Fall isn’t just for sportsball. It’s also a great season for concert-going – the lineups at MKE music venues small and large this month were consistently stellar.
P.O.S proved he was anything but at his September 11 Cactus Club show. And the Flaming Lips set the Rave ablaze on September 18. But one of my favorite shows of the month shone a spotlight on two up-and-coming Austin artists – Gary Clark Jr. and Jackie Venson – who played the Riverside on September 27.
Clark, the headliner, has shared a stage with living legends like Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones, as well as the late, great B.B. King. And those classic rock and blues influences are evident in his face-shredding guitar licks and throaty vocals. They’re evident in his fan base too – I was surprised, but delighted, to see as many Boomers as Millennials and Gen-Xers in attendance at the Wednesday-night show. Apparently Clark’s potent cocktail of classic rock and blues (mixed with more modern R&B beats and hip-hop hooks) appeals to audiences across age levels and demographics.
And Venson – who releases her latest studio album, Transcends, on September 29 – held her own against Clark. Her vocals soared, while her guitar playing was both technically adept and wildly expressive. And she channeled a little Janis Joplin, by way of Joss Stone, during her final number, when she rocketed around the stage in glittering gold boots while executing a blistering guitar solo.
Venson returns to Milwaukee again this January. I’d encourage anyone who loves guitar-forward blues or female-fronted bands to check out her encore performance.
In the meantime, MKE audiophiles have another month of great music to look forward to. Angel Olsen at the Pabst Theater on October 1. Gogol Bordello at Turner Hall on October 2. Misterwives at the Rave on October 14. The list goes on and on and on.
