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 March 6-12, 2023.
TUESDAY, MARCH 7
Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band @ Fiserv Forum
Clear your schedule (and your bank account)! It’s Bruce Springsteen! Live! BRUUUUUUUCE!
WMSE’s Local/Live: Versio Curs @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
Looking for a Bruce pre-party that won’t break the bank? Of course you are. Then check out this FREE and sure-to-be-fantastic live broadcast of WMSE’s Local/Live, featuring top-shelf Milwaukee indie-rock group Versio Curs.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8
Argopelter + Caley Conway @ Boone & Crockett
Argopelter is an improvised experimental trio composed of Barry Paul Clark (bass), Devin Drobka (drums), and Christopher Porterfield (guitar). The group’s frequent residencies at Boone & Crockett are always appointment viewing/listening, especially when coupled with incomparable singer-songwriter Caley Conway. The musicians’ spring residency kicks off tonight, with shows on April 1 and May 10 to follow.
Ben Harold & The Rising @ Crafty Cow Tosa
Matt Nathanson + Stephen Kellogg @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Mr. Nice Guy Presents Vol. 13: HUMID + North Warren, Holy Pinto, Pop Rock Suckers @ Cactus Club
Venturer + Pullstring, Socially Suspect @ Bremen Cafe
THURSDAY, MARCH 9
NATL PARK SRVC + Latchkey Kids, Clementine, Handmade Wolves @ X-Ray Arcade
“The Dance, NATL PARK SRVC’s debut album, is more than just an escape—it’s a culmination. Every teenage emotion that felt too big to be real comes swirling together across ten tracks of dynamic indie rock. The Minneapolis, MN group epitomizes these experiences in a way that is familiar yet intimate.”
FRIDAY, MARCH 10
William Shatner @ The Pabst Theater
Following a screening of the forever awesome Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (“Here it comes…”), Star Trek legend, Boston Legal star, and Hupy and Abraham spokesperson William Shatner will be on hand “to share fascinating and humorous behind-the-scenes stories from his storied career, including answering audience questions.” Get your tickets…right now.
Astral Hand (record release) + Dead Feathers, BLOOD @ Cactus Club
Like a signal traveling through the unfathomable vastness of space, it’s been a long journey for Astral Hand. The heavy cosmic-psych band emerged from the shadow of another Milwaukee band (Calliope) way back in 2019. The rebranded outfit released a handful of tentative singles, but plans for a full-length album were put on hold due to the pandemic and other nefarious interstellar forces. But now—finally!—Astral Hand is set to celebrate the release of that debut record, the 8-track Lords Of Data.
Katt Williams @ Miller High Life Theatre
Last spring, comedy legend Katt Williams performed at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Roughly a year later, he’ll take his decades’ worth of on-stage experience around the corner to nearby Miller High Life Theatre as part of his “2023 And Me” tour.
X-Ray Arcade Four Year Anniversary & Grand Reopening Party @ X-Ray Arcade
“We opened four years ago and then just a couple months ago we ripped our bar apart. Now we’re putting everything back together and we are ready to PARTY. Come join us and put it to the test!”
Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts @ Shank Hall
Hailing from Rockford, Illinois, Miles Nielsen and company are no strangers to Wisconsin. They play here often, and their roots-y, shit-kicking rock ‘n’ roll is always a pleasure to experience live.
HOOPS @ Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (through April 2)
Powerwagon + Certain Stars @ Circle-A
Hanna Simone + Moonglow, Yonder @ Company Brewing
Midwest Music Showcase #6: MD McNally + Lakewaves, As Oak @ The Cooperage
SATURDAY, MARCH 11
55th Shamrock Club Of Wisconsin St. Patrick’s Day Parade @ Downtown Milwaukee
“The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin and Westown Association are excited to announce the 55th Shamrock Club of Wisconsin St. Patrick’s Day Parade returns to downtown Milwaukee on Saturday, March 11 at noon. Presented by Miller Lite, the Parade steps off at North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and West Wisconsin Avenue ending at Water Street and Highland Avenue.”
Drive-By Truckers + Margo Cilker @ The Pabst Theater
“On the title track to Welcome 2 Club XIII, Drive-By Truckers pay homage to the Muscle Shoals honky-tonk where founding members Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley got their start: a concrete-floored dive lit like a disco, with the nightly promise of penny beer and truly dubious cover bands. Featuring background vocals from the likes of Margo Price, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, and Mississippi-bred singer/songwriter Schaefer Llana, Welcome 2 Club XIII was recorded live with most songs cut in one or two takes, fully harnessing the band’s freewheeling energy.”
The Dollyrots + The Von Tramps, Gold Steps, The Stinkeyes @ X-Ray Arcade
The Dollyrots have released more than a dozen albums and EPs, played all over the world, performed with countless punk and rock and roll mainstays, and had their music featured on television shows and in films. Just shy of a year after playing X-Ray Arcade, the veteran pop-punkers return to Cudahy for a stop on the “Hey Girl 2023 Tour” with special guests The Von Tramps, Gold Steps, and The Stinkeyes.
Dropkick Murphys (Admirals Post-Game Concert) @ UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena
If you haven’t made it to an Admirals game this season, you should probably change that on March 11. After our Ads and the Tucson Roadrunners are done using the ice, Dropkick Murphys will play a post-game concert in the arena as part of the long-running Celtic punk project’s ongoing St. Patrick’s Day” tour.
Blight Record Project #1 (release/listening party) @ Muza Church
Dogs At Large + Caley Conway, Rainbow Cobra @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Lost Orange Cat (record release) + Wise Jennings, HOSTS (solo) @ The Cooperage
Faded Places + North Warren @ High Dive
Kelsea Ballerini + Georgia Webster @ The Rave/Eagles Ballroom
Carlie Hanson + Halo Boy @ The Back Room @ Colectivo
SUNDAY, MARCH 12
Rat Bath + Pescatarian at Best, PinkSqueeze, flowers*, bdwthr @ Cactus Club
Rat Bath has been scampering around the Milwaukee music scene since 2019, specializing in what the band calls “spooky country core.” That sound is certainly on display throughout the group’s 2022 debut LP, Rat From Hell. The 11-track record careens between noisy, full-barrel cow punk and chaotic, witchy hardcore, with everything in between. Opener “The Tale Of Dead Ol’ Fred” establishes the record’s epic narrative (a battle between a witch and a demon, natch), while “Bone Eater” slices the air with Pixies-esque guitars. Rat From Hell‘s quieter moments are among its best, especially the dreamy and sad “At Least You”re Lonely Too.” This early, all-ages show is a benefit for Butterfly Collective, a “social outreach platform for the QTPOC community in Milwaukee.”
Gaelic Storm + The High Kings @ The Pabst Theater
Sunday Matinee: The Best Westerns @ The Tonic Tavern
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