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More than a dozen local bands and musicians will perform at three area venues this weekend as part of the Forward Music Festival, from 5 until 8 p.m. daily, to benefit each night's venue.
On Friday, the Cactus Club will host Mark Waldoch, Klassik and others; on Saturday, Chris Porterfield, Sista Strings, Reyna and others will perform; and on Sunday, XRay Arcade in Cudahy hosts Rose of the West, Dramatic Lovers and others.
A complete lineup and schedule is here.
According to the event's Facebook page, "The Forward Music Festival is the first (and hopefully last) quarantine music festival. The goal of this event is to raise money for some of Milwaukee’s favorite music venues who are hurting right now due to COVID-19. We’re doing this through a three-day music festival over Instagram live featuring some amazing and amazingly generous local acts."
Watch the events on Instagram live Friday at @cactcusclubmke, Saturday at @cooperagemke and Sunday at @xrayarcade. You can also watch all three nights on Twitch at @Twitch.tv/Bizsnes.
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.
