This Month in Milwaukee

9 THINGS TO DO IN SEPTEMBER

BY ALLEN HALAS, ELIZABETH LINTONEN, DAVID LUHRSSEN AND BLAINE SCHULTZ

Image courtesy of Milwaukee Public Museum.

THROUGH OCTOBER 2

p“Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend”

Milwaukee Public Museum

The big news at the museum concerns the replacement of its ‘60s modern building, familiar to generations of Milwaukeeans, with a new structure on 6th and Vliet set to open in 2026. Meanwhile, there are still dinosaur and mastodon bones, the Streets of Old Milwaukee and the current exhibition on the one-horned arctic mammal whose habitat is threatened by the warming of the world’s oceans. Dominating the exhibit is a life-size narwhal model along with an environment recreating the sights and sounds (but not the temperature) of the animal’s habitat.

WEDNESDAYS-SATURDAYS “Brew City: The Story of Milwaukee Beer” Milwaukee County Historical Society

The history of Milwaukee brewing is inscribed on the city’s landscape. Little wonder that the Milwaukee County Historical Society returns to the subject for its latest exhibition. With text panels and touch screens, “Brew City” examines the earliest breweries (established in 1840) and the Big Four (Schlitz, Pabst, Miller and Blatz) and traces the family trees of the beer barons without ignoring the labor that made their wealth possible. “Brew City” is filled with artifacts, including beer bottles, signage, advertisements and trays, many from half-forgotten firms such as Grof’s and Gettelman.

SEPTEMBER 9 The Joy Formidable Cactus Club

Renowned UK-based indie rockers The Joy Formidable have played big shows, including previously touring with Foo Fighters and playing this summer’s Riot Fest in Chicago. They’ll also make a stop in Bay View at Cactus Club for a show that will likely sell out. The band are touring in support of their fifth studio album, 2021’s Into the Blue. Expect the one-night-only anomaly of world-class indie rock in an intimate setting. Presale tickets are available on the Cactus Club website.

SEPTEMBER 9-OCTOBER 29 Sunflowered Northern Sky’s Gould Theater, Fish Creek

When a young woman faces a life-changing decision, she calls upon her inner circle to gather for an outdoor camping trip. This six-woman ensemble piece bursts with humor and song, joyously exploring the beauty and love found in family and deep friendships. “From the very beginning, before characters, dialogue, lyrics, or even an idea of what this story could be was written down, we knew we wanted to honor the rich, magical, and beautiful bond of women,” wrote author Lachrisa Grandberry. When you watch these six women come into the Wisconsin woods, you’ll find yourself rooting for all of them, because you’ll recognize that they are all of us.

SEPTEMBER 17 Play Preview with Marie Kohler Boswell Book Company

The perfect complement to the start of chilly air and falling leaves is an evening spent in the cozy Boswell Book Company. The award winning, Milwaukee-based playwright, Marie Kohler, will provide a dramatic reading of her latest play, Boswell. The play, set in the 1950s, follows a graduate student in her journey through the lost journals of James Boswell. This event is a preview of the play’s off-Broadway run and is sure to be a delightful reason to spend a Monday night on the East Side.

SEPTEMBER 17 HOME September Craft Market Lynden Sculpture Garden

Held as part of a series of events marking this year’s World Refugee Day, the outdoor market featuring crafts and other goods from Myanmar, Malaysia, India, Mexico, Ethiopia, Congo, Tanzania, Asia, Latin America and elsewhere along with Native American makers. Food will be available for donation. For more information, visit lyndensculpturegarden.org.

SEPTEMBER 17 Yum Yum Cult, LUXI, Moonglow Cactus Club

After much buildup, Milwaukee’s Yum Yum Cult are set to release their debut LP, and they’ll play a record release show at Cactus Club. The band have made themselves a mainstay of the local indie scene, but they’ll dabble in some crossover sounds for the night, with support from dark electro-pop act LUXI and funk-rock dream pop band Moonglow. All three acts are at the top of their games and should look to celebrate the release party in style.

SEPTEMBER 24 Northless, Convert, snag., Cryptual X-Ray Arcade

If you’re looking for something heavy, Milwaukee metal band Northless are celebrating the release of their new album, A Path Beyond Grief, at X-Ray Arcade. The all-ages show at the Cudahy venue will also feature sets from heavy experimental bands Convert and snag., as well as death metal from Cryptual. All of the bands infuse different sounds to dark music somewhere adjacent to the realm of goth and metal, and the complete package should bring a variety of styles to the stage. All are also sure to test the soundproof measures of X-Ray Arcade in the process.

SEPTEMBER 30 North Warren, Social Cig, Alley Eyes, Fellow Kinsman The Back Room at Colectivo

A quartet of young Milwaukee bands will get the chance to showcase their enormous potential with a bill co-headlined by North Warren and Social Cig. They’ll be joined by Alley Eyes, who just put out their debut EP, as well as veteran band Fellow Kinsman. While the bands are no strangers to DIY house shows and smaller clubs, they’ll get to play a larger venue than normal at The Back Room at Colectivo, located in the coffee chain’s Prospect Avenue location.