Monday, February 23: Current Swell with Twin Brother at Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. ($10)
Canadian folk rockers Current Swell cashed a cool $100,000 check after winning a Peak Performance Project grant in 2011 and used the winnings to fund its fifth full-length, 2014’s Ulysses. The album was produced by Nathan Sabatino, who’s worked with Dr. Dog, Neko Case. Get there early for Milwaukee’s own Twin Brother, who put out a stunning record of their own last year. (1032 N. Fourth St., PabstTheater.org)
Tuesday, February 24: Robyn Hitchcock with Emma Swift at Shank Hall, 8 p.m. ($25)
Every several months Shank Hall books a show that makes you double take—likeMission of Burma, Swans, Frank Black. Tuesday night the venue brings another heavy-hitter to town, the prolific singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock. The Englishman got his start fronting the post-punk band The Soft Boys in the late ‘70s, but made his mark throughout his 30-plus year solo career. His 20th album, The Man Upstairs, includes some of his best work in a while, which really says something. (1434 N. Farwell Ave., ShankHall.com)
Also: **Barry Manilow with Dave Koz at BMO Harris Bradley Center, 7:30 p.m. ($16.75-$126.75) – (1001 N. Fourth St., BradleyCenter.com)
Wednesday, February 25: The Growlers with Jaill at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. ($12)
Southern California psych rock five-piece The Growlers embrace reckless abandon so heartily in its music that it’s no surprise that describes their personal attitudes, as well. While their fifth album, Chinese Fountain, was recorded with a real producer at a professional studio, the songs were written in dismay. They had been displaced from their home after a fireworks accident. “We were reckless at the house, basically non-stop,” singer Brooks Nielsen told Paste in September. “It was a haven for every misfit around, so there was constant partying and raging and fireworks going off everywhere. A friend of ours threw a firework that found a bad spot to be in and lit the place and burned our studio down and part of our house. We had to pack up what we had. We were leaving on the road three days later, so we threw our shit in storage and bailed. When we came back we didn’t have a house.” (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
Also: Nuclear Santa Claust with Midwives, Sin Bad and Strange Matter at Cocoon Room, 7 p.m. ($5) – (820 E. Locust St.)
Thursday, February 26: Scythian with Tallymoore at Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. ($20) – (1032 N. Fourth St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Bordeaux with Autumn Reverie and Fighting Man Dummy at Frank’s Power Plant, 9 p.m. ($5) – (2800 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., FranksPowerPlant.com)
Friday, February 27: Arte Para Todos Day One (multiple locations in Bay View), 7 p.m. ($7 per event, $12 one-day pass, $20 weekend pass)
The inaugural benefit Arte Para Todos, or Art for Everyone, scatters scores of shows throughout the city this weekend. The three days are broken up among the neighborhoods—Bay View gets Friday, Riverwest/Harambee gets Saturday and East Side gets Sunday. All proceeds from the event are split evenly among Bay View High School, Tamarack Waldorf High School and Escuela Fratney. The line-up is massive, around 70 bands in total, and encapsulates some of the best that the city’s music scene has to offer. Tonight, there are shows at Cactus Club, Highbury, Club Garibaldi, Frank’s Power Plant, Boone & Crockett and Tonic Tavern. For the full line-up, check out the Arte Para Todos website.
Also: The Midwestern Charm with Delores, Oketo and King Courteen at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 9:30 p.m. ($5) – (1001 E. Locust St., Linnemans.com)
And: Scott Wooldridge Trio with Steve Dawson, Diane Christiansen and You Go First at Shank Hall, 8 p.m. ($10) – (1434 N. Farwell Ave., ShankHall.com)
And: Greensky Bluegrass with Rayland Baxter at The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m. ($15 advance; $17 door) – (144 E. Wells St., PabstTheater.org)
Saturday, February 28: Ariana Grande with Rixton and Cashmere Cat at BMO Harris Bradley Center, 7:30 p.m. ($26.50-$66.50)
The former Nickelodeon teen star Ariana Grande continues her seismic rise in pop music this Saturday, with a headlining gig at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Her second album was buoyed by the massive successes of “Problem” with Iggy Azelea and “Bang Bang” with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, but if any track off My Everything has any true staying power, it’s her silky collaboration with The Weeknd, “Love Me Harder.” It’s difficult to say whether she can carry an arena show at this point, but she’s trending in the right direction. (1001 N. Fourth St., BradleyCenter.com)
Also: Arte Para Todos Day Two (multiple locations in Riverwest), 7 p.m. ($7 per event, $12 one-day pass, $20 weekend pass)
And: Bright Kind with Dahlia Revolt and Nagaina at Frank’s Power Plant, 9 p.m. ($5) – (2800 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., FranksPowerPlant.com)
And: Lotus with Turbo Suit at Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. ($19.50 advance; $22 door) – (1032 N. Fourth St., PabstTheater.org)
Sunday, March 1: Moon Duo with Moss Folk at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. ($10)
The psychedelic rockers Moon Duo return to Cactus Club this Sunday with local opener the equally trippy Moss Folk. If you’re looking to get your Milwaukee Psych Fest hit early, this is the show for you. You can stream Shadow of the Sun a week before its release at NPR. (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
Also: Arte Para Todos Day Three (multiple locations on the East Side), 7 p.m. ($7 per event, $12 one-day pass, $20 weekend pass)
**UPDATE: The Journal Sentinel reports that Barry Manilow is postponing Tuesday’s show at the BMO Harris Bradley Center for undisclosed reasons.
