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 27 – October 3, 2021.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Courtney Marie Andrews + The Brother Brothers @ The Back Room @ Colectivo
“This is my story of the most heartbreaking, but soul-revealing, year of my life. I drove myself mad.” So says Courtney Marie Andrews of her 2020 Fat Possum-released album, Old Flowers. The record is a breakup album—Andrews’ nine-year relationship ended before its creation—but it’s so much more. If you need a woozy, sepia-toned country album to score your awful year(s), look no further.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Mick Foley + Dolph Ziggler @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Mick Foley—a.k.a. the man who was Mankind—has taken his previous gig as an oft-bloodied WWE wrestler and used it to launch a successful second career as an author, stand-up comic, and spoken-word performer. And who says there are no second acts in life? Buckle up for a night of no-holds-barred stories and anecdotes from a man who has always put everything on the line.
Show Me The Body + Blue Anxxxiety, Big Laugh, Sex Scenes @ X-Ray Arcade
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Slipknot + Killswitch Engage, Fever 333, Code Orange @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater
Anyone else following the big Slipknot/Machine Gun Kelly feud? Fun stuff! Anyway, Slipknot is in town this week (at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on the Summerfest grounds), while Machine Gun Kelly will be in town next week (October 5 at The Rave). So close! Still, fun stuff!
Velvet Vision + The Little Tulips, PSIRENS, Dora Diamond @ Cactus Club
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Lara Beitz @ Milwaukee Improv
A few weeks removed from opening for Joe Rogan at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee-born and -raised comedian Lara Beitz (who is now based on Los Angeles) returns to her old stomping grounds to headline the newly opened Milwaukee Improv in nearby Brookfield. In recent years, the homegrown humorist has earned acclaim from Judd Apatow and David Spade, and has become the go-to feature act for Pete Holmes. But don’t take those guys’ word for it: come to the Improv and see for yourself.
Hayward Williams + John Statz @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Hayward Williams doesn’t let much get in the way of his creative process. Though the world definitely threw more than a few curve balls his way prior to the recording his latest album, Every Color Blue, the veteran Milwaukee singer-songwriter rolled with the punches, made necessary adjustments, and managed to squeeze some good from a particularly chaotic point in his life. In addition to the “lineup of friends and collaborators who were let off the chain to create” shimmering and soulful material on eight original songs, Williams and company also crafted unique covers of four songs by the singer’s friends Jeffrey Foucault (“Passerines”), Kris Delmhorst (“If Not For Love”), J. Hardin (“Run Jackie Run”), and John Statz (“With Some Horses”). Between those captivating covers and standouts like the warm “If You Want Me To Beg,” the silky smooth “Oh What You Must Think Of Me,” the uplifting title track, and rambunctious album-ender “Paradise Springs”—which features Sturgill Simpson’s horn section!—Williams didn’t just make the most of a stressful time with Every Color Blue. He also quite possibly made his best record yet.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1
Love, Milwaukee Block Party @ Lincoln Warehouse
Food trucks, beer, cocktails, and live DJs will be on hand at the Lincoln Warehouse during what’s being called the “Love, Milwaukee Block Party.” Breweries from all over the city will be on tap, with Immy’s African Cuisine and Transfer feeding the masses.
Alice Cooper + Ace Frehley @ BMO Harris Pavilion
Ever listen to Alice Cooper‘s radio show Nights With Alice Cooper? Isn’t it funny that the bulk of the stuff he plays is really obvious and overplayed, like “Crazy Train” and “Baba O’Riley”? Weird. Alice Cooper is still great, though.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2
Big Mother Gig + Cabin Essence @ The Back Room @ Colectivo CANCELED
The Lowdown @ Indeed Brewing Company
For the third straight year, Indeed Brewing Company will host The Lowdown inside and outside of its Walker’s Point taproom. From noon to 11 p.m., the brewery will shut down a portion of Second Street for an all-day festival featuring tasty beer (some of which is event-exclusive!), great music, and fall fun. There will also be live art from Jeff Redmon, on-site food from Twisted Plants, and “The Beer Brûlée Experience” in which hot fire pokers are used to caramelize pints of beer. Oh, and there will also be live music from the likes of You Win !!!, Browns Crew, Chicken Wire Empire, Dropbear Collective, and a remote broadcast by The Boogie Bang.
Autumn Block Party @ Enlightened Brewing Company
The last block party Enlightened Brewing Company will host this year will be an especially good one. The Bay View brewery will serve up great beers (including its new Cosmic Hazy IPA, three new varieties from its “Rough Draught” series, and some obscure brews from its cellar), tasty treats from Vanguard, and tunes from Sweet Sheiks and The Westerlees.
Blake Shelton + Lindsay Ell, Martina McBride, Tracy Byrd, John Anderson @ Fiserv Forum
Dead Soldiers + The Wealthy West, Jayke Orvis & Mikey Classic @ The Cooperage
Frail Body + Hazing Over, For Your Health, Snag, Livid @ X-Ray Arcade
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3
Brady Street Pet Parade @ Brady Street
After an all-virtual parade in 2020, the city’s finest good boys, pretty girls, and parrots (and their human companions) will once again have a chance to strut their stuff in the flesh/fur. The family-friendly event will run from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. The parade, which starts at 1 p.m., will head west from Brady Street and Franklin Place to Cass Street. Then, it will head south to St. Rita’s Catholic Church, 1601 N. Cass St., for the pet blessing by Father Tim Kitzke of St. Hedwig Three Holy Women Parish. There will be prizes and music, too! Will FOX6’s Ted Perry and Gothic Milwaukee’s Anna Laridnois serve as celebrity judges? Yes. Will Trapper Schoepp provide post-parade live music? Yes. Oh, and Milwaukee Record‘s own Matt Wild will be the emcee.
Milwaukee Comedy Festival @ The Laughing Tap (and other locations)
Following an abbreviated 2020 edition that featured fewer shows, far smaller audiences, a more localized lineup, and many more protective face coverings than ever before, Milwaukee Comedy Festival is getting back to normal in 2021. While the full lineup and the entire list of shows isn’t known quite yet, the state’s largest and longest-running comedy festival has announced Neil Hamburger, Myq Kaplan, and Lara Beitz as headliners. (Through October 10)
Milwaukee Record Halftime Show: Ladybird @ Cactus Club
After a season away, the Milwaukee Record Halftime Shows series has returned! This season, we’ve assembled a stacked roster of 17 performers that will provide FREE all-ages entertainment during halftime of Green Bay football games. Like previous seasons, our friends at Miller High Life will sponsor our football-focused festivities, meaning fans can enjoy “The Champagne Of Beers” and Miller Lite for $2.50 a bottle or $10 for a bucket of five beers all game long. This Super Bowl XLV rematch features mid-game entertainment by new Milwaukee country outfit Ladybird.