Downtown is going to be an interesting sight the weekend of February 23-25 as thousands of costumed furry fans and motorcycle enthusiasts gather to meet up for FurSquared and Mama Tried, respectively. You can also find a fantasy adventure comedy, a bloody benefit, and visit the backwards-talking denizens of Twin Peaks in this edition of Madcap Milwaukee.
No Dice: Improv RPG
Photo No Dice Improv RPG - nodice.live
No Dice Improv RPG
No Dice Improv RPG
- Saturday, February 17
- Sugar Maple, 435 E. Lincoln Ave.
A mix of Dungeons & Dragons and an improv show, No Dice: Improv RPG (role-playing game) centers around “Gamemaster James Boland as he guides an adventuring party through an epic comedy quest,” but instead of rolling twenty-sided dice to determine moves, the quest advances on suggestions from the audience, creating some hilarious high fantasy.
Doors at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are available at nodice.live/store/p/nodice-2024-02-17.
FurSquared 2024
Photo: FurSquared - fursquared.smugmug.com
FurSquared costume
FurSquared 2023
- February 22–25
- Hilton Milwaukee City Center, 509 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Furries– people who dress up in colorful anthropomorphic animal “fursonas,” are an often misunderstood subculture, with early media portrayals depicted them as just a weird sex thing. Although erotica can be part of the lifestyle, most are people who celebrate art, music, dancing… and yes, dressing up as foxes, felines, otters, and other critters. FurSquared provides a space for this fandom to be themselves and has a vendor floor, workshops, open mics, dance parties, gaming, and dozens of other options throughout the weekend. There’s plenty for furry fans of every stripe.
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Tickets start at $35-$40 for a day pass. More registration and schedule info can be found at fursquared.com.
10th Annual Mama Tried Motorcycle Show
Mama Tried 2024 poster
- February 22–25
- Various locations
Celebrating its tenth anniversary, Mama Tried is a weekend celebration for motorcycle enthusiasts. It’s a loud, exciting, and sometimes zany party. Things start off this year with the Official Mama Tried Pre-Party on Thursday, Feb. 22 at the Harley-Davidson Museum (400 W. Canal St.) campus from 5-9 p.m. There will be mini boonie bike races, a special exhibit called “Mama Tried: Bringing it Together,” and, generally speaking, “a chance to hang with the builders, racers, and fans that provide that magic Mama Tried elixir.”
The “world’s largest indoor flat track race,” Flat Out Friday follows the evening of February 23 at Fiserv Forum (1111 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave.). Dr. Pepper syrup is applied to the course to provide traction as bikers race in several categories. The event starts at 6:45 p.m.
The weekend closes with the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show Saturday and Sunday Feb. 24-25 at The Rave/ Eagles Club (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave.). Over 100 classic bikes will be on display, along with vendors like tattoo artists and craft beers.
More info and tickets can be found at flatoutfriday.com and mamatriedshow.com.
Inside a Dream: A Music Tribute to David Lynch
- Friday, February 23
- Turner Hall Ballroom, 1040 Vel R. Phillips Ave.
Inside a Dream: A Music Tribute to David Lynch
A key ingredient of director David Lynch’s weird visions are the haunting soundtracks provided by Angelo Badalamenti, who scored Lynch’s films Blue Velvet and Lost Highway and his cult hit show Twin Peaks. At Turner Hall, a nine-piece band will set the surreal mood accompanied by visuals. There will also be a screening of an original, Lynch-inspired short film, local artists and vendors and “an opportunity to step into a recreation of the infamous ‘Red Room’ from Twin Peaks.” If you want to make the experience even more immersive, show up “dressed in your Lynchian best” to win a prize in the costume contest.
Doors at 6 p.m.. Tickets are $25 and available at pabsttheatergroup.com/events/detail/music-of-david-lynch-2024.
Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation’s 12th Annual Milwaukee’s Best Bloody Contest
- Sunday, February 25
- Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St.
Photo: Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation
Milwaukee's Best Bloody Mary
Milwaukee's Best Bloody Mary
Bloodys benefitting blood– this contest is a delicious showcase for a good cause. Local bars and restaurants are sending bartenders to the Italian Community Center to show off their best Bloody Mary recipes (non-alcoholic samples are available too). It all benefits the Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation, whose mission “is to educate, support and advocate for the bleeding disorders community; and our vision is to help people and families living with a bleeding disorder live life with fewer limitations.”
The Bloody contest goes from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (VIPs get in an hour early at 10:30 a.m.) and is a 21-plus event. Tickets start at $65 and are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/milwaukees-best-bloody-tickets-777448488357.
