Hayley Elizabeth, Anne Helen Wells, LIIAN and OnlyFerns
THURSDAY, AUG. 14 AT 8 P.M. | CACTUS CLUB | TICKETS
Hayley Elizabeth (AKA HayleyySparxx lead singer of Thotcrimehas) got beats to get you moving behind a recent “techno album about seasonal affective disorder.” Anne Helen Wells will bring danceable digital pop in “a desperate attempt to be known, to be loved & to get off.” Amen. LIIAN comes south from Green Bay with rhymes and glitchy beats. Milwaukee’s Only Ferns fills your ears with electronic late-night promises were unsure if they’ll keep.
Known Moons, Shontrail, Heavy Bend and Online Blunt
FRIDAY, AUG. 15 AT 6:30PM | CACTUS CLUB | TICKETS
Known Moons of Milwaukee make ear-worm grooves to dance while our society falls apart. Shontrail shares infectious, energetic hybrid dance-punk from Milwaukee’s South Side. Heavy Bend brings Milwaukee-based roots and Americana to the forefront. Chicago’s Online Blunt rocks with waves of guitar and earnest vocals.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Ultra Deluxe / Killer High Life / Courtesy / Disposable Thumbs
MONDAY, AUG. 18 AT 6 P.M. | X-RAY ARCADE | TICKETS
Float through to new horizons with New York’s Ultra Deluxe. How more Milwaukee can a band name be than Killer High Life? None more Milwaukee, but come for Liz Phair attitude and emo-tastic explosions of swirly punk. Courtesy is a Cream City with catchy punk melodies sure to stick with you long after the show. Disposable Thumbs claim to be “rock music” and I think they recall Elephant 6 Collective by way of their home town of Milwaukee.
Me Like Bees / Parrotfish / Bowvee
THURSDAY, AUG. 21 AT 7 P.M. | X-RAY ARCADE | TICKETS
Straight-ahead rockers Me Like Bees hail from the Show Me state, and they’ll show you rock hooks that will tantalize. Parrotfish plays poppy punk about the collapse of our world … dance! Bowvee brings danceable indie-pop grooves.
Fresh Coast Jazz Festival
THURSDAY, AUG. 21-SATURDAY, AUG. 23 | THE PABST THEATER | TICKETS
Improvise all weekend with some world-class jazz, featuring Gerald Albright, Jeff Lorber Fusion, Chris Standring, Four80East, Kayla Waters, The Braxton Brothers, and more.
Kneafsey, Maximiano and Ellie Jackson
FRIDAY, AUG. 22 AT 6:30 P.M. | CACTUS CLUB | TICKETS
Come for a walk in the dark with Kneafsey and get dreamy folk tales, whistling and surfy reverb. Milwaukee’s own Maximiano returns from a recent Northwest tour to grace the stage with wide-open songs of experience. Enjoy Ellie Jackson’s journey into the folksphere of harmony and slide guitar goodness.
Steve Earle | Solo & Acoustic: 50 Years of Songs and Stories with special guest Lurrie Bell
MONDAY, AUG. 25 | 8 P.M. | THE PABST THEATER | TICKETS
Steve Earle’s good earth guitar work and solid-steel songwriting brings his acoustic show to Cream City. Lurrie Bell brings the blues to Milwaukee in support of Steve Earle.
Boy Jr. / Kopps / Tiny Vamp / Ellee Grim
MONDAY, AUG. 25 AT 7 P.M. | X-RAY ARCADE | TICKETS
Boogie with Boy Jr. and enjoy robotic delights for dancing and lyrical twisting. Kopps skewers pop sensibilities with satirical lyrics over irresistible dance beats. Tiny Vamp is a Milwaukee “emo grrl” group making waves in our fair city with vibrant live shows. Ellee Grim gives us catchy songwriting over head-bobbing grooves.
Natalie Sue & The Steed E.P. Release Show, Derek Pritzl, and Valley Fox
THURSDAY, AUG. 28 AT 6 P.M. | CACTUS CLUB | TICKETS
Milwaukee’s Natalie Sue & The Steed supply searing sounds steeped in gothic country grandeur, like a Twin Peaks Season 3 house band. Madison’s Derek Pritzl provides pure country to counteract the phony dentist-office “country” rotting on FM radio. Valley Fox features smile-inducing rootsy country slide guitar with lovely close harmonies, ideal for summer nights.
Strangelander With Special Guest King Corteen
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 AT 8 P.M | VIVARIUM | TICKETS
Journey through the musical cosmos with Strangelander, your guide on a transcendental experience of sound. Cream City’s King Corteen brings a high-lonesome song of starless wonder.
DEFTONES with special guests Phantogram & The Barbarians of California
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 AT 7 P.M. | FISERV FORUM | TICKETS
The DEFTONES deliver negative space alternative metal that will shatter your bones. Phantogram is a metal duo with some danceable grooves, giving cross-category vibes. The Barbarians of California keep things loud with screams and riffs from the great beyond.
