It ended with an argument over Wendy's. Milwaukee's Violent Femmes had been playing together for nearly 30 years, but that shared history wasn't enough to keep them together in the wake one of the fast-food giant's ad campaigns, which used the Femmes' iconic "Blister in the Sun" with the permission of guitarist Gordon Gano but not bassist Brian Ritchie. Incensed by that commercial, Ritchie sued Ga...

 Reliving memories of punk rock in the days when it was new has been key in igniting such recent events as the Lest We Forget concert, headlined by Die Kreuzen, and The Prosecutors’ reunion show. Steve Nodine

If Eileen Worman's medical problems are somewhat unusual, the financial...

The Milwaukee chamber-rock trio has a unique set up that flanks singer Janet WSchiff's prized cello by two percussionists—classical- and jazz-trained Scott Johnson and former Violent Femmes...

The group has gotten a favorable reception at a wide range of venues, ranging from a punk-rock club in Chicago (where they were billed as “heavy cello rock from Milwaukee”) to the Jazz Estate, where they perform frequently...

Milwaukee filmmaker and musician Mark G.E. went to Kansas City for graduate school in the mid-�80s and launched a mostly-music TV show in the early years of cable, �Joy Farm.� bounced between Milwaukee and Kansas City during the �80s. The program focused on what was then called new music�before hardening of the creative arteries set in and the category narrowed into a marketing ploy called �alte...

The Violent Femmes may or may not be done for good, but singer Gordon Gano has continued making music. This September, he'll release his second solo album, Under the Sun, on Yep Roc records. The record pairs him with "The Ryans," a pair of New York brothers who have scored some unloved films, including Fever Pitch and The Heartbreak Kid, while playing in a band called The Bogmen.

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The Milwaukee Art Museum goes all out tonight with an extravagant soiree in conjunction with their exhibit on British multi-media artists Gilbert and George from 5:30 to 9 p.m. There will be a handful of Express Talks on the exhibit, but the event will also be fittingly flamboyant: There will be male belly dancers, a program . . .