Our fat-free, dolphin-safe Milwaukee calendar is chock-full of things to do, but only a handful of events contained therein are worthy of the lofty honor of “Record Recommended” (patent pending). Here are our recommendations for the week of August 1-7.
Tuesday, August 2
Milwaukee Record Presents: Roast Of Milwaukee @ Club Garibaldi
Join us at Club Garibaldi on Tuesday, August 2 at 7:30 p.m. for an unconventional night of city-centered laughs. Brat Sounds will play before and after the roast. This time around, the comedian-heavy lineup will also include a few local movers and shakers from other mediums. The laughs won’t just be at the expense of Milwaukee. The $2 cover charge will be donated to a local charity. Patrons can also gain free entry with a non-perishable food donation or by showing their Milwaukee Comedy Festival pass.
Also: Chill On The Hill: The Cavewives + The Latchkeys, Girls Rock Milwaukee @ Humboldt Park
Siamese + Nightgown, Marielle Allschwang @ Company Brewing
Wednesday, August 3
Milwaukee Comedy Festival
Milwaukee Comedy Festival turned 10 last summer. Originating long before the city had anything even resembling a sustainable comedy community, the Matt Kemple-curated undertaking has grown and evolved in kind with Milwaukee’s humor scene. The days-long blend of stand-up, improv, and sketch comedy returns bigger, better, and with a more renowned headliner than ever in its 11th year. The festivities kick off with a Wednesday night showcase at Lakefront Brewery.
Also: Mark Sultan (BBQ) + The Pukes, High School Pizza @ Cactus Club
Thursday, August 4
Wisconsin State Fair @ Wisconsin State Fair Park (through Sunday, August 14)
You have to give the Wisconsin State Fair credit for its self-awareness. One doesn’t schlep out to ‘Stallis every August to catch cutting-edge bands, eat organic small plate cuisine, and witness especially evocative performance art. People go to the fair to eat cream puffs or random shit with an irresponsible amount of bacon on it, catch performers they faintly recall from a bygone era, and compete in livestock, textile, and horticultural contests. This year’s musical accompaniment includes the likes of Rascal Flatts, Berlin, and a “I Love The ’90s” show featuring Salt-N-Pepa, Color Me Badd, and Coolio.
Also: Ayre In The Square: Trapper Schoepp @ Catalano Square
Friday, August 5
L7 + Radkey @ The Rave
The story of ’90s “grunge” tends to get more and more simplified as the years go on, leaving out vital but non-Nirvana acts like L7. The hard rocking riot grrrl band tore shit up throughout the ’90s, releasing excellent albums like Bricks Are Heavy and Hungry For Stink, and occasionally throwing in-use tampons into the crowd. Reunited since 2014, L7 will make a rare Milwaukee appearance at the appropriately grungy Rave.
Also: White Lung + Greys @ Turner Hall
Scrimshaw + Seven Costanza @ Circle-A Cafe
Airo Kwil (video release) + DAD, Vincent VanGreat, Amanda Huff @ Company Brewing
Saturday, August 6
Center Street Daze @ Center Street
In 2014, stung by a few years of lousy late-summer/early-fall weather, the organizers of Center Street Daze decided to move their fest up to early August. The new date paid off, and what was once a bittersweet end-of-the-season blowout became a dog-days-of-summer celebration. The musical lineup for the 19th annual fest was just announced.
Also: Deerhoof + Blank Spell, The Blisters @ Mad Planet
A Billion Lives: North American Premiere @ Pabst Theater
Concert Cruise: Avenues @ Milwaukee Boat Line
Sunday, August 7
Jen Kirkman + Allison Dunne @ Turner Hall
With her New York Times best-selling book I Can Barely Take Care Of Myself: Tales From A Happy Life Without Kids, her self-flagellating Netflix special I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine), and her Drunk History cameos that are equally unforgettable and unflattering, comedian Jen Kirkman has fashioned a veritable cottage industry from uproariously funny acknowledgements of her own alleged shortcomings. Since delighting Turner Hall last September, Kirkman’s star has grown even more. A few months after the release of her latest book, I Know What I’m Doing—And Other Lies I Tell Myself, hear material that’s bound to wind up on her next special. Before Kirkman brings the show home, Milwaukee native Allison Dunne will return from Chicago to open the show.
Also: Tommy Stinson’s Cowboys In The Campfire @ Anodyne Walker’s Point
Jay Farrar (Trio): Songs Of Son Volt’s “Trace” @ Pabst Theater
Tapebenders + North By North, Faux Fiction, Midwest Death Rattle @ Cactus Club