When the RNC is in town in mid-July, the Historic Third Ward neighborhood will run a campaign of its own.
That week, the neighborhood will promote Beerpartisanship.
“Yes, we can (or bottle, or cup, or, best of all, glass),” say neighborhood merchants, organizations and residents.
There will be posters – designed by neighborhood-based Hanson Dodge, which hatched the idea – adorning the area’s walls and windows leading up to a Wednesday, July 17 meet-up at the Third Ward Beer Garden in Catalano Square from 4 to 7 p.m.
“The Historic Third Ward welcomes people of all walks of life, and strives to always provide a welcoming, genuinely Milwaukee experience,” says Historic Third Ward Association Executive Director Jim Plaisted.
“When Hanson Dodge approached us with this idea, we knew it was a perfect fit. Anytime we can come together on a July afternoon and enjoy a beer, good music and fun conversation, it doesn’t get much better.”
The event will include a free tapping of “Reach Across the Ale,” a beer that The Explorium Brewpub has renamed for the occasion.
There will also be beers from the nearby Wizard Works Brewing and other local breweries featured at the beer garden.
Beerpartisanship T-shirts will also be for sale at the meet-up.
Hanson Dodge will also be on hand filming individuals as they play a #Beerpartisanship card game, with free beer as prizes. The videos will be shared on social mdia.
“When we found out Milwaukee was awarded the RNC, we wondered how we could bring people together,” says Mitch Markussen, Creative Director at Hanson Dodge.
“We thought, instead of highlighting our differences, let's have some fun with some easier conversations. Let's bring people together, and when they agree on a topic, we'll give them a beer. It’s hard to argue or disagree when you have a smile on your face, and a beer in your hand.”
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
