
Transcript
Cinematic Sisterhood and Musical Journeys (Hour 2)
Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach · Tue Jun 24, 2025
Broadcasting live from the Civic Media Studios in Green Bay.
This is Night Light with Pete Chwaba.
Your inside source on everything entertainment from Wisconsin to Hollywood.
And now, a guy who never leaves the house without wearing a cup.
Pete Chwaba.
I don't know about never.
Hey, welcome to Night Light, ladies and gentlemen.
Great to have you here.
I am broadcasting live from our state's capital.
I almost said our nation's capital.
Madison probably should be our nation's capital.
I think that would be good.
Why not Madison?
It's great to be in Madison overlooking State Street here doing the show, not getting rained on tonight like last night.
And it is great to have you with me on this Tuesday night.
I hope you had a wonderful day and life is treating you well.
But if not,
If it's treating you well, join us to make it even better.
If it's not treating you so well today.
On this Tuesday, let us help.
Be part of the show.
Text in.
Share your thoughts throughout the show.
Always love that.
We got a great show tonight.
Sitting in for Conrad again tonight.
Second night in a row, Dom Lee is here.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Did you have fun last night?
I had a lot of fun.
Besides the rain and, you know, that whole, there's a whole story with that.
Yeah.
But it was, uh, it was very fun.
I enjoyed it.
That was such a surprise because when I came into the studio, it was like 95 degrees outside.
And then at some point, our guest, uh, Daryl Burnett in the Green Bay automobile gallery showed up, uh, he was a little late because he got lost.
and he showed up here looking like he had just gotten out of a bathtub in his clothes.
This poor guy.
Bless his soul.
Absolutely.
And you gave, and then his wife showed up five or 10 minutes later, you were nice enough to give them a ride back to their car, but sometimes GPS can do that.
Yeah,
yeah.
It's not perfect.
Even when I was
driving them to their car, the GPS was messing up.
I don't know if it had to do with the thunderstorm or, you know, maybe some, something was that play there, but I don't know.
I don't know.
It was a weird night.
And then Luke Mathers showed up.
I was the only one here locking up and a light goes on.
And I thought, oh God, here we go.
Here's how it ends.
And Luke Mathers shows up.
And then his wife comes out of another room and he forgot his water bottle.
So it was good.
I got to say goodbye to Luke before he went on vacation.
But a strange night, but a fun night in a great show last night.
It's great to have you back.
How is this different than John and Gordy?
It's it's
honestly it's almost the same you guys both like to correct jokes I mean they're definitely more you know on the on the politics side
sure
when it comes to show structure
great they're just awesome at that but they
are they are really good at that and yeah you I mean honestly the start of the show is practically the same and the end of the show is practically the same now that I think about it you guys are the exact same wow
so you saying they stole my open I'm saying they stole your open
Bastard, I'll see them in court.
That's what I just said to Johnny.
My pal's Johnny
Gordy.
They may or may not show up today as well.
That's what you said.
I would love it if they joined.
Not when my musical guest is here, because I don't want to hear those guys sing, but maybe they're great, who knows.
So yeah, lots of, we got a great show tonight, folks.
At 635, my pal, Kaelin Cole, will be here.
She is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, a self-described Madison Hippie.
who makes her home in Nashville, Tennessee now and moved there when she was 18 years old, which I find incredible.
She is touring all over the place and she happens to be in Wisconsin this week in the Madison area while I'm here.
So I invited her to come on the show and she graciously accepted.
So I am excited to see Kaelin.
I had her on the show in Green Bay about six months ago with her friend Lexie Lu and that was a lot of fun.
And Kaelin will perform live in the studio.
She'll be here at 635.
And then we're going to talk some film.
The Cinematic Sisterhood, a great program being put on by Milwaukee Film Executive Director, Susan Kearns will be here at 735 to tell us about a really cool screening that is just a couple weeks away.
Milwaukee Film does so much stuff for the community and they're educative and they do all these great programs, Building Bridges in Milwaukee through film.
So I think that'll be really fun.
I always enjoy talking to Susan.
That's at 735.
And we got a great question tonight.
You know, before I forget,
I want to read.
We got a couple of responses I missed from last night on the social media.
JB Thompson, do you remember what our question was?
That was your homework, Tom.
Favorite side dish, right?
You said applesauce, which was just weird enough.
I loved it.
JB Thompson, I missed this last night.
I don't like to miss texts from listeners.
He says, favorite side dish is steak fries.
That's a great one.
That sounds so good, right?
Yeah.
He says, there is more, but I don't want to bore everyone.
There is nothing boring about side dishes.
Unless it's like,
or steak fries.
I mean, there's nothing boring about, yeah, nothing boring about food in general.
You know what I mean?
When you want to talk about food, I'm
not
your guy, you know?
You are, and you're Italian, dumb, and we discussed this before the show.
I said, or I think you said, do I look Italian?
And I said, you look ethnically ambiguous.
Yes.
You could pass for a lot of different, and I think that's.
A great way to be like, I have fair skin.
I have a pinkish hue.
There is no mistaking I am from either Ireland or England or Scotland.
One of those were lily white.
They'll take issue with this, but unexotic places.
Gotcha.
But you got this good look going, man.
Is he from Spain?
Is he from Italy?
It's a good place to be.
Yeah,
but you got it right on the money when you said Italian.
I was
like, wow, you kind of took me aback because no one, like you said, no one knows really, you know, if I'm Italian, am I Dutch?
You know, no one
really knows.
I would have guessed Italian though just because your name is Dom.
Just because my name is Dom.
That's a good Italian and Dominic, but that's a good Italian name.
And Conrad Krieger, too, is another one.
I think that's German.
I assume it's German, but he has a distinct.
kind of look too.
He's not passin' for Italian.
No, he's not.
Nor am I. I gotta meet this Conrad fella.
You have to meet the lovable producer.
You're the ethnically ambiguous producer.
He's the lovable producer.
That's not to say you're not lovable, Dom, or that he's not somewhat ethnically ambiguous.
But, wow, what happened to this show already?
All right, so we've got, man, a lot to get to.
You weren't here earlier.
I was on Todd Alba's show, just for the last few minutes, plugging what is coming up on my show tonight.
And somehow we got into a conversation about a place here in Madison.
This is what I love, Madison.
It's just, there's so many weird things.
Bennett's Meadowood Country Club, Zommer's just shared this with me, which is great, because I forgot what it was called.
He says, which is a bar and not a country club, but it's named Bennett's Meadowood Country Club.
I love that they have wood in the name, giggity.
Says and the event they used to have an event called smut and eggs You show up for eggs and you watch a porn film while you eat breakfast
what I?
Have never heard of that in my life, and I don't think I'll ever hear that sentence come out of anyone's face ever again It's I just
I love the idea of raising money for a business venture like that Wow, so tell me again What you're doing?
Well, it's a place where people can come in and order eggs Benedict
and watch it threesome.
I don't understand that.
That is wild to me.
You don't have to turn the mic off when you laugh.
Sometimes I laugh too hard and I feel like I'm going to scare the viewers.
That's
okay.
Laugh is good.
That's what we're trying to do here.
We don't always succeed, but I love that.
I love that they have eggs in the title.
You could pretty much, I don't know, and apparently it's still here.
So, Zomers and Todd and I decided we do need to do a little research.
All are welcome.
Maybe we'll rent a bus and we'll go check out smut and eggs.
I can't imagine.
I have trouble watching a PG-13 movie when I eat breakfast.
I'm one of those people.
It's hard for me to eat breakfast around other people because when we just will, you know, nobody's brushed their teeth yet, their hair's a mess.
I don't know that I want to watch a pornography when I'm eating an omelet.
Just not, yeah, just not your thing.
No, yeah.
It's more of a dinner thing, I think.
Yeah, yeah.
Maybe a nice group orgy and some pasta.
Maybe, yeah.
You might be onto something there.
Possibly.
Well, this took off, so maybe I'll- Wow, what a start to the show.
Yeah, you know, it's all downhill from here.
And then the other thing is, oh, we gotta get to our question of the night, dude.
Let's do that.
Here is our nightlight question of the night.
Let's talk about the question.
Okay, question.
Question.
Question.
Pregunta.
Question.
Question.
Okay, I have a question.
Questions.
This question.
Domanda.
Question.
Question.
Questions.
You're in a hotel.
It's very late and you should go to sleep, but this movie is on.
What is the movie?
You're in a hotel.
It's very late and you should go to sleep, but this movie is on.
What is the movie?
And this is autobiographical because I got back to my room last night.
I did some work for tonight's show and then I just kind of put the TV on.
I was ready, literally ready.
I'm like, I'm gonna go to bed a little early tonight, which for me is like midnight.
I tend to stay up a little later.
Um, and good fellas was just starting.
Wow.
Wow.
What eight was up till three.
I'm not turning that and it was on HBO.
That's the one good thing.
There were no commercials.
But I watched the entire movie and I've seen it 20 times.
I didn't need to see it again, but it's just sometimes there are movies.
A few good men is another one like that for me.
I can't turn off a few good men.
Maybe a Sicario no country
for old man.
Yes.
Those are just movies.
I and they're not great movies to watch right before you go to bed People are getting often whacked But those are mine and I have to say good fellas just because that was my experience last night Do you have a movie like that Tom that you uh, I actually do.
Yeah, I um last time I was in a hotel actually it was a couple months ago, so it's been it's been quite a while But it was Grand Torino
Oh, yeah,
Clint
Eastwood, sure.
Clint
Eastwood, yeah.
So that's what I watched, and I think, I mean, I love that movie, too.
So
you
had already seen it.
It wasn't something you just turned on and you got into it.
You had already seen the movie.
I've already seen it,
but it's something that I would think that would be playing at a hotel.
Yes.
Just on, just in the background.
You know, it's late at night, and you turn on and see some Grand Torino, and you end up watching the whole thing, staying up
to midnight.
It's brutal, but sometimes it's worth it.
Sometimes you got to do that.
Like with this film, with Goodfellas, it's just one that takes me back to my days of stand up and working the road and catching a movie in a hotel.
My son and I, he was here a couple nights ago, Joe, we watched a movie in a hotel.
We've always gotten lucky.
Another one that's on a lot is The Fugitive on a hotel room.
And I don't even mind when there are commercials.
It's like, because I never watched TV like that anymore.
I don't either, yeah.
I stream everything.
I don't have cable anymore and I can't do commercials.
So it's so rare that I see a commercial when I'm in a hotel room.
I don't mind them.
It's almost like nostalgic.
It's, it's, and it's relaxing too.
You
know what I mean?
Like you don't have to, it's not constant action watching
the
movie.
You know, you get a little break, you know, take a little break from the,
from the intensity that is good fellows.
So that's our question of the night, folks.
Uh, you're in a hotel.
It's very late and you should go to sleep, but this movie is on.
What is the movie?
855-752-4842-855-75CIVIC.
You can also text us on the app.
If you don't have the Civic Media app, check it out, folks.
It's super easy to use.
And you get to take all your favorite Civic Media hosts with you, the aforementioned Todd Alba, Maggie Dawn, Jane McNair, John and Gordy.
You might hear Dom on that show, too.
Yeah, I know them.
Jane and Greg, all kinds of fun stuff on the Civic Media app.
Or you can just text us on the stream, too.
Let us know if you're watching on YouTube, Facebook, or...
Twitter, Twitter, Twix, whatever you want to call it.
Let us know.
And if you're there, give us a like or a follow if it's not too much trouble.
We always appreciate those.
So that's the question of the night.
Let us know and we will read your text on the radio.
Kailin Cole will be here just after the news at the bottom of the hour.
I cannot wait to hear her sing.
Have you ever heard of her, Don?
I have not,
but I'm very, very excited.
I've
been hearing the hype for a while now.
She's great.
She's absolutely great.
And then Susan Curran's in the second hour too, that will be fun.
Why do people watch?
Are you a reality TV show?
I am, and I've actually recently been watching Love Island, by the way.
Really?
I have.
I don't know why I said that on the air, but you know, I'm sorry, I'm a sucker.
I'm a sucker, guys.
Listen, you're...
I'm one of those guys that thought it was going to be a fad after the first season or two of Survivor.
I was like, all right, this is done.
Thank you.
Come again.
You know, that kind of thing.
And here we are 20 years later in its insanity.
We'll talk about Honey Boo Boo when I come back.
She's back trying to reinvent herself.
Why do we care?
And we'll read your texts in just a few minutes.
This is Pete Schwabba in Nightlight coming to you live from Madison on the Civic Media radio
network.
Welcome back.
This is Night Light.
I am Pete Schwabba.
We are live in Madison tonight here at Civic Media headquarters.
Overlooking the State Street on a beautiful, if not a tad bit muggy, Tuesday night.
Great to have you.
Hope you're in the mood to talk some music and movies and especially hotel movies.
Hotel movies you can't turn off.
That's what we're talking about.
I wanted to finish my point about Honey Boo Boo.
It said she's trying to reinvent herself.
Here's the problem with this whole reality thing.
These people become celebrities without really having a talent.
They're just sort of, I'm not saying they can't be interesting.
People find the Kardashians fascinating.
I don't, but a lot of people do.
And this Honey Boo Boo was a star when she was younger, and now she's trying to find out another way to be famous.
And that's the problem.
Yeah, there's quite a few people like that.
You know what I mean?
It's the same thing is like I don't know I don't know if you know JoJo Siwa JoJo Siwa or Ring about yeah, JoJo Siwa And even examples like Love Island too like Love Island.
I they Is it a guilty pleasure Love Island definitely a guilty
pleasure Love Island Conrad watch is Milf Manor so I think you're a literally speaking I've seen I've seen I've seen a season or two.
Oh, that's
creepy
So our question of the night, folks, is, you're in a hotel, it's very late, you should go to sleep, but this movie is on.
Pardon me, what is the movie?
Got some great social media texts today.
Heather Alba, Galloway, I hope I'm saying that right, says, When Harry Met Sally or Oceans 11.
That's good.
Two great hotel movies.
Thank you, Heather.
Brian Mills in Green Bay says, Godfather of Green Bay, duh.
Well, thank you, Brian.
Sorry, you have to look at my face the last thing before you go to sleep.
But thank you for watching.
My pal, Vince Moranto, checks in on social media and says, yes, good fellas.
And that's the movie that was on last night, Vince.
I could not turn it off.
He says, a close second is field of dreams.
This has happened many times.
Vince is a comedian who travels all over.
I'm sure he has seen his fair share of hotel movies.
I'm right there with you, Vince.
Thanks.
Richard Locasio.
resident wrestling announcer, W.R.J.N.
personality says, the last time I ran into this conundrum, it was my cousin Vinnie.
That's another one.
Okay.
Thank you, Rich.
Daniel Wheeler says, love this question.
It reminds me of those, pick your own adventure books from my youth.
The answer is Knives Out.
Okay.
That's a newer one.
A newer classic.
Who done it?
Well done, Daniel.
And the kid Conrad Krieger, the K-man, says, for some reason, I always feel like there is a Harry Potter movie on.
Yeah, that's a good one, too.
It's just like so many movies in the franchise.
You're bound to catch one of them in a hotel room at some point.
Thank you, Conrad.
See you tomorrow.
Clean up the joint, please, before I get back there.
Monica Hale on social media says, clue with Tim Curry.
It's a star-studded cast, but his performance in this is phenomenal and it's hysterical.
I have never seen clue.
I have never seen Chloe
that movie.
Yeah, I think that's a remake if I'm not mistaken.
I know my mom really likes clue though.
I know my mom loves the
movie.
Yeah, okay, both.
Yeah, it's a good game.
Aaron Zommer says Gemini man starring Will Smith.
I was not expecting that out of the Z man.
He says one weekend trip I went on a year or two ago coincided with a Will Smith marathon.
For some unholy reason, Gemini Man played way more often than anything else.
Over the course of the weekend, I pieced the movie together, which is unfortunate because it's terrible.
I mean, ideally, you find a good movie in a hotel.
There's 1,800 channels, and Aaron got stuck with Gemini Man.
That is terrible.
Thank you, buddy.
Yeah, I'm not a Will Smith fan ever since the whole hitting Chris Rock thing.
took
me out of that.
Wow.
I
actually forgot about that for, for half a second.
Yeah.
That was his best work.
Um, and it's terrible because I love Chris Rock, uh, turning to the text line, or let's go to the stream.
Uh, Dave says smutton eggs come for the food.
He spelled it properly.
I can read that.
Thank you, Dave.
And then he says the untouchables.
Yeah, that's another great one.
Great hotel movie.
And in a good movie, not a great movie though.
So you don't mind the commercials even more.
You pick up your phone, go to social media during the commercials, come back on and see Sean Connery dying a grotesque but awesome death.
Good one, Dave.
Going to the text line, Aaron Zommer is responding again, says, oh, this is in response to me labeling you the ethnically ambiguous producer.
Oh, gosh.
Zommer says, wait, ethnically ambiguous or ethically ambiguous?
Is Dom actually part of the mob?
Oh, wow.
You know, people
that say that they're a part of the mob can't say if they're a part of the mob.
And if you
really are, you wouldn't say it.
Actually, I wouldn't even say that.
Yeah,
you're
right.
Radio producing is the perfect cover.
You're going to go out and whack someone later, Dom.
But that's a great question.
Ethically ambiguous.
What would that be?
Just kind of morally loose?
I don't know.
Anna from Madison says, hi, Pete and Dominic.
The movie I would watch again is Bridesmaids, even though I've seen it hundreds of times.
Great movie.
That's also a good one.
Yeah.
I was in tears when I saw that in the theater years ago.
Uh, great text, Anna.
Uh, from the nine to zero, Aaron Zommer's again says Love Island slaps.
I agree.
I agree, Aaron.
I agree.
Wherever you are.
He's in the building because all he's doing is texting.
That's all he's doing.
He's got to be his limit.
Does anybody have a limit anymore?
100 texts a month, 50 anytime minutes.
Conrad from Green Bay, I know that guy.
He says, I'm still waiting for Milf Manor season three.
Of course you are.
This show had a father and son hitting on the same woman.
It's so horrible.
I can't even imagine.
Our pal, Chris Casper, right here in Madison, right here in the building maybe still says Top Gun, the greatest movie of all time.
That's a bold statement.
It is good though.
It is very good.
I do really like a good Top Gun, and John does as well.
I think we're going to have one of these days while Casper in the studio will debate that.
We did, yeah.
Because it's a good
movie.
I would take issue with greatest of all time.
But thank you, Chris.
We'll get to the rest of your texts in a little bit.
Coming up after the news, Kailin Cole is in studio performing live.
So much fun, folks.
Don't go anywhere.
It's great to have you.
It's Pete Schwabba in Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Welcome
back!
I just get so excited for the Bruce Springsteen movie.
I just so don't want it to suck.
I'd be really disappointed.
Big night here, folks.
Comedy Alive from downtown Madison tonight here at Civic Media headquarters.
Great to be here and great to have you with me.
Dom is riding shotgun instead of Conrad, who is slacking off and staying in Green Bay.
That's what I hear about all the time is Conrad
is keep slacking off.
Like I said, I want to meet this
guy.
He's comfortable in Green Bay.
That's where he likes to be.
He's actually producing the morning show up there, working very hard with Mino and the mayor.
But I am in Madison, and that means tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I get to have the unbelievably, remarkably talented Kaelin Cole in the studio to perform and chat about her.
Outstanding career.
How are
you?
I'm good.
How about you?
I'm well you were I'm better than you at the moment because you told me about this car accident You were and you're obviously okay, which
is
that must have been kind of harrowing
a little fender You know those things happen all the time But I was in a parking lot and did you know that over 80% of?
Accidents are in parking lots.
I did know that
I didn't
did you know that did you know what you do now?
Did you know this most accidents?
Happen close to your home
Really?
Yes.
So you should definitely move.
Yeah.
But that is another weird coincidence.
I don't know.
That's wild.
The more you know.
Exactly.
So this is, I'm so glad this worked out.
You're
in town.
Tell us what, catch me up on what's been happening with you since you were in Green Bay with Lexie Lou.
Yeah.
And you guys
performed and you guys were so great.
I know you did some
shows
up there that was a few months ago.
What is new with you and what's happening?
Yeah.
Um, well, I have a couple of singles coming out in the summer,
one
in the fall, and then I am dropping an entire album in October.
So actually before this, since 10 a.m.
this morning, I was doing my bookkeeping and also trying to edit videos for it because I mean, it's not only about the song anymore.
It's really about the promotion.
So I've been trying to get as an independent artist without management.
I've been trying to
get ahead of the game so I can be back home with my family present and you know make sure I'm getting all the hard work done beforehand
before the
songs come out which the first one drops in July so I have you know a little bit of time but been trying to focus on that recently and been getting booked in other places which is cool I love being back home obviously but
I've got some shows out on the East Coast this fall, and then I also have some spots with Elliot Boo, who is a friend from Nashville.
He's from Indiana, so we'll go up to Indianapolis and play too.
How
fun.
Yeah, it's fun.
You told me you're looking for a publicist or you were thinking about a publicist.
Yes.
You
don't have a manager and you do everything yourself.
I do.
I
can't imagine.
I love that you're still doing this,
even though
you do all of that, but that's
gotta be
exhausting
sometimes.
Are you open
to
management?
Yeah, always.
The right management.
Yeah, I actually have met with a couple of managers recently, well, one, and I really love what she does, but it's for, it's not the right time.
I think listeners will understand later if they,
they follow along my journey, but it's not the right time right now, but maybe after this album comes out, I would love to work with her, but her and I are somewhat close.
We used to go to church together, so, but yeah, she's awesome.
Her name's Crystal and...
Yeah, she's a great friend right now.
Is it the kind of situation where if something came up and someone approached you about an amazing opportunity, you could turn to her and say, will you negotiate this for me or will you be
in my corner for this?
Yeah, I mean, I have a couple of people in Nashville, thankfully enough, that if I'm just like in a pickle or don't know myself because I'm not that involved in the business side of things quite yet,
But surely I am getting there.
However, I am still representing myself.
So when it comes to representing yourself as an artist, you want to make sure that you're making the right moves because if you step on somebody's, you know, if you step on a crack or whatever and irk somebody, that's a representation of you directly.
Whereas if you have a manager, it...
comes off differently, which is crazy.
The whole business side of it is so far beyond
me.
That's the not fun part of it.
It's called show business.
Exactly, but the writing and creative part is great.
And I've been working on my, working on my pitch as well to people.
It's like, yes, when they see me and they see that I'm a songwriter from Nashville and a singer in these venues, it's a hard game.
You have to set yourself apart.
So it's like, how can I do that?
So I'm still trying to figure that out, but I want to stay true to myself.
Absolutely.
Well,
here, I'm just going to give you a quick pitch.
Yeah.
I founded this new company.
It's called Schwabendamm representation.
Yeah.
We just started it.
We just started
it just now.
He's working on the mission statement right
now.
Perfect.
Yeah, that's why I'm not talking.
Yeah.
All
right, cool.
I think that you're in a great spot though, right?
In your career because you can write about anything.
You don't have people in your ear saying, do this, do that.
You're still
just
kind of free and easy.
And you describe yourself as a Madison hippie.
A Midwestern hippie.
A Midwestern hippie.
What is that exactly?
So it's funny because a lot of people think hippies are people that partake in certain activities.
recreational activities.
Nude
concert going and
drugs.
Yes, exactly.
But I wanted to give like shed a different meaning with the name, you know,
give it a
different meaning.
And Midwestern hippie to me is just free spirited.
So I put in my Instagram bio recently, it's like free spirited, but rooted in Christ.
And that's that's kind of my statement.
You
know,
even though I'm free spirited, I still have, you know, roots and I'm still a grounded person.
When you say Christ, you're referring to Jesus, right?
Yes.
Not
Paul Christ,
the guy
who
placed down in the
first
place.
Yeah, no.
That's the
guy that manages rag stock
over there.
Yeah, exactly.
So tell us what
brings you
back to Madison.
You're here.
You got a big show coming up.
That's
why
you're here, and that's what worked in our favor here.
So tell us what's up.
Yeah, so I am here.
I came a little bit earlier than my friends from Nashville.
We've got my friend Chris, Ashley and Jared are all going to be up here.
So Jared is actually a new person as of a couple of days ago.
The old
person that couldn't join us.
He sadly has some family obligations.
So we, of course, worked around that and wanted to be understanding.
So we
have
this new guy on the road with us.
He's phenomenal.
He's played at the listening room in Nashville and as well as other places.
But the tour is called A Little Bit of Nash.
And so Lisa McDonough, she puts it on.
That's actually Chris's cousin.
And so what she does is she books the venues and obviously pitches us, which is great.
And I'm very thankful for her, but it's three to four hours every single night of music.
Mainly it's our own music and it's writer rounds, writer's round style.
So it's
one
by one.
And we, it's nice when you're not playing the whole four hours and when you're done playing, then you have three more songs to go grab a drink or go say hi to somebody or go, you know,
sign somebody's t-shirt that they just bought from you.
That's so cool.
Yeah, we're having four shows in the area.
So when are they?
Is it this weekend?
Yes, they are.
So we are going to Springfield Corner first in Dane County, or Dane, Wisconsin.
Okay.
So we'll be there Thursday, Friday, we will be in...
I think it's...
Is that Cottonwood Resort?
Yeah, Cottonwood.
That's the 28th from three to seven in Sox City.
It's Shep's Cottonwood Resort.
Do they get that right?
Yes, Shep's Cottonwood.
Very
cool.
Yeah.
And then we have a fundraiser on Saturday.
So it's the Morgan Foundation.
So it's people with special needs that we're raising money for.
So please come out, folks, if you're not doing anything.
That would be awesome.
Are you gonna talk in
a British accent or
sing in a British accent?
The whole entire time, I will, yes.
I love that.
And then we're going a little bit out into Baraboo on Sunday at Tumbled Rock Brewery, one of my favorite places to play from five to nine.
And
that's the 30th,
or is it?
That is the 29th.
29th,
okay.
Oh, that's fun.
So a lot of opportunities to see you
while
you're here in the Midwest,
that's
great.
And those are all free.
All those shows are free?
Yeah.
How are you getting paid, kid?
Man.
Just passed the hat.
Old school, baby.
Living on a prayer.
That's right.
Hey,
can
you play
something for us before we have
to go to a break?
We got
about
five minutes or
so.
We'd love to hear
something.
Yeah, so I've got this new song coming out actually in July.
It's called Mistreated Right, and it's all about a play on words of this girl kind of just being done with being mistreated.
And so I guess you'll kind of hear it.
But I wanted to play goner, but I was like, nah, I've already I've already played that for for Pete.
Oh, Green
Bay.
Yeah, Green Bay.
So I was like, I might as well just switch it up and play.
You have a lot of
songs that kind of have a play on words.
I like
that.
Yes.
The double entendre.
Urban
warfare is great.
Yes.
Yeah.
Well, or you ain't Jack.
You
I love that one too.
Yes.
So well, this one's mistreated.
Right.
Love it.
All right.
Kalen Cole live in the studio.
Missed out on another vacation
more or less second and so crying I was tired of fighting fate time to douse those flames I learned that first look fire is only to desire and my heart shivers and I'm shaking off this rust songs out the clouds and breaking up took some time but
those names.
We are coming right back.
Welcome back.
This is Pete Schwabba and Night Light.
You've got the Civic Media radio network on a Tuesday night.
This is How We Tuesday, folks.
Kailin Cole is here in the studio.
We just heard, tell us the name again of the song.
It's called mistreated.
Mistreated.
It's called mistreated right.
Yeah.
All right.
I love that.
And when will that, is that on the new material you're putting out
in July?
Yes.
That will be out in July.
Late July.
So.
All right.
So.
Where can people follow you or learn more about your dates?
Like I just did a Google search because I'm old school, but where can people find out more about you or follow
you?
Yeah, so on my Facebook and Instagram, all of my socials I have in my bio.
I have a link to my website.
And so my website will take you to all of my socials, a couple of videos on YouTube, my show dates.
So it's all of that is in there.
So.
And you've got some great dates coming up.
Yeah.
The 29th is a special need show.
Where's that one again?
Yeah.
So that one is for, that one is in, let me see.
I think it's in not Dane.
Maybe Fond du Lac.
Let me check real quick.
We could do
that, but you've got a show on the 27th in Springfield.
Yes.
That's in Dane.
Yes.
Okay.
That one's in, I don't know how I keep my.
schedule.
Well,
this is all the more reason people should go and just follow you and your social.
Yes.
Not rely on me.
That
would be, well, hey, no, you're doing a better job than
I am.
What's easier, writing songs or what's more difficult, I should say, writing songs or performing them?
I would say...
writing songs.
Yeah, I just love performing.
So I used to be in community theater when I was a kid.
And so I really think that helped my performance and my stage presence and all that.
And so maybe when I'm tired, it's hard to perform.
But I like to make sure that I take care of myself and my well-being in order to do those shows at a high energy pace.
But the writing is fun.
but it is hard work, especially it all depends on who you're writing with too.
Do you
often, do you write with others a lot or are
you primarily?
Yeah, so during COVID, I obviously wrote more by myself and I had more confidence in that, but I'm kind of working on writing more material myself, getting back at it like that again.
What typically, do you have a common theme you write about?
Like I know you write about love and that kind of stuff.
You have a spiritual element to your music.
But what really what gets you excited if there is a topic or a theme you've come back to as a songwriter?
Yeah, well, I just love like like you had mentioned before Pete the play on words Yeah, so anything that can have like a double entendre is really cool.
I do have a an EP called bourbon warfare that is out for you guys to listen to anywhere But I would say like that time I
you know, wrote a lot of like drinking double entendre meeting kind of songs, which they're clever and they're fun.
But if somebody wants to get in the studio and write another song about whiskey now, I'm like, oh my gosh.
I'm
like, no.
Does that
become kind of a hack?
Yes, it's become repetitive now to me.
Just because of my personal like career, I, you know, put a whole album out of whiskey meaning song double entendre type stuff.
So I'm like, I really don't want to write that anymore.
Um, but to your question, I think it's just anything that's like a couple of meat, like double meanings, but also like a good message.
I'm always working now to write positive messages.
They don't have to be like corny, you know, cause there's a fine line of like the corniness, but.
Yeah, just uplifting messages.
It's interesting you say that because I was listening to your song earlier, Better to Be Broken.
Yes.
And
that's a total glass half full outlook.
It's like, no,
it's good
that I'm feeling this pain
and I'm
going through that.
I love that outlook.
Thank you.
And that's a very character building spiritual, whatever you want to call it.
Yeah.
I'm at my lowest.
And that's okay.
Yeah.
Well, and it's too, it's like about two people that there's a lot of, especially in this weird dating world we are in now, um, there's a lot of people who, um, you know, break up and then they try to get back together and then they break up again and then they try to get back together.
And it's just an endless cycle.
And I wrote that song because I was finding myself in that position.
And I was like, you know what?
No.
I'm not gonna go back because sometimes it's better to be broken off like with that person.
Let bygones be bygones, you know, it's okay.
You don't have to fix it.
Right.
That's a great answer.
I'm
always
amazed at people that like get divorced.
Yeah.
They get remarried.
Yeah, I don't know.
They
always think they can do better.
And it's
like, I guess I can't.
Yeah.
I can't.
So what do you, you've been singing since you were really young, but when, okay, when did, did you have a moment like where you're like,
I can do this.
And I'm doing this.
Was there a revelation in your life that made you pursue this?
That's funny.
I have revelation tattooed on me.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
Is that the biblical?
Yeah.
Yeah.
This is crazy book in the Bible.
The revelations?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm somewhat familiar.
It's been a while.
Yeah.
It's like a bunch of dreams, basically, that I think, I can't remember.
Is he either, it's either John or Paul or yeah, I think it's Paul.
that was once Saul.
He had all these crazy dreams and stuff given to him from God.
But anyway, where were we?
You bail
on your own
conversation.
Yeah, it's my ADHD.
It's
so
bad.
Well, let's hold on to that.
Because we got to do the news
or
intermission, as I like to call it.
Then we'll come back
with Kailin Cole.
She's going to sing some more.
We're going to talk some more.
I love that you're here.
This
is so much fun.
And I'm gonna
ask you about stand-up comedy because you said you
started
asking me about stand-up comedy last time you were here and I'm like, what are you talking about?
You're a singer, you can't do this.
I will not let you put down your guitar.
Even though you're funny.
Dave on the stream says The Matrix is a good hotel room movie.
Yes, that is another good one.
And how are we doing on time, Tom?
We've got about 40 seconds, 40 seconds,
give or take.
That's eternity in radio, according to Chris Casper.
That's true.
Craig Kanitz says, Pete, Shashank Redemption is always a great watch.
I have to watch a little every time it clicks through regardless of the location.
That's in a hotel room or out of hotel room, I guess he's saying.
That and the Green Mile are two great Stephen King prison flicks.
Well done, Craig.
We'll read more of your texts.
And we'll have more with Caitlin Cole when we come back.
Then we're going to talk some Milwaukee film at 735.
This is Pete Schwab and Nightlight.
Stay tuned for Act 2, folks.
It's the Civic Media Radio Network.
Broadcasting live from the Civic Media Studios in Green Bay.
This is Night Light with Peach Wabba.
Your inside source on everything entertainment from Wisconsin to Hollywood.
And now, a guy who travels so he can pretend he's on the lam, Peach Wabba.
No, that's not Michael's.
Yeah.
Good call though, I could see that.
Hey, welcome back to Nightlight, folks.
Just having a sidebar here with my guest, Katelyn Pohl.
We are kicking off act two here.
It is great to have you with me.
I'm live in Madison tonight, and I always love coming to Madison to do the show.
It's just so much fun.
Sitting in for Conrad tonight is Dom.
Dom, how are you?
I'm doing pretty good, doing pretty good.
This is the second time I've been working with you.
This won't be the last.
No restraining orders have happened yet.
There's
not yet.
All right.
We'll see.
You know,
I think I treat people fairly, right?
I think you do.
Yeah, you
do.
At least to
their face.
Absolutely.
I say
stuff when I leave here, but that doesn't matter.
You leave feeling good about it.
There we go.
Yeah.
I think that's what's important.
If you missed the first hour, folks, you missed some conversation about what was the name of that place again, Smutton Eggs.
Oh, yeah.
This
is a place where you can go and have brunch and watch a porno film.
I think I don't know about the business model, but they've been.
I said, I can't even watch a PG-13 movie and eat.
It's just, it's absolutely crazy.
Again, I've said this before, but I've never heard of that in my entire life.
Well, we're gonna get to the bottom of this.
Zomers and Todd Alba and I are gonna check this out, and we'll be back with a full report.
We also, our question of the night, we got a good one tonight, folks.
You're in a hotel, it's very late, and you should go to sleep, but this movie is on.
What is the movie?
This happened to me last night, it was like midnight, I was ready to hit the sack early.
I turn on the TV and good fellas is on.
So flash forward.
Remember that from last night.
You ever hear me people who say flash forward instead of fast forward?
Yes.
Flash forward.
What's a flash forward?
And you're like, what?
I don't understand.
Interdimensional traveler or something.
But I ended up watching the entire movie.
So that's our question of the night.
We've gotten some really good responses tonight.
Please share what you would watch in opposition to going to bed.
And I will read your text on the radio.
And that's exciting, folks.
You can put that on a resume.
I had my text read on Nightlight with Peach Wildman because I watched, you know, a bachelor party in a hotel room one night.
So we'll do that.
Susan Kearns is here at 735.
We're going to talk Milwaukee film.
They have a really cool program called Cinematic Sisterhood.
Milwaukee film does some incredible things in the city of Milwaukee, building community and educating people about the arts.
And right now.
We're gonna get back to our current interview.
Kaelin Cole, singer-songwriter is here.
She is originally from Wisconsin, has made her home in Nashville for about six
years now.
Almost six, yeah.
Wow.
So how is it different?
Like, when you come here, do you feel differently?
Does this feel like home or is it still just the road to you?
Like...
This is home to me.
Okay.
I, you know, have a few friends from high school that I still...
like to see and everything, but I've made friends since being on the road.
I actually just went out with a couple of friends that I met at Ishnala, which is in the Dells.
And it's a supper club and they work there, but I've made friends along the road, which is nice.
But Nashville's like somewhat like home, but more like I'm building my career there and I'm just aware of that.
like home to you in Nashville?
Yeah.
I mean, it's it's kind of hard because like home is where my family is.
Yeah.
And I mean, they're all up here.
So I'm trying to make it as homey as possible.
But it always seems like home back here.
Interesting.
All right.
So you've been singing since you were really young.
You mentioned community theater.
I know I
read in your bio you did karaoke
and loved
it and crushed in one contest.
Talk a little bit about and then I love what I read that your dad was a musician and your uncle was in a band when you were young So you were exposed to this very young talk about the influence you just mentioned your family talk about the influence they've had on your musical career.
Yeah, well my dad and My dad has just been very extroverted his whole life.
So I really think that looking How he acted and watching that when I was younger really helped me
Know how to network with people and speak with people and just be extroverted because you kind of have to be especially if you're representing yourself in
the music
industry But my dad used to be a DJ When he was in college, so that was kind of his music portion my uncle was We were very close when I was younger just because he lived closer to home and so did I obviously but
I looked up to him because he was in a band, and he played guitar and drums, and he just was always practicing, if not playing.
And we would go to his shows sometimes, and I just, like, the kid allowed shows, because usually he was in bars, and there's not gonna be a three-year-old in a bar.
Well, in Wisconsin, you never know.
They can legally drink.
You can legally drink
at three if your parents are there.
Which is wild.
That's crazy.
But yeah, so I was just always around that.
Other than that, my great-grandma sang in church, but that's it.
So nobody else's musical note.
That's a lot, though.
That's pretty good.
Yeah.
My brother, Asher, he sings in the shower, and he's not that bad.
Really?
Yeah.
Aren't we all good in the
shower, though, when we sing?
I
sound amazing in the shower.
I can
sing the entire Les Mis show, and it sounds beautiful.
You know, it's funny, though.
I really don't sing in the shower.
Well, you're a real singer,
though.
I mean, you know, you don't have to.
You already know you
sound good.
We don't warm up.
The rest
of us need the acoustics
of the
shower, I think.
So I know you're a fan of high school and musical, too,
from
reading your bio and
you
sing Troy Bolton songs.
Yeah.
Heck, yeah.
I'm not going to stop.
Not going to stop till you get my shot.
Yeah.
High school and musical, too, is the best one.
I don't know.
I don't care what anybody says.
It's the second.
It's the best one.
You have another new song.
I would love it if you play for us.
Yeah.
If
you're so inclined.
Speaking of high school musical, not just kidding.
Yeah, this one I wrote with my friend Nick Haines down in Nashville, and it's called Renovation.
And I actually wrote it based on a conversation my brother and I had.
Cool.
So.
All right.
Here's Caitlin Cole live in the studio, folks.
Passing by you won't think much of it It sits pretty on a hill And front doors hide and lies untill You walk inside the walls of our cave and then Each room is keeping secrets Takes more than pain to make it all brand new
Need a carpenter kind of you.
Cause my foundation set on shi-
I can't keep the land It's renovations It's renovations
That is great.
Thank you.
Tom's clapping.
You can hear Tom clapping.
Ayo!
Yeah.
Very nice.
So this will be on the new release in July too, correct?
Actually, no.
So that's more... That's really new then.
Yeah, really new.
I wrote this one about four weeks ago.
But this one's gonna probably be out next year sometime.
Okay.
So that's a great song.
I love that
song.
Thank
you.
You have such a great voice too.
It complements your
guitar
playing so well.
Thank you.
I still have trouble with the bar.
Oh,
me too.
Do you really?
Yeah, didn't you hear it?
No,
I didn't.
Then you do one where you just hold one finger down for those three strings.
I don't know how you do
it.
Why do you do that instead of the three
fingers?
Just because it's easier, like easier if you're gonna go here and then here.
So, yeah, it's all the mechanics around it.
I don't know.
I'm still learning every day.
You play piano too though.
I do.
And you
said in an article that I read about you that you
You're right better with the piano, but you like the way the guitar sounds better.
Yeah, that's interesting.
Yeah, I love how you do your homework to Pete props you
Terrible students
except about
stuff.
I really like
yeah Well, so I said that in an interview a couple years ago and what I meant by that was I love like this how the soul is drawn out of me with piano Yeah, and I can apply that on guitar after I write it, but sometimes it's hard to
to find the soul on the guitar unless you specifically write that way, which at that time I didn't.
That's
a really great answer.
I have one more
writing question for you.
When do you write?
Do you have a specific time every day?
Do you write when the mood catches you?
Do you have a process or
is it sort of
open-ended?
So I'm always open to ideas.
that come to me.
And what I do, I have a little note on my notes app and I write it down and I'll write a little bit of like, let's say it's this next song that I'm coming out with on my record in October, it's called holding on to hope.
And so when I got that idea, which was actually in the shower, I wrote it down.
after got out because, you know, that would have been a little messy.
Um, I got out, wrote it down, but then I also wrote what it would have been about next to it.
So I could remember that idea.
And then I went into a room with specific people who I know that would just crush that song.
Oh,
so it's like a group.
Yeah.
So it's a collaboration, but I'm always open to ideas.
So.
Excellent.
Anytime.
Really?
We
should write.
I'll give you 50% what
50%
usually how it works.
I've been looking for someone to compose this song I had I'll just give you the title is what is this thing on my foot?
Can we do something with
that?
I'm depends on what that means.
I don't know Is it catchy know what where that came from?
I just
I find it's hard for me to talk about feet.
That's why
I
was not ready for that
I
hate feet.
Stay on your toes.
I like feet
for
their purpose, but yeah, I'm with you.
Can you stay for a couple more minutes?
Yeah.
All right, fantastic.
We're coming right back with Kailin Cole.
Susan Kearns is here at 735 talking Milwaukee film.
We're hanging out in the studio here in Madison.
It's night light with Peach Wava.
We're coming right
back.
Everything goes zoom, zoom, I turned my amp up loud to get a play.
It was late at evening, and I blew the...
Welcome
back.
This is Nightlight.
I am Pete Schwabba.
We got a text from Steady Eddie.
He's in the 608.
Kailin, you mentioned living on a prayer before, so Steady Eddie tailored his text around what he heard.
He says, living on a prayer, that is the song title of your songwriter's first big hit.
She can work out the lyrics and melody.
All I want is 25% of all the proceeds.
You're welcome, Steady Eddie.
Sorry, Steady Eddie, get in line, buddy.
She's writing, what is this thing on my foot first?
Yeah, sorry.
Priorities.
Get in line, pal.
Yeah,
that's awesome.
Thank you, Steady Eddie.
That is awesome.
And then Andrea from Grafton says, the shining or psycho are hotel room movies, or you could just watch the news.
That would be worse than the shining or psycho.
But thank you, Andrea.
Uh, we've got a few more minutes
or she's not wrong.
No, I totally agree.
The news is much more horrifying.
It's terrible.
Um, Caitlin Cole is here for a few more minutes.
She's joining us in studio.
She is back here in her home state of Wisconsin playing several shows this weekend that you have to go and follow her.
We kind of gave people the basics, but they should follow you and find out where these shows are.
Yeah, please.
Um, you talked about.
in Green Bay, you had this obsession at the moment with stand-up comedy.
I still do.
And I do find you very funny, but why would you, why would you make a career jump like that?
You've got like eight years in the music business.
Yeah.
I think you were doing it tongue-in-cheek.
But I don't know.
I feel like it would be, I mean, comedy alone is hard, but like clean-ish comedy is harder.
Like, what's his name?
Nate Bregazzi.
Yeah.
People love him, but his stuff is clean and it's
So funny though, too.
Right.
But I would love to do, I don't know, like somebody told JLo that she couldn't dance, sing and act.
And she said, watch this,
you
know.
So I'm like, comedy is just so fun for me to consume, but also I would just love to do it.
I had to show a couple, well, not a couple in December of last year.
I was gonna say a couple months back.
But there was a comedy ramble in Nashville at Zainiz in Nashville.
And so they had asked me to play five songs of my own at the end of that comedy ramble.
So everybody was already attentive and tuned in.
And I played and cracked my own jokes.
And I was like, wow, maybe I
could do this.
And it was such a good time.
I have to share this.
I did a show called Comedy on the Road in the 90s.
There was all these A&E shows.
You know, The Improv, Carolines.
And then I did Comedy on the Road at Nashville and Zanies, or at Zanies and Nashville.
And I loved all the Zanies in Chicago.
That's where I started, during stand-up.
And then I got there and I just, it was on TV and it was not a good set.
No.
No, nobody did great, but I felt like I did worse than everybody.
So I don't know if I insulted people somehow or... I did wear a big cowboy hat and boots.
Maybe they thought I was trying
to fit
it.
Hey, y'all.
A
big piece of straw in my mouth.
Maybe I wrote people the wrong
way.
That's hilarious because the second song coming out of my album, which is going to be in August, is called Try in Country.
And it's
about me writing about all the fake cowboys and cowgirls in Nashville.
There has to be a lot of them.
So many of them.
It's like just be
yourself.
And you know, I might get some hate for the song, but it's how I felt.
Yeah, and you went there when you were 18, so you're like a true, you're doing this, you're
authentic.
Yeah, and yeah, maybe I don't sound like I'm 100% from Wisconsin anymore, but that just naturally rubbed off, but I'm not like, hey y'all, how you doing?
Or singing with a twang in my songs,
I don't
do that because I don't have a twang when I talk.
So why would I do that?
What do you listen to when you're not playing?
Actually, I have only been listening to like,
Forced Frank recently, if you know who that is, do you know who that is?
I
don't, but I'm gonna look him up right now.
Go to the Google.
Forced Frank?
Forced Frank, he's so good, and if my boyfriend's listening, he's gonna be shaking
his head,
because that's all I have to play in the car, and he's like, God, help me.
What is he,
country?
No, he's actually like Christian right now.
And he
does stuff
with like Thomas Rhett and he's done a bunch of collabs and he's really good.
He was from the band's surfaces,
but
then went his own way.
So,
but that, but then also a Brandon Lake.
I love listening to him.
Jelly Roll is cool.
Chris Stapleton, obviously.
Mostly country.
Yeah.
Mostly country, mostly Christian, some Christian country.
You you have a religious background.
I don't hear I hear spirituality in your music but not blatant religious lyrics and I would not have guessed that about you that that you're religious mostly because of the way you behave but I think that's I've always liked artists that do that.
Yeah, their music is very spiritual, but it's not like over the top.
Yeah.
Yeah, and I don't know I just tried to recently I've been trying to live it out more,
you know
and
Parents always say do what I say not do as I do but I'm trying to do like do what I do
You know
trying to be I don't know so many people nowadays are looking for answers
and
like looking in the crazy directions as to what is the answer to my life and Purpose and I'm just trying to you know kind of help people in that
realm as much as I can, I guess.
I think authenticity as an artist, you can't ever fake it.
You could
smell fakeness a mile away.
Yes, absolutely.
And even people you might think, oh, they're not going to know this, but people know.
They're like juries.
They can sense when someone's not being real or is not being authentic.
Do you have a movie you can't turn off if you were in a hotel?
You must stay in a lot of hotels.
If it's late at night, what is a movie that Kaelin Cole can't turn off?
So, I would have to say Twilight.
Oh,
that's... No, no, listen.
I'm one of those people.
I have to say, I found that movie really, I got dragged to it by my wife, but I was like kind of hypnotized by it.
Really?
I thought it was kind of cool,
yeah.
Yeah, the soundtrack is just amazing though.
I just love the soundtrack.
And I would say that or there's like this Holy Water commercial.
that if you buy this holy water, you'll get, like, Uber's amount of money.
It's such a scam, but
it's
always on in hotel rooms, and I think it's hilarious.
Kailin Cole, knock him dead this weekend, blow the roof off the places, and please come back again soon.
I love having you on the show.
You're Uber-talented.
Thank you.
Keep up the great work and break a leg.
Thank you.
Thanks for having me.
Always.
Kailin Cole, folks, check her out this weekend if you're in the Madison area.
Follow her on social media.
We are coming right back to talk some Milwaukee film.
It's peach fava and nightlight live in Madison on the civic media radio network.
Kailin is dancing.
Welcome back.
Great to have you with me on this Tuesday night, folks.
I am Pete Schwabba, and this is Night Light on the Civic Media Radio Network coming to you live from downtown Madison on a gorgeous summer night here in our state's capital.
Thank you to Caitlin Cole for being on the show.
Our question of the night, if you wanna quickly get a text in, we'll catch up on texts in just a few minutes.
You're in a hotel, it's very late, and you should go to sleep, but this...
Movie is on.
What is the movie?
I can't believe Shining in Psycho.
Those would not be.
That is, yeah, it's
just
not me either.
Better than the news though.
But let us know and I will read your text on the radio right now.
It is my pleasure to welcome back tonight, Light, someone who's been here a couple times before, or at least once before.
She is the executive director of Milwaukee Film and she joins us now to talk about a really cool thing they have going on.
Susan Kearns joins us over the phone.
Hi Susan.
Hi, how are you?
It's great.
I'm great.
Thank you.
How are you?
It's great to have you back
Yeah, I think I'm excited to be here again So
all right, you have this first of all, I love this title cinematic sisterhood We'll talk about that but can before we get into that can you give us a little bit of information about Milwaukee film for those listening that might not know what you guys do
Sure.
So we run two historic cinemas in the Milwaukee area year round.
We've got the Oriental Theater, which is a movie palace that was built in 1927.
So we are nearing its hundredth anniversary.
And then we also operate the Downer Theater, which is less than a mile or just about a mile away of the road.
And that's a historic neighborhood theater built in 1919.
It's got two
screens, and it's a very cute sort of old timey movie theater.
Yeah, great venues.
And those are such great venues for the Milwaukee Film Festival.
Yep.
And we also have the Dialogs Documentary Film Festival coming up September 18th through 21st.
The Milwaukee Film Festival, as you know, just happened in April and May.
So we're, yeah, we're coasting out of that now.
That must be a nice kind of deep breath after the Milwaukee Film Festival is over, I would assume.
Yeah, for about a week and then we're right back into it.
So I love long.
Yeah.
And let's talk a little bit about that too.
Milwaukee films mission and I love this is to create world-class cinematic experiences that convene diverse communities and catalyze positive change.
And I'm paraphrasing here, but you guys focus on community engagement, education programs and artist development.
That's a great all encompassing kind of program that must keep you busy all year.
Do other cities have a similar organization like Milwaukee Film is?
I think Milwaukee film is a little bit unique in that we we try to do we try to do quite a bit so I've you know I've been working in Chicago the past dozen years or so and Chicago has so many great film organizations it is it does seem like more of them are a little bit more focused you know like there'll be an organization that has a film festival an organization that's really devoted to helping filmmakers that kind of thing and since we're
Um, you know, the biggest film organization in Milwaukee, we're doing, we're obviously focusing on the festival and the year round programming, um, but trying to integrate these other elements into that programming as much as we can, like at, at all times, really.
Absolutely.
Um, tell us about also, uh, the women's fund of greater Milwaukee.
So this is, uh, cinematic sisterhood is a program through Milwaukee film.
but sponsored by the Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee.
They've been around for 40 years.
Can you talk a little bit about their inception and what they've been doing for that whole time, other than sponsoring events like this?
Yeah, so I'll tell you, I'm somewhat new to the Women's Fund.
So I was connected with this opportunity by Ann Reed, who was the last year, she was the interim director, executive director of Milwaukee Film.
Basically, they were trying to find some way to sort of showcase art by women, to do some of the same things, but from a different perspective.
So sort of catalyzing conversation, opening up awareness and different kinds of perspectives and bringing people together.
So they have this incredible space in Milwaukee where, you know, you're really just invited to come in, you can hang out, you can work there, you can read there, you can chat with, you know, their executive director.
And it's really just meant to be an inclusive environment.
They have events every month where they are bringing people together to talk about opportunities, to talk about issues, to talk about, they've got an event coming up in November to talk about the science of happiness.
So they're really just doing all kinds of multi-faceted work.
So it was so exciting that this opportunity came up because I feel like even though we have very different entry points into the kinds of ways we want to be operating within the Milwaukee community, there's also a really natural synergy there.
Wow, that's a great answer.
You have... Okay, so tell us about Cinematic Sisterhood.
Love the title.
Who's idea was this?
And tell us about the program.
Yeah.
So when we started working with the Women's Fund, we started sort of ideating, like, what do we want to do?
And we knew we wanted it to be a program that lasted a number of months.
So our first screening is going to be July 14th, and that's the documentary, She Rises Up.
It's directed by a woman named Marine Castle-Custey.
And so she will be coming in to Milwaukee to do a talk back with the film.
We're also having a panel of people, different women entrepreneurs who will be at the theater for this talk back.
But we're also integrating networking into it.
We kind of, we just want to make it an event.
So a place where people can meet people who are currently outside of their, you know, their current
And some of this is just like having a friendly and casual space to do this.
Some of this is having sort of a structured conversation and a space where people can ask questions, but also using the film as a touch point so that we can see, you know, the resilience of the women in the film and how they've stayed really agile in their different pursuits.
as a means not just of like inspiring our own journeys, but also making connections globally around the stories that we're seeing in the film, but also the stories and some of the trials and tribulations also that we have working in various industries in Milwaukee, in Wisconsin, all of that.
So that's the first event.
And then we're planning events for August, September,
October, right now, the plan is to do kind of a luminary filmmaker event, but we can't say more just yet.
And then we're going to have our last event of the series actually in January of 2026.
Wow.
OK.
You guys are busy.
That's that's so great.
When you say when you say a talk back, the film starts at 6 p.m.
You say join us at 5 30 for the networking session.
Is there a Q&A after the film or is that kind of what?
the event at 5 30 is
um yeah so after the film there will also be the director will be on hand with um we have several other panelists so Catherine Dunn of Whippick which is the Wisconsin women oh boy um
I want to say I need to look it up.
It's WWBIC, and I always forget exactly what those stand for.
But she is the president of that organization, and they're very invested in women and entrepreneurship.
We have LaShondra Vernon of Prime Solutions, and then also Angela Mallett of a place called Honey Bee Sage Apothecary and Wellness.
So we're bringing together these other women who are working locally through different angles.
So one of them has a storefront that she uses also as a community space.
LaShondra is invested in helping people kind of understand or realize, I think, their own possibilities as entrepreneurs.
And Catherine comes at that from a little bit different angle.
Stephanie Melnick is going to be the moderator.
She runs an organization called She Stands Tall and they do women's entrepreneurship week every spring.
So she'll sort of be wrangling that discussion with the director as well, being part of all of that to again, sort of broaden out how we're thinking about this film, not just in terms of the experience of like, you know, the making of it, but also how does it connect to us locally?
Yeah.
My guest is Susan Kearns.
She is the executive director of Milwaukee Film, joining us over the phone tonight to talk about Cinematic Sisterhood, a great program that Milwaukee Film has put together, sponsored by the Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee.
So you talk about all the stuff you guys do locally.
Will any of the films regarding Cinematic Sisterhood, will you have local directors or are these all directors you bring from other places?
Anything shot in Milwaukee?
The current plan is that all of these folks are coming in from from other parts of the of the United States We have one person who's international that we're looking at but we're not sure that We're not quite sure if that's going to be able to happen or not
Okay How do people get involved Susan if they want to do something with Milwaukee film or be part of your programs?
Where would you steer them?
I probably would share them to the website.
It's just mkefilm.org.
Honestly, we are very easy people to reach, and we are very open to being connected with people.
shoot one of us an email.
We are always happy to hear new ideas.
With this particular series, I really encourage people to just, you know, show up, show up at 530, introduce yourself to me, introduce yourself to whoever's around.
It's taking place on a Monday and on Monday, all of our tickets to the cinemas are $10.
So it's also, we're trying to make it very accessible so that everybody's able to join.
I believe we're also going to have a
a little wine tasting and a little alcoholic ice cream tasting.
That'll loosen people up for the
networking.
Exactly, with the event as well.
I think it's a really good opportunity to meet filmmakers, to meet entrepreneurs, to meet people at all levels who are eager to connect and share their stories.
What
would you say about the film community in Milwaukee?
A, in general, and B, when it comes to women, is there a healthy filmmaking atmosphere there, would you say?
Yeah, I mean, there really is.
I think often, I think Milwaukee filmmakers don't realize how special the Milwaukee filmmaking community is in that it is a very... If you want to make a feature in Milwaukee,
you can do it in a way that is...
in many ways easier than in other places.
So we just don't have the structure of things like meeting permits for every single location and meeting, you know, in, if you go to LA, for example, everybody's so used to having films in and out that they're going to charge you a really high location fee and they're going to be very, you know, kind of jaded about it.
In Milwaukee, it's more like, oh, you want to use our restaurant?
Okay.
You know, do you also need some food?
Like what hours do you need to be here?
How can we help?
And it's just, it's an incredibly generous vibe, I think.
There's a lot of people who really want other people to succeed.
I do think that since it is a smaller market, it is still fairly difficult for women directors to break through in Milwaukee, women cinematographers.
to break through in Milwaukee and maybe especially cinematographers.
I've seen a couple of, you know, really a handful of like really, really talented folks who were working locally and they sort of felt like they hit their ceiling in Milwaukee.
So they moved to LA to pursue other opportunities.
But that said, we have a very supportive community.
And so I don't think it's...
I don't think it's insurmountable and I don't think it's at all intentional.
I think it's just a matter of like, you know, people in film work with the folks that they know.
And so it is sort of like you get to know certain people and of course you're gonna, you know, rely on them because they're, um, they're known quantity.
So it's opening up that a little bit.
Susan, thank you so much for joining us.
Best of luck with cinematic sisterhood.
Can't wait to have you back on again.
Yeah, thanks so much, Pete.
You're welcome.
All right, we're coming right back to wrap this up.
It's Pete Schwabba and Nightlight live in Madison tonight on the Civic Media Radio
Network.
Welcome back.
A few more minutes left here in my final night in Madison.
This is Pete Schwabba in Nightlight.
Great to have you with me tonight.
I want to thank my guests tonight.
Just so much fun to talk to.
Great to talk with Susan Kearns about cinematic sisterhood in Milwaukee.
Check out Milwaukee Film, folks.
If you're in the Milwaukee area, they do great things, not just for the film community, but for the community itself and education and bringing people together.
It's a great operation.
And of course, they put on the Milwaukee Film Festival every year, and they run the Downer and Oriental Theater, two amazing venues.
So definitely check out Milwaukee Film.
If you're looking to get involved in something,
And thank you to Susan Kearns and Robin Ehrlich for setting up the interview.
Also thank you to Kailin Cole.
Also always fun to have Kailin on.
She was in Green Bay and this was fun.
I got to spend even more time with her this time.
And she played a couple tunes.
She's got new material coming out in July.
I highly recommend.
I spent part of the day listening to her music and she's just, I really feel like she's going to take the world by storm at some point, but either way she's a.
Very fun person to talk to.
The British accent was killing me.
Yeah,
she could be a comedian.
Very funny.
Like, you guys were talking how she could be a comedian.
She definitely can.
Let's not go that far.
We're telling her that.
She's hilarious.
I love Kaelin.
And also, thank you for your text.
We got a few more we got to get through here tonight.
We'll do that steady Eddie.
Did I read I did read Andrea.
Oh, yeah, of course shiny your psycho.
Yeah, we're not gonna do that Andrea I'm not gonna watch that tonight my hotel.
I'll be too freaked out because the concourse is like an old hotel Mm-hmm.
I feel like there could be some haunted stuff there probably probably I'll
have to look at the top 100 most haunted hotels.
It
might be up
there.
Could be on there.
I'll see
Christine from slinger says Jaws.
Oh, man Yeah, if you want to have dreams about sharks Jaws would be it but that's that's a great one Christine because that's one
And especially, it's the 50th anniversary of JAWS this summer.
Actually, just about five days ago was the actual 50th anniversary for JAWS.
So that's a great one, Christine.
Thank you.
Tony, the trucker says, Pete, it's open range.
The scene in the diner when Boss Spearman calls out the sheriff is my favorite.
Now, that's a kid's movie, right?
Much better for that hour, even with me and good fellas last night.
Goodfellas is a depressing movie to watch right before you go to bed.
So open rain.
I think any kids movies great.
That's a great one Tony.
Thank you Chris Sheridan from Jamesville says the toxic Avenger.
You know that film.
I've never heard of that film.
Let me look it up Yeah, let's go to the Google on that one.
Thank you Chris.
We'll check that out Bridget says great question baby boom or born identity.
Yeah, the born movies I want to kick with the born movies
like about five years ago, where I was kind of obsessed with them again, and now I haven't watched them in about five years, and I don't.
I probably need a few more years to go by.
I don't know why.
Maybe I overwatched them, but great films and another great hotel movie.
Thank you, Bridget.
Steady Eddie says, Pete, movie I got to watch when I should be sleeping, a few good men.
Yes, that is one of mine, Steady Eddie.
I agree with you.
He says, I can.
I, in all caps, mind you, I can handle the truth, but getting up in the morning feels like a Colonel Jessup.
Getting up in the morning feels like a Colonel Jessup ordered a Code Red.
Steady Eddie.
Steady Eddie always brings it.
Thank you, buddy.
That's a great one.
Tony, the trucker says open range is a Western.
Okay.
Okay.
That makes
sense.
Yeah.
But we were looking at the Toxic Avenger.
That's what we were
also looking at.
What is the Toxic Avenger?
And it looks like there's a film from 2023.
And it's kind of just like a, they said it's not part of the Marvel universe.
And it's just kind of a separate character, kind of a low budget, you know, comic book series that was made into a movie.
And it's just kind of like a Toxic Adventure.
Literally what you think it would be is exactly what it would be.
At least that's what it says on the good old Google here.
Is it like one of those post-apocalyptic films?
I don't
think so.
It kind of reminds me of just like a Marvel movie.
That's kind of what it is.
All right.
That works.
All right.
Thank you for all your texts tonight, folks.
Always love when you guys are part of the show.
Makes it that much more fun.
Dom, I got to thank you for filling in.
This has been fun, but I will say.
You miss Conrad, don't you?
Not yet.
No, I don't.
Well, sure.
I always miss Conrad.
He's the lovable producer, but you're the ethnically ambiguous producer.
And I, you know, I'm not missing Conrad.
I've enjoyed this and I hope we get to work together again.
I'm sure we will.
But I do want to say your bosses or the guys you work with said they might show up here tonight.
They
did and they never did.
I thought
Gordy at
least.
I thought at least Gordy would be the person, you know, he would be the bigger man, step up and come into the studio.
I'm gonna tell him tomorrow.
and tomorrow morning.
Tell him I'm upset.
I'm going to tell him you're
upset.
I may have to
move this chair
down
a few
notches so
he doesn't know what's going on
when he comes.
Yeah, block him on
all socials.
I don't really get him,
too.
We're only Facebook friends.
Boy, he gets a lot of flack for his Facebook posts.
They're kind of fun to read.
Yeah, they are.
And then I'm like, oh, maybe I should defend Gordy here.
And then I'm like, nope, I am so done with social media, political arguments, not going to do it.
Tony, the trucker says Robert Duvall.
Oh, man.
Wow.
That's a great actor.
Open range with Robert DeVall.
I've never seen it.
I've never even heard of it.
I probably heard of it, but just forgotten about it That's a great one.
All right, so you got to say that's your homework.
You got to say hi to John and Gordy.
We'll do and
Next time I'm in town.
I'll catch those guys.
I hope I want to have them back on the show They've always been fun.
They did the popcorn pick of the week once
you got to let me know Yeah, you gotta
let me know when
you're back in town so I can just keep hoping on them to actually you know Hey, you know CP please please.
He wants to see you.
I think yeah, he's
a friend.
He's a friend of the
show
exactly tomorrow night on Nightlight I've got Linda Fortunato folks from Peninsula players She'll tell us what's coming up and then Katie Compton from the Malva Cultural Center in Green Bay joins me in the studio
Back on the home court in Green Bay.
Thank you to all my guests.
Thank you to... Are we good?
How are we doing on time?
We got one more minute.
We got a minute?
We got one more whole minute.
I was supposed to fill a minute.
Yeah, I don't know what we're gonna say.
I prepared nothing.
Yeah, there's nothing else to say.
Oh, my
God.
It's just... It's just a lazy Tuesday, right?
It's a normal Tuesday.
At least it's not raining, though, you know?
That makes up for it.
That's true.
I won't get soaked when I go home.
Also, on Thursday, folks, making the popcorn pick of the week will be Tom Clark.
I just did a read-through of a script.
Another friend of the show, Rich Tellerico, put on over Zoom, and Tom played the lead role, and he was hilarious.
So Tom's going to make the popcorn pick of the week on Thursday, and of course, Bar Band Friday Night with Terry Barr.
Always fun as well.
I hope you all have a wonderful night throughout the state of Wisconsin.
And on behalf of the ethnically ambiguous producer, Dom, I'm Pete Schwabba.
Good night, Wisconsin.
Hey, welcome to Nightlight, ladies and gentlemen.
Great to have you here.
I am broadcasting live from our state's capital.
I almost said our nation's capital.
Madison probably should be our nation's capital.
I think that would be good.
Why not Madison?
It's great to be in Madison overlooking State Street here doing the show, not getting rained on tonight like last night.
And it is great to have you with me on this Tuesday night.
I hope you had a wonderful day and life is treating you well.
But if not, if it's treating you well, join us to make it even better.
If it's not treating you so well today.
On this Tuesday, let us help.
Be part of the show.
Text in, share your thoughts throughout the show.
Always love that.
We got a great show tonight.
Sitting in for Conrad again tonight, second night in a row.
Lee
And then at some point, our guest, Daryl Burnett, the Green Bay automobile gallery, showed up.
He was a little late because he got lost.
and he showed up here looking like he had just gotten out of a bathtub in his clothes.
This poor guy.
Bless his soul.
Absolutely.
And you gave, and then his wife showed up five or 10 minutes later, you were nice enough to give them a ride back to their car, but sometimes GPS can do that.
And then Luke Mathers showed up.
I was the only one here locking up and a light goes on and I thought, oh God, here we go.
Here's how it ends.
And Luke Mathers shows up.
And then his wife comes out of another room and he forgot his water bottle.
So it was good.
I got to say goodbye to Luke before he went on vacation.
But a strange night, but a fun night in a great show last night.
It's great to have you back.
How is this different than John and Gordy?
It's honestly,
Not when my musical guest is here, because I don't want to hear those guys sing, but maybe they're great, who knows.
So, yeah, lots of, we got a great show tonight, folks.
At 635, my pal, Kaelin Cole, will be here.
She is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, a self-described Madison hippie,
who makes her home in Nashville, Tennessee now and moved there when she was 18 years old, which I find incredible.
She is touring all over the place and she happens to be in Wisconsin this week in the Madison area while I'm here.
So I invited her to come on the show and she graciously accepted.
So I am excited to see Kaelin.
I had her on the show in Green Bay about six months ago with her friend Lexie Lu and that was a lot of fun.
And Kaelin will perform live in the studio.
She'll be here at 635.
And then we're going to talk some film.
The Cinematic Sisterhood, a great program being put on by Milwaukee Film Executive Director, Susan Kerns will be here at 735 to tell us about a really cool screening that is just a couple weeks away.
Milwaukee Film does so much stuff for the community and they're educative and they do all these great programs, Building Bridges in Milwaukee through film.
So I think that'll be really fun.
I always enjoy talking to Susan.
That's at 735.
And we got a great question tonight.
You know, before I forget,
I want to read.
We got a couple of responses I missed from last night on the social media.
JB Thompson, do you remember what our question was?
That was your homework, Tom.
Favorite side dish, right?
You said applesauce, which was just weird enough.
I loved it.
JB Thompson, I missed this last night.
I don't like to miss texts from listeners.
He says, favorite side dish is steak fries.
That's a great one.
That sounds so good,
I said, or I think you said, do I look Italian?
And I said, you look ethnically ambiguous.
Yes.
You could pass for a lot of different, and I think that's,
A great way to be like, I have fair skin.
I have a pinkish hue.
There is no mistaking I am from either Ireland or England or Scotland.
One of those were lily white.
They'll take issue with this, but unexotic places.
Gotcha.
But you got this good look going, man.
You could easy, easy.
Is he from Spain?
Is he from Italy?
It's a good place to be.
You're the ethnically ambiguous producer.
He's the lovable producer.
That's not to say you're not lovable, Dom, or that he's not somewhat ethnically ambiguous.
But, wow, what happened to this show already?
All right, so we've got, man, a lot to get to.
You weren't here earlier.
I was on Todd Alba's show, just for the last few minutes, plugging what is coming up on my show tonight.
And somehow we got into a conversation about a place here in Madison.
This is what I love, Madison.
It's just, there's so many weird things.
Bennett's Meadowood Country Club, Zommer's just shared this with me, which is great, because I forgot what it was called.
He says, which is a bar and not a country club, but it's named Bennett's Meadowood Country Club.
I love that they have wood in the name, giggity.
Says any event they used to have an event called smut and eggs You show up for eggs and you watch a porn film while you eat breakfast
I love the idea of raising money for a business venture like that Wow, so tell me again What you're doing well?
It's a place where people can come in and order eggs Benedict
and watch it threesome.
I don't understand that.
That is wild to me.
You don't have to turn the mic off when you laugh.
Sometimes I laugh too hard and
That's what we're trying to do here.
We don't always succeed, but I love that.
I love that they have eggs in the title.
You could pretty much, I don't know, and apparently it's still here.
So, Zomers and Todd and I decided we do need to do a little research.
All are welcome.
Maybe we'll rent a bus and we'll go check out smut and eggs.
I can't imagine.
I have trouble watching a PG-13 movie when I eat breakfast.
I'm one of those people.
It's hard for me to eat breakfast around other people because when we just will, you know, nobody's brushed their teeth yet, their hair's a mess.
I don't know that I want to watch a pornography when I'm eating an omelet.
Just not, yeah, just not your thing.
No, yeah.
It's more of a dinner thing,
Let's talk about the question.
Okay, question.
Question.
Question.
Question.
Question.
Okay, I have a question.
Questions.
This question.
Question.
Questions.
It's very late and you should go to sleep, but this movie is on.
What is the movie?
You're in a hotel.
It's very late and you should go to sleep, but this movie is on.
What is the movie?
And this is autobiographical because I got back to my room last night.
I did some work for tonight's show and then I just kind of put the TV on.
I was ready, literally ready.
I'm like, I'm gonna go to bed a little early tonight, which for me is like midnight.
I tend to stay up a little later.
And good fellas was just starting Wow Wow what a
I'm not turning that and it was on HBO.
That's the one good thing.
There were no commercials But I watched the entire movie and I've seen it 20 times I didn't need to see it again, but it's just Sometimes there are movies a few good men is another one like that for me.
I can't turn off a few good men
Maybe a Sicario, no country
Sometimes you got to do that.
Like with this film, with Goodfellas, it's just one that takes me back to my days of stand up and working the road and catching a movie in a hotel.
My son and I, he was here a couple nights ago, Joe, we watched a movie in a hotel.
We've always gotten lucky.
Another one that's on a lot is The Fugitive on a hotel room.
And I don't even mind when there are commercials.
It's like, because I never watched TV like that anymore.
I don't either, yeah.
I stream everything.
I don't have cable anymore and I can't do commercials.
So it's so rare that I see a commercial when I'm in a hotel room.
I don't mind them.
It's almost like nostalgic.
So that's our question of the night, folks.
Uh, you're in a hotel, it's very late and you should go to sleep, but this movie is on.
What is the movie?
855-752-4842-855-75CIVIC.
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You might hear Dom on that show,
Jane and Greg, all kinds of fun stuff on the Civic Media app.
Or you can just text us on the stream, too.
Let us know if you're watching on YouTube, Facebook, or...
Twitter, Twitter, Twix, whatever you want to call it.
Let us know.
And if you're there, give us a like or a follow if it's not too much trouble.
We always appreciate those.
So that's the question of the night.
Let us know and we will read your text on the radio.
Kailin Cole will be here just after the news at the bottom of the hour.
I cannot wait to hear her sing.
Have you ever heard of her,
I'm one of those guys that thought it was going to be a fad after the first season or two of Survivor.
I was like, all right, this is done.
Thank you.
Come again.
You know, that kind of thing.
And here we are 20 years later in its insanity.
We'll talk about Honey Boo Boo when I come back.
She's back trying to reinvent herself.
Why do we care?
And we'll read your texts in just a few minutes.
This is Pete Schwabba in Nightlight coming to you live from Madison on the Civic Media radio
network.
I am Pete Schwabba.
We are live in Madison tonight here at Civic Media headquarters overlooking State Street on a beautiful, if not a tad bit muggy, Tuesday night.
Great to have you.
Hope you're in the mood to talk some music and movies and especially hotel movies.
Hotel movies you can't turn off.
That's what we're talking about.
I wanted to finish my point about Honey Boo Boo.
It said she's trying to reinvent herself.
Here's the problem with This whole reality thing these people become celebrities without really having a talent they're just sort of I'm not saying they can't be interesting people find the Kardashians fascinating.
I don't but a lot of people do and This honey boo boo was a star when she was younger and now she's trying to find out another way to be famous and that's the problem
Island definitely a guilty pleasure Love Island Conrad watches Milf Manor so I think you're literally speaking I've seen I've seen I've seen a season or two.
Oh, that's creepy
So our question of the night, folks, is... You're in a hotel.
It's very late.
You should go to sleep.
But this movie is on... Pardon me.
What is the movie?
Got some great social media texts today.
Heather Alba, Galloway, I hope I'm saying that right, says, When Harry Met Sally or Oceans 11.
That's good.
Two great hotel movies.
Thank you, Heather.
Brian Mills in Green Bay says, Godfather of Green Bay, duh.
Well, thank you, Brian.
Sorry, you have to look at my face the last thing before you go to sleep, but thank you for watching My pal Vince Moranto checks in on social media and says yes good fellas and that's the movie that was on last night Vince I could not turn it off.
He says a close second is field of dreams This has happened many times Vince is a comedian who travels all over.
I'm sure he has seen his Fair share of hotel movies.
I'm right there with you Vince.
Thanks Richard Locasio our
resident wrestling announcer, WRJN personality, says, the last time I ran into this conundrum, it was my cousin Vinnie.
That's another one.
Okay.
Thank you, Rich.
Daniel Wheeler says, love this question.
It reminds me of those, pick your own adventure books from my youth.
The answer is Knives Out.
Okay.
That's a newer one, a newer classic.
Who done it?
Well done, Daniel.
And the kid Conrad Krieger, the K-man says, for some reason, I always feel like there is a Harry Potter movie on.
Yeah, that's a good one too.
It's just like so many movies in the franchise.
You're bound to catch one of them in a hotel room at some point.
Thank you, Conrad.
See you tomorrow.
Clean up the joint, please, before I get back there.
Monica Hale on social media says, Clue with Tim Curry.
It's a star-studded cast, but his performance in this is phenomenal and it's hysterical.
I have never seen Clue.
I have never seen Clue either.
Yeah, I think that's a remake if I'm not mistaken.
I know my
Yeah, it's a good game.
Aaron Zommer says Gemini Man starring Will Smith.
I was not expecting that out of the Z-Man.
He says one weekend trip I went on a year or two ago coincided with a Will Smith marathon.
For some unholy reason, Gemini Man played way more often than anything else.
Over the course of the weekend, I pieced the movie together, which is unfortunate because it's terrible.
I mean, ideally, you find a good movie in a hotel.
There's 1,800 channels, and Aaron got stuck with Gemini Man.
That is terrible.
Thank you, buddy.
Yeah, I'm not a Will Smith fan ever since the whole hitting Chris Rock thing.
took
And it's terrible because I love Chris Rock.
Turning to the text line, let's go to the stream.
Dave says, smutton eggs come for the food.
He spelled it properly.
I can read that.
Thank you, Dave.
And then he says the Untouchables.
Yeah, that's another great one.
Great hotel movie.
And in a good movie, not a great movie, though, so you don't mind the commercials even more.
You pick up your phone, go to social media during the commercials, come back on and see Sean Connery dying a grotesque but awesome death.
Good one, Dave.
Going to the text line, Aaron Zommer is responding again, says, oh, this is in response to me labeling you the ethnically ambiguous producer.
Oh, gosh.
Zommer says, wait, ethnically ambiguous or ethically ambiguous?
Is Dom actually part of the mob?
Oh, wow.
You know, people
Radio producing is the perfect cover.
You're going to go out and whack someone later, Dom.
But that's a great question.
Ethically ambiguous.
What would that be?
Just kind of morally loose?
I don't know.
Anna from Madison says, hi, Pete and Dominic.
The movie I would watch again is Bridesmaids, even though I've seen it hundreds of times.
Great movie.
That's also a good one.
Yeah.
I was in tears when I saw that in the theater years ago.
Uh, great text, Anna.
Uh, from the nine to zero, Aaron Zommer's again says Love Island slaps.
I agree.
I agree, Aaron.
I agree.
Wherever you are.
He's in the building because all he's doing is texting.
That's all he's doing.
He's got to be his limit.
Does anybody have a limit anymore?
100 texts a month, 50 anytime minutes.
Conrad from Green Bay, I know that guy.
He says, I'm still waiting for Milf Manor season three.
Of course you are.
This show had a father and son hitting on the same woman.
It's so horrible.
I can't even imagine.
Our pal, Chris Casper, right here in Madison, right here in the building, maybe still says Top Gun, the greatest movie of all time.
That's a bold statement.
It is good
But thank you, Chris.
We'll get to the rest of your text in a little bit.
Coming up after the news, Kailin Cole is in studio performing live.
So much fun, folks.
Don't go anywhere.
It's great to have you.
It's Pete Schwabba in Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio Network.
I'm so excited for the Bruce Springsteen movie.
I just so don't want it to suck.
I'd be really disappointed.
Big night here, folks.
Comedy Alive from downtown Madison tonight here at Civic Media headquarters.
Great to be here and great to have you with me.
Dom is riding shotgun instead of Conrad, who slacking off and staying in Green Bay.
That's what I hear about all the time is Conrad
He's comfortable in Green Bay.
That's where he likes to be.
He's actually producing the morning show up there, working very hard with Mino and the mayor.
But I am in Madison, and that means tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I get to have the unbelievably, remarkably talented Kaelin Cole in the studio to perform and chat about her.
Outstanding career.
How are
you?
I'm good.
How about you?
little fender You know those
happen all the time But I was in a parking lot and did you know that over 80% of?
Accidents are in parking lots.
I didn't
Really?
know.
That's wild.
Exactly.
So I'm so glad this worked out.
You're in town.
Tell us what, catch me up on what's been happening with you since you were in Green Bay with Lexie Lou.
Yeah.
And you guys performed and you guys were so great.
I know you did some shows up there that was a few months ago.
What is new with you and what's happening?
Yeah.
Well, I have a couple of singles coming out in the summer.
Yeah.
One in the fall and then I am dropping an entire album in October.
So actually before this, since...
10 a.m.
this morning I was doing my bookkeeping and also trying to edit videos for it because I mean it's not only about the song anymore it's really about the promotion so I've been trying to get as an independent artist without management I've been trying to get ahead of the game so I can be back home with my family present and you know
make sure I'm getting all the hard work done beforehand
songs come out, which the first one drops in July.
So I have, you know, a little bit of time, but been trying to focus on that recently and been getting booked in other places, which is cool.
I love being back home, obviously, but I've got some shows out on the East Coast this fall.
And then I also have some spots with Elliot Boo.
who is a friend from Nashville.
He's from Indiana.
So we'll go up to Indianapolis and play too.
So yeah,
I do.
I
Yeah, always.
I actually have met with a couple of managers recently, well, one, and I really love what she does, but it's for, it's not the right time.
I think listeners will understand later if they,
they follow along my journey, but it's not the right time right now, but maybe after this album comes out, I would love to work with her, but her and I are somewhat close.
We used to go to church together, so, but yeah, she's awesome.
Her name's Crystal and...
Yeah, she's a great friend right now.
this?
Yeah, I mean, I have a couple of people in Nashville, thankfully enough, that if I'm just like in a pickle or don't know myself because I'm not that involved in the business side of things quite yet,
But surely I am getting there.
However, I am still representing myself.
So when it comes to representing yourself as an artist, you want to make sure that you're making the right moves because if you step on somebody's, you know, if you step on a crack or whatever and irk somebody, that's a representation of you directly.
Whereas if you have a manager, it...
comes off differently,
is crazy.
The whole business side of it is so far beyond
But the writing and creative part is great.
And I've been working on my, working on my pitch as well to people.
It's like, yes, when they see me and they see that I'm a songwriter from Nashville and a singer in these venues, it's a hard game.
You have to set yourself apart.
So it's like, how can I do that?
So I'm still trying to figure that out, but I want to stay true to myself.
Absolutely.
I think that you're in a great spot though, right?
In your career, because you can write about anything.
You don't have people in your ear saying, do this, do that.
You're still just kind of free and easy.
And you describe yourself as a Madison hippie.
A Midwestern hippie.
A Midwestern hippie.
What is that exactly?
So it's funny, because a lot of people think hippies are people that...
partake in certain activities.
Recreational activities.
drugs.
Yes, exactly.
But I wanted to give, like, shed.
a different meaning with the name, you know, give it a different meaning.
And Midwestern hippie to me is just free-spirited.
So I put in my Instagram bio recently, it's like free-spirited, but rooted in Christ.
And that's kind of my statement.
You know, even though I'm free-spirited, I still have roots and I'm still a grounded person.
first...
Yeah,
up.
Yeah.
So I am here.
I came a little bit earlier than my friends from Nashville.
We've got my friend Chris, Ashley and Jared are all going to be up here.
So Jared is actually a new
person as of a couple of days ago, the old person that couldn't join us, he sadly has some family obligations.
So we of course worked around that and wanted to be understanding.
So we
this new guy on the road with us.
He's phenomenal.
He's played at the listening room in Nashville and as well as other places.
But the tour is called A Little Bit of Nash.
Lisa McDonough, she puts it on.
That's actually Chris's cousin.
And so what she does is she books the venues and obviously pitches us, which is great.
And I'm very thankful for her, but it's three to four hours every single night of music.
Mainly it's our own music and it's writer's round style, so it's one by one.
It's nice when you're not playing the whole four hours and when you're done playing, then you have three more songs to go grab a drink or go say hi to somebody or go, you know, sign somebody's t-shirt that they just bought from you.
four shows in the area.
weekend?
Yes, they are.
So we are going to Springfield Corner first in Dane County or Dane, Wisconsin.
Okay.
So we'll be there Thursday.
Friday, we will be in, I think it's-
Yes, Shep's Cottonwood,
Yeah, and then we have a fundraiser on Saturday, so it's-
the Morgan Foundation.
So it's people with special needs that we're raising money for.
So please come out, folks, if you're not doing anything.
That would be awesome.
whole entire time,
will.
Yes.
I love that.
And then we're going a little bit out into Baraboo on Sunday at Tumbled Rock Brewery, one of my favorite places to play from
is it?
That is the...
29th 29th.
And those are all free.
Yeah.
you
something.
Yeah, so um
I've got this new song coming out actually in July.
It's called Mistreated Right.
And it's all about a play on words of this girl kind of just being done with being mistreated.
And so I guess you'll kind of hear it.
But I wanted to play Gawner, but I was like, nah, I've already played that for Pete and everybody.
Oh, in Green Bay.
Yeah, in Green Bay.
So I was like, I might as well just switch it up.
Play
Or You Ain't Jack.
I
So, well, this one's mistreated right.
Missed out on another vacation Southbound, guess I was mistaken We were wrong, so I took a ride On to misery lane I won't lie, I know you tried the best you can Need to breathe in more or less second And so client, I was tired of fighting fate Time to douse those flames
And that first look far is only to your desire.
And my heart shivers and I'm shaking off this rust.
Sometimes the clouds are breaking up, took some time.
you can need a breathing more or less second and smoke flying I was tired of fighting fate time to doubt those
Thank you.
called Mistreated, right?
That will be out in July.
Late July, so.
Yeah.
So on my Facebook and Instagram, all of my socials I have in my bio.
I have a link to my website.
And so my website will take you to all of my socials, a couple of videos on YouTube, my show dates.
So it's all of that is in there.
So.
that one is for, um, that one is in, let me see.
I think it's in, not Dane, maybe Fondalac.
Let me check real quick.
Oh, okay.
That one's in, I don't know how I keep my.
schedule.
I would say writing songs.
Yeah, I just love performing.
So
be in community theater.
when I was a kid.
And so I really think that helped my performance and my stage presence and all that.
And so maybe when I'm tired, it's hard to perform.
But I like to make sure that I take care of myself and my well-being in order to do those shows at a high energy pace.
But the writing is fun, but it is hard work, especially it all depends on who you're writing with too.
Do
so during COVID, I obviously wrote more by myself and I had more confidence in that, but I'm kind of working on writing more material myself, getting back at it like that again.
Yeah.
Well, I just love like, like you had mentioned before, Pete, the play on words.
So anything that can have like a double on Tondra is really cool.
I do have a an EP called Bourbon Warfare that is out for you guys to listen to anywhere.
But I would say like that time I.
you know, wrote a lot of like drinking double entendre meeting kind of songs, which they're clever and they're fun.
But if somebody wants to get in the studio and write another song about whiskey now, I'm like, oh my gosh.
become repetitive now to me.
Just because of my personal like career, I, you know, put a whole album out of whiskey meaning song double entendre type stuff.
So I'm like, I really don't want to write that anymore.
but to your question, I think it's just anything that's like a couple of meat, like double meanings, but also like a good message.
I'm always working now to write positive messages.
They don't have to be like corny, you know,
fine line
the corniness, but.
Yeah, just uplifting messages.
Yes.
And that's a total glass half full outlook.
It's like, no, it's good that I'm feeling this pain and I'm going through that.
I love that outlook.
Thank you.
And that's a very character building spiritual, whatever you want to call it.
Yeah.
I'm at my lowest.
And that's okay.
Yeah.
Well, and it's too, it's like about two people that there's a lot of, especially in this weird dating world we are in now, um, there's a lot of people who, um, you know, break up and then they try to get back together and then they break up again and then they try to get back together.
And it's just an endless cycle.
And I wrote that song because I was finding myself in that position.
And I was like, you know what?
No.
I'm not gonna go back because sometimes it's better to be broken off with
person.
Let bygones be bygones, it's okay, you don't have to fix it.
I'm always amazed at people that get divorced, they get remarried.
They always think they can do better, and then it's like, I guess I can't.
So what do you, you've been singing since you were really young, but when, okay, when did you have a moment where you're like,
I can do this and I'm doing this.
Was there a revelation in your life that made you pursue this?
That's funny.
I have revelation tattooed on me.
is crazy book in the Bible.
like a bunch of dreams basically that I think I can't remember is he either it's either John or Paul or yeah, I think it's
Paul
was once Saul he had all these crazy dreams and stuff
given to
him from God, but anyway Well,
Yeah.
I have to watch a little every time it clicks through regardless of the location.
that's in a hotel room or out of a hotel room, I guess he's saying.
That and the Green Mile are two great Stephen King prison flicks.
Well done, Craig.
We'll read more of your texts and we'll have more with Caitlin Cole when we come back and we're going to talk some Milwaukee film at 735.
This is Pete Schwabba and Nightlight.
Stay tuned for Act 2, folks.
It's the Civic Media Radio
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Yeah.
Good call, though.
I could see that.
Hey, welcome back to Nightlight, folks.
Just having a sidebar here with my guest, Katelyn Cole.
We are kicking off act two here.
It is great to have you with me.
I'm live in Madison tonight, and I always love coming to Madison.
to do the show.
It's just so much fun.
Sitting in for Conrad tonight is Dom.
Dom, how are you?
I'm doing pretty
Well, we're going to get to the bottom of this.
Zomers and Todd Alba and I are going to check this out and we'll be back with a full report.
We also, our question of the night.
We got a good one tonight, folks.
You're in a hotel.
It's very late and you should go to sleep, but this movie is on.
What is the movie?
This happened to me last night.
It was like midnight.
I was ready to hit the sack early.
I turn on the TV and Goodfellas is on.
So flash forward.
Remember that from last night.
I do.
Yeah.
You ever meet people who say flash forward instead of fast forward?
Yes.
Flash forward.
What's a flash forward?
And you're like, what?
I don't understand.
But I ended up watching the entire movie.
So that's our question of the night.
We've gotten some really good responses tonight.
Please share what you would watch in opposition to going to bed.
And I will read your text on the radio.
And that's exciting, folks.
You can put that on a resume.
I had my text read on Nightlight with Peach Wildman because I watched, you know,
bachelor party in a hotel room one night.
So we'll do that.
Susan Kearns is here at 735.
We're going to talk Milwaukee film.
They have a really cool program called Cinematic Sisterhood.
Milwaukee film does some incredible things in the city of Milwaukee, building community and educating people about the arts.
And right now, we're going to get back to our current interview.
Kalen Cole, singer-songwriter is here.
She is originally from Wisconsin, has made her home in Nashville for about six
years now.
Almost six,
This is home to me.
Okay.
I, you know, have a few friends from high school that I still...
like to see and everything, but I've made friends since being on the road.
I actually just went out with a couple of friends that I met at Ishtnala, which is in the Dells.
And it's a supper club and they work there, but I've made friends along the road, which is nice.
But Nashville's like somewhat like home, but more like I'm building my career there and I'm just aware of that.
like home to you in Nashville?
Yeah.
I mean, it's it's kind of hard because like home is where my family is.
Yeah.
And I mean, they're all up here.
So I'm trying to make it as homey as possible.
But it always seems like home back here.
I know I
and loved
Talk a little bit about and then I love what I read that your dad was a musician and your uncle was in a band when you were young So you were exposed to this very young talk about the influence you just mentioned your family talk about the influence they've had on your musical career.
Yeah, well my dad and My dad has just been very extroverted his whole life.
So I really think that looking How he acted and watching that when I was younger really helped me
Know how to network with people and speak with people and just be extroverted because you kind of have to be especially if you're representing yourself in the music industry But my dad used to be a DJ When he was in college, so that was kind of his music portion my uncle was We were very close when I was younger just because he lived closer to home and so did I obviously but
I looked up to him because he was in a band, and he played guitar and drums, and he just was always practicing, if not playing.
And we would go to his shows sometimes, and I just, like, the kid allowed shows, because usually he was in bars.
There's not gonna be a three-year-old in a bar.
Well, in Wisconsin, you never know.
They can legally drink.
at three if your parents are there.
Which is wild.
That's crazy.
But yeah, so I was just always around that.
Other than that, my great-grandma sang in church, but that's it.
So nobody else's musical note.
Yeah.
My brother, Asher, he sings in the shower, and he's not that bad.
shower, though, when we sing?
I
I can
You know, it's funny, though.
I really don't sing in the shower.
though.
You already
sound good.
We don't
warm up.
The rest
of the
from
you
Yeah.
Heck, yeah.
I'm not going to stop.
Not going to stop till you get my shot.
Yeah.
High school musical, too, is the best one.
I don't know.
I don't care what anybody says.
It's the second.
It's the best one.
You
Yeah.
If
Speaking of high school musical, not just kidding.
Yeah, this one I wrote with my friend Nick Haines down in Nashville, and it's called Renovation.
And I actually wrote it based on a conversation my brother and I had.
So.
All right.
Passing by you won't think much of it It sits pretty on a hill And front doors hide and lies until You walk inside the walls of our cave and then Each room is keeping secrets Takes more than pain to make it all brand new
Need a carpenter kind of you.
Cause my foundation set on shit.
I can't keep the land It's renovations It's renovations
Thank you.
Ayo!
Yeah.
Very nice.
So
Actually, no.
So that's more... That's really new then.
Yeah, really new.
I wrote this one about four weeks ago.
But this one's gonna probably be out next year sometime.
Okay.
song.
Thank
guitar
me too.
Do you really?
Yeah, didn't you hear it?
No, I
I don't know how you do
Just because it's easier, like easier if you're gonna go here and then here.
So, yeah, it's all the mechanics around it.
I don't know.
I'm still learning every day.
And you
Yeah, I love how you do your homework to Pete props you
except about
yeah Well, so I said that in an interview a couple years ago and what I meant by that was I love like this how the soul is drawn out of me with piano Yeah, and I can apply that on guitar after I write it, but sometimes it's hard to
to find the soul on the guitar unless you specifically write that way, which at that time I didn't.
That's
is it sort of
So I'm always open to ideas.
that come to me.
And what I do, I have a little note on my notes app and I write it down and I'll write a little bit of like, let's say it's this next song that I'm coming out with on my record in October, it's called holding on to hope.
And so when I got that idea, which was actually in the shower, I wrote it down.
after got out because, you know, that would have been a little messy.
Um, I got out, wrote it down, but then I also wrote what it would have been about next to it.
So I could remember that idea.
And then I went into a room with specific people who I know that would just crush that song.
Oh, so it's
Yeah.
So it's a collaboration, but I'm always open to ideas.
So.
Excellent.
I've never heard
song
should write.
I'll give you 50% what
usually how it works.
that?
I'm depends on what that means.
I don't know Is it catchy know what where that came from?
I just
feet.
for
back.
You're
Yeah, sorry.
Priorities.
Get in line, pal.
Yeah.
more minutes.
Well, she's not bad, or she's not wrong.
agree.
The
It's
Caitlin Cole is here for a few more minutes.
She's joining us in studio.
She is back here in her home state of Wisconsin, playing several shows this weekend that you have to go and follow her.
We kind of gave people the basics, but they should follow you and find out where these shows are.
Yeah, please.
You talked about in Green Bay, you had this obsession at the moment with stand-up comedy.
I still do.
And I
business.
But I don't know.
I feel like it would be, I mean, comedy alone is hard, but like clean-ish comedy is harder.
Like, what's his name?
Nate Bregazzi.
Yeah.
people love him, but his stuff is clean.
And it's so funny though, too.
Um, but I would love to do, I don't know, like somebody told JLo that she couldn't dance, sing and act.
And she said, watch this, you know?
So I'm like, comedy is just so fun for me to consume, but also I would just love to do it.
I had a show, um, a couple, well, not a couple in December of last year.
I was gonna say a couple months back.
But there was a comedy ramble in Nashville at Zainiz in Nashville.
And so they had asked me to play five songs of my own at the end of that comedy ramble.
So everybody was already attentive and tuned in.
And I played and cracked my own jokes.
And I was like, wow, maybe I could do this.
And it was such a good time.
You knew
and
I don't know
was
Hey y'all.
A
I wrote people the wrong way.
That's hilarious because the second song coming out of my album, which is going to be in August, is called Try in Country.
And it's about me writing about all the fake cowboys and cowgirls in Nashville.
There has
them.
So many of them.
It's like just be yourself.
And you know, I might get some hate for the song, but it's how I felt.
authentic.
Yeah.
And yeah, maybe I don't sound like I'm a hundred percent from Wisconsin anymore, but that just naturally rubbed off.
But I'm not like, Hey, y'all, how you doing?
Or singing or singing with a twang in my songs.
I don't do that because I don't have a twang when I talk.
So why would I do that?
Um, actually, I have only been listening to like.
Forest Frank recently, if you know who that is, do you know who that is?
I
Go to the
Forest Frank, he's so good and if my boyfriend's listening, he's gonna be shaking his head because that's all I have to play in the car and he's like, God, help me.
No, he's actually like Christian right now and he does stuff with like Thomas Rhett and he's done a bunch of collabs and he's really good.
He was from the band's surfaces,
then went his own way.
So, but that, but then also a Brandon Lake.
I love listening to him.
Jelly Roll is cool.
Chris Stapleton, obviously.
Yeah.
Mostly country, mostly Christian, some Christian country.
Yeah,
Yeah, and I don't know I just try to recently I've been trying to live it out more, you know and
Parents always say do what I say not do as I do but I'm trying to do like do what I do You know trying to be I don't know so many people nowadays are looking for answers and like looking in the crazy directions as to what is the answer to my life and Purpose and I'm just trying to you know kind of help people in that
realm as much as I can, I guess.
I
No.
You could smell fakeness a mile away.
Yes,
And even people you might think, oh, they're not going to know this, but people know.
They're like juries.
They can sense when someone's not being real or is not being authentic.
Do you have a movie you can't turn off if you were in a hotel?
You must stay in a lot of hotels.
If it's late at night, what is a movie that Katelyn Cole can't turn off?
So, I would have to say Twilight.
Oh,
I'm one of those people.
I
Yeah.
The soundtrack is just amazing though.
I just love the soundtrack.
And I would say that or there's like this Holy Water commercial.
that if you buy this holy water, you'll get, like, Uber's amount of money.
It's such a scam, but it's always on in hotel rooms, and I think it's hilarious.
the roof
You're
Thank you.
Thanks for having me.
Kailin Cole, folks, check her out this weekend if you're in the Madison area.
Follow her on social media.
We are coming right back to talk some Milwaukee film.
It's peach fava and nightlight live in Madison on the civic media radio network.
Kailin is dancing.
Welcome back.
Great to have you with me on this Tuesday night, folks.
I am Pete Schwabba, and this is Night Light on the Civic Media Radio Network coming to you live from downtown Madison on a gorgeous summer night here in our state's capital.
Thank you to Caitlin Cole for being on the show.
Our question of the night, if you want to quickly get a text in, we'll catch up on text in just a few minutes.
You're in a hotel.
It's very late and you should go to sleep.
But this movie is on.
What is the movie?
I can't believe Shining in Psycho.
Those would not be.
That is, yeah, it's just not me either.
Better than the news though.
But let us know and I will read your text on the radio right now.
It is my pleasure to welcome back tonight, Light, someone who's been here a couple of times before or at least once before.
She is the executive director of Milwaukee Film and she joins us now to talk about a really cool thing they have going on.
Susan Kearns joins us over the phone.
Hi, Susan.
Hi, how are you?
Yeah, thanks.
I'm excited to be here again So
do
So we run two historic cinemas in the Milwaukee area year-round.
We've got the Oriental Theater, which is a movie palace that was built in 1927.
So we are nearing its hundredth anniversary.
And then we also operate the Downer Theater, which is less than a mile or just about a mile away of the road.
And that's a historic neighborhood theater built in 1919.
It's got two screens and it's a very cute sort of old-timey movie theater.
Yep.
And we also have the Dialogs Vacumentary Film Festival coming up September 18th through 21st.
The Milwaukee Film Festival, as you know, just happened in April and May.
So we're coasting out of that now.
Yeah, for about a week.
And then we're right back into it.
So I love long.
And let's talk a little bit about that too.
Milwaukee films mission.
And I love this is to create world-class cinematic experiences that convene diverse communities and catalyze positive change.
And I'm paraphrasing here, but you guys focus on community engagement, education programs and artist development.
That's a great.
all-encompassing kind of program that must keep you busy all year.
Do other cities have a similar organization like Milwaukee Film is?
I think Milwaukee film is a little bit unique in that we we try to do we try to do quite a bit so I've you know I've been working in Chicago the past dozen years or so and Chicago has so many great film organizations it is it does seem like more of them are a little bit more focused you know like there'll be an organization that has a film festival an organization that's really devoted to helping filmmakers that kind of thing and since we're
You know, the biggest film organization in Milwaukee, we're doing, we're obviously focusing on the festival and the year round programming, but trying to integrate these other elements into that programming as much as we can, like at all times really.
Tell us about also the Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee.
So this is Cinematic Sisterhood as a program through Milwaukee Film, but sponsored by the Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee.
They've been around for 40 years.
Can you talk a little bit about their inception and what they've been doing for that whole time other than sponsoring events like this?
Yeah, so I'll tell you, I'm somewhat new to the women's fun.
So I was connected with this opportunity by Ann Reed, who was the last year, she was the interim director, executive director of Milwaukee Film.
And basically, they were trying to find some way to sort of showcase art by women.
to do some of the same things, but from a different perspective.
So sort of catalyzing conversation, opening up awareness and different kinds of perspectives and bringing people together.
So they have this incredible space in Milwaukee where, you know, you're really just invited to come in, you can hang out, you can work there, you can read there, you can chat with, you know, their executive director.
And it's really just meant to be an inclusive environment.
They have events every month.
where they are bringing people together to talk about opportunities, to talk about issues, to talk about the gun event coming up in November, to talk about the signs of happiness.
So they're really just doing all kinds of multi-acid work.
So it was so exciting that this opportunity came up because I feel like even though we have very different entry points into the kinds of ways we want to be operating within the Milwaukee community, there's also a really natural synergy there.
Yeah, so when we started working with the Women's Fund, we started sort of ideating, like, what do we want to do?
And we knew we wanted it to be a program that lasted a number of months.
So our first screening is going to be July 14th, and that's the documentary She Rises Up.
It's directed by a woman named Marine Castle-Custey.
And so she will be coming in to Milwaukee to do a talk back with the film.
We're also having a panel of people, different women entrepreneurs who will be at the theater for this talk back.
But we're also integrating networking into it.
We kind of, we just want to make it an event.
So a place where people can meet people who are currently outside of their, you know, their current circles.
And some of this is just like having a friendly and casual space to do this.
Some of this is having sort of a structured conversation and a space where people can ask questions.
but also using the film as a touch point so that we can see the resilience of the women in the film and how they've stayed really agile in their different pursuits.
as a means not just of like inspiring our own journeys, but also making connections globally around the stories that we're seeing in the film, but also the stories and some of the trials and tribulations also that we have working in various industries in Milwaukee, in Wisconsin, all of that.
So that's the first event.
And then we're planning events for August, September,
October, right now, the plan is to do kind of a luminary filmmaker event, but we can't say more just yet.
And then we're going to have our last event of the series actually in January of 2026.
Wow.
When
um yeah so after the film there will also be the director will be on hand with um we have several other panelists so Catherine Dunn of Whippick which is the Wisconsin women oh boy um
I want to say I need to look it up.
It's WWBIC, and I always forget exactly what those stand for.
But she is the president of that organization, and they're very invested in women and entrepreneurship.
We have LaShondra Vernon of Prime Solutions, and then also Angela Mallett of a place called Honey Bee Sage Apothecary and Wellness.
So we're bringing together these other women who are working locally through different angles.
So one of them has a storefront that she uses also as a community space.
LaShondra is invested in helping people kind of understand or realize, I think, their own possibilities as entrepreneurs.
And Catherine comes at that from a little bit different angle.
Stephanie Melnick is going to be the moderator.
She runs an organization called She Stands Tall and they do women's entrepreneurship week every spring.
So she'll sort of be wrangling that discussion with the director as well, being part of all of that to again, sort of broaden out how we're thinking about this film, not just in terms of the experience of like, you know, the making of it, but also how does it connect to us locally?
My guest is Susan Kearns.
She is the executive director of Milwaukee Film, joining us over the phone tonight to talk about Cinematic Sisterhood, a great program that Milwaukee Film has put together, sponsored by the Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee.
So you talk about all the stuff you guys do locally.
Will any of the films regarding Cinematic Sisterhood, will you have local directors or are these all directors you bring from other places?
Anything shot in Milwaukee?
The current plan is that all of these folks are coming in from from other parts of the of the United States We have one person who's international that we're looking at but we're not sure that We're not quite sure if that's going to be able to happen or not
I probably answered them to the website.
It's just mkefilm.org.
Honestly, we are very easy people to reach, and we are very open to being connected with people.
shoot one of us an email.
We are always happy to hear new ideas.
With this particular series, I really encourage people to just, you know, show up, show up at 530, introduce yourself to me, introduce yourself to whoever's around.
It's taking place on a Monday and on Monday, all of our tickets to the cinemas are $10.
So it's also, we're trying to make it very accessible so that everybody's able to join.
I believe we're also going to have a
a little wine tasting and a little alcoholic ice cream tasting.
networking.
Exactly, with the event as well.
I think it's a really good opportunity to meet filmmakers, to meet entrepreneurs, to meet people at all levels who are eager to connect and share their stories.
What
Yeah, I mean, there really is.
I think often, I think Milwaukee filmmakers don't realize how special the Milwaukee filmmaking community is in that it is a very... If you want to make a feature in Milwaukee,
You can do it in a way that is in many ways easier than another place.
So we just don't have the structure of things like meeting permits for every single location and meeting, you know, in.
If you go to LA, for example, everybody's so used to having films in and out that they're going to charge you a really high location fee and they're
very, you know, kind of jaded about it.
In Milwaukee, it's more like, oh, you want to use our restaurant?
Okay.
You know, do you also need some food?
Like what hours do you need to be here?
How can we help?
And it's just, it's an incredibly generous vibe, I think.
There's a lot of people who really want other people to succeed.
I do think that since it is a smaller market, it is still fairly difficult for women directors to break through in Milwaukee, women cinematographers to break through in Milwaukee, and maybe especially cinematographers.
I've seen a couple of, you know, really a handful of like really, really talented folks.
who were working locally, and they sort of felt like they hit their ceiling in Milwaukee, so they moved to LA to pursue other opportunities.
But that said, we have a very supportive community, and so I don't think it's insurmountable, and I don't think it's at all intentional.
I think it's just a matter of like,
You know, people in film work with the folks that they know.
And so it is sort of like you get to know certain people and of course you're gonna, you know, rely on them because they're, they're known quantity.
So it's opening up that a little bit.
Yeah, thanks so much, Pete.
You're
A few more minutes left here in my final night in Madison.
This is Pete Schwabba in Night Light.
Great to have you with me tonight.
I want to thank my guest tonight.
Just so much fun to talk to.
Great to talk with Susan Kearns about Cinematic Sisterhood in Milwaukee.
Check out Milwaukee Film, folks.
If you're in the Milwaukee area, they do great things, not just for the film community, but for the community itself and education and bringing people together.
It's a great operation.
And of course they put on the Milwaukee Film Festival every year and they run the Downer and Oriental Theater, two amazing venues.
So definitely check out Milwaukee Film if you're looking to get involved in something.
And thank you to Susan Kearns and Robin Ehrlich for setting up the interview.
Also thank you to Kailin Cole.
Also always fun to have Kailin on.
She was in Green Bay and this was fun.
I got to spend even more time with her this time.
And she played a couple of tunes.
She's got new material coming out in July.
I highly recommend.
I spent part of the day listening to her music and she's just, I really feel like she's gonna take the world by storm at some point, but either way, she's a very fun person to talk to.
The British accent was killing me.
Yeah, she could be a comedian.
She's hilarious.
I love Kaelin.
And also, thank you for your text.
We got a few more we gotta get through here tonight.
We'll do that steady Eddie.
Did I read I did read Andrea.
Oh, yeah, of course shiny or psycho.
Yeah, we're not gonna do that Andrea I'm not gonna watch that tonight my hotel.
I'll be too freaked out because the concourse is like an old hotel Mm-hmm.
I feel like there could be some haunted stuff there probably probably I'll
Could be on there.
I'll see Christine from slinger says Jaws.
Oh, man Yeah, if you want to have dreams about sharks Jaws would be it but that's that's a great one Christine because that's one
And especially, it's the 50th anniversary of JAWS this summer.
Actually, just about five days ago was the actual 50th anniversary for JAWS.
So that's a great one, Christine.
Thank you.
Tony, the trucker says, Pete, it's open range.
The scene in the diner when Boss Spearman calls out the sheriff is my favorite.
Now, that's a kid's movie, right?
Much better for that hour, even with me and good fellas last night.
Goodfellas is a depressing movie to watch right for you.
So open rain.
I think any kids movies great.
That's a great one Tony.
Thank you Chris Sheridan from Jamesville says the toxic Avenger, you know that film.
I've never heard of that film.
Let me look it up Yeah, let's go to the Google on that one.
Thank you Chris.
We'll check that out Bridget says great question baby boom or born identity.
Yeah, the born movies I went on a kick with the born movies
like about five years ago where I was kind of obsessed with them again and now I haven't watched them in about five years and I don't, I probably need a few more years to go by.
I don't know why, maybe I overwatched them.
But great films and another great hotel movie.
Thank you, Bridget.
Steady Eddie says, Pete, movie I got to watch when I should be sleeping, a few good men.
Yes, that is one of mine Steady Eddie.
I agree with you.
He says, I can,
I, in all caps, mind you, I can handle the truth, but getting up in the morning feels like a Colonel Jessup.
Getting up in the morning feels like a Colonel Jessup ordered a Code Red.
Steady Eddie.
Steady Eddie always brings it.
Thank you, buddy.
That's a great one.
Tony, the trucker says open range is a
But we were looking at the Toxic Avenger.
That's what we were also looking at.
What is the Toxic Avenger?
And it looks like there's a film from 2023.
And it's kind of just like a, they said it's not part of the Marvel universe.
And it's just kind of a separate character, kind of a low budget, you know, comic book series that was made into a movie.
And it's just kind of like a Toxic Adventure.
Literally what you think it would be is exactly what it would be.
At least that's what it says on the good old Google here.
No, I don't.
Well, sure.
I always miss Conrad.
He's the lovable producer, but you're the ethnically ambiguous producer.
And I, you know, I'm not missing Conrad.
I've enjoyed this.
And I hope we get to work together again.
I'm sure we will.
But I do want to say your bosses or the guys you work with said they might show up here tonight.
They did.
And they never
I don't really get him, too.
We're only Facebook friends.
Boy, he gets a lot of flack for his Facebook posts.
They're kind of fun to read.
Yeah, they are.
And then I'm like, oh, maybe I should defend Gordy here.
And then I'm like, nope, I am so done with social media, political arguments, not going to do it.
Tony, the trucker says Robert Duvall.
Oh, man.
Wow.
That's a great actor.
Open range with Robert DeVall.
I've never seen it.
I've never even heard of it.
I probably heard of it, but just forgotten about it That's a great one.
All right, so you got to say that's your homework.
You got to say hi to John and Gordy.
We'll do and
Next time I'm in town.
I'll catch those guys.
I hope I want to have them back on the show They've always been fun.
They did the popcorn pick of the week
Tomorrow night on nightlight.
I've got Linda Fortunato folks from Peninsula players She'll tell us what's coming up and then Katie Compton from the Malva Cultural Center in Green Bay joins me in the studio back on the home court in Green Bay Thank you to all my guests.
Thank you, too.
Are we good?
How are we doing on time?
We got one more minute.
We got a minute.
We got one more whole
I just did a read through of a script.
Another friend of the show, Rich Tellerico put on over Zoom and Tom played the lead role and he was hilarious.
So Tom's going to make the popcorn pick of the week on Thursday and of course, Bar Band Friday night with Terry Barr.
Always fun as well.
I hope you all have a wonderful night throughout the state of Wisconsin.
And on behalf of the ethnically ambiguous producer, Dom,
I'm
Pete
Good night, Wisconsin.
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