Milwaukee’s concert scene has a lot going on, so we look at the shows coming up to find the ones you’ll look back on and be glad you went. Then we add them to our weekly Milwaukee Concert Picks.
The week leading up to Labor Day weekend is one of the last gasps of the summer months, so it makes sense that things operate at less of a brisk clip. Across town, weekly local concert series start winding down, weekend festivals dwindle, and clubs start announcing their bigger bookings for the months ahead.
Although this week and weekend might be a little more on the chill side, there’s still plenty to do, and a lot of it revolves around nostalgia shows in the key of M-K-E.
The Globe Reunion @ Miramar Theatre
One of the bigger nostalgia shows takes place this Saturday at the East Side’s Miramar Theatre as scene icons such as The Benjamins, The Invaders, Mississippi Cactus and Miss Trixie (among loads of others) come together to reminisce on the scene that formed and lifted North Avenue’s storied venue, The Globe, to legendary status.
Born in 1993, “The Globe East” existed for a full decade before closing its doors in 2003. Twenty years later, what’s left are great memories of shows with beloved Milwaukee acts like The Benjamins, The Lovelies and Citizen King; and exciting, new-at-the-time national acts like Crooked Fingers, Death Cab for Cutie, No Doubt, Jets to Brazil, L7 and Jimmy Eat World.
For the 20th anniversary celebration this Saturday, expect to catch many local bands you haven’t seen in a hot second alongside some still-active local faves (18 bands in total). It all kicks off at 1 p.m.
The Trusty Knife @ Linneman's
For a more recent nostalgia trip, head to Linneman’s Riverwest Inn this Friday night as Milwaukee mid-2000s indie faves The Trusty Knife take the stage to celebrate their much-loved self-titled album for a vinyl re-release show.
The band released the original album in late 2008, featuring contributions from Zack Pieper, Brock Gourlie, Ross Bachhuber, Anton Sieger, Annie Killelea, Tony Scholl and Aytan Luck. It became an insta-favorite for its upbeat, ramshackle pop sensibilities and nerdy-meets-feelgood incorporation of horns and woodwinds.
You’ll be able to find that physical record once again (via Dusty Medical Records) at Friday’s show. Adding Didier Leplae and Olivia Dobbs to their live lineup, expect nothing but fun from The Trusty Knife crew, also featuring core members Pieper, Gourlie and Sieger. New rock ‘n roll scenesters Spidora and Delicious Monsters open up the show, which starts at 8 p.m.
More shows worth a go
- Aug. 30: Lola Kirke, Molly Martin @ The Back Room, 8 p.m.
- Aug. 31: Kat and the Hurricane w/Adorner, Alley Eyes @ Anodnyne on Bruce, 8 p.m.
- Sept. 2: Sex Scenes w/Holy Sh*t!, Peroxide @ Circle-A Café, 10pm
- Sept. 2: Blacktop (record release show) w/SSAANN, Shell Bells @ Cactus Club, 6 p.m.
- Sept. 3: The Benjamins w/Clementine @ Promises, 2 p.m.
