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Welcome to our daily compendium of Summerfest picks, previews, promotions and opinions. Here's what's happening at the Big Gig on on Tuesday, July 3.
Today at the Amphitheater: J. Cole w/ Trippie Redd
Going platinum with no features? Your favorite American Family Insurance Amphitheater could never. Few rap stars invite quite as much eye rolling as J. Cole does—he's so self serious that he makes it almost too easy to troll him—but despite his sanctimonious, "too good for the radio" posture, we can't deny the guy's got some singles: "No Role Modelz" is an anthem, one of those era-defining tracks that'll probably be used as shorthand for the mid-2010s in movies twenty years from now. This spring Cole released his fifth album, KOD, a heady exploration of addiction and depression that he carries with his usual seriousness. As for opener Trippie Redd... well, he was arrested last month for allegedly pistol whipping a woman. It's disgusting that he hasn't been dropped from this bill.
Show of the Day: Steven Tyler
It's a safe bet that almost everybody at the BMO Harris Pavilion tonight for Steven Tyler's 9:45 p.m. show would rather be seeing Aerosmith. But if Aerosmith were playing Summerfest it'd probably be an expensive ticketed show at the amphitheater, so fans shouldn't look a gift horse in the month, and if having to sit through some of Tyler's country-leaning solo material is the price to pay for hearing Aerosmith staples, well, there are worse trade-offs. The big question hanging over tonight's show: How many scarves will Tyler wear? We're guessing lots. The man loves scarves.
Today's Milwaukee Music Pick: Abby Jeanne
What a joy it's been watching vocal powerhouse Abby Jeanne absolutely crush it the last couple of years. She plays the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage tonight at a plum 8 p.m. slot, and after releasing her most gigantic track yet last year, the planet-devouring "Cosmic Beings," nobody could deny that she's earned her recent headliner status. (You can revisit our 2017 feature on Jeanne here).
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At the Miller Lite Oasis: Foster the People (10 p.m.)
Our write-up from this week's issue: "When MGMT refused to fill the demand for catchy, buoyant psych-pop that they helped created with their 2007 album Oracular Spectacular and its ubiquitous hits, a bunch of other bands stepped in to capitalize on the opportunity. Among the most successful was Los Angeles’ Foster the People, which scored a big crossover hit in 2011 with the MGMT-esque “Pumped Up Kicks,” a song that helped shift alt-rock radio’s interest away from guitars and toward loose, happy grooves. Last year, the group released its third album, Sacred Hearts Club, which adds a more pronounced electronic influence but keeps the perky pop vibes."
The Deal With Tonight's Fireworks
Plan ahead: The city is hosting its annual July 3 fireworks display tonight, so expect enormous traffic backups. The show is expected to start around 9:25 p.m. and last 60 minutes. You'll notice that timing overlaps with most of Summerfest's big side-stage headliners tonight, who will take the stage during the fireworks, not after.
Here's How to Get in Free Today
Be a senior citizen or a Harley owner. "All patrons age 60 and up will be admitted FREE when they check in at the designated turnstile at any gate" as part of Direct Supply Seniorfest Day today from noon to 4 p.m., according to the festival. Not old enough for that? It's also H.O.G. Member Day at Summerfest, so anybody with a Harley Owners Group card can get in free between noon and 3 p.m.
Here's Today's Complete Lineup
Read more of our Summerfest coverage, including picks, previews and reviews, here.
