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 August 5-11, 2024.
MONDAY, AUGUST 5
Wisconsin State Fair @ Wisconsin State Fair Park (through August 11)
Ah, the Wisconsin State Fair. The food, the animals, the food, the rides, the food, the dog-days-of-summer heat, and the food. And it’s all back! From August 1 through August 11! Yes, we’ve already eaten all of this year’s Sporkies (Cool Ranch Doritos Pickle! Hot Ham & Glazers!) and yes, West Allis native Dana Ehrmann will once again be covering the Fair for us on social media. Beyond that, buckle up for Main Stage entertainment from Casting Crowns, KIDZ Bop Live, Riley Green, Charlie Berens, Lauren Daigle, Foreigner with Melissa Etheridge, and that “Happy Together” tour with one of the guys from The Turtles.
Musical Mondays: Mokoomba @ Lake Park Summer Stage
“Hailing from Zimbabwe, Mokoomba is one of Africa’s most exciting young bands and is setting dance floors ablaze with its unique mix of traditional Tonga and pan-African music cultures with dashes of rap, ska, soukous and Afro-Cuban music.”
TUESDAY, AUGUST 6
Green Jelly + The Convalescence, The Size 5’s, Litwax @ X-Ray Arcade
“A theatrical, costume-heavy comedy rock band, Green Jelly found success in 1993 with their surprise Top 40 hit ‘Three Little Pigs’ and its accompanying claymation video. The single appeared on their Billboard-charting sophomore LP Cereal Killer Soundtrack. Led by vocalist and sole constant member Bill Manspeaker, the band emerged in 1989 and went on hiatus after the release of 1994’s 333. They reconvened in 2009 with the original lineup and released Musick To Insult Your Intelligence By, and in 2021 they issued their fifth long-player, Garbage Band Kids.”
Chill On The Hill: Erotic Adventures Of The Static Chicken and Friends @ Humboldt Park
For nearly two decades, Bay View Neighborhood Association’s Chill On The Hill has brought music to Humboldt Park’s band chalet every Tuesday between June and August. And hey! It’s August! Which means Chill On The Hill is in full swing! Drop by as the always-fantastic Erotic Adventures Of The Static Chicken (and friends) continue Chill’s 19th season in style. Music begins at 6:30 p.m. And, as always, “IF IT MAKES A CLOUD IT’S NOT ALLOWED.”
Skyline Music Series: The Kal Bergendahl Project @ Kilbourn-Kadish Park
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7
Blink-182 + Pierce The Veil, Astronoid @ Fiserv Forum
With Tom DeLonge back in the mix and a new album out in the world (last year’s ONE MORE TIME), culturally transcendent pop-punk mainstays Blink-182 are hitting the road (at least) one more time. The aptly named “One More Time Tour” thankfully includes a stop at Fiserv Forum, where the band will treat Milwaukee to songs from the latest album and, if we’re lucky, a steady diet of material from prior releases, too.
ArtBlaze On The Beach @ South Shore Beach
Nothing says “SUMMER” quite like the beach. And yet Milwaukee’s beaches can feel strangely underutilized during the summer months. Where’s the live music? Where are the local food vendors? Where are the “gargantuan fluorescent tentacles”? Enter ArtBlaze On The Beach, a new (free!) beach party series featuring live music, local food vendors, and, yes, “gargantuan fluorescent tentacles.” The party returns to South Shore Beach this Wednesday; music will be provided by Hale o Malo, Undercover Organism, and Urban Empress. On August 21, the series wraps up with a return to Bradford Beach.
Vivarium In The Park: Ladybird @ The Vine Humboldt
Summer Of Soul: Outdoor Marketplace & Concert Series: MOONCHILD @ Marcus Performing Arts Center
Washington Park Wednesdays @ Washington Park Bandshell
Wonderful Wednesdays: Duke Otherwise @ Lake Park Summer Stage
Hubbard Park Summer Sounds: Electriviolet @ Hubbard Park
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8
Cassie Boettcher + Ian Olvera, Next Paperback Hero @ Var Gallery & Studios
“Cassie Boettcher (bet-chur) is a singer-songwriter, born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who currently calls Los Angeles home. Growing up performing and singing in choirs led Cassie to find her own voice through songwriting and telling stories through heartfelt music. After releasing her debut EP, the song ‘October Sky’ landed in We Made This Movie, a feature film by Rob Burnett, executive producer of The Late Show With David Letterman. She is an alumnus of the prestigious Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriter’s Project, led by master teachers Andrew Lippa, Craig Carnelia, and the late Lari White—where she intently studied songwriting with fifteen other songwriters, including Shaina Taub, Kayley Bishop, and Becky Warren. Her music has been heard on television shows and in films all around the world, including the hit video game Tom Clancy’s The Division. Cassie’s music is on rotation at Walgreens, Vons, and Safeway stores across the United States and has over 100,000 streams online.”
Edelweiss Concert Cruise Series: Social Cig @ Milwaukee River, 205 W. Highland Ave.
It’s easy to love Social Cig. The self-described “indie-skate-rock” project of Milwaukee musician Parker Schultz is arguably the most enjoyable (and popular) local DIY acts to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dozens upon dozens of high-profile shows have solidified the group as a can’t-miss live act. Alternately peppy and shaggy guitar-rock ditties about hazy days and young love have populated a handful of winning records since 2020. And now you can enjoy Schultz and company on a boat!
Astral Hand + Zang!, Credentials, DJ Von Munz @ Cactus Club
Like a signal traveling through the unfathomable vastness of space, it’s been a long journey for Astral Hand. The heavy cosmic-psych band emerged from the shadow of another Milwaukee band (Calliope) way back in 2019. The rebranded outfit released a couple of tentative singles, but plans for a full-length album were put on hold due to the pandemic and other nefarious interstellar forces. Finally, in 2023, Astral Hand released its fantastic, mammoth, and towering debut record, Lords Of Data.
BIG|BRAVE + Spiritual Poison, Exit Statements @ X-Ray Arcade
Jazz In The Park: A Grateful Dead Night featuring Deadelijk @ Cathedral Square Park
Third Space Presents: Lake Drive + The Keystones @ Third Space Brewing
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9
Cactus Club Independent Film Festival 2024 @ Cactus Club (through August 11)
“Join us for our third annual Cactus Club Independent Film Festival! Through Moving Image, we hold monthly screenings from a wide range of artist-driven and independent media. As a series, we hope to offer a space for the community to engage with film and expanded cinema from makers from a variety of backgrounds. Our festival specifically aims to feature makers of all backgrounds and levels of experience. Cactus Club Independent Film Fest was founded to accept a more diverse range of submissions, celebrating low budget independent films, bringing disabled, Queer, BIPOC, and underground filmmakers to the front, and material of any genre. We look forward to bringing back CCIFF for its third season!”
Toadskin (record release) + Bashford, Rae, The Women @ Bremen Cafe
“Oh snap! The Toadskin record release and Bashford & Rae tour kick-off shows have collided!! This type of stellar formation only comes along once every 420 years!! You do not want to miss it! It might just be too much to handle for just one show! And if that’s not enough! We’ve also got heavy hitters, The Women to make sure this show really gets going!!! This is going to be exciting! FREE!!!”
Tedeschi Trucks Band + Margo Price @ BMO Pavilion
Summer Park Jam @ Marcus Performing Arts Center (also August 10)
Hot Freaks + Dante Elephante, Health Club @ X-Ray Arcade
The Flood (vinyl release) + Denny Rauen @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Sounds Of Summer: De La Buena @ Bayshore
Friday Night Retro Video Party @ Mad Planet
SATURDAY, AUGUST 10
Twin Peaks: On Air 4 @ X-Ray Arcade
“An ‘Invitation to Love’ that no Peaks fan can refuse! TV GRIME is once again back at X-Ray Arcade to present the grand finale to Twin Peaks‘ groundbreaking first season—as originally broadcast with commercial breaks and interstitials. Face the cliffhangers again as if for the first time, and have your mind blown all over again. As always, come early and stay late for specially curated pre- and post-show exhibitions of rare and odd Lynch and Peaks content! Plus this time we’ll be giving away some special gifts to the winners of a trivia and cherry stem-tying contest! Give yourself a gift and join us!”
Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival @ Lakeshore State Park
“The Milwaukee Chinese Community Center, in partnership with the Wisconsin Chinese Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival and continue the tradition of ethnic and cultural festivals in Milwaukee. The highlight of the festival will be the Dragon Boat Races. Our mission is to showcase a variety of Chinese culture, food and traditions. Throughout the festival, there will be performances in traditional dance, Chinese folk music and Martial Arts. There will be hands-on opportunities for the young and young-at-heart to make opera masks and lanterns, play traditional games, participate in a dragon parade, and even learning to speak and write Chinese.”
The Mighty Deerlick (record release) + City Fools, Mike Jarvis @ Club Garibaldi
“Legendary Milwaukee rock band The Mighty Deerlick celebrate the release of their debut long player Happy Hour Ever After. City Fools and Mike Jarvis providing support. Doors at 7 p.m. Music at 8 p.m. Let’s get this on, let’s get this in, let’s get this up, and then get this out! Supported by our friends at Riot Fest!”
The Bloody Mary Festival @ Henry Maier Festival Park
Anime 414 @ Baird Center (also August 11)
Morning Glory Art Fair @ Deer District (also August 11)
Exit Statements + Genau, Brian Pennington @ Vendetta Coffee Bar
Nineties By Nature @ Mad Planet
SUNDAY, AUGUST 11
The Folk Implosion @ Cactus Club
“‘How the fuck are we going to turn this into a song?’ That’s the question Lou Barlow and John Davis have asked themselves since co-founding the Folk Implosion in the early 1990s. Beginning with improvised jams featuring Barlow on bass and Davis on drums, the duo develop their beat-driven pop collages from the ground up. It’s the process they used on their debut cassette, Walk Through This World With the Folk Implosion, and one they’ve returned to 30 years later on their spellbinding, self-referencing reunion, Walk Thru Me.”
Bear Ghost + Spaceman Bob @ X-Ray Arcade
“Bear Ghost is an Adventure Rock band that fuses fun and quirky musicianship with complex melodies, phat harmonies, heavy riffitude, and pop structure to deliver a sound purposely crafted for everyone.”
Summer Patio Music Series @ Great Lakes Distillery
Cafe Sopra Mare @ Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
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