This Week in MKE Music: Jan. 22-28, 2026

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

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This Week in MKE Music

Thursday, Jan. 22

Third Coast Blues Collective @ The Annex at Foxtown, 6 p.m.

Blues music spans generations. Three decades ago, a Shepherd Express profile of guitarist Perry Weber described his joining Jim Liban’s combo. Weber and bassist Kurt Koening are again in the mix when the Third Coast Blues Collective heats up with youngsters, drummer Matt Liban carrying on the family name and harmonica ace Benny Rickun featured on solos.

Friday, Jan. 23

Cate Le Bon w/Frances Chang @ Vivarium, 7 p.m.

Its creation led by pure emotion, Cate Le Bon’s seventh record Michelangelo Dying usurped the album she thought she was making and, in the process, became a kind of exorcism. What emerges is a wonderfully iridescent attempt to photograph a wound before it closes up—but which in doing so, picks at it too.

Spiders from Milwaukee – Music of David Bowie @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.

David Bowie checked in and checked out in January, 69 years apart. In many ways he reflected and refracted what was happening around him musically and culturally. Led by ringleader Brain Wurch, Spiders from Milwaukee celebrates the music of Bowie.  

Saturday, Jan. 24

5th Annual Bluegrass Winter Heater @ The Cooperage, 7 p.m.

The MilBillies host this heater featuring Art Stevenson & High Water, Derek Pritzl & The Gamble, Valley Fox and more, rounding out the evening with emcee Jordan Kroeger and special guest Ernie Brusubardis IV.

The MilBillies blend traditional bluegrass sounds with a progressive approach. Guitarist, singer, and harmonicist Art Stevenson has played in bluegrass bands since the late 1970s. His band of ringers, High Water, play it tight and close to the vest.

Derek Pritzl and The Gamble’s album Great Disaster was seven years in the making. The songwriter works like a craftsman, turning and whittling songs until they are ready. “Well, I know where I come from, they call it the Great Midwest,” Pritzl sings on the album’s closing track. A mix of resignation and intensity, it allows Andrew Koenig’s guitar to take on a second voice—just this side of off-the-rails in responding to lyric passages, “I will be judged by what I get done and how I deal with what I’ve been dealt.” Power folk trio Valley Fox members include Joe Wais of the MilBillies along with Laura Bomber and Tori Yocum; the group has been compared to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

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Indie-Rock Formal -- Social Cig w/ Sheebie & the Lovemakers and Deep Dive @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 7 p.m.

 Looking for an excuse to step out in style? Formal attire is encouraged for this night out. Social Cig is the “Indie-Skate-Rock” music project of Filipino American, part-time podcaster Parker Schultz. Consisting of contagious authenticity, cheery live shows and cultivating an original story with an attitude of gratitude, Social Cig is chasing full-circle moments. Sheebie is the indie-funk music identity of Sheamus Alexander. Sweet grooves and catchy riffs lie at the heart of this DIY project. Madison’s Deep Dive is the bedroom rock project of Cooper Allen Smith. Blending the introspection of DIY recording with the energy of indie rock, Smith crafts songs that feel both raw and immediate—music born from quiet moments but made to fill a room. His sound moves fluidly between jangly guitars, warm textures, and emotional lyricism.

Sunday, Jan. 25

Will Branch @ Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co., 11 a.m.

Best known as half the duo Fox & Branch, Will Branch returns to Anodyne for another early show. Expect a mix of family-friendly folk, old-timey and original songs. Maybe even selections from the recent “When Dylan Met Guthrie” concert.

Open Jam w/ Uncle Don @ Nashville North, 6 p.m.

Sunday evenings multi-instrumentalist Don Woppert invites musicians to take the stage, complete with the house PA. Solo, combo, full band; any genre is welcome. The kitchen is open, which makes this a perfect way to close out a weekend.

Monday, Jan. 26

Anastasia Coope w/ Autobahn, Apollo Vermouth and Cut @ X-Ray Arcade, 6 p.m.

NYC, Chicago and Milwaukee are represented in this all-ages show. Anastasia Coope brings alternative indie/folk; Autobahn’s sound might be a reference to the German motorway or a nod to the Kraftwerk tune inspired by the hi-speed route or maybe neither. From the band’s website: Q: It seems there are two bands named Autobahn, one is from the UK, why is that? A: That is none of our business.

Confused? What’s in a name any way? When Milwaukee’s prolific ambient/drone artist Apollo Vermouth takes stage don’t expect Paul McCartney (who also used the alias when he wasn’t busy naming The Ramones.) Alisa Rodriguez’ resume also includes work with Lost Spirit, White Tropics and one-gig with Wasted Islands. Back in October, Chicago’s CUT (Current Union TM) played two nights of Stooges material. The group’s Bandcamp page has a pair of recently-released tunes that make the ALBUM SOON message all the more intriguing.

Tuesday, Jan. 27

Chloe Kimes w/ Living Room @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.

Michigan’s Chloe Kimes’ 2022 self-titled debut album was voted “Listener’s Choice Album of the Year” by WYCE Radio as well as landing her a spot on NPR Music’s Top Ten Nashville Artists on the Rise. Her 2024 single “Coors Light” followed. A songwriting troubadour with new music pointing towards a courageous sophomore release, Kimes fronts a spirited alt-country outfit.

Wednesday, Jan. 28

Swing Jazz Wednesday: Micro Brew Swing Band @ The Argo, 7 p.m.

Get moving to the sounds of Micro Brew Swing Band. The group brings vintage heat to the North Shore's newest live music space; $1 from every ticket sold goes to a fund benefiting local artist mental health and well-being.

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 Cherkinian 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.