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 October 18-24, 2021.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 18
Game Night! Presented By Awkward Nerd Events @ Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery
Do you like games? Like, games of the Settlers of Catan and Terraforming Mars variety? Then drop by Best Place Monday at 5 p.m. for a night stuffed with dozens of table-top games, snacks, and beverages. All courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Awkward Nerd Events!
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets @ Fiserv Forum
Hey! Your world champion Milwaukee Bucks are back! AHHH!!! Tonight’s 2021-22 season opener against the Brooklyn Nets will feature a Ring Ceremony and Banner Unveil prior to tipoff. Oh, and expect plenty of action outside Fiserv Forum in the Deer District. BUCKS!!!
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20
Milwaukee Record Presents: ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ @ Avalon Atmospheric Theater
Before Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino teamed up for the self-conscious 2007 double-feature Grindhouse, they just went ahead and made an honest-to-goodness grindhouse film. Yes, 1997’s From Dusk Till Dawn (directed by Rodriguez, written by Tarantino) is a grindhouse film through and through: violent, vulgar, ridiculous. And, oddly enough, it’s practically two films in one. George Clooney and Tarantino play the villainous Gecko brothers, Harvey Keitel and Juliette Lewis play a kidnapped father and daughter, Salma Hayek has a scene, and we’re screening From Dusk Till Dawn at the Avalon Atmospheric Theater on Wednesday, October 20. Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are $11 and are on sale NOW.
Midweek Music: The MilBillies @ Crafty Cow Tosa
This fall, Milwaukee Record is bringing live music to the new Crafty Cow Tosa (6519 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa). The weekly concert series, called “Midweek Music,” features a total of eight Wednesday night performances from an eclectic array of local artists. There is no cover for these all-ages shows, which run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. And if a free weeknight show isn’t already great enough on its own, Crafty Cow Tosa is offering $2 Indeed Brewing Company pints. Crafty Cow will also have a “Cheap Date” special, which includes two entrees, an appetizer, and two drinks for just $29. Tonight’s installment features some Brew City bluegrass from The MilBillies.
Ex Fabula: “The Unknown” StorySlam @ Sugar Maple
Mr. Nice Guy Presents: Rat Bath + Audible Kink, Nate John Herlache, Maybe Hazel @ Cactus Club
Marshall Crenshaw + Louie Luchesi & Mike Benign @ Shank Hall
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21
Blood Bash: Valerie Lighthart (EP release) + You Win !!!, LaFond, DJ Shawna @ The Cooperage
Blood! Bash! This Halloween-adjacent affair will double as “a spooky celebration” for Valerie Lighthart’s new EP, Part II: The Witch. Lighthart will be joined on this scary-good bill by You Win !!!, LaFond, and DJ Shawna. In addition to the music, Blood Bash will feature on-site vendors like Astral by Zed, Funk 2 Fashion by Kyn, and Vedic Botanicals. There will be tarot readings by Tarot D’Amore and a photo booth courtesy of Carnegie Imagery. Costumes are encouraged.
Widespread Panic @ Riverside Theater (Night 1)
The world may be upside-down and everything may be awful, but you can always depend on a few things: death, taxes, and legendary Athens jam band Widespread Panic selling out Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater over multiple dates. If you can manage to score tickets (they’re currently sold out, but you know how these things go), you can catch the group at one of four shows from October 21-24.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22
Violent Femmes + Flogging Molly, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, Thick @ Miller High Life Theatre
It’s another homecoming show for Violent Femmes! Joining Milwaukee’s favorite musical sons on this Miller High Life Theatre bill are Flogging Molly, Me First And The Gimme Gimmies, and Thick. Founding drummer Victor DeLorenzo isn’t with the band these days (John Sparrow currently handles the drums and Weber grills), however…
Nineteen Thirteen (two sets) @ The Jazz Estate
Founding Violent Femmes drummer Victor DeLorenzo and cellist Janet Schiff will officially reopen The Jazz Estate with two sets from their long-running group, Nineteen Thirteen. It’s a group that’s more normal than its two-person lineup suggests, and one that’s much, much weirder. On one hand, DeLorenzo and Schiff produce surprisingly accessible music, especially considering the musicians play the drums and a 100-year-old cello, respectively. On the other hand, Schiff’s cello is often processed through a dizzying array of effects pedals, DeLorenzo’s occasional cool-cat vocals seem beamed in from another dimension, and the overall effect is akin to listening to a band crash the Roadhouse from Twin Peaks. It’s familiar, but it’s also slightly off-center.
Bob Saget + Mike Young @ Milwaukee Improv (7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. shows)
While most probably know him as Full House‘s cleanly dad Danny Tanner or as the wholesome host of America’s Funniest Home Videos, Bob Saget has actually enjoyed a 35-plus-year career as a stand-up comedian—and quite a dirty one at that. If you wish to see the sitcom dad you grew up watching in an entirely different way, you got it dude! Saget will stop by the Brookfield-based Milwaukee Improv on October 22 and October 23 for a total of four comedy shows.
William Elliott Whitmore + The Creek Rocks @ The Back Room @ Colectivo
What needs to be said about William Elliott Whitmore at this point? Over the course of an impressive career that’s spanned more than two decades, the Iowa-born folk legend has performed all around the world, shared the stage with an abundance of renowned musicians, and released eight outstanding albums. After an extended break, Whitmore is finally able to bring his quality catalog and incomparable voice to The Back Room @ Colectivo.
Todd Barry @ Shank Hall
For more than 30 years—beginning long before the term “alternative comedy” was in circulation—Todd Barry has managed to stand out in the world of stand-up with his dry, sardonic witticisms delivered in his patented soft-spoken style. In an industry that currently finds an army of his comedic contemporaries spouting labored material under the guise of an on-stage persona, Barry thrives with his uncanny ability to cultivate humor from the minutiae of everyday existence.
¡MAYDAY! + 1Ton, Guerrilla Ghost, Taiyamo Denku @ X-Ray Arcade
Gabriel Sanchez Presents The Prince Experience @ Potawatomi Hotel & Casino
Widespread Panic @ Riverside Theater (Night 2)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23
The Copyrights (record release) + The Eradicator, Telethon @ X-Ray Arcade
Over the course of The Copyrights’ 20-year run, the Carbondale, Illinois-based band has toured all over the U.S. and Europe, shared the stage with some of punk rock’s biggest names, and put out six albums (in addition to a number of other EPs and splits). Following a seven-year gap between records, The Copyrights will release their long-awaited (and tremendous!) new album, Alone In A Dome, on Fat Wreck Chords. With an outstanding new full-length on the way, the band is going back on the road. Thankfully, X-Ray Arcade will be one of the stops on that limited tour. Immerse yourself in the new album when it comes out October 22, then make your way to Cudahy to see The Copyrights the following night.
Harvest Festival @ Milwaukee Public Market
Thought this year’s glut of autumn festivals was over? THINK AGAIN. On Saturday, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., the Milwaukee Public Market will host its very own Harvest Festival. The fun will take place across the street from the Market—you know, where those pickleball courts are. Expect food trucks, apple cider tastings, pumpkin bowling, and a scavenger hunt. And it’s free!
Frugal Stu + Joshua Powell, LO/ST @ Bremen Cafe
Widespread Panic @ Riverside Theater (Night 3)
Bob Saget + Mike Young @ Milwaukee Improv (7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. shows)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24
Milwaukee Record Halftime Show: BLOOD @ Cactus Club
After a season away, the Milwaukee Record Halftime Show series has returned! This season, we’ve assembled a stacked roster of 17 performers that will provide FREE all-ages entertainment during halftime of Green Bay football games. Like previous seasons, our friends at Miller High Life will sponsor our football-focused festivities, meaning fans can enjoy “The Champagne Of Beers” and Miller Lite for $2.50 a bottle or $10 for a bucket of five beers all game long. This week, Milwaukee goth-rock project BLOOD will treat Cactus Club to a halftime performance.
Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood Of Whose Line Is It Anyway? @ Pabst Theater