By Tyler Maas, Kevin Kosterman and Cristina Daglas
There was no shortage of great Milwaukee shows in 2010. If appearances in our often passed over city by the likes of Lady Gaga, Muse, a reunited Pavement, The Black Eyed Peas, Insane Clown Posse (twice), Nickelback, The Village People and countless others are any indication, a great deal of music powerhouses from all genres and talent levels made sure to devote a night in their tour itineraries to Milwaukee during the past year. And while Music Notes couldn’t make it to most of Milwaukee’s best shows (c’mon, we’ve only been a site since September), here our some of our staffers’ favorites from the ones we did make it out to.
Tyler’s Picks:
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| The National. Photo by Susanna Howe. |
Show of the Year – The National at the Riverside Theater, Aug. 4
The events that occurred in the lavish and luxurious confines of Riverside Theater on the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 4 can be summarized by a moment-in-time spectacle. There, a near-capacity crowd saw one of the world’s most up-and-coming bands at the height of their popularity play songs from its heralded and still new (yet old enough to be memorized front to back) album, as well as beloved songs from every rung of the ladder that the band, The National, used in its ascent to prominence. Additionally, the Brooklyn-based band brought added depth in the form of a horn section and a multi-instrumentalist. If you have a favorite song by The National, you bet your ass they played it and played it to perfection during the almost two-hour performance.
Between songs (and frontman Matt Berninger downing champagne relentlessly), the band seemed upbeat and gracious to the packed venue – even making mention of The National performance at Onopa Brewing Co. (now Stonefly) in the their early, pre-internationally famous origin.
Runner-Up – Monotonix and Call Me Lightning at the Bay View Legion Hall, April 20
Somewhere between Monotonix, a band of exclusively underwear and sneaker clad Israelis being held up by the crowd (equipment and all – including drums and stool!) for much of its energetic set, and that same Tel Aviv three-piece concluding its forgivably sloppy performance in the street on the corner of Kinnickinnic and Fulton, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “This is kind of awesome.” Call Me Lightning preceded the Monotonix mayhem with the usual goods.
Honorable Mention – Tokyo Police Club at Turner Hall, Sept. 23
Although often viewed as a blog buzz band with no staying power, Tokyo Police Club showed itself to be more refined and mature with the surprisingly solid 2010 full-length, Champ. Touring behind the new record, the group of humble Canadian youngsters – who also played at Summerfest a few months earlier – didn’t seem to disappoint a single attendee of the undersold weeknight Turner Hall show. I know I enjoyed it.
Kevin’s Picks:
Show of the Year – The Life and Times at Cactus Club, Jan. 30 and June 5
There are certain shows that The Cactus Club was built for. KC-based The Life and Times fit that billing like a thing that you might put on your hand to keep it warm. An oven mit, I guess. The uniquely enigmatic lighting that the band employs spotlights each individual member but not enough to make out all of their features. This paradox of notoriety and obscurity perfectly parallels the pedigree of the band, which is composed of ex-Shiner members, the alt-rock legends who were never quite able to make that elusive jump to rock gods. But much like Shiner before it, TLAT puts on an absolutely flawless rock show: intense, tight and loud!
Runner-Up – Pablove with Fever Marlene and The Gufs at the Riverside Theater
OK, so maybe The Gufs have become somewhat of a local version of a county fair-hopping, over-the-hill classic rock reunion band. But I have always been a sucker for Milwaukee’s finest sensitive rockers, and the fact remains that they have written some pretty amazing pop-tinged anthems in their day, which were on full display here. But the real treat for me at this show was Fever Marlene. The sheer amount of melody and momentum the duo creates in every song they write is mind-blowing. And with very few exceptions, the band is able to translate these gems flawlessly to the stage.
Cristina’s Picks:
Show of the Year – Of Montreal with Janelle Monáe at Pabst Theater, Sept. 24
Playing to a not-quite sold out but pretty packed house, Janelle Monáe took the stage and according to many, outshone indie staples and the night’s headliner Of Montreal. Although I can’t agree, Ms. Monáe was spot on, playing to a rowdy crowd with her signature flood pants and done-up hair. My second time seeing the latest sensation (the first at Terminal 5 in NYC) but the first show post-album release, it was truly a treat. When Of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes took the stage with Monáe, however, I lost it. As some may know, my allegiance lies with Of Montreal. Always. And as always, they didn’t disappoint. A raucous dance party. Absurd costume changes. Oversexed and completely bizarre demonstrations. Oh, and let’s not forget the Michael Jackson medley. Yes, you read that right. Michael. Jackson. Medley.
Runner-Up – Sleigh Bells at Mad Planet, Oct. 26
Oh, Sleigh Bells. My expectations weren’t high. Would they sound awful? Would they play for a mere 20 minutes? Would they completely suck? Talk about pleasant surprises. The duo sounded stellar. They most definitely didn’t disappoint. And they played for a solid 30 minutes. When you only have 36 minutes of recorded material to work with, that’s pretty decent. Add in the who’s who of hipster Milwaukee, and it was a hilariously good time. I danced. I yelled. I flung my arms into the air. I’m tempted to throw on “Rill Rill” right now and sway along to the pleasantly dingy memories.
Honorable Mention – The New Pornographers at Pabst Theater, June 12
Any indie enthusiast has seen this super group at least once. They’re always around, and they always put on a decent if not fantastic show. Clocking in at time five (six? seven? who knows?) for me, this was somehow the first time the wonderful Neko Case had graced me with her presence. One simple addition and what a difference it made. A.C. Newman, who reminds me of Bobby Flay (huh?), was a pleasure to watch, and the setlist provided a good mix of material, closing pre-encore with oh-so-lovely “The Bleeding Heart Show.” Sigh.
Honorable Mention 2 – Call Me Lightning at Cactus Club, Nov. 24
Sweaty. Rowdy. Unreal.
