Monday, October 6: Rachel Sage (album release) with Claudia Johnson at Anodyne Walker’s Point, 8 p.m. ($12) – (224 W. Bruce St., AnodyneCoffee.com)
Tuesday, October 7: Asia at The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m. ($35.50-$55.50)
The four-piece Asia banded together in 1981 following the dissolutions of the two massive progressive rock bands Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes. While the band didn’t score well with critics, their albums sold millions of copies during the ‘80s on the back of hit singles, “Heat of the Moment,” “Only Time Will Tell,” and “Don’t Cry.” Despite numerous line-up changes throughout the past 33 years, Asia persisted to tour and release albums every few years, even though they largely went ignored. Reforming the original line-up got some attention in 2006, but proved too much of a burden for Steve Howe, who ultimately chose to play guitar solely in Yes. (144 E. Wells St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Whips with Piles and Party Unlimited LLC (Andy Silverman DJ Set) at Hotel Foster, 9 p.m. ($5) – (2028 E. North Ave., TheHotelFoster.com)
Wednesday, October 8: Santana at The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m. ($75-$150)
For anyone born after the ‘70s, the name Carlos Santana instantly brings to mind the cheesy guitar lines behind Rob Thomas’ cheesy vocals to 1999s ubiquitous pop single, “Smooth.” And, in fact, it would become the biggest hit of his career and make him a massive rock star again—even though his band, Santana, was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame just a year earlier. Santana emerged in the late ‘60s when the skill of shredding a guitar could catapult a musician to stardom. (116 W. Wisconsin Ave., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Secret Chiefs 3 with Cleric at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. ($13 advance, $15 door) – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
And: Bruiser Queen with Ramma Lamma and The Sleepwalkers at Quarters Rock ‘n Roll Palace, 9 p.m. ($5) – (900 E. Center St.)
And: Jayk at Hotel Foster, 9 p.m. ($5) – (2028 E. North Ave., TheHotelFoster.com)
Thursday, October 9: Robin Trower with Greg Koch and The Tone Controls at the Pabst Theater, 8 p.m. ($39.50)
If you haven’t had enough of old dudes playing guitar this week, you should catch 69-year-old British blues rock guitarist Robin Trower lay down some licks at The Pabst Theater. Recommended if you like: two of the best guitar players of all time, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. (144 E. Wells St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Jealousy Mountain Duo with Don Vito and Peter J Woods Free Jazz Ensemble at Cactus Club, 10 p.m. – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
And: Dana Coppafeel and SPEAK Easy with Haz Solo and Tay Butler at Hotel Foster, 9 p.m. ($5) – (2028 E. North Ave., TheHotelFoster.com)
And: The Rich Hands with Sin Bad at Quarters Rock ‘n Roll Palace, 9 p.m. – (900 E. Center St.)
Friday, October 10: OK Go at Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. ($17.50 advance, $20 door)
The Chicago-based rock band OK Go was by no means the first musicians to go viral, but they certainly achieved a different level of attention than their predecessors due to the band’s innovative music videos from 2005’s Oh No. The single-shot method and the meticulous, choreographed dance for both “A Million Ways” and “Here It Goes Again” were must-watch videos, even for those that found the band’s power pop sound too sterile. The intense popularity catapulted OK Go to mainstream audiences, which led attempts to one-up themselves. Hungry Ghosts’ lead single “The Writing’s On The Wall” features another one-shot video that takes the viewer through the spectrum of optical illusions. (1032 N. Fourth St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Steve Aoki at The Rave, 8 p.m. ($32-$119) – (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., TheRave.com)
And: Vats with Watcher’s Woods and Banana Twins at Quarters Rock ‘n Roll Palace, 9 p.m. ($5) – (900 E. Center St.)
And: The Stud Spiders with Saw the Creature and Tigernite at Club Garibaldi, 9 p.m. – (2501 S. Superior St., ClubGaribaldis.com)
Saturday, October 11: Herman Astro at The Miramar Theatre, 8 p.m. ($7)
Mere weeks after releasing its latest album, Mean Gene, Herman Astro are calling it quits, due to the departure of singer Zach Pluer to Raleigh, North Carolina. Saturday night at The Mirarmar Theater marks the last time to catch the soulful rock four-piece (for a while), but the band sounds hopeful that this won’t be their swansong. Godspeed, good lads. (2844 N. Oakland Ave., TheMiramarTheatre.com)
Also: Altos with Scrimshaw at Cactus Club, 10 p.m. – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
And: Gladys Knight at The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m. ($45-$85) – (116 W. Wisconsin Ave., PabstTheater.org)
And: The New Red Moons with Alex Shah and Rivers at Circle-A Café, 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 12: Big Freedia with Rio Turbo at Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. ($15)
Big Freedia, the New Orleans-based purveyor of the rhythmic, booty shaking genre known as bounce music, is celebrated for an outlandish onstage personality on the stage and also on screen—the second season of the Fuse television show, “Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce” aired this summer. This year’s full-length Just Be Free sets the stage for Big Freedia to become even a bigger star. (1032 N. Fourth St., PabstTheater.org)
Want a pair of tickets to see Big Freedia? All you have to do is be the first person to tweet @milwaukeemag and tell us which Milwaukee show you’re seeing this week.
Also: David Gray with John Smith at The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m. ($45.50-$55.50
