L'articolo:
Why would a rock star choose to live in Milwaukee
rather than, say, Europe or New York? Or even Los
Angeles?
If you’re Daryl Stuermer, it’s because you like it here. Stuermer, an
accomplished rock/jazz guitarist with several solo albums and a rich
history of playing with Jean Luc Ponty, Genesis and the Phil Collins
band, grew up in St. Francis and enjoys the “normal” feel of Milwaukee.
He and his wife Michaela did actually reside in California
in the 1970s, but came home to raise their two daughters out of the
limelight. “Alan Arkin says it well,” Daryl says. “‘You can sum up
California in three words: Look At Me.’”
The Stuermers enjoy the relative anonymity of living here, but
if you still want to Look At Him, you can see Daryl on stage during
the upcoming “Turn It On Again” tour of Genesis (the first in 15
years), which begins in the United States in September, following
the first leg of the tour in Europe over the summer.
Meanwhile, the north shore is home base for the Stuermers, who
looked at 40 houses before finding their center-entrance colonial 15
years ago. When they walked in, it felt right, almost like they’d been
there before. At 4000 square feet, it’s not a McMansion, but large
enough to relax in and receive guests. “We like to entertain,” says
Michaela. “We’ve had 75 people in here with no problem.”
Their home is attractive and comfortable, with artistic details such
as a painted border on the family room ceiling that matches the scalloped
edge of the carpet. Lauri Krakora, an interior designer with
Staging Chicago, LLC, helps the Stuermers select furnishings and artwork
for their home. “They’re great people,” says Krakora. “They’re
trusting, they respect my work, and they have a great understanding
of how things come together in a project.”
While they tried to keep the architectural details intact as much
as possible (the original glass doorknobs are still there, for example),
the Stuermers needed to make some changes to the home for
functionality. Even before they began working with Krakora, they
renovated the upstairs master bedroom suite. The master bath now
has an entrance from the bedroom, and there’s another entrance to
a large walk-in closet (a former bedroom). The entire suite is decorated
in calm neutrals.
Michaela half-jokes that she wanted the bedroom to make Daryl
comfortable, since he was on the road so much. “We made it look
like the Four Seasons!” she says.
Some pieces in the home, such as cabinets and tables, were
handed down from other family members, and Michaela plans on
continuing that tradition with their two daughters, Kelly, 26, and
Fiona, 19. Porcelain figurines fill an art deco cabinet in a corner of
the living room, and there’s also a collection of Villeroy & Boch
plates. A curio cabinet contains more than a dozen tiny musical
instruments that Daryl brought home from Hong Kong after a tour.
The next home project is a kitchen and powder room remodel. “It
will have a very traditional Old-World look,” says Krakora. “There’s
an antique vanity sink and black and white marble flooring.”
Like most families, the Stuermers spend a lot of time in the
kitchen, and “Chef Michaela,” as Daryl calls her, comments on
the woodwork surrounding the fan over the stove. “It’s so industrial
and German-looking,” she says.
“Just like your husband,” says Daryl.
Besides their own home, the couple is interested in the preservation/
restoration aspect of other buildings in the Milwaukee area.
Michaela is a member of Historic Milwaukee, and both feel a connection
to the past through architecture. “Sometimes on Sundays
we just go driving around looking at buildings,” says Michaela.
In 1998, they purchased Warehouse Nº1, in the Third Ward, and
are in the process of restoring and leasing it to business tenants. At
75,000 square feet, the building is a classic, with 12-to 16-foot-high
ceilings, thick rough-hewn beams and large open spaces. “It’s kind
of like a New York loft,” says Daryl.
Of course, besides architecture, the couple shares a love of music.
The roots run deep — there’s a picture in the living room of Daryl’s
grandfather holding a concertina. Michaela, a former singer, says,
“When we met, we were both in different bands. For as long as I’ve
known him, we’ve been in music.” Today, while Daryl is writing,
recording and touring, Michaela runs Urban Island Music, LLC, the
couple’s recording company. When Daryl is on the road, Michaela
often comes out for a few days to be with him and to see the sights.
Through the years, their on-the-job travels have taken them to
some fascinating places. They’ve been to the Academy Awards,
where Daryl performed with Phil Collins, who won for his song,
You’ll Be In My Heart, in 2000. They’ve been to Buckingham Palace,
where Daryl and Collins played for Prince Charles’ 40th birthday
party in 1988. That evening, they rubbed shoulders with all of the
royals, including Princess Diana. “She was great,” says Michaela.
When the band started playing, Diana selected a spot in front, and
sat right down on the floor in her ball gown.
Daryl smiled. “Then they all started looking at each other, and
began sitting on the floor with her,” he says.
“And Al Gore was there,” he continues. “He and Tipper were the
only other Americans. It was getting to be about 1:30 a.m. and Al
said, ‘I have to leave; I have a flight at 6:30 tomorrow morning.’ He
was going to Antarctica — so his recent movie, that’s for real — he
was studying the environment way back then!”
One of the most interesting band tours, according to Daryl, took
place when Collins decided he wanted to go to countries and venues
they’d never played before, places like the Czech Republic, Romania,
Lebanon and Serbia. “I think it was in Lithuania where someone in
the crowd held up a poster that said, ‘We’ve been waiting for you for
30 years,’” says Daryl.
In addition to working with Collins over the years, Daryl has his
own band here, and has recorded seven solo albums, with another,
Go, released in April. Daryl describes his newest music as progressive,
high-energy, edgy guitar. “I call it rock fusion,” he says. “There’s a
lot of smooth jazz right now, and that’s why I’m going in just the
opposite direction.”
If you ask the Stuermers what they do for fun, they have a difficult
time answering. “Fun?” says Daryl. “Honestly, my job is fun.
Michaela will say, ‘what do you want to do tonight,’ and I’ll say, ‘I’m
doing it!’”
Manya kaczkowski
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