This Week in Milwaukee: March 16-22, 2023

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

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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day events and parades, The Cat in the Hat and Dog Days, singers, songwriters, improvised jazz and more—This Week in Milwaukee! 

Milwaukee early voting begins Tuesday.

Thursday, March 16

The third installment of Tonic’s Winter Warmer concerts presents three generations of seasoned songwriters in-the-round. With this level of talent, the prize in the crackerjacks here is anyone might join in another’s song.

Royal Mill, w/ Zach Pietrini and The Lone Canary @ Anodyne, 8 p.m.

Milwaukee indie trio Royal Mill joins Rockford’s The Lone Canary, the folk/Americana duo comprised of musicians Jesse Fox and Heather Camacho. With an acoustic, rootsy sound echoing the styles of legendary folk artists, Lone Canary just might be the next chapter in the Illinois city’s storied music history. “Milwaukee’s Zach Pietrini has been plying literate, agreeable music flitting between indie country, Americana and rootsy rock for a while now,” Jamie Lee Rake wrote (shepherdexpress.com/music/album-reviews/rock-roll-is-dead-by-zach-pietrini), “but Rock & Roll Is Dead sounds like a departure from his previous aesthetic, if not entirely a rebirth.”

St. Patrick’s Day Guide

Looking for ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Here is our complete guide: shepherdexpress.com/upcoming-events/st-patricks-day-guide.

Town of Erin St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Washington County south of Hartford), 10 a.m. 

The little Kettle Moraine township of Erin holds it its parade on Paddy’s Day on Highway K and it attracts large tailgating crowds. Bub’s Irish Pub in Germantown has a bus trip to and from the parade leaving at 9 a.m. Visit bubsirishpub.com for more info and tickets.

Larkin Poe @ Turner Hall, 7 p.m.

Popular music has a long history of recognizing sibling acts. The Everly Brothers, Sly and the Family Stone and AC/DC come to mind. Led by multi-instrumentalist sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, Larkin Poe’s blues rock is on full display with Blood Harmony, a title that could be a description to the secret of their sound. Megan’s distinctive electric slide guitar catches the eye and ear.

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Áthas w/ Schauer Irish Troupe @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 8 p.m.

Áthas is a band firmly rooted in the traditions of Irish music, constantly seeking inspiration from the past masters and passing on their knowledge by teaching throughout Milwaukee. The band remains receptive to new influences and continues to impress audiences with their new compositions as well as their passion, energy and love for making music.

The Cat in the Hat @ Racine Children’s Theatre

On a dreary, rainy day, Sally and her brother are bored with nothing to do until a mischievous cat with a tall red-and-white hat appears. Playful, mischievous and filled with the trickiest of tricks and the craziest of ideas, the Cat in the Hat makes playing indoors a wacky adventure. That is until Thing One and Thing Two appear and start to cause a mess. Is it all fun and game or will the kids have to take control before their mom comes home? Don’t miss this stage rendition, of Dr. Seuss’s award-winning, timeless story. Though March 19. Info here: racinetheatre.org/production/?category=Children%E2%80%99s%20Theatre.

Saturday, March 18

Dog Days @ Lynden Sculpture Garden, Saturday, 10 a.m.

Bring your canine friends for a trek through the garden third Saturday of the month. Dogs must be leashed and considerate of other visitors, canine and human. More info at lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/dog-days-2023.

Scott Hanson w/ Lisa Ridgely @ Bremen Café, 6 p.m.

When Scott Hanson of trio On the Porch moved to Milwaukee, Bremen Café was the first open mic community he joined; he recalls it as a special time with special people. Hanson starts his 2023 performance schedule back at the cozy confines of Bremen. It’s been too long since we heard from Lisa Ridgely (The Fainting Room), here’s to a follow up to the 2018 album Dusk.

DeadFinger, Eric Blowtorch and the Bodyguards, Daniel James and Liv Sings @ Club Garibaldi’s, 9 p.m.

Here’s a quick tour through Milwaukee music history, as it keeps evolving. Four acts whose discography runs seriously deep, all with resumes that feature plenty of good trouble, energy and passion. For starters see: Die Kreuzen, Fuckface, The Blowtorch, The Lovelies, Indonesian Junk.

Sunday, March 19

Tomeka Reid, Anjelina Niswer, Mike Reed Trio @ Sugar Maple, 3 p.m.

It’s not every day a MacArthur Fellow awardee takes the stage in an intimate setting. Cellist and composer Tomeka Reid has emerged as one of the most original, versatile and curious musicians in Chicago’s bustling jazz and improvised music community. Reid is joined by Anjelina Niswer (alto sax) and Mike Reed (drums) for a late afternoon of two sets of music.

Alex Wilson Band w/Steve Cohen @ The Uptowner, 3 p.m.

Harmonica player Steve Cohen’s history with the Alex Wilson Band reaches back to bassist Tom Wilson (as the original drummer in Leroy Airmaster) and drummer Marc Wilson who played with Cohen in their first high school band. The group is fronted by guitarist-vocalist Alex Wilson, Tom’s son. Cross your fingers, the group may be performing Hate to See You Go, Little Walter’s 1969 album on Chess Records.

Shawn Mullins w/ Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.

Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams are lifers. With experience performing with Bob Dylan and Levon Helm, they duo came to music naturally. Williams said, “My father brought me to music he loved, especially Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers, people like that. Jimmie Rodgers’ country-blues was real. He didn’t know how to be dishonest with that. The old-time stars like Ralph Stanley, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, or Bill Monroe just delivered music without any pretense. They shared experiences, friendships, and personalities through music. That was a very good foundation for me.” shepherdexpress.com/music/music-feature/larry-campbellteresa-williams-bring-american-roots-music-to

Monday, March 20

“My Milwaukee Exhibition: Waterways” @ Milwaukee County Historical Society

Visit the Milwaukee County Historical Society and view the My Milwaukee Exhibition: Waterways. The 2023 exhibition of K-8 Artwork from Milwaukee County Public Schools. 

Though March 22.

Tuesday, March 21

Early Voting Begins for the 2023 Spring & Special Election

Here’s the details for early voting in Milwaukee: city.milwaukee.gov/earlyvoting. The historic turnout of nearly a million primary voters overwhelmingly nominated Judge Janet Protasiewicz for the Wisconsin Supreme Court: shepherdexpress.com/news/taking-liberties/electing-protasiewicz-to-the-court-will-assure-your-vote-is.

“Otis Houston Jr.: My Name is My Word (in response to Jesse Howard)” @ John Michael Kohler Art Preserve (3636 Lower Falls Road, Sheboygan)

Otis Houston Jr. is best known for his public performances and installation work on FDR Drive by New York’s East River, where he has been working since 1997. His site-specific installations and performances include writing, poetry, singing, found objects, and fruit, which are used as both props and materials. Close to a half century prior, in the 1950s, a landowner in Fulton, Missouri, Jesse Howard, began filling 20 acres with hand-painted signs and objects that communicated his views. Despite the geographic and cultural separations, both men prioritized free speech, using signs to communicate their worldviews and concerns. Through July 7. More info at jmkac.org/exhibition/my-name-is-my-word-response-to-jesse-howard.

Wednesday, March 22

Hoops @ Milwaukee Chamber Theatre 

Rarely does a theater production start as a portrait photography series. But such is the origin of Hoops, Ann Siegel wrote: shepherdexpress.com/culture/theater/milwaukee-chamber-unafraid-to-jump-through-hoops-during-wo. The women also discuss how hoop earrings first came into their lives. One had her ears pierced as an infant. For another, raised by strict religious parents, hoops didn’t become part of her life until she turned 18. Before then, earrings and other jewelry, along with makeup, were a strict no-no. After leaving home, she declares she was into “big hoops and high heels.” Through April 2. More info at cart.broadwaytheatrecenter.com/53476/53480.