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 October 7-13, 2024.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 7
Socially Suspect + West Nile Crows, Half Moon HideAway, Disposable Thumbs @ Cactus Club
Milwaukee band Socially Suspect has been bending the rules since 2022. Take one listen to the group’s 2023 single “6 To 2” and you’ll understand: Is the song grungy pop punk? Poppy grunge? What’s with the jazzy guitar solos? The “Radar Love”-esque chorus? Well, who cares! It works, it’s catchy as hell, and it’s always great to hear a band fudge the conventions of style and genre. The group’s latest single, “Razor Rain,” was released in April.
U.D.O. + Midnite Hellion @ Shank Hall
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8
The Get Up Kids + Smoking Popes @ The Rave / Eagles Club
Wanna feel old? The Get Up Kids released Something To Write Home About 25 years ago. That’s a quarter-century! Damn. In honor of the occasion, the seminal Kansas City emo project will drop by The Rave to play songs from that celebrated album. Oh, and they’re bringing veteran Chicago pop-punkers Smoking Popes along with them.
Dead, Dead Swans + Bubblegum Jr., Oran Delphi, Venturer @ Bremen Cafe
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9
Illuminati Hotties + Daffo @ Vivarium
“Indie rock back Illuminati Hotties was created by lead singer Sarah Tudzin in Los Angeles in 2018. Tudzin describes her music as ‘tenderpunk,’ a self-constructed genre that fuses the energy of pop-punk with the melodic smarts of indie rock and a lyrical outlook that ponders the joys and calamities of being a grown-up under the age of 30. Tudzin writes songs that are deeply personal and witty at the same time, and her studio skills help give her music a subtle sophistication.”
Midweek Music: Jorge Vallentine @ Crafty Cow Tosa
Join us at Crafty Cow Tosa on select Wednesdays and Thursdays in October and November for a total of eight Midweek Music performances! Once again, there’s NO COVER for these all-ages shows, which run from 7-8:30 p.m. If a free weeknight show isn’t already great enough on its own, Crafty Cow Tosa will offer $4 pints from Badger State Brewing. They’ll also have meal deals available during each show. The series continues this week with the winning indie folk of Jorge Vallentine.
Sway Wild + Allison Mahal @ Cactus Club
Maeve & Quinn + Shell Bells, Blacktop @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Tommy Castro & The Painkillers + Nick Moss Band @ Shank Hall
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10
The Alan Parsons Project @ The Riverside Theater
“Since 1976, The Alan Parsons Project has crafted a distinctive sound cultivating a dynamic musical landscape unlike anyone else. In between creating gold- and platinum-award winning albums of their own, Parsons was integral to the creation of iconic albums such as Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon, Ambrosia’s self-titled album, and Beatles’ Abbey Road and Let It Be.”
Advance Base + Apollo Vermouth, Katie Malco @ Lilliput Records
Using the “Advance Base” moniker, Chicago musician Owen Ashworth crafts lo-fi story-driven songs that range from humorous and off-kilter to devastatingly beautiful. Some 10 months after playing Cactus Club, the multi-instrumentalist will come back to Milwaukee to headline an all-ages affair at Lilliput Records. The show begins at 7 p.m.
HYFIN Anti-Gala: The Wiz @ Turner Hall Ballroom
“Inspired by The Wiz‘s iconic themes and imagery, the 2nd annual HYFIN Anti-Gala celebrates Milwaukee’s vibrant Black culture, promising attendees an immersive, unforgettable experience that fosters community connections.”
Universal Light + Wooden Wand @ Acme Records & Music Emporium
Vanity Plates + Faye, Angelica, DJ Big Janitor @ Cactus Club
Horace Greene + Genevieve Heyward @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades + Ladybird @ Pabst Theater
Instead of their usual New Year’s Eve appearance in Milwaukee, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades will play Pabst Theater a few months earlier this year. Preceding the central Wisconsin roots music mainstay will be Milwaukee’s own Ladybird, who will cap off an extremely accomplished year with their biggest show yet.
Acid Mothers Temple + Spirit Mother, Spidora @ Cactus Club
“Formed in 1995 by Makoto Kawabata at the same time as the Acid Mothers Temple Soul Collective, the group released its debut album in 1997 on PSF Records (Japan), and it was selected as one of the year’s best albums in the The Wire magazine (UK). In 1998 the group played their first tours of the US and Europe. Since then the group has released a huge number of albums on labels from many different countries. As of 2017, the group has released around 80 albums.”
Nada Surf + Office Dog @ Vivarium
“For the past 30 years, Nada Surf has given us bittersweet anthems, soaring harmonies and play-on-repeat heart punches that you want to sing out at the top of your lungs! And you can do just that at Vivarium this October.”
Bill Bellamy @ Milwaukee Improv (through October 13)
Actor, longtime MTV VJ, alleged creator of the term “booty call,” and veteran comedian Bill Bellamy will drop by the Milwaukee Improv in nearby Brookfield to treat the suburban club to a total of five performances spread across three nights.
Lake Drive (record release) + The Keystones, Micah Emrich, Superglue @ X-Ray Arcade
Dak Dubois (record release) + HOSTS, Bro. Malik @ The Cooperage
Steve Miller Band + Paul Cebar @ Miller High Life Theatre
Retro Video Dance Party @ Mad Planet
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12
As Ever, Miriam Book Release @ Cactus Club
Do you still write letters? If not, ask yourself if there are messages you would like to leave behind, or if you’d rather your correspondences vanish underneath accumulating time and history. It almost happened to Charlotte Partridge and Miriam Frink, influential Milwaukee collaborators (and co-founders of the Layton School of Art) who exchanged letters for years that chronicle their achievements and are peppered with a shared history. Enter archivist and researcher Faythe Levine, who has pulled their story out from underneath historical obscurity and given the pair due credit for their radical accomplishments. She spent years in public archives researching their story, locating historical context for phrases in the letters, and putting the missing pieces of their lives back into a tangible timeline. The result is Levine’s new book, As Ever, Miriam, that thoroughly catalogues and contextualizes the epistolary relationship between Partridge and Frink.
Jamming For Jimmy: Celebrating The Life Of American Journalist James Foley @ The Pabst Theater
“Legendary Wisconsin rockers, BoDeans, headline this celebration of the life and sacrifice of American journalist James ‘Jim’ Foley. The Thriftones, Milwaukee music scene stalwarts, and The Predictors, featuring multiple Marquette alums, open. ALL proceeds from ‘Jamming for Jimmy’ support the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, the James W. Foley Archives at Marquette University, and Marquette’s Center for Peacemaking.”
Hotline TNT + Disq, Cry Baby @ Cactus Club
Brooklyn’s Hotline TNT will bring its psych-tinged shoegaze to the cozy confines of Cactus Club for a show that has the potential to be one you’ll brag about being at a few years from now.
Fellow Kinsman + Immortal Girlfriend, Zang! @ Mad Planet
Gorilla Biscuits + Instill, Get Rad, Big Laugh @ Vivarium
City Slang + The Mighty Deerlick @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Single Mothers + Elway, Spaced, Mile End @ Club Garibaldi
Oktoberfest @ Crossroads Collective
The Get Down @ Quarters Rock ‘n’ Roll Palace
Caleb Westphal Spins Timeless Vinyl 45s @ Boone & Crockett
The Rocky Horror Picture Show @ Oriental Theatre
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13
Milwaukee Record Halftime Series: Breakup Tour @ Cactus Club
Come on out to the Cactus Club for this week’s Packers-Cardinals game, and enjoy a halftime set from Milwaukee “bubble grunge supergroup” Breakup Tour! Games will be shown in the bar, but they’ll also be shown on a projector screen in Cactus Club’s back room. As always, there will also be touchdown shots (both regular and N/A options will be offered). THERE’S NO COVER CHARGE for the concerts. Kickoff is at noon!
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert @ The Pabst Theater (2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. shows)
“Experience Jim Henson’s original masterpiece Labyrinth like never before with ‘Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert!’ Watch the full movie, as a live band performs in sync with David Bowie’s original vocals, playing the songs and score composed by Bowie and Trevor Jones. Feel the power of the music from the cult classic live! Don’t miss this exceptional event that brings beloved characters, epic music, and breathtaking visuals from the Labyrinth universe to life in an exciting fusion of film and live music.”
Curd Fest 2024 @ Drink Wisconsinbly Pub
While it’s always Curd Fest in Milwaukee as far as we’re concerned, the folks from Drink Wisconsinbly Pub are going the extra mile with a deliciously cheesy festival devoted to the almighty curd. Enjoy samples from a stacked cast of local vendors, watch the Packers take on the Cardinals, and have a few drinks while celebrating an iconic Wisconsin delicacy at the Deer District.
The dB’s + Terry Alan Hackbarth @ Shank Hall
The National Parks + Elias Hix @ Vivarium
Ask Carol + Beams, Martha Cannon @ Cactus Club
Punk Rock Brunch: Kepi Ghoulie + Avenues @ X-Ray Arcade
Squishee + Gentleman Speaker, LUXI @ Bremen Cafe
Empty Bowls: An Event Supporting NourishMKE Food Centers @ MSOE Kern Center
Cheeched And Handy Victory Lap Viewing Party @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
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