Keep Riverwest Weird – RW24 returns, Granville Blues Fest continues, German Fest holds forth from the Summerfest grounds, the historic Brady Street Festival, jazz in the parks, jump blues in Greendale, drama in Door County … and more—This Week in Milwaukee!
Thursday, July 27
Jazz at the Vine- John Christensen Quartet @ The Vine, Humboldt Park, 6 p.m.
Bassist and composer John Christensen began his bass studies with Chris Wood in high school. After brief stints at Berklee College and North Texas, he moved to San Francisco and played in the burgeoning music scene during the late ‘90s. Since Moving to Wisconsin in 1999, John has become a highly sought-after side musician, playing with numerous regional and international artists and bands. He leads his own groups and is also a co-founder of Lesser Lakes Trio with longtime collaborators Devin Drobka and Jamie Breiwick as well as KASE, an improvised hip-hop trio with Jamie and Turntablist Jordan Lee.
Frogwater-Summer Celebration @ Shorewood Public Library, 6 p.m.
Shorewood Public Library invites folks to the annual Summer Celebration featuring a free Culver's sundae bar, trolley car rides, music of Frogwater, The Milwaukee Brewers Famous Racing Sausages, games, balloons, and more.
Carlos Adames Trio @ Transfer MKE, 6:30 p.m.
This week’s Latin Session features percussionist Carlos Adames along with Steve Peplin on guitar and John Simons on bass.
Friday, July 28
German Fest
Henry Maier Festival Grounds
Milwaukee’s German-speaking immigrants were a crucial part of the DNA that made Milwaukee—not only by brewing beer but by patronizing culture and education and infusing the city with a sense of public service. German Fest honors that heritage with food, music and performances along Milwaukee’s lakefront. Continues through Sunday, July 30
Riverwest24 @ Riverwest, 7 p.m.
Image via Riverwest 24
Riverwest 24
The People’s Holiday returns. For 24 hours, hence the name, riders compete (or don’t) through the streets of Riverwest. As the website notes, Suggested route: Ride wherever you want but here's a suggestion.
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Image via Riverwest 24
Riverwest 24 Suggested Route
Music and other distractions at Falcon Bowl, Riverwest Arby’s among other spots; OG Fuel sandwiches by Cory the Sandwich Fixer
Music includes Joseph Huber, Sweet Sheiks, The Mod Violets, Combustor and Xposed 4Heads at Falcon Bowl, Eric Blowtorch at Tire Swing Park, Dead Man's Carnival at Art*Bar, Mark Adams Son of Bill, Goose Therapy and Hog Head at Riverwest Arby’s.
Sam Knutson w/Jeff Stehr @ Café Carpe (18 South Water St. West, Fort Atkinson)
“Bad Liar's Blues” by Sam Knutson
Sam Knutson’s 2022 release Donkey Island is a collection of observational folk songs. “Already Gone” recalls John Hartford’s breezy melancholy, while “Prayer for the Downtown” leans into the lineage of fellow Iowan Greg Brown. The album’s sparse instrumentation allows Knutson’s songwriting to shine. In fact, his Bandcamp discography reveals a songwriter ripe for discovery. Milwaukeean Jeff Stehr’s fondly recalled Jamaica-centric combo The Tritonics and his current project Still No Tomatoes present him in collaborative settings. Here is a rare chance to catch the songwriter at his core.
Saturday, July 29
Granville Blues Festival @ 8633 W. Brown Deer Road noon. Also Sunday.
Image via Granville BID
New Orleans Beau
New Orleans Beau and Mike Wheeler headline this weekend’s performances. More info here.
Brady Street Festival, noon
Brady Street anchors one of Milwaukee’s iconic neighborhoods. This annual festival celebrates the vitality of the area’s cultural and counter-cultural history. From Van Buren Street to Farwell Avenue, from noon to 11 p.m., five stages present entertainment including Abby Jeanne, Rob Hansen, Zach Petrini, Mrs. Fun, Brady St. Babes Drag Show, The Steph Lippert Project and Klassik. Dozens and dozens of vendors, and more.
Sunday, July 30
Peter Mulvey @ Wheel & Sprocket, 5 p.m.
Milwaukee native Peter Mulvey has been a songwriter, road-dog, raconteur & almost poet since before he can remember. “Since 2007 I’ve done at least one tour by bicycle every year. I have no illusions that this tiny action makes a difference to the inexorable physics of our climate. But I do know that stories are what we humans use to change ourselves, at the individual and civilizational scale,” Mulvey wrote on his website.
Appropriately, this show takes place at Bayview’s Wheel & Sprocket location with proceeds benefiting the Chris Kegel Foundation.
The Hungry Williams @ Village Nights on the Green,
Greendale Village Park, 7 p.m.
“Movin' On” by The Hungry Williams
The Hungry Williams rock, swing, jump and stroll at every show, making sure everyone takes some time to leave their worries behind and have some fun. This group of Milwaukee music veterans have a knack for making it look easy. As the cliché goes if they don’t get you moving check your pulse.
Monday, July 31
Dames at Sea @ Peninsula Players though Aug. 13
Ruby steps off a bus in Manhattan with nothing but tap shoes in her suitcase and a dream in her heart. She is soon cast in the chorus of a Broadway show starring a temperamental diva.
Hours before the opening night curtain, the cast learns their theater is being demolished, so with the help of some adoring sailors, it is “all hands on deck” to find a stage to put on the show. Will the show go on? Will Ruby become a star? Will she meet the sailor of her dreams?
Musical Mondays - Toty Ramos Sextet @ Lake Park Summer Stage, 6:30 p.m.
Playing jazz with a Latin tinge, Milwaukee guitarist-arranger Toty Ramos’ new group continues where his storied La Chazz ensemble left off.
Tuesday, August 1
The Grovelers w/ Scam Likely @ Chill on the Hill, Humboldt Park, 5 p.m.
“Cream City Nights” by The Grovelers
Your everlasting summer and you can see it fading fast—yes, the calendar has flipped to August. What better way to celebrate than with the high-energy sounds of The Grovelers? The group’s 2022 album Misplaced Cars & Blackouts balanced intensity with flashes of humor. “Ahhh Hey!” rings like a beacon from the planet of the Go Go’s; name-checking local legends the Milverine, Dick Bacon and The Bronze Fonz.
Rick Springfield @ Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
“Jessie's Girl” by Rick Springfield
Over the past four decades, Rick Springfield has worn many hats as an entertainer and performer; actor and author. The creator of some of the biggest sellling power-pop of the ’80s, a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and musician who has sold 25 million albums and scored 17 U.S. Top 40 hits, including “Jessie’s Girl,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “An Affair of the Heart,” “I've Done Everything for You,” “Love Somebody” and “Human Touch.”
Wednesday, August 2
It's Alive on the RiverWalk @ Milwaukee Riverwalk District, 4 p.m.
Long Mama live
The new busker series continues with three choices: Long Mama’s heartfelt Americana, acoustic folk-rocker Craig Berry and sleight of hand by Kuj Magic.
Mo Lowda & The Humble w/The Stews @Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
“Get Your Ready Coat On” by Mo Lowda & the Humble
Born out of the house show scene in Philadelphia, Mo Lowda & the Humble is an indie rock band that toes the line between precision and spontaneity. The band creates a unique, interactive experience every time they hit the stage.
