This Week in Milwaukee: March 30-April 5, 2023

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

by

Bobby Rush and more blues than you can shake a stick at; Midwest Gaming Classic; a rally and voting; Milwaukee Brewers Home Opener and more—This Week in Milwaukee!

Thursday, March 30

Bobby Rush @ The Back Room @ Colectivo, 8 p.m.

Music fans with long memories will recall Bobby Rush’s concert at Peck Pavilion as part of the Rainbow Summer series. His revue, complete with dancers, found the ageless King of the Chitlin’ Circuit tearing it up. Now, at age 89, it is unlikely Rush has slowed down. In a career that includes playing with Elmore James, Big Moose Walker and Pinetop Perkins, Rush won a Grammy Award in 2017. With an autobiographical musical, Slippin' Through the Cracks, in the works, here is a chance to catch a living legend in person.

Drunks With Guns w/Aluminum Knot Eye and Florida Brothers Band @ Bremen Cafe, 9:30 p.m.

Drunks With Guns formed in the mid ‘80s and there seems to be a though-line connecting the St. Louis sludgemeisters early 45s (bad pun, sorry) as influential to the Amphetamine Reptile label. In 2018 the group played what was called their “first tour in 30 years,” so if you are so inclined—don’t stay in on a Thursday night. Earplugs would not be a bad idea.

Friday, March 31

The Midwest Gaming Classic @ Wisconsin Center, 6 p.m.

The Midwest Gaming Classic is a trade show featuring over 200,000 square feet of retro and modern home video game consoles, pinball machines, arcade video games, tabletop RPGs, computers, tabletop board games, crane games, collectible card games and air hockey. The event is all about celebrating gaming, trying new things, learning about the gaming hobby and meeting others who share the love of gaming. No matter if you have one console and a handful of games or thousands of games in every room of your house, you’ll find something to celebrate.

Friends of the Shepherd

Help support Milwaukee's locally owned free weekly magazine.

LEARN MORE

Through Sunday. More info here: midwestgamingclassic.com.

The 10th Annual Milwaukee Blues Festival @ Miller High Life Theatre, 7 p.m.

The Blues is Alright Tour, the 10th Annual Milwaukee Blues Festival takes over the Miller High Life Theatre featuring Tucka, Calvin Richardson, Pokey Bear, King George, Chick Rodgers, and J-WONN.

Die Fledermuas (The Bat) @ Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts (2419 E. Kenwood Blvd.), 7:30 p.m.

UWM Opera Theater and Symphony Orchestra present Die Fledermaus (The Bat), a comic operetta with music by Johann Strauss. It includes trickery, romance, and a lot of champagne, all part of an elaborate prank played on the oblivious protagonist. As the grand party unfolds, everyone struggles to maintain the illusion of their false identities, all for the revenge of the bat himself. Also Saturday. More info here: uwm.edu/arts/event/spring-opera-production.

Milwaukee Slim @ Mamie’s, 9 p.m.

Shake the blues at Mamie’s with Milwaukee Slim, Brian Miller, Jerry Barry and Brian Miller and legendary Japanese guitarist Minoru Maruyama.

Bobfest '23 w/ Art Paul Schlosser, Tim Finnegan & Fangerlis @ Quarters Rock 'n Roll Palace, 9 p.m.

Your $10 cover or $5 with donation to Mr. Bob’s, gets you free food and door prizes. The exile to Center Street for this show includes a trio of Madison acts including longtime State Street busker Art Paul Schlosser.

Saturday, April 1

Rally for Our Rights @ Red Arrow Park, noon

Join Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, Women Win Wisconsin, Citizen Action, Family Friendly Action PAC, Fair Wisconsin, Human Rights Campaign Wisconsin, Medical Students for Choice, SEIU WI State Council, Wisconsin Progress and community members to this rally ahead of the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Come hear about what's at stake this election and how you can make an impact.

The Beatles @ Shepherd Express Roof, tea time or thereabouts

Could this one-off performance lead to a reunion tour for the legendary cult band? It has been a while, granted but the timing is perfect, you have to agree. Last time The Fabs convened for a rooftop event they performed hits “Can’t Buy Me Lunch” and “All You Need is Cash.”

John Justus and the Society of Gentle People w/ As Oak & Jorge Vallentine @ Linneman’s, 7 p.m.

This triple bill serves as a release party for John Justus’ EP “For You, With Love.” A dual citizen (born in Australia, raised in Nebraska), Justus brings a global perspective to his music. Jorge Vallentine’s distinctive indie folk sound channels the music of early Bright Eyes, Brand New and Arctic Monkeys. His performances feature acoustic guitar, vulnerable lyrics, intimate vocals, percussive and rhythmic finger style and picking, a foot tambourine, and a variety of effects pedals. As Oak’s psychedelic folk rounds out the lineup.

Sunday, April 2

Sun Rooms @ The Sugar Maple, 3:30 p.m.

Sun Rooms is a trio lead by vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, with bassist Nate McBride and drummer Mike Reed. The New York Times’ Ben Ratliff praised the group saying, “The music is very early-‘60s and imitates the temper of some jazz from that period: swinging vanguardist records like Duke Ellington’s Money Jungle, Eric Dolphy’s Out There, and Andrew Hill’s Smoke Stack. Nobody here grandstands, fusses over details, or wastes time. Solos take their place in an arrangement and then disappear. There’s no problem of scale or mismatch of affect to material. It’s a modest and affecting band, in control of its mood.” Sun Rooms will be in its original form, with McBride on bass, who last played with the band 10 years ago.

Monday, April 3

Milwaukee Brewers Home Opener @ American Family Field, 1:10 p.m.

With any luck the Crew will have a three-game lead over the Cubs by the time they take the field on Monday for the 2023 home opener. Here’s a look at Matthew J. Prigge’s new book on the history of Brewers Opening Days shepherdexpress.com/sports/brewers-on-deck/milwaukee-historian-looks-back-on-opening-day-in-milwaukee and Kyle Lobner made some predictions on stats for a handful of players this season shepherdexpress.com/sports/brewers-on-deck/setting-expectations-for-the-2023-brewers

Hope springs eternal and it’s long road to the World Series in October. But you never know, at least I don’t.

Tuesday, April 4

Vote! 

Spring elections are local elections for city, village, town or county offices along with judicial elections, school board elections and any special elections to fill vacancies.

Need directions for you polling place? myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Find-My-Polling-Place  See our endorsements here: shepherdexpress.com/news/features/please-vote-on-april-4.

Skerryvore @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.

Scotland’s Skerryvore create a unique feel good, folk-fusion sound that has enabled the band to break traditional boundaries. The band's wide range of influences and talent produce a musically expansive, high energy set that excites and captivates audiences. With six studio albums, they demonstrate the wide range of influences the individual musicians bring to the mix in a unique fusion of folk, trad, rock and pop.

Wednesday, April 5

Madeleine Kelson & Eliza Hanson w/Alaina Stacey @ Var Gallery, 6:30 p.m.

Madeleine Kelson has been writing and performing music since childhood, developing a unique, country-leaning style of Americana laced with elements of rock and blues. She spent her early career performing with her twin sister in Chicago band, The Kelson Twins and she won the 2017 International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) Songwriter Showcase.

Eliza Hanson knows how to smooth out life’s ups and downs by covering them with melody and charm. Her vulnerability in processing her life through song has attracted those listeners who crave authenticity. She combines the honesty of a traditional singer/songwriter, mixed with an indie folk country flare to project a style all her own. Alaina Stacey’s first release, DAWN, offers a peek into the old soul within her, where heartbreak, worldliness and a romantic spirit reside.