Wisconsin Life

Jim Linneman has a list of over 100 Milwaukee music venues that have come and gone in the 25 years he's been in business. "This is just not an easy business," he said, adding that he's never made much money at it. "The whole thing here is just always, for me, about having fun, you

The Grateful Dead played at Alpine Valley Music Theatre 20 times from 1980 to 1989. Fans trucked to the southeastern Wisconsin venue from all over the country. Producer Steve Gotcher attended most of those shows. On the day that turned out to be their last concert at Alpine in July of ’89, he decided to

When Dave Rogers opened his first guitar store in the early 1980s in downtown La Crosse, it was in a tiny former dental office. He filled it with Fenders and Gibsons. “I put every guitar that I personally owned, it was about 15 or 16 guitars, out for sale to get things started,” said Rogers.

The morning was already hot and humid as we pedaled out of Perrot State Park.  The mercury had passed 80 on its way into the mid 90s, but my thoughts were focused on one thing: what do they mean by “Hip Breaker Hill?” On my biking cue sheet it’s singled out with an exclamation point.

Here’s a classic joke: A miner, a sailor and a badger walk into a busy bar. Actually, it’s not a bar…it’s the Wisconsin state flag. Dive in to find out what all the symbols mean on this state symbol.

There’s a band that I’ve followed on and off since college called Pedro The Lion, and they released a new song awhile back called Yellow Bike. It’s about getting your first bike, and how the world opens up when you learn to ride it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQik6WpwRug   It was a blast of nostalgia for me.

When I took on the role as host and producer of "Wisconsin Life" on Wisconsin Public Radio, I wanted to incorporate more young voices on the program. So at the beginning of the school year, I teamed up with teachers and students at Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School, or MG21. It's a small public

When you walk into a classroom at Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School, there’s one desk that stands out. It’s lined with vintage military helmets, all purchased by MG21 student Harrison Farnam. Harrison is passionate about political and military history. WPR’s Maureen McCollum interviewed him about his interests. Maureen McCollum: So Harrison, I see your

Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School sophomore Coyote Johnson does everything. She sings, plays guitar, draws intricate sketches, and she writes poetry in a notebook she carries everywhere. For this radio project, Coyote wanted to share some of her poems and music. The first one is about being there for herself. == I'll keep you

Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School junior Dante Murray really wants to talk about school. Before he came to MG21 his sophomore year, he struggled at the traditional public school. "I didn't really find point in doing a lot of the stuff that they were assigning," said Dante. "Science and math aren't really my thing.