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 July 8-14, 2024.
MONDAY, JULY 8
Musical Mondays: The Hungry Williams @ Lake Park Summer Stage
Milwaukee summers are stuffed with outdoor events both big and small. Falling somewhere in the middle are two Lake Park music series: Musical Mondays and Wonderful Wednesdays. The complimentary (and free!) series from Lake Park Friends—set on the park’s Summer Stage, near the playground—may seem small, but they pack a musical punch. That’s especially true for this year’s Musical Mondays lineup. “Musical Mondays is proud to offer the community a lineup this summer as musically and geographically diverse as anything we’ve ever done,” says series presenter Jeff Bentoff. “It’ll be a summer of music in the park you won’t forget.”
The Body + Dis Fig, cel genesis @ Cactus Club
TUESDAY, JULY 9
Chill On The Hill: An Evening With HYFIN featuring B~Free @ 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 July! Which means Chill On The Hill is in full swing! Drop by tonight as the incomparable B~Free continues 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: De La Buena @ Kilbourn-Cadish Park
This beloved Skyline Music Series finds musical acts performing under the bandshell at the Selig-Joseph-Folz Amphitheater in Kilbourn-Kadish Park each Tuesday between early July and mid-August. The scheduled performers offer an eclectic mix of jazz, funk, Latin-inspired tunes, and more. Each week’s free and family-friendly show runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and those who attend are encouraged to bring a picnic.
L’eclair + girl named GOLDEN, DJ Christreater @ Cactus Club
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10
Bully (Accessibility Initiative Fundraising Concert) @ Cactus Club
In order to raise further funds for Cactus Club’s Accessibility Initiative, the Bay View venue is hosting two big fundraiser shows this summer. The first find Alicia Bognanno’s acclaimed Sub Pop band Bully returning to the club for an intimate and exclusive performance. Tickets are $100, and 50% of the funds will go to the Cactus+ Accessibility Initiative.
Recombobulation LIVE! @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
“The Recombobulation Area is hosting a live podcast event! Join us at Anodyne Coffee’s Walker’s Point Roastery on Wednesday, June 10, for a live conversation featuring Dan Shafer, founder of The Recombobulation Area, along with award-winning contributors Angela Lang, executive director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC), and Philip Rocco, political science professor at Marquette University. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the live podcast will begin at roughly 6:30 p.m., and the event will run until 8 p.m. It is free—that’s right, FREE! — to attend.”
ArtBlaze On The Beach @ Bradford Beach
Nothing says “SUMMER” quite like the beach. And yet Milwaukee’s beaches can feel strangely underutilized during the summer months. Sure, Bradford Beach is loaded with volleyball players and random sunbathers, but 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 that will bring live music, local food vendors, and, yes, “gargantuan fluorescent tentacles” to Bradford Beach and South Shore Beach. The series, produced by public art group Joy Engine, is set for four Wednesdays in July and August.
Summer Of Soul: Outdoor Marketplace & Concert Series @ Marcus Performing Arts Center
Curated and organized by local engagement marketing firm Culture x Design, Summer Of Soul will take place every other Wednesday, from July 10 through September 18, on the Peck Pavilion and outdoor lawn of the downtown Marcus Performing Arts Center. The series will feature free shows from national artists like The Robert Randolph Band and Talib Kweli, as well as local stars like Growing Nation and De La Buena. All Summer of Soul events will be free and open to the public, and will run from 5-10 p.m.
X: Smoke & Fiction Tour @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Washington Park Wednesdays @ Washington Park Bandshell
Wonderful Wednesdays @ Lake Park Summer Stage
Chloe Kimes + Dandy Freling @ The Cooperage
THURSDAY, JULY 11
Bastille Days @ Cathedral Square Park (through July 14)
“Bastille Days, Milwaukee’s popular FREE French festival and the nation’s largest French-themed celebration is held in Milwaukee’s Cathedral Square Park, July 11-14. The four-day bash attracts over 250,000 visitors annually who enjoy live music, an international marketplace, French and Cajun cuisine, roaming busker entertainment, and a signature 43-foot Eiffel Tower replica. The festival also produces Milwaukee’s only nighttime 5k, ‘Storm the Bastille 5K’ run/walk presented Madison Medical Affiliates on Thursday, July 11th at 9pm.”
Futurebirds + Motel Breakfast @ Vivarium
“Rock juggernaut Futurebirds’ newest EP, Bloomin’ Too, is a benchmark that not only celebrates 13 years together, it’s also a testament to the sheer iron will of a group of musicians hungry for the fruits of its labor—with sounds that ricochets from cosmic space, rock to rough around the edges, alt-country dreamscapes, sandy beach bum odes to kick in your step pop ballads.”
Nat Harvie + Nona Invie, G. Ananchev, Charlee Grider @ Cactus Club
Stephen Hull + Hanna Simone, Josh Trimble, Indigo Flood @ The Cooperage
Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts + Daniel James Gang @ X-Ray Arcade
Moonglow + NaturoSynth, Sheebie & The Lovemakers @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
FRIDAY, JULY 12
Max & The Fellow Travelers + Blue County Pistol, Maximiano, Rainbow Cobra @ Cactus Club
“Armed with a 6-string, a harp rack and a stack of songs that harken back to the wrought folk rock of yesteryear, Max Niemann packs a punch that is as heartfelt as it is biting. Roaming a sonic trail blazed by country punks and folk poets immemorial, pre-Dylan on up through Tweedy, Niemann follows in the footsteps of the American troubadour lineage, propelling it into the present with songs that are as likely to strike a chord with the modern metropolitan as they are the lonesome wanderer. With his ever-evolving band of Fellow Travelers at his side, the group provides rustic backdrops for the hard-nosed yet intimate stories of human joy, suffering and striving that occupy Niemann’s songs.”
Friday Night Retro Dance Party: Dj JaiRoc @ Mad Planet
SATURDAY, JULY 13
4th Annual Rock Party Block Party @ Puddler’s Hall
From noon to 9 p.m., Puddler’s Hall will shut down the street in front of the bar in order to host the 4th annual Rock Party Block Party. The Bay View block party will feature food from local vendors, goods from area artists, and a winning mix of homegrown live music. True to its name, Rock Party Block Party will offer a steady diet of guitar-driven local bands, including Telethon, Strokin’ Mother Pokehole, Local Legends, Two And A Half Stars, Combustor, November Criminals, and Thick Needles.
Frida Fest MKE @ Farmhouse Paint Bar & Hall (through July 14)
“Join us for our 5th annual celebration of the Mexican painting icon Frida Kahlo! We will have live music, food trucks, local art vendors, dance performances, art classes, and interactive art installations! And of course the famous Frida Kahlo look-alike contest! This year we will have a kids and adults category with cash prizes for both! Vendor spots available and sponsorship opportunities as well.”
Milwaukee Mudfest @ Promises
“Zig Zag Sex Mag, Chicago Mud Queens, and Promises are teaming up to create the event that will ‘Make Milwaukee Famous.’ You do not want to miss this! We have 5 of the most talented, wild, ratchet, sexy bands from Chicago and Milwaukee! We have 20+ wrestlers between CHI/MKE. Tattoos, Sex Toys, Puppets, Guest appearances, Food Trucks, 50/50 raffles, and more! Contests! One winner will be walking away with the ‘Milwaukee’s Best Champion Belt’! Trust us when we say this will be the night when you will continuously be like WTF!!! Let’s get Horny!”
Cozy Danger (record release) @ Holler House
Resurrectionists + Haploid, Operations, Sun Silo @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Brainstory + Spare Change Trio @ Cactus Club
Caleb Westphal Spins Timeless Vinyl 45s @ Boone & Crockett
Whitefish Bay Art Fest @ Downtown Whitefish Bay (through July 14)
House Your Body: Jonn Hawley + Home Team @ Mad Planet
SUNDAY, JULY 14
The Eradicator + Shehehe, Alkaline Quartet @ X-Ray Arcade
“Blurring the lines between fan fiction and adaptive reality, The Eradicator, based on the Kids In The Hall sketch of the same name, places the aggressive ski-mask-wearing squash player in a restless environment confronting internal demons while combating external challengers as part of his quest to maintain dominance atop his local D Squash ladder. Live in concert, The Eradicator is in character, masked and motivated by dominance over his squash game. The absurdity of the performer crossed with the revolving cast of veteran musicians who have played in punk, metal, and hardcore bands for the better part of 20 years has left audiences amused, bewildered, but surprisingly apt to come back for more throughout the 7 year existence of the band, resulting in over 150 performances across 4 countries.”
Cream City Sessions: Strangelander + The Steph Lippert Project @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
“The Riverwest Sessions is now The Cream City Sessions. We’ve invited Strangelander & The Steph Lippert Project to join us to celebrate the re-brand of the series and kick off the 2024 run of the series.”
Lealani + Femral, Jace Warr, Lila Realm @ X-Ray Arcade
The White Buffalo + Tyler Ramsey @ Vivarium
Palestinian Children’s Relief Fundraiser: NOAMZ + Wave Chapelle, *aya @ Cactus Club
RNC Protest Kickoff Benefit @ The Cooperage
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