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 3-9, 2019.
TUESDAY, JUNE 4
Songs & Stories with Art Alexakis + Chris Collingwood, Max Collins, and John Wozniak @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Everclear frontman Art Alexakis is joined by Chris Collingwood (of Fountains Of Wayne), Max Collins (Eve 6), and John Wozniak (Marcy Playground) for an intimate night of acoustic tunes in the form of the Songs & Stories tour. Hear stripped-down and personal renditions of your favorite songs from the ’90s and early aughts, with a few tales sure to be intertwined into the evening as well.
Chill On The Hill: Telethon + Mortgage Freeman, Bum Alum, Bay View High School Drum Line @ Humboldt Park
The concept of Bay View’s mid-week 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.
B~Free + Quinten Farr Duo @ The Jazz Estate
Sweet Spirit + Seasaw, The Mighty Deerlick @ The Cooperage
The Whiffs + Fire Heads, BBYS, Bad Wig @ Cactus Club
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
Insane Clown Posse + Mushroomhead, DJ Paul, Rittz, Mac Lethal, Ouija Macc, Kissing Candice @ Miramar Theatre
It’s hard to believe now, but there was a moment when the most outrageous thing in pop culture was a song in which two rapping clowns from Detroit questioned the inner workings of magnets. “Fucking magnets, how do they work?” asked the Insane Clown Posse in 2010’s instantly infamous “Miracles.” We may never know how magnets work (or solar eclipses, vicious weather, and 15,000 Juggalos together), but we’d sure love to go back to a time when the question was the only thing occupying our minds.
Ani DiFranco + Diane Patterson @ Pabst Theater
THURSDAY, JUNE 6
Cheers To Milwaukee: Violent Femmes @ Riverside Theater
Hey! Violent Femmes will headline the third annual “Cheers to Milwaukee” show at Riverside Theater! Hosted by Miller Brewing and Riverside Theater, the show is absolutely FREE! You hear that? FREE! Along with Violent Femmes, guests will also enjoy “a great beer lineup at the venue and a complimentary ticket to Summerfest”! Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.! And unlike past “Cheers to Milwaukee” shows, the headliner isn’t a secret! (That band again: Violent Femmes.) You’ll need to be 21 or over to attend the FREE show. Oh, and you’ll need a ticket.
PrideFest Milwaukee @ Henry Maier Festival Park
What better way to (officially) kick off Milwaukee’s big-time festival season than with PrideFest Milwaukee? Not only is the LGBTQ celebration the first real-deal summer festival of the season to set up shop on the lakefront, it’s one of the best. Last year, PrideFest broke attendance records by drawing in 45,400 visitors. (Through June 9.)
Triple Eye Industries Fest IV @ Club Garibaldi
In just under four years, Triple Eye Industries has filled a “rock”-sized void in the Milwaukee music scene. Its roster of releases is as impressive as it is loud: Volunteer, Northless, Hot Coffin, and Soup Moat have all released records on Triple Eye. This year’s fest is a big one, and features three nights of shows at Club Garibaldi preceded by two nights of shows at Chicago’s Burlington Bar.(Through June 8.)
Movies Under The Knife: People Toys (1974) vs. Little Shop Of Horrors (1960) @ X-Ray Arcade
Rhett Miller + Anthony D’amato @ The Back Room @ Colectivo
U.S. Girls + Mourning [A] BLKstar @ Cactus Club
FRIDAY, JUNE 7
Friday Nite Music: Myles Coyne @ Colectivo Lakefront Cafe
After a successful first summer installment in 2018, Colectivo has once again called on Milwaukee Record to put together the 2019 edition of “Friday Nite Music.” Every Friday night in June, July, and August, we’ll bring you a different Wisconsin singer-songwriter or band outside Colectivo’s Lakefront Cafe from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The free, all-ages concert series will begin with a June 7 performance by Myles Coyne, and will continue each and every Friday until the August 30 finale with Daydream Retrievers singer Ian Olvera. Along the way, you’ll have an opportunity to hear a stripped-down acoustic set by Tigernite, and performances by B~Free and Quinten Farr, Nickel & Rose, Mark Waldoch, and more.
Negative/Positive + Fox Face, The Lovebugs @ Riverwest Public House
Matthew Davies (record release) @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
SATURDAY, JUNE 8
Vampire Weekend @ BMO Harris Pavilion
Do people still get bent out of shape about Vampire Weekend? Like, 8,000-word-think-piece-that-reveals-more-about-the-author-than-it-does-the-band bent out of shape? Weird. Anyway, Vampire Weekend’s new album, Father Of The Bride, is really good! Enjoy it!
CrusherFest @ South Milwaukee
South Milwaukee native Reggie “Da Crusher” Lisowski died in 2005, but his wrestling legacy lives on at CrusherFest. Two days of food, polka, and beer accompany the unveiling of a full-sized bronze statue of “Da Crusher” on the corner of 11th and Milwaukee in South Milwaukee. (Through June 9.)
Milwaukee Firkin Beer Fest @ Cathedral Square Park
Already a place where beer is celebrated and enjoyed all year long, Milwaukee also holds specific celebrations for the region’s preferred beverage. Firkin Beer Fest features unlimited samples from more than 150 local and national craft breweries and over 40 cask ales, as well as food and live music.
SUNDAY, JUNE 9
Locust Street Festival Of Music And Art @ Locust Street
Returning for its 43rd (!) year, the annual Locust Street shindig is one of the city’s best street fests, celebrating all that is good, right, and drum circle-y in Riverwest. The ever-popular 1.8-mile Beer Run kicks things off at 11:30 a.m., followed by eight hours of music, food, drinks, crafts, and stellar people-watching.
Tonic Tavern 10th Anniversary: Cashfire Sunset + Dramatic Lovers, Chief, Steve, Rx Drugs, Long Line Riders, Negative/Positive, Third Coast Blues, Justin Witte @ Tonic Tavern
Bay View’s Tonic Tavern celebrates 10 years in business with 10 musical acts playing over the span of 10 hours. The 10th Anniversary Party features food and drink specials, along with free tunes on the patio from the likes of Cashfire Sunset, Dramatic Lovers, Rx Drugs, Long Line Riders, Negative/Positive, and more.
Craig Finn And The Uptown Controllers + Laura Stevenson @ The Back Room @ Colectivo