November. Summer is now far in the rear view mirror. Most of Milwaukee’s festivals are now over. By now, your Halloween costume has been washed and stored away for later use. On paper, November doesn’t offer much beyond Thanksgiving. It’s the continuation of one season and the precursor to another. Still, between lauded comedians coming to town, great local and national concerts, and can’t-miss Milwaukee Record happenings, there’s plenty to keep Milwaukee occupied as we await the impending wintry doom. Here are 15 of our top picks.
Saturday, November 1
Ladybird + Long Line Riders (album release, early show) and Ladybird + Bitch Creek, Chapped Lips (album release, late show) @ Cactus Club
Thus far in 2025, Milwaukee alt-country outfit Ladybird played pretty much every notable local festival and block party, embarked on some short tours, earned a few impressive opening slots, and found its popularity continue to swell as more listeners stumbled upon the band’s exceptional 2024 effort Amy Come On Home and saw them live. The watershed year for Ladybird will get even better on November 1 when the band commemorates its new record, Clementine, with a pair of release shows at Cactus Club that will feature matinee accompaniment by Long Line Riders and late show support by Bitch Creek and Chapped Lips.
Saturday, November 1 and Sunday, November 2
Brooks Wheelan @ Milwaukee Improv (three shows!)
Less than a year removed from the release of his hilarious and acclaimed special, Alive In Alaska, Brooks Wheelan—a former SNL cast member, tireless comedian, and frequent opener for John Oliver and Seth Meyers—will return to his native Midwest for a three-night, four-show stop at Milwaukee Improv in nearby Brookfield. Wheelan’s run of performances began October 31, but will continue for two more shows on November 1 and a Sunday night finale November 2.
Sunday, November 2
Bartees Strange + Jacob Slade @ Vivarium
Aside from being an accomplished producer (who has worked with the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Paramore, Bleachers, Lucy Dacus, and even Milwaukee’s own Holy Pinto), Bartees Strange is one hell of a musician in his own right. Just shy of nine months removed from the release of Horror, his acclaimed third album, Strange will come to Milwaukee’s Vivarium for his first headlining appearance. Jacob Slade opens.
Wednesday, November 5
Weakened Friends + Lunar Moth @ X-Ray Arcade
After delivering a memorable Bay View Bash set on the X-Ray Arcade Stage in 2023, the Maine-based indie rock trio will head to the actual X-Ray Arcade this time around to headline a can’t-miss midweek outing that also features opening support from Lunar Moth.
Friday, November 7
Thot Squad + Zed Kenzo @ Cactus Club
Cactus Club will play host to “2 THOTS 2 PRAYERS” in the form of Thot Squad and Zed Kenzo on Friday, November 7. The former is a genre-blending rapper, singer, and songwriter from Michigan. The latter is a Milwaukee expat (now living in Los Angeles after spending a few years honing her craft in Boston) who is returning to her old stomping grounds to treat Milwaukee to her best material to date.
Friday, November 7
The Sloppy Boys @ X-Ray Arcade
What iiiiiiiiiiiiiiis up?! Party rock trio The Sloppy Boys—which features accomplished television actors/writers and former members of The Birthday Boys sketch comedy troupe in its ranks—will return to the region for the third time in approximately a year and a half to play a show at X-Ray Arcade (the very same venue where the band recorded a live episode of their cocktail podcast this past winter) on Friday, November 7.
Sunday, November 9
Troubled Hubble + The Hallelujah Ward, Clem Snide @ Cactus Club
A trio of bands on the Foreign Leisure record label will converge upon Cactus Club for what’s sure to be an outstanding Sunday night soiree. This show serves as a release show for the 20th anniversary reissue of veteran Chicago indie rockers Troubled Hubble’s Making Beds In A Burning House. The Hallelujah Ward will lend some local support and Clem Snide (with a special surprise!) will round things out.
Sunday, November 9
Milwaukee Record Presents: Casserole Call @ Falcon Hall
Milwaukee Record’s third annual “Casserole Call” event will feature a wide range of area businesses serving up their own unique take on this beloved Midwest culinary favorite and vying for the title of Milwaukee’s Best Casserole—which will be decided by those in attendance. From noon to 3 p.m., casserole connoisseurs are invited to taste samples from a wide variety of local restaurant vendors. Each ticket includes three sample vouchers. Additional samples can be purchased for $1 each. Best yet, a portion of proceeds brought in from Casserole Call will be donated to Kinship Community Food Center. We’ve officially issued a Casserole Call. Will you answer?
Thursday, November 13
GZA + The Phunky Nomads @ The Rave / Eagles Club
Wu-Tang Clan founding member and elder statesman GZA will swing by The Rave on Thursday, November 13 as part of a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of his groundbreaking and timeless album, Liquid Swords. The Phunky Nomads will open.
Saturday, November 15 and Sunday, November 16
The New Reality @ X-Ray Arcade
Back in August, X-Ray Arcade announced a brand new festival that will celebrate the abundance of top-notch hardcore and metal music being made in the Midwest. “The New Reality” is a co-production between The Basement Collective and Milwaukee Hardcore Shows that will come to the Cudahy arcade/venue November 15-16. Milwaukee bands World I Hate and Twisted Truth (as well as Madison’s Stress Test) will give the event some local representation. There will also be acts from a variety of other Midwest locales in the form of D Bloc, BIB, Prevention, Spine, Payasa, Direct Measure, Sector, Velocity, Dose, Identity Crisis, No Guard, and Source Of Fire. Oh, and Gridiron (from Pennsylvania), No Cure (out of Alabama), and Ontario-based Mile End will take part as well.
Wednesday, November 19
Milwaukee Record Presents: ‘The Greasy Strangler’ @ Avalon Theater
Join us and a roomful of disco cuties for a very special screening of The Greasy Strangler! For the uninitiated, this 2016 tour de grease tells the story of a co-residential father and son, Ronnie and Brayden. The duo operates a small business giving dubious walking tours of the music history-based landmarks that make their community so special. However, a young lady enters the picture, creating a love triangle that threatens to destroy everything they’ve built together. Then, of course, there’s the eponymous serial killer. The whole thing is super gross, and hilarious, and maybe a little scary. Everyone is perfect in this thing and you’ll absolutely love it. Or hate it.
Friday, November 21
Diet Lite (album release) @ Vivarium
After bursting onto the scene post-pandemic, Diet Lite became one of the city’s most active and popular projects. In 2023, that rapid ascent to Milwaukee music prominence culminated with the release of Into The Pudding. Since then, the local rock trio has been quiet compared to its early years. It turns out the self-imposed slowdown—at least relatively speaking—was for a reason. Diet Lite spent the winter writing and workshopping new material in northern Wisconsin, then going to Jamdek in Chicago to record that output on analog tape. The final product is Double Wide Yukon, Diet Lite’s follow-up album that will be released on Friday, November 14. A week later, the band will celebrate the occasion with a release show at Vivarium.
Friday, November 21 and Saturday, November 22
Bob The Drag Queen @ Milwaukee Improv (four shows!)
In addition to being a drag icon who won Season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, was one of the hosts of HBO’s We’re Here, and was a standout contestant on the latest season of The Traitors, Bob The Drag Queen is also a legitimate comedian. Watch her do her thing at Milwaukee Improv in nearby Brookfield November 21-22 over the course of four performances split evenly between two nights.
Wednesday, November 26
Friendsgiving with Chicken Wire Empire @ The Cooperage
While Chicken Wire Empire plays festivals all over the Midwest and is known to embark on the occasional European tour, the Milwaukee-based bluegrass stalwarts tend to only play sparingly in their hometown. The scarcity of those local outings only serves to make them more special and less skip-able, so you definitely don’t want to miss Chicken Wire Empire’s “Friendsgiving” show at The Cooperage the night before Thanksgiving. This relatively rare local performance will feature two sets from the headliner (including one “Friendsgiving” set with some bluegrass contemporaries).
Friday, November 28 through Sunday, November 30
Pete Lee @ Milwaukee Improv (five shows!)
After growing up in Janesville, Wisconsin, Pete Lee has gone on to perform on Letterman, guest on The Tonight Show (NINE TIMES and counting!), and rack up a wide variety of credits that include notable TV shows like Last Comic Standing, As The World Turns, Best Week Ever, Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, and much more. He’s released comedy albums, put out a Comedy Central half-hour special, and has performed more than 500 shows at colleges around the country. Lee will return to the region November 28-30 for a total of five Thanksgiving weekend shows at Milwaukee Improv.