This Week in Milwaukee: December 22-28, 2022

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Thursday, Dec. 22

HoliJOY Makers Market @ 3rd Street Market Hall, 5 p.m.

…twas the night before the last minute. Are you the type to put things off? Looking for that special gift to cross off your list? Reminiscing about the ghost of Downtown malls past? Stop by 3rd Street Market Hall for goods by local makers.

Rockabilly Christmas with Hosts, Mark Waldoch & The Xmas Special, Phoenix Kristan and Ladybird @ The Cooperage, 7 p.m.

Phoenix Kristen plays three chord songs about living in the Midwest and working on tugboats; Ladybird’s alternative country storytelling is accompanied by overdriven guitars and melancholic leads while Mark Waldoch and The Xmas Special deliver a set of Christmas favorites. The band Hosts has been around since 2014. Formed in Nashville, they recently fled back home to Milwaukee—where they belong. The band has three albums under their belt, with a new one due in 2023.

A Very Honolulu Millionaires Christmas @ Trader Nick's South Shore Inn, 8 p.m.

Milwaukee's only Hawaiian band with singing birds delivers a holiday extravaganza at this Cudahy nightspot with an emphasis on rum.

Voot Warnings @ The Uptowner, 8:30 p.m.

As is his wont, Voot Warnings’ shows fall on or near holidays. There is no need to employ the overused term “iconic” here, but he has been portrayed as such—blasphemously perhaps. Warnings’ trio includes stoic bassist Jacob Muchin and drummer par excellence Victor Demichei. Equal parts charm school, art gallery and corner bar, The Uptowner has been around since 1884 and is known as “Milwaukee’s oldest and continuous longest-running tavern.”

Friday, Dec. 23

Milwaukee Maker's Holiday Market @ Indeed Brewing, Company, Noon

…twas almost the last minute. Are you the type to really put things off? Still looking for that special gift to cross off your list? Indeed Brewing Company hosts a down-to-the-wire Milwaukee Makers Holiday Market. Stop in from noon to 5 p.m. to pick up locally-made holiday gifts and beer specials in Indeed's cozy taproom.

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Holiday Happy Hour with the Chris Tishler/Matt Meixner Duo @ County Clare Irish Pub, 6 p.m.

You’ve seen Matt Meixner and Chris Tishler in any number of musical situations in the past and here they offer a twist on holiday favorites. Tishler (vocals, jingle bells, pints) and Meixner (vocals, piano, pints) perform a set of seasonal songs at this special Holiday Happy Hour.

The Commercialists Play the Music of The Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas @ Turner Hall, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Fresh from a string of dates at the Jazz Estate, The Commercialists (Anthony Deutsch, Clay Schuab and Patrick Morrow) continue the holiday tradition, playing the music of The Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Santa's Little Punk Show @ New Barons Brewing Cooperative, 7 p.m.

High energy Milwaukee trio American Progress unplugs for this holiday show.

Pat McCurdy @ Shank Hall, 8:00pm

Pat McCurdy’s never-ending string of performances shows no sign of slowing down, even working holidays when many folks are off. Performing for many years in the singer-songwriter format, he’s released a string of albums on the Magnificent Records label. McCurdy’s early group Yipes! was inducted into the WAMI Hall of Fame in 2013. The group reunited for a 2018 album. During the pandemic, Pat's Shelter in Place shows were seen by nearly one million viewers from as far away as Paris, the U.K. and Australia.

Saturday, Dec. 24

Call for a Christmas Truce @ Silver Spring Drive and Port Washington Road, Noon

Local activists join together to call for peace in an international “Call for a Christmas Truce.” A small group of activists will hold peace signs at the intersection of Silver Spring and Port Washington Road on Saturday, Christmas Eve, noon–1 p.m. They will be a small part of the national and international call for a Christmas Truce in Ukraine. 

“As the war in Ukraine drags into to its tenth month, the only certainty is that the estimated hundreds of thousands killed and wounded will continue to grow, as will the 14 million war refugees not to mention the humanitarian impacts felt across Europe and the globe” said Ariel Gold, executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation USA, the oldest interfaith peace organization in the United States.

“Negotiation is not a euphemism for capitulation, nor is it a rationalization of Putin’s aggression,” said Medea Benjamin, cofounder of the peace group CODEPINK. “It is simply a recognition that the end of this war cannot be achieved by more war. Any prospect for a pause in hostilities should be acted on.”

Sunday, Dec. 25

The Ghostly Trio - Christmas with The Ghostly Trio @ Your house, all day

Embodying the best qualities of bohemian/punk/outsider thinking, Milwaukee’s Ghostly Trio was a once-in-a-lifetime group. Saxophonist Peter Balestrieri, bassist Tim Taylor and the late Geoff Worman on guitar existed in a universe of their own design. Originally released on cassette and later on red vinyl, Christmas with The Ghostly Trio deconstructs 15 holiday classics (“Little Drummer Dude,” “O Time Bomb”). One can only hope Jacques Derrida heard the album.

Monday, Dec. 26

Frosty Free Week @ Milwaukee County Zoo, 9:30 a.m.

Enjoy the animals and winter wonderland of the Zoo during Frosty Free Week. It’s the season of giving, and the Zoo offers a week of free daytime admission to thank guests for their support. Visit the Zoo during “Frosty Free Week” – to enjoy animals and nature. All guests receive free daytime admission December 26-30. Parking ($15) still applies. Regular concessions and attraction rates apply. Regular admission rates apply to Wild Lights night event.

In the Small Mammals Building, meet a new species to the Zoo, a male Prevost’s squirrel named Kopi. In the wild, Prevost’s squirrels are found in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and are arboreal. This species faces threats from illegal pet trade trafficking and deforestation for palm oil plantations. Prevost’s squirrels and other species that share their habitat can be helped by people choosing products made with sustainable palm oil.

Tuesday, Dec. 27

Creative Power Collection: Art by People with Disabilities @ Associated Bank River Center Hosts through Jan. 9

ARTS for ALL Wisconsin, a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts and cultural participation for individuals with disabilities, presents the art exhibition, “Creative Power” Featuring a collection of visual art and poetry created by people of all ages with disabilities, the exhibition boasts a diverse range of mediums and styles. Check out the creative power of these artists and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the unique perspectives they bring.

Wednesday, Dec. 28

Angela U. Drakeford: “In Bloom at the End of the World” @ John Michael Kohler Arts Center(608 New York Ave., Sheboygan), Through April, 16

Wisconsin’s dreary winter may already be taking its toll on your body and soul, and you may be yearning for a quiet green space where you can rest and recuperate. If that’s so, look no further than Sheboygan, Shepherd Express wrote shepherdexpress.com/culture/visual-art/kohler-arts-center-exhibit-offers-space-for-quiet-healing

Unlike most art exhibits that adhere to a strict “don’t touch” policy, Angela U. Drakeford’s sanctuary is meant to be entered. Its sofa is meant to be sat on. Its books are meant to be paged through. There are even small notebooks for visitors to record their thoughts and impressions, and then take home with them. It’s a place, Drakeford says, designed to promote healing.