In partnership with
Thursday — January 15, 2026
Real Estate: A Celebration of ATLAS @ Vivarium — 8:00 PM (East Side) Indie rock comfort food—jangly, clean, and perfectly calibrated for a Thursday night that accidentally becomes “one more drink.”
https://www.pabsttheatergroup.com/events/detail/real-estate-2026Thursday Nights at MAM @ Milwaukee Art Museum from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Late hours, rotating programming, and a reliable winter ritual to ease into the weekend.
https://mam.org/events/
Friday — January 16, 2026
Terrapin Flyer (Grateful Dead Tribute) @ Shank Hall — 8:00 PM (East Side)
National-level Dead tribute in an intimate East Side room—long jams, deep cuts, and a crowd that knows every lyric. https://concertfix.com/concerts/milwaukee-wi+shank-hallGallery Night MKE @ Downtown, Walker’s Point, East Side from 5:00 PM
The city’s first major arts weekend of the year. Galleries, pop-ups, and packed sidewalks.
https://gallerynightmke.com/
Saturday — January 17, 2026
Name That Schlock – An Absurd Community-Driven Gameshow @ Cactus Club — 6:30 PM (Bay View)
Cult-favorite gameshow night where locals compete over so-bad-they’re-good clips. Perfect Bay View blend of comedy, music, and weirdo community vibes. https://www.cactusclubmilwaukee.com/events/Pareidolia + the 1-800s + Tiny Vamp + Mulva @ Jazz Gallery Center For The Arts — 7:30 PM (Riverwest)
https://jazzgallerycenterforarts.org/events/1/17/2026/musicLCD Soundsystem vs. Daft Punk vs. Yeah Yeah Yeahs Dance Party @ Mad Planet — 9:00 PM (Bay View)
Three-artist tunnel vision, all killer tracks. Expect sweat, singalongs, and the occasional “oh my god I forgot about this song.” 21+.
https://www.mad-planet.net/eventsGallery Night MKE continues @ Citywide locations, daytime and evening
A great day to wander without a plan. Coffee first, galleries next, dinner wherever feels right.
https://gallerynightmke.com/
Sunday — January 18, 2026
Fortune Feimster: Takin’ Care of Biscuits Tour @ Riverside Theater — Doors at 6:00 PM - Show at 7:00PM (Downtown)
National comic hits the big room with storytelling, Southern charm, and a crowd that’ll be filing into late-night diners afterward.
https://www.pabsttheatergroup.com/events/detail/fortune-feimster-2027Maul + Drillbit + Scroll + Desensitized @ X-Ray Arcade — 6:30 PM (Cudahy) Sunday night catharsis: loud guitars, fast drums, leave your week on the floor. All-ages.
https://xrayarcade.com/calendar/2026/01/18/maul
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Monday — January 19, 2026
Greg Freeman - Golomb @ Cactus Club — 6:30 PM (Bay View)
Indie-leaning songwriters in a snug Bay View room—perfect Monday reset with good sound and cheap pours.
https://www.cactusclubmilwaukee.comPoet’s Monday @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Milwaukee’s longest-running poetry open mic. Sign-up starts at 7:00 PM.
https://linnemans.com
Tuesday — January 20, 2026
Madds Buckley / Brye @ X-Ray Arcade — 7:00 PM (Cudahy) Pop-forward night with a big-sing chorus feel—good for shaking off the Tuesday blahs.
https://xrayarcade.com/calendar/2026/01/20Karaoke @ Bremen Café — 9:00 PM (Riverwest)
Weeknight karaoke chaos in a legit Riverwest dive—cheap drinks, regulars, and the occasional ringers belting over the PA.
https://bremencafe.com/calendar/R&B Tuesday @ Miramar Theatre from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM
A reliable dance-floor reset for the middle of the week.
https://themiramartheatre.com/events/rb-tuesdays/
Wednesday — January 21, 2026
Acoustic Open Stage feat. Peyote Man @ Linnemans Riverwest Inn — 8:00 PM (Riverwest)
One of the city’s longest-running open stages with a featured act—songwriters trading sets all night in a creaky neighborhood institution. Doors and sign-up at 7:00 PM.
https://linnemans.com/events/
Looking Ahead
All Messed Up – Randomized Musical Experiment (Night One) @ Linnemans — Feb 13, 2026.
https://linnemans.com/events/list/Greg Freeman @ Cactus Club — Jan 19, 2026 (if you miss him this week, keep it on the radar).
https://concertfix.com/concerts/milwaukee-wi+cactus-clubCandlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons @ Hilton Milwaukee — Jan 16, 2026, 8:45 PM.
https://concertfix.com/concerts/milwaukee-wi+hilton-milwaukee
Brian Ritchie and friends at The Foundation
Featured Venue of the Week: Foundation (Riverwest)
Foundation is winterproof in the best way. Warm, dim, and deeply neighborhood-anchored, it’s the kind of bar where January nights stretch without effort. Strong drinks, many with Rium, familiar faces, and zero rush. If you want to go out without committing to a whole “scene,” this is the room.
https://www.foundationbar.com
If you can slog through the slush to a Riverwest show this week, you’ve already earned your first beer—let the bands take care of the rest.
Greg
Forward this to a friend who keeps saying winter is boring.
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