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 sponsored by Educators Credit Union.
There are any number of reasons that a particular show can jump out at you in a given week, even among Milwaukee’s typically strong selection of concerts. This pick represents perhaps our favorite reasons because it involves one of the city’s tireless organizations trying to do some good through music.
Girls Rock MKE is great for a variety of reasons, which we’ll get to after we cover the concert portion of things. But we don’t want to bury the fact that they’ve put together an excellent lineup for their inaugural JoyFest — an all-day music and arts festival and fundraiser at X-Ray Arcade this Sunday, Dec. 15.
It starts at noon with workshops from Planned Parenthood and an open mic that rolls right into the first of many all-ages performances:
We’re tempted not to single out any of the talented acts, but it’s hard not to give a quick shout to Paranormal in the 2:45 p.m. slot. The duo is Selene Taylor on guitar and Maria Nelson on drums (and both on vocals), and they’re fifth graders who got their start playing AC/DC’s “TNT” at their third-grade talent show.
The entire lineup is an example of what Girls Rock MKE sets out to accomplish with every one of their camps and other events: “to empower individuals of marginalized identities and diverse experiences through music education and performance.” To put it another way, it’s an organization that believes in the power of music, and Sunday is a day to celebrate and support that.
There are a variety of ticket options available between $10 and $50, and you can find them on the X-Ray Arcade website.
Best concerts in Milwaukee this week
- Dec. 11: Cage the Elephant w/Badflower @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
- Dec. 12: The All-American Rejects w/Andrew McMahon, Mod Sun, Dexter & The Moonrocks @ The Rage, 8 p.m.
- Dec. 12: Bowvee, Well + Good, Cozy Danger, Creature Weather @ X-Ray Arcade, 6 p.m.
- Dec. 13: Waterspouts, Sludge Hawking, My Melody @ Linneman’s, 8:30 p.m.
- Dec. 14: Mike Mangione & Band w/Zach Pietrini @ Anodyne on Bruce, 7:30 p.m.
- Dec. 14: Panoptics (single-release show) w/Moonglow, Varsity Mac @ Cactus Club, 8 p.m.
- Dec. 14: MKE Music Night XCV w/Cosmic Lovechild, Alley Eyes, Horace Greene, Zach Madlan @ Linneman’s, 7:30 p.m.
- Dec. 15: JoyFest: A Girls Rock MKE Festival & Fundraiser @ X-Ray Arcade, noon
