Ah, Summerfest. The fest so great they named a whole season after it.
Last year was my first time at the Big Gig, and it certainly was big. I may never experience the festival’s 11-straight-day heyday, but what I did experience was a packed musical party with some unbeatable skyline views. Summerfest is more like a carnival than any other music fest I’ve been to. (Which is, like, one, but my point still stands.)
RELATED: HERE’S THE 2025 SUMMERFEST LINEUP
And while the Skyglider’s great, and the sampler platter’s not too bad – I had higher expectations, sorry! – the greatest joy was wandering the grounds from stage to stage, searching for a sound to catch my ear.
The first week of this year’s Summerfest kicks off this Thursday. It’s hard to truly recommend people you haven’t seen live before, but nevertheless, here are the acts who’ve piqued my interest. I’ve based these picks on personal experience, hunches and more than a pinch of randomness. If you don’t have a must-see artist on your agenda this year, these guides might help as a starting point.
And if you don’t end up liking any of my picks? There’s always another act playing. Happy festing!
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
NilexNile
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 AT 4:45 P.M. | USCELLULAR CONNECTION STAGE
Summerfest does a good job at loading up on talented local acts; NilexNile is a case in point. The young rapper’s got woozy, oft-kilter beats and pairs them with a flow that’s anything but. His new album Pastel Blues just came out, so expect several tunes from that project.
The Isley Brothers
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 AT 10 P.M. | BMO PAVILION
It’s wild that The Isley Brothers are still performing – a band that’s rode the decades of sea changes in the pop world with masterful adaptability. Sure, the lineup’s changed over the years, but Ronald Isley’s still front and center. And you know what? When I saw them in 2019, they still got it. I’d still “Twist & Shout” with them again, too.
Natasha Bedingfield
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 AT 10 P.M. | BRIGGS & STRATTON BIG BACKGROUND
Every now and then, I need a reminder to feel the rain on my skin. After all, no one else can feel it for me. And when I get overwhelmed and overcome with uncertainty, it helps to hear that the rest is still unwritten. Thanks, Natasha. We could all use a pocketful of sunshine.
Arts Fishing Club
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 AT 6 P.M. | GENERAC POWER STAGE
OK, I admit it. As the arts & culture editor, my mind is attuned to anything with the word “art” in it. I’m a little less knowledgeable about fishing clubs, but perhaps this is a chance to learn. According to a Google search, they’re an indie-folk band based in Nashville but originally from Appleton. Oh, and “Arts” does not refer to creative human expression, but rather multiple granddads. It checks out grammatically, if we’re talking about a fishing club made up of Arts.
Hozier
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 AT 7:30 P.M. | AMERICAN FAMILY AMPHITHEATER
If there’s one thing I know about this guy, it’s that he likes his whiskey neat. Hozier could’ve been a one-hit wonder, but a decade later he amassed a cult following that’s hitting critical mass. I guess I’m curious about his allure, and if you’re willing to pay extra for a ticket, it might be worth joining the crowd.
Jason Scott & The High Heat
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 AT 4:30 P.M. | MILLER LITE OASIS
Hey, I know these guys! I met them before. In a past life, I wrote about them, actually. They’re cool. If you like red-dirt country-rock, you’ll dig them.
The Whole BMO Pavilion
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 FROM 2-9:30 P.M. | BMO PAVILION
If you like indie rock, the lineup at this stage is so stacked. Collections of Colonies of Bees is a classic local band with years of exciting mutations. Caley Conway’s ethereal, amorphous indie pop is one of my favorite sounds in Milwaukee right now. Ratboys rocks, and I’ve long been a fan of Japanese Breakfast. I know I said wandering is the best part of Summerfest, but I might stay put here.
