Milwaukee is chock-full of things to do, but only a handful of events are worthy of the lofty honor of “Record Recommended” (patent pending). Here are our recommendations—brought to you by Lilliput Records—for July 10-16, 2023.
MONDAY, JULY 10
Souls Of Mischief: 30 Years Of 93 Til’ Infinity @ The Cooperage
“1993, West Coast… Dr Dre vs Eazy-E, Snoop Doggy Dog on the rise with his debut album alongside the N.W.A don of production. Tupac with the summer release of I Get Around, but caught up in alleged gun fights and assault charges. G-funk the national conversation. So when Souls Of Mischief came onto the scene with their funky outfits, slammin’ beats and breazy attitudes – backed with a lyrical dexterity far beyond their teenage years – a fresh hop to the bounce of the West Coast was born. Now, 30 years on, 93 to 23, still infinity. Still hectic out there. Time flies but Souls are still chillin.”
Musical Mondays: Black Cow @ Lake Park Summer Stage
TUESDAY, JULY 11
WMSE’s Local/Live: Dramatic Lovers @ Anodyne Walker’s Point
“Join Sid and Milwaukee Record’s Matt Wild for another amazing edition of Local/Live from Anodyne on Bruce with Dramatic Lovers! This will be last last DL show for a while as we send BJ off on a year-long worldwide adventure. Dramatic Lovers consists of current or former members of Decibully, The Promise Ring, Temper Temper, and Maritime. The music holds roots in the time-tested shadows of Decibully and The Promise Ring/Maritime, but also looks backwards to the sounds of their youth. ’80s & ’90s Shoegaze, Emo & Brit-pop influence a maturing songwriting style that comes from decades of playing music together.”
Chill On The Hill: Barb Stephan + Bella Brutto @ Humboldt Park
Skyline Music Series: De La Buena @ Kadish Park
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12
Washington Park Wednesdays: Venus Rising: You Win !!! + Dora Diamond, bdwthr @ Washington Park
“Bloodsport,” the latest single from Milwaukee dark pop duo You Win !!!, finds Amanda Huff and William Gardiner delving into new territory and sounding better than ever before in the process. Huff’s smooth vocals and compelling lyrics echo the project’s overarching themes of pain and processing. Gardiner meets her moody and downcast vibe with dour and mysterious production, before vaulting the criminally catchy single to the realm of “radio-ready” with a veritable wall of guitars that build on the sturdy foundation You Win !!! puts into place. See the duo tonight at the kickoff for the 2023 Washington Park Wednesdays concert series.
Milwaukee Record All Local DJ Set @ Cactus Club
From 4-7 p.m., Milwaukee Record co-founder Tyler Maas will be behind the turntables playing some of his favorite Milwaukee music of all time, some of his favorite local music released this year, and he’ll even devote some time to playing your project. That’s right! Milwaukee musicians (and local scene supporters alike) are invited to bring in their own records and hook up to Cactus Club’s aux cord to play a song or two.
Puddles Pity Party @ Shank Hall
“Puddles Pity Party, the 7-foot sad clown whose golden voice is comparable to rock legends like Tom Jones and Freddie Mercury, has amassed nearly 900K YouTube subscribers and performed sold out shows all over the globe including The Kennedy Center in D.C., San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, London’s Soho Theatre and a residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. You may recognize him as a quarter finalist on Season 12 of America’s Got Talent and on the 2020 season of AGT The Champions, as well as his viral video collaborations with Postmodern Jukebox. Deftly combining melancholia with the absurd, Puddles has received endorsements and accolades from musical comedy legends like Eric Idle, Jack Black, Paul Reubens, Michael McKean, Drew Carey and Weird Al Yankovic.”
Wonderful Wednesdays: Main Street Song & Dance Troupe @ Lake Park Summer Stage
Hurd & Galante + Quiet Hollers, Lady Cannon @ Cactus Club
America @ The Riverside Theater
Chris Fleming @ Turner Hall Ballroom
THURSDAY, JULY 13
Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival @ various locations (through July 16)
In a summer packed with 8,000 things to do, the big Harley-Davidson Homecoming stands out as a single event with 8,000 things to do. From July 13-16, Harley will celebrate its 120th birthday with a dizzying array of demos, races, stunt shows, vintage shows, food and drink blowouts, beach bonfires, and more. The bulk of the action will take place at both Veterans Park (1010 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.) and the H-D Museum (400 W. Canal St.) It’s gonna be nuts. And LOUD. Oh, and there’ll be music! Like, “Hell yeah, Foo Fighters and Green Day are headlining this thing” music! You can find the full Homecoming schedule of events HERE.
Bastille Days @ Cathedral Square Park (through July 16)
Milwaukee’s Bastille Days made a “slightly downsized” post-pandemic return in 2022, but there’s nothing “slightly downsized” about Bastille Days in 2023. From Thursday, July 13 through Sunday, July 16, the long-running celebration of all things French will pack Cathedral Square Park (and the area surrounding it) with music, food, fun, and more. And yes, the ever-popular Storm the Bastille 5K run/walk is set for Thursday night. And yes, the festival’s iconic 42-foot inflatable Eiffel Tower will be back. And yes, this is Bastille Days’ 40th anniversary! Find the full schedule HERE.
Please Don’t Destroy Live @ Turner Hall
Veritable viral video factory-turned-Saturday Night Live writing collective Please Don’t Destroy is taking its show on the road! We’re not quite sure how the trio’s comedic style will translate to a stage show, but we’re super excited to find out and we have no doubts Please Don’t Destroy Live will, um, destroy live.
Third Space Presents: Zach Pietrini @ Third Space Brewing
Daisychain + Wonderful Bluffer, Moonglow @ Cactus Club
State Of Sound: El Sebas @ Radio Milwaukee
FRIDAY, JULY 14
Diet Lite + Mr. Mota, Shoobie, Fellow Kinsman @ Cactus Club
Everyone always says they’re busy, but Milwaukee garage-rock outfit Diet Lite has been really busy. Since releasing the delightful Seems To Be The Way It Tends To Go in 2021, the group has played more than 100 shows, gotten its gear stolen, made a video/short film about getting its gear stolen (“This God Damn City”), and released two EPs. Those EPs—plus 10 more songs!—make up Diet Lite’s latest record, Into The Pudding.
Avoid + After Hour Animals, Surefire @ X-Ray Arcade
“Engaging, edgy, erratic, irreverent, wild, vibrant, fun… there’s certainly no shortage of adjectives to describe AVOID and their quest to fuel that feeling of being a part of something. Evoking a nostalgia for the kind of music that seeps into your soul, Seattle five-piece AVOID channels the musical legacy synonymous with their hometown while blissfully genre hopping to create something entirely new. Good times with a message of inclusivity, with a drive to bring passion, innovation and provocation back to heavy music and pull in the community around it, AVOID crackle with the energy of a young act ready to take the world by storm.”
Deer District Concert Series: NEWSKI @ The Beer Garden
Spider Creek + DarylAnne, MeloCHLD, Shadi @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Hi/Jack + Whiskey And The Devil, Dark Sun @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
SATURDAY, JULY 15
Poster Children + Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends, Delicious Monsters @ X-Ray Arcade
“Poster Children was formed in Champaign, Illinois in 1987 by Rick Valentin (guitar, vocals) and Rose Marshack (bass, vocals). Jim Valentin joined on guitar in 1991 and Matt Friscia (drummer #7) joined in 2001. They have released twelve studio albums, on various independent and major labels, and one feature-length film, Zero Stars. Known for their strong DIY ethic, the band members toured incessantly in the 1990s, driving their own van around the US and Europe, creating their own artwork and T-shirt designs, and operating their own record label. Poster Children were also pioneers in several forms of electronic technology relating to performance art, including enhanced CDs, webcasts, and blogs. In 2023, the band re-released their first album, Flower Plower, in a deluxe double-vinyl set on Lotuspool Records and University of Illinois Press published Rose’s book, Play Like a Man, recounting her time in the band and indie rock scene of the ’80s and ’90s.”
Jinkx Monsoon @ The Pabst Theater
Jinkx Monsoon is a two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner and a Broadway-caliber talent. She’s also extremely fucking funny. The drag star’s talent and versatility will be on full display tonight at The Pabst Theater, when Monsoon comes to Milwaukee as part of her bewitching “Everything At Stake” tour.
Death Is A Business + X Life, West Nile Crows @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Joey McIntyre @ Turner Hall Ballroom
SUNDAY, JULY 16
Wheatus + The Eradicator, Doubter @ X-Ray Arcade
Teenage Dirtbags and squash enthusiasts take note: Wheatus (yes, that Wheatus!) and The Eradicator are playing Cudahy’s X-Ray Arcade for one of the strangest, yet most compelling Sunday evening show pairings imaginable. Oh, and Milwaukee’s Doubter are included, too!
The Tonic’s 14th Anniversary Party @ The Tonic Tavern
“Friends and fam, new and old, mark Sunday, July 16th in your calendars. We hope you’ll be able to swing by, even if only for a little while, to share in our celebration of The Tonic Tavern, the staff and of course our favorite… YOU! ( if you’re on the older side… don’t do the maths, keep enjoying your day) We’ve truly enjoyed every memory that you’ve been kind enough to make us a part of, and will be for every new one to come. (well there’s some memories we forgot about too…)”
Dead Tooth + Dino Gala; The Nile Club; Sex, Fear @ Club Garibaldi
Armenian Fest @ St. John The Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church
Milwaukee Makers Market @ Discovery World
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