Every DIY scene needs its supporters. In Milwaukee, Bay View’s Cactus Club is a big one. This beloved music venue is one of the scene’s most revered spots, and headlining there is a dream for bands from all genres.

So far, you’ve met Fake My Death, an alternative rock/punk DIY band here in Milwaukee. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, go listen to part one right now. In that episode, our former Radio Milwaukee intern and current freelancer, Jonathan Joseph introduced you to the group and their not-so-sexy "other" hustle of day jobs. To round out this two-part series, Jonathan talks with Cactus Club’s owner about the business of DIY, and then Fake My Death take the stage. 

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Podcast host: Kim Shine
Guest host: Jonathan Joseph

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

Milwaukee is a place filled with creatives, especially in the city’s music scene. We’re home to dozens of independent artists and bands who’d rather do it their way than rely on a mainstream framework. 

For the next two episodes of Uniquely Milwaukee, we’ll dive into this sub-culture with guidance from someone who knows it well: former Radio Milwaukee intern and current freelance contributor Jonathan Joseph. He followed Fake My Death, an alt-rock/punk band whose members mixed their own DIY styles to create a sound all their own.

In this first installment, Jonathan introduces us to the band and sheds light on the other hustle of DIY life: the day jobs that help keep the dream alive. 

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Podcast host: Kim Shine 
Guest host: Jonathan Joseph

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

As the holiday season begins, we’re honoring the roots of Thanksgiving while also celebrating the traditions we’ve created along the way. "Friendsgiving" is one of the latter.

Although its history doesn’t go back quite as far as its namesake, Friendsgiving has grown in popularity over the last few decades as people set aside time for their chosen family. These are gatherings with the people who have supported us, challenged us and carried us through.

This episode is a warm reflection on belonging, connection and community with two stops along the way. First, host Kim Shine is joined by Marc Tasman — director of the digital arts and culture program in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s anthropology department — to dive into the concept of Friendsgiving. Then you’ll drop in on a celebration in Bay View with good vibes … and some really good food.

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Episode host: Kim Shine

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

Right along West Capitol Drive in Wauwatosa, history hides in plain sight — a time capsule to the city’s past, just off North 119th Street near the northbound I-41/45 ramp. It’s a quiet corner many have driven by and wondered, “What is that?”

The answer: Oak Hill Cemetery, a final resting place on a small plot of land that’s easy to miss and hard to get to. 

In this episode, host Kim Shine is joined by local historian Jeff Roznowski and Wauwatosa Historical Society executive director Amanda Saso. Together, they explore this often-overlooked cemetery and its local significance.

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Episode host: Kim Shine

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

Everybody needs nourishment. It’s at the top of the list for survival. But it’s not the end of the list. Tiffany Miller was well aware of that as she made plans for what would become Fruition Cafe.

Located in the Concordia 27 Building on the corner of 27th and Wells, the space opened in July 2024 with what you’d expect from the name: coffee, tea, kombucha, baked goods, and protein-packed sandwiches and wraps.

Then there’s the less-expected aspect: a place for the city’s creative minds to express themselves.

In this episode, Rachel Tarby takes you inside Fruition Cafe to hear from its owner about opening the space and her plans for its future. 

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Episode host: Rachel Tarby

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

The driving force behind Uniquely Milwaukee is storytelling. Most of the time, it comes in the form of a news-style piece. But this episode breaks from that while still putting at its center the stories that get to the core of how we as humans connect and better understand one another.

Sharing our experiences helps us be more compassionate and can also inspire others to open up. One of the places that happens is a local platform that Uniquely Milwaukee host Kim Shine helped create — something that gives storytellers of color an opportunity to share their truest selves on stage. It’s an event called AfterDark: For the Culture, a collaboration between HYFIN and Ex Fabula. We’ve got another one coming up Nov. 13 at Radio Milwaukee, and in this episode you’ll hear four stories from past tellers:

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Episode host: Kim Shine

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

Do you believe in ghosts?

With Halloween followed closely by Dia de los Muertos, we’re right in the middle of spooky season — the perfect time to explore and answer that question.

In this episode, we take a tour of Café Corazón, a restaurant in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood that some say is haunted. Guided by general manager DeVante Lisch, along with Allison Jornlin and Tea Krulos of American Ghost Walks, we learn the history of the building and stories about the possible spirits that still linger in the space.

From Riverwest, we head back to Walker’s Point and another location with some unexplained phenomenon that hits close to home: Radio Milwaukee! You'll hear from members of the team as they talk about their encounters with the mischievous spirit that roams the station. Spoiler: Not everyone thinks the ghost is real.

Finally, we wanted to hear from someone who represents the people who either don’t — or would rather not — believe in ghosts. 88Nine DJ Carolann Grzybowski is one of those people. She believes in something but has anxiety about the unknown. To provide that perspective, she shares a short, personal narrative about her own experiences.

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Episode host: Kim Shine

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

The outside of Third Space Collective MKE is hard to miss: a black door with vibrant colors streaming down, as if the paint was striving desperately to spill out onto the sidewalk.

The goal of Third Space Collective MKE is something that hasn’t always been easy to find in Milwaukee: an art gallery that also serves as an incubator for creatives, particularly in the Merrill Park neighborhood.

In this episode, guest host Rachel Tarby takes you to Third Space Collective's ribbon-cutting ceremony to meet its owner and experience the joy that the grand opening brought to the wider community.

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Episode hosts: Kim Shine, Rachel Tarby

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

October is Wisconsin Tech Month, and an upcoming Oct. 23 event specifically highlights an underrepresented group in tech: women, who make up only about 30% of the industry's workforce.

In this episode, host Kim Shine dives deeper into the tech landscape for girls and women in Wisconsin, and learns more about Wisconsin Tech Month events as a whole.

Guests:

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Episode host: Kim Shine

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

This fall marks a turning point for public-media outlets across the country. As of Oct. 1, federal funding for PBS, NPR and their local stations stopped. This $1.1 billion cut — a directive from the Trump administration — triggered widespread job cuts, restructurings and closures of hundreds of outlets across the country.

Radio Milwaukee is a public-media station, and as we begin our fall membership drive, we’re feeling the impact — as are our sister stations across the state, like WXPR in northern Wisconsin.

In this episode of Uniquely Milwaukee, host Kim Shine talks with WXPR CEO and general manager Jessie Dick about the impact of funding cuts, the value of public media – especially in rural communities – and how they’re staying proactive.

Radio Milwaukee’s Fall Membership Drive goes through Oct. 10. You can donate now, and also reach out to us any time during the year to become a volunteer or to collaborate. 

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Episode host: Kim Shine

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