For being the first Friday of the festival, Summerfest’s third night was surprisingly low key. Perhaps it was the weather, perhaps the lineup, but it was a far from capacity crowd at the festival grounds.
This actually worked out to the night’s advantage, as the lineup didn’t present one singular standout act worth camping out on metal benches for. Some nights are best for wandering, people-watching, eating, drinking, and seeing as many bands as possible. With that in mind, I’ll run through some quick hits on the night.
– Saz’s Sampler Platter is one of the most universally adored things about Summerfest, but it still might be underrated. It is phenomenal and I’m not sure why I eat anything else.
– The Dirty Dozen Brass Band filled the 8 p.m. void perfectly — and this is no small task; 8 p.m. can deliver some duds.
– The Johnson Controls World Stage is one of the better stages sit and eat and get your night started. There’s almost always tables available, the early-evening lineup is pretty reliable on a day-to-day basis, and its relatively central location makes it easy to make your move to the next destination.
– A “U-S-A! U-S-A!” chant broke out in a men’s bathroom, which is how I learned the U.S. defeated China in the Women’s World Cup. Way to go, ladies!
– Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons had one of the bigger crowds I’ve seen at the KNE New Music Stage (aka the local stage). Chisel wears a stellar hat, so it made sense. And despite my urge to, I was able to resist from shouting for him to play “Born Again.” Even though I love that song, no one should be That Guy.
– Walking by Coheed and Cambria at the Harley Stage made me nostalgic for hating emo, but the band sang Justice Scalia’s dissenting opinions from the Affordable Care Act and gay marriage rulings in a pretty humorous Funny or Die video, so they’re cool by me.
– I like Punch Brothers, but the band’s intricate musicianship was hard to appreciate at Summerfest. Said my wife, “This should be a Pabst Theater show.”
– The far north end of the BMO Harris Pavilion offers one of Summerfest’s best views. Here, look:
– Santigold, performing her lone date on the 2015 calendar, was probably the act I was most excited for, because her music is fun and I am pro-fun. But despite some outrageous outfits and a fun, circus-like stage set-up, the performance was torpedoed by poor sound. It’s one thing to hear a band one stage over, it’s another when your best song during your Miller Lite Oasis headlining spot is being drowned out by Coheed and Cambria at Harley. Kind of a bummer.
– The night came full circle back at the JCI stage, where Dirty Dozen Brass Band joined Blind Boys of Alabama to close out the night on a high note.
