How’s this for a change of pace: For the first time in more than a decade, Jim Gaffigan is sitting out New Year’s Eve in Milwaukee. His absence isn’t the only change you’ll notice in this year’s New Year’s Eve calendar, either. This year, venues around the city have taken a gamble on new bookings, freshening up their lineups and, perhaps in some cases, inaugurating new traditions. The result is one of the city’s most unique arrays of New Year’s Eve (Sunday, Dec. 31) offerings in years. Here’s a rundown of some of the highlights.
Family Friendly
The Harlem Globetrotters @ BMO Harris Bradley Center, 1 and 6 p.m.
This is it, the end of an era. For decades, the Harlem Globetrotters have spent their New Year’s Eve at the Bradley Center, delighting kids with their trick shots and infuriating refs with their flagrant disregard for basketball protocol. With the Bradley Center set to be replaced next year by a pricey new arena, that tradition is coming to an end, though it’s a safe bet the iconic team will become mainstays of the new arena, too. You can expect them to notch another lopsided win for their final appearance at the Bradley Center.
Milwaukee Wave vs. Kansas City Comets @ UWM Panther Arena, 5:05 p.m.
No need to pretend you’re a faithful fan who pays close attention to the Milwaukee Wave. If you’re like most Milwaukeeans, you probably barely even remember that the city even has an indoor soccer team. The Wave are off to an absolutely incredible start this season (they’re undefeated as of press time), so consider New Year’s Eve an excuse to catch up with what’s shaping up to be a pretty memorable team. There will be a Marcio Leite bobblehead giveaway, so this is your chance to learn who Marcio Leite is, too.
Skating @ Red Arrow Park
It’s hardly Times Square, but for years Milwaukee’s favorite outdoor gathering spot on New Year’s Eve has been Red Arrow Park, a prime viewing spot for the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display the city used to host. The city retired those fireworks years ago, but residents continue to congregate at the skating rink, which offers concessions that include beer, soda and candy.
New Year’s Eve Family Celebration @ Mitchell Park Domes, 6 p.m.
More than 500 balloons will fall from the ceiling at the Domes’ NYE celebration, albeit at an earlier time than is customary. The big drop happens at 9 p.m., giving parents plenty of time to tuck their kids in before midnight. The event also features a magician, a DJ, fire dancers, a storyteller and music from the Garlic Mustard Pickers, as well as a bunch of other kids’ activities.
Full list of Family-Friendly events on NYE 2018.
Live Music, Comedy and Performance
GGOOLLDD @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 9 p.m.
GGOOLLDD’s infectious, love-struck, synth-pop jams and glamorous stage show have made them one of the biggest live draws in the city. Each of the band’s concerts has the feel of a major event, but this night promises to be an even bigger one than usual. They’ll perform three sets, with appearances from surprise guests from the Milwaukee music scene. Radio Milwaukee’s Jordan “Madhatter” Lee will be on VJ duties, keeping the crowd moving between the band’s sets.
The Record Company w/ Field Report @ The Riverside Theater, 10 p.m.
Everybody loves a good “local favorite makes a name for himself” story, and The Record Company are one of the city’s most notable in recent memory. After years of fronting Milwaukee bands like Freshwater Collins, singer-guitarist Chris Vos moved out to Los Angeles and found fame with The Record Company, his no-gimmicks rock ’n’ roll band, even earning a Grammy nomination this year for Best Traditional Blues Album. His group will share this bill with another very deserving Milwaukee success story, Field Report.
Abby Jeanne w/ Tony Peachka and Paper Holland @ Cactus Club, 9 p.m.
Few Milwaukee musicians had better years than Abby Jeanne, the Teflon-voiced soul and rock singer who topped year-end lists with her debut solo album, Rebel Love. She’ll end her eventful 2017 with one last headlining performance, supported on the bill by Tony Peachka and Paper Holland. There will be drink specials all night, as well as a complimentary champagne toast.
Shaun Jones @ The Point, 6, 8 and 10 p.m.
Comedy Café is presenting three sets from standup Shaun Jones, a veteran of BET’s “Comic View” and Starz “1st Amendment Standup.” You’ll want to note the venue: These shows are at The Point, 906 S. Barclay St.
ComedySportz New Year’s Eve Match @ ComedySportz, 8 and 10:30 p.m.
For New Year’s Eve, ComedySportz offers deluxe packages to its competitive comedy performances. The $35 admission includes free appetizers and unlimited soda and champagne. Both shows are family-friendly, and each will end with a countdown (at midnight for the late show, and 9:45 for the early show).
VoodooHoney New Year’s Eve Show @ Company Brewing, 10 p.m.
Company Brewing celebrates the new year with performances from some its regulars associated with the local VoodooHoney music collective, including Foreign Goods and House of Renji. Singer B-Free hosts the night.
Klassik @ Iron Horse Hotel, 9 p.m.
Singer/rapper/all-around-music-savant Klassik headlines this New Year’s Eve gala at the Iron Horse Hotel, which will feature an à la carte Champagne Bar as well as a Barrel Aged Tasting Bar and Grey Goose Oyster Shooter Station, along with the requisite balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight. A prix fixe New Year’s Eve dinner ($69.99) is also available at the restaurant Smyth before the party.
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades w/ Sloppy Joe and Joseph Huber @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
Stevens Point bluegrass heroes Horseshoes and Hand Grenades anchor this night of roots and folk music at the Pabst Theater. The quintet shares the bill with Sloppy Joe and Joseph Huber, the .357 String Band veteran who this year released a spirited new solo album, The Suffering Stage.
Tigernite and NO/NO @ Café Lulu, 10 p.m.
One of the city’s great party bands, Tigernite headlines this Bay View New Year’s celebration. The guitar-worshipping rockers will be joined on the bill by one of the city’s most winning dream-pop bands, NO/NO, who released one of their strongest EPs yet this year, Twentysomethings. There will be drink specials all night, along with a complimentary champagne toast and a late-night snack buffet.
The John Schneider Orchestra @ Shorewood American Legion Post, 9 p.m.
Emphasizing music from the ’30s and ’40s, The Shepherd Express’ own John Schneider performs classics from the American songbook with his band, featuring Claire Morkin, Rip Tenor and Mrs. Fun’s Kim Zick and Connie Grauer. There’s no cover charge, but the suggested donation is $15.
Brew City Bass NYE @ Miramar Theatre, 8 p.m.
Haywyre, an EDM project that incorporates classical and jazz music in some unexpected ways, headlines this bill from Brew City Bass, which also features the electronic acts Exmag, COFRESI, FlipMöd and Jailbreak.
David Wake Sextet @ Blu, 8:30 p.m.
A backbone of some of the most successful Milwaukee acts of the last decade, including De La Buena and Kings Go Forth, David Wake and his sextet will provide the soundtrack to Blu’s New Year’s Eve. For those looking to start their evening early, blues and jazz singer Janet O’Mahony will perform from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Full list of Live Music events on NYE 2018.
DJs, Dancing and Destinations
Stellar Spark New Year’s Eve featuring Zomboy @ The Rave, 7 p.m.
Stellar Spark marks 15 years of throwing some of the biggest New Year’s Eve blowouts not only in Milwaukee but the entire Midwest with this bill, which features literally dozens of DJs playing all four rooms of the Rave-Eagles Club. Zomboy headlines, supported by draws including Must D!e, Megalodon B2b Krimer and Ponicz. There’s also a DJ on the bill called Spookybro, which is a fantastic DJ name.
New Year’s at Potawatomi @ Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 8 p.m.
A crew of Milwaukee and Chicago DJs—including Chicago house legend Bobby D—will tag-team this New Year’s Eve blowout at one of the largest dance floors in the city. DJ Bobby Styles, DJ Goose and DJ King James round out the bill, which will also feature a complementary coat check and champagne toast, as well as party favors and free parking.
The Get Down @ Good City Brewing, 9:30 p.m.
After multiple years of selling out Turner Hall Ballroom on New Year’s Eve, the iconic Milwaukee funk and soul spin The Get Down moves to a new location to ring in 2018: Good City Brewing. The Get Down DJs will spin there until 12:30 a.m., at which point they’ll head over to Strange Town—just down the block at 1201 N. Prospect Ave.—and spin there well into the early morning.
THE8NYE @ The Eight, 9:30 p.m.
DJ Stretch and DJ Breezy co-headline this New Year’s Eve gathering at one of Milwaukee’s premier hip-hop clubs. Admission is just $10, but for those who want to live it up there are VIP packages starting at $30 that include upper-level access and other perks.
Goblin King Masquerade @ 42 Lounge, 8 p.m.
If you get the Goblin King reference, then this Labyrinth-themed gala is meant for you. 42 Lounge will celebrate the beloved David Bowie movie with an array of cocktails inspired by the movie and décor and music modeled after the movie’s ball scene. There will also be photo opportunities with Jareth, the Goblin King himself.
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Joey Turbo, Asher Gray and the Sweet Breeze DJs @ High Dive, 9 p.m.
The Riverwest hangout High Dive ends a year of memorable shows with one last free party, featuring DJ sets from Joey Turbo (from Rio Turbo), Asher Gray and the Sweet Breeze DJs. There will also be a free midnight champagne toast, a balloon drop and a free late-night breakfast; not a bad deal at all for anybody balling on a budget.
Moses, DJ Dex and DJ Mighty Thor @ Site 1A, 9 p.m.
VIP table packages are available for Site 1A’s New Year’s Eve bill, which will feature EDM sets from Moses, DJ Dex and DJ Mighty Thor, as well as photography from Weekend Natives. They’ll ring in midnight with a champagne toast and balloon drop.
Brew Year’s Eve @ Milwaukee Athletic Club
Come to the Milwaukee Athletic Club’s Brew Year’s Eve bash for the four-hour open bar and stay for … well, the four-hour open bar. You’ll have plenty of music to enjoy while you try to get the most bang for your buck, with performers including DJ Mighty Thor, Why B, Milwaukee Airwaves, The Listening Party and Jake Williams. General admission tickets are $99, and VIP tickets are $119.
Paris in Milwaukee: A New Year’s Eve Celebration @ Milwaukee Art Museum, 8 p.m.
For those who appreciate (and can afford) the finer things, the Milwaukee Art Museum’s New Year’s Eve celebration promises a decadent night of fine dining and dancing. A Paris-inspired hot jazz combo provides the soundtrack to the evening, which plays off the museum’s current “Creating Modernism in France” exhibition. Tickets start at $195 per guest ($175 for museum members).
New Year’s Eve Retro Dance Party @ Mad Planet, 9 p.m.
Mad Planet doesn’t mess with a winning formula for its New Year’s Eve parties. Instead, it hosts an extended installment of its popular Friday night retro dance parties, with a complimentary champagne toast and food thrown in. At $15, it’s a budget-friendly alternative to expensive Downtown dance clubs.
A Roaring ’20s New Year’s Eve @ Ambassador Hotel , 8 p.m.
With its gorgeous art deco architecture, Milwaukee’s Ambassador Hotel has always felt like a window to the past. It won’t take much for the hotel to capture the spirit of the ’20s, then, at this theme party, which features dancing, gaming, specialty cocktails and a red carpet. The 11-piece jazz band The Southport Sound will provide the soundtrack, while the Deco Café will provide dessert and coffee from midnight to 1 a.m. Overnight packages are available.
New Year New Wave Video Gala @ Red Dot, 9 p.m.
Red Dot gets nostalgic with this New Wave dance party, hosted by DJ Synthia and heavy on hits from the early MTV era. There will be specials on champagne cocktails and appetizers, as well as a complimentary champagne toast at midnight.
Soviet Spy Party @ Alchemist Theatre, 9 p.m.
Bay View’s Alchemist Theatre can always be counted on to throw clever, kitschy New Year’s Eve parties, and this year they seem to have outdone themselves. Perfect for fans of “The Americans” and/or Paul Manafort, the party promises a bunch of surprises, including a secret, Cold War cocktail room with actor-bartender Randal T. Anderson of the last year’s sold-out Alchemist show The Bartender. There will also be snacks, pizza and a midnight champagne toast.
The Dapper Dive and Service Industry Breakfast @ Riverwest Public House, 10 p.m.
The No Stress Collective, an all-inclusive crew of DJs, hosts this dance party that promises a mix of hip-hop, R&B, pop, ’80s hits and dance staples—and most likely a good deal of Beyoncé and Rihanna as well. It’s free and open to anybody 21 and older—provided they abide by the collective’s basic rules of human decency (no racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.) After the party, the Public House will host its service industry breakfast at 3 a.m., offering a destination for all those hard workers just finishing up their shift.
Full list of DJs and Dancing events on NYE 2018.
A Note on Transportation
If you’re planning on using a ride sharing service to get to the bars, you may be in store for some serious sticker shock. You haven’t seen surge pricing until you’ve seen it on New Year’s Eve. Thankfully, there’s an alternative. As always, the Milwaukee County Transit System is offering free rides on all routes starting at 8 p.m. and running until the end of service. Do yourself and everybody else on the roads a favor by leaving your car at home.
