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 9-15, 2026.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9
The Animeros + Los Mitoteros @ Cactus Club
“With musical notes that span well beyond genres like bolero, psychedelic, and cumbia, The Animeros not only make their audience hit the dance floor, but they also invite their listeners and tastemakers alike to a glimpse of their rich cultural upbringing. The group who is made up of Nick Tozzo (drummer and percussionist), Nicolas Sanchez (bassist), and Mauro Lopez (guitarist) craft a genre-blending sound that drifts between the lush jungles of Colombia, the palm-lined streets of 1960s coastal Mexico, and the dusty cantinas of West Texas.”
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Jack White + Ladybird @ Landmark Credit Union Live
Jack White rules. Jack White’s new album, Frozen Charlotte, also rules. And yes, this show is a phone-free show, which means you have to lock your phone in a pouch or whatever. “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS & IS IT MANDATORY?” asks an FAQ. “We believe this creates a better experience for everyone,” answers the FAQ. The Landmark Credit Union Live show will be almost exactly two years from the last time White played Milwaukee…at The Rave, The Vanguard, and Cactus Club. Love you, Jack!
Andrew Bird With Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra @ The Riverside Theater
“With a distinctive sound that resists categorization, Grammy nominated violinist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Andrew Bird, makes his debut with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Balancing swelling sounds with jazz, folk, and pop melodies in an unforgettable display of unique virtuosity, Bird celebrates the 20th anniversary of his acclaimed record The Mysterious Production Of Eggs. Featuring a top-to-bottom album performance with orchestral arrangements, Bird caps off the performance with a suite of fan-favorite tunes from his near 30-year repertoire.”
Drug Church @ X-Ray Arcade (sold out)
“For over a decade, Drug Church have been building a very strong case that they’re the best loud guitar band in the game; their fifth full-length Prude—a 28-minute blast of aggression, melody, irreverence, and genuine heart—feels like the undeniable proof. The album is so downright satisfying it tricks you into thinking there’s nothing all that surprising about a difficult-to-pigeonhole punk band from Albany, NY, with a name like Drug Church somehow having a career at all, much less one that would last over 10 years and qualify them as the best band going.”
Amythyst Kiah + Buffalo Nichols @ Shank Hall
“On her new album Still + Bright, Tennessee-bred singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah explores the vast expanse of her inner world: her deep-rooted affinity for Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions, a near-mystical connection with the natural environment, the life lessons learned in her formative years as a self-described ‘anime-nerd mall goth,’ and much more.”
Daniel Sloss: Bitter @ The Pabst Theater
Casual Sex + Mazoku, Ef Ay, Candlewax, Imperfect Picture, Babytino @ Cactus Club
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
Micky Dolenz: 60 Years Of The Monkees @ The Pabst Theater
“Micky Dolenz is an actor, singer, director, producer, writer, radio DJ, inventor, and all-around performer extraordinaire, and stands tall as a paragon of taste and accomplishment in the rough-and-tumble world of show business and entertainment. Micky is best known as a vocalist and drummer of the 1960s pop legends The Monkees. The Monkees not only achieved great success as a TV show, but also as recording artists; selling in excess of 65 million units, and achieving worldwide success.”
Chief Keef @ Landmark Credit Union Live
“An influential figure in the 2010s drill scene, rapper Chief Keef pulls inspiration from the Chicago streets, delivering hardcore rhymes. Born Keith Cozart in Chicago, Keef first hit with 2011’s ‘Bang,’ a slow-rolling, simple cut that was an instant hit with the youth of his hometown’s South Side.”
Lightninging (record release) + Original Time Demonstrations, Cathedral Becomes Tomb @ MKeUltra
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Michelle Branch @ The Pabst Theater
Want to feel old? It’s been 25 whole-ass years since then-17-year-old Michelle Branch released her debut album, The Spirit Room, which included hits like “Everywhere” and “All You Wanted.” To mark the double-Platinum record’s quarter-century anniversary, Branch is hitting the road and taking stages across the country for her “Everywhere And Back Again” tour. Thankfully, Milwaukee’s historic Pabst Theater is one of the stops on said tour.
An Evening With Rachel Maddow @ The Riverside Theater
“Boswell Book Company and the Pabst Theater Group present an evening Rachel Maddow, the Emmy and Murrow Award–winning host of The Rachel Maddow Show on MS NOW, at the Riverside Theater. Maddow appears for a conversation about her new book, Department Of Fate: The Promise, The Power, And The Collapse Of America’s Most Consequential Institution.”
St. Clair + WhenWordsFail, Thisismycalltoarms, Siniu, Human Ant Farm, Forktail @ MKeUltra
Lounj Acts: Elephonic + Temple Kisses @ Jackalope Lounj / Wicked Hop
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13
The Best Of Steve Martin & Martin Short with The Steep Canyon Rangers and Jeff Babko @ Miller High Life Theatre
Capital L comedy LEGENDS Steve Martin and Martin Short have both managed astounding careers that have spanned decades upon decades, influenced and enthralled generations of fans, and have stood the test of time. Despite all they have done, the duo continues to act together and tour theaters to delight onlookers with their hilarious musings and their charmingly combative friendship. Martin and Short return to Milwaukee as part of their “Best Of Steve Martin & Martin Short” tour, which will also include performances by Martin’s band The Steep Canyon Rangers as well as Jeff Babko.
The Mavericks & Friends @ The Pabst Theater
“For three decades, The Mavericks built their Grammy-winning legacy under the leadership of frontman Raul Malo. When a battle with cancer took Raul off the road in 2025, his bandmates honored his influence with a sold-out show at the Ryman Auditorium, filling Raul’s final hours on earth with song and celebration. The celebration continues with The Mavericks & Friends. Featuring Paul Deakin, Robert Reynolds, Eddie Perez, and Jerry Dale McFadden, the tour combines a unique version of The Mavericks’ past and present lineups with rotating guest vocalists. The result is an ever-evolving live show that showcases the band’s catalog, salutes Raul Malo’s once-in-a-generation impact, and kickstarts a new chapter of The Mavericks’ unfolding story.”
Allison Mahal (record release) + Leah Jean, Whitney Fenimore @ Cactus Club
Alley Eyes + Scorched Waves, Bowvee, Fakeout @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Motionless In White + Dayseeker, The Devil Wears Prada, Dark Divine @ Fiserv Forum
STS9 @ Landmark Credit Union Live
Hovvdy + Christian Lee Hutson @ Vivarium
Long Line Riders @ Wiggle Room
Kiernan + Shoulderbird, Maximiano, The Spine Stealers @ Jazz Gallery Center For The Arts
The Midnight Purchase + Joe Jenneman, Peter J. Thomas @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
The DUI’s + Shakira Chinchilla, This Is My Tragedy, Brooklynn @ MKeUltra
Leroy Airmaster @ Ope! Brewing Co.
MKE Music Night CVI: Beatles vs. Bee Gees @ The Cooperage
Friday The 13th Part III: Goth Barge @ Mad Planet
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Brandi Carlile: Burn The Setlist @ The Pabst Theater (also November 15; both sold out)
“One of music’s most respected voices, Brandi Carlile is an Oscar-nominee, 11x Grammy-winner, 2x Emmy-winner and #1 New York Times Bestselling author. Her acclaimed #1 album, Returning To Myself, marks a deeply personal new chapter for Carlile, pairing intimate songwriting with sweeping, emotionally resonant arrangements across a collection that explores self-discovery, identity and the complexities of coming home to oneself. Hailed as ‘one of the best albums of the year’ (Variety), ‘remarkable’ (Billboard) and a record ‘whose compositions feel like instant classics’ (NPR Music), the album earned Carlile nominations for both Song of the Year (‘Returning To Myself’) and Artist of the Year at the 2026 Americana Awards.”
God’s Outlaw: Benefit For Wisconsin Homeless Veterans Initiative @ Club Garibaldi
“God’s Outlaw brings its rowdy rebel country to Club Garibaldi in Bay View on Saturday, November 14, for a night benefiting the Wisconsin Homeless Veterans Initiative (WHVI). Doors at 6 and music starts at 7 PM. You’ll get a taste of Big Smith in solo action as well as a special performance by Sawboss on the guitar – Klosski Sings, and God’s Outlaw will perform with special guests Leroy Deuster on Pedal Steel and Dobro , Matt Meixner on Keys, and Jeff Hamilton on guitar, banjo, mandolin. Then God’s Outlaw takes the stage. The Milwaukee-area band has been raising hell since 2002 with outlaw country, honky-tonk, and Americana. Expect the old-school rebel songs of Waylon, Cash, Merle, David Allan Coe, and Hank, plus originals written in that same spirit.”
Long May You Run: A Musical Tribute To Neil Young @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
“A concert to pay tribute to Neil Young’s music and, at the same time, raise money for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin! Doors at 7:00 p.m., Music at 8:00 p.m. ’till 10:45, $10 donation goes to PPAW. Schedule: 8:00 p.m. – Tom Trisco; 8:25 p.m. – Peter Roller & Mark Vitkus; 8:50 p.m. – Francesca & the Night Sky; 9:10 p.m. – Bella Bruto; 9:35 p.m. – Chris Haise Band; 10:00 p.m. – The Fatty Acids; 10:25 p.m. – JT & the Congregants.”
Laughing Liberally Milwaukee’s 10 Year Anniversary Extravaganza @ Comedy Sportz Milwaukee
“Through the first Trump presidency, a global pandemic, Black Lives Matter, Say Her Name, the defeat of Scott Walker, Joe Biden, the second Trump presidency, #ICEOut, to the rise of AI and more, Laughing Liberally Milwaukee has been gathering liberals, progressives, socialists, and the best community of comedy fans this city has to offer for a monthly progressive political stand up comedy show featuring the area’s top liberal and progressive comedians.”
Mustard Plug + Devon Kay & The Solutions, Meskales @ X-Ray Arcade
Skank your way down to Cudahy to see 35-year ska staples Mustard Plug headline a Saturday night show that also features support from Devon Kay & The Solutions and Meskales.
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening @ The Riverside Theater
LowDown Brass Band + Something To Do @ The Argo
Kitty Soft Paw @ Ope! Brewing Co.
Pentatonix: Christmas In The City Tour @ Fiserv Forum
An Evening Of Radiohead Performed By Android Paranoid @ Vivarium
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Milwaukee Record Halftime Show: Mostly + DJ MOMBOMB @ Cactus Club
The Pack is back…and so is the Milwaukee Record Halftime Show concert series! We’ve assembled a stacked roster of 13 acts that will provide FREE all-ages entertainment at Cactus Club during halftime of Green Bay’s games. Get ready to see approximately 15-minute shows from the likes of Dialogues, They Want Blood, Wisconsin Space Program, Resurrectionists, 5 O’Clock Charlie, and many more. Our pals at Miller High Life have returned as a sponsor, meaning fans can enjoy bucket and single bottle specials on both “The Champagne Of Beers” and Miller Lite all game long. Last and certainly not least, Transfer Pizzeria Cafe will once again be coming by most games to drop off some complementary pizza (while supplies last).
Post Animal @ The Argo
“Fresh off a breakout year that included 51 sold-out arena and theater shows supporting Djo, a packed Lollapalooza set, and a nearly sold-out U.S. headline tour, Post Animal has re-emerged as one of indie rock’s most exciting live bands. Their latest album, IRON, marks the first time the band’s complete original songwriting lineup reunited in the studio in nearly a decade. Written and recorded during an uninterrupted month together, the album captures the chemistry that first defined Post Animal while showcasing a renewed sense of purpose, collaboration, and adventurous songwriting.”
The Wood Brothers + Amelia Day @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Oh Geeez Not Again + Be The Young, Say What You Mean @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Sunday Bloody Sunday: Mother Fortune + Casual Sex, Video Sex Priest @ Falcon Hall
LUCY (Cooper B. Handy) + Gods Wisdom, Creature Weather @ Cactus Club
Jimmy Ray & The Tones + Steve Cohen @ Ope! Brewing Co.
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