Milwaukee, WI
Musician Joe Wong on how playing Milwaukee basement shows launched his career
If you’re someone who watches the credits on TV and films, you’ve likely seen drummer Joe Wong’s name scroll past on numerous occasions.
In addition to recording two solo albums – the latest of which is the brand new “Mere Survival” – and performing in bands and as a sideman, the Milwaukee-born Wong has scored many movies and TV shows, including “Russian Doll” and ABC’s “Will Trent,” among others.
Wong, who is now based in Los Angeles, also has recorded nearly 400 episodes of his popular, drummer-focused podcast, The Trap Set.
Catching up with Wong seemed long overdue and so I took the opportunity to ask him about all this while he was out promoting “Mere Survival.”
Most interesting of all is that he told me, “Every professional opportunity I’ve had is the circuitous byproduct of playing in basements in Milwaukee.”
Read more here…
OnMilwaukee: Let’s start with your Milwaukee credentials for folks who don’t know? Where did grow up, go to school, etc.?
Joe Wong: I was born at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Coincidentally, my mother worked there as a nurse in the ER at the time. I grew up in Wauwatosa and went to public schools there. I attended UWM for a year before transferring to music school on the East Coast.
That’s going way back! You were in a number of bands here, too, right?
I started playing in bands when I was 14. My first show was in the basement of a since-demolished “hourly motel” called The Camelot Inn on Bluemound Road. Several high school-aged bands rented the space and threw a show.
Soon after, we were playing at clubs like The Globe and The Unicorn. When I was 17, I co-founded a band called Akarso, which was the first band I toured with. At the time, there were a number of houses in Riverwest and on the East Side that hosted basement shows. We played in many of these spaces and met bands from around the country, some of whom later became famous.
When I was 18, I moved into The Bremen House; and we hosted shows up to four nights a week. The house was burgled three times during our tenure, and–years after we’d moved out–the house was featured on the first episode of Hoarders.
Later, I played with some great jazz musicians. I worked in a trio with Neil Davis and Billy Johnson. We played at clubs like The Estate and Caroline’s and hosted a weekly session at Jaimie’s Place on 25th and Capitol. Some of the folks that sat in with us include: Manty Ellis, Berkeley Fudge, Dan Nimmer, George Braith, Harvey Scales, Charles Davis and Jasmine Song. Concurrently, I had short tenures with De La Buena and Sindoola, which was a Senegalese fusion band.
So, of course everyone wants to know the secret to transitioning from drummer of the local music scene to scoring music for “Russian Doll,” having a successful podcast like “The Trap Set,” and making solo records with the likes of Jim Keltner and Money Mark. Walk us through that path a bit.
Every professional opportunity I’ve had is the circuitous byproduct of playing in basements in Milwaukee. In the ‘90s, there was a lot of crossover between the basement scene and the experimental film community at UWM. The first several films I scored were co-composed with Didier Leplae, who played in bands like Competitorr, whom I recorded when I was in high school).
The drummer of Competitorr, Sarah Price, was one of the filmmakers responsible for “American Movie.” Didier and I scored the subsequent few films by Sarah, Chris Smith and Dan Ollman (“The Yes Men,” “The Pool,” “Summercamp,” “Collapse”). Through the course of working on those films, we met Christy Karacas who hired us on a few of our first TV series (“Robotomy,” “Superjail!,” “Ballmasterz”).
“Ballmasterz” starred Natasha Lyonne, whom I’d also met through Fred Armisen. I first met Fred in the ‘90s when I was playing in Akarso and he was playing drums in a Chicago band called Trenchmouth. We reconnected in 2013 because Fred was a fan of Marnie Stern, with whom I was touring. Fred also became a fan of my podcast.
Because of the podcast, Fred asked me to help produce his Netflix special, “Standup for Drummers,” and during that time I got to know Natasha a bit. Soon after, she asked me to submit some music when she was looking for a composer for “Russian Doll.”
The podcast served as my bridge between working as a supporting player – as a drummer and film composer – and releasing my own work. I met Jim (Keltner) and Joey (Waronker) through the podcast, and Joey became my neighbor and one of my closest friends. We hung out in my backyard many nights during Covid.
After I released my first album, Jim Keltner emailed me to tell me how much he liked listening to the album in his car. So, when I was writing “Mere Survival” I wrote two of the songs with Jim in mind. Everyone loves playing with Jim, so it was easy to enlist Nate Mendel and Money Mark – both of whom I’d met years earlier when we recorded a Bill Dolan album together – along with Drew Erickson. Joey was at my house the night before the session and offered to come play percussion, mostly so that he could hang out with Jim.
That session was at the tail end of the pandemic, after the vaccine became available; and it was life affirming to get to play music in a room with other human beings!
As a drummer I have to ask, were you surprised that a drummer-focused podcast has been as popular as The Trap Set has been? After all, the repertoire of drummer jokes is pretty long and even guys like Ringo have been dismissed by those who think drummers don’t really contribute.
To be honest, I’m not surprised at all. The fact that drummers are often overlooked meant that they were an incredible, untapped source of wisdom. Although most of the guests are drummers, the podcast tends to focus on non-drumming topics, like how folks move through life as artists.
I was a big fan of Marc Maron, who at the time interviewed other comics exclusively; I was struck by the fact that – even if he didn’t know his guest – they had an immediate intimacy, given their shared vocation.
I was going through a bit of an existential crisis when I started recording the show, and the opportunity to engage with other people who had successfully navigated through the challenges I faced was a gift. My hope was always that, by focusing on a small subset of people but talking about universal human themes, the podcast would resonate with anyone interested in living an artistic life.
It’s hugely rewarding when I hear from non-musicians who feel like the conversations on the show can be applied to their own lives.
Your new solo record is out and has contributions from Jim, Joey and Money Mark but also Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron. It’s a really interesting and lush-sounding record. Tell us a bit about making it? Is it something you sort of did piece by piece over time or did you have a very specific vision and make it kind of all in one go?
From a logistical perspective, I’ve learned to treat my own records just like my scoring projects; I’ve found it really helpful to work with a deadline and to have someone else in the room. In the case of my first two records, I collaborated with co-producer Mary Timony – I was her drummer over 20 years ago – Dave Fridmann and arranger Paul Cartwright.
Since I was busy with other projects, I scheduled non-negotiable periods during which I wrote and recorded the album. If, for example, I knew I was going to Seattle to record a song with Matt, I would write a song with him in mind. Even though I have my own studio, I’ve also found it helpful to record my own music elsewhere. I feels more deliberate and focused.
Do you get back home much?
I get back to Milwaukee a couple times a year.
What do you miss most about Milwaukee?
I miss my friends and family most, and the general Midwestern kindness. I miss summer by the lake. I also miss restaurants like Apollo Cafe, Zaffiro’s Pizza, Barbiere’s, Royal India, African Hut (RIP), La Merenda, Beans and Barley and East Garden.
You always have great projects in the works, it seems. What’s next for you?
I’m working on “Krapopolis,” which was created by Milwaukee native Dan Harmon, as well as “Will Trent” on ABC. I’m working on some new projects with the folks that created “The Midnight Gospel.” I co-produced an album for Mary Timony, and I’m producing a couple other albums for some other artists. My band has some shows coming up this summer. And, of course, I’m starting album No. 3.
Thanks Joe!
Thanks so much for having me!
Video circulating this week shows masked federal agents in Milwaukee arresting people. City leaders say the face coverings violate a city ordinance — but whether federal agents are required to follow local ordinances is a legal question that may ultimately be decided by a federal judge.
RELATED | Father with no criminal record detained by ICE on Milwaukee’s south side, family says
Local attorney Russell Jones said the answer depends on the specific ordinance and what federal authorities are doing.
“The issue becomes whether or not the local ordinances interfere with the operations of the federal officers acting under federal law. If it does, federal law will supersede it. Right, it’s the supremacy clause of the Constitution. If it doesn’t interfere with their operations, then typically they will follow those ordinances. So that’s really the question: do the ordinances interfere with the legitimate operations of the federal agency?” Jones explained.
For the past week, masked federal agents have been seen in Wisconsin arresting people they say are in the country illegally.
Watch: Do federal agents have to follow Milwaukee’s face covering and park ordinances?
Do federal agents have to follow Milwaukee’s face covering and park ordinances?
Galo Suarez described one encounter.
“They broke our side window, and they told us that if we didn’t comply, we would face several heavy consequences,” Suarez said.
Images have also surfaced of what appear to be federal agents in Milwaukee County parks.
Federal agents wearing masks and being in county parks, according to city and county leaders, are against local ordinances.
Milwaukee’s city ordinance prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings. A Milwaukee County ordinance prohibits any law enforcement agency from using a park as a staging area without a permit.
When asked whether a resolution to the legal question was possible now, Jones said it likely falls to the courts.
“That’s a question that eventually probably some federal judge will answer,” Jones said.
Before the city’s face covering ordinance was passed, City Attorney Evan Goyke wrote in a memo that “it is legal and enforceable.”
Enforcement of the ordinance would fall to Milwaukee Police, who earlier this week said they have “requested a formal written legal opinion from the city attorney’s office regarding the ordinance’s applicability and enforceability.” TMJ4 News reached out to Goyke on this and is waiting to hear back.
ICE has already stated it “will not abide by unconstitutional bans,” noting that “ICE officers wear face coverings for one reason: to protect themselves and their families from real-world threats including agitators.”
Jones said the practical challenge of enforcing a local ordinance against federal officers adds another layer of complexity.
“Enforcing a local ordinance right is typically done with an arrest or issuing a ticket, and certainly arresting ICE officers would interfere with their operations,” Jones added. “Ultimately, a federal judge will decide if these ordinances interfere with federal operations, and if they do, they will be superseded by federal law, and if they don’t, then ICE would likely have to follow them.”
This story was reported on-air by Jenna Rae and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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A hospital bed. That was the only thing that could stop Dominique Paul Noth from doing a review.
An ice storm tried a couple of years ago, coming to Milwaukee the same night as a dance recital. It failed. When he could no longer drive and gave up his license, one of his children would take him, or he’d Uber to a performance. That was his level of dedication.
Then, one month before his passing, Noth, stuck in a hospital bed and hooked up to an oxygen tank, acquiesced, calling his editor to inform him he would not be able to review Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None.” For the first time in his 60 years as an arts critic in Milwaukee, the show would go on without him.
“He was not happy about it,” his son Vincent said.
“It’s something I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do before,” added Paul, the third oldest Noth’s nine children.
Noth, who influenced Milwaukee’s discussion of culture and the arts for close to six decades, died on June 26 at 84 years old. He had advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated by heart failure.
Conceived while his parents were escaping the Nazis in France, Noth was born in New York in 1942. He moved to Milwaukee as a teenager and went to Marquette University, where he fell in love with the arts.
Noth graduated in 1963, and worked in New York for three years before being hired by the Milwaukee Journal, where he worked in a variety of positions for three decades. Starting as a copy editor, he soon made a switch to news writing before becoming a film and drama critic.
He kept rising, becoming an arts and senior features editor, working on the publication’s beloved Green Sheet in the 1970’s. Noth stayed at the newspaper long enough to serve as the first online news producer for the merged Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In the 1970’s and 80’s, he also taught a film course at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After leaving the Journal Sentinel, he served as editor-in-chief of The Milwaukee Labor Press for a decade before becoming a contributing theater and culture critic for Urban Milwaukee.
Noth’s writing earned numerous honors, including nine gold medals from The Milwaukee Press Club for Best Critic. Never afraid to ruffle feathers with searing reviews, Noth said “the force fizzled” in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.” He even briefly got himself banned from reviewing a Skylight Theater show in 1974 because of past rhetoric.
“He approached Milwaukee as if it was New York, L.A., Chicago,” said Jeannie Gaffigan, Noth’s oldest daughter. “He really always believed in Milwaukee, and always believed in the arts in Milwaukee.”
His access to subjects often set him apart. Once, when Cary Grant was getting into a taxi to go to the airport, Noth followed the actor into the cab to secure an exclusive interview. He also got a one-on-one with Steven Spielberg by talking his way past security after the filmmaker spurned other media.
Noth juggled working tirelessly with raising a family, and often involved them in his jobs. He would take his children to exclusive, private screenings and even more exclusive interviews. His kids attended his UWM classes, and sat in the Milwaukee Journal offices while he typed his reviews.
He also loved to cook and bake, making everything from scratch.
“I have no idea how he did as much as he did,” son Paul said. “He was able to accomplish a lot.”
Even though his body was not fit to leave the hospital, Noth was able to give his family one final gift before he died. Surrounded by all his kids and many grandkids, Noth went around the room and gave a personalized goodbye to everybody.
“It’s a great blessing,” Paul said, “but it’s also a very emotional, devastating time.”
Noth told them even though he could no longer continue to make the world a better place, he trusted each and every one of them to carry on that legacy.
In that vein, his family established the Dominique Paul Noth Memorial Fund, which is now accepting donations. The fund, according to its website, will be used to support charitable causes that enrich the greater Milwaukee community, foster creativity and education, and strengthen civic life.
A celebration of life for Noth will begin at 2 p.m. on August 2 at Turner Hall, followed by a memorial tribute at 4 p.m.
Jack Albright can be reached at JAlbright@usatodayco.com.
Milwaukee, WI
Hundreds rally on Milwaukee’s South Side against ICE arrests and in solidarity with immigrants
Hundreds of people gathered at Kosciuszko Park on Milwaukee’s South Side, marching through the neighborhood and raising signs in protest of recent ICE arrests across Wisconsin.
READ ALSO | Father with no criminal record detained by ICE on Milwaukee’s south side, family says
Community members, organizations, and city leaders joined together in the march, which organizers said is meant to be peaceful and to raise awareness about human rights.
“We are standing in solidarity; we don’t believe what’s happening out here in the streets is valid. We think this administration is messed up and we see the politics trickling down now to Milwaukee,” Christina Lopez-Prado said.
The protest comes after federal agents conducted a series of arrests across Wisconsin in the last couple of days. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Tuesday that they have arrested 39 people and that many of them have criminal histories.
Watch: Hundreds rally on Milwaukee’s South Side against ICE arrests and in solidarity with immigrants
Protest held over ICE activity in Milwaukee
TMJ4 has been covering the recent ICE arrests, getting video and finding multiple people without any criminal record who have been detained by ICE.
“As an immigrant myself from Guatemala, I sympathize so much with the people of my community. Especially those who live in fear for what ICE is doing to our communities,” Julia said. “I have hope because the only thing stronger than fear is hope.”
Emilio De Torre of Milwaukee Turners said the nature of the arrests has shaken the community.
“It’s disruptive. People are afraid to go outside, afraid of being racially profiled,” De Torre said.
De Torre also addressed what demonstrators want from the federal government.
“Milwaukee does not want the kind of chaos that has been reigned down in Minneapolis, in Chicago, in LA. We want our federal government to follow the Constitution, to follow due process, and to make sure their reactions meet the thing that necessitated it,” De Torre said.
DHS said in its statement that all people arrested have or will receive full due process and will remain in ICE custody pending their removal or removal proceedings.
TMJ4 reached out to DHS for an updated number on arrests made in Wisconsin. They did not provide any new information.
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Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
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