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While
Harley-Davidson riders a reputation for being rather provincial when
it comes to their bikes, have seemed to some different masses get by
hanging out at the North Avenue Street Party quite well, for the most
part.
Thousands
of drivers with an eclectic group of neighbors and the college crowd
from nearby mixed UW - Milwaukee for the festivities on North Avenue.
From the Oriental Theater, where the Violent Femmes busking
discovered on a street corner by The Pretenders in the early 1980s to
Vitucci the cocktail lounge, which has not a little to have changed
since the 1930s, is East North Avenue coolest one of Milwaukee and
historic neighborhoods.
I
caught a group of about a dozen 40-and-under riders from German Town,
Wisconsin, USA, to talk about their bikes and ride preferences, just
before she headed to Rascal tavern. This was not just a group of
renegade bikers willing to hell, as they increase from the "Wild
Ones" movie, but there was no shortage of character in their
team, which includes drivers of Harley touring bikes, Softail and
Sportster , as well as a few guys on sportbikes.
Brian
Esklidsen, 26, came up with a 2006 Ultra. "I grew up on these
bikes," said Esklidsen. "My father had it. You get a thrill
from the sound and the thunder of the pipes. Sometimes it's for the
show, but we have to go."
"Bikes
are bikes, no matter what you ride," said Rob rides Baatz, 25, a
Honda CBR. "We have a real mix of bikes, but we're all friends."
Riding
as a passenger, Michelle Catalano, 24 wants to learn to ride one day
in advance. "I want the first woman to ride in my family since I
read of the old Italian tradition, where there have been men over
women," she said. "Things are the same for women and now
I'm tired of things are for men only."
U.S.
Army veteran Mike Mills was the elder statesman of the group at the
39th He owns several classic cars and Harley's rode a 1990 Softail
Custom for street festival. "I hate poseurs, but I think they
are riders," he said. "They are really more like credit
card bikers, though."
While
the musical acts Blind Melon, The Crave and Alana Grace entertained
the North Avenue crowds throughout the day I was working hard to
serve a few cold drinks Miller. As a close friend organized the
party, helped a group of our friends serving the beer. Bartending is
always a good way for people watching and this night was no
exception.
From
grizzled veterans with Harley-covered patch of West Tours (rich urban
bikers) to college kids out for a good time, the audience enjoyed an
evening out on the street. Milwaukee as a city of festivals, and is
known in other words, we know how to party. Some in the crowd said
they had removed to the street party summer party on the grounds a
few miles from Milwaukee lakefront come to avoid the crowds there.
To
nobody's surprise, ZZ Top still in an old school Harley crowd at the
Summer Festival on Friday seized, along with other bands like the
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, War, Los Lonely Boys and Big Head Todd &
the Monsters. Gen Xers and the younger group had their fill with the
Foo Fighters and Three Days Grace show at the Roadhouse at the
Lakefront.
Finally,
here is a pretty incredible story go from my city today. Just before
pulling into Veterans Park, another driver, and I have to look twice,
as we recognized each other. In fact, we had, as I had led him and
his colleagues at the Michigan driver at Miller Park on Thursday HOG
event and now I was the same for them at Vet Park. I think it's
really a small world, Harley, after all.
