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Brian Ritchie of the Violent Femmes Returns to the Milwaukee Stage

After the Violent Femmes released their first single in 15 years in March of this year, the band embarked on a long U.S. tour which will bring them to the BMO Harris Pavilion on Saturday, June 13. 

Bass player, Brian Ritchie, followed anything but the typical musician’s career path. Now living in Tasmania, Ritchie serves as curator of the Museum for Old and New Art, or MONA. The main musical event Ritchie curates during the year is a festival called MONA FOMA.

“It’s the largest private museum in the southern hemisphere,” says Ritchie. “I run over a hundred musical events at the museum site throughout the year.”

The Violent Femmes reunited in 2013 at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival after disbanding in 2009.  With a new drummer, Brian Viglione, the band is working on finishing a full-length album which is due to be released next year.