Lee Matz, Author at Milwaukee Independent

Packers great LeRoy Butler part of Eric Von’s Essential Voices series

Posted by Lee Matz | Jul 29, 2016 |

CITY.NET Café hosted a public recording session of the Essential Voices series, with host and local broadcast legend Eric Von on July 27. Von is an acclaimed broadcast journalist and commentator, with a questioning style that enlightens listeners by getting to the heart of issues. A radio industry veteran spanning three decades, his Essential Voices series is a conversation between Von and people who he thinks members of the community should know about. “These are individuals I find interesting, and once people get to know them for more than just the things that are popular in the media about...

Photo Essay: A Frog and a Black Cat

Posted by Lee Matz | Jul 25, 2016 |

These images show two days of the mural being painted by the internationally-renowned street artist MTO, and the Black Cat Alley Gala that was a fundraising event for the September mural festival.

Photo Essay: Communities converge at Newaukee’s Night Market

Posted by Lee Matz | Jul 15, 2016 |

NEWaukee’s Night Market has become a vibrant melting pot of all that Milwaukee has to offer, since it began taking over a section of Wisconsin Avenue in 2014 for one night each month during the summer.

360° View: Urban legend falls, Solvay Plant no more

Posted by Lee Matz | Jul 11, 2016

Editor’s Note: The Milwaukee Independent was given access by The MRD Group to document the last stage of the site’s demolition. Full safety gear was worn on the location with supervised escort, because the area remains off-limits to the public and is very dangerous. The facility and its land are private property, and entering the grounds is illegally trespassing. In addition to being contracted for the demolition, The MRD Group also provided asbestos abatement, which cleared the buildings of cancer causing fibers that can be easily inhaled. Demolition has come to the popular urban spelunking site, one of the...

Photo Essay: Backstage with the BoDeans

Posted by Lee Matz | Jul 7, 2016 |

An exclusive behind-the-scenes look with the BoDeans, on a special day in their long musical journey that began in 1986 and brought the famous band with Milwaukee roots back home.

The historical significance of segregated baseball

Posted by Lee Matz | Jul 5, 2016 |

After the Milwaukee Brewers honored Negro Baseball League players during a special Tribute Game at the Miller Park Stadium on June 25, the Negro League Experience continued immediately afterward at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown. “I saw this as an opportunity to bridge the gap of apathy of baseball’s historical significance in our culture as African-Americans, and the absolute disregard toward the sport in our communities,” explained Patrice Smith, who organized the event. ”I contacted the Yesterday’s Negro League President, Dennis Biddle, who expressed the same sentiments and agreed to join me in my endeavors to save our youth...