Where has the summer gone? Okay, okay, so there’s still a ton of summer left, but the bleakness of autumn will be upon us before you know it. Thus, it’s important to use your limited summer entertainment allotment right. Not even counting the last three days of Summerfest, there are a ton of concerts, comedy shows, and film screenings vying for your time. And we’re not even factoring in outdoor activities, if you’re into that type of thing. July can be tough to navigate, but hopefully these standout shows can help clear up any overlapping items on your social calendar.
Thursday, July 3
Johanna Rose + Ellie Jackson, Old Pup @ Cactus Club
It’s a homecoming show for New Orleans (by way of Milwaukee) troubadour Johanna Rose, whom locals might remember from New Boyz Club, Nickel & Rose, and Calamity Janes And The Fratney Street Band. Bolstering the bill even further is opening support from Ellie Jackson and Old Pup.
Saturday, July 5
Body Futures + Exitstatements, Key Of Evil @ Cactus Club
What’s there to say? This is just a good lineup made up of three local projects we enjoy. Come to Cactus Club on July 5 to see/hear for yourself.
Wednesday, July 9
Heart Attack Man + The Dirty Nil, Carpool, Dear Seattle @ Vivarium
Cleveland pop-punk trio Heart Attack Man is currently on a joyride throughout the U.S. “and Toronto and also Vancouver” in support of the band’s excellent months-old album, Joyride The Pale Horse, and they’re stopping at Vivarium on Wednesday, July 9. They’ll be joined by The Dirty Nil (who will be releasing their own outstanding album soon), Carpool, and Dear Seattle.
Sunday, July 13
Ramy Youssef @ Turner Hall
In addition to being an actor who’s best-known for starring opposite Emma Stone in Poor Things and as the creator/lead/namesake of RAMY, Ramy Youssef also dabbles in standup comedy. Actually, he more than just dabbles in the art form. He’s an award-nominated comedic storyteller with two acclaimed specials to his credit. Watch Youssef doing his thing when he takes the stage at Turner Hall on Sunday, July 13 as part of his “Love Beam 7000” tour.
Wednesday, July 16
Digable Planets @ Marcus Performing Arts Center (Peck Pavilion)
Following an inaugural year that featured performances by the legendary likes of Talib Kweli and Robert Randolph, the Marcus Center’s “Summer Of Soul” series is returning for a second season of shows at the Peck Pavilion and its outdoor lawn. This time around, the series will bring renowned headliners like BILAL, Digable Planets, and Madison McFerrin downtown. Those performers will be joined by openers with local ties, including KidCutUp, Grace Weber, and Gego y Nony. All Summer of Soul events will be free and open to the public.
Sunday, July 20
Oso Oso + Jophus @ X-Ray Arcade
More than five years after canceling their X-Ray Arcade show in the early days of the pandemic, Oso Oso is finally coming to X-Ray Arcade. The Long Beach, New York-based indie rock project fronted by Jade Lilitri will headline a Sunday, July 20 show at the Cudahy venue as part of the “The $10 Bill Tour.” As the name suggests, the cover is just $10! Jophus (the side project of Kory from Prince Daddy & The Hyena) will open.
Tuesday, July 22
Chill On The Hill: Abby Jeanne And The Shadowband + Immortal Girlfriend @ Humboldt Park
For two decades, Bay View Neighborhood Association’s Chill On The Hill music series —presented in partnership with Milwaukee County Parks—has brought music to Humboldt Park’s band chalet every Tuesday between the beginning of June and the end of August. The entire lineup is great, but a homecoming performance by Abby Jeanne and a rare outing by Milwaukee’s “Dark Knights Of Synth” is especially compelling.
Wednesday, July 23
Milwaukee Record presents ‘Hot Fuzz’ @ Avalon Theater
The Edgar Wright-directed 2007 action-comedy ‘Hot Fuzz’ is the second film in the “Three Flavours Cornetto” trilogy, following 2004 breakout zombie comedy Shaun Of The Dead and preceding 2013 sci-fi bar crawl romp The World’s End. Like those films, Hot Fuzz stars the incomparable comedic duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, both of whom at their best here. This time around, the pair portrays police officers in the quiet rural English town with an extremely low murder rate, but “accidents” aplenty. Pegg and Frost are joined in this hilarious thriller by a star-studded supporting cast that includes the likes of Bill Nighly, Timothy Dalton, Martin Freeman, and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman.
Thursday, July 24
Letters To Cleo + Fig Dish @ X-Ray Arcade
Last summer, Letters To Cleo came to Milwaukee to treat Summerfest to an afternoon performance of songs chosen at random, including material from various stops in their career and a few fun covers. This summer, the Boston alternative rockers that first made waves in the ’90s will come back to the region to play an indoor show this time around. Letters To Cleo will headline X-Ray Arcade on Thursday, July 24. Fig Dish will open things up.
Thursday, July 24 and Friday, July 25
Nate Bargatze @ Fiserv Forum
Is there a better stand-up comedian working today than Nate Bargatze? The veteran comedian has been blowing up in recent years—he’s hosted Saturday Night Live twice since 2023—all thanks to his decidedly low-key and fundamentally hilarious material. Remember when stand-ups didn’t have to be tiresome edge-lord culture warriors? And they could just be…funny? Huh! Anyway, Bargatze will bring his so-called Big Dumb Eyes 2025 world tour to Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum on Friday, July 25. Oh, and the tour will include all new material!
Sunday, July 27
Lucy Dacus + Jay Som @ Riverside Theater
A lot has changed since the last time Lucy Dacus was in Milwaukee. Since that early 2022 Turner Hall performance (which she had to play while resting on a couch on account of a back injury she was dealing with at the time), Dacus has won three Grammys from her work as a third of Boygenius. Along the way, she also found time to release Forever Is A Feeling, her fourth solo album, which topped both rock and folk charts after it was released in March 2025. She’ll come to Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater on Sunday, July 27 as part of her “Forever Is A Feeling Tour” with the (also excellent) Jay Som playing in support.
Tuesday, July 29
Ghost @ Fiserv Forum
Can Fiserv Forum possibly withstand the sheer intensity and volume of a Ghost performance? Find out on Tuesday, July 29 when the iconic Swedish rock spectacle comes to the Milwaukee arena during its “Skeletour” world tour.
Thursday, July 31
Dinosaur Jr. + Snail Mail, Easy Action @ Turner Hall
A couple years after playing Summerfest, Dinosaur Jr. will move indoors to headline a July 31 show at Turner Hall Ballroom. The legendary rockers will be joined by Snail Mail and Easy Action.