Tuesday, February 3: Wild Child with Animals in Human Attire and James Tillman at Mad Planet, 9 p.m. ($10 advance; $12 door)
The flowery, hippie moniker for Wild Child might be a bit misleading. The Austin, Texas six-piece shares more with traditional folk outfits than, say, the free love vibe of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Ben Kweller produced the band’s latest record, The Runaround, a collection of lushly-arranged folk-pop tunes that don’t feel overly draped in nostalgia. (533 E. Center St, Mad-Planet.net)
Wednesday, February 4: Yonatan Gat with Soup Moat and Fatty Acids at Cocoon Room, 8 p.m. ($7)
New-York-by-way-of-Tel-Aviv composer and former Monotrix guitarist Yonatan Gat brings kaleidoscopic psych rock to the Cocoon Room this Wednesday with local openers Soup Moat and Fatty Acids. Hailed as Village Voice’s “Best Guitarist of 2013,” Gat blends many world music stylings with a psychedelic spirit. (820 E. Locust St.)
Also: Cold Blue Mountain with Protestant and Nadoula at Quarters Rock ‘n Roll Palace, 9 p.m. ($7) – (900 E. Center St.)
Thursday, February 5: Chris Robinson Brotherhood at Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. ($20)
The Black Crowes’ frontman Chris Robinson heads the blues rock band Chris Robinson Brotherhood, which first came together in 2011 during one of his main band’s many hiatuses. Its third studio album, Phosphorescent Harvest, left Crowes’ fans pining for Robinson’s earlier, more engaging output, but with that band on another in an endless string of indefinite hiatus, this less tumultuous side project is the closest they’ll get to peak Black Crowes. (1032 N. Fourth St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: August Burns Red with Miss May I, Northlane, Fit For A King, Erra at The Rave, 7 p.m. ($24.50-$29.50) – (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., TheRave.com)
Friday, February 6: RiFF RAFF with Chanel West Coast and WebsterX at the Rave, 8 p.m. ($21-$119)
Houston’s RiFF RAFF has such a distinct persona that it’s no wonder the corn-rowed, grill-mouthed, ‘90s neon-clad rapper took offense to James Franco’s strikingly similar character from 2012’s lavish crime drama Spring Breakers. While it’s easy to hate the cartoonish, over-the-top personality of RiFF RAFF—partly because he began as a reality TV star on MTV’s “From G’s to Gents”—if you can give into the grandiosity, there are some infectious dance hits to enjoy. (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., TheRave.com)
Also: Crappy Dracula 2 with Heavy Hand, Ladders and Ravi/Lola at Cactus Club, 10 p.m. – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
And: The Family Stone at Potawatomi’s Northern Lights Theater, 8 p.m. ($20-$35) – (1721 W. Canal St., PaysBig.com)
Saturday, February 7: Mitten Fest featuring Canopies, Greatest Lakes, Towers and Sin Bad outside Burnhearts, 12 p.m. (FREE)
If Facebook RSVP’s are to be trusted, the city’s only outdoor winter music festival, Mitten Fest, is set to draw more than 2000 attendees. It’s not hard to see why that number could turn out to be totally accurate. Set outside Bay View’s craft beer Mecca, Burnhearts, Mitten Fest has more to tout than its brazen disregard for cold temperatures. Indoor and outdoor stands will feature an extensive tap beer list from Central Waters and Founders breweries. Plus, a garage will be converted into the site of Brandyland, which will be serving up Korbel Brandy Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Fashioned and Ginger Brandy toddies. The live performances from local musicians are always a sight to see—this year boasts a solid line-up including Sin Bad, Towers, Greatest Lakes and Canopies—and provides a good way to keep warm—in conjunction with a high ABV drink, of course. (2599 S. Logan Ave.)
Also: Marilyn Manson at The Rave, 8 p.m. ($35) – (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., TheRave.com)
And: Fox Face with Holly and the Nice Lions, Ramma Lamma and The Ornerys at Bremen Cafe, 9 p.m. (FREE) – (901 E. Clarke St., BremenCafe.com)
And: Twin Brother with Building on Buildings and Nightgown at Cactus Club, 9:30 p.m. – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
And: Devil Met Contention with The Grasping At Straws and Wolfgang Schaefer at Mad Planet, 9 p.m. ($5) – (533 E. Center St, Mad-Planet.net)
And: De La Buena with The Sounds of Time and Aluar Pearls at Shank Hall, 8 p.m. ($12) – (1434 N. Farwell Ave., ShankHall.com)
Sunday, February 8: Trauma Harness with Nubiles, Kringe, Foreign Lawns and Writhin’ at Cocoon Room, 7 p.m. ($7) – (820 E. Locust St.)
