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 November 17-23, 2025.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Modeling + Friendly Spectres, Shontrail @ X-Ray Arcade
Milwaukee’s Shontrail has spent the first half of the ’20s embracing, discarding, and fusing together genres at will. Shontrail hit the local scene as a rapper in 2018; four years later, he made a pivot to dreamy indie-rock. Full-length albums like 2022’s Silver Star and 2023’s Lost In Limbo followed, complete with irresistible singles like “Red Rabbit” and “When I’m Alone I Get Real High.” The new Sonata is both a refinement of Shontrail’s dream-pop direction and a grab-bag of genre-defying sketches. Eight songs fly by in 15 minutes: There’s downright lovely opener “Can You Catch Me?” and hazy follow-up “Thru The Rafters.” There’s the low-fi industrial grit of “Ghoul City” and the equally raw and frantic “Solo.” There’s the chilled-out comedown combo of “Back Seat” and “By Your Side.” And, yes, there’s closer “Hanging Out With Donna,” a bedroom-pop cover/reworking of “In The Street,” a.k.a. the theme song to That ’70s Show.
Offtide + Sky Pine Drive, I’ll Remember April, Pareidolia, In Shining Armour @ Cactus Club
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18
The Metric Ton + Shoobie, Waterspouts, Okay Omen @ Cactus Club
“The Metric Ton is a conglomerate of sound from Cincinnati, Ohio spreading joy and confusion through the power of burgers and friendship. They embark on a U.S. tour in support of their first full length album, Can’t It All Be So Simple? out on November 7.”
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Milwaukee Record Presents: The Greasy Strangler @ Avalon Atmospheric Theater
Join us and a roomful of disco cuties for a very special screening of The Greasy Strangler! For the uninitiated, this 2016 tour de grease tells the story of a co-residential father and son, Ronnie and Brayden. The duo operates a small business giving dubious walking tours of the music history-based landmarks that make their community so special. However, a young lady enters the picture, creating a love triangle that threatens to destroy everything they’ve built together. Then, of course, there’s the eponymous serial killer. The whole thing is super gross, and hilarious, and maybe a little scary. Everyone is perfect in this thing and you’ll absolutely love it. Or hate it.
Midweek Music: Ian Olvera @ Crafty Cow Tosa
Every fall since 2021, Milwaukee Record has brought live music to Crafty Cow Tosa with Midweek Music. The 2025 series wraps up this week with a set from beloved Milwaukee musician and producer Ian Olvera. There’s NO COVER for this all-ages show, which runs 7 -8:30 p.m. Stop by and enjoy some free music!
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Long Mama + Resurrectionists, Allen Cote @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Chilling in the woods and living simply: that’s the back-to-basics sentiment behind the gentle and soothing “Corduroy Road,” the 2023 single from Milwaukee indie-folk/Americana group Long Mama. “Corduroy Road” finds singer-songwriter-guitarist Kat Wodtke reflecting on their time spent living in Alaska; at the age of 22, Wodtke took a job building scenery for the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre, and lived in a small trailer six miles from town. Poor Pretender, Long Mama’s fantastic full-length debut, was released in 2022.
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival Kickoff Extravaganza @ Pere Marquette Park
“Downtown Milwaukee will radiate holiday cheer as Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 celebrates the 27th annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival presented by Johnson Financial Group. The six-week celebration kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20 at Pere Marquette Park, 900 N. Plankinton Ave. Live music, dance acts, holiday treats and fireworks make up the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival Kickoff Extravaganza presented by Johnson Financial Group, a festive jumpstart to the city’s holiday season running through Jan. 1, 2026.”
Wine Lips + Mr.Phylzzz @ Cactus Club
Chicago Street Orchestra + Yaya Biggs @ Falcon Nest
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band @ Shank Hall
B.D. Greer & The Gents @ The Estate
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Diet Lite (record release) + Pat & The Pissers, Fellow Kinsman @ Vivarium
After bursting onto the scene post-pandemic, Diet Lite became one of the city’s most active and popular projects. In 2023, that rapid ascent to Milwaukee music prominence culminated with the release of Into The Pudding. Diet Lite spent last winter and spring writing and workshopping new material in northern Wisconsin, then going to Jamdek in Chicago to record that output on analog tape. The final product is the 13-track Double Wide Yukon, Diet Lite’s best effort yet.
Bob The Drag Queen @ Milwaukee Improv (four shows, also November 22)
In addition to being a drag icon who won Season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, being one of the hosts of HBO’s We’re Here, and being a standout contestant on the latest season of The Traitors, Bob The Drag Queen is also a legitimate comedian. Watch her do her thing at Milwaukee Improv in nearby Brookfield November 21-22 over the course of four performances split evenly between two nights.
Jeff Arcuri @ The Riverside Theater (two shows)
“The Chicago Tribune hails Jeff Arcuri as ‘a joke machine,’ but he’s much more than that—he’s a person! Jeff has showcased his talent on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, Laughs! on Fox, SiriusXM, and numerous comedy festivals nationwide. His subreddit, r/JeffArcuri, ranks in the top 1% of all subreddits, boasting over 235,000 active members. This makes him one of the pioneering comedians on the platform, frequently landing on the front page.”
Holiday Folk Fair International @ Wisconsin State Fair Park (through November 23)
“Holiday Folk Fair International, America’s premier multicultural festival and a program of the International Institute of Wisconsin, celebrates the cultural heritage of the people living in southeastern Wisconsin. You can explore the ways music, food, dance, and art weave together a message of welcome.”
Silverstein + Thursday, Free Throw, Bloom @ The Rave / Eagles Club
Venturer + Superglue, Sushi Cowboy, Socially Suspect @ X-Ray Arcade
Well + Good + Fakeout @ Ope! Brewing Co.
Tim Whalen Trio @ The Estate (early and late shows)
MAM After Dark: Retro Rewind Silent Disco @ Milwaukee Art Museum
The Moth: Cheat @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
WMSE’s Friday Night Freak Show: Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels @ Oriental Theatre
Friday Night Retro Dance Party: DJ Don Black @ Mad Planet
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22
Found Footage Festival: Porcelain VHS Treasures @ Oriental Theatre
“Live comedy with VHS tapes! BRAND NEW SHOW FOR 2025! Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (Late Show With David Letterman) have over 14,000 VHS tapes in their cluttered office in Brooklyn and will take viewers on a guided tour of their latest/greatest finds in this brand new Volume 11 show for 2025. Highlights include a psychotic dollar store salesman, a video catalog of frightening porcelain dolls, two wonderfully homemade Bigfoot videos and a new age ‘miracle’ treatment from the ’80s called ‘Psychic Surgery.’ Contains nudity, language, clowns.”
New Wave Fest 2025: The First Wave + Xposed 4heads, Weird Science @ The Cooperage
“New Wave Fest returns to the harbor front for an action-packed year four! New Wave Fest is proud to present an evening of high energy retro future sounds from bands that bring the ’80s into today! The line-up will include New Wave favorites by The First Wave, original New Wave Fun by Xposed 4Heads, and Weird Science performing Ear Worms of the ’80s. The event is sponsored by WMSE.”
RAT BATH + Sunday Cruise, Barely Civil, Tiny Vamp @ Cactus Club
“RAT BATH is a band of all trans-gender individuals that reclaim queer-coded villains from their childhood as heroes in their storytelling and strive for visibility in the music industry. They describe their sound as ‘Post-Everything Rat Core’ but have also been called Bubble Grunge, Alternative Emo, Dirt Americana and Melodic Hardcore. Which ever way you slice it; they are fast, loud, and have a unique ability to seamlessly blend influences together.”
Rod Tuffcurls And The Bench Press @ Vivarium
Blair / Drobka / Greene / Courage + Barry Paul Clark @ Jazz Gallery Center For The Arts
When Dylan Met Guthrie @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Not No Fun + Misandry, Eightball, Permafried, Ashamed, Psychotherapy @ Falcon Hall
Kitten Fest: Kitty Soft Paw + Lost Orange Cat, Sit Kitty Sit, Rocket Cat @ Ope! Brewing Co.
Indigo / Katie Ernst / Erez Dessel @ The Estate (early and late shows)
The Cure vs. The Smiths @ Mad Planet
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23
Milwaukee Record Halftime Show: El Sebas + DJ Mitch @ Cactus Club
The Pack is back! And so is the Milwaukee Record Halftime Show concert series at Cactus Club! We’ve assembled a stacked roster of 15 acts that will provide FREE all-ages entertainment at Cactus Club during halftime of Green Bay’s games. Our pals at Hamm’s are sponsoring the series, meaning fans can enjoy specials on cans and buckets of the beer ‘from the Land of Sky Blue Waters’ and Miller High Life all game long. WYNK has also come on as a sponsor and its THC seltzer is available at a discount during all games. Last and certainly not least, Transfer Pizzeria Cafe is once again coming by most games to drop off some complementary pizza. Games are shown in the bar as usual, and also shown on a projector screen in Cactus Club’s back room.
Snag vs. Garden Home + Frantic Repair, Viscacha, Depression Nap @ Cactus Club
Mystical Zenith + Culture Garden, Son Reis Project @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Wet The Rope + The Feat, Primitive Broadcast Service, AGE/OUT @ MKE Ultra
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