Milwaukee and its surrounding suburbs have an unmatched number of summertime celebrations. Are there festivals happening every weekend between mid-May and early October? Check! A bounty of block parties and recurring weekly music happenings? Yep! Fairs, art walks, and beer-related events? You know it! Adding to the ever-growing list of Milwaukee-area summer festivals are two upcoming events that will highlight very specific musical sub-genres. Oh, and they’re both taking place at the same venue and will happen before the end of June.
On Saturday, June 21, X-Ray Arcade in nearby Cudahy will host the fourth annual Milwaukee Hardcore Summer Jam. From noon to 11 p.m., the venue will feature some of the city’s finest hardcore acts, as well as hardcore punk and “mosh metal” projects from all around the Midwest. A $44.12 ticket ($35 plus fees) will get give you an opportunity to see the likes of Spine, World I Hate, The Sissy Boys, Bootcamp, Basic Needs, What Counts, Contempt, Intrusive Thought, XablazeX, Jagged, Sense Of Self, Twisted Truth, See No Evil, All Life Gone, and Sex Scenes. Tickets also include free BBQ and entry to the MKHC Market.
A week later, X-Ray Arcade will host a brand new festival that aims to celebrate all things shoegaze. The inaugural Gaze At Tha Moon will bring a total of 10 acts to Cudahy from 1-11 p.m. on Saturday, June 28. The lineup blends local outfits like Mizzy, Standstill, and Human Ant Farm with noted shoegaze acts from New Jersey, Colorado, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Tennessee.
For $25 (plus fees) in advance or $30 at the door, Gaze At Tha Moon attendees can catch sets by the likes of All Under Heaven, Sign Language, Interlay, Mourning Star, Precocious Neophyte, Mizzy, Dogs Run Free, Pressure Heaven, Standstill, and Human Ant Farm.
And if you need yet another ambitious music festival that’s happening at X-Ray Arcade this summer, allow us to remind you about the Dirtnap 25 Festival that’s scheduled to come to Cudahy August 29-31.