Saturday was another hot, foggy night at the always-surprising Brady Street. It was festival time once again and after a solid 11 hours of beer, food, music, cheese and shopping, I am in a Brady St. Festival coma. Well, I actually only lasted about six hours. You can’t even call it eclectic – this year’s fest was a bacchanalia. There was a drag show, a camel and some crazy old ladies gyrating in front of music stages. And that’s not all.
Why were there so many crazies this year? I asked Steph Salvia, executive director of the Brady Street Business Improvement District. “It might have been the milder weather; they came out early and stayed late,” she reported. “But really, that’s what makes this a great festival. All races, genders and cultures can come together on Brady Street.” Steph reported an even larger attendance than last year’s successful fest – an estimated 50,000 throughout the day and night.
The crowds were so dense and aimless, I couldn’t even maintain a forward trajectory to see all the stages. Instead, I hung out at the Nomad local music stage for most of the night. It was a perfectly curated blend of world and rock music, thanks to Mike Eitel from the Nomad. RAS Movement, The Delta Routine, Maritime, Fever Marlene and Herman Astro tore it up and made Milwaukeeans feel proud to call this city home.
New this year – the craft beer tent and the cheese curd eating contest – which were both sucessful. “I am just glad no one puked!” joked Salvia. On the west end of the street, the pro-wrestling stage was a smash hit and so was the 30-piece Chicago outfit Mucca Pazza, in all of its punk-marching band glory.
While the fest has come and gone this year, you can still get a small taste of that special Brady Street charm if you hang out at JoCat’s around bar time.
And don’t worry, what happens on Brady, stays on Brady.
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