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 December 2-8, 2024.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 2
Cream City Swing @ Falcon Bowl
“The votes are in and you picked Tranky Doo for our December Solo class series! Come join us at Falcon Bowl the first 2 Mondays of December and learn this classic routine. We’ve blocked out 2 hours (with breaks, of course!) for class each night and will follow with our usual social hour/open floor time which anyone can use to get some practice in, ask for direct feedback from teachers or just have a beverage and socialize!”
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3
WMSE’s A Very Country Local/Live Holiday Special: The WhiskeyBelles @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
“Join us for this extra special Holiday edition of Local/Live from Anodyne on Bruce, with your hosts Sid and the Chickenshack’s Jonny Z! They are bringing you a live performance and interview with The WhiskeyBelles! As usual it is free, and all ages, but this time it is sprinkled with a bunch of country holiday cheers. The WhiskeyBelles’ upbeat and experienced melding of country, folk and Americana proves a welcome resident to dive bars and massive outdoor festivals alike. We will see you there!”
Sushi Cowboy + Venturer, Life After 5 @ Cactus Club
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4
Shiner + Fight Dice, Overhand @ X-Ray Arcade POSTPONED
Kansas City rock legends Shiner are coming to Cudahy for a can’t-miss club show that also features local support by D&D-themed supergroup Fight Dice and the ever-busy Overhand. Be there!
Evan Christian @ The Estate
“For one night only, experience the mesmerizing sounds of jazz, blues, and flamenco with Milwaukee’s own Evan Christian. A true local legend, Evan’s performances at The Estate are always something special, and on December 4th, he’s back!”
Fly Over States + Circuit Circuit, Garden Home, Endswell, [dying noises] @ Sugar Maple
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5
Milwaukee Record Halftime Show: BLAX @ Cactus Club
Come on out to the Cactus Club for this week’s Packers-Lions game, and enjoy a halftime set from tireless Milwaukee rapper BLAX! Games are shown in the bar and on a projector screen in Cactus Club’s back room. As always, there will be touchdown shots (both regular and N/A options will be offered) and DJs during commercials. THERE’S NO COVER CHARGE for the concerts. Kickoff is at 7:15 p.m.!
Mustard Plug + The Prizefighters, Local Legends, DJ Chuck Wren @ X-Ray Arcade
“Mustard Plug started out in 1991 in the punk clubs, basements, and dive bars of the Midwest, playing punk-influenced ska music before most people in the U.S. had ever heard of ska. They embraced a DIY work ethic that had been ingrained in them growing up in the 1980s hardcore punk scene, and applied it to everything they would ever do together as a band. Mustard Plug self-released their first cassette tape, 1992’s Skapocalypse Now!, and played constantly to earn enough money to record their first album, 1994’s Big Daddy Multitude, which was released on legendary NYC label Moon Records. With their newfound national distribution and exposure, the band climbed into their van and performed their music for new fans across North America.”
Black Nativity @ Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall, Marcus Center (through December 8)
“Black Nativity by Langston Hughes returns for its 9th Annual Holiday Musical Production, December 5-8, 2024, at the Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall, Marcus Center. Hughes’ joyous holiday musical is a testament to his timeless work, telling the story of the Nativity through a combination of scripture, poetry, dance and song from the African-American perspective.”
Winefred RT + Maximiano, Gunnar Schmitz @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Our Vanity + EFH, 5pm To Nowhere @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Jamie Breiwick Quartet @ The Estate
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead @ The Riverside Theater
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6
Spafford + Steez @ Vivarium (through December 8)
“Spafford is known for their astonishing improvisational ability and off-the-cuff extended jams, Spafford paints a picture in real-time each night with a musical palette known only to each other. It’s a private language comprised of both their talent as musicians as well as their formidable catalog of influences, spanning ’90s alt-rock radio hits to Steely Dan and The Crystal Method. Each Spafford show is a sonic pilgrimage, the journey of a team of musicians so in tune with each other that a single note communicates intent and purpose. Spafford is amongst the most creative and hard-traveling bands on the contemporary jam scene, performing countless sold-out headline dates along with high profile festival sets at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Firefly Music Festival, and many others.”
The Keystones Holiday Special: The Keystones + Secret Menu, Bug Moment, Mother Wind @ The Cooperage
“The Keystones are a hard-rock rock band based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born in Waukesha, the very same place as the electric guitar, the members of this 4-piece pay homage to the biggest names in 2000s modern rock—Queens of the Stone Age, Rage Against the Machine, Royal Blood, Arctic Monkeys—all while carving out a frenetic stadium sound that brings something entirely new to the genre. With a blend of Brit-indie-grunge and new-age alternative riffs, the band is prepared to do more than just play shows that put audiences on their feet—they want to make the town that created the guitar as we know it proud.”
Dana Ehrmann @ The Laughing Tap (also December 7)
If you’ve watched enough standup comedy in and around Milwaukee (or if you attended any of our Roast Of Milwaukee events post-pandemic), there’s a very good chance you’ve seen Dana Ehrmann perform. While earning acclaim as one of the city’s best and most unique comedic voices, Ehrmann has also opened for the likes of Joe Pera, Bobcat Goldthwait, Charlie Berens, Tim Meadows, and Jackie Kashian at clubs and theaters all over the state. On December 6 and 7, this up-and-coming Cream City comedian will have a well-deserved opportunity to headline three shows at The Laughing Tap in Walker’s Point.
Christmas In The Ward @ Catalano Square
Seasonal music, theatrical performances of holiday classics, a visit from Santa, and a tree lighting ceremony all await you in the Historic Third Ward at the Christmas In The Ward event. There will also be hot chocolate and beer available for purchase.
The English Beat @ Turner Hall Ballroom
The Thing + Chapped Lips, North Warren @ Cactus Club
Wishy + Joyer, Barely Civil @ X-Ray Arcade
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 In Concert @ The Riverside Theater (through December 8)
Anne Davis Presents: Holiday Jazz & Beyond @ The Estate
A Very Theremin Christmas @ Puddler’s Hall
Dead Man’s Carnival @ Miramar Theatre
Feminist Trivia @ Amorphic Beer
Retro Dance Party @ Mad Planet
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7
CaraFest (Cara Corder Benefit Show) @ Promises
With mounting medical bills and other essential expenses that must be handled as she continues to recover from a senseless hit-and-run, a GoFundMe has been set up for local artist Cara Corder. Beyond that ongoing fundraising campaign, Promises and bands composed of Corder’s friends and co-workers are collaborating on a one-off festival to bring more money her way. On Saturday, the Walker’s Point bar and venue will host “CaraFest,” which will feature performances by Power Of Dusk, Sex Scenes, Diamond Life, No Motel, World In Action, and Destros. The show begins at 8 p.m. and there’s a $10 cover that will be donated to Corder.
Bug Moment + Scam Likely, Killer High Life @ Mad Planet
Bug Moment’s metamorphosis from a glitchy bedroom project to the city’s finest “emo-adjacent rock melancholia” band is one of the great Milwaukee music scene success stories of the post-pandemic era. Twenty-twenty-one’s BUGS found Jasmine Rosenblatt and Grayson Edward tinkering with chilled-out hyperpop; two years later, a full band (Rosenblatt, Edward, Elias Dorsey, Aidan Hoppens) delivered the masterful The Flying Toad Circus. Along the way, Bug Moment has played approximately 8,000 shows—including one at 4 Seasons Skate Park that was originally supposed to happen at Culver’s.
A Nostalgic Night With Macaulay Culkin @ Miller High Life Theatre
What could be better than watching Home Alone a few weeks before Christmas? How about watching Home Alone and then getting to witness a moderated interview and audience Q&A with the incomparable Macaulay Culkin himself! Well, you’re in luck, because Mac will be in the house for an unforgettable evening that’s being called “A Nostalgic Night With Macaulay Culkin Following A Screening Of Home Alone”!
Santa Cycle Rampage @ Wisconsin Bike Fed
“The World’s Largest Holiday themed costume bike ride for charity! A 12 mile slow rolling holiday party on wheels. Join over 1500 fellow Santas, Mrs. Claus, reindeer, grinch, snowmen, elves, dreidels, and more. This ride raises critical dollars to support our youth education programs in Milwaukee. In 2024, We reached over 2000 youth with direct education on safe riding and memories that will last a lifetime.”
Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound @ The Estate (two shows)
White Dry Pages + Terry Alan Hackbarth & Friends, Zach Pietrini @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Whiskey And The Devil @ Falcon Bowl
Jump The Bluff + Certain Stars, Toadskin @ Bremen Cafe
Spafford + Hot Like Mars @ Vivarium
Manor Gates + Of Two Minds, Static Palms, Meadowers, Phasing @ Sugar Maple
Between Howls @ Ope! Brewing Co.
Wisconsin Vintage Fest @ Baird Center
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8
Milwaukee Record Presents: Casserole Call @ Falcon Bowl
Join Milwaukee Record at Falcon Bowl on Sunday, December 8 for a celebration of casserole! Our second annual “Casserole Call” will feature a wide range of area businesses serving up their own unique take on this beloved Midwest culinary favorite and vying for the title of Milwaukee’s Best Casserole, which will be decided by those in attendance. Casserole connoisseurs are invited to taste samples from the likes of A&M Local Provisions, Beans & Barley, Black Husky Brewing, Goodkind, Flour Girl & Flame, The National Cafe, Outpost Natural Foods, Riverwest Co-Op, Semolina, and Kinship Community Food Center. Best yet, a portion of proceeds brought in from Casserole Call will be donated to Kinship Community Food Center.
WMSE’s 10th Annual Big Band Grandstand @ Turner Hall Ballroom
“You do not want to miss the awe-inspiring talent of Gunhild Carling, Sweden’s Queen of Swing, on full display once again as she graces the stage for another unforgettable WMSE Big Band Grandstand performance! The evening will commence with a special DJ set by WMSE’s very own Dewey Gill, followed by Gunhild Carling, the virtuoso known for her trombone, bagpipes, trumpet, recorder, and string instrument mastery. You will have the time of your life as Gunhild, with her big band accompaniment, showcases her musical prowess, combining multiple instruments within a single song, all while effortlessly transitioning into tap dance and vocals.”
Merry & Bright Market @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
“Tis the season to celebrate our 4th Annual Merry & Bright Market at our Walker’s Point Anodyne location! We’ll have over 20 vendors selling curated and handmade goods for all your holiday needs! Free to attend. Lots of coffee and snacks from Tots on the Street! New this year, our neighbors at Station 1846 (City Tours MKE) will be hosting an outdoor Holiday Market on Bruce Street. They’ll also have local vendors, food, beverages and even a special appearance by the man in the red suit!”
Harm’s Way + Weekend Nachos, Enervate, Big Laugh @ X-Ray Arcade (sold out)
Luke Callen + Old Pup, The Nunnery, Ellie Jackson @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Haruhi + Paige Naylor, Pay Dirt @ Cactus Club
The Exotics + Paranormal @ Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall
The Hungry Williams @ Ope! Brewing Co.
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