This Week in Milwaukee: Sept.1-7, 2022

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

by

September kicks off with an eclectic mix from experimental and improvisational music to folksongs at the historic Beulah Brinton House. Art by Riverwest Elders and in the Third Ward, a Shrek Fest in the park and a birthday celebration for a cornerstone of Milwaukee music and more—This Week in Milwaukee!

Thursday, Sept. 1

Atomic @ Sugar Maple, 8 p.m.

World class improvised jazz from Atomic, the group that has been at the forefront of the Scandinavian and European contemporary scene for nearly 20 years. Earning widespread acclaim for creating a completely unique and identifiable sound that seamlessly merges the American and European free jazz traditions, the group combines Jazz, improvisation and ideas from classical contemporary.  Late 2018 they released Pet Variations with compositions by Edgar Varese, Olivier Messiaen, Steve Lacy, Jimmy Giuffre, Jan Garbarek and Brian Wilson. Jamie Lee Rake spoke with bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten in advance of the show: shepherdexpress.com/music/music-feature/atomic-brings-vanguard-jazz-to-sugar-maple.

Riverwest Elders Exhibit Opening @ Inspiration Studios (1500 S. 73rd Street West Allis), 5 p.m.

Milwaukee Riverwest Elders will adorn the gallery walls of Inspiration Studios with their eclectic works of art during the month of September. The exhibit includes original works in a variety of media (photography, watercolor, acrylics) by 10 artists associated with the Riverwest Artists Association.

Bonnie Bruch, who organized the group for this exhibit, strives to create painterly, stylistic portraits of people caught unaware in a moment of time, a moment we all may experience. Her pastel portraits are often developed from 5, 10, or 15-minute sketches.  Her landscapes are painted with acrylics & Caran d’ache.

With this medium, her style changed.  “I found these mediums led me to paint boldly… loud… noisy … and sassy.” Tonia Kountz identifies herself as a lifetime artist who normally works in multiple mediums. “I only did one piece of artwork during the crux of the pandemic—although it has over 40 pieces to it. It is called ‘Mystics Summit’ and I wanted it to be in this exhibit. During these past 2-3 years, social media has had a strangle hold on me. My garden plants are now begging for attention, making it difficult for me to just sketch or paint them like I used to.”

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Through Sept. 25. More info here: inspirationstudiosgallery.com.

Friday, Sept 2

This One Goes To 11! @ The Miramar Theatre, 6 p.m.

Milwaukee is lucky to be known as Jeff Hamilton’s home base. The degrees of separation from Hamilton and any local musician or fan is way less than seven. You may have seen him onstage with Beatallica or Violent Femmes; working the mixing board at Summerfest; heard many of the artists he has recorded at his Hamtone Audio studio or mixing the music at Fiserv during Bucks games. On Friday he takes a break and throws himself a birthday party. Among the acts on the bill, Skyline and Mississippi Cactus are reuniting. Hamilton will likely be onstage often as well with Suburban Underground, The tRucK and Beatallica.

Friday, Sept. 8

Festa Italiana @ Italian Community Center, through Sunday

A tradition since 1978, Festa Italiana returns with plenty to learn, eat and hear. The reasons are plenty: Italian heritage and cultural exhibit, Cucina Showcase with chef Adam Pawlak, best sauce contest, cannoli eating contest, bocce tournament, Italian Idol vocal talent competition. Music from Giovanni Amodeo, Generation Z, Enzo Scarabo, Frank Lamphere & His Rat Pack Jazz Quartet, Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra and more. Sunday mass at 10:30a.m.

First Fridays Presents Karen Beaumont, Organ & René Izquierdo, Guitar @ Grace Lutheran Church, 5 p.m.

Karen Beaumont and René Izquierdo present an evening of Spanish music. Cuban-born Izquierdo is a unique artist and passionate educator whose career has been dedicated to inspiring individuals and connecting communities. “His natural and instinctive interpretations are second to none: his virtuoso technique allows him absolute command of the instrument, subtle phrasing, dazzling speed, beautiful tonal control... everything.” — Classical Guitar magazine

Neko Case @ Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.

The trajectory of Neko Case’s music has been steadily climbing since her 2000 album Furnace Room Lullaby in particular. Case’s free-range artistry has led to her own unique records with vocal foil Kelly Hogan, as well as collaborations with The New Pornographers, various Mekons, as well as k.d. lang and Laura Viers. Lyrically, Case’s imagery blurs the listener’s regard with interpretations from nature to science fiction. Vocally, she’s earthy and grounded yet other times barley tethered to the stage. With the benefit of hindsight, her 2002 Milwaukee show—an acoustic performance which found Case strumming a tenor guitar with a pair of backing musicians served as a roadmap for a career that dispenses with roadmaps.

Saturday Sept. 3

Third Ward Art Festival, 10 a.m.

The 10th annual Third Ward Art Festival will showcase the work of more than 130 juried artists from around the country in a variety of mediums including ceramics, fiber, glass jewelry, sculpture, mixed media, paintings, drawings, photography, printmaking, wood and furniture. In addition to artwork available for purchase, attendees will be able to interact with artists through demonstrations and booth chats. The festival features an interactive kid’s art tent, face painting, live music on two stages, and great food and drink options from neighboring restaurants and festival food vendors.

Though Sunday. More info here: amdurproductions.com/event/2022-third-ward-art-festival.

Shrekfest @ Humboldt Park, 3 p. m.

Shrekfest is a free, all ages, annual, one-day outdoor music and art festival. Since 2014 the event has included a costume contest, onion eating contest, live music, local vendors, wacky games and prizes and a screening of Shrek.

Post Doom Romance w/ Brent Gutzeit and Jay Mollerskov & Nicholas Elert @ Surrealist Sands, 7 p.m.

An evening of experimental music and the debut performance of Post Doom Romance, the duo of Mykel Boyd and educator/musician/performance artist Sea. Their new collaboration with Brent Gutzeit, Buried Vestiges, was just released digitally and as a limited-edition cassette.

KASE @ Saint Kate, 7 p.m.

Fusion in the strictest sense might have been a legit term, but KASE refer to their music as blurring “the lines of Black American Music. Jazz, Hip Hop, Electronic and many other branches from Black American diaspora. We are musically restless. Sometimes we feel unsettled, unprepared, uneasy—maybe a sense of searching is a more appropriate (positive?) way of putting it. There are times when we think this is a good thing, other times—maybe not.”

They are a thoughtful, challenging group happening at the perfect place in time, both culturally and sonically. This performance (Jamie Breiwick, trumpet and electronics; John Christensen, bass; Jordan Lee, turntables and electronics) is a release party for Season Two, In Full Bloom.

Tuesday, Sept. 6

Bryan Bowers @ Beulah Brinton House Gazebo, 7 p.m.

Bring a lawn chair and settle in. World renowned multi-instrumentalist Bryan Bowers is recognized as an autoharp virtuoso, folksinger, songwriter and storyteller. “For over five decades, Bryan Bowers has been to the autoharp what Earl Scruggs was to the five-string banjo. He presents instrumental virtuosity combined with warmth, eloquence, expression and professionalism.”