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 June 10-16, 2019.
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Chill On The Hill: Zach Pietrini + Raine Stern, Dale Kellison
The concept of Bay View’s Tuesday-night Chill On The Hill is simple: laying out on a blanket and imbibing food and beverages brought from home (or purchased from a series of vendors on site) whilst enjoying a diverse bevy of homegrown talent. With a terrific 2019 lineup (Rose Of The West, Trapper Schoepp, Vincent Van Great, Buffalo Gospel, more), there’s bound to be something for most every taste.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12
New Kids On The Block + Salt-N-Pepa, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Naughty By Nature @ Fiserv Forum
Listen up everybody. If you wanna take a chance, just get on the floor and do the new kids’ dance. Yes, ’80s/’90s boy group juggernaut New Kids On The Block are playing Fiserv Forum. Salt-N-Pepa are playing too, along with Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, and Naughty By Nature. It’s part of this summer’s 53-city MixTape Tour, which sounds like one of those “I Love The ’80s” tours that comes through the State Fair every now and again, except better. Tiffany and Debbie Gibson!
Washington Park Wednesdays: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra @ Washington Park Bandshell
This free mid-week music series features a wide range of local acts performing under the gorgeous Washington Park bandshell. If the scenery alone isn’t worth the trip, this year’s downright awesome list of performers—Zed Kenzo, Immortal Girlfriend, Klassik, Ruth B8r Ginsburg, many more—certainly is.
The Coathangers + Fox Face, Usufruct, DJ Mombomb @ Cactus Club
Night Moves + Cabin Essence @ The Back Room @ Colectivo
NEWaukee Night Market @ West Wisconsin Avenue
THURSDAY, JUNE 13
Local H + In The Whale @ Shank Hall
Laverne and Shirley. Rum and Coke. Rick and Morty. Local H and Shank Hall.
The Lumineers + Josh Blue @ Pabst Theater
This intimate, recently announced Lumineers show is already sold out, in case you didn’t see that coming.
Mattiel + Moonwalks @ The Back Room @ Colectivo
FRIDAY, JUNE 14
Friday Nite Music: King Courteen @ Colectivo Lakefront Cafe
For a second year, Colectivo Coffee has asked Milwaukee Record to put together a free, weekly concert series called Friday Nite Music. Every—you guessed it!—Friday night, we bring you a different Wisconsin singer-songwriter or band outside Colectivo’s Lakefront Cafe from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. This week: King Courteen!
Middleditch & Schwartz @ Pabst Theater
Thomas Middleditch is the lead in HBO’s Silicon Valley, the ubiquitous pitchman for Verizon, and the star of blockbusters like Godzilla: King Of The Monsters and Replicas. Ben Schwartz is probably best-known for his work as Jean-Ralphio in Parks And Recreation, but the longtime character actor has also garnered acclaim for his role on House Of Pies Lies, his semi-frequent “Solo Bolo” appearances on the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast, his pair of humor books, and his voiceover work as Dewey on DuckTales and Sonic on the forthcoming Sonic The Hedgehog movie. Together, Middleditch & Schwartz are an unstoppable comic duo who use audience suggestions to craft a new hour-long improv show that’s wholly unique to each and every performance. Between the physicality, the rapidly changing roles, and the unexpected twists, it’s truly something to behold.
Scrimshaw + Jon Burks Band @ Circle-A Cafe
There’s no other Milwaukee band like Scrimshaw. Hell, there may be no other band anywhere like Scrimshaw. The delightfully weirdo art-rock band has been kicking it for more than a decade now, releasing album after album of warped lo-fi sketches and full-blown funk-tastic blowouts. Kitchen-sink instrumentation, chipmunk vocals, surrealistic lyrics, and a concept album sung from the perspective of a concerned Jewish grandmother are the norm.
Polish Fest @ Henry Maier Festival Park
Milwaukee has the fourth-largest Polish population in the U.S., so it’s no surprise that the annual Polish Fest bills itself as America’s largest. Traditional Polish cuisine and culture are on the menu for the 38th annual fest, along with polka, perogies, more polka, fireworks, somehow more polka, and beer.
Moustache Bride + Montrose Man, The Glacial Speed, The Cell Phones @ X-Ray Arcade
Cinema Hooligante: Eraserhead @ Oriental Theatre
SATURDAY, JUNE 15
Cinema Hooligante: Eraserhead @ Oriental Theatre
If you’ve been to the Milwaukee Film Festival in the past five years, you’ve probably encountered a peculiar set of films called Cinema Hooligante. This often bloody, disturbing, sick, subversive, and just plain fun program has been proudly sponsored by Milwaukee Record. Now, Cinema Hooligante has become a year-round affair, with Hooligante-tastic films screening at the Oriental Theatre every other Friday and Saturday. This week: David Lynch’s early masterpiece Eraserhead. Just in time for Father’s Day! (Also June 14.)
Dramatic Lovers + L’Resorts, The Quilz @ X-Ray Arcade
“I think, by default, this record reflects the entrance into our adult stage of life. The themes are simple and universal: love, loss, success, happiness, disappointment, and an overall acceptance of how and with who we’ve spent the first half of our lives,” Dramatic Lovers singer-guitarist William Seidel says of the band’s new You Talk Loud. “We aren’t trying to rewrite history with these songs, but rather, we want to honestly showcase how that history has influenced us as musicians and as people.”
Wisconsin Beer Lovers Festival @ Bayshore Town Center
If you’re looking to mix summer festivals, beer, food, and shopping at soon-to-be-redeveloped outdoor malls, then the Wisconsin Beer Lovers Festival is for you. Dozens upon dozens of Wisconsin breweries are pouring dozens upon dozens of samples to be paired with local food and cheeses again this year, all at the once-mighty Bayshore Town Center.
ONO + Credentials @ Cactus Club
Milwaukee Underwear Bike Ride 10-Year Anniversary @ Company Brewing
SUNDAY, JUNE 16
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit + Father John Misty, Jade Bird @ BMO Harris Pavilion
We’ve been fortunate to enjoy frequent visits from Jason Isbell lately, but he’s welcome (if not encouraged) to keep coming back to town whenever he wants. Less than a year removed from headlining a Summerfest outing at the BMO Harris Pavilion, Isbell and his 400 Unit return to the gorgeous space in a co-headlining capacity with Father John Misty.
Angie Swan @ The Jazz Estate
You may know Milwaukee guitarist Angie Swan from her live appearances with the one and only David Byrne. You may know Milwaukee guitarist Angie Swan from her frequent appearances at The Jazz Estate. You may know Milwaukee guitarist Angie Swan from the simple fact that’s she’s awesome. However you know her (or even if you don’t), tonight’s show is a sendoff as Swan heads out to New York City. Don’t miss it!