Some of you are in a serious relationship, or at least involved in a budding romance. Others are happily (or perhaps miserably) single. No matter where your love life lands, the same thing holds abundantly true for everyone: you need to go out and do something—anything!—on Valentine’s weekend. Since this V-Day proper lands on a Friday, most people will either celebrate (or be reminded they’re alone and true love might never find them) on February 14 itself or will push plans to this weekend.

Whether you’ve simply procrastinated on cementing post-dinner plans for you and that special someone, or you just need to escape the imposing specters of loneliness and self-doubt that loom between you and your exhausted Netflix queue, allow Milwaukee Record to serve as your cherubic guide to celebrating and/or escaping this Hallmark holiday with some suggestions of stuff to do. Oh, and if none of these ideas are to your liking, you can get married at Lakefront Brewery on Valentine’s Day.

Friday, February 14

Brew City Bruisers Valentine’s Day Bout with Mondo Lucha @ UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena
Not into the whole “prix fixe” menu and manufactured romance aspect of Valentine’s Day? Well, you can go in another, decidedly different direction with a Brewcity Bruisers Roller Derby Exhibition Bout and a live performance by Mondo Lucha. Whether attending alone or with your awesome partner, you’re sure to have a February 14 for the ages.

Rexxx (record release) + Radkey, Fire Heads, DaveKevinAdam, Jwoods @ Cactus Club
What do you get when you mix members of some of the best bands in town (Sex Scenes, Surgeons In Heat, Saebra & Carlyle, more) with righteous riffs and glammed-up party vibes? The exxxcelent Rexxx, a group that somehow, incredibly, does not feature any members of fellow partiers Platinum Boys. The band has one recorded song to its name (the awesome “Lost Cause”), but expect to hear more at tonight’s release show for Pure Pleasure II. This has noting to do with Valentine’s Day, but it’s going to be fun.

Love Stinks: A Valentine’s Day Party @ The Cooperage
Zed Kenzo will host this unique event at The Cooperage. According to the event page’s explanation:

“NO MEN ALLOWED, UNLESS THE WOMXN SAY SO!
*MEN MAY ONLY ENTER IF ACCOMPANIED BY A WOMXN *”

Motion City Soundtrack + White Reaper, Live Tetherball Tonight @ The Rave/Eagles Club
Following a brief hiatus, Minneapolis pop-rock mainstay Motion City Soundtrack is back in action and will be returning to Milwaukee to headline a stacked show that also features the great White Reaper and Milwaukee’s own Live Tetherball Tonight.

Valentine’s Day With Third Space @ Third Space Brewing
Third Space will help make February 14 a beer lover’s holiday as well by making rare barrel-aged items in its tap room on Valentine’s Day. Additionally, anyone who pops the question at the brewery on February 14 will get a free rehearsal dinner rental at Third Space, complete with a $100 beer tab.

Raspberry Chocolate Bruv Can Release @ Vennture Brew Co.
In other beer news, the folks at Vennture Brew Co. will celebrate the holiday by releasing a raspberry chocolate variant of its Bruv berliner in cans. Get it while supplies last.

Sleepless In Seattle @ Avalon Theater
You can spend V-Day with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan over the weekend with a pair of Sleepless In Seattle screenings at Bay View’s romantic Avalon Theater.

So I Married An Axe Murderer @ Times Cinema
Join WMSE at Times Cinema for a holiday-themed edition of Friday Night Freak Show when the station screens the 1993 cult romantic comedy So I Married An Axe Murderer.

Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound @ Shank Hall
What says romance better than one of Milwaukee most beloved musical mainstays? Paul Cebar and his Tomorrow Sound backing band will take the stage for a February 14 show at Shank Hall.

Mat Alano-Martin @ The Laughing Tap

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre with Reflection of Flesh + Black Canvas, Canyon Of The Skull @ X-Ray Arcade

You Remind Me: A Valentine’s Day R&B Dance Party ft. DJ Bizzon @ Company Brewing

Saturday, February 15

VinterSkö Musik Fest @ Pabst Milwaukee Brewery & Taproom
Do you like music festivals? Do you like winter music festivals? Do you like new winter music festivals? Then you’ll love the inaugural VinterSköl Musik Fest, a “Nordic-inspired winter celebration” coming to Milwaukee’s Brewery District. A vast lineup of music, vendors, beer, and food will fill Best Place at The Historic Pabst Brewery, Captain Pabst Pilot House (formerly Pabst Milwaukee Brewery & Taproom), Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub, Milwaukee Brewing Company, and Nō Studios. Check out the ridiculously great music lineup (which includes Lex Allen, Klassik, Shle Berry, and many more) HERE.

Lion’s Tooth February Pop-Up Extravaganza: Ravi/Lola + The Nile Club @ Sugar Maple
Milwaukee has a long and storied history with alternative comic books. But even in a city blessed with numerous comic book shops and independent bookstores, there’s no place that deals exclusively in alternative comics and graphic novels. Happily, that’s changing. Enter Lion’s Tooth, a new subscription service available right this very second, and a brick-and-mortar store debuting soon. The brainchild of Shelly McClone-Carriere and Cris Siqueira, Lion’s Tooth aims to spread the good word of alt-comics and graphic novels (think artists like Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes, and Robert Crumb) to adults and young adults alike.

3rd Annual Christopher Novak Extravaganza @ The Cooperage
For the third consecutive year, Milwaukee music super fan Christopher Novak will celebrate his birthday by giving local listeners a gift in the form of one heck of a concert. This year’s lineup includes Amanda Huff, Atheists & Airplanes, Casual War, and Flat Teeth.

Punk Rock Rummage Sale @ Club Garibaldi
Before you hit the town for another night of Valentine’s weekend fun, stock up on crafts, records, and vintage items while also helping Australian wildlife at the latest installment of Club G’s Punk Rock Rummage Sale. DJs Audrey O’Brien and Wendy Norton will play all Australian music during this unique benefit.

Mat Alano-Martin @ The Laughing Tap
Humor is an important component in any good relationship. Consider adding a dash of comedy to you Valentine’s weekend at one of Mat Alano-Martin’s two shows at The Laughing Tap. If you can’t make the February 15 show, he’ll also be at the Walker’s Point club the night before.

U2 Zoo @ Shank Hall
If you can’t live with or without the music of U2, Shank Hall has you covered with another performance by U2 Zoo, Milwaukee’s premier U2 tribute band.

Arrow + Lady Cannon @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery

Carrie Nation And The Speakeasy + S.S. Web, Pay The Devil, DJ Phatneck @ Cactus Club

Sleepless In Seattle @ Avalon Theater

Luv Unlimited Dance Party Vol. 3 @ Company Brewing

Grayscale + Hot Mulligan, WSTR, Lurk @ X-Ray Arcade

The Finest Hour: Davina & The Vagabonds + Hot Club Of Cowtown @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center For The Arts

Alter Bridge + Clint Lowery, Deepfall @ Cactus Club

Flu-Like Symptoms (record release) + Negative/Positive @ Quarters Rock ‘N’ Roll Palace

Sunday, February 16

Pauly Shore @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Not unlike Crystal Pepsi, Hypercolor T-shirts, and the LaserDisc, Pauly Shore was a cultural bullet point that was emblematic of what America’s pop culture landscape was like during the early-to-mid ’90s. The career of the MTV VJ, actor, and comic peaked between 1992 and 1996, a period in which he was king of the music channel’s spring break coverage, and appeared in seven major motion pictures—most notably Encino Man, Jury Duty, Bio-Dome, and Son In Law—that grossed more than $180 million combined at the box office. These days, Shore has aged into something of an elder comedy statesman, hosting a video podcast called “Pauly Shore’s Random Rants” and touring the country.

Keg Stand Up @ Lakefront Brewery
In other comedy news, Milwaukee Comedy’s monthly Keg Stand Up’s show is sure to bring V-Day weekend to a close in a hilarious fashion with comedy from Amy Sumpter, Seth Davis, Sean Patrick Moore, and host Emily Schaefer.

Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes (record release) + Joseph Huber @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
The great Chicago Farmer will come to Anodyne for a record release show that also features the likes of Milwaukee’s own Joseph Huber. Don’t miss it.

Elizabeth Moen @ Cactus Club