Milwaukee Record Recommended Events: March 17-23, 2025 Milwaukee Record Staff March 17, 2025 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 March 17-23, 2025. MONDAY, MARCH 17 Moon Pussy + Church Fire, Primitive Broadcast Service, The Demix @ Cactus Club “Moon Pussy is a loud and cathartic noise-rock band from Denver, CO. If you like stuff that makes your skin crawl and don’t mind a bit of tinnitus, we got you! Bonus content: dad jokes to make your feelings of existential dread dissipate for at least a few minutes.” Slut Intent + S.L.O.G., Killer High Life, Sex Scenes, Muzzle @ X-Ray Arcade TUESDAY, MARCH 18 Milwaukey To The City: Caley Conway + Mini Stacked MKE, Bryan Leconte @ Champion’s Pub There are moments in Caley Conway’s new album, Partner, when the ever-busy Milwaukee singer-songwriter finds herself caught in the humdrum duties of daily life. There are things to do—or not—people to see—or not—and the ones and zeros of technology to attend to. And then, suddenly, she’s off and dreaming, belly laughing with a distant friend or considering taking up “the work of birds.” When she comes back down to Earth, more often than not, she finds bliss in a comforting middle ground. “There aren’t enough hours in the day, I’ve counted,” Conway sings early in the record, before slyly adding, “For loving you.” Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin @ Bradley Symphony Center Five-time Grammy winner Keb’ Mo’ and thee-time Grammy winner Shawn Colvin bring their outstanding catalog and almost a century of combined music experience to Bradley Symphony Center for a can’t-miss event in the waning days of winter. KEEP + Humid, Superglue, Mizzy @ Cactus Club WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19 Milwaukee Record Presents: Tremors @ Avalon Atmospheric Theater In a recent retrospective for The Reveal, Keith Phipps calls 1990’s Tremors a “five-star three-star movie.” “It doesn’t aim as high as, say, Born On The Fourth Of July, the 1989 holdover that topped the box office the week of Tremors‘ release,” Phipps writes. “Instead, it sizes up a slightly less lofty target—a 1950s monster movie with a modern blockbuster sensibility made on a budget with appealing stars and fun effects—and hits it squarely.” And hit it squarely it does. Want to see this wickedly fun creature feature—starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and, hell yes, Michael Gross and Reba McEntire—on the big screen? Then get your Graboid-loving ass to the Avalon! (Pardon our French.) Midweek Music: Steph Lippert Project @ Crafty Cow (Bay View) Hey! Our free Midweek Music concert series is back at Crafty Cow in Bay View! There’s NO COVER for these all-ages shows, which run from 7-8:30 p.m. The series continues this week with a penultimate installment from the Steph Lippert Project. And if a free weeknight show isn’t already great enough on its own, Crafty Cow will offer $4 pints of its delicious Crafty Cow Lager (made by 3 Sheeps Brewing) during all Midweek Music concerts. They’ll also have meal deals available during each show. Marshall Crenshaw + Rachael Sage @ Shank Hall Bummer Camp + Fever Haze, Barely Civil, Okay Omen @ Cactus Club THURSDAY, MARCH 20 Hari Kondabolu @ The Laughing Tap (through March 22) Comedian Hari Kondabolu has amassed an impressive reel of TV appearances, has released some chart-topping albums, and has been called “one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today” by The New York Times. In late 2017, Kondabolu became a household name and changed the way we watch television (for the better), when TruTV released his Simpsons-centered documentary, The Problem With Apu. Beyond his socially impactful documentary, he’s one hell of a comic. Now something of a Laughing Tap regular, Kondabolu returns to the Walker’s Point club March 20-22 for a total of five shows. Rat Bath + Meek, Killer High Life, Tiny Vamp @ Cactus Club How do you follow up a “murder country rock opera” concept album about a star-crossed vampire and a time-traveler—itself a follow-up to a previous concept album about a “witch whose powers are rendered useless when a demon appears in their home having been paid to capture them”? If you’re Milwaukee band Rat Bath, you start over from scratch. The back-to-basics Rat Bath is on full display on 2024’s excellent Can’t Stand The Thought Of Us Ever Being Apart. Honestav + Damien Styles @ Vivarium (sold out) Alley Eyes + Bronco, The Usual Suspects @ Falcon Nest stop.drop.rewind + Pulpa de Guyaba, Whiskey And The Devil @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn Tael Estremera Quartet: An Evening Of Thelonious Monk @ The Estate Rare Bird Night Market @ Lakefront Brewery FRIDAY, MARCH 21 Dwight Yoakam And The Mavericks + Noah Rinker @ Miller High Life Theatre “‘As a songwriter, I try to articulate that Brighter Days are up ahead,’ says Dwight Yoakam, whose 21st studio album joyfully reflects where he’s been since the 2015 release of Second Hand Heart, his last album of originals. The aptly titled Brighter Days brims with songs of hope and possibility, written during a time of major change in his personal life: As he puts it, ‘”Life happens when you’re busy making other plans,” to quote John Lennon. My world changed so dramatically during the pandemic. I had hope and the future delivered to me in the midst of one of the darker moments in our country’s history’: marriage to his partner Emily Joyce and the birth of their son, Dalton, in 2020.” The People Brothers Band + Wise Jennings @ The Cooperage “The People Brothers Band’s unique brand of rhythm and soul features some of the most talented vocalists and musicians in the region. The vibrant group of longtime friends, collaborators, and multi-dimensional artists formed in 2008 as an open mic songwriting outfit and hasn’t looked back since. The band has cultivated a captivating musical alchemy through collective dedication to their craft, the Midwest music community, and each other. The People Brothers Band is united by their shared vision of uplifting friends and fans through music.” MAM After Dark: March Masquerade @ Milwaukee Art Museum “Immerse yourself in Venetian splendor as Windhover Hall is cloaked in grandeur and mystery. Waltz the night away to live chamber music and toast this mystical evening with themed cocktails. As the night deepens, hit the dance floor as the DJ spins electrifying tunes until the stroke of 11 p.m. Your ticket includes access to the galleries and complimentary light bites. Looking for a VIP experience? Become a Member! Museum Members enjoy discounted tickets and a private lounge. Embrace the splendor of the evening with fine attire and intricate masks.” Social Cig + Pretoria, Secret Menu @ Falcon Hall 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. The latest, In The Pocket, was released in late 2023. Friday Night Freak Show: Heavy Metal @ Oriental Theatre Freak Slug + Huron John @ Cactus Club Carly Pearce + Mae Estes @ The Pabst Theater 12th Annual Milwaukee Blues Festival @ The Riverside Theater Dandy L. Freling + King Courteen, Kati Katchever @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn Thick Needles + Maxwell James Band, Little Ducks Rock @ Bremen Cafe The Moth: Beef @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery Friday Night Retro Mix Tape @ Mad Planet SATURDAY, MARCH 22 Nineteen Thirteen @ The Estate (two shows) “Cellist Janet Schiff, playing a Romanian-made cello crafted in the year of1913 (hence the name!) and Percussionist Victor DeLorenzo, (founding drummer of Violent Femmes) create the new and dynamic sound that is Nineteen Thirteen. Powered by cello layers and beat-brush percussion, this multiple WAMI award winning ensemble defies expectations and rewards listeners with powerful imagery through their music! For this evenings performance, Janet and Victor will be joined by Matt Meixner on keyboards, bringing an added layer of depth to the music. No strangers to the Estate’s stage, Nineteen Thirteen’s past performances here have always been ‘can’t miss’ shows!” The Dead Bolts + The Keystones, Well + Good @ Vivarium “All cut from the same kind of cloth that gets used and thrown back into a drawer over and over again, the original members of The Dead Bolts found each other in 2018. In a manner some would regard as premature, having only practiced twice, the band found themselves booked solid in watering holes and Irish pubs around their native south side Chicago neighborhoods. It was tucked into the corners of these establishments playing extremely loud and not very well for 4+ hours a night, where the band would cut their teeth among swells of underaged college kids, just like them, that had flooded in to drink and scream the lyrics of the same set of songs every weekend.” Bella White: Red Rhododendron Tour @ Cactus Club Senses + Negative 25, Mvssie @ X-Ray Arcade Fightin’ Bob + Wampus Milk Daddies @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn Line Dancing w/ Convoy & Friends @ Falcon Hall David Bowie vs. Talking Heads vs. Devo @ Mad Planet SUNDAY, MARCH 23 WMSE’s Rockabilly Chili Fundraiser @ MSOE Kern Center Rockabilly Chili returns! The 23rd installment of the wildly popular and devilishly delicious event will kick off at 11 a.m. and run until 3 p.m. Over that four-hour span, attendees will be able to sample chili from dozens of Milwaukee area restaurants, cafes, caterers, and other establishments that will be competing for awards in three categories: Best Meat, Best Veggie, Best Heat, and Most Unique. There will also be hardware handed out for Best Display. Be there! 2025 Ladies Rock Camp: Session 1 Showcase @ Radio Milwaukee Strapped + Sex Scenes, Delicious Monsters, No Motel, DJs One Kind Radio and Xtine @ Cactus Club Mike Yellick + Logan Scott & The Fly By Nites, Half-Holiday, Triptych @ Falcon Nest Matt Froelich + Jesse Garwood @ Sugar Maple Want more Milwaukee Record? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and/or support us on Patreon.
