Milwaukee, WI

Musician Joe Wong on how playing Milwaukee basement shows launched his career

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2024

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.”

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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!

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee oversight body asks for more police pursuit policy changes

Published

8 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee oversight body asks for more police pursuit policy changes

The Fire and Police Commission is mulling a recommendation the Milwaukee Police Department amend its police chase policy and restrict chases for reckless driving.
The current recommendation draft calls for a ban on chases for reckless driving after an attempted traffic stop. That will now move to a committee for further changes.
The draft recommendation comes after department modified the policy to remove speeding as a sole justification for chases. Prior, speeding was allowed to be considered when evaluating reckless driving

A Milwaukee oversight body is pushing for further restrictions on how the city’s police decide to chase vehicles, but isn’t ready to move those forward yet.

At its March 5 meeting, the city’s Fire and Police Commission mulled a recommendation the Milwaukee Police Department no longer chase drivers for reckless driving after an attempted traffic stop and stop other chases for reckless driving if it raises danger to the public. The department’s pursuit policy has been a point of contention for years and has come under intense scrutiny after nine people died from police chase crashes in 2025.

But that recommendation was tabled and sent to commission committee for further discussion, after concerns it needed to be further tweaked and receive more police department input.

“I’m trying to find incremental changes we can make to reduce chases,” said Commissioner Bree Spencer, who sponsored the recommendation.

Spencer said she was hesitant to push for policy changes that were too sweeping or too permissive. She said that had happened in years past, when pursuits were heavily restricted in 2010 and then later opened up in 2017 in response to reckless driving, following a then-Fire and Police Commission order.

As has become the norm at the commission’s meetings, a lengthy public comment period was held where some were critical of the proposed changes. Some called for dashcam footage of pursuit-related deaths to be released, as policy requires in officer shootings, and for the city’s costs of police chase-related lawsuits to be publicized.

“Police chases do not keep our community safe,” Angela Lang, the co-executive director of Black Leaders Organizing Change, said during public comment.

The Fire and Police Commission’s proposed recommendation comes after the department voluntarily removed speeding as a permissible reason to chase someone who is recklessly driving. However, that move was met coldly by members of the public and the commission, which is the oversight body for the department, who said it didn’t go far enough.

Generally, department policy considers pursuits “justified” under six circumstances, among those being when an occupant is involved in a violent felony.

Milwaukee Assistant Chief Craig Sarnow said the department was content with its previous change, when commissioners asked him for feedback on the proposed recommendation.

Both the Fire and Police Commission’s drafted recommendation and police department’s change focus on reckless driving chases. Those make up an overwhelming amount of all chases that officers in Milwaukee make – with officers citing reckless driving as the initiating reason in 742 of the 970 chases in 2025, according to police data.

The Fire and Police Commission’s recommendation is also the first time the body has exercised that power since state legislation, 2023 Wisconsin Act 12, was passed. Before that legislation was passed, the commission held the ability to outright change police department policy, but the law shifted that to the city’s Common Council.

Some have called for the Fire and Police Commission to more aggressively issue recommendations like these.

The recommendation will now move to the commission’s Oversight and Accountability Committee. The decision was made after commissioners said they sought more time to tweak the language and for police to provide input.

License plate reading camera use scrutinized

The department’s use of license plate reading cameras, a system known as Flock, came under scrutiny from many attendees at the meeting as well, who called for the city to ban it. Many noted the recent criminal charges brought against Josue Ayala, an officer who prosecutors say improperly used the system to track a former partner and another person.

Ayala resigned and is facing a misdemeanor charge of attempted misconduct in public office. Ayala had previously faced claims of lying and excessive force but was not placed on a Milwaukee County District Attorney’s list of officers with a history of dishonesty, bias or integrity concerns until recently.

That was despite, in 2022, a federal public defender issuing a complaint against Ayala, saying he exaggerated so much in his testimony and reports that it almost seemed “like a compulsion.”

Milwaukee police officials like Heather Hough, the department’s chief of staff, said they were never made aware of that previous concern against Ayala.

“Had we received the information from defense counsel about these concerns they would have been investigated,” she said in an email to the Journal Sentinel.

But that goes against the role of the defense bar, outside experts and defense attorneys locally told the Journal Sentinel. Prosecutors have the ethical duty to share potential Brady material and serve the public, whereas defense attorneys’ obligation is to their client.

Milwaukee police began using Flock cameras in 2022. MPD has a $182,900 contract with Flock for the use of the technology. That contract is active through January 2027 and passed without requiring approval from member of the city’s Common Council, a point criticized by attendees.

The scrutiny against Flock came despite it not being on the meeting’s agenda. Attendees held signs that said things like “GET THE FLOCK OUTTA HERE” and called for the city to be “de-Flocked.”

David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.

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Milwaukee, WI

Illegal dumping plagues closed Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save

Published

20 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Illegal dumping plagues closed Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save

Illegal dumping plagues closed Pick ‘n Save

Neighbors say since a Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save at 35th and North closed in 2025, the parking lot has been filling up, but not with cars or people. It has been attracting illegal dumpers.

MILWAUKEE – Neighbors say since the Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save at 35th and North closed in 2025, the parking lot has been filling up, but not with cars or people. It has been attracting illegal dumpers.

Trash piling up

What we know:

There are old mattresses and furniture in the parking lot. There are piles of garbage at the entrance of the old grocery store. Behind the building, there are tires, more mattresses and more trash.

Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee

The Pick ‘n Save stores closed in July 2025. Since then, the building has sat empty.

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FOX6 News was contacted by a man who manages senior and family housing in the area. He said in the last couple of months, he has noticed the stile turn into a place for illegal dumping. The man said he was so fed up, he called the office of Milwaukee Alderman Russell Stamper about the problem. The man said the whole site is an eyesore, and something needs to change.

Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee

Change sought

What they’re saying:

“As the snow melts, it’s full of garbage. People are dumping furniture on it, tires,” said Jeffrey Sessions, who manages nearby property. “If you drive around it, it’s garbage everywhere. It’s unsightly for the neighborhood, and it’s probably going to create rats and mice problems.”

FOX6 News reached out to the Department of Neighborhood Services. Officials said the dumping has not been reported. They said the department’s commercial team will now be made aware of the issue.

Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee

“It makes the whole neighborhood look like garbage, like nobody’s taking care of anything around here,” Sessions said. “It’s a detriment, it’s unsightly, and it needs to be addressed.”

Illegal dumpers could face fines

Dig deeper:

If the dumpers are caught on camera, they could face fines.

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The owner of the property may also be ordered to clean it up.

Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee

The Source: Information in this post was provided by a person who owns property near the former grocery store, as well as Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services.

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews

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Milwaukee, WI

Things to do in the Milwaukee area this weekend, including Sports Show

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Things to do in the Milwaukee area this weekend, including Sports Show

Travel to Ireland, learn how to catch a fish, visit wildlife at the zoo, and see costumed characters this weekend in Milwaukee.

Anime Milwaukee

The 2026 “Magical Academy” themed animation convention comes to the Baird Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., and Hilton Milwaukee City Center March 6-8. The weekend features Japanese industry guests and cultural experts, artists and official merchandise, gaming, music, dance, manga, cosplay, anime and Asian fashion. New this year is the Nocturna Anime Bar with a lounge and specialty drinks, including nonalcoholic beverages. Exhibit hall hours are 1 to 8 p.m. March 6, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 7 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 8. Full weekend access is $100; single day access is $50-$75. animemilwaukee.org

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show

The 85th year of the Sports Show is at State Fair Park’s Wisconsin Exposition Center, 8200 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, from noon to 7 p.m. March 6, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 7 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 8. Along with outdoor exhibitors, see what’s swimming in the trout pond, watch the lumberjack show and the fastest retriever race, or catch the archery and air rifle tournaments. General admission tickets at the door are $15; youth tickets (ages 6-14) are $6. In honor of Women’s Day on March 8, all women receive $10 admission at the door. Check out the full schedule at jssportsshow.com.

Gardens & Gears: Steampunk Faire

Celebrate the industrial age at the Gardens & Gears art fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 7 at the Mitchell Park Domes, 524 S. Layton Blvd. The immersive garden event features creators, costumes and live entertainment, with gears, goggles and handcrafted mechanical curiosities on display in the gardens. Domes admission required. mitchellparkdomes.com

Milwaukee County Zoo Family Free Day

Everyone receives free admission at the Milwaukee County Zoo, 10001 W. Blue Mound Road, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 7. See the red pandas in their outdoor habitat, lions, penguins and more. Parking and regular attraction fees still apply. milwaukeezoo.org

Irish Family Day

Travel to the Irish countryside during “Passport to Ireland” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 8 at the CelticMKE Center, 1532 N. Wauwatosa Ave., Wauwatosa. With Irish dance, arts, crafts and storytelling, each county will be featured with an activity that celebrates Irish culture, history and traditions. Buy one, get one free Irish Fest tickets will be available to purchase, with lunch, beverages and snacks served in the Celtic Café. Admission is $10 at the door. celticmke.com

What’s new in Milwaukee-area theaters this weekend

Marcus Theatres: See a marathon of the 2026 Best Picture nominees at select theater locations. Day one of the marathon is March 7 and features “Sentimental Value,” “F1: The Movie,” “The Secret Agent,” “Bugonia,” and “Sinners.” The marathon resumes March 14 with a new set of films. Visit marcustheatres.com.

Milwaukee Film: Women’s History Month programming features the action films of Michelle Yeoh. See her Oscar-winning performance in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” screening at 6 p.m. March 6 at the Oriental Theatre.

“Hoppers”: A robotic animal with a human mind helps real animals thwart a plot to destroy their habitat in this Disney and Pixar feature film. See it at AMC Mayfair Mall; Avalon Theater; Marcus Theatres’ BistroPlex Southridge, Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Movie Tavern Brookfield Square, North Shore, Ridge, South Shore cinemas; Rosebud Cinema.

“The Bride!”: A lonely Frankenstein (Christian Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask a scientist (Annette Bening) to create a companion. See it at AMC Mayfair Mall; Marcus Theatres’ BistroPlex Southridge, Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Movie Tavern Brookfield Square, North Shore, Ridge, South Shore cinemas.

“Protector”: A veteran war hero (Milla Jovovich) must use the violent skills she thought she left behind to save her daughter. See it at Marcus Theatres’ BistroPlex Southridge, Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Movie Tavern Brookfield Square, North Shore, Ridge, South Shore cinemas.

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