The Black Keys with Arctic Monkeys at the Bradley Center 5/16

On May 16th, The Black Keys return to Milwaukee to perform at the Bradley Center with Arctic Monkeys. This show is shaping up to be one of the most exciting concerts of the spring here in Milwaukee. When The Black Keys headlined Summerfest last year, their performance received rave reviews. It turned out to be one of the best shows at last year's Summerfest. (Incidentally, their openers Florence and the Machine will be performing at the Rave at the end of April for what will be another exciting show.) The Black Keys are on top of their game and have seen much success from their seventh and latest album, El Camino. Time magazine listed this album as one of the best of the year, despite the fact that it was released late in the year. You will not want to miss this show at the Bradley Center, especially if you missed their show at the Marcus Amphitheater last summer.

British indie rock band Arctic Monkeys will open for Black Keys. Arctic Monkeys gained a lot of popularity when they released their first album in 2006 and much of their popularity came from fan-based sites on the Internet. Since 2006, the band has released three more albums.

Milwaukee will be the last stop on the tour for the Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys, so here's hoping that they go out with a bang! This should be a great evening of rock and I bet that it will go down in the books as the best concert of spring.

Brewers Fans Await Results of Braun Appeal

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and National League MVP, Ryan Braun is nearing the third week of waiting. He's waiting to see if he will be sitting on the bench for the first fifty games of the season. The MLB panel of three has up until twenty-five days after the opening of the inquiry to announce its decision. Should Braun be cleared of the accusation – something never accomplished before by a major league baseball player – the responsibility of making his innocence publicly known would be up to Bruan and his agent, Nez Balelo. If the panel rejects the player's proposal, it would make an official statement five days after, releasing in that announcement the substance for which he was found guilty of ingesting, and the implementation of his fifty-game suspension.

The star outfielder's innocence is still very much in question, according to most. Prior to the hearing, Balelo told reporters that his client was prepared to argue on the grounds that he either unwittingly took the banned substance or the first test was flawed.

The second point would have gone much further with the panel, considering that being unaware of ingesting a banned substance is not substantive enough to overturn a positive result. It was speculated that Braun would have acknowledged that he did, in fact, employ a second independent test that came back negative. He and his agent were also reported to have argued that the levels of testosterone (the hormone that set off alarms on the first test,) found in the initial reading were of an astronomical proportion. Amounts that (even if he had been taking steroids,) would have been almost impossible to reach and then dissipate by the time the second test was performed. The Brewers have prepared for the loss, signing another outfielder for one season.

Milwaukee Brewers Opening Day 2012

Milwaukee Brewers opening day 2012 is set for April 6. This first game will feature a rematch between the Cardinals and the Brewers. Both teams will look very different compared the the ones that battled for the pennant in 2011. Gone is the Cardinals Manager. Gone is Prince Fielder. The Brewers might be without Braun until June. A man named Aoki will most likely be in left field at Miller Park that day. Still, Brewers fans will be there in massive numbers.

Milwaukee will have a couple of great home stands, and one very long road trip in mid September. There is an early season road trip that will involve nine games and three opponents. As for inter league play, the Brewers will face the Royals, Twins, Blue Jays, and White Sox. By the time that they play the Sox, Braun should be back in uniform.

The All Star Break is set for July 9 through July 12. Leading up to that break, the team will play the Houston Astros on the road. They will play a six game home stand following the break. First, the Pirates will come to town, followed by the Cardinals for three games. Once again, the Brewers will be at home for most of the Summerfest schedule. There will be plenty to do around Milwaukee!

Bob Uecker Way at Miller Park

In a rare bipartisan proposal this week, democrats and republicans got behind one another in support of one man; legendary Brewers broadcast personality Bob Uecker. Twelve conservatives and eight of their counterparts joined forces over the weekend to introduce a plan to rename a pedestrian footbridge near Miller Park as Bob Uecker Way.

The bridge crosses over the Miller Park Way exit off the interstate and connects the east parking lot to the center field entrance. The group has already convinced the Scott Walker administration to make January twenty-sixth a state wide appreciation day for Uecker and they say this would be the final step in honoring the historic figure.

The final decision will come down to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. A spokesperson for the department told reporters that officials were considering the idea and would reply to the request within the week.