Monday, Jan. 23: Jack’s Mannequin at The Rave, 7 p.m. ($20.50)
Pianist Andrew McMahon made a name for himself in the early 2000s band Something Corporate. Shortly thereafter, McMahon set out to tickle ivories in the similarly brash-yet-more mature ballads under the moniker Jack’s Mannequin. As Jack’s international following of devoted fans continues to swell, the project has overtaken the since-abandoned Something Corporate as McMahon’s primary project. Jukebox The Ghost and Allen Stone open. (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., therave.com)
Tuesday, Jan. 24: Kathleen Edwards at Turner Hall, 7 p.m. ($15)
Canadian songstress Kathleen Edwards has been playing out since the end of last century. The persistence has finally paid off, as her latest album Voyageur is getting much more radio play and national attention than she’d ever experienced, thanks in large to her hit single “Change The Sheets.” Interesting tidbit: Voyageur was recorded in Wisconsin and produced by Bon Iver brainchild Justin Vernon, whom Edwards is now dating. Hannah Georgas opens. (1032 N. Fourth St., pabsttheater.org)
Wednesday, Jan. 25: Call Me Lightning at Hotel Foster, 9 p.m. ($5)
Instead of focusing on Call Me Lightning, which most everyone already knows is great, allow us to shift focus to the show’s opening act, Hot Coffin. The band, which includes members of now-defunct Milwaukee favorites Death Dream and Red Knife Lottery, played its first and (to date) only show during last month’s Riverwest Fest II. This mid-week show is a perfect pairing of one of Milwaukee’s most popular rock bands along with one of its newest and most promising. (2028 E. North Ave., thehotelfoster.com)
Thursday, Jan. 26: The Championship at Hotel Foster, 9 p.m. ($5)
In a time in which no band seems to permanently part ways (lest its vinyl re-issue go under-promoted!), the return of The Championship is one of the more-welcomed reunions around these parts. The band hangs its hat on careful songwriting and the thick and throaty pipes of front man Joe Crockett. If you missed The Championship in its first tour of duty, make sure not to miss the train again. Trapper Schoepp & The Shades opens. (2028 E. North Ave., thehotelfoster.com)
Friday, Jan. 27: WhiskeyBelles at Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, 9 p.m.
The WhiskeyBelles are something special. The harmony-laden, fun-first female folk trio has been turning heads, getting toes tapping, and earning a strong foothold in the local festival scene with flowery originals and time-tested covers. (1920 S. 37th St., beer-hall.com)
Also: Scrimshaw, Absolutely, and Heavy Hand at Cactus Club, 10 p.m.
(2496 S. Wentworth Ave., cactusclubmilwaukee.com)
And: Architects Of The Aftermath, New Labor, and Bible Of The Devil at Frank’s Power Plant, 9:30 p.m.
(2800 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., frankspowerplant.net)
MUSIC NOTES SHOW OF THE WEEK
Saturday, Jan. 28: Pablove Benefit at Turner Hall, 5 p.m. ($10-$50)
For the third straight year, Dangerbird Records founder and Milwaukee native Jeff Castelez has organized a Pablove Benefit as part of his foundation’s ongoing effort to improve the lives of children suffering from cancer. Pablove has enlisted the audio assistance of nationally-known talents Butch Walker and Meiko, along with a treasure trove of Wisconsin-bred bands, which includes the likes of Herman Astro, El Oso, The Fatty Acids, The Ragadors, AUTOMatic, Testa Rosa, and Canopies. The show alone is well worth the $20 adult cover charge. The price is even easier to pay knowing the money is benefiting a worthy cause. (1032 N. Fourth St., pabsttheater.org)
Also: King Hell Bastard at Mad Planet, 9 p.m. ($10)
(533 E. Center St, mad-planet.net)
And: Flojo, Jay Flash, and Greatest Lakes at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 9:30 p.m. ($5)
(1001 E. Locust St., linnemans.com)
And: The Cab, The Summer Set, He Is We, Days Difference, and Paradise Fears at The Rave, 7 p.m. ($14)
Call Me Lightning photo from the band’s Facebook page
