Dead Horses
Saturday at 7 p.m. @ Pabst Theater
I still remember the first time I caught Dead Horses live, at a bluegrass jam on the humble stage at Riverwest’s Bremen Café. It was intimate by virtue of being packed and a legit sweaty good time. In the years that have followed that electric night I’ve been unsurprised by Dead Horses’ continued ascent that perhaps reached a new peak this summer after the band shared the stage with the legendary rockers The Who at Alpine Valley. And as the band continues to grace stages far larger than the one I discovered them on, I find myself intrigued by their latest, happening this Saturday at The Pabst Theater -- especially considering I get to interview them for a session at 88Nine this Friday at noon. Catch the session tomorrow or the show this Saturday; I doubt you’ll be disappointed with their take on American folk and bluegrass.
Junkyard Samurai + Gensis Renji + Will Rose
Friday at 9 p.m. @ Cautus Club
If you’re one of the millions that counts Chance the Rapper or Hoodie Allen as musical favorites, you might wanna peep this little show happening at Cactus Club this Friday. That’s because the latest Chicago hip-hop sensations Junkyard Samurai are coming to town for a cool-kids show with Milwaukee’s Genesis Renji and Will Rose also sharing the bill. Junkyard Samurai is a bit supergroup-ish, a collab between Chicago’s The Palmer Squares and ProbCause chopping hip-hop, glitch hop, R&B and boom-bap in clever ways. Who knows? They might be the next big thing. Cactus Club has a way of clicking like that and with locals Genesis Renji in the mix, this is my local(ish) show of the week.
China Lights
Friday-Sunday 5:30-10 p.m. @ Boerner Botanical Gardens
If you’re looking to do something that’s a little different and kid-friendly, you might want to try The China Lights lantern festival at Boerner Botanical Gardens this weekend (show runs through Oct. 30). If you think it’ll be the same as last year’s, think again, it’s 95% new this year. It’s also the fourth year they've collaborated on the show with artisans from Tianyu Arts and Culture Inc. of Zigong City in Sichuan. The hand-painted exhibits are illuminated with LED lights to create a spectacular visual experience after sundown. Catch it any evening this weekend.
Harvest Day!
Saturday noon-4 p.m. @ Walnut Way
Walnut Way is a community organization on Milwaukee’s Northside in the Lindsay Heights Neighborhood. Each year, they wrap up their growing season by celebrating the abundant harvest from their urban farm with festivities at Harvest Day. What started out as a community block party has now grown into one of Lindsay Heights’ largest gatherings. Now in its 19th year, this year's theme is Art of Community which will be on display at Fondy Park with live music from 88Nine Radio Milwaukee DJ Kima Hamilton, Marcya Daneille & Band, Adekola Adedapo & Friends and
Faithful Praise Choir. Also, youth gymnastics by the Milwaukee Flyers, local artists, food and retail vendors, and many activities for youth and families.
Oktoberfest
Friday (5 p.m.) & Saturday (noon-midnight) @ Bavarian Bierhaus
A little known secret about Germany’s most famed Oktoberfest is that it is celebrated in September despite its namesake tradition. Now I’m not much of a betting man, but my guess is that you not only like beer, but also haven’t done Oktoberfest a solid yet this year. Well it looks like the weekend’s weather will hold steady, so the last of my suggestions is seasonal and it seems like the Bavarian Bierhaus’ annual Oktoberfest in Heidelberg Park tries its very best to bring this quintessential German tradition to life in Milwaukee. Shared tables laden with sausage, schnitzel, pork chops and potatoes plus copious amounts of the good golden doesn’t sound half bad at all. Plus they have music: Alpine Blast on Friday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m., and Alte Kameraden (3:30 p.m.) and Austrian Express (7:30 p.m.) on Saturday, Sept. 14. Plus if you miss this week, you still have the rest of the month.