Author: Matt Wild | Page 21 | Milwaukee Record

Summerfest announces 2025 attendance (up 8%!), 2026 dates (same three-weekend format!)

July 15, 2025

The annual Big Milwaukee Question—"What was the Summerfest attendance this year?"—has been answered. On Tuesday, Summerfest parent company Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (MWF) announced that 602,231 folks at...

This weekend’s “Sugar Camp” at Sugar Maple will have a Hot Dog Sucking Contest. We have questions.

Matt Wild

July 15, 2025

Bay View bar and venue Sugar Maple, 441 E. Lincoln Ave., is known for many things: serving great beer, hosting great shows, dreaming up delightful pop-ups, and inspiring Milwaukeeans to come together in the fac...

The Hop will expand service for Bastille Days, so let’s argue about it for some reason

Matt Wild

July 15, 2025

Bastille Days kicks off Thursday, July 17 in Cathedral Square Park, and runs through Sunday, July 20. Want to utilize Milwaukee's BELOVED downtown streetcar system, The Hop, while you attend the four-day fest? ...

Shout-out to Jack White for kicking in some serious cash for Cactus Club’s new ramp

Matt Wild

July 14, 2025

If you've been to Bay View's Cactus Club in recent weeks, you've seen all the construction going on outside. The construction is for Cactus' long-in-the-works accessibility ramp, part of an equally long-in-the-...

Wikipedia already calls Milwaukee Public Museum the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin

Matt Wild

July 14, 2025

The Milwaukee Public Museum—the Milwaukee Public Museum you know and love, the Milwaukee Public Museum with the Streets of Old Milwaukee and the Snake Button(s), the Milwaukee Public Museum located at 800 W. We...

Please enjoy the charming-as-hell “Ducks,” from Milwaukee solo artist Floryence

Matt Wild

July 14, 2025

We try to keep up with new Milwaukee music as best we can here at Milwaukee Record. Our coverage is far, far, far from comprehensive, but you know what? We do okay. We're proud of what we do, even if we do miss...

East Side Gallery Night will make inaugural splash July 18

Matt Wild

July 11, 2025

You've enjoyed nearly four decades of the original Gallery Night MKE. You've enjoyed nearly 15 years of the Bay View Gallery Night. Now buckle up for a new neighborhood-specific celebration of art and art-adjac...

East Side Italian restaurant L’Incontro is closed

Matt Wild

July 10, 2025

After 15 months in business, East Side Italian restaurant L'Incontro, 2315 N. Murray Ave., has closed. The restaurant made the announcement Wednesday on social media. It's last day of service was Monday, Jul...

Food/Drink Roundup: Koppa’s is back! Again!

Matt Wild

July 9, 2025

Looking for a roundup of Milwaukee food and drink news? Then take a bite of our cleverly titled, bi-weekly Food/Drink Roundup! This week: the latest return of Koppa's! • It's been eight years since we kicked...

Vivent Health will host .05k “Drag Race” (and bar crawl) in Walker’s Point July 26

Matt Wild

July 8, 2025

Milwaukee knows long-distance running isn't for everyone. Exhibit A: the 1.6-mile beer run/walk that kicks off the annual Locust Street Festival. It has beer! Exhibit B: the just-announced .05k "drag race" walk...

Summerfest, drone shows, and online misery vs. offline reality

Matt Wild

July 7, 2025

Over the course of the last three weekends, I had a terrible time at Summerfest. The lineup was pathetic, the prices were outrageous, and the Saz's sampler platter was mid. It was too hot and there wasn't enoug...

Take Me Back To Summerfest 1997: Matthew Sweet at Leinie Lodge

Matt Wild

July 3, 2025

To paraphrase someone I always paraphrase: Memories are illusions. Memories of concerts in the times before smartphones and social media, doubly so. Take my memories of a concert that for many years I consid...

Here are all the new and wonderful things they’re building in Milwaukee (June 18 – July 1, 2025)

Matt Wild

July 2, 2025

broadstreet.zone(154824); Depending on which news sources you follow, Milwaukee is going through either a "renaissance" or a "reinvention." However you want to define it, it's safe to say that Milwaukee is cur...

Trolley celebrates 30 years, honors late singer Mike Perotto with “A Carnival Of Grey And White”

Matt Wild

July 1, 2025

Look up "legendary Milwaukee power-pop band" in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of Trolley. For 30 years, the dapper Mod- and psych-influenced outfit has peppered the city's music scene with meticulous...

Brewers unveil anime-inspired William Contreras mural in Black Cat Alley

Matt Wild

June 27, 2025

The East Side got a shot of major league star power on Friday, when the Milwaukee Brewers unveiled a new mural of catcher William Contreras in the neighborhood's Black Cat Alley. The anime-inspired mural was il...

AJ Bombers will close later this year

Matt Wild

June 26, 2025

After 16 years in business, Water Street stalwart AJ Bombers will close its doors for good later this year. Benson's Restaurant Group, the owner and operator of AJ Bombers, made the announcement on Thursday....

MKE Music Rewind: Violent Femmes, “I Held Her In My Arms” (1986)

Matt Wild

June 26, 2025

broadstreet.zone(159870); In MKE Music Rewind we revisit notable Milwaukee music that was released before Milwaukee Record became a thing in April 2014. This week: Violent Femmes' "I Held Her In My Arms," from...

Food/Drink Roundup: Lupi & Iris owners will open Italian restaurant, Il Ponte, next year

Matt Wild

June 25, 2025

Looking for a roundup of Milwaukee food and drink news? Then take a bite of our cleverly titled, bi-weekly Food/Drink Roundup! This week: Il Ponte! • Two weeks ago, Milwaukee learned that Lupi & Iris own...

Record Recommended: Summerfest Weekend 2

Matt Wild

June 24, 2025

broadstreet.zone(152022); Summerfest! Like the last four installments, the Big Gig is staking out three Thursday-Friday-Saturday blocks instead of the old 11-day run. In an effort to help you make some potenti...

ArtBlaze beach parties will bring new “HydroBloom” inflatables to McKinley Beach this summer

Matt Wild

June 24, 2025

Last year, local public art nonprofit Joy Engine gave the Milwaukee summer a jolt of unexpected fun with a series of so-called ArtBlaze beach parties. The free all-ages shindigs on Bradford and South Shore beac...

Author Matt Wild