Our fat-free, dolphin-safe Milwaukee events calendar 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 for July 25-31, 2022.

MONDAY, JULY 25

Cheekface + Bad Moves, Paper Holland @ Cactus Club
Any band that covers They Might Be Giants’ “Ana Ng” is top-notch in our book. And Cheekface’s original material—including the 13 tracks on 2019’s Therapy Island—is equally delightful, inspired by artists like Wire, Jonathan Richman, and Lou Reed. Oh, and TMBG!

TUESDAY, JULY 26

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq The World 2022 Tour @ The Riverside Theater
The official RuPaul’s Drag Race world tour returns to Milwaukee with an all new production and a stacked lineup of memorable cast members culled from previous seasons. Just some of the queens you can expect to see taking part in this “Werq The World” tour stop include Kameron Michaels, Rose, Vanessa Vanjie, current All-Stars cast member Yvie Oddly, and all four finalists from Season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race (hell yeah, Lady Camden!).

Chill On The Hill: Moonglow + El Sebas @ Humboldt Park
Chill On The Hill’s 17th season—which kicked off June 7—features a total of 13 weeks worth of free, family-friendly entertainment. Like last year, Chill has expanded its footprint by designating the space between the band chalet and the Vine Beer Garden for show-goers. The ever-popular concert series continues its 2022 season with a performance by jammy Milwaukee band Moonglow and El Sebas of Browns Crew. Go find your lawn chairs, break out your comfiest blanket, and put some beverages in the cooler.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27

Milwaukee Record Presents: ‘A League Of Their Own’ (1992) @ Avalon Atmospheric Theater
A League Of Their Own follows the Rockford Peaches, a real-life team that played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during World War II. Led by star catcher Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and disgruntled former big leaguer-turned-manager Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks), the Peaches travel the Midwest as they take on the likes of the Racine Belles, Kenosha Comets, and South Bend Blue Sox. Joining that dominant battery of leading actors is an All-Star supporting cast that consists of Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Jon Lovitz, Bill Pullman, and many more. Get your tickets HERE.

Tosa Tonight: Kat And The Hurricane + Louie & The Flashbombs @ Hart Park
Since 2000, the Tosa Tonight summer concert series has brought free and family-friendly live music to Rotary Performance Pavilion in Wauwatosa’s Hart Park. Following a pandemic-prompted hiatus in 2020, the series returned with eight concerts in the summer of 2021. Thankfully, Tosa Tonight is back again in full force this summer. The series continues tonight with performances from Kat And The Hurricane and Louie & The Flashbombs.

THURSDAY, JULY 28

Milwaukee Minute Arcade @ The Cooperage
Organized by Milwaukee musician and retro game developer Jordan Davis, Milwaukee Minute Arcade is set to give interested folks a chance to play new and in-progress local indie video games (both modern and retro), check out various VR games and board games, and get a bite to eat at a few food trucks. Above all, the free, all-ages pop-up aims to provide a venue for seasoned game developers to hang out and swap ideas, and for newbies to get a taste of the action and learn the ropes.

Roger Waters: This Is Not A Drill @ Fiserv Forum
We’re just gonna let the man himself explain this one: “This Is Not A Drill is a ground-breaking new rock and roll/cinematic extravaganza, performed in the round. It is a stunning indictment of the corporate dystopia in which we all struggle to survive, and a call to action to LOVE, PROTECT and SHARE our precious and precarious planet home. The show includes a dozen great songs from PINK FLOYD’S GOLDEN ERA alongside several new ones, words and music, same writer, same heart, same soul, same man. Could be his last hurrah. Wow! My first farewell tour! Don’t miss it. Love R.”

Third Space Presents: Lost Orange Cat @ Third Space Brewing
Every Thursday through September 15, “Third Space Presents” brings a different musical act to the Menomonee Valley brewery’s new and improved outdoor patio. In addition to the concert (which runs from 6-8 p.m., including an intermission) and plenty of award-winning local beer on site, Triciclo Peru is always on hand to serve empanadas and other Peruvian goodies out of its food truck. Tonight’s installment features music from local “folk ‘n’ roll” group Lost Orange Cat.

FRIDAY, JULY 29

Riverwest 24 @ Riverwest (through July 30)
The Riverwest 24 can seem like an overwhelming experience. It is a 24-hour bike race, after all. But the so-called “People’s Holiday” is much more than just a bicycling competition. It offers an opportunity to see the neighborhood like never before, and it essentially forces participants to work together to help out the community. It’s also the best party of the summer. Be there!

German Fest @ Henry Maier Festival Park (through July 31)
Milwaukee’s German roots are undeniable, as the area was a major landing point for German immigrants in the late 1800s. After two pandemic years off, German Fest—or “Milwaukee’s original haus party”—returns this weekend for its 40th anniversary. Expect music, sheepshead, brats and beer, and fireworks on Friday and Saturday nights.

Pictures Of Me: An Evening In Tribute To The Music Of Elliott Smith @ Cactus Club
Organized by Sahan Jayasuriya, this Elliott Smith tribute show boasts an incredible, local-focused lineup. Apollo Vermouth, Crawlspace, Chris DeMay, members of Disq, Graham Hunt and Arielle Smith, Julia Blair, Long Mama, Brady Murphy, So Zuppy, Start Depart, and Stephen Strupp (phew) will all perform songs from Smith. All proceeds will go to Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Boat Line Concert Cruise: Hot And Dirty Brass Band @ Milwaukee Boat Line
Every Friday night between early June and the end of August, a variety of Wisconsin bands board the Vista King to perform on the lake vessel’s poop deck while the beer and pre-mixed margaritas flow liberally from 9-11 p.m. Milwaukee Boat Line’s Concert Cruise series continues this week with a performance from the one and only Hot And Dirty Brass Band.

D.L. Hughley @ Milwaukee Improv (7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. shows)
The Hughley Show namesake, one of the “Original Kings Of Comedy,” and veteran stand-up D.L. Hughley returns to the Milwaukee Improv, which he helped break in last September, when he performs five shows in Brookfield-based club July 29-31.

Psychedelic Furs + X @ The Riverside Theater

Pinegrove @ Turner Hall Ballroom

SATURDAY, JULY 30

Brady Street Festival @ Brady Street
Following two pandemic-prompted summers off in 2020 and 2021, Brady Street Festival returns to take over nine blocks of Brady Street. The list of performers includes a wide range of local projects, including GGOOLLDD, Vincent Van Great with special guest Amanda Huff, Paper Holland, De La Buena, Black Challenger, Holy Pinto, NilexNile, Evan Christian, and many more. Beyond the musical acts, Brady Street Festival will also feature performances by the Casa Belly Dancers, a BMX stunt team, a Rumble Pro Wrestling ring, a climbing wall, a Brady Street Babes drag show, and even “Dog Yoga” led by Jessica Hope.

Weird Fest Block Party @ MobCraft Beer
MobCraft Beer celebrates its 9th anniversary and its 6th year in Milwaukee with its 4th annual “Weird Fest Block Party.” From noon to 10:30 p.m., attendees can “get weird” by taking in a Mondo Lucha! performance, enjoying live music from Spare Change Trio and Ethan Keller Band, watching belly dancing and fire dancing demonstrations, browsing goods from a variety of local makers, drinking specialty beers from MobCraft, and partaking in food from area establishments.

Seventh Stanine Festival @ Cactus Club
Founded by members of The Caribbean and the NPR-distributed “Essential Tremors” podcast, Seventh Stanine Festival has been going strong in the nation’s capital since 2017 (excluding 2020, of course). In addition to this year’s D.C. fest in June, organizers made the decision to host a second 2022 installment here in Milwaukee. The lineup features The Caribbean, as well as 13 other projects that hail from all over the country and various corners of the sonic spectrum. However, the festival will be anchored by a handful of Wisconsin-based performers, including Tom Wincek, Group Of The Altos, All Tiny Creatures, and headliner Collections Of Colonies Of Bees.

Milwaukee Brewfest @ McKinley Park
Celebrating its 12th anniversary in 2022, Milwaukee Brewfest offers hopheads an opportunity to enjoy unlimited samples from more than 100 craft breweries over the course of one summer afternoon. ‘Nuff said.

Rock Party Block Party @ Puddler’s Hall
Puddler Hall’s 2nd annual block party will have it all: music, pizza, tacos, DJ Dick Satan, the Punk Rock Rummage Sale, and six bands on a flatbed truck. Those bands: Hello Face, Lack Of Reason, The Mod Violets, The Grovelers, Two And A Half Stars, and Bright Eyed And Blind.

Taking The City By Storm: The Birth Of The Milwaukee Punk Scene Preview Party @ Shank Hall

Gigs 4 Good: Professor Pinkerton @ The Tonic Tavern

D.L. Hughley @ Milwaukee Improv (6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. shows)

SUNDAY, JULY 31

Zach Pietrini Band + The Matt Woods Band @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
In 2018, while trying to make sense of an increasingly confusing world around him, Zach Pietrini wrote a ton of songs. With a songbook bursting with new material written since 2017’s Holding Onto Ghosts, the Milwaukee singer-songwriter took a listener up on a generous offer to record in their Colorado studio. The product of that out-of-town artistic endeavor was Denver Sessions. The high-caliber LP perfectly capture Pietrini’s songwriting chops and the musical prowess of his backing band as they work through songs with themes that range from scraping by, dealing with depression, working through love and tough times, and holding onto hope.

D.L. Hughley @ Milwaukee Improv

Exclusive articles, podcasts, and more. Support Milwaukee Record on Patreon.