This Week in Milwaukee: Sept. 28- Oct.4, 2023

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

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EARTH Art of Nature at The Domes, a lesson in food history, the inaugural Riverwest Jazz Fest, Jerry Harrison and Stop Making Sense at the Oriental, Ex Fabula, Ringo Starr and more—This Week in Milwaukee!

Thursday, Sept. 28

EARTH Art of Nature @ The Domes, through Nov. 5

Mindfulness: where do you find art? Is it in plants, in trees, and in rocks? Delve into the artistry of life while admiring the beautiful architecture of nature. An autumnal palette of marigolds, rudbeckias, celosia and exhibition chrysanthemums awaits you.

A Milwaukee treasure for more than 150 years the Mitchell Park Domes has been an oasis in an urban environment providing therapeutic value of an indoor tropical and desert garden throughout the year. The urban conservatory is critical to the health and well-being of Milwaukee County residents. It is home to a $3.2 million world-class plant collection. More info on the future of The Domes here: milwaukeedomes.org/about-the-domes/the-future-of-the-domes.

Friday, Sept. 29

Holy Food @ Boswell Book Company, 6:30 p.m.

Christina Ward, author of Holy Food: How Cults, Communes, and Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat - An American History, unravels the ways religious beliefs intersect with food to tell a different story of America—one of true believers and charlatans, of idealists and visionaries, and of the everyday people who followed them, often at their peril. 

Religious beliefs have been the source of food ‘rules’ since Pythagoras told his followers not to eat beans (they contain souls). Holy Foodstudies how the explosion of religious movements since the Great Awakenings birthed a cottage industry of food fads that gained mainstream acceptance. Ward makes sharp observations with new insights into American history in her journey through the American kitchen.

Riverwest Jazz Fest @ Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts,  Bar Centro and Company Brewing

The inaugural Riverwest Jazz Fest kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with a New Orleans style marching band grooving from Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts up Center Street to Company Brewing. 

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Three music venues on Center Street are teaming up for the first Riverwest Jazz Fest, this Friday night at the Jazz Gallery, Bar Centro and Company Brewing. The fest lineup is colorfully diverse and headlined by two-time Grammy-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch. Another notable act is the fast-rising band Heirloom. (shepherdexpress.com/music/local-music/trumpeting-riverwests-jazz-fest)

Stop Making Sense @ Oriental Theatre, 5 p.m. 

When Stop Making Sense plays at the Oriental the theater transforms into a ground-shaking dance concert. By this point in the band’s career (1984), the quartet had expanded to become a polyrhythmic new wave funk brigade drawing from the likes of Parliament and Fela Kuti. Newly restored in 4K to coincide with its 40th anniversary, the film was directed by renowned filmmaker Jonathan Demme and is considered by critics as the greatest concert film of all time. 

Milwaukee native and Talking Heads multi-instrumentalist Jerry Harrison will be in attendance for a live audience Q&A following the 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. screenings on Saturday as well as an extended introduction for the 10 p.m. screening on Saturday and both an extended introduction and live audience Q&A at the 7 p.m. screening on Sunday. 

Showtimes though Oct. 5: mkefilm.org/oriental-theatre/events/stop-making-sense.

Saturday, Sept. 30

Ex Fabula @ The Interchange Theater Co-Op, 11 a.m.

For Ex Fabula's 15th Anniversary Season they are bringing back All-Ages StorySlams, its first in-person All-Ages StorySlam since the COVID-19 lockdown. While many Ex Fabula StorySlams are geared more towards adult audiences, this All-Ages StorySlams invites families to attend and possibly even share a story together.

The theme will be “Best Day Ever,” and all content shared will be family friendly. Ex Fabula’s StorySlams are live events featuring true, personal stories from community members. Some stories are told onstage, and others are UltraShorts written by audience members and read by the emcee. At this Slam, any attendee can throw their name in the hat for the chance to share a true, personal story on the night’s theme. Stories should be shared in 5 minutes or less and without any props or notes. More info at exfabula.org.

MKE Studio Tour @ various locations, through Sunday

Join 57 artisans this weekend for a personalized self-guided studio tour in Milwaukee County. Explore the vibrant art scene with artists waiting to share their talents at 22 studio locations. Explore and support the exceptional talents of Wisconsin Craft artists; don't miss this opportunity to connect. More info at mkestudiotour.com.

Bruce Humphries And The Rockabilly Rebels - Vinyl Album Release w/ The Rock-A-Dials @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 8 p.m.

“I’ve always had a slightly twisted sense of humor and that reflects in a lot of my song writing, artwork, etc. ‘In My Backyard’ was started before Covid but finished during the lockdown. I thought that the world needed a song that was light on subject and just plain happy, so I wrote a song about growing old, falling apart and dying,” songwriter Bruce Humphries said: shepherdexpress.com/music/local-music/vinyl-lives-bruce-humphries-and-the-rockabilly-rebels.

Earlier this year Humphries and the Rockabilly Rebels released the CD Live It Up. It looked kind of strange though—the cover art was wonky, yet the oversized packaging offered a clue. Inside was a pair of 3D glasses which transform the images of Humphries and his bandmates. This show marks the release of the album on vinyl.

Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band @ Miller High Life Theatre, 8 p.m.

If you believe that Paul McCartney has been dead since 1966, here is a chance to see the sole surviving Beatle. As a drummer, Ringo Starr’s distinctive beats were the heart of the soundtrack for generations: “She Loves You,” "With A Little Help From My Friends," “Rain,” and “Tomorrow Never Knows.” As a singer Starr’s greatest hits include “Act Naturally,” “Octopus’ Garden,” “It Don’t come Easy,” and “Photograph.”

With his All Starr bands Ringo shares the heavy lifting. This time around Edgar Winter, Steve Lukather and Colin Hay have a ticket to ride.

Sunday, Oct. 1

China Lights 2023: Nature's Glow @ Boerner Botanical Gardens, through October 29

China Lights 2023 features a new theme and new lanterns. Explore biodiversity in the ocean world and beyond with larger-than-life light displays. The animated crab, glowing mandarin fish and the giant octopus tunnel are just some of the highlights of this year's event. 

Visitors will see something different at every turn as they walk through the garden at night. Nightly live stage entertainment will be back at the shrub mall with favorite acts such as face changing and foot juggling. More info here: chinalights.org.

Monday, Oct. 2

Milwaukee Comedy Festival @ various venues. Continues through Oct. 8.

Celebrating 18 years, Milwaukee Comedy Festival features performers from across the country in live shows and special events at venues across Milwaukee. This year’s headliners include Kyle Kinane, Todd Barry, Kelly Ryan and Dave Stone.  

More info here: mkecomedyfest.com.

Tuesday, Oct. 3

John Raymond and S. Carey Present Shadowlands @  The Cooperage, 7 p.m.

For Bon Iver sideman S. Carey and Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter John Raymond, the opportunity to collaborate has been a long time in the making. 

Their new co-release Shadowlands combines the warmth and beauty of Carey’s aesthetic with the improvisational, spontaneous nature of Raymond’s, blurring the lines between indie folk, forward-thinking jazz, lush pop, and atmospheric electronic music. 

“Even though our musical worlds were different, I always felt like there would be something there if we got together,” says Raymond. Carey adds, “When we talked about the idea of working on a record, just kind of seeing what our sounds combined would add up to, I knew there was a lot of potential. What started out as just an experiment ended up turning into something really special.”

Wednesday, Oct. 4

Blueburg Cafe - Open Mic Night @ Cedarburg Cultural Center, 6 p.m.

Open mic night returns to the Blueburg Café. Sign up and try out your material. More info here: cedarburgculturalcenter.org/blueburg-cafe.

Taking the City By Storm: The Birth of Milwaukee's Punk Scene streaming through Oct. 7.

This documentary focusing on the progression of Milwaukee’s protopunk, power pop, punk and new wave is something of a history lesson on how music and culture that we now take for granted was birthed. Filmmakers Doug LaValliere, Judy Simonds and Clancy Carroll talked about the project here: shepherdexpress.com/podcasts/sonicrendezvous/doug-lavalliere-judy-simonds-and-clancy-carroll-of-taking-th. Archival footage and interviews with departed key figures offer a glimpse into the nascent local scene created by the seismic events of 1977. indiflixx.com/videos/taking-the-city-by-storm-the-birth-of-the-milwaukee-punk-scene

Lothario w/ NewBucksBiloxi, Lavish Waste and Jinksie @ Last Rites, 8 p.m.

A midweek blowout: four bands for a sliding pay-what-you-can cover charge. From hallway around the world comes Melbourne’s Lothario; consider the legacy of Aussie hi-energy music: AC/DC, Radio Birdman, The Saints, The Birthday Party. New Orleans’ NewBucksBiloxi, hails from the city long recognized as ground zero for crazy and great music; from Jelly Roll Morton’s spanish tinge to Bobby Marchan’s refracted genius to Fats Domino’s chart dominance to becoming Alex Chilton’s adopted home. Locals Lavish Waste and Jinksie round out the evening.