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 November 28 – December 4, 2022.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29
The Smile + Robert Stillman @ The Riverside Theater
The Smile—a new band featuring Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, plus Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner—recently released its debut album, A Light For Attracting Attention. It’s great. The Smile—a new band featuring Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, plus Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner—has been on tour this year, and will finally play Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater tonight. Don’t miss this one.
Screen Queens: ‘Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes’ @ This Is It!
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Milwaukee Record Presents: ‘Batman & Robin’ @ Avalon Theater
Just a few years after Tim Burton reshaped the image of the caped crusader with Batman and Batman Returns, the Batman franchise went full camp again with a pair of Joel Schumacher films. We’re screening the second and most infamous of those Schumacher Batman films, 1997’s Batman & Robin, tonight at the Avalon Atmospheric Theater. Yep, this is the one with a vaguely embarrassed George Clooney as Batman, a vaguely returning Chris O’Donnell as Robin, an uncomfortable Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, a game Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and—last but not iced—a top-billed Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. (“YOU ARE NOT SENDING ME TO THE COOLER!”) Get your tickets HERE.
Midweek Music: Ian Olvera @ Crafty Cow Tosa
Midweek Music is back! Join us at Crafty Cow Tosa on Wednesday nights in October and November for a total of eight Midweek Music performances. There’s no cover for these all-ages shows, which run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. If a free weeknight show isn’t already great enough on its own, Crafty Cow Tosa will offer $4 Indeed Brewing Company pints. They’ll also have a “Cheap Date” special, which includes two entrees, an appetizer, and two drinks for just $39. This week: the fantastic, incomparable, and altogether swell Ian Olvera.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1
Punk House Kegger @ Burnhearts
While most Milwaukeeans know Burnhearts for its beloved annual Mitten Fest and Pabst Street Party celebrations—or, you know, for being on the short list of great local beer bars every day of the year—the Bay View corner tap also keeps busy with other, smaller-scale events spread throughout the year. Tonight, Burnhearts partners with Three Floyds Brewing Co. and War Pigs Brewing for the revival of the Punk House Kegger—the first Kegger since 2019. The event features a stacked punk-adjacent music lineup of Snag and Bug Moment performing in the bar’s back room.
Lakefront Brewery 35th Anniversary Party @ Wolski’s Tavern
Speaking of classic Milwaukee institutions, they don’t come much more classic than Lakefront Brewery. Celebrate the beloved brewery’s 35th (!) anniversary at Wolski’s, where there’ll be a 35th Anniversary 8% Doppelbock, an “OG Klisch Pilsner,” and plenty more vintage brews.
The English Beat @ Turner Hall Ballroom
David Huckfelt (The Pines) + Arum Rae, Chris Porterfield @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
Collections Of Colonies Of Bees + Rx Drugs, You Win !!! @ The Cooperage
After a few years of hibernation, Milwaukee’s Collections Of Colonies Of Bees have begun to make some noise. The celebrated and long-running post-rock group led by guitarist Chris Rosenau played this year’s Bay View Bash, the Seventh Stanine Festival at Cactus Club, and a recent installment of WMSE’s Local/Live. Set lists have featured songs from 2018’s excellent HAWAII, as well as new tunes that may appear in recorded form sometime in 2023. Tonight, CoCoBees (Rosenau, Marielle Allschwang, Ben Derickson, Matt Skemp, Dan Spack) are joined by equally fantastic local groups Rx Drugs and You Win !!!
Milwaukee Music Village Presents: Tigera + SeaSaw, Tae & The Neighborly @ Club Garibaldi
The members of earnest Milwaukee alt-pop outfit Tigera have more on their minds than just playing shows. Via their Milwaukee Music Village network, they’ve organized numerous concerts that have benefited the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Miracle League of Milwaukee, and more. Tonight, Tigera are joined by Madison’s SEASAW and Green Bay’s Tae & The Neighborly for a show that benefits Toys For Tots.
Conner O’Malley + Rachel Kaly @ Cactus Club (early and late shows)
If you forgot to get tickets to see Chicago comedian Conner O’Malley (I Think You Should Leave, Joe Pera Talks With You) at Milwaukee’s Cactus Club, well, you’re out of luck. Both the early and late shows are sold out.
Motel Breakfast + Sylmar @ The Back Room @ Colectivo
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince In Concert @ The Riverside Theater
Wildered + Zach Pietrini, Fressure Point @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3
Brown, Black & Brews: The 5th Ingredient @ Sugar Maple
Wisconsin’s first Brown and Black beer fest is the brainchild of Radio Milwaukee’s Tarik Moody. “The event is in response to the lack of Brown and Black breweries in Wisconsin,” reads a press release, “with the hope of inspiring our local population to get involved in craft brewing.” Participating brewers (from Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin) include 18th Street Brewery, Moors Brewing Company, Funkytown Brewery, Brewer’s Kitchen, Azadi Brewing, and Soul Brew Kombucha. Admission is only $10, and art and music will be provided by True Skool.
Festivus On Brady @ Brady Street
The “Festivus for the rest of us” returns to Brady Street for another Seinfeld-inspired blowout featuring feats of strength, airing of grievances, and more. WE GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH YOU PEOPLE, AND NOW YOU’RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT IT!
Eric Blowtorch And The Bodyguards (record release) @ Lilliput Records
Brave You (record release) + Rust Ring, The Stinkeyes, Mulva @ Cactus Club
The Last Revel + Long Mama @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band @ The Back Room @ Colectivo
Home Safe + A Will Away, Valleyheart, Clementine, Static Palms @ X-Ray Arcade
BLACK COW: A Steely Dan Revue @ Company Brewing
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince In Concert @ The Riverside Theater
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4
Milwaukee Record Halftime Series: dREW @ Cactus Club
Our Milwaukee Record Halftime Show series has returned! This season, we’ve assembled a stacked roster of 16 performers that will provide FREE entertainment during halftime of Green Bay football games. Miller High Life, Miller Lite, and Rehorst Vodka Bloody Marys will be on special. Meanwhile, Awkward Nerd Events will occasionally pop by for giveaways to their upcoming events and other fun complements to the in-game/on-stage action. There will also be touchdown shots (both regular and N/A)! This week’s halftime performance comes courtesy of Milwaukee music veteran (and former Sugar Stems guitarist) Drew Fredrichsen.
Milwaukee Krampusnacht @ Brewery District
Since 2017, Milwaukee Krampusnacht has celebrated the half-goat/half-demon Krampus—a.k.a. a figure from Alpine folklore who punishes naughty children and acts as a foil to the do-gooding Saint Nicholas—with a family-friendly night of costumes, music, food and drink, and arts and crafts. This year’s shindig is set for the Brewery District (between 9th and 11th Streets on Juneau Avenue), from 3-9 p.m. Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery will be home to the Krampus Holiday Market and other activities. On Tap at The Brewhouse Inn & Suites will host the Krampusland Party Patio. Central Waters Brewing will have plenty of Krampus-themed food and drink. Music from The Squeezettes and Xposed 4heads, as well as other goodies will also be involved.
WMSE’s Big Band Grandstand @ Turner Hall Ballroom
It’s impossible to single out just one show on WMSE 91.7 FM and call it the station’s “best.” But if you had to assemble, say, a top 5, Dewey Gill’s Big Band Program (Sundays, 9 a.m. – noon) would certainly be up there. Since the 1981 beginnings of WMSE, Gill has been taking listeners back to the era of big band swing and jazz, roughly covering the years between 1920 and 1950. Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, and Cab Calloway are just a few of the legendary, long-gone players that Gill bestows with rare radio time. Now in its eighth year, the Big Band Grandstand brings Gill’s show to life with music (provided this time around by the “Swedish Queen of Swing” Gunhild Carling) and a silent auction.
Hover Craft @ Pritzlaff Building
Hover Craft has brought skilled local artists, crafters, retailers, and others residing beneath the broad “maker” umbrella together under one roof since 2009. This year, more than 110 vendors will partake in the festivities. Admission—which includes timed ticketing for easier shopping this year—is $5. Kids get in free. Check out the full vendor list HERE.
The LOL + Adorner, crimesXnature, Delicious Monsters, Moustache Bride, Steph Lippert Project @ Club Garibaldi
This stacked local bill isn’t just another Sunday afternoon show—it’s a benefit for Courage MKE, a homegrown organization that “provides shelter and support for LGBTQ+ kids who have been rejected and cast out by their families.” The suggested donation at the door is $10.
Gold Steps + Fluorescents, Rat Bath, Tiny Voices @ X-Ray Arcade
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince In Concert @ The Riverside Theater
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