health and wellness of these people became front of mind. And an organization in Milwaukee that for nearly a decade has been extending kindness to our neighbors experiencing homelessness continued their mission in subzero conditions.

On this episode, we talk with Street Angels co-founders Shelly Sarasin and Eva Welch about how a change meeting at a warming shelter in 2016 grew into an award-winning nonprofit with an unwavering mission.

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Host: Kim Shine
Guest Host: Carolann Grzybowski

In the middle of Milwaukee winter, most of us are used to being outside and active if the conditions are juuust right. But there's a cycling group that meets every month — warm or cold, rain or shine — to ride and connect.

Scrappy Hour typically meets on the last Sunday of the month, rolling out from places like Cactus Club and The Daily Bird, with riders of all kinds joining in. Radio Milwaukee director of development Jay Burseth was one of those riders on a foggy and overcast December morning that wasn't exactly ideal cycling weather. But, as he found out, that's one of the group's secrest to community-building: showing up, regardless of the conditions.

To learn more about Scrappy Hour, including info about future rides, follow them on Instagram.

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Episode host: Kim Shine

Guest host: Jay Burseth

Uniquely Milwaukee is supported by our Radio Milwaukee members.

We’re changing things on the podcast this year, with shorter stories and themed months, each one with a different topic. For January, it’s Health & Wellness. In this episode, we focus on yet another Milwaukee grocery store in danger of closing, and it's in one of the city’s food deserts.

Earlier this month, the owners of Sherman Park Grocery Store asked the public for support — a message that came amid a string of other grocery stores closing last year and just days before a nearby Aldi on the north side shut down. Maurice “Moe” Wince and his wife, Yashica Spears, have owned the store since July of 2022 and are dealing with setbacks that threaten its future. 

A drop in customers, theft and nearly $100,000 in damage from historic flooding in August have left Wince and Spears in a difficult position. So they've turned to the community --- looking for grants, asking for help from business and marketing experts, inviting new customers into the store, and exploring whether vendors can be more flexible with delivery payment options.

On this episode, we talk with Wince and one of his regular customers who relies on Sherman Park Grocery Store to help her put food on the table.

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Episode host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is supported by our Radio Milwaukee members.

Join us for this encore edition of Uniquely Milwaukee as we grab a drink at Agency, Milwaukee's first hybrid bar and a 2025 James Beard Award finalist. Immerse yourself in the choice of indulging in an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. Plus you'll hear from the founder, Ryan Castelaz, as he shares the story of how this innovative concept came to fruition.

Click here to learn more about Agency.

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Podcast host: Kim Shine
Encore host: Salam Fatayer

Uniquely Milwaukee is supported by our Radio Milwaukee members and sponsored by the Milwaukee Public Library.

Happy New Year! This Uniquely Milwaukee throwback goes beyond the age-old question: "What's your New Year's resolution?" For this episode, we embraced the idea of rejection therapy by trying new things we were pretty sure would end in failure ... and bust a little ego in the process.

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Podcast host: Kim Shine
Encore host: Salam Fatayer

Uniquely Milwaukee is supported by our Radio Milwaukee members and sponsored by the Milwaukee Public Library.

Thank you for listening and supporting Uniquely Milwaukee! In this episode, we have a special message of gratitude from Radio Milwaukee executive director Jordan Lee as he reflects on the triumphs and changes of 2025, and looks ahead to a brand new year. 

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Podcast host: Kim Shine
Guest host: Jordan Lee, Radio Milwaukee executive director

Uniquely Milwaukee is supported by our Radio Milwaukee members and sponsored by the Milwaukee Public Library.