UWM Jazz Ensemble Repertoire Combo, Present Music - Rituals, Spells & Charms, Flamenco meets West African dance, Mexican folk dance, and Polynesian traditions, Struggle Jennings Cowboy Junkies and more—This Week in Milwaukee Music!
Thursday, March 19
“Wes Bound: The Genius of Wes Montgomery” and a live performance from the UWM Jazz Ensemble Repertoire Combo @ Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, 6:30 p.m.
Wes Bound
The Chuck LaPaglia Live Music and Jazz Film Documentary series serves as crucial funding for The Jazz Gallery to continue to support artists, musicians, and performers. The evening includes the hour-long documentary on guitarist and composer on Wes Montgomery and a live performance from the UWM Jazz Ensemble Repertoire Combo, directed by Dave Bayles.
Glue Man w/ Robits, Full Nude ND Kev. @ MKeUltra, 6:45 p.m.
Kick of the weekend with a four-band bill at the South Side venue that punches way above its weight class. With a maximum capacity of 49, MKeUltra features a wood floor stage that sits before a red curtain. A DJ booth off to the side is illuminated by glowing pink lights. Couches and comfortable chairs line the room in a dimmed ambiance.
The venue’s name is a play on a top-secret government experiment. Fittingly, MKeUltra keeps a low profile from the outside, lacking visible signage. The owners recommend that patrons enter through the wooden side gate, reserving the front door for load-in.
Friday, March 20
Present Music - Rituals, Spells & Charms @ Jan Serr Studio, 7:30 p.m. (Also Saturday)
On May 29, 1913, Igor Stravinsky knocked the dust off Western classical music with The Rite of Spring. Drawing from the savage rhythms of Russia’s folk tradition, Stravinsky’s music triggered a riot at Paris’ Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.
Spring is observed with rites around the whole world, including the Hindu festival of Holi, a celebration at the heart of Present Music’s next concert, “Rituals, Spells & Charms.” Central to the program is Vijay Iyer’s score to Prashant Bhargava’s Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi, a documentary on Holi celebrations in Mathura, India.
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According to Present Music’s co-artistic director, Eric Segnitz, Bhargava filmed the colorful eight-day festival and edited the footage to the length of The Rite of Spring. “Iyer then took the film and wrote completely original music with Indian overtones. It’s just as wild as the original Rite of Spring, just in a different way.”
Saturday, March 21
(W)here in the World @ South Milwaukee PAC, 6 p.m.
What happens when Flamenco meets West African dance, Mexican folk dance, and Polynesian traditions? This explosive evening of global dance and live music takes the stage fusing music and dance traditions from around the world. Unique to Milwaukee, the Midwest and beyond. This performance without borders featuring Ko-Thi African Dance, Prince Adrean & Company (West African & Contemporary), Ometochtli Mexican Folk Dance, Nã Hale Cultural Arts (Polynesian Dance) and Flamenco artists Kerensa DeMars and Evan Christian.
Fly Fest – A Musical Tribute to Paul “Fly” Lawson @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 7 p.m.
Paul Lawson aka Fly aka Paulette D'Amour was a guitar slinger and songwriter who mixed punk, garage and rockabilly sounds. In a series of significant Milwaukee bands Lawson was the glue that effectively made a group more than the sum of its parts.
During a 2025 Celebration of Life in his honor, his friends and family expressed interest in hosting a musical tribute to the significant influence he had on the city’s underground/alternative scene.
Lawson was the cornerstone of several legendary bands included in the tribute: The Alewives, the Dummy Club, Nicole and the Educators, the Immortal Plants, Fly and the Swatters, Dr. Chow’s Love Medicine and Paulette.
In addition to Trash Fest, he helped organize and participated in the long-running Zappa Fest. Members of Lawson’s varied bands will perform as well as groups Floor Model, World in Action, the Swivels and the Mirror Men.
Jeffrey Robert Larson w/ Derek Pritzl and the Gamble and Ben Gretenhart @ Puddler’s Hall, 7 p.m.
“Laugh At My Pain: by Jeffrey Robert Larson
Jeffrey Robert Larson brings his country and western sounds to Milwaukee’s second oldest tavern, Bay View’s historic Puddler’s Hall. With any luck Derek Pritzl and the Gamble will be showcasing new songs following up 2023’s Great Disaster.
Sunday, March 22
“The Music of Hans Zimmer and others–A Celebration of Film Music!” @ Miller High Life Theater
Experience the best film music from Dune, James Bond, The Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lion King, Gladiator, The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar and more. This concert event with The Hollywood Film Orchestra, choir, star soloists and selected film sequences—as well as illumination and laser projection, dives into the musical cosmos of Hans Zimmer.
Monday, March 23
The Night Painters w/ EFH, No Thanks to You and Bowvee @ X-Ray Arcade, 6 p.m.
Photo via X-Ray Arcade
The Night Painters
The Night Painters
Kick off the week with an all-ages show with The Night Painters form Madison; EFH’s blend of neo-soul and funk with elements of metal, classical, jazz and electronic music; indie rock from Milwaukee’s No Thanks To You; and Colombian-American indie pop outfit Bowvee—the creation of Nick Bove,
Tuesday, March 24
Struggle Jennings @ Shank Hall, 8 P.M.
“Last Name” by Struggle Jennings
The grandson of legendary country music icon Waylon Jennings, Struggle Jenning’s message of strength, determination and courage in the face of adversity continues to connect and resonate with people around the world. By sharing his story with honesty and passion he has developed a large and loyal fanbase who relate not only to his music but also to his personal journey.
Since being released from prison in 2016 Struggle has performed for sold out crowds across the country and released multiple projects. He is finally poised to take his place as a true modern-day outlaw and secure his position as the godfather of the burgeoning outlaw hip hop rock and roll movement.
Wednesday, March 25
Cullah w/ EB Albeit @ Mother Lion Retreat, 6:30 p.m.
“The King” by Cullah
Bay View’s Mother Lion Music Series continues with this intimate show. Cullah has released an album every year since 2006; his live shows can range from a folk set with banjo and guitar or an electronic set with samplers and synths. He’s also been a pioneer of open licensing frameworks like Creative Commons and p2p file sharing networks like torrents and blockchains for distribution, licensing, and payment structures for artists.
Multi-instrumentalist EB Albeit’s restless muse leads him to playing upright bass with Joseph Huber but his solo material ranges from songs inspired by lo-fi dub reggae to recent forays into songs on steel body guitar that echo Calypso and West African highlife sounds.
More info here www.motherlionrest.com/events/live-music-session-at-mother-lion
Cowboy Junkies @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 7:30 p.m.
“Sweet Jane” by Cowboy Junkies
By honoring the original arrangement of The Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane,” Cowboy Junkies gained Lou Reed’s approval of their cover version.
Formed in Toronto in 1985 with siblings Michael Timmins on guitar, Margo Timmins on vocals, Peter Timmins on drums and Michael’s lifelong friend Alan Anton on bass, the band has sparkled over the course of 29 albums. “I’ve known Alan longer than I’ve known Pete,” says Michael. “We were friends before Pete was born.”
Unlike most long-lasting groups, Cowboy Junkies have never had a break-up or taken a sanity-saving hiatus. There’s an appreciation of each other that keeps them constantly working. “It’s that intimacy and understanding of what each one of us brings to the table,” says Michael.
