This Week in MKE Music: Jan. 15-21, 2026

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

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This Week in MKE Music

Happy MLK Day, Real Estate celebrates the album Atlas, Terrapin Flyer, AJ Lee and Blue Summit w/ Ben Majeska, Greg Freeman w/ Golomb, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration and more—This Week in Milwaukee Music!

Thursday, Jan. 15

Real Estate @ Vivarium, 8 p.m.

Indie rockers Real Estate’s tour “A Celebration of Atlas – the 11 Year and 10 Month Anniversary Tour” pretty much says it all. The band will be “playing almost the entire album in its entirety (basically) and other lesser-known tunes from the Atlas era.” They will also be playing a selection of their greatest hits.

Friday, Jan. 16

Terrapin Flyer @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.

Expect the spirit of recently departed Grateful Dead guitarist and singer Bob Weir to be in the air when Terrapin Flyer takes the stage. For the past 25 years the band has become a fixture on the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs.

Cold Comfort Song Pull w/ John Sieger, Mike Fredrickson & Rob Gjersoe @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 7:30 p.m.

John Sieger’s songs have been in his setlists with The R&B Cadets and Semi Twang, Mike Fredrickson’s catalog with The Mosleys and under his own name is one of the more impressive local resumes. Guitarist Rob Gjersoe played with The Hip Waders, The Milwaukeeans and Robbie Fulks before moving to Austin to play with The Flatlanders.

AJ Lee and Blue Summit w/ Ben Majeska @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.

Santa Cruz, CA-based AJ Lee & Blue Summit have become rising stars in the roots music world, blending bluegrass and folk. Led by powerhouse mandolinist AJ Lee, the band—featuring Jan Purat, Scott Gates, and Sullivan Tuttle—combines heartfelt songwriting and dazzling musicianship. With their latest album City of Glass, they continue to captivate audiences while staying true to their roots. Armchair Boogie’s Ben Majeska opens the show.

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Saturday, Jan. 17

Elevator Jazz Band @ Gathering Place Brewing Company, 6:30 p.m.

Milwaukee trio Elevator Jazz Band expands to a four piece for this show.  The acoustic group includes mandolin, guitar, accordion and bass and plays a mix of jazz, hot club and original compositions.

Rachel Drew w/ Julien Kozak @ Anodyne, 6:30 p.m.

Chicago singer-songwriter Rachel Drew is celebrated for her soulful voice and catchy, self-penned tunes that blend pop, rock, folk, and retro soul. Her latest album, Old Sky New, was recognized as one of the 13 Best Chicago Albums of 2024 by the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ/Vocalo-NPR.  

Alan Harrison of The Rocking Magpie writes of Drew’s latest album, “There’s something of a hint of Dusty in Memphis, minus the strings here; as Rachel has a similar breathy and pearlescent voice that reels you in ... the arrangements are pure Laurel Canyon at its height when Linda Ronstadt and Mama Cass could do no wrong.”

Soft-spoken opener Julien Kozak takes influences from the likes of James Taylor, John Mayer and Ed Sheeran.

Violet Wilder w/ Allison Mahal & Wildered @ The Argo, 8 p.m.

Violet Wilder’s sound is based around the vocal harmonies of Kimberly Hetelle, Melissa Hardtke and Jayna Rouse. The group’s name is a nod to the Wisconsin state flower and writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, who grew up in Pepin.

Note: $1 from every ticket sold goes to a fund benefiting local artist mental health & wellbeing.

Sunday, Jan. 18

Maul w/ Drillbit, Scroll and Desensitized @ X-Ray Arcade, 3:30 p.m.

Here’s an all-ages matinee with four flavors of death metal: North Dakota’s Maul, join Oshkosh’s Drillbit, with locals Scroll and Desensitized

Monday, Jan. 19

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration @ Marcus Performing Arts Center, 4 p.m.

“True Peace” is the theme of the 42nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration. Events include Rev. Joseph Ellwanger Social Justice Award winner Andre Lee Ellis; and winners of the art, speech and writing contests.

Greg Freeman w/ Golomb @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.

Greg Freeman sings about “cruciform fossils” and “Vesuvian worlds” without pretense while the music stomps to a primitive groove. This show just might be the sleeper of the week. Freeman’s “Tower” is a fine-tuned recipe of Krautrock, slacker vibe and taut high-wire guitar that gauges more interest than a Monday night show would suggest.

Tuesday, Jan. 20

Hamilton @ Marcus Performing Arts Center, though Feb. 1

Hamilton returns—creator Lin-Manuel Miranda perfectly blends hip-hop, rap, pop, soul, R&B and traditional show tunes, making history come alive on stage that excites, thrills, educates and entertains—all at once. Of the 2021 Milwaukee run, Shepherd Express’ Harry Cherkinain set the scene “What time is it?  Showtime,” goes one of the many memorable quotes from this amazing, well-produced show, and what a time it is to see history performed in this rapid-fire rap-style song and dance that entrances and delights through its two hours and 50 minutes (including 20-minute intermission).

Just in case: Alexander Hamilton is one of America’s founding fathers who helped write the Federalist Papers and backed Thomas Jefferson for President, much to the chagrin of Hamilton’s frenemy, Aaron Burr. Spoiler alert: Burr would go on to shoot and kill Hamilton in a duel, making a martyr of Hamilton and Burr a villain throughout history.

Wednesday, Jan. 21

Ellise w/ Meg Smith @ X-Ray Arcade, 7 p.m.

Ellise’s “dark pop” should appeal to fans of Ariana Grande, Lorde, Lana Del Rey and Melanie Martinez. “My philosophy is that life comes in phases,” Ellise said, describing her process in a doomboxmusic.com interview. “There are going to be high phases and there are going to be low phases. For me, the life I am living very much mirrors the music I’m making. I let those phases ebb and flow, and as I’m feeling low in my life, I let myself write music about that.”

“…with Disco Dystopia, one part of me is like trying to organize and donate and protest - even bringing my parents to protests,” Meg Smith said at  poppassionblog.com. “Then, at the same time, at night, I'm like, ‘all I want to do is go dancing with my friends.’ Because you need those moments of joy to get you through all of the frustration that we're feeling.”