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.
Phil Robinson’s 1989 hit movie Field of Dreams has a famous quote: “If you build it, they will come.” That represents the Milwaukee music scene really well, but instead of a baseball field, a poster with three different fonts will have the same effect.
That’s a slightly longer way of saying: This week is full of local shows, so let's dive in.
The only logical place to start is the Bay View Bash, which is back for another run this Saturday. Established in 2004, the annual event has brought the community together from sun up to sun down for more than two decades. With sponsors from local institutions and a host of local bands and vendors, it’ll be a day of Milwaukee fun on Kinnickinnic Avenue between Potter and Clement.
The Bash goes from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with artists playing every second. Here’s a quick list of some must-see acts:
- Max & The Fellow Travellers, Milwaukee Record Stage @ 12:45 p.m.
- Bunk Bed, X-Ray Arcade Stage @ 1:30 p.m.
- (Our very own) DJ Kenny Perez, Hoan Thugs DJ Stage @ 7 p.m.
- Chapped Lips, Rushmoor Records Stage @ 7:30 p.m.
- Diet Lite, Milwaukee Record Stage @ 7:30 p.m.
Every artist playing is just fantastic, and the event’s diverse collection of musicians means there is genuinely something for everyone.
In more Bay View news, Cactus Club will get loud next Tuesday with Killer High Life, Oh Well Ok and Noah Angel playing in support of Sounds of Resistance Volume II. Put on by the Students for a Democratic Society, this show is rooted in a community-focused punk ethos: Try to take care of each other.
The bands on the bill personify that ethos. Killer High Life is a riot grrl-inspired outfit that uses volatility as an anchor for their music, channeling all that's bad in the world into a great catharsis live. It’s radical acceptance manifest, but with a hopeful throughline of there being good in the world that's worth fighting for.
Oh Well Ok’s indie rock/emo mix coupled with up-and-comer Noah Angel, who’s only started playing shows this year, offer a different but still emotionally cathartic sound that’ll permeate the night. The show starts at 7 p.m., with a $5 to $10 suggested donation at the door.
That same day, Twenty One Pilots will be at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on the Summerfest grounds for the fourth stop of their tour in support of the band’s just-dropped new album, Breach.
Known for being emo juggernauts in the mid-2010s, the duo has continued to solidify their eclectic sound while straddling a blend of genres. They let the music speak for itself, and with dozens of hits that have dug into the hearts of millions plus a decent helping of new stuff, the duo will speak loud next Tuesday night.
Best concerts in Milwaukee this week
- Sept. 17: The Cactus Blossoms w/Michael Gay @ Vivarium, 8 p.m.
- Sept. 17: Killer High Life, Nothing of Consequence, Farewell Moonlight, The Hypnic Jerks @ X-Ray Arcade, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 18: Meadowers, Lo/st, Bouquet @ Anodyne, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 18: Glitterfox w/Oh Geeez Not Again @ Vivarium, 8 p.m.
- Sept. 19: Guerilla Toss, Melkbelly, Isaac Sherman @ Cactus Club, 6:30 p.m.
- Sept. 19: Hamilton Leithauser @ Vivarium, 8 p.m.
- Sept. 19: The Back Alley, Well + Good, Scorched Waves @ X-Ray Arcade, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 20: Bay View Bash @ 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Sept. 21: Bean Plant Block Party @ Anodyne, noon
- Sept. 21: Pete Yorn @ Turner Hall, 7:30 p.m.
- Sept. 22: Lana Leone, Teenage Ice Age, Human Ant Farm, Oh Well Ok @ X-Ray Arcade, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 23: Twenty One Pilots @ AmFam Amphitheater, 8 p.m.
- Sept. 23: Killer High Life, Oh Well Ok, Noah Angel @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 23: Gillian Welch & David Rawlings @ Pabst Theater, 7:30 p.m.
Jonathan Joseph is a Milwaukee-based multimedia freelance journalist who specializes in art and culture writing (and all things Milwaukee), with work appearing on Radio Milwaukee and in Milwaukee Magazine. Contact him via email or find him on LinkedIn.