August, a month of warm summer nights and a calendar packed with events, festivals and shows. It’s a reminder that this season only lasts so long and that you have to make the most of every late night, every beach day and every concert that’s coming to the Milwaukee Theater District.  It’s time to seize the summer, and these 25 shows are your key to capping the season off right.

Andy Braun

August 6 | It’s Alive! at the Milwaukee County Historical Society

It’s Alive! is thriving in Milwaukee this summer. The free summer series is all about discovering the unexpected, with buskers throughout downtown and beyond putting on impromptu shows. And while the series is about the magic of the moment, this month It’s Alive! is going under cover(s) with Andy Braun. Stop by the Milwaukee County Historical Society as the singer-songwriter covers artists from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s through today like Johnny Cash, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Beatles, Jimmy Buffett, Tom Petty, Elvis, Neil Young and more.

Goo Goo Dolls

August 6 | BMO Harris Pavilion

All you need in summer is the three Ss: sunsets, sailboats and The Goo Goo Dolls’ 1998 smash hit “Slide.” You can find them all under the roof of the BMO Harris Pavilion this month, as they roll into town with Neon Trees for a night of nostalgia and a catalog of hits like “Iris,” “Slide,” “Name” and “Better Days.” Add in the kaleidoscope of colors over Lake Michigan as the sun sets over Milwaukee, and the careening sailboats as the stage’s backdrop, and you have a summer show you can’t miss.

Nick Dittmeier & The Sawdusters

August 6 | Falcon Bowl

“Midwest Heart / Southern Blues,” reads a 2016 EP by the Sawdusters, and a listen to their album “Apparition,” with singer-songwriter Nick Dittmeier, it’s still probably the best way to describe the band. They blend roots, country and rock together to create music that’s soulful and just raucous enough to get you out of your seat and dance along. Catch them over in the Riverwest neighborhood when they come to Falcon Bowl.

Kehlani

August 7 | Landmark Credit Union Live

Fresh off the release of her self-titled album, “Kehlani,” in April, Kehlani is heading to Milwaukee’s newest music venue, with a collection of songs that boast features by the likes of Usher, Missy Elliott and Lil Wayne. For the past 17 years, she’s built a career across five albums, earning the 2026 BET Award for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, 20 RIAA platinum singles and three certified gold albums along the way. Don’t miss her when she comes to Landmark Credit Union Live this month.

John Mulaney

August 12 | Main Stage at the Wisconsin State Fair

Professional funny man and self-proclaimed tall child John Mulaney is coming back to Milwaukee, and this time, he’s bringing his talents to the Main Stage. In case you missed him at the Pabst Theater earlier this year, now’s your chance to catch one of the Emmy Award, Critics' Choice Award and WGA Award-winning writer, comedian and actor on his Mister Whatever tour at the Wisconsin State Fair. Get yourself a Cream Puff, some food on a stick and an ice-cold beer and get ready to laugh all night long.

Deadelijk

August 13 | Jazz in the Park

We can have high times if you’ll abide at Cathedral Square Park. It’s a hippie takeover this month, with Dead on the Square bringing out Deadheads and good-time lovers of all kinds to this special edition of Jazz in the Park with Deadelijk. The Grateful Dead cover band will play all the hits with a little of their own improvisational flair that’ll keep things interesting. And the best part? It’s completely free.

Modest Mouse

August 14 | The Riverside Theater

Ice age heat wave can’t complain, if the world’s at large why should I explain. Walked away to another city, gonna find another show, maybe one with this band. Even in the indie world, Modest Mouse has always been a little different. They’ve carved out a career around putting words to feelings of melancholy and love, angst and awe, in ways no one else really has. You can hear it on albums like “Good News for People Who Love Bad News,” “We Were Dead Before the Boat Even Sank,” “The Golden Casket” and their latest release, “An Eraser and A Maze.” After a two-year hiatus, now’s your chance to catch them when they return to Milwaukee this month.

The Verve Pipe

August 14 | The Argo

You know “The Freshmen.” It’s become a part of the American songbook—even if you wanted to, you just can’t avoid it. Well, it’s been 30 years since its release, and to celebrate, The Verve Pipe is taking the “Villains” album out on the road along with a selection of their late-‘90s modern rock hits like “Photograph,” “Never Let You Down,” and beyond, making for a concert that’s as much about the band’s evolution and range as it is about the song that made them famous.

Buffalo Nichols

August 14 | Cactus Club

What do you get when the South meets the Midwest? When Chicago meets Mississippi? When Delta and Chicago blues traditions collide? You get Buffalo Nichols. The talented Texas-based musician brings blues back to its roots when he blows into the Cactus Club in August with tunes that’ll have you stomping your feet along with the beat. With a finger-picking style that’s near hypnotic and a soulful voice that adds depth to the music, this intimate venue is the perfect place to see him.

Eric Johanson

August 15 | Shank Hall

A bluesy weekend awaits across town at Shank Hall. After Buffalo Nichols’ brand of Delta and Chicago blues on Friday, you can catch an artist pushing the genre into new territory. Hailing from New Orleans, the Grammy-nominated artist uses fuzzy textures and swampy grooves to generate a magnetic rhythm that underscores his guitar-playing prowess and songwriting expertise. His artist bio promises, “blues with teeth.” Why would you want to see that for yourself?

American Football

August 15 | Turner Hall Ballroom

Midwest emo is so back, and so is one of the genre’s most influential groups. After the band’s 1999 release, American Football went dormant for nearly 20 years, leaving many to believe the band had faded in relevance and popularity. But, like actual American football, the greatest comeback stories are the ones no one sees coming. The band released their self-titled LP2 in 2016, LP3 in 2019 and this year, LP4, stoking the embers of an indie scene eager for the Midwest emo revival. Now, American Football has never been more relevant, and they’re heading for Turner Hall Ballroom.

Josué Comedy

August 15 | Marcus Performing Arts Center

For a night of laughs, there’s the latest show from Josué Comedy, “Madre Latina, Peligrosa Pero Divina.” His first show at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, Josué’s brand of comedy focuses on Latino culture, family life and the dangerous but divine nature of the Latina mother in a Spanish show that’s as funny as it is relatable. Don’t miss Josué Comedy’s witty observations, personal stories and all the laughs that come along the way this month.

CusCampbell

August 16 | The Cooperage

Summer vibes, smooth R&B music and…a trombone? CusCampbell is an artist that really has it all. He’s a dual-threat R&B artist and singer-songwriter who can wail on a trombone and bring a crowd to a fever pitch. Best known for his hit single, “Party All Night,” CusCampbell is an artist on the rise, and one you’ll want to catch when he comes to the Cooperage.

Theory of a Deadman & Sevendust

August 18 | The Rave / Eagles Club

Two of the most influential hard rock bands of the early 2000s are coming to The Rave / Eagles Club. Part nostalgia, part reunion and pure rock, if you opened a time capsule from the mid-aughts, odds are you could probably hear these bands playing in the background. But while these bands are best known for that era, they haven’t stood still, releasing new music, with Theory of a Deadman’s “Dinosaur” and “Say Nothing” and Sevendust’s “ONE,” “Construct” and “Truth Killer.” To put it best, Theory of a Deadman’s Tyler Connolly, “Playing shows with [Sevendust] going back to 2002, man, this tour is gonna crush! Cannot wait to play some new tracks and some old ones too. Excited for rockers RETURN TO DUST to join us as well."

Obscure Birds

August 18 | Chill on the Hill

Summer’s moving fast. So fast, in fact, that there are only three Chill on the Hills left before the season runs out. Every week brings a new set of talented local and regional bands to see, and you really should check them all out, but if you only have the chance to see one in August, check out Obscure Birds. A perfect band to relax to on a warm summer day, the bird-friendly, Milwaukee-based Americana band draws comparisons from Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound to The Small Faces, Top Waits to early R.E.M. and beyond.

Anything You Want

August 20 | Linneman’s

This one features a band with a mythical origin story so curious that it’s worth swinging by just to see if it’s true. Supposedly, in the summer of 2024, lightning struck the earth, and an angel was born. That angel? Minneapolis-based folk-rock band Anything You Want. Their riffs? Addictive. Their vocals? Powerful. Their stage presence? Pure magic. It’s Anything You Want and everything you need.

Ron Funches

August 20 | Turner Hall Ballroom

When it comes to stand-up, there’s no one quite like Ron Funches right now. His brand of comedy is best described as a “warm hub that somehow learned how to roast you…with love.” He’s a multi-talented comedian who’s written for “The Eric Andre Show” and “Kroll,” made appearances on “Blackish” and “New Girl,” voiced animated characters on “Trolls” and “Bob’s Burgers,” and performed on “Conan” and “The Tonight Show.” Don’t miss his subtly biting humor and witty observations when he comes to Milwaukee.

Fresh Coast Jazz Festival

August 21 | Pabst Theater

Some of the best jazz musicians in the country are coming to Milwaukee this month for the seventh annual Fresh Coast Jazz Festival. Over the course of three days, you can see names like Jonathan Butler, Spyro Gyra, Kandace Springs, Jarrod Lawson, Eric Essix, Marqueal Jordan and more, bringing the grooves, good times and all that jazz.

Rio Da Yung OG

August 21 | The Rave / Eagles Club

Raw storytelling and unfiltered bars are what made this Michigan rapper one of the region’s defining voices. Known for his off-beat flows, dark humor and crisp realism, Rio Da Yung OG’s career grew from the underground scene to spark a new era in Midwest rap. A Platinum-certified artist with hits like “Legendary,” “1v1 (feat. Lil Yachty)” and “Paranoid,” and collabs with Lil Baby, Veeze, Rylo Rodriguez and more, he’s gritty, unapologetically real and back in Milwaukee this month.

Social Cig

August 22 | Mad Planet

Mad Planet is hosting an end-of-summer blowout, bringing in four local bands to rock their venue all night long. Music starts at 9:30 p.m., headlined by Social Cig, a group specializing in a curious brand of “Midwest indie skate rock” that’s described as cheery, contagious and brimming with an attitude of gratitude. This is the music for the modern-day Midwest cowboy, and to find out what that means, you’ll have to stop by.

RÜFÜS DU SOL

August 26 | American Family Insurance Amphitheater

The last time RÜFÜS DU SOL played Milwaukee, they played the Miramar Theater. Now, a decade later, they find themselves playing the American Family Insurance Amphitheater as one of the hottest EDM acts on the planet. It’s safe to say a lot has changed for the Australian trio since 2016, but one thing that hasn’t is their infectious beats, synth loops and club beats that have built them into a traveling festival, a nonstop party and a show that you have to see.

Todd Rundgren

August 26 | Pabst Theater

A wizard, a true star, a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and a music icon, Todd Rundgren makes his return to Milwaukee for the first time in two years. An ever-evolving artist, over his 55-year career, spanning 21 studio albums and another 12 live albums, Rundgren has been a musical trailblazer, essential to the sound of the 70s with his albums “Something / Anything” and “A Wizard / A True Star,” and one of rock’s great experimental artists throughout the decades.

Crow Eater

August 28 | Anodyne Coffee Roasters

There’s eating crow, and then there’s seeing Crow Eater. One is wrong, the other is right. You’re in store for “country-fried folk-rock,” headed by Jaems Murphy and a collection of all the talented varmints he can wrangle together for any given show. Together, they create music that’s described as, “the sound of a broken heart beat avalanche rolling down from the American mountains and across the land and time while telling whimsical stories of hard times, bad luck and heartbreak with a sly sense of humor.” Whimsical and raw, this one’s worth the cost of admission.

Trish Toledo

August 28 | Vivarium

Classic soul standards, given new life and meaning. Trish Toledo is bringing a classic catalog from the 60s and 70s to Milwaukee as she uses the themes of these songs to tell her story and mirror her experiences. It’s a revival that’s as much about the past as it is the present, helping lovers of these hits rekindle the magic, and a new generation discover the raw power of the lyrics that still ring true to this day.

Chayanne

August 28 | Fiserv Forum

A Latin music icon rolls into town at the end of the month, as Chayanne brings his brand of orchestral pop and bachata to Fiserv Forum. The Puerto Rican icon has etched a career that’s endured more than four decades and 16 studio albums, including his most recent release “Bailamos Otra Vez.” Now, he’s coming to Milwaukee to unleash his passionate singing style with hits like “Dejaría Todo,” “Bailando Bachata,” “Un Siglo Sin Ti” and “Y Tú Te Vas.”

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