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 3-9, 2025.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3
Living Hour + So Zuppy, Tom Oeffling @ Cactus Club
“Living Hour’s expansive, gentle and slow indie rock is distinguished by lovelorn melodies, transient polyrhythms, and a dreamy instrument palette that includes heavenly interlocking guitars, Casio tone keyboards, and brass. Floating over these warm sparkles of sound are Sam Sarty’s emotive lead vocals, which are intoxicatingly smokey and vulnerable. Living Hour recorded their early songs with friend and producer Riley Hill in the west end of their hometown, Winnipeg, Canada. Their self-titled debut album was released on cassette in early 2016 on Bloomington’s Tree Machine Records, introducing the band’s cinematic sound and propelling years of DIY touring in Canada, the USA, and Europe.”
Gramma + Courtesy, Shooby, Oh Well OK @ MKE Ultra
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
WMSE’s Local/Live: Paul Cebar @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Paul Cebar’s 40-plus-year history in Milwaukee music could fill volumes. There’s his role as ambassador and hep-cat conduit for vintage R&B, soul, roots, and Afro-Caribbean music. There’s his work with The R&B Cadets, the Milwaukeeans, and Tomorrow Sound. There’s his constant presence at Summerfest and every other Fest on the Milwaukee summer calendar. There’s his “Way Back Home” show on 91.7 WMSE, celebrating 35 years in 2025. And then there’s Paul Cebar, Cebar’s first full-length record since 2014’s Fine Rude Thing. It’s just as wide-ranging and globally attuned as the man himself. The one-two opening punch of “When We Sing” and “We Sure Got Enough” is deliriously jubilant, Cebar at his most soulful and get-up-and-dance crowd-pleasing. “We bring a lot together when we sing,” he croons on the former song (originally written for The Blind Boys Of Alabama.) There’s real joy emanating from these tracks.
Black Flag + The Queers @ X-Ray Arcade (sold out)
“Texas-based band Black Flag is officially turning the page and beginning a bold new chapter with the addition of three new members: Max Zanelly (vocals), David Rodriguez (bass), and Bryce Weston (drums), joining founding guitarist Greg Ginn. With a fresh lineup and renewed creative energy, Black Flag is gearing up for an exciting season of live shows and new music production. The group has already begun writing and rehearsing together, building on their signature sound while embracing new influences brought in by the latest members. Black Flag’s upcoming performances will showcase the chemistry and talent of the revitalized lineup, giving fans a first taste of the new era.”
Bluegrass Whatevers: Valley Fox @ Nashville North
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Jeff Tweedy + Liam Kazar @ The Pabst Theater
“What I really want to do is grow my heart big enough to love everyone. And if I want a heart big enough to meet this moment, it requires something expansive. ‘Like a TRIPLE record!?,’ you ask? Yes! Like a goddamn triple record! I mean…what else do I have but my songs and my family and my friends? What else do any of us have to keep the lights on? How else can I generate my own light? To me, any song, no matter the subject matter, can be a point of light and that’s one of the reasons I try and make so many of them. They all have the potential, even the heaviest music on the earth has the potential, to lift someone up.”
Weakened Friends + Lunar Moth @ X-Ray Arcade
After delivering a memorable Bay View Bash set on the X-Ray Arcade Stage in 2023, Maine-based indie-rock trio Weakened Friends head to the actual X-Ray Arcade this time around to headline a can’t-miss midweek outing that also features opening support from Lunar Moth.
The Used: Night 1 ft. The Used + Archers @ The Rave / Eagles Club
“Rock icons The Used have announced the second leg of their expansive 25 Year Anniversary tour. After selling out dates in the UK, US and an upcoming run in Australia, American audience members will have a second chance to experience the band play their first three albums, The Used (2002), In Love And Death (2004), and Lies For The Liars (2007) in full. Celebrating the group’s dynamic career, each of these highly influential albums have been certified either platinum or gold by the RIAA, defining this generation of 2000s emo rock.”
Midweek Music: Joe Wais + EB Albeit @ Crafty Cow Tosa
Every fall since 2021, Milwaukee Record has brought live music to Crafty Cow Tosa with Midweek Music. The series is back in October and November 2025, so stop by and enjoy some free music! Once again, there is NO COVER for these all-ages shows, which run 7 -8:30 p.m. The series continues this week with a set from MilBillies fiddle player Joe Wais, joined by EB Albeit.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6
Charlie Parr + Dead, Dead Swans @ Vivarium
“In the music of Charlie Parr, there is a sincere conviction and earnest drive to create. The Minnesota-born guitarist, songwriter, and interpreter of traditional music has released 19 albums over two decades and has been known to perform up to 275 shows a year. Parr is a folk troubadour in the truest sense: taking to the road between shows, writing and rewriting songs as he plays, fueled by a belief that music is eternal and cannot be claimed or adequately explained. The bluesman poet pulls closely from the sights and sounds around him, his lyrical craftsmanship built by his influences. The sounds from his working-class upbringing—including Folkways legends such as Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie—imbue Parr’s music with stylistic echoes of blues and folk icons of decades past.”
Key Of Evil + Naked Eye, The Dirty Pretty, Primitive Broadcast Service @ MKE Ultra
Hi Score: Live Videogame Music @ The Estate (early and late shows)
WPR Pint-Sized Concerts: Peter J. Thomas @ Milwaukee Art Museum
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7
Thot Squad + Zed Kenzo @ Cactus Club
Cactus Club plays host to “2 THOTS 2 PRAYERS” in the form of Thot Squad and Zed Kenzo. The former is a genre-blending rapper, singer, and songwriter from Michigan. The latter is a Milwaukee expat (now living in Los Angeles after spending a few years honing her craft in Boston) who is returning to her old stomping grounds to treat Milwaukee to her best material to date.
The Sloppy Boys @ X-Ray Arcade
What iiiiiiiiiiiiiiis up?! Party rock trio The Sloppy Boys—which features accomplished television actors/writers and former members of The Birthday Boys sketch comedy troupe in its ranks—returns to the region for the third time in approximately a year and a half to play a show at X-Ray Arcade (the very same venue where the band recorded a live episode of their cocktail podcast this past winter).
The People Brothers Band + Texas Toast @ 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.”
The Used: Night 2 ft. In Love And Death + Gold Steps @ The Rave / Eagles Club
Art*Bar Mini Art Show Opening Night: Panalure + Frogwater @ Art*Bar
5pm To Nowhere @ Ope! Brewing Co.
Lee Lloyd + Silverfish, Cool Beauty, Apollo Vermouth @ MKE Ultra
Neva Dinova + Rainbow Cobra @ Cactus Club
Caroline Davis Portals @ The Estate (early and late shows)
Sun Queen + The Endtimes, Known Moons, Lobi Lobianco @ High Dive
Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band + Old Pup @ Falcon Hall
Thyone + Moon Rebels, Super Ego @ Uptowner
Friday Night Retro Dance Party: DJ Paul H @ Mad Planet
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8
Mon Rovîa + RYMAN @ Vivarium
“I’m Mon, born in Mon Rovia, Liberia. My life can be summed up by being born into a civil war, escaping the life of a child soldier, rescued by the hands of missionaries. Spent a lot of my developmental years living in a variety of places with a number of life experiences. And then layered on top of all of this is the assimilation I felt being a transracially adopted refugee. My music in a nutshell is a culmination of these experiences blended with the empathy I feel for the experiences with others. The mission of my music is to heal with others – with every nation and tongue, in due time.”
Still Messed Up: An All Messed Up Reunion Show @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
“Missing All Messed Up? Curious about the event and want a taste before you sign up?
Join us for the first ever STILL MESSED UP. An AMU reunion show featuring bands from past years. A Bidet to Remember; Cryptids; Sticky Drips (formerly Sly Unfamiliars); Smudgemuffins; Reply All & The Listen-in Bunch.”
The Used: Night 3 ft. Lies For The Liars + Rematch @ The Rave / Eagles Club
Moonglow + Wonderful Bluffer, Horace Greene @ Mad Planet
The WhiskeyBelles @ Ope! Brewing Co.
Secret Menu + Scorched Waves, The Weekend Run Club, Alley Eyes @ Cactus Club
Marquee & The Moonlighters @ The Estate (early and late shows)
Chris Head & The Honchos + Frank Gappa, Jesús Villa ft. Jim Schultz @ MKE Ultra
BremSin: Four Years Of SIN @ Bremen Cafe
Club Ritual: J. Córdova + Asher Gray, Greyhound @ Cactus Club
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9
Milwaukee Record Presents: Casserole Call @ Falcon Hall
Milwaukee Record’s third annual “Casserole Call” event 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. From noon to 3 p.m., casserole connoisseurs are invited to taste samples from a wide variety of local restaurant vendors. Each ticket includes three sample vouchers. Additional samples can be purchased for $1 each. Best yet, a portion of proceeds brought in from Casserole Call will be donated to Kinship Community Food Center. We’ve officially issued a Casserole Call. Will you answer?
Troubled Hubble + The Hallelujah Ward, Clem Snide @ Cactus Club
A trio of bands on the Foreign Leisure record label will converge upon Cactus Club for what’s sure to be an outstanding Sunday night soiree. This show serves as a release show for the 20th anniversary reissue of veteran Chicago indie rockers Troubled Hubble’s Making Beds In A Burning House. The Hallelujah Ward will lend some local support and Clem Snide (with a special surprise!) will round things out.
Jagged + Mizzy, Striped Cow, Metal Marq, Hypersleep @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Teen Mortgage + Alex Vile, Bev Rage & The Drinks @ X-Ray Arcade
The Hungry Williams @ Ope! Brewing Co.
QWERTY Quarterly #10 Release Party @ Last Rites
Handcrafted: Lakefront Makers Market @ Lakefront Brewery
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