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 28 – May 4, 2025.
MONDAY, APRIL 28
Milwaukee Film Festival @ Oriental and Downer theatres (through May 8)
The 2025 Milwaukee Film Festival continues! From April 24 through May 8, 96 feature films and 112 short films will light up the screens of the Oriental and Downer theatres. Some still-to-come highlights: a live-scored screening of 1922’s Nosferatu; documentaries on Brady Street, Wisconsin Dells, the Green Bay punk rock scene, Pavement, Blur, Janis Ian, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Art Spiegelman, Venus Xtravaganza, Peaches, The Black Keys; new films from David Cronenberg and Errol Morris; and a LOT more. MFF25 will also feature panel discussions, Q&As, the Milwaukee Record-sponsored Cinema Hooligante program, and a Milwaukee Record-created treasure hunt.
Calabrese + Zombeast, Fight Dice @ X-Ray Arcade
Makin’ Out + Iron Pizza, Rainbow Cobra, Spinner @ Sabbatic
TUESDAY, APRIL 29
Save Ferris + Keep Flying @ Shank Hall
“Formed in 1995, Save Ferris remains one of the seminal and most beloved bands from the third wave of ska. The group’s Orange County home was fertile ground for a thriving music scene, with punk, rock, and ska emerging from the region. Save Ferris blended the best elements of these sounds to help bring the region’s sound to the world.”
Andy Stochansky + Darren Garvey + Galynne Goodwill @ Sugar Maple
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds @ Miller High Life Theatre
“Wild God is coming to Milwaukee! Nick Cave is anything but ordinary. Right from the very beginning, his is a sound like nothing else on earth. Across four decades and 17 studio albums, Cave has firmly cemented his position as one of the most acclaimed and sophisticated songwriters of his generation.”
L.A. Witch + DAIISTAR @ Shank Hall
“L.A. Witch have always exuded an aura of effortless cool, whether it manifested as the Americana noir and laconic back-to-basics rock ‘n’ roll of their self-titled debut or the blistering austere adventurism of their sophomore album Play With Fire. The band—comprised of Sade Sanchez (guitar/vocals), Irita Pai (bass), and Ellie English (drums)—began as an informal affair, but the sultry and beguiling reverb-draped songs they created caught on with the public, moving the project beyond the insular space of the band’s friends and peers in Southern California into the broader world.”
G.M.G. + Glitzy, Brindled, Lightninging @ Cactus Club
THURSDAY, MAY 1
Bronco + The Keystones, JACK, Killer High Life @ Cactus Club
Bronco’s first show was in April 2024; nine months later, at the dawn of 2025, the Milwaukee group unveiled its debut LP, For Friends And Family. It’s no modest introduction, either; clocking in at 12 songs and 45 minutes, it’s a wild-and-wooly collection of sometimes-scruffy, sometimes-delicate, always-tuneful songs that show off a band with inspiration and ideas to spare.
Frail Talk + Blacktop, Maximiano @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
“Formed in the foothills of Northern Colorado in early 2020, Alex Woodchek and Cor Wright of Frail Talk are creating a blooming universe of squiggly indie music for squiggly people. Like the kind surprise of a backyard garden, their songs spring up from the dirt with folk roots, soft pop colors, and burgeoning lyricism ready to welcome every listener with daydream-love.”
Nick Swardson @ The Pabst Theater
“Join Nick Swardson, America’s Sweetheart, as he tackles the hard issues of diarrhea, edibles and Norm MacDonald.”
Whitehall + Cal In Red, Alley Eyes, Bowvee @ X-Ray Arcade
Samuel Catral Quartet @ The Estate
Wave Cage + Jazz Flux, Free Country @ Jazz Gallery for the Arts
Big Beat MKE @ Jackalope Lounj
FRIDAY, MAY 2
Brett Newski & The Bad Inventions (record release) + The Dreaded Laramie @ Falcon Hall
Eternally busy musician, author, and road dog Brett Newski and his backing band (recently re-dubbed The Bad Inventions) will play a rare hometown outing at Falcon Hall in Riverwest. The Milwaukee appearance which will serve as a release show for Newski’s ameriCONa Pt. 1: Educate Freeloaders To Buy Art, an album that will not be released on streaming platforms. So if you want to hear the album, get to this show and buy the record.
Salford Lads Club (final show) + Pretend, DJ Paul H @ Mad Planet
After 18 years, Milwaukee Smiths/Morrissey tribute act Salford Lads Club is hanging it up. The group’s final show (at Mad Planet, natch) should be a blowout, made even more memorable by an opening set from Pretenders tribute act Pretend. “WE’LL DANCE OUR LEGS DOWN TO THE KNEES ONE LAST TIME BEFORE WE HANG UP OUR FLOWERS,” say the Lads.
REZN + High Gallows, Wretched Blessing @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
The Arcadian Wild + River & Rail @ Vivarium
Traveling Suitcase + Soultru @ Ope! Brewing Co.
Neil Davis Quartet @ The Estate
SATURDAY, MAY 3
Ben Folds + Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra @ Bradley Symphony Center
“Emmy-award nominated composer, singer-songwriter, and pianist Ben Folds joins the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for a night of exceptional performances. Widely regarded as one of the major musical influences of our generation, Folds’s enormous body of genre-bending music includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records. His latest album, 2023’s What Matters Most, is a blend of piano-driven pop rock songs, while his 2015 Concerto For Piano And Orchestra soared to #1 on both the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts.”
Body Futures + Ladoga, Archaea @ Last Rites
“We’re definitely a little more bummed out than we were the last time.” That’s Dixie Jacobs, keyboardist/autoharpist/singer for Body Futures. Past Body Futures records have found the group delivering squirrel-y and shout-y noise/power-pop that suggests a more irritable New Pornographers. But with 2024’s Do Not Befriend The Reaper, tempos have slowed (somewhat) and moods have soured (considerably). Opener “Private Enemy” is an alternately towering and glowering stomper that adds just a dash of psych-rock to the Body Futures mix. Ditto “Robin Guthrie’s Rock And Roll Circus,” which features Jacobs and drummer/singer DJ Hostettler trading off vocal duties while guitarist Christopher Maury and new bassist Evan Gritzon thrash along in the hazy din.
ROCKHOFFMANOFF: Celebrating the legacy of Mike Hoffmann @ Ope! Brewing Co.
“Join us for ROCKHOFFMANOFF—a full day of music celebrating the legacy of Mike Hoffmann. Catch an incredible lineup of local talent honoring Mike with back-to-back sets, and a break for the Derby Race at 5:45 with audio on inside. Let’s pack the place with good vibes, great music, and celebrate Mike the best way we know how—with a rockin’ night!”
Jacob Slade (record release) + Max & The Fellow Travelers, Chutes @ Vivarium
The Unrulies + Obscure Birds @ Falcon Hall
Anthony Deutsch Does Dylan @ The Estate
Nineties By Nature @ Mad Planet
SUNDAY, MAY 4
Arm’s Length + Prince Daddy & The Hyena, RILEY!, Bike Routes @ Vivarium
“Arm’s Length is hitting the Vivarium, bringing their latest tracks from There’s A Whole World Out There to life. With special guest Prince Daddy & The Hyena and faves Riley! and Bike Routes, this is gonna be a pop-punk/emo powerhouse you won’t wanna miss.”
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