#5: They Might Be Giants at the Pabst Theater.
Why? Because you listened to them in the ‘90s. Your kids listened to them in the ‘00s. And you kind of forgot about them the last few years. Well John Flansburgh and John Linnell haven’t gone away, and their new CD, Join Us, is a return to good old adult fare and a celebration of 30 years of accordion-squeezing, pogo-hopping nerd rock. That is, if “nerd” means sharp wit, irreverent imagination, and tuneful melodies. Greta Morgan’s Gold Motel opens.

#4: Unruly Music at Vogel Hall in the Marcus Center.
Why? Because music needs to be unruly at times, and what better time than Halloween weekend. Christopher Burns’ new music festival, which features performers from Milwaukee and beyond, has developed into a major event in national music circles. The highlight of these weekend of performances is a solo concert by English saxophonist John Butcher (Friday), a big name in improvised music circles (not to mention a Ph.D. in theoretical physics!). Thursday is music-technology night, featuring Burns and Amanda Schoofs. And Saturday features classic 20th-century music (Webern, Xenakis) with the Chicago ensemble Dal Niente.

#3: “Adept-8” at Woodland Pattern Book Center.
Why? Because, remember film? Celluloid strips that capture light through a lens and then can recreate it after being dunked in a series of yucky chemicals? Well, Woodland Pattern and the UWM Department of Film do, and they are celebrating it with a “Super-8” weekend that doesn’t necessarily involve cheap motels. Fourteen artists from around the country (including four from Milwaukee) were given one roll of Super-8 film, and told to create something. And the results will probably be far more interesting than the footage of grandpa’s 1974 birthday party that’s still floating around in the family vault (not that grandpa couldn’t command a frame if he wanted to).

#2: First Stage’s Don’t Tell Me I Can’t Fly at the Todd Wehr Theater in the Marcus Center.
Why? Because Y York’s play about a young girl who finds creative freedom in challenging circumstances is based on the life of Milwaukee artist Della Wells. Commissioned by First Stage, it’s the first of six new plays (called The Wisconsin Cycle) that the theater will create and produce based on the history and people of Wisconsin. York and Wells will appear after the show on Saturday to talk about the creative process and the stories that went into the play. A must see for all ages. 

#1: Milwaukee Ballet’s Dracula at Uihlein Hall in the Marcus Center.
Why? Because a million people around the world have seen Michael Pink’s balletic version of the classic Bram Stoker story. And it has not been seen here since 2005. Pink and his company have grown considerably since then, so this should be a real scream of a production. Pink tapped the same creative team for Dracula as for Peter Pan, including composer Philip Feeney, whose score will be performed live. Don’t wait too long, as this – like Peter Pan – has sellout potential.

Dracula photo by Jessica Kaminski.

Halloween: Sure, the loftier arts have lots to say about Life and Death. But Halloween isn’t the time for Beethoven string quartets or Emily Dickenson readings. Instead, get Cathartic at The Rave with sci-fi horror wizards Gwar. Or hunker down for an night of good beats at Turner Hall, where 88.9 Radio Milwaukee hosts Kings Go Forth and Juiceboxxx, among others.

But there are plenty of thoughtful alternatives for those who don’t want to spend All Hallow’s Eve dealing with shots of Jager or buckets of fake blood.

Theatre Gigante, for example, sounds like it stepped out of a slasher movie (or maybe a Marvel Comic anthology), but they are actually concerned with headier matters (you may remember them as Milwaukee Dance Theatre).  The newly-named ensemble goes for the political jugular with a new work, “The Perfect Candidate,” co-written by Gigante duo Mark Anderson and Isabelle Kralj, along with Theater X veteran John Kishline. They call part Jonathan Swift and part Preston Sturges. With the real campaign offering one absurdity after another, we’re eager to see how they up the ante.

Two of Milwaukee’s most celebrated locally-produced films are in town this week. Chris Smith’s The Pool (screened at last year’s Milwaukee International Film Festival), is being released around the country, and it opens Friday at the Landmark Downer. Smith is riding high on accolades of late: he was recently given a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, and his latest film has earned awards and nominations around the country. He’ll be on hand to talk about The Pool at the 7 p.m. showing on Friday and Saturday.

Also in town is Song Sung Blue, Greg Kohs’s poignant documentary about Milwaukee’s legendary musical duo, Lightning and Thunder. Winner of festival awards around the world, it’s finally getting its Milwaukee premiere under the auspices of Milwaukee Film.

And if celluloid isn’t your thing, there’s sure to still be plenty of visual splendor at the Milwaukee Rep’s Eurydice. Penned by MacArthur “genius” Sarah Ruhl,” this retelling of the Orpheus myth is chock full of effervescent language and images. Lanise Antoine Shelley plays the title role, and the characters get to rollick around a set designed by last year’s Tony Award winner, Todd Rosenthal.