As its opening draws ever nearer, the Pabst Theater Group’s new venue has been peppering the live-music calendar with show after show, including a pair announced Monday with heavy Milwaukee flair.
Buffalo Nichols is up first with a Vivarium performance March 2 that serves as a do-over of sorts after he was originally scheduled to play Turner Hall back in November. Like the original date, Social Caterpillar will open the concert, which is sure to include a heavy dose of selections from Nichols’ latest album, The Fatalist.
The Milwaukee native treated us to a quartet of tracks from the LP when he joined us for a Studio Milwaukee Session last October. While on stage solo, Nichols more than capably filled the room with sounds he employed on The Fatalist — combining his always-impressive guitar (and banjo) work with synth and drum machines.
It was a treat to see live, and we get another bite in just a few weeks. You can pick up tickets now by heading over to the event page on the PTG website or visiting the Pabst/Riverside box office.
Another of Milwaukee’s creative forces will take the Vivarium stage later in the month, as Sleepy Gaucho plays a March 15 show to celebrate the release of his new album, True Love Corridor.
Andy Goitia — the man behind Sleepy Gaucho — said to expect exactly what the LP’s title suggests when it comes out in mid-March: a collection of music from someone who’s been “madly in love the last couple years.” We got one example last November as we premiered “Strawberry Moon” off the album, and there’s sure to be plenty more at this post-Valentine’s love-fest.
Gaucho will get support from Ellie Jackson and Moonglow for his album-release celebration, tickets for which are on sale now via the show’s webpage and the Pabst/Riverside box offices.
I’d also be remiss not to mention a pair of recently announced shows that tap into Madison’s music scene, with two well-known groups that started in our capital city making the trip east on I-94. “Newgrass” outfit Armchair Boogie continues the run of March shows with an appearance at Turner Hall on March 22, while funkmeisters Phat Phunktion will play the Vivarium on June 1 along with Mama Digdown's Brass Band. Tickets are available via those respective links, as well as the aforementioned box offices.
