This weekend was already shaping up to be one for the ages in terms of Milwaukee entertainment options. If a bevy of local and touring musicians and comedians, as well as large-scale events like Midwest Gaming Classic, Milwaukee Zine Fest, and the crescendo of the Milwaukee Film Festival weren’t already enough to navigate, you can now add one more event to the list of awesome local happenings vying for your time and attention.
On Sunday, May 1, Sugar Bush—a great Milwaukee project featuring members of Chicken Wire Empire, The MilBillies, and other area bands—will lead listeners on a fast-picking and bar-hopping tour of some beloved neighborhood watering holes during an event known as the inaugural Riverwest Bluegrass Bar Crawl.
This unique celebration of locally-sourced bluegrass and beer will feature a total of four half-hour Sugar Bush performances at Riverwest bars. The fun will start at Art Bar at 1 p.m. before moving to Dino’s at 2:30 p.m., then proceeding to Bremen Cafe at 4 p.m., and wrapping up with a 5:30 p.m. set at The Gig. The Riverwest Brewery Syndicate will also be involved, allowing those in attendance to purchase tasty beers from neighborhood breweries like Company Brewing, Black Husky Brewing, Lakefront Brewery, Gathering Place Brewing Company, and Amorphic Beer as they enjoy free performances.
If your weekend was one bluegrass-based neighborhood bar crawl away from feeling complete, you’re in luck. Riverwest Bluegrass Bar Crawl is coming Sunday, May 1.