Milwaukee is chock full of things to do, but only a handful of Milwaukee events are worthy of the lofty honor of “Record Recommended” (patent pending). Here are our recommendations—brought to you by Lilliput Records—for April 14-20, 2025.
MONDAY, APRIL 14
Milwaukee Day @ various locations
Monday, April 14 is Milwaukee Day. What began more than a decade ago as an inside joke between friends about the date and Milwaukee’s main area code (4/14 = 414) has evolved into a full-blown thing. What does one do on Milwaukee/414 Day? Show one’s Milwaukee pride, check out a show or two, and take advantage of oodles of deals, that’s what. Find of list of some of those shows and deals HERE. Happy Milwaukee Day, Milwaukee!
Remi Wolf + Dana And Alden @ The Riverside Theater
“Remi Wolf has remained steadfast in her position as pop’s most rule-shattering risk-taker. Since releasing her critically acclaimed 2021 full-length debut, Juno, the world has found it hard to look away from the irreverent, bold, and colorful star. She’s racked up over two billion global streams, had top billing at festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Outside Lands, and opened for artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde, and Paramore. Along the way, she’s collaborated with the likes of Nile Rodgers, Beck, Sylvan Esso, Dominic Fike, and more. This year, Remi is back with her latest album, Big Ideas, which was released on July 12th via Island Records.”
Patrick Martin + Lunde @ Cactus Club
TUESDAY, APRIL 15
Peter Frampton @ The Riverside Theater
“Peter Frampton is one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history. In 2007, Frampton won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album for Fingerprints and in 2014 was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. He received the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award at NAMM’s TEC Awards in 2019 and most recently received the 2024 Les Paul Spirit Award at the Gibson Garage Nashville. Last fall, the iconic guitarist was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. After nearly 50 years, Frampton Comes Alive! remains one of the top-selling live records of all time, selling over 17 million worldwide.”
Isabeau Waia’u Walker + Maximiano, Nathaniel Heuer @ Cactus Club
“Multicultural Kānaka Maoli singer songwriter Isabeau Waia’u Walker has had to get creative to attempt the question of genre: ‘bright gloom,’ ‘joy adjacent;’ ‘island of broken, demented toys.’ Hailing from her homeland Hawaii and having spent the latter half of her life in Oregon’s Pacific Northwest. Unless touring with Y La Bamba, in which she sings backup vocals, her feet and roots are always close to the shores of the Pacific Ocean (yearning for and pulled by her packs). Experience, observations and negotiations with race, culture, gender and class are inextricably woven into her purpose and product. Songs of love. Songs of community and fight, of life and self. She lives in attractive vulnerability and sincere humility despite the power of her performances and songs.”
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live @ The Riverside Theater
“Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live, the groundbreaking 2.5D musical, is bringing the iconic ‘Sailor Moon’ world to life like never before. This stunning stage adaptation—based on the legendary manga and anime—transports audiences into a dazzling world of magic, friendship, and justice with its electrifying performances, unforgettable choreography, and show-stopping music.”
Kat Edmonson: As Time Goes By – Songs From The Silver Screen @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
“Vocalist Kat Edmonson immerses the audience in the magic of Hollywood’s golden era through her heartfelt renditions of timeless film classics from the 1930s through the 1960s. As Time Goes By is not just a concert, it’s a page out of our life stories and an invitation to relive the enchantment of classic Hollywood through the eyes and voice of a true storyteller.”
Circuit des Yeux + LEYA @ Sugar Maple
“Haley Fohr (Circuit Des Yeux) is a vocalist, composer and singer-songwriter based in Chicago, Illinois. Her musical endeavors focus around our human condition, and her 15 year career as Circuit des Yeux has grown into one of America’s most successful efforts to connect the personal to the universal. She is most distinctly identified by her 4-octave voice and unique style of 12-string guitar.”
THURSDAY, APRIL 17
ElimiDATED in MKE: A Rewatch Event @ The Laughing Tap
Join Milwaukee Record at The Laughing Tap for the first “ElimiDATED in MKE” rewatch event! Starting at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. doors), we’ll screen three early 2000s episodes of ElimiDATE that were filmed right here in Milwaukee. Along the way, we’ll take some time to discuss some of the local references, provide updates on shooting locations and contestants, and recap some of the best (and worst) moments we witness in the reality dating show. Fun!
Christian Yelich’s Home Plate Charity Concert: Goo Goo Dolls @ The Pabst Theater
“Christian Yelich and the Yelich family are proud to bring their ‘Home Plate’ charity event back!! This year’s event will echo last year’s event with a live concert that will take place at the historic Pabst Theater in Downtown Milwaukee. The evening will feature a headliner musical performance from Goo Goo Dolls, and your hometown favorite, Charlie Berens, will be our featured MC. Prior to the concert, VIPs will join Christian and his Brewers teammates at a private and post reception at the beautiful Saint Kate Hotel.”
Milwaukee Underground Film Festival @ various locations (through April 19)
“The Milwaukee Underground Film Festival (MUFF) is a student run film festival devoted to showcasing independent, artist driven cinema. For nearly two decades we have been programming filmmakers that defy convention in an attempt to amplify unheard voices. Our festival celebrates the potential of cinema to imbue a community with excitement, critical discussion, and open-mindedness through the presentation of new artistic forms.” Opening Night will take place at the UW-Milwaukee Union Cinema; after that, nights two and three will take place at the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts.
The Midnight Purchase (record release) + Lost Orange Cat @ The Cooperage
Oh Geeez, Not Again + Wildered, Vanity Plates @ Cactus Club
Pinellas Park + No Tagbacks, Irish Goodbyes @ Falcon Nest
Paul Silbergleit Trio @ The Estate
FRIDAY, APRIL 18
My Morning Jacket + Grace Cummings @ The Riverside Theater
“For more than 25 years, My Morning Jacket have achieved an incredibly rare feat in the world of rock ‘n’ roll—upholding a long-established cultural legacy while sustaining all the curiosity and creative hunger of their very earliest days. In a monumental step for the Louisville, KY-bred five-piece—vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, guitarist Carl Broemel, drummer Patrick Hallahan, keyboardist Bo Koster—is once again expands the limits of their sound and elevates their artistry to unprecedented heights. The result is perhaps the most masterfully realized work yet from a band fully committed to their belief in music as a conduit for revelation of all kinds.”
Bob Mould Band + Craig Finn @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Legendary punk/alt-rock pioneer Bob Mould—he of Hüsker Dü, Sugar, and solo fame—and his band headline a can’t-miss show at Turner Hall. Craig Finn—he of The Hold Steady and solo fame—and his band will open.
Avenues + Something To Do, Local Legends, Gold Steps, Bodyman Want @ X-Ray Arcade
Not only is this an all-around excellent local lineup, it’s also a concert for a great cause. With an aim to bring in the necessary cash to make X-Ray Arcade as accessible as possible, 100% of ticket sales will be allocated to the venue’s accessibility efforts. Be there!
The Slow Harvest (record release) + Red Quean, Mike Neumeyer @ Ope! Brewing Co.
Hollywood Undead + Tech N9ne, Set It Off, Zero 9:36 @ The Rave/Eagles Club
Maggie Baugh + Sara Stafford @ The Cooperage
WMSE’s Friday Night Freak Show: Up In Smoke @ Oriental Theatre
The Moth: Bloom @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Friday Night Retro Mixtape: Mosh Wah + Sage “Champagne” Schwarm @ Mad Planet
SATURDAY, APRIL 19
Milwaukee Zine Fest @ Milwaukee Central Library
The Bindery’s annual Milwaukee Zine Fest will take to the Milwaukee Central Library from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. As always, the event—which has been around for more than 15 years, making it one of the Midwest’s longest-running zine fests—will celebrate and promote “zine culture, DIY creative literary work, small press publishing, and other independent, self-created wonders in magazine-like format” with more than 100 vendors showcasing and selling their work on site. Milwaukee Zine Fest is free and suitable for folks of all ages to attend.
Rosegarden Funeral Party + Summore, DT Harm @ Club Garibaldi
“Armed with just a guitar and a switchblade, Leah Lane and her misfits, Rosegarden Funeral Party, have cut a swath from the royal cloth of post-punk that is distinctly their own. What would happen if Peter Murphy and Siouxise Sioux birthed an Indigo Child later to be baptized in Alan Watts’ philosophy? RFP!”
The Millennium Tour: Trey Songz + Omarion, Bow Wow, Plies, Boosie, Ying Yang Twins, RSVP (Ray J, Sammie, Bobby V, Pleasure P), Nivea, Rick Ross @ Fiserv Forum
“The Millennium Tour 2025 lineup brings together some of the most celebrated names in R&B and Hip-Hop, promising a night filled with chart-topping hits and unmatched energy. Fans can expect unforgettable performances from acts whose music, from Hip-Hop to R&B, defined the 2000s and continues to resonate today. The Millennium Tour 2025 has something for everyone.”
Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime – The Final Chapter @ The Pabst Theater
Chicken Wire Empire + Wise Jennings @ Third Space Brewing
John Christensen Quartet @ The Estate
Irving Place Records’ 1 Year Anniversary @ Irving Place Records
Honky Tonk Takeover: Convoy & Friends @ Falcon Hall
Prince vs. Michael Jackson @ Mad Planet
SUNDAY, APRIL 20
Pattie Gonia Presents: Save Her! @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Beyond being a beloved drag queen, Pattie Gonia is an environmentalist and community organizer who has earned praise for their efforts in the realm of climate change from the likes of Outside Magazine, TIME, and National Geographic. On April 20 (in accordance with Earth Day), Pattie Gonia will bring the environmentally-focused “SAVE HER!” show to Turner Hall.
San Fermin + Claire Ozmun @ Vivarium
“In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of San Fermin’s seminal second record Jackrabbit, the band is announcing a tour of North America in which they will perform the album front-to-back. Hailed as ‘gorgeous chamber pop storytelling’ (NPR), Jackrabbit has become a touchstone for the band’s devoted fan base since its release in 2015.”
Dead, Dead Swans + Nikki Minerva, Peter Hair @ Falcon Nest
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