Our fat-free, dolphin-safe Milwaukee events calendar is chock-full of things to do, but only a handful of events are worthy of the lofty honor of “Record Recommended” (patent pending). Here are our recommendations for September 26 – October 2, 2022.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Landmark Lanes 95th Anniversary Week @ Landmark Lanes (through September 30)
East Side bar/bowling alley/bar/arcade/bar Landmark Lanes is officially in the midst of its big 95th anniversary week. The celebrations include a massive game night run by Midwest Gaming Classic (Monday), stand-up and improv comedy from Voyager (Tuesday), a Lakefront Brewery takeover (Wednesday), a Big Lebowski blowout at next-door Oriental Theatre (Thursday), and a Customer Appreciation Night (Friday). Long live the Landmark! Get all the details HERE.

Robert Finley @ The Back Room @ Colectivo
Robert Finley says he’s gone from the cotton field the Beverly Hills. At the age of 68, the veteran musician is finally earning some long-overdue attention on account of Sharecropper’s Son, his 2021 record that beautifully chronicles his childhood in the fields of rural Louisiana, the semi-recent loss of his eyesight, his unflappable faith, and various other aspects of his incredible life. The autobiographical album—which was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys—has received oodles of critical acclaim en route to landing Finley on the cover of Spin and on stage at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Almost exactly nine months after opening for Low Cut Connie at The Back Room @ Colectivo, Finley returns to Milwaukee to headline the same venue.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Good Looks + Motel Breakfast @ Cactus Club
We’re not gonna lie: Austin-based band Good Looks checks a lot of our favorite genre boxes. The group describes itself as a “blue-collar political indie-rock band with healthy doses of Replacements swagger and shimmering, desert rock riffs not unlike The War On Drugs.” One listen to the band’s 2022 debut, Bummer Year, confirms those irresistible touchstones. Milwaukee/Chicago indie group Motel Breakfast opens.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Milwaukee Record Presents: ‘The Wedding Singer’ @ Avalon Atmospheric Theater
The Wedding Singer has it all: Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in their first of many roles together! Loads of laughs and oodles of romance! A treasure trove of quotes that are still in circulation almost a quarter-century after the film’s release! Scenes with Jon Lovitz firing on all cylinders and a late-movie cameo by Billy Idol! THERE’S EVEN A RAPPING GRANNY IN THIS MOVIE, PEOPLE!!! If you’ve somehow never seen this critically acclaimed box office smash or it’s just been a while since your last viewing, we urge you to join us at Avalon Theater for this rare screening of this celebrated rom-com. We’re showing The Wedding Singer and you’re reaping all the benefits.

Argopelter + Caley Conway @ Boone & Crockett
Argopelter is an improvised experimental trio composed of Barry Paul Clark (bass), Devin Drobka (drums), and Christopher Porterfield (guitar). The group’s frequent residencies at Boone & Crockett are always appointment viewing/listening, especially when coupled with incomparable singer-songwriter Caley Conway. The musicians’ autumn residency kicks off tonight, with shows on October 12, October 19, and November 16 to follow.

Videovomit’s VHS Night: ‘The Blob’ + ‘The Fly’ @ X-Ray Arcade

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

Bay View Gallery Night @ various locations
Since 2011, Bay View Gallery Night has organized “Milwaukee’s largest annual celebration of art, local business, music, and community.” The massive neighborhood-wide event brings together talented area artists and musicians, along with an eclectic mix of Milwaukee bars, restaurants and retailers for a large-scale event that has quickly become a part of the Bay View tradition. It’s free. It’s fun. It’s locally focused. What more can you ask for? How about a second Gallery Night in 2022? That’s right! A few months after hosting its spring edition, Bay View Gallery Night returns for an early autumn installment on Friday, September 30.

Zach Pietrini (record release) + Christopher Gold @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
When we last caught up with Zach Pietrini, the Milwaukee singer-songwriter was following his Denver Sessions collection of B-sides up with a potent pair of tracks in the form of The Nashville EP. Since that latest out-of-town effort, Pietrini has been hard at work writing, recording, and writing some more. A few of those songs wound up on his collaborative Modern Love EP with McKenna Bray. However, the majority of that material can soon be heard on Rock & Roll Is Dead, Pietrini’s long-awaited LP (his first since 2017’s excellent Holding Onto Ghosts).

Sleepersound + Treesreach, Adorner @ X-Ray Arcade
Over at X-Ray Arcade, a pair of great local bands—Sleepersound and Adorner—will be joined by Iowa-based Treesreach for a showcase of pysch and shoegaze you’d be foolish to miss. Sleepersound’s most recent release is 2021’s lovely Idle Voices; Adorner released its soulful self-titled debut earlier this year.

North Warren + Social Cig, Alley Eyes, Fellow Kinsman @ The Back Room @ Colectivo

Elephonic + Louie & The Flashbombs @ Club Garibaldi

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1

Next Paperback Hero (record release) + Ellie Jackson, Dial-Up Stepmom @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Last September, Nathan Honoré—a Milwaukee singer-songwriter who performs under the Next Paperback Hero moniker—released his debut full-length. That album, the self-recorded Morning Skies & Heavy Eyes, found the multi-instrumentalist doing pretty much everything on a 35-minute release spanning nine meticulously crafted songs. Now, almost exactly one year removed from putting out that album, Honoré  is releasing a new Next Paperback Hero EP into the world. Nowhere To Run is a three-song follow-up that finds Honoré taking his project to exciting new territory, and opening himself up to collaborating with others in ways he wouldn’t have before.

Beerline Shuffle @ Beerline Plaza

La Dispute + Sweet Pill, Pictoria Vark @ The Back Room @ Colectivo

New Wave Fest @ Shank Hall

Pusha T @ The Rave / Eagles Ballroom

Rocktoberfest @ Oakland Avenue from E. Capitol Drive to E. Kenmore Place

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2

Brady Street Pet Parade / Brady Street Art Walk @ Brady Street
What’s better than the beloved Brady Street Pet Parade? How about the beloved Brady Street Pet Parade and the previously postponed Brady Street Art Walk happening on the same day? Yep, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., Brady Street will be alive, kicking, barking, and prancing with oodles of pets AND oodles of art. The parade itself will start at 1 p.m. at Brady and Franklin Place, led by Milwaukee Police Department horses and Samba da Vida drummers. The parade will make its way west to Cass Street, then south to St. Rita’s Church for the annual Blessing of the Pets by Three Holy Women’s Father Tim Kitzke. The Art Walk (originally set for August, but canceled due to weather) will be happening simultaneously along Brady, from Warren Avenue to Astor Street.

Milwaukee Record Halftime Show: Okay Omen @ Cactus Club
Our Milwaukee Record Halftime Show series has returned! This season, we’ve assembled a stacked roster of 16 performers that will provide FREE entertainment during halftime of Green Bay football games. Miller High Life, Miller Lite, and Rehorst Vodka Bloody Marys will be on special. Meanwhile, Awkward Nerd Events will occasionally pop by for giveaways to their upcoming events and other fun complements to the in-game/on-stage action. There will also be touchdown shots (both regular and N/A)! This week’s Halftime Show features a performance from “post-loud rock and roll” outfit Okay Omen.

Milwaukee Comedy Festival @ various locations (through October 9)
Originating long before the city had anything resembling a sustainable comedy community, Milwaukee Comedy Festival has grown and evolved along with Milwaukee’s stand-up scene. In fact, the annual comedic undertaking has been an invaluable means of pushing local comedy to exciting new territory. Along the way, Milwaukee Comedy Festival has also brought in noted national talent to headline some of its shows. This year’s festival—which will be taking place October 2-9—is no different, as Laurie Kilmartin was recently announced as the comic who will close out the 17th annual Milwaukee Comedy Festival. You can check out the full lineup HERE.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild @ Fiserv Forum
On Sunday, Milwaukee will host its first NHL game since 1993 when the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Minnesota Wild at Fiserv Forum. Yeah, it’s a preseason game (part of the Blackhawks’ “Home Away From Home” series), but the thing sold out in about 18 seconds. Milwaukee is clearly ready for some professional hockey.

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