The Great Milwaukee Summer is HERE! Your guide to what you'll be doing, where you'll be drinking, who you'll be hearing and how you'll be getting a sweet tan this summer is on OnMilwaukee. The Great Milwaukee Summer guide is brought to you by Geis Garage Doors and Peoples State Bank!
Good news, music fans: Even if you spent your entire summer budget down at Summerfest, you can still get your fill of live music all summer long. From jazz to rock and an array of local and national bands in between, Milwaukee's weekly concert series offer something for everyone – and for our favorite price: free.
To help get you out, about and dancing, here's a guide to all of the free live music series scheduled for this summer, regularly updated and organized by the day of the week. So grab some food and some friends, and enjoy a great summer night with some great summer tunes!
Partner Pick
Enjoy amazing food and drinks on our patio or in our grass area during our Music in the Grass performances. Featuring live music, tiki bar with drinks, and our food truck, serving up our Soon-to-be-Famous Smash Can Burger and more! See the schedule
Sundays
Cafe Sopra Mare
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, Mercury Courtyard, 2220 N. Terrace Ave.
(414) 271-3656
villaterrace.org
Gates open at 10 a.m.; music begins at 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 18 – Neal Bardele and Steve Lewandowski (American standards)
Aug. 25 – Crook and Co. (jazz)
Sept. 1 – Nalani Moesch (guitar)
Sept. 8 – Siempre Flamenco (flamenco)
Sept. 15 – Toco Rio (Brazilian choro)
Sept. 22 – Duo Serenata (classical and world folk)
Sept. 29 – Drew Gill (bluegrass)
Cathedral Square Market
Cathedral Square Park, 520 E. Wells St.
easttown.com
Music begins at 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 18 – Holly Haebig
Aug. 25 – Maxwell James
Sept. 8 – Coco Duet
Sept. 15 – Jack Tell
Sept. 22 – Eugene Gruber Live
Sept. 29 – Jeanne Marie Farinelli Jazz Trio
Summer Patio Music Series
Great Lakes Distillery, 616 W. Virginia St.
greatlakesdistillery.com
3-6 p.m.
Aug. 18 – Stewed Tomatoes Trio
Aug. 25 – Dianna Jones (from 2-5 p.m.)
Sept. 1 – Sam Rodewald
Partner Pick
Monday
Musical Mondays
Lake Park Summer Stage
lakeparkfriends.org
6:30-8 p.m.
Aug. 19 – Fountain of Youth
Aug. 26 – Gizzae
It's Alive on the RiverWalk
Lakefront Brewery, along the RiverWalk
visitmilwaukee.org
4-6 p.m.
Aug. 19 – Saji Villoth
Partner Pick
Tuesday
Chill on the Hill
Humboldt Park, 3000 S. Howell Ave.
bayviewneighborhood.org
6:30 p.m.
Aug. 13 – Combustor and Something To Do
Aug. 20 – The David Bayles Quartet
Aug. 27 – Bright Eyed and Blind and Louie & The Flashbombs
COA's Skyline Music Series
Kadish Park, 909 E. North Ave.
coa-yfc.org
5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Aug. 13 – The Jimmys
Aug. 20 – Urban Empress & The Urbanites
Riverwalk Commons Concert Series
423 N. Water St., across from the Milwaukee Public Market
milwaukeepublicmarket.org
6-8:30 p.m.
Aug. 20 – Tigera
Sept. 10 – Learning to Fly: A Tribute to Tom Petty
Sept. 24 – Radio Radio
Wednesday
Live at the Oasis
Richard E. Maslowski Community Park, 2200 W. Bender Rd.
musicintheglen.org
6:30 p.m.
Aug. 14 – RAIN MAKE-UP DATE
Washington Park Wednesdays
4599 W. Lloyd St.
(414) 342-0215
washingtonparkneighbors.com
6-8 p.m.
Aug. 14 – Carnival – Afro Dead and Sia Tolno
Aug. 21 – Farm to Park – Hyperbolic and Paul Spencer Band
Aug. 28 – Back 2 School – Evan Christian & Peter Thomas and Marcya Danielle Group
Wonderful Wednesdays
Lake Park Summer Stage
lakeparkfriends.org
6:30 p.m
Aug. 14 – Little Miss Ann
Aug. 21 – Fox and Branch
Wednesday Night Live
Budweiser Music Pavilion, Wisconsin State Fair Park, 8100 W. Greenfield Ave.
(414) 266-7000
budpavilion.com
Gates open 6 p.m., music from 7-10 p.m.
Aug. 30 – The Cheap Shots (on Friday night)
Tosa Tonight
Hart Park Rotary Performance Pavilion, 68th and State Street
(414) 395-0293
tosatonight.com
6 p.m., with main acts taking the stage at 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 14 – Ulla with The Bow Tides
Aug. 21 – Rain date
It's Alive on the RiverWalk
Blue Bat Kitchen & Tequilaria, along the RiverWalk
visitmilwaukee.org
4-6 p.m.
Aug. 14 – Max & The Fellow Travelers
Aug. 21 – Kuj Magic
Heart(beats) of the City
Red Arrow Park
milwaukeedowntown.com
Noon
Aug. 14 – Kyle Feerick Band
Monday, Aug. 19 – KOJO (Downtown Employee Appreciation Week)
Aug. 28 – Tigera
Sept. 4 – Kat and the Hurricane
Summer of Soul
Peck Pavilion/Marcus Center grounds
culturexdesign.com
5-10 p.m.
Aug. 21 – Talib Kweli
Sept. 4 – Brew City Soul
Sept. 18 – De La Buena
Vivarium in the Green
Various Milwaukee Parks beer gardens
onmilwaukee.com
6-8 p.m.
Aug. 14 – Social Cig, at the Whitnall Beer Garden
Aug. 21 – Old Pulp, at The Vine Humboldt
Aug. 28 – Jacob Slade, at South Shore Terrace
Soulful Summer Music Series
Gordon Park Pavilion, 2828 N. Humboldt Blvd.
6 p.m.
Aug. 14 – Cream City Players
Thursday
Partner Pick
Jazz in the Park
Cathedral Square Park
easttown.com/jazz-in-the-park/
5-9 p.m.
Aug. 15 – Respect! A Tribute to the Queen of Soul
Aug. 22 – Stephen Cooper & The Nobody Famous
Aug. 29 – De La Buena
Concerts in the Gardens
Boerner Botanical Gardens, 9400 Boerner Dr., Hales Corners
(414) 257-7275
wimmercommunities.com
6:30 p.m.
Aug. 15 – Adam Greuel & The Space Burritos
Aug. 22 – Steely Dane
Aug. 29 – Almighty Vinyl
Tunes @ Noon
411 East Wisconsin Center., 411 E. Wisconsin Ave.
milwaukeedowntown.com
Noon
Aug. 15 – Ian Gould
Aug. 22 – *aya
Aug. 29 – Allison Mahal
Music at the Market
South Milwaukee Downtown Market, 11th Avenue & Milwaukee Avenue
(414) 436-5771
smmarket.org
5-7 p.m.
Aug. 15 – Val Sigal
Aug. 22 – Reverend Jerry K
Aug. 29 – Kal Bergendahl
Sept. 5 – Bourbon Jockeys
Sept. 12 – Sinsations
Sept. 19 – Saw Dust Symphony
Sept. 26 – Northliners
Oct. 3 – ELVIS
Bike Nights
H-D Museum Motorcycle Plaza, 400 W. Canal St.
(877) 436-8738
harley-davidson.com
5-9 p.m.
Aug. 15 – Doozey
Aug. 22 – Trapper Schoepp's Tribute to Tom Petty
Aug. 29 – Mixtape
Sept. 5 – Classic Alice
Sept. 12 – Blind Fiction
Sept. 19 – Throwback Stereo
Sept. 26 – Big Al Wetzel Band
Jazz at the Vine
The Vine Humboldt, 3000 S. Howell Ave.
(414) 257-7275
thevinehumboldt.com
6-8:30 p.m.
Aug. 15 – Milwaukee Jazz Institute Night
Aug. 29 – Donna Woodall Group
West Allis Summer Concert Series
Veterans Memorial Park, 6900 W. National Ave.
westalliswi.gov
5-8 p.m. (music begins at 6 p.m.)
Aug. 22 – The WhiskeyBelles
Sept. 19 – The Hungry Williams
Música del Lago
Colectivo - Lakefront, 1701 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.
(414) 223-4551
colectivocoffee.com
6 p.m.
Aug. 15 – De La Buena
Third Space Presents
Third Space Brewing, 1505 W. St. Paul Ave.
(414) 909-2337
thirdspacebrewing.com
6-8 p.m.
Aug. 15 – Gold Steps
Aug. 22 – Cozy Danger
Aug. 29 – Wildered
Sept. 5 – TAE
Sept. 12 – Horace Greene
Sept. 19 – Wire & Nail
Music at the Pavilion
Firemen's Park, Germantown
germantownwi.gov
6-10 p.m.
Aug. 15 – 33 RPM with The Robert Austin Project
Friday
Sounds of Summer
The Yard at Bayshore, 5800 N. Bayshore Dr., Glendale
(414) 963-8780
thebayshorelife.com
6-9 p.m.
Aug. 16 – Rebel Grace
Aug. 23 – Motown & Legends of Soul with Christopher's Project
Deer District Summer Concert Series
The Beer Garden, 1133 N. Doctor M.L.K. Jr Drive
deerdistrict.com/places
6-9 p.m.
Aug. 16 – Chris Haise Duo
Aug. 23 – Joe Wray
Aug. 30 – Cigarette Break
Sept. 6 – Listening Party (4 p.m.)
Sept. 13 – Mixtape
Sept. 20 – Xeno & Joe
Sept. 27 – Deep Pockets
It's Alive on the RiverWalk
The Riverside, along the RiverWalk
visitmilwaukee.org
4-6 p.m.
Aug. 16 – Lindsay Shanks
Aug. 23 – ADORNER
Aug. 30 – Rojo
Saturday
Rock Complex Concert Series
Umbrella Bar, 7900 Crystal Ridge Rd., Franklin
(414) 529-7676
mke.theumbrellabar.com
6:30 p.m.
Aug. 17 – Sons of Sconnie
Aug. 24 – Kings of Radio
Aug. 31 – Smartmouth
Sept. 7 – Madison County
Sept. 14 – Radio Radio
Sept. 21 – Michael Scott Band
As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.
When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.