While many of the city’s larger music venues take two weeks off to avoid competing with the yearly Summerfest takeover, there are still a handful of shows at the smaller clubs around town that are worth attention. So, if you’re looking to completely avoid the Big Gig but still catch some live music, check out these shows below:
Tuesday, June 30: David Liebe Hart with Crappy Dracula 2, Soup Moat and Iron Pizza at Borg Ward, 7 p.m.
Fans of bizarre, unsettling late night television will recognize David Liebe Hart as the singing ventriloquist from Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! The musical comedian brings his hilarious (creepy?) audio/visual performance to the Borg Ward this Tuesday night with local openers Crappy Dracula 2, Soup Moat and Iron Pizza. (823 W. National Ave.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHQRvCrhq-o
Also: Chill on the Hill featuring American Legion Band at Humboldt Park, 6 p.m. (FREE) – (3000 S. Howell Ave., http://www.bayviewneighborhood.org/chill_on_the_hill)
Wednesday, July 1: Obnox with Dogs in Ecstasy and Drugs Dragons at Quarters Rock ‘n Roll Palace, 7 p.m.
Cleveland’s fuzzed-out one-man garage rock band Obnox (née Lamont “Bim Thomas) comes through Milwaukee with a wave of buzz. While April’s Know America marked his fifth record in four years (and second in three months!), the prolific pace hasn’t caused too much wear. Know America is the visceral guitarist’s best album to date. (900 E. Center St.)
Also: The Weirdos with Ramma Lamma and The Hullmen at The Metal Grill, 7 p.m. ($13) – (5036 South Packard Ave., Cudahy, themetalgrill.com)
And: River Rhythms featuring Whiskeybelles at Pere Marquette Park, 6:30 p.m. (FREE) – (900 N. Plankinton Ave., Westown.org)
Thursday, July 2: The Underground Railroad to Candyland with Holy Shit!, Obsoletes, Polish Gifts and at Bremen Cafe, 9:30 p.m. (FREE)
Frontman Todd Congelliere started the SoCal pop-punk band The Underground Railroad to Candyland with members of his other band Toys That Kill, which in turn got its start after the break-up of F.Y.P in 1999. That veteran presence brings a maturity that’s missing in most current modern melodic punk. (901 E. Clarke St., BremenCafe.com)
Also: The Waco Brothers with Liar’s Trial at Walker’s Point Anodyne, 8 p.m. ($10) – (224 W. Bruce St., AnodyneCoffee.com)
And: Jazz in the Park featuring Nabori at Cathedral Square Park, 5 p.m. (FREE) – (825 N. Jefferson St., http://www.easttown.com/events/jazz-in-the-park)
Friday, July 3: The Fatty Acids with Ladders and Heavy Leaves at Cactus Club, 8 p.m. ($7)
Local psych-pop group The Fatty Acids are fresh off an opening performance before The Flaming Lips at Summerfest (what’s that?) last week, but the prominent spotlight hasn’t made them too big for their britches. The band (along with Ladders and Heavy Leaves) benefits the national public health nonprofit organization Growing Power, which seeks to provide easy access to quality food for all communities, this Friday night at a show in the much cozier confines of Bay View’s Cactus Club. (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
Saturday, July 4: Milwaukee Boat Line Summer Concert Series featuring Blax with Lex Allen, Skotty Benz, Siren and Moses at Milwaukee Boat Line, 8:30 p.m. ($22.99)
While the city’s Fourth of July display is the actually the night before the holiday, Saturday night’s Milwaukee Boat Line cruise on Lake Michigan features some fireworks of its own. Former Fresh Cut Collective frontman Adebisi, now going under the moniker Blax, headlines the cruise with opening sets from deft R&B crooner Lex Allen, Eau Claire rapper Skotty Benz, soulful singer Siren and the effervescent DJ Moses. (101 W. Michigan St., MKEBoat.com/concerts)
Sunday, July 5: Left Astray with Falter, Cynic and Morrigan at Cocoon Room, 7 p.m. ($5) – (820 E. Locust St.)
Also: Sam Vicari with Matthew Charles at Frank’s Power Plant, 9 p.m. – (815 E. Locust St., RiverwestPublicHouse.WordPress.com)
