There's music all over Milwaukee – with even more to come thanks to all the new potential venues coming in the near future. It's music to our ears – but it can be murder to one's mind to try and keep track of who's playing when where, only to find out that you just missed your new favorite band two nights ago.
To make sure live show FOMO doesn't happen to you, here's a guide to concerts coming to Milwaukee this month – from the city's biggest venues to its smaller gems, from huge stadium acts to intimate sets, from famous faces to unknowns on the way there, from ear-rattling rock shows to mind-massaging classical performances. In this month's case, summer may be here with all the outdoor music series and festivals we love – but don't forget about the city's indoor stages as well, bringing in loads of local acts; comedy favorites Eddie Griffin, Neil Hamburger and Michael Ian Black; a whole festival of metal music; and much more.
Sound good? Well, that's just the opening act: Here's the full setlist of concerts coming to Brew City stages in May. (For more on specific show times, tickets and additional info, visit the venues' respective websites linked in each listing.)
Monday, May 13
- Babehoven, Greg Mendez and Mia Joy, at Cactus Club
- Poets Monday featuring Elle Jackson, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
- Puppy Angst, Breakup Tour, Glitzy and Killer High Life, at X-Ray Arcade
Tuesday, May 14
- Portugal. The Man, at the Riverside
- Social Distortion and Bad Religion, at The Rave
- Emery & The Almost, at The Rave
- Dan Licata and Charles Gould, at Cactus Club
- Snuffed on Sight, Chaosphere, Subversion and Twisted Truth, at X-Ray Arcade
Wednesday, May 15
- Southern Culture on the Skids, at Vivarium
- Mudvayne, at The Rave
- Jackie Venson, at Shank Hall
- Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys, at Anodyne
- Joe Wong, at the Milwaukee Improv
- Acoustic Open Stage featuring Sean Raasch, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
Thursday, May 16
- MKE Mix Ballet, at The Pabst Theater
- Milwaukee Metal Fest Pre-Party, at The Rave
- Angel and In Theory, at Shank Hall
- Ex Fabula All Stars: Once in a Lifetime, at Anodyne
- Cristela Alonzo, at the Milwaukee Improv
- Raccoon Tour, Lincoln, Bug Moment and Chapped Lips, at X-Ray Arcade
- Melvin Seals & JGB, at The Cooperage
Friday, May 17
- MKE Mix Ballet, at The Pabst Theater
- Maria de Buenos Aires, at Turner Hall Ballroom
- Rod Tuffcurls & The Bench Press, at Vivarium
- Milwaukee Metal Fest, at The Rave
- Seaside Zoo, at Shank Hall
- Takemitsu & The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Featuring Third Coast Percussion, at the Bradley Symphony Center
- The Moth: Snooping, at Anodyne
- Cristela Alonzo, at the Milwaukee Improv
- Neil Hamburger, at The Laughing Tap
- Humbird and Creekbed Carter Hogan, at Cactus Club
- Susie Starlet's The Serve, at Cactus Club
- Delicious Monsters, Economy Superstar, Chi Chi's Restaurant and Strapped, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
- It's Britney Nite, at X-Ray Arcade
- Steez presents The French Connection: A Tribute to Daft Punk/Justice/Air, at The Cooperage
- Jesus Villa and Celia Farran, at Var Gallery
- Luma Knotty, at Ope! Brewing
Saturday, May 18
- Aventura, at Fiserv Forum
- The Decemberists, at the Riverside
- MKE Mix Ballet, at The Pabst Theater
- Maria de Buenos Aires, at Turner Hall Ballroom
- Buffy Prom, at The Fitzgerald
- Katie Pruitt, at Vivarium
- Willie Nelson & Family, at the BMO Pavilion
- Milwaukee Metal Fest, at The Rave
- No Can Do: A Tribute to the Music of Hall & Oates, at Shank Hall
- Takemitsu & The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Featuring Third Coast Percussion, at the Bradley Symphony Center
- Cristela Alonzo, at the Milwaukee Improv
- Local Laughs, at The Laughing Tap
- Kristin Lytie album release party, at The Laughing Tap
- Leaving Time, Hollow Suns, Overhand and Mizzy, at Cactus Club
- The Return of Saebra & Carlyle with DaveKevinAdam, Lavish Waste and DJ Bo Doesn't Know, at Cactus Club
- Sequestered Puppiez, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
- Otto Von Schirach, Doormouse and The Demix, at X-Ray Arcade
Sunday, May 19
- MKE Mix Ballet, at The Pabst Theater
- Maria de Buenos Aires, at Turner Hall Ballroom
- Sinisterhood, at Vivarium
- Milwaukee Metal Fest, at The Rave
- Orchestra Family Reunion, at the Bradley Symphony Center
- Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends, Hot Coffin and Body Futures, at Cactus Club
- Levitation Room, at Cactus Club
- Master Singers Milwaukee: The Song is Mightier Than the Sword, at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
Monday, May 20
- Grocer, Operations, Dogs in Ecstasy and Lightninging, at Cactus Club
- Poets Monday featuring Tim Kloss, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
Tuesday, May 21
- Greta Van Fleet, at Fiserv Forum
- somesurprises, CREDENTIALS and Standstill, at Cactus Club
- Blueprint, Taiyamo Denku, Guerrilla Ghost, Dukalion and Mad Static, at X-Ray Arcade
Wednesday, May 22
- Saxon and Uriah Heep, at The Pabst Theater
- Stuff Island, at the Milwaukee Improv
- Messa, Hello Death and Asatta, at Cactus Club
- LustSickPuppy and Prolaps, at Promises
- Acoustic Open Stage featuring Ian Brown, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
- Wayfarer, Sonja, Vanishing Kids and Want of Sin, at X-Ray Arcade
Thursday, May 23
- Classic Seger: Bob Seger's Greatest Hits Live, at The Pabst Theater
- Dani Flow, at The Rave
- Lords of Acid, at The Rave
- Sugo, at Anodyne
- Beams, Ellie Jackson and Aya, at Cactus Club
- Toni Romiti, at X-Ray Arcade
Friday, May 24
- Ralph Barbosa, at The Pabst Theater
- Smells Like Nirvana, at Vivarium
- Born of Osiris and Attila, at The Rave
- Dance Titans, at The Rave
- Failure to Launch, at Shank Hall
- Jess Hilarious, at the Milwaukee Improv
- Ali Sultan, at The Laughing Tap
- Diet Lite, Creeping Charlie and Rat Bath, at Cactus Club
- Vanity Plates, Buena Cara and Beauty Steps, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
- Knowledge Fight with Dan & Jordan, at X-Ray Arcade
- Radio Radio, at The Cooperage
- Cozy Danger and Will Pfrang, at Ope! Brewing
Saturday, May 25
- North Warren, at Vivarium
- X Ambassadors, at The Rave
- Lust for Lana, at The Rave
- Southbound performs a tribute to Dickey Betts, at Shank Hall
- Jess Hilarious, at the Milwaukee Improv
- Ali Sultan, at The Laughing Tap
- Emmitt James, Genesis Renji and DJ Gemini Gilly, at Cactus Club
- DJ exgirl and DJ Dripsweat, at Cactus Club
- Djunah, Flooding, Sleepersound and Spoy, at X-Ray Arcade
Sunday, May 26
- G Flip, at Vivarium
- Grupo Legitimo, at The Rave
- Fox & Branch, at Anodyne
- Jess Hilarious, at the Milwaukee Improv
- Apollo Vermouth, Eli Smith, Energy Runner, Wandering Nerve and Hoovobot, at Cactus Club
- Peace Thru Music: A John Lennon Tribute, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
- Brainiac, Exit Angles and IfIHadAHiFi, at X-Ray Arcade
- The Hungry Williams, at Ope! Brewing
Tuesday, May 28
- Echo & The Bunnymen, at The Pabst Theater
- Bones Owens, at Shank Hall
- BLVCK HIPPIE, Known Moons and No Parking, at Cactus Club
- Phantomize and Stikman present The Portal, at X-Ray Arcade
Wednesday, May 29
- Ruth Moody, at Vivarium
- CONVERT, Dry Wedding and Highlonesome, at Cactus Club
- Acoustic Open Stage featuring Ashlyn Stang, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
- Icon for Hire, Discrepancies, Dreamhouse and Apex Aura, at X-Ray Arcade
Thursday, May 30
- Peso Pluma, at Fiserv Forum
- Andrew Bird, at The Pabst Theater
- Crooked Teeth and Unturned, at Shank Hall
- Chris Porter, at the Milwaukee Improv
- Lizzie No, Humility Puppets and HOSTS, at Cactus Club
- Stone Theory, Taxmen, Shell Bells and Adorner, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
- Moonroof, Barely Civil, Lake Drive and 5 PM to Nowhere, at X-Ray Arcade
Friday, May 31
- Brad Williams, at The Pabst Theater
- Therapy Gecko Live, at Turner Hall Ballroom
- Venturer, Bunny Blues and Triptych, at Shank Hall
- Latin Fire, at the Bradley Symphony Center
- Harmonious Wail, at Anodyne
- Chris Porter, at the Milwaukee Improv
- Adrienne Iapalucci, at The Laughing Tap
- Lunar Moth, Bug Moment, Shoobie and Nile Club, at Linneman's Riverwest Inn
- Delta Sleep, Macseal and Spilly Cave, at X-Ray Arcade
- Groove Theory: Classic Bands and Songs, Vol. 1, at The Cooperage
- The Rock-A-Dials, at Ope! Brewing
As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.
When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.