This past weekend the expansive music festival Arte Para Todos (which translates to “Art for Everyone”) championed the diverse local music scene as a way to support local Milwaukee Public Schools. All the proceeds generated from the second year of the four-day, 90-band event were donated to the arts programs at four specific MPS schools. The concept was spawned in 2015 in response to Gov. Scott Walker’s budget cuts, which siphoned money away from arts education.
This weekend Walker opponents won’t beat around the bush with their intense vitriol. While Arte Para Todos attempted to bridge the gap between the current art community and the younger generation in spite of the governor’s policies, a collective of artists known as UNINTIMIDATED: Wisconsin Musicians Against Scott Walker go straight for the jugular. Bands were given two hours at Milwaukee recording studio, Howl Street Recordings, to lay down their personal diatribe against the standing administration. The results are scathing and uncompromising. These brisk recording sessions were filmed and turned into spitfire music videos. The songs formed a 16-track compilation that includes a CD, DVD and zine.
The collective holds two release parties for the compilation this weekend—the first on Friday night features Body Futures, Midwest Death Rattle, Heavy Hand and Lady Cannon at Riverwest Public House, 815 E. Locust St., and the second on Saturday night features IFIHADAHIFI, Tyranny Is Tyranny, Damsel Trash and Soup Moat at Mad Planet, 533 E. Center St. Doors open to both shows at 9 p.m. and the cover charge is $7 to each. Proceeds from the shows and compilation sales will benefit Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and local soup kitchens.
Video of the Week
The salad days are long gone—if they ever were really there at all—for the subjects of the dark southwestern folk outfit Devil Met Contention. “Now I miss you more and more/ Nothing like it was before” Ehson Rad sings on the band’s latest single, “Used To Be.” He too has left the gravelly Tom Waits-esque growl in the dust, instead playing it cooler vocally, which only helps underscore the song’s haunting tension. The accompanying music video, directed by Rad and Jessica Farrell, intersperses sleek shots of two different couples dancing while the band broods through the song onstage. You can catch Devil Met Contention open for Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts at Cactus Club, 2496 S. Wentworth Ave., this Sunday at 9 p.m.
This Week in Live Music
Monday, April 25: Argopelter at Boone & Crockett, 9 p.m. (FREE) – (2151 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.)
Tuesday, April 26: The Freeze with The Crosses and Burning Sons at Cactus Club, 8 p.m. ($10 advance; $12 door) – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
Wednesday, April 27: Amy Grant with Nichole Nordeman and Ellie Holcombat at the Milwaukee Theatre, 7:30 p.m. ($30.50-$50.50) – (500 W. Kilbourn Ave., MilwaukeeTheatre.com)
Thursday, April 28: Frightened Rabbit with Caveman at The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m. ($15 advance, $17 door) – (144 E. Wells St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Caley Conway and the Lucy Cukes with Young Revelators and Ms. Lotus Fankh at Company Brewing, 9:30 p.m. – (735 E. Center St., CompanyBrewing.com)
And: Sun Club with Thick Paint and Soul Low at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. ($8 advance, $10 door) – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
Friday, April 29: Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires with Tenement at Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. ($17 advance, $20 door) – (1032 N. 4th St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Conundrum (album release) with The Young Revelators and The Old Prospectors at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 9 p.m. ($5) – (1001 E. Locust St., Linnemans.com)
And: UNINTIMIDATED: Body Futures, Midwest Death Rattle, Heavy Hand and Lady Cannon at Riverwest Public House, 9 p.m. ($7) – (815 E. Locust St., RiverwestPublicHouse.WordPress.com)
And: Hip-Hop Hates Cancer featuring SAFS CREW, Klassik, Automatic, Pharaoh Mac & DMT at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. ($10) – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
And: Mike Swan with Cheston Van Huss, Shelly Schauer and Jack Tell at Bremen Cafe, 9 p.m. (FREE) – (901 E. Clarke St., BremenCafe.com)
Saturday, April 30: Antler House (album release) with Paper Holland (EP release) and Ugly Brothers at Company Brewing, 10 p.m. – (735 E. Center St., CompanyBrewing.com)
Also: UNINTIMIDATED: IFIHADAHIFI, Volunteer, Tyranny Is Tyranny and Soup Moat at Mad Planet, 9 p.m. ($7) – (533 E. Center St, Mad-Planet.net)
And: Kidz Bop at The Pabst Theater, 7 p.m. ($29.50-$100) – (144 E. Wells St., PabstTheater.org)
And: The Avishai Cohen Quartet at The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee on Prospect, 8:30 p.m. ($25) – (2211 N. Prospect Ave., PabstTheater.org)
Sunday, May 1: Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts with Devil Met Contention at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. ($10 advance; $12 door) – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
