This Week in Milwaukee: August 17-23, 2023

Here are the Milwaukee events we are looking forward to coming up this week.

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Irish Fest, Fringe Fest, Puerto Rican Family Fest, Strummerfest, free popsicles on The Hop and The Sadies with Sally Timms & Jon Langford … and more—This Week in Milwaukee!

Thursday, August 17

Irish Fest @ Henry Maier Festival Park, through Sunday 

Immerse yourself in Irish culture, music and food at Milwaukee’s annual celebration: irishfest.com. The world's largest celebration of all things Irish takes place annually on the third weekend of August. Our resident authority on Celtic music says “Traditional Celtic music blends well with other styles. It just does. Whether you're taking the actual jigs, reels and ballads and injecting them with the music of another place or time, or entirely creating your own sound based on the Celtic vibe, there's a seemingly endless continuum of variations you can do with it.” See his picks here: shepherdexpress.com/music/music-feature/milwaukee-irish-fest-2023-music-preview.

Chris Hansen Band featuring Robin Pluer @ Charles E. Fromage, 6:30 p.m.

“There is virtually no song, style or segment of the great American songbook that this engaging ensemble cannot infuse with an irresistible joie de vivre.” This Milwaukee quintette is simply stacked with talent. The rooftop hideout Charles E. Fromage offers an intimate chance to see a rare outing.

Happy Together w/The Turtles, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Grass Roots, The Vogues, The Classics IV and The Cowsills @Pabst Theater, 6:30 p.m.

For 14 years this caravan of hit makers have crisscrossed the country. Hosted by The Turtles, this living jukebox collectively have charted 61 Top 40 hits during the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Friday, August 18

MKE Fringe Fest @ Marcus Performing Arts Center, through Saturday

In the summer of 1947, eight theatre companies arrived at the Edinburgh International Festival hoping to put on their shows. When they were turned down by the larger festival, they decided to put on their own. These smaller companies literally performed on the fringe of the larger festival, and thus the idea of the Fringe Festival was born. 

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In August 2016 the MKE Fringe made its debut in downtown Milwaukee, following the rich tradition of Fringe Festivals. The Milwaukee Fringe Festival is a showcase of a diverse collection of artists. From theatrical actors to painters, musicians to tap dancers, performance artists to playwrights, MKE Fringe is a joyous celebration of what makes Milwaukee’s culture vibrant and extraordinary: shepherdexpress.com/culture/supporting-milwaukee-arts/karen-raymond-and-katie-rhyme-co-founders-and-producers-of-t.

Among the many performances catch Songs Without Words, a new solo play about the lives, times, and talents of sibling-composers Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn; Orígenes — Ballet Folklorico Xanharati; Chicago 69 — Nineteen Thirteen; Chekhov: Half-Baked! — Angry Young Men w/ Boozy Bard and Monarch Migrations — Dancecircus. More info at mkefringe.com.

Hungry Hearts @ Linneman’s, 8 p.m.

The second annual benefit for the American Heart Association once again tackles the Bruce Springsteen songbook. Zach Pietrini, Riverwest Aces, Tim Wright, The Johnston Brothers, Andii, Maximiano and Chris Haise Band offer interpretations of songs that show just how deep a career can go in over 50 years of making music. From the wall of sound “Born to Run” to the intimacy of Nebraska to the social awareness of The Ghost of Tom Joad and “American Skin (41 Shots)”, very few artists have chronicled this country as a songwriter quite like Springsteen.

Saturday, August, 19

Cudahy Bluegrass Festival @ Pulaski Park, noon

A trio of bluegrass band with headliners The Bluegrass Allstars taking the stage at 4 p.m.

Strummerfest MKE @ Club Garibaldi, 6 p.m.

When Joe Strummer shuffled off this mortal coil he left a legacy of great music and social awareness. The Clash frontman epitaph remains “The future is unwritten.” This show will offer plenty of good trouble from Two and A Half Stars, The Mighty Deerlick, Local Legends, Marc-Alan Price, Floor Model, Poison Hand, Primitivs, Dairyland’s Finest String Band and Clove.

In a sane world, schools would not consider cutting the arts. Yet here we are with a formidable nine band lineup with all proceeds benefiting Milwaukee Public Schools’ music dept. Local agitator DJ Buzz will be on the wheels of steel spinning between bands.

Sunday, August 20

Puerto Rican Family Festival @ Veterans Park, 11 a.m.

Join in the 10-year celebration of the Puerto Rican Family Festival celebrating the island’s culture with a kids zone, cultural tent, bad bunny mix tent, lots of live music and dancing. Don’t forget the delicious food!

A Celebration of Soul: Birthday Bash Remembering the life of Jesse 'Blackwolf' Bilal @ Club Timbuktu, 3 p.m.

Celebrate the life of Jesse Bilal a.k.a. Blackwolf, soul singer, performer, songwriter, and producer. His legacy in music spans the years of his career in gospel, reggae, and soul as front man for the Essentials, The Dreadbeats, and Kings Go Forth.

A program featuring performances by close friends as well as shared memories about him and his music will include his recordings with Kings Go Forth and Danny Zelonky’s Trouble Man Soundtrack as well as unreleased solo songs and the debut production of the B. Wyzdomproject. The celebration includes a slideshow with photos from the stage, travels on the road, and with his family. Reconnect with friends, fellow musicians, and associates to celebrate what would be Blackwolf's 69th Birthday.

Hop Summer Nights @ The Hop, 4-6 p.m.

It is your last chance to enjoy Hop Summer Nights. Ride The Hop, enjoy free popsicles from Pete’s Pops and cool jazz from JL Russell and Smoothwalk. The fun starts Sunday on board the 4 p.m. departure from The Hop’s Intermodal Station near the corner of W. St. Paul Avenue and Vel R. Phillips Avenue.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.

The Seattle-based Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio have slowly expanded their circle since forming in 2015. After a year holding down a residency at Seattle’s Royal Room, they began branching out with short tours around the Pacific Northwest and West Coast, while drawing more than three million views for their soulful, funky set broadcast by KEXP at the Upstream Music Festival. They re-released their 2016 debut album last year to a wider audience on Colemine Records.

Monday August 21

Asberry Davis: Run Your Own Way @ John Michael Kohler Arts Center Art Preserve (3636 Lower Falls Road, Sheboygan), through Jan. 7, 2024

Asberry Davis began making “things,” as he called them, in the early 1970s, on land in the Congaree Swamp in South Carolina. In the late 1960s, a widow named Ella Riley had moved onto the land near Davis, living in a one-room construction he built for her. 

After her death, in 1973, Davis stacked all of her possessions into a pseudo-mausoleum memorial, which he planted with flowers and tended to for the rest of his life. This act of remembrance stirred a creativity in the artist, leading him to a decades-long artistic practice.

In 2022, the Arts Center acquired four works by Davis as part of a larger gift from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation. They are believed to be the only surviving pieces from his now-destroyed site and will be on view at the Art Preserve with a selection of documentary photographs.

Tuesday, August 22

As You Like it @ Door Shakespeare (Björklunden, 7590 Boynton Lane, Baileys Harbor), through August 26

A joyful tale full of poetry, wit, romance, and humor, As You Like It takes us to the Forest of Arden where we follow Rosalind’s journey as she searches for family, place, and person. As You Like It appeals to both Shakespeare aficionados and newcomers of all ages with intrigue, romance, music, and comedy. More info here: doorshakespeare.com/the-plays.

Wednesday, August, 23

Katie Dahl w/Eric Lewis @Anodyne, 6 p.m.

Songwriter, singer, playwright Katie Dahl has released five albums and had a pair of production at Door County’s Northern Sky Theater.American Songwriter said, “Katie Dahl’s fifth studio album, Wildwood, is the Wisconsin singer-songwriter’s most stirring collection to date. It’s also a deeply felt homage to the county Dahl’s family has called home for seven generations. She delivers razor-sharp lyrics with a hearty, soulful voice.”

The Sadies with Sally Timms & Jon Langford @ X-Ray Arcade, 6 p.m., all ages

Many moons ago, The Sadies nearly levitated the Oneida Casino with a performance; unsuspecting gamblers hit the musical jackpot. Sally Timms and Jon Langford are no strangers to Milwaukee. Often in the esteemed company of The Mekons or Waco Brothers they have played Bremen Café, Shank Hall, Alverno College and Cactus Club. This Wednesday show just may be the pick of the week.