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 for May 4-10, 2026, brought to you by Wynk.
MONDAY, MAY 4
The Head And The Heart + The Brudi Brothers @ The Riverside Theater
“Aperture—The Head and the Heart’s sixth album and their first since signing to Verve Forecast—is the affirming sound of their restart. After leading so much of the songwriting during the last decade, Jonathan Russell ceded that role to everyone, shooing away siloed work for a highly collaborative approach where everyone hatched tunes together in a room or passed ideas between coasts. With every song fortified by the sense of beginning again, Aperture is The Head And The Heart’s most vital and poignant album. It is the best work they’ve ever done.”
TUESDAY, MAY 5
WMSE’s Local/Live: The Demix @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
“On Tuesday, May 5, join Sid and Matt Wild for another free, all-ages Local/Live at Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. featuring The Demix. This special set offers a preview of ‘Radiate,’ WMSE’s new electronic music festival, coming to Third Space Brewing later this month. The Demix is a Milwaukee-based electronic artist and curator working at the intersection of experimental sound, industrial texture, ambient drift, and body-moving rhythm. His live sets are tactile, urgent, and cinematic—favoring immersion, pressure, and transformation over rigid genre lines.”
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
Milwaukee Record Club: Going Solo (Celebrating Solo Artists) @ Wiggle Room
We’re taking over the Wiggle Room decks for a Wednesday night monthly collaborative vinyl spin we’re calling “Milwaukee Record Club.” From 6-9 p.m., we’ll drop the needle on vinyl releases that adhere to the month’s specific theme. Though we’ll bring enough music to cover a full set, we’re asking—no, we’re strongly encouraging—people to bring in their own vinyl that fits our chosen theme. If we think it’s a fit, we’ll play it!
In-The-Round: Robbie Sender + Max Niemann, Gina Barcal @ Nashville North
Jackie Venson + Ben Mulwana @ Vivarium
Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol + American Sharks, Pink Fuzz @ Falcon Hall
THURSDAY, MAY 7
The Recombobulation Area Podcast: LIVE @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
“The Recombobulation Area Podcast: LIVE! at Anodyne Coffee’s Walker’s Point Roastery has been rescheduled! We won’t be doing it on Milwaukee Day as originally planned, of course, but we’re still showing up for the 414. This new event will feature Angela Lang, co-executive director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC); Kristin Brey, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist and 620 WTMJ radio host (and founder of As Goes Wisconsin); and Dan Shafer, founding editor of The Recombobulation Area. We’ll still be celebrating the city we call home, but with this event not happening on Milwaukee Day, we’ll be planning to spend a bit more time taking questions from those of you in attendance.”
Big Beat MKE @ The Cooperage
“Breaking And Entering is proud to present Milwaukee’s premier beat battle tournament, Big Beat MKE. Sixteen producers will compete in a head-to-head battle tournament over the course of four weeks. One lucky producer will be taking home a huge prize pack, as well as the honor of being dubbed the winner of the Big Beat MKE Tournament.”
Devin Drobka’s Resorts Piano Trio @ The Estate
Scarlet Demore + Rat Bath, Yada Yada @ X-Ray Arcade
Drive-A-Tron + Creature Weather, Vanity Plates @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Sluice + Hiding Places @ Falcon Hall
Jaik Willis @ Ope! Brewing Co.
FRIDAY, MAY 8
A Screening of Say Anything with John Cusack @ The Pabst Theater
Is there anyone better than John Cusack? If you were weaned on ’80s movies like Sixteen Candles, Better Off Dead, and Say Anything…, the answer is “no.” If you were weaned on ’90s movies like Grosse Pointe Blank, Con Air, and Being John Malkovich, the answer is “no.” And if you were weaned on more recent-ish movies like High Fidelity, The Ice Harvest, and Hot Tub Time Machine, the answer is…well, you get the idea. Anyway, Cusack is coming to The Pabst Theater tonight for a screening of the aforementioned Say Anything… and a live conversation.
The Afghan Whigs + Mercury Rev @ Turner Hall Ballroom
“From their inception in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1986, The Afghan Whigs have never played by the rules of convention. Against the plaid-and-grunge-shaded backdrop of the early-to-mid-’90s, the Whigs stood apart from their contemporaries by virtue of attiring in suits and being way more likely to slide up on a Marvin Gaye groove than rehash a Black Sabbath riff.”
Kevin James + Gary Valentine @ The Riverside Theater
The Mighty Deerlick + Tim Schweiger And The Middlemen, The Yarnells, The Dirty Sweet @ Sabbatic
S.S. WEB + The Blind Staggers, Gentleman Deluxe, Wylie Jakobs @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
The Middle + Drop Test, Two And A Half Stars @ MKeUltra
Jerry Grillo “My Hometown Milwaukee” Day Concert @ The Estate
Mall Goth: Retro Video Dance Party @ Mad Planet
SATURDAY, MAY 9
ADULT. + HIDE, The Treasury @ X-Ray Arcade
“ADULT. is not cooperating. For over 25 years, the dystopian Detroit synth-punk institution founded by Nicola Kuperus and Adam Lee Miller has embodied steadfast frustration, distrust, and apprehension. One might expect the edges to soften with time, but ADULT. is not interested in the comforts of legacy. The duo’s music has never sounded as visceral, urgent, and downright angry as it does on the culminating, uncompromising Kissing Luck Goodbye, their scorched-earth 10th LP and fourth with Dias Records.”
Tigernite + Blue Jets, Red Quean @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
When one thinks of Milwaukee’s Tigernite, one thinks of glam-rock vamping, mile-high choruses, and glitter. So much glitter. But, as we said about the band’s excellent 2018 album Sublunary: “There are two sides to Tigernite. There’s the one covered in glitter and confetti, rocking the fuck out while riffs screech through the air like demonic bats. Then there’s the one wearing a rune-covered cloak, taking you by the hand and leading you through a moon-lit field at midnight.” After laying low for a few years, Tigernite has been playing the occasional show here and there, and for that we’re thankful.
Rockhoffmannoff @ 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: Chris Hanson Band, Bryan Cherry, The Strand Bros., The Pinwheels, The Delta Routine, Barry Patton, hoyl, The Carolinas, The Mosleys, and Semi-Twang.”
Spring Break Pop Punk Party: Revival + Gold Steps @ The Cooperage
“Revival was born in Kenosha, WI in 2016 with a drive to build something different than the typical group seen at your local festival or bar. ‘Not Your Uncle’s Cover Band,’ Revival, brings an energy-packed performance that is guaranteed to have you singing and dancing along. While our repertoire primarily consists of ’90s and 2000s pop and rock hits, our song list has something for everybody—complete with current Top 40s hits and re-imagined takes on classic throwbacks.”
Pirate Glow Stick Rave: Chapped Lips + Wonderful Bluffer, Fake My Death @ Mad Planet
Ducks Ltd. + Telethon, Breakup Tour @ Cactus Club
Analog Daydream + Left Hand Hotdog, Smoothtalkers, Bellends @ MKeUltra
Bluejae + Rob Sender, J.R. Wesley, Kavon Cortez-Jones @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Tim Russell + Dave Schoepke, Allen Russell @ Jazz Gallery Center For The Arts
Marquee & The Moonlighters @ The Estate (early and late shows)
SUNDAY, MAY 10
The Joy Formidable @ Vivarium
“The Joy Formidable step back onto the stage for the first time in two years. These intimate, stripped-back nights offer songs and stories up close and a moment to reconnect before the next chapter unfold in 2026.”
Lowertown + Micah Preite, Social Cig @ The Argo
Static Paisley + Tat Songs, No Motel @ MKeUltra
Cafe Sopra Mare: Arron Crook (Jazz) @ Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
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