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.
Good music will always have a place among the concert picks. That goes double for good music in service of a great cause — a combination you can find this Saturday at Thrashnetic: The Josh Russo Memorial Benefit happening at X-Ray Arcade.
Even though you won’t hear this particular genre on 88Nine’s airwaves too often, we’re more than happy to get behind a deep lineup sure to satisfy fans of industrial and electronic music. The event running from 4 to 11 p.m. will feature GoFight (with Sapphira Vee), Cyanotic, Klack, Bellhead, am.psych and clubdrugs, plus DJ support from Subspace.
The reason for bringing all of those artists together? To raise awareness of and support for those who suffer from mental illness and anyone whose life has been affected by suicide.
In partnership with Prevent Suicide Wisconsin and WMSE, Thrashnetic’s organizers set up the event as a living memorial to Josh Russo, whose love for industrial music and its culture was evident via his presence at countless concerts and his creativity that eventually became his “Thrashnetic” label. He accessorized clothing for many artists (including Cyanotic) and gathered inspiration from a variety of sources, including retro sci-fi, comics, video games and, of course, industrial music.
Russo was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2019 and, in October of that year, died by suicide at the age of 23. This Saturday, those who knew him and those who share his passions will gather for a full day of music plus a silent auction, all aimed at raising $10,000 for Prevent Suicide Wisconsin. You can pick up tickets in advance for $25 or grab them at the door for $30.
More shows worth a go
- April 3: The Brook & The Bluff w/Hotel Fiction @ Turner Hall, 8 p.m.
- April 3: Scarface Behind the Desk Experience @ Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
- April 4: Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Carson McHone, Ladybird @ Cactus Club, 6:30 p.m.
- April 4: The Thing w/Diet Lite @ The Cooperage, 7 p.m.
- April 5: Eliza McLamb w/Mini Trees @ Vivarium, 8 p.m.
- April 5: The Last Dinner Party w/Miss Grit (sold out) @ Turner Hall, 8 p.m.
- April 5: The Keystones, Scorched Waves, Lake Drive @ Anodyne on Bruce, 8 p.m.
- April 5: The Nile Club w/The Present Age, Smoke Free Home, Farewell Moonlight @ Linneman’s, 8:30 p.m.
- April 5: Modern Joey (Hello Sunbeam record release) w/Jacob Slade, Alley Eyes, Blind Hill @ The Cooperage, 7 p.m.
- April 6: Beach Fossils w/Nation of Language @ Turner Hall, 8 p.m.
- April 7: James McMurtry @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
- April 7: Mason Jennings w/Blacktop @ Vivarium, 8 p.m.
- April 7: Life in Vacuum, Okay Omen, Courtesy, Phasing @ X-Ray Arcade, 6 p.m.
- April 8: Real Estate w/Marina Allen @ Vivarium, 8 p.m.
