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 for April 20-26, 2026, brought to you by Wynk.
MONDAY, APRIL 20
Milwaukee Film Festival @ Oriental and Downer theaters (through April 30)
The 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival kicked off last Thursday, and it keeps kicking—on the screens of the Oriental and Downer theaters—through April 30. We’ve already seen a ton of stuff, but there’s still a LOT to enjoy: The return of the Stop Making Sense dance party and the Milwaukee Music Video Show! Not one but two Milwaukee Shows! The Milwaukee Record-sponsored Cinema Hooligante program! New films starring Paul Rudd, Adam Scott, and more! Panels and special guests! HUNDREDS OF OTHER FILMS. SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES. (Oh, and don’t forget about our TREASURE HUNT.)
TUESDAY, APRIL 21
Ty Segall + Mod Lang @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Ty Segall stays active. When the tireless garage rocker isn’t releasing records (his catalog currently stands at 19 albums!), he’s touring in support of them. Segall pays Milwaukee yet another visit this week, when he returns to his now-familiar Turner Hall haunts.
Helloween + Beast In Black @ The Rave / Eagles Club
“The world-famous unique pumpkin power will once again flood all stages on this anniversary tour when the band and their fans celebrate 40 years of Helloween. The band will be touring the planet’s prime arenas with an ultimate setlist including classics, newer songs and some legit surprises.”
Garrett T. Capps + Derek Pritzl & The Gamble, Maximiano @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
“Garrett T. Capps is an American songwriter, producer, and musician from San Antonio, Texas. He is known for his unique blend of Tex-Mex rock ‘n’ roll and Kraut-Country, which he describes as partially influenced by ’90s pop radio. Capps’ music often features elements of punk, doom metal, and experimental music, showcasing his diverse musical influences.”
Dopethrone + Year Of The Cobra, Temptress, High Gallows @ X-Ray Arcade
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22
Tommy Newport + Micah Emrich @ Cactus Club
“Tommy Newport is a British-American singer crafting infectious, falsetto-laced indie anthems that blur eras and borders. Blending psych-pop shimmer, sun-soaked soul, and off-kilter cool, Newport has built a global following around his elastic melodies and unmistakable voice.”
THURSDAY, APRIL 23
Rianna Marie + Spine Stealers, J.R. Wesley @ Falcon Nest
“Raised among the back roads of Wisconsin, Rianna Marie started writing in the quiet rhythms of rural life. Her songs allowed her to step outside her hometown and find a deeper understanding of the world around her. After a few years in Nashville she’s back in Madison drawing inspiration from her midwestern roots.”
Milwaukee Underground Film Festival Promo Event @ Cactus Club
“Milwaukee Underground Film Festival is a vibrant, student-run film festival focused on celebrating experimental and artist-made cinema. For over 25 years, we’ve championed filmmakers pushing boundaries and challenging norms, amplifying voices often unheard in mainstream spaces. Our festival believes in cinema’s unique power as a communal art form, which generates creative and critical discourse and inspires open-mindedness through creativity.”
Malevolence + Guilt Trip, Chamber, Suffer No Fools @ X-Ray Arcade (sold out)
Toby Summerfield + Nick Elert, Dryhouse Ruins @ MKeUltra
Samuel Caiola Trio @ The Estate
Realms Of Death + Drillbit @ Sabbatic
2026 Playworks Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament @ Lakefront Brewing
FRIDAY, APRIL 24
Midwest Gaming Classic @ Baird Center (through April 26)
“The 2025 Midwest Gaming Classic was BIG.” That’s what we wrote after last year’s Midwest Gaming Classic, Milwaukee’s ever-growing retro gaming / pinball / tabletop / arcade / homebrew blowout. And we weren’t kidding: nearly 40,000 people packed the Baird Center during last year’s MGC. (That’s a far cry from the festival’s humble beginnings as a get-together for fans of the Atari Jaguar.) Speaking of those beginnings, MGC is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026. That’s 25 years of games, more games, and even more games. And the big anniversary show is set to go down April 24-26 at the Baird Center. Last year’s MGC was big. We’re guessing this year’s MGC will be even bigger.
Ethel Cain + 9million @ Miller High Life Theatre
“Ethel Cain is the creation of Florida born multidisciplinary artist Hayden Anhedönia. After years spent teaching herself to produce at home in the Florida panhandle and releasing various projects, Cain moved to Indiana and single handedly wrote, produced, recorded and mixed her acclaimed 2021 EP Inbred from the basement of the old church where she lived. Since then, she has released three bodies of work. Her 2022 debut album Preacher’s Daughter, a multimedia work that took more than four years to assemble, was released in May 2022 to widespread praise, with many critics naming the album one of the best of the year. In 2025 she has unveiled Perverts, a 90 minute project exploring her furthest afield inspirations from ambient and drone, and her sophomore LP Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, both to near universal acclaim.”
Voices From The Animal Kingdom @ Washington Park Media Center
“Thanks to a 2026 Joy Engine grant, local artist and poet Anja Notanja Sieger will present ‘Voices From The Animal Kingdom,’ a free, all-ages interactive performance piece at the Washington Park Media Center on Friday, April 24th during the 43rd & Vliet Near West Side neighborhood open house. Between 6-10pm, over 15 Milwaukee writers and artists will represent an animal that they’ve thoroughly researched. Members of the public may write down one intentional question to receive several silent animal insights. Answers will be drawn, danced or typewritten—all live and without a drop of AI.”
Buckethead @ The Rave / Eagles Club
“Buckethead is a virtuoso guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who performs within many genres of music. He has released over 700 studio recordings, far more than anyone else in the history of music. More than 650 of those releases are part of his Pike series. He has also performed on over 50 albums by other artists. His music spans diverse styles such as progressive metal, funk, blues, jazz, bluegrass, and avant-garde.”
Rod Tuffcurls And The Bench Press @ Vivarium
Five Iron Frenzy + Something To Do, Space Monkey Mafia @ The Argo
Torcado (live album recording) + Bowvee, Kieran Porter @ The Cooperage
Babes In Canyon + SSAANN, Camp Bedford @ Falcon Hall
Accessory + Angelica, Speedy Muffler, DJ Jolena @ Cactus Club
Sinking Suns + Tongue Cutter, Florida Brothers Band @ MKeUltra
Secret Menu + Charlieboy, Naturo Synth @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Milwaukee Songwriters In The Round: The Sapling Sessions @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
In Shining Armour + Aergo, Human Ant Farm @ Sugar Maple
Solomon Lindenberg Trio @ The Estate (early and late shows)
Hi Score: Live Video Game Music @ Nashville North
The Farewell Kings @ Ope! Brewing Co.
The Get Down: Funk And Soul Dance Party @ Wiggle Room
Friday Night Retro Mixtape @ Mad Planet
SATURDAY, APRIL 25
A Cover Show & Benefit For Francesca Hong’s Campaign: Chappell Hoan + Ape In A Tank, Alkaline Quartet @ X-Ray Arcade
“Come rock out at X-Ray Arcade and raise funds for Wisconsin’s next Democratic Socialist Governor, Francesca Hong! Donate $10 or more at the above link in advance, or at the door, and show the receipt page on your phone to get in. Cash donations are also fine but will require a form to fill out.” The show is headlined by the delightfully named Chappell Hoan, a.k.a. “a Chappell Roan tribute featuring a murderer’s row of players from Caley Conway, Field Report, Sugar Stems, SSAANN, and Dialogues, with local gadabout D Kirschling out in front!”
Rock The Green: Trapper Schoepp + De La Buena @ Harley-Davidson Museum
“Rock the Green’s 15th Annual Earth Day Celebration (FREE), presented by the City of Milwaukee Environmental Collaboration Office & Milwaukee Riverkeeper! Milwaukee’s zero-waste Earth Day celebration—powered by music, community, and sustainability in action! Join us for an afternoon of live music, wellness experiences, sustainability education, and community connection!”
Tech N9ne + E-40, King ISO @ The Rave / Eagles Club
It’ll be a night multiple generations of hip-hop appreciators can enjoy when Tech N9ne and E-40 take the stage at The Rave on as part of their co-headlining Strange Wid’ It Tour. The accomplished emcees with more than 75 years of combined on-stage and in-studio experience will be joined by Omaha-based rapper King ISO.
Michelada Fest @ Zócalo Food Park
“After selling out last year, this fan favorite event is back and bigger than ever. Enjoy live music, food trucks, and watch top bars and restaurants compete for the title of Best Michelada in Milwaukee. Do not miss one of the city’s most exciting spring traditions.”
Barns Courtney Unplugged Solo Sessions + Belle And Chain @ Vivarium
Julie + Fleshwater, Midrift @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Genau + Youth Energy, Faketwin @ MKeUltra
Modern Joey + Midnight Hour, Watt Millians (Steez) @ Mad Planet
Bloom The Arctic + Killer High Life, Rotundos, Our Vanity @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
TNGNT + Whiskey And The Devil @ Nashville North
Sybyr + Proxoxie, Polearm, Subsad, Ellee Grim @ Cactus Club
Heavy Temple + Waxed, Zang!, Asatta @ Club Garibaldi
Aaron Shapiro Quartet @ The Estate (early and late shows)
The Textures @ Ope! Brewing Co.
SUNDAY, APRIL 26
Turner Hall Tiki Takedown @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Following five successful installments, Turner Hall Tiki Takedown will once again bring warm vibes and cool cocktails back to the eponymous downtown ballroom. From 1-4 p.m., Turner Hall will host mixologists from a variety of local bars and restaurants, each of whom will be serving up their own unique tiki cocktail creations using TIKI LOVERS spirits as they compete for votes from those in attendance so they might claim the coveted Tiki Takedown Trophy and Tiki Master title. In addition to the delicious drinks on hand, this event will feature live DJ sets by DJ E.Rich. Guests will also be able to purchase food from Ian’s Pizza. Milwaukee Record—the proud media sponsor of Turner Hall Tiki Takedown—will also be on-site to help emcee the event.
Mick Foley @ Milwaukee Improv
After a lengthy, body-busting tenure in professional wrestling, Mick Foley (f.k.a. “Mankind”) made the move from the ring to the stage. Foley—who’s now an author, comedian, spoken word artist, and storyteller—will come to Milwaukee Improv in nearby Brookfield to share tales and humorous musings from his wrestling career and beyond.
Puscifer + Dave Hill @ Landmark Credit Union Live
James McMurtry And the Martial Law Review + BettySoo @ Shank Hall
Leroy Airmaster @ Ope! Brewing Co.
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