When Summerfest rolls around in a couple weeks, the city’s other music venues tend to slow down rather than directly rival The Big Gig. If you dread the music scene’s yearly black hole during those 11 days than this week is clearly for you, as this week’s schedule is absolutely packed with a variety of shows.
While this weekend sees performances by M. Ward and Jenny Lewis’ new supergroup, Flight of the Conchords, Against Me!, and Built to Spill, a disproportionate amount of excellent concerts are lined up for this Wednesday. Here is the diverse set of genres you can see this hump day:
Twee folk
Moved from the Riverside Theater due to overwhelming demand, folk outfit The Lumineers headline the BMO Harris Pavilion with openers SOAK and sleepwalkers. The band recently released its follow-up to 2012’s self-titled debut, which featured the hit song “Ho Hey.” Cleopatra finds them with more serious objectives, ostensibly geared to leave the group’s whimsical folk past in the dust.
‘80s punk
What’s dead may never die, apparently, as 80’s hardcore group The Dead Kennedys have been a reformed band almost twice as long as the initial run together from 1978-1986. One of the most influential punk rock bands headlines Turner Hall Ballroom with the help of Burning Sons, Deathwish and The Crosses, who will perform the first Die Kreuzen album front to back.
Hip hop
The self-proclaimed trap lord A$AP Ferg professes about being on a new level on sophomore album, April’s Always Strive and Prosper. Not too long ago the rapper was dealing with bed bugs and an all-ramen diet on tour, now he’s co-headlining the Rave with Toronto rapper Tory Lanez on the “Level Up Tour.”
Emo revival
By the mid-2000s emo music had been dragged through the mud, but over the past couple years, a younger generation of musicians have sought to reclaim the genre’s storied past. Along with bands like Touché Amoré, Into It. Over It., and The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, Modern Baseball bears the torch for the much-maligned genre. They headline the Rave with a pop punkers Joyce Manor. This assuredly-teenager-packed show will serve as a stark reminder to how old we’ve all become.
Local indie rock
Soul Low plays the second week of River Rhythms in Pere Marquette Park. Sure, you can catch the band at other free festivals this year like Summer Soulstice (June 25) and Chill on the Hill (July 12) but this Wednesday you won’t have to deal with nearly as much congestion as those other events, leading to a relaxing and refreshing picnic with the music stylings of one of the city’s finest bands, Soul Low.
This Week in Live Music
Monday, June 13: Water Witches with Ravi/Lola and Sound Sweepers at High Dive, 9 p.m. – (701 E. Center St., HighDiveMKE.com)
Tuesday, June 14: Chill on the Hill featuring Foreign Goods with Collective Neurosisat at Humboldt Park, 6 p.m. (FREE) – (3000 S. Howell Ave., http://www.bayviewneighborhood.org/chill_on_the_hill)
Also: Operator with Athletic Supply, Heat Death and Apollo Vermouth at Riverwest Public House, 8 p.m. (FREE) – (815 E. Locust St., RiverwestPublicHouse.WordPress.com)
Wednesday, June 15: The Lumineers with SOAK and sleepwalkers at BMO Harris Pavilion, 8 p.m. ($29.50) – (200 N. Harbor Dr., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Dead Kennedys with The Crosses, Burning Sons and Deathwish at Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. ($24.50) – (1032 N. 4th St., PabstTheater.org)
And: A$AP Ferg with Tory Lanez and Madeintyo at The Rave, 8 p.m. ($25-$30) – (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., TheRave.com)
And: Modern Baseball with Joyce Manor and Thin Lips at The Rave, 7:30 p.m. ($18) – (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., TheRave.com)
And: River Rhythms featuring Soul Low at Pere Marquette Park, 6:30 p.m. (FREE) – (900 N. Plankinton Ave., Westown.org)
And: Lily and Madeleine with Shannon Hayden at The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee, 8 p.m. ($12) – (2211 N. Prospect Ave., PabstTheater.org)
Thursday, June 16: Angel Olsen with Scott Tuma at The Pabst Theater (Lower Level Show), 8 p.m. ($10) – (1032 N. 4th St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Catfish And The Bottlemen at The Rave, 8 p.m. ($19.50-$24.50) – (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., TheRave.com)
And: Juiceboxxx with Queen Tut at Circle-A Cafe, 9 p.m. – (932 E. Chambers St., Circle-A-Café.org)
And: Dead Feathers with Calliope, Vocokesh and Moon Rats at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
And: Hayes Carll with Emily Gimble at The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee, 8 p.m. ($20) – (2211 N. Prospect Ave., PabstTheater.org)
Friday, June 17: M. Ward with Big Thief and Nice as F*** (NAF) ft. Jenny Lewis, Erika Forster and Tennessee Thomas at The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m. ($20) – (1032 N. 4th St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Faux Fiction (album release) with Midwest Beat and Myles Coyne at Riverwest Public House, 9 p.m. ($5) – (815 E. Locust St., RiverwestPublicHouse.WordPress.com)
And: Colfax Speed Queen with The Kinky Fingers and The Young Revelators at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
And: Chakara Blu with D’Amato and Sonic Intension at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 9 p.m. ($5) – (1001 E. Locust St., Linnemans.com)
Saturday, June 18: Flight of the Conchords with Eugene Mirman at The Riverside Theater, 7 p.m. (SOLD OUT) – (116 W. Wisconsin Ave., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Against Me! with Tim Barry and Fea at The Rave, 7:30 p.m. ($20) – (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., TheRave.com)
And: The Mercurys with The Pukes (album release) at Club Garibaldi, 9 p.m. – (2501 S. Superior St., ClubGaribaldis.com)
And: WORK with Ladders and 8 Bit Creeps at Riverwest Public House, 9 p.m. ($5) – (815 E. Locust St., RiverwestPublicHouse.WordPress.com)
And: Absolutely with Cult of Lip, Thetah and Blue Unit at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
Sunday, June 19: Built to Spill with Love As Laughter at Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. ($20) – (1032 N. 4th St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Panic On Panic with SIN BAD at Circle-A Cafe, 8 p.m. – (932 E. Chambers St., Circle-A-Café.org)
