Photo courtesy of Music Beer Cheese
Music Beer Cheese - Open Jam at Landmark Lanes
Open jams are a great way for musicians to meet like-minded folks, try something new, and most importantly, have a blast. Local music resource Music Beer Cheese (MBC) hosts monthly open jams in The Moon Room at Landmark Lanes, free and welcoming to musicians of all experience levels and backgrounds with different featured artists every month. MBC’s next jam is this Wednesday, Dec. 17 from 7 to 10 p.m. and will have Venturer and Jon Blair as featured artists.
Photo courtesy of Music Beer Cheese
Music Beer Cheese Open Jam setup in the Moon Room
The Moon Room at Landmark Lanes setup for a Music Beer Cheese open jam
Things at an MBC jam start off simple and straightforward with the typical rock band setup of guitar, bass, drums and microphone on stage. The instruments are available for anyone to come up and play, plus folks can bring their own instruments. Bar patrons are welcome to come sit and enjoy the music, or even dance if they feel like it.
MBC founder and host Zach Spiegler explains that these open jams were something of a happy accident. “I was trying to plan a show at Landmark Lanes, and initially it was going to be a rock showcase, but we were having issues getting confirmation on the dates,” he says. “We said screw it—it’s an open jam. I’m bringing all my instruments and I’ll have some buddies come.”
Musical Variety
Photo courtesy of Music Beer Cheese
Music Beer Cheese Open Jam at Landmark Lanes
The first jam, back in August, kept things tight with five or six people. By November, Spiegler estimates 30 to 40 people were in attendance. Wednesday’s jam will be the fourth that MBC has hosted.
“For the first hour it’s usually people coming who know about it, and then from there people floating around Landmark will shuffle it and shuffle out,” Spiegler observes. “We’ve gotten people who were there for a birthday party whose friend knew how to play guitar. We had one guy last month who came up and started rapping while the guys from The Panoptics were on stage. We also had a death metal guy last time.”
|
|
Spiegler has long been a loyal patron of Landmark Lanes, noting the bar’s various activities like bowling, pool and the arcade. The “MBC jams are also a significant step in the reintroduction of live music at Landmark, which had been a regular thing prior to the Covid pandemic. “They make the booking so easy and effortless, and that’s what I appreciate about working with Landmark,” Spiegler mentions. “There’s so much stuff to do there, and I’ve made a great relationship with the folks there so far.”
Milwaukee’s Scene
Spiegler has a band of his own, Mas Verde, that plays an eclectic blend of rock and roll incorporating elements like surf, blues and psychedelia. Originally from Janesville, he lived in Milwaukee for several years before moving to Asheville, North Carolina in 2020 and then to the legendary music city of Nashville two years later.
“It’s so filled with music, but what I found is that it’s a lot of the business, and that’s what it’s turned into,” Spiegler remarks about Nashville. “It’s still a very worthwhile experience going, but it’s also a reality check when you realize how competitive it is down there.”
As time went by, Spiegler saw Milwaukee’s music scene burgeoning from afar and felt he was missing out on something cool. “I saw Diet Lite spring up, and all the shows Social Cig was doing, and other bands like Bug Moment and RAT BATH,” he remembers. “I also saw people like Maximiano and a lot more folk and Americana that was coming through.”
Upon returning to Milwaukee in 2024, Spiegler wasted no time getting immersed in Milwaukee music. One Friday night, he had trouble picking which show to attend due to the sheer volume of events, which ultimately is how Music Beer Cheese started. “I went to every website—Linneman’s, Cactus Club, Anodyne—and 30 minutes later, I was thinking this was insane,” Spiegler recalls. This prompted him to create an Instagram page listing live music happening every weekend at every venue in town. “That became the majority of what it is at the moment.”
Spiegler plans to gradually incorporate content like full monthly show lists, interviews and spotlights, and band showcases into MBC. Spiegler is also a team member of Port Washington-based Park Street Studio, assisting on the production side of live music and events there.
“I love doing big shows where you have anywhere from five to eight bands, where it’s an all-day thing where people can come and go,” Spiegler adds. “I love looking at a bill and thinking about how I want to see every single one of these. I want to put on shows like that.”
In fact, Music Beer Cheese is teaming up with DIY venue Down on Downer for the first iteration of their “Now That’s What I Call Milwaukee Music” showcase series this Saturday, Dec. 20 at Falcon Bowl. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. and will feature Tlalok, SSAANN, Crook & Company, The Panoptics and Nate John Herlache. Tickets can be purchased here.
“I’ve gone to more shows and met more people in the music scene than I ever had in the four years I lived here before, and it’s been so rewarding,” Spiegler affirms. “I definitely made the right decision coming back to Milwaukee.”
