If you’ve ever driven east down Capitol Drive in Shorewood, Wis. you may have noticed the Lake Effect Surf Shop. Jake Bresette opened the shop in 2016, and while it shares the same name as Lake Effect on WUWM, public radio and surfing haven't traditionally gone hand in hand — until now.
This summer, we’re bringing the Lake Effects together for “Live at Lake Effect” — a new music series featuring local and nationally touring artists filmed live at the Lake Effect Surf Shop.
The series is co-executive produced by Lake Effect host and producer Audrey Nowakowski and Milwaukee musician Trapper Schoepp. "Live at Lake Effect" will release new episodes monthly starting June 20, 2023 featuring Milwaukee band Dead Horses. You can hear an interview with the band on Lake Effect at noon on 89.7FM and then check out WUWM's website, YouTube and social media channels to see the performances filmed by Visionary Studios and engineered by WUWM's Jason Rieve.
"The bands kind of come from all over America. I think they're diverse in sound, but what they have in common is that they can set up within a few minutes and sing their song and tell their story. And that's what I think is really great about this," says Schoepp.
The idea for "Live at Lake Effect" grew from Schoepp and Bresette getting to know each other better after Schoepp first came to the shop hoping to learn more about surfing Lake Michigan in the winter of 2021.
"I wandered in to the Lake Effect Surf Shop hoping to walk out that day with a surf board because during the pandemic I began paddle boarding obsessively ... and I thought the next logical step was buying a surf board," recalls Schoepp.
However, Bresette refused to sell him a surf board since he didn't have the right fit for him. "I always tell people I'm a surfer running a business, not a businessman running a surf shop," jokes Bresette.
As they continued to see one another via the surf shop, Bresette asked Schoepp if he would be interested in filming one song in the shop along with his band.
"After opening my surf shop I always thought, man, how cool would that be if we could do some sort of music series in here with the beautiful surf boards and this cool space that we have in Milwaukee?" says Bresette.
"I said, 'You know why don't we do one better?,'" notes Schoepp. "I have broadcast radio experience, I went to UWM and got a degree in journalism as well as a Rock and Roll certificate from Peck School of the Arts and I worked for Lake Effect off and on since I was 20-years-old... and I refused [Jake] and I said how about I produce a music series from the surf shop?"
Following that conversation, Schoepp brought the idea to Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski and they began to lay the groundwork for the series. So far, musicians that have taken over the surf shop for "Live at Lake Effect" sessions include Rhett Miller, Reyna, Chicken Wire Empire, Night Moves, and more.
"We've been working on this project for a year and a half now and it's cool to see it come to life... so I'm just really excited," says Bresette. "It's just been a fun experience. None of it feels like work, it's almost like family too, when everyone comes in and sets up."
"Live at Lake Effect" will premiere on June 20 featuring Milwaukee band Dead Horses. Hear an interview with the band at noon on Lake Effect, plus see the video of the performance on WUWM's website, YouTube, and social media channels.
