Me as Evel Klownievel
I LOVE lucha libre. It combines my love of over the top costumes (see photo to the left) and old school wrestling (ala the Crusher, Gorgeous George, Andre the Giant, etc.). Throw in some classic burlesque and you get Mondo Lucha, a super cool event held a couple of times a year in Milwaukee. Mondo Lucha was held at Turner Hall Ballroom. Turner Hall is an awesome old cream city brick ballroom built in 1923 to house the Milwaukee Turners. It had a fire in 1941 and was closed until around 2003. The renovation is not completely done, so the hall still has a fire-damaged patina that lends a great vibe to any show there.
The Milwaukee Turners in the Turner Hall Ballroom back in the day.
The Turners are a still active German American athletic, civic and cultural organization that was founded in 1853. The organization has gymnastics, fencing, rock climbing, and other athletic activities. The Turners are known for their motto ” Sound Mind in a Sound Body”, and helped create physical education programs in schools throughout the United States. In its heyday, the Turner Society was the social center for Milwaukee leaders Carl Schurz, Emil Walber, the Uihlein, Schlitz, Blatz and Harnischfeger families who helped it flourish.
- Steve and the boys.
I biked down to Mondo Lucha with a group of West Siders. Steve is pals with the organizer of Mondo Lucha, so he scored tickets and front row seats for all of us. The show was spectacular as always. If you have never gone, you owe it to yourself to give it a try next time Mondo Lucha shakes Milwaukee. Here are a few photos of our night just to give you a taste.
Stevo rolling east.
Doin the Lucha Lock-up
Farm animals are muy típico in Lucha Libre, and the Goat is always a big hit with the crowd.
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Turner Hall is an asset to our city, but it needs more than the one dinky bike rack it has!
Hi Meghan,
For the last 7 years, the City of Milwaukee has had a Park For Free bike program to supply local businesses with free bike racks upon request. The City supplies the bike rack and fasteners and the businesses install the rack (which is easy). I still have a dozen or so of those racks to give away. If Turner Hall asks for more racks, I can still supply them with a rack or two.