MILWAUKEE — "I just do it because getting together and playing and singing is cheaper than therapy," laughed Gary Reistad.
He wrote a song in honor of his hometown called "In Milwaukee."
Gary and two of his fellow band members gather at Sherman Perk Coffee Shop on West Roosevelt Drive in Milwaukee. The band is called Cheaper Than Therapy, and they play their ode to our hometown called "In Milwaukee"
"I've lived in Milwaukee for 30 some years. I've seen so many wonderful things here that are unique to the city. The three of us sit around talking, 'where are you going this weekend?' 'I'm going to the lakefront.' 'I'm going to the park," Reistad said.
The band name. "Cheaper Than Therapy" has a very literal and figurative meaning.
"Just by the name alone it means I have a place to go, friends who'll listen, friends who care, friends who'll pray for me. These guys became my close friends my best friends. That's one of the reasons I stayed," Steve Lirely admitted.
"Music is just an excuse for us to get together," added Gary Reistad.
"Love Milwaukee!" exclaimed band mate Scott Mutch.
"My wife and I came here from Montana years ago. We chose to stay here. Raise a son here. We fell in love with Milwaukee. It's a small town big city," he said.
"We probably solve most of the world's problems every two or three nights in Gary's basement," Lirely said.
"If only people would listen." He laughed.
"There's always so much going on the city that we take for granted. It just struck me that we have a beautiful city, a nice city..so that we can celebrate," Lirely said.
And that's just what the song "In Milwaukee" does. It celebrates Milwaukee.
Here are the lyrics to "In Milwaukee."
If you ask me where I'm from I'm proud to say I'm from Milwaukee
When I want to have fun in the summer I stay in Milwaukee
If that's something you wouldn't have guessed
You never heard of Summerfest
It's only here in the city of beer, Milwaukee.
Miller, Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz and don't forget Old Milwaukee
Now we're Lakefront, Sprecher, and Microbrews in NewWaukee
Yes we love our brats and cheese
But don't call us LaVerne or Shirley please
Happy Days go on and we love the bronze Fonz in Milwaukee
Riverwest, Walker's Point and Bay View
Under the light of the Polish Moon,
Anywhere, anytime enjoy a brew
You can close Wolski's too
We have Kosciuszko or is it Koshoosko on the southside of Milwaukee
Brewers Hill, Bronzeville, Harambee on the northside of Milwaukee
All of us celebrate our ethnic pride
people came here from far and wide
We've got a lot in the melting pot in Milwaukee
Kinnickinnic, Michigan, Menomonee and Milwaukee
Ho Chunk Ojibwe, Potawatomi in Milwaukee
Alice Cooper helped Wayne and Garth understand
In Algonquin Milwaukee means, "the good land"
Nothing comes close to our freshwater coast in Milwaukee
M-P-S, U-WM, M-A-T-C and Marquette-U
MIAD and M-S-O-E
Alverno and Mount Mary
Hop a Harley Davidson, bublr bike here in Milwaukee
Hops and Barley and water turn into beer in Mil-brewaukee
We invented the typewriter and electric guitar
AO Smith made the frames for millions of cars
We built Fiserve Forum and Miller Park in Milwaukee
Hank Aaron became the home run king in Milwaukee
Robin Yount won two MVP's in Milwaukee
Lou Alcindor became Kareem
The Big "O" won his championship ring
Now Giannis and Yelich are doin their thing in Milwaukee
Good times are here raise a class of cheer for Milwaukee
