1. Brett Newski
MAY 2, THE ARGO, WHITEFISH BAY
Milwaukee’s hardest-working DIY rocker and his Bad Inventions band are celebrating the release of their latest album, Have A Thing, Miss Your Moment, Wait for the Revival. Dylanesque folk rock meets ’90s garage sensibilities.
2. West Allis Farmers Market
TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS AND SATURDAYS MAY 2-NOV. 28, 6501 W. NATIONAL AVE.
At long last, farmers market season is upon us. Stallis’ market is the biggest in the area, serving up local produce, meats, cheeses, flowers – not to mention local food trucks and live music to enliven your shopping.
Architects, interior designers, renovators and landscapers: Submit your best work for consideration!
3. David Byrne
MAY 3, MILLER HIGH LIFE THEATRE
Milwaukee must be the place. The Talking Heads frontman takes his elaborately staged concert and boundless energy to Cream City, with a mixed setlist of new songs and old hits and a message of fun and love. Editor’s note: This event is now sold out.
4. Makin’ Cake
MAY 7, MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Baked by 2021 Milwaukee Artist of the Year Dasha Kelly Hamilton, this show uses the sharable sweet to start a conversation about American history, race, class and culture. She tells the story through vignettes, visuals and, yes, slices of cake.
5. MIAD Senior Animation Screening
MAY 8, ORIENTAL THEATRE
Get animated! For the first time, the graduating students of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s animation program will have their works light up the screen at the Oriental. It’s a chance to glimpse the budding creativity in our city
6. Copland & Twain: America 250
MAY 8-10, BRADLEY SYMPHONY CENTER
Two American cultural giants collide in this theatrical concert imagined by Concert Theatre Works and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Mark Twain’s words, Aaron Copland’s score and actors in costume bring the stage – and some profound questions – to life.
7. A Raisin in the Sun
MAY 8-24, BROADWAY THEATRE CENTER
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre takes on one of American theater’s most groundbreaking plays, which tells the story of the Younger family dreaming to improve their lot in the face of racism and housing discrimination during the 1950s.
8. Widline Cadet’s Generational Photos
MAY 8-AUG. 9, MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
In the last 10 years, photographer Widline Cadet has catalogued her extended family and the diasporic bridges and gulfs between Haiti and the United States. Her first U.S. museum exhibition, part of MAM’s “Currents” series, presents stirring images of duality, migration and ancestry.
9. Mother’s Day 414Flea
MAY 10, 414LORAL
What better way to bond with the mother in your life than hunting for vintage treasures? This popular rotating vintage pop-up market lands at 414loral on Mother’s Day – while you’re there, consider buying a celebratory bouquet.
10. Of Thread and Thorn
MAY 15-24, INSPIRATION STUDIOS, WEST ALLIS
What if the women of Shakespeare’s plays were sisters? This new work, performed by the intimate Kith & Kin Theatre Collective, reimagines the stories of Portia, Imogen and Celia.
11. Home Plate
MAY 21, LANDMARK CREDIT UNION LIVE
Brewers star Christian Yelich is moving his annual charity bash to Landmark Live, and leading the lineup is country singer Jake Owen and Isaac Slade, formerly of The Fray.
12. And Then There Were None
MAY 26-JUNE 28, MILWAUKEE REP
Continuing the Rep’s Agatha Christie Festival is this standalone classic in the famed mystery writer’s canon, in which 10 strangers become embroiled in a sinister game.
13. Rilo Kiley
MAY 28, RIVERSIDE THEATER
After a decade-long absence, the foundational aughts indie band Rilo Kiley has reunited – with its raw storytelling and emotional core intact. Expect nostalgia and hope typical of the band’s catalog.
14. Smoke on the Water Festival
MAY 30, HENRY MAIER FESTIVAL PARK
Beer? Check. Barbecue? Double-check. The newest party at the Summerfest grounds promises those summertime staples and more, including a marketplace, live music and even a nine-hole golf course.
15. Lager & Friends
MAY 30, GATHERING PLACE BREWING
For the eighth edition, Gathering Place is taking the lager love outdoors. Like-minded brewers convene to celebrate the humble family of beer styles and the surprising depth and craft that it holds.
16. Locust Street Festival
MAY 31, LOCUST STREET
Summer hasn’t truly started until a festival hits the streets. Riverwest ushers in the fun with the dependable offerings – live music, food and art – and its signature 1.6-mile Beer Run, marked by four pours from local breweries along the way.
