The heart of Milwaukee’s live-music calendar for 2026 is getting awfully full, and the Pabst Theater Group has done more than its share recently by booking a series of shows that feature sprawling guitar solos, experimental studio science, Canadian coastal folk and legendary sounds from Havana.
Built To Spill
Friday, May 15
Turner Hall Ballroom
Formed in 1993 by Doug Martsch, Built To Spill have maintained a dedicated following through extensive touring and a series of acclaimed albums. The current lineup features Martsch alongside Teresa Esguerra (Prism Bitch) on drums and Melanie Radford (Blood Lemon) on bass. Wussy will join the fun as the opener for the May 15 show, tickets for which are on sale now online and at the Pabst/Riverside box offices.
Modest Mouse
Friday, Aug. 14
Riverside Theater
It wasn’t long ago that Modest Mouse staged what our own Carolann Grzybowski called a “towering” and “never timid” performance in Milwaukee. Less than two years later, they’ll be back at the Riverside Theater for an Aug. 14 show.
Known for being "admittedly imperfect" yet "honestly resilient," frontman Isaac Brock and the band continue to prove themselves as one of the most consistent and unpredictable live acts today. They deliver a sonically rich experience that often pushes against traditional structures, with performances that feature everything from cellos to trumpets and tubas to banjos.
The constant for Modest Mouse is their loyalty to an ever-changing style that’ll be on display in Milwaukee once again this summer. Tickets for the show go on sale at 10 a.m. this Friday online via AXS and at the Pabst/Riverside box offices.
Bahamas
Sunday, Sept. 27
Vivarium
After nearly two decades as a fixture of the Toronto music scene, Afie Jurvanen — better known as Bahamas — relocated his family to rural Nova Scotia and embraced a quieter lifestyle that heavily influenced his latest work. My Second Last Album is a record created in a small backyard shed studio called DreamDate and contains materials described as "effortlessly magnetic," blending country-funk, modern soul and pastoral folk-rock.
Tickets for the Sept. 27 performance at the Vivarium go on sale at 10 a.m. this Friday online via AXS and at the Pabst/Riverside box offices.
Buena Vista Orchestra
Friday, Oct. 23
Pabst Theater
As the calendar turns to autumn in earnest, the world’s foremost Cuban music repertory ensemble will take the stage at the Pabst Theater. The performance features a revolving lineup of virtuosos from legendary groups like the Buena Vista Social Club, AfroCuban All Stars, and the bands of Celia Cruz and Omara Portuondo.
Led by maestro and virtuoso violinist Rolando Morejón Reyes, the orchestra brings together a prestigious set of musicians, including pianist Helder Rojas and percussionist Pepe Espinosa. As the biggest-selling and best-known Cuban music project in history, this tour carries on a profound musical heritage for a new generation. Tickets for the Oct. 23 show go on sale at 10 a.m. this Friday online via AXS and at the Pabst/Riverside box offices.