Coliseum @ Riverwest Public House, July 21
Thursday, July 16
Liturgy w/ Yvette and Jon Mueller @ Cactus Club, 9 p.m.
Anybody who follows metal closely can attest that the genre can sometimes seem like a religion, but few bands take that concept more literally than Liturgy, a Brooklyn group that seeps their black metal in transcendentalist imagery. On recent albums like The Ark Work, their second for Thrill Jockey Records, the group has explored metal’s experimental fringes, incorporating electronic tones, unusual hip-hop beats, swollen strings and prog-rock grandeur. It’s the work of a band creating its own faith as they go along.
Friday, July 17
Festa Italiana @ Summerfest Grounds
One of the largest of Milwaukee’s many ethnic festivals, Festa Italiana will bring classic cuisine, authentic entertainment and plenty of Parmesan to the Summerfest grounds this weekend. Aside from dozens of vendors serving up meatballs, rice balls and many types of noodles in various combinations, Festa offers dancing, a cannoli eating contest, a bocce ball competition, cooking demonstrations from celebrity chef Rossella Rago (of Food Network’s “24 Hour Restaurant Battle”) and a massive fireworks display each night. Strolling musicians are on hand to serenade festivalgoers, complementing four stages of music featuring acts such as Louis Prima Jr., The Bronx Wanderers, Tony Spavone and the cover bands U2Zoo and Stayin’ Alive, a Bee Gee’s tribute. (Through Sunday, July 19.)
Saturday, July 18
Milwaukee Firkin Craft Beer Festival @ Cathedral Square Park, 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
The Milwaukee Firkin Craft Beer Festival caters to educated beer aficionados with samples of more than 150 craft beers from breweries all over the country, including dozens of Wisconsin ones. The specialty here is firkins—cask-conditioned barrels of small-batch beers that are naturally carbonated while they’re in the cask, producing a very different flavor from most modern beers. There will also be a Breweriana tent showcasing old beer memorabilia and artifacts. VIP ticket holders get early admission to the festival at 3 p.m.
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Port Fish Day @ Port Washington Harbor, 8 a.m.
Of course the world’s largest one-day fish fry is held in Wisconsin. Where else would it be? Set near Port Washington’s Downtown harbor, Port Fish Day serves up about 10,000 pounds of cod and 13,000 pounds of fried potatoes every year. The long-running event at Port Washington’s lakefront will feature an 8K run and 2 mile Fun Run/Walk at 8 a.m., a parade through Downtown Port Washington at 10 a.m., a classic car show, carnival rides, helicopter rides, a smoked fish-eating contest and fireworks, along with five stages of food and entertainment. The day’s big headliner is local favorite Naima Adedapo, who represented Milwaukee well as an “American Idol” finalist.”
The Grovelers w/ The Rotten Tommys and Knuckleduster @ Riverwest Public House, 9:30 p.m.
Made up of members of Milwaukee punk and rockabilly bands from the past, including The Rebuilts, Haymarket Riot, Altered State and The Riveters, The Grovelers specialize in the sounds of early rock ’n’ roll, in particular hard-strummed rockabilly and rowdy ’60s garage rock. At this show they’ll celebrate the release of a new album, which they recorded with local punk luminary Shane Hochstetler at his Howl Street Recordings studio.
Sunday, July 19
Armenian Fest @ St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
What began as a family picnic in the 1930s has grown into one of the Midwest’s largest celebrations of Armenian culture. Milwaukee’s annual Armenian Fest provides a glimpse into the traditions of one of the world’s oldest surviving civilizations, celebrating the American-Armenian heritage with a vast sampling of Near Eastern music and Armenian culinary traditions. Snack on homemade shish-kabob, grape leaves, baklava and other Mediterranean favorites between visits to the Culture Booth, which will sell a variety of Armenian artifacts.
Tuesday, July 21
Don Rickles @ Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 8 p.m.
Move over, Triumph. After all these decades, Don Rickles is still the world’s foremost insult comedian. While Rickles’ days of with the Rat Pack and presiding over celebrity roasts are long over, the 89-year-old standup has lost none of his snarky touch. He’s as audacious—and at times as flat-out vicious—as he ever was. As anybody who has seen the comedian at one of his semi-regular appearances at the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino can attest, it’s best not to call too much attention to yourself during his shows, otherwise he might single you out for a routine. (Also Wednesday, July 22.)
Coliseum w/ Xerxes, Hot Coffin and Foreign Lawns @ Riverwest Public House, 8 p.m.
For over a decade, the Louisville trio Coliseum has been churning out heavy music for the thinking man, building on their native city’s long tradition of smart post-hardcore. And while no two Coliseum records have exactly been alike, they’ve never made one that’s as much of a departure as their latest, Anxiety’s Kiss. Recorded with J. Robbins of Jawbox, the album throws a slew of new influences into the mix, paying homage to the moody, synth-heavy post-punk and industrial of the early ’80s, in particular acts like Joy Division and Mission of Burma. It’s a departure for the group, but a winning one.
Wednesday, July 22
Milwaukee Latino Carnaval @ Tripoli Shrine Center, 6 p.m.
In many Latin countries, Carnaval is one of the year’s biggest blowouts, a revelrous stretch of parades, parties and cultural events celebrating folkloric traditions. Milwaukee has never had much of a Carnaval tradition, but for the last three years a local group has looked to change that by staging a multi-day celebration each summer. This year’s event, built around the theme “Honoring the African Diaspora,” begins July 22 with a night of storytelling and Carnaval rituals from Cuba, Honduras, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, along with food samplings from each country. The events span multiple locations and no two nights are the same. The week continues with an exhibition of masks on Thursday, July 23, a Latino Tour and Carnaval Night Out on Friday, July 24 and concludes Saturday with a grand parade down National Avenue featuring colorful floats, followed by a street festival with three stages of music and dancing, cuisine from around the world, a children’s area and art.
