This Month in Milwaukee

This Month in Milwaukee 8 THINGS TO DO IN JUNE

BY ALLEN HALAS, SHEILA JULSON, DAVID LUHRSSEN AND BLAINE SCHULTZ

THURSDAYS THROUGH JUNE 16 Big Beat MKE The Wicked Hop

Big Beat MKE returns for the Thursday head-to-head producer battles. A beat battle consists of three one-minute rounds, in which two producers play original beats that are either pre-recorded or performed live on stage. No vocal tracks are allowed, other than sampling. After the three rounds, judges from the Milwaukee music scene will determine who moves on to the next round of the tournament. Producers are judged on sound quality, composition, and crowd response. Each night features two head-to-head battles, as well as two performances from Milwaukee hip hop artists.

JUNE 4 Wisconsin Cannabis Expo Wisconsin Center

The Expo will feature more than 50 exhibitors such as dispensaries, apothecaries, edible makers, growers and entrepreneurs specializing in hemp marketing and specialty products. Representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, along with advocacy organizations, will be in attendance. Guests will have opportunities to sample and purchase cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp products. Speakers and panel discussions will cover topics such as legalization, the health benefits of cannabis and navigating the hemp industry. Visit wicannabisexpo.com.

JUNE 10-11 Strauss & Schumann Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Bradley Symphony Center

Robert Schumann, an impulsive embodiment of German Romanticism, injured his hand while training his fingers for virtuosity on piano. He compensated by becoming one of the era’s great composers. Schumann’s obsessive love for his much-younger wife Clara, inspired music seething with passion and its flipside, depression. Double billed with Schumann’s Fourth Symphony is Richard Strauss’ study of hard-won hope, Metamorphosen, composed during the last months of World War II. Ken-David Masur will conduct with pianist Awadagin Pratt in the spotlight.

JUNE 10 R.A.P. Ferreira and BLAX Cactus Club

A pair of Milwaukee-born touring hip hop acts will return home as R.A.P. Ferreira (formerly known as Milo) and BLAX will bring their “10,000 Miles of Fragrant Flowers” tour to Cactus Club. Known for experimental raps and unconventional production structure, Ferreira has become a national standout in the alternative hip hop scene, bolstered by his 2021 release, The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures. On the contrary, BLAX is a throwback to the days of straightforward, lyrical rapping, sure to make any hip hop purist nod along.

JUNE 11 Ayre in the Square Catalano Square

Photo by Allan Hallas.

Now in its 10th year of existence, the Ayre in the Square concert series at Catalano Square has grown as a community event in the Historic Third Ward. The free monthly concert series features an afternoon of live music from local and regional acts, including June’s installment, with sets from Bisca Rae, Tigera, Catelyn Picco and more. There’s no better way to spend a sunny afternoon in one of Milwaukee’s most picturesque neighborhoods than with a picnic and some great live music.

JUNE 16 Purity Ring Turner Hall Ballroom

If you prefer your electronic music with a bit of techno-pageantry and just a touch of doom, Purity Ring is not to be missed at Turner Hall Ballroom. The duo is known for bringing elaborate stage shows on tour, fitting the aesthetic of a mystical underworld augmented by big synths and hard hitting percussion. The band are touring behind their 2020 album Womb, with another EP already in the works. Rescheduled from this past November, this show will shake Turner Hall Ballroom to its foundation.

JUNE 25 Milwaukee Punk and Hardcore Summer Jam X-Ray Arcade

All things heavy seem to pass through Cudahy’s X-Ray Arcade, and that will be the tone for a big afternoon and evening of punk and hardcore on June 25. Headlined by Big Laugh, there are 11 bands on the bill, for a $15 ticket. The patio will also feature a free cookout and vendor village with tables from Shock Treatment Tattoo, Blast Radius, Resonating Zine and Gothsconsin. It’s a good old fashioned punk party, so don’t miss your chance to mosh the day away.

JUNE 25 The Smithereens/Marshall Crenshaw Summerfest, Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard

Back in March, the Smithereens with Marshall Crenshaw were set to play the Northern Lights Theater. The gear was set up onstage. But at the box office, fans ready for a night of music were greeted with the news that due to illness the show was abruptly cancelled. Four months later Milwaukee gets another chance when the tour rolls back into town, this time at the Big Gig.