Courtesy of Summerfest
Tuesday, June 23
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
Marcus Amphitheater, 7 p.m.
Forty years ago when The Rolling Stones played Milwaukee at a long-gone venue called County Stadium, no one imagined they would still exist in faraway 2015. Their survival is remarkable, given Keith Richards’ drug habits in the ’70s. More amazing is their ability to put on a first-rate show 50-plus years into their career. If anything, The Stones of 2015 are a better live act than the Stones of ’75.
With Mick Jagger acting out his Jumping Jack Flash persona, dour Charlie Watts anchoring the beat and Richards whipping out his trademark licks with the support of Ronnie Wood, the Stones will present a polished package of greatest hits from their enormous catalog. The release this spring of a deluxe anniversary edition of one of their greatest albums, Sticky Fingers (1971), hints at the inclusion of “Brown Sugar,” “Bitch” and “Wild Horses” in their set.
The Stones’ decision to play Milwaukee this summer is a testament to Summerfest’s reputation as a major music venue, as well as a bit of good luck with the band’s routing schedule. The Marcus Amphitheater is the smallest venue they will play among the 15 cities on their 2015 tour. (David Luhrssen)
Wednesday, June 24
Florida Georgia Line
Florida Georgia Line
Marcus Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
Ask Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley or Tyler Hubbard about “bro country,” and they may not know of what you speak. Interviews with the duo comprising one of the most successful—and most divisive—acts on commercial country radio nowadays have betrayed a lack of self- awareness regarding how their work is marketed and perceived, but if anyone epitomizes the genre’s surge of testosterone and lyrics espousing YOLO philosophy free of consequences, it’s these guys. Though the trend they rode in on with 2012 grammatically dubious, nine-times platinum pop crossover single “Cruise” may already be ebbing, that shouldn’t keep the Marcus Amphitheater anything less than packed. Expect a short spell of poignancy hewing sonically closer to traditional country sounds when Florida Georgia Line kicks into their surprisingly reflective 2014 single “Dirt.” (Jamie Lee Rake)
Sheryl Crow
BMO Harris Pavilion, 10 p.m.
A month before her opening-night performance at Summerfest, Sheryl Crow was in New Orleans, helping rebuild homes still battered from Hurricane Katrina. As one of the celebrities backing the Blue Jeans Go Green program, she asked fans to donate their unwanted denim to be recycled into insulation used for a multiple-home Build-A-Thon conducted by the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity from May 20-30.
The nine-time Grammy Award winner hasn’t released new material since 2013’s country-infused Feels Like Home, but that doesn’t mean she’s been quiet. In fact, her charitable efforts in New Orleans reflect a recent trend. Earlier this year, Crow performed two shows in her hometown of Kennett, Mo., to raise money for her alma mater’s performing arts and athletic departments, and in 2014 she auctioned off her personal collection of cowboy boots and other items on eBay to benefit Feeding America’s network of food banks. Crow also teamed with Academy Award-winning original screenwriter Barry Levinson to develop a stage adaptation of the movie musical Diner at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va.; it received rave reviews. So, for that matter, have Crow’s concerts, with setlists bouncing into nearly every corner of her rootsy, diverse career. (Michael Popke)
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue
Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard, 10 p.m.
Fans of the HBO series “Treme,” as well as residents in the New Orleans neighborhood in which the show takes place, are well acquainted with Trombone Shorty, aka Troy Andrews. The trombone and trumpet player grew up in Treme, and he has appeared six times on the series of the same name, a veritable musical embodiment of this historic neighborhood.
Andrews, 29, has been playing his unique blend of jazz, funk and rap since he was 4 years old. A member of the Stooges Brass Band in his teens, Andrews has been spreading New Orleans’ musical gospel while experimenting with a variety of approaches to brass instrument performance. He was part of Lenny Kravitz’s horn section and performed with U2 and Green Day during the reopening of the New Orleans Superdome for the NFL’s “Monday Night Football” pre-game show after the city’s devastation by Hurricane Katrina.
Andrews’ most discerning audience, however, may have been Barack and Michelle Obama when he performed with B.B, King, Keb’ Mo’ and other artists at the White House in February 2012 as part of Black History Month. He also performed at a White House special education program with Michelle Obama and Shemekia Copeland. It’s clear that Trombone Shorty is as long on acclaim as he is on talent. (Michael Muckian)
Thursday, June 25
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon w/ Kongos
Marcus Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
Kings of Leon have the kind of background that VH1 bio-pics are made of: a band formed by three brothers (along with their cousin) whose musical education began with their Pentecostal preacher father before they discovered rock ’n’ roll, donned leather jackets and made themselves into bona fide rock stars in the late ’00s with the hit singles “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody.” During an otherwise dry time for arena rock, the Followill brothers cut a larger-than-life presence on rock radio.
Of course, any good bio-pic includes a stretch where the band bottoms out, but so far that hasn’t happened for the group. Most fans might agree the group lost their touch a little bit with their first big post-fame album, Come Around Sundown, a too-formal modern-rock record that too often found the group trying to fill U2’s overly serious shoes. But by 2013’s Mechanical Bull, the group sounded like themselves again, having reconciled their artistic ambitions with their more modest background in Southern rock. It’s a freer, looser album than its predecessors, less concerned with carrying the weight of the world than in just cutting loose for 42 minutes. That’s the funny thing about this band: The less they try to be rock stars, the more they sound like ones. (Evan Rytlewski)
Public Enemy
Miller Lite Oasis, 10 p.m.
Public Enemy wasn’t the first rap act to make message songs; Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five had been documenting inner-city ills well before Chuck D and company. But where earlier rap artists merely pointed out social problems—racism, poverty, drug use—Public Enemy pointed fingers, arguing on groundbreaking albums like 1988’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and 1990’s Fear of a Black Planet that white government was failing black America. Public Enemy affected political discourse in a way no rap act has since, taking black concerns ignored by the media—such as the sluggish response times of 911 first responders in urban communities—and turning them into songs that called mainstream attention to these issues.
The new century has proven to be a curious time for the band. After a slew of legal problems, sideman Flavor Flav spawned an unlikely reality-show empire on VH1, while Chuck D remained a prolific speaker and commentator. Through it all, the group has continued recording, albeit largely to commercial disinterest. Their latest album is 2012’s The Evil Empire of Everything, which nobody could mistake for anything other than a Public Enemy record. The militant beats; the funky breaks; Chuck D’s booming, rhetorical rhymes—this is one of the most iconic sounds rap music will ever know. (Evan Rytlewski)
Gary Clark Jr.
Harley-Davidson Roadhouse, 10 p.m.
Roots music may be called just that because every so often a new generation sows its own interpretation that blossoms into new and exciting forms. The blues is part of this genre, and Gary Clark Jr. is part of the new generation tending to its rhythmic garden.
Born and raised in Austin, Texas, the 31-year-old Clark plays a down-and-dirty Gibson six-string, creating a sound that captures your heartbeat while it scrapes across your soul. With his odd-lot influences of blues, jazz, country, soul and hip-hop, Clark’s raw guitar sounds are matched by his mellow, low tenor, clearly capturing both ends of the sonic spectrum. Clark earned his chops early, playing with The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ Jimmie Vaughan, brother of the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan. He has cut tracks with Alicia Keys, Sheryl Crow and Foo Fighters, and appeared at Bonnaroo and the Crossroads Guitar Festival.
But Clark’s career just gets better. He has performed several times with The Rolling Stones, stealing the spotlight from the legendary rock band, and nabbed top audience honors after his own electrifying set at the 2013 Glastonbury Festival. Before that he performed with fellow Summerfest artist Trombone Shorty at the 2012 White House Black History Month celebration. It seems Clark can hobnob with royalty at both ends of the spectrum. (Michael Muckian)
Friday, June 26
Keith Urban
Keith Urban w/ Phillip Phillips and Dan Shay
Marcus Amphitheater, 7 p.m.
Some adoring fans just call him “Keith,” usually with a schoolgirl shriek and an exclamation point after the name. But whether you know the award-winning singer for his vibrant guitar licks, youthful and yearning voice, or his role as judge on Fox TV’s “American Idol,” it’s clear Keith Urban has made his mark on American musical culture.
The interesting part is that the New Zealand-born superstar, who relocated to Australia and charted four hit singles before coming to the U.S., has tapped so successfully into country music, a truly American phenomenon. Credit Urban’s father, Bob Urban, who advertised for a guitar teacher for his son in the window of the convenience store he owned in Queensland, Australia. Urban’s own efforts, as well as tapping into the licks of Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham for inspiration, propelled him to multiple Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music, Billboard and Grammy awards.
Opening for Urban will be country music duo Dan Shay, whose single “19 You Me” earned them a place on the country charts, and Phillip Phillips, an “American Idol” winner whose hit song “Home” may be best known as the American Family Insurance theme song. (Michael Muckian)
Blind Boys of Alabama
Johnson Controls World Sound Stage, 10 p.m.
Those who stay true to their purpose long enough may just find themselves with the fame they truly deserve. As the last surviving founding member still performing with the Blind Boys of Alabama, Jimmy Carter knows that better than anyone. As former glee club members at the Alabama Institute for the Blind in Talladega, Ala., Carter and fellow founder Clarence Fountain began singing gospel music together in 1944. Fountain, while still alive, no longer is able to perform with the group due to health concerns.
The pair along with three other blind residents formed the Blind Boys of Alabama and in 1948 recorded their first single, “I Can See Everybody’s Mother But Mine.” The group’s smooth melodies and gospel roots made the song a hit, and the Blind Boys were on their way to a career that would last 70 years.
Staying true to their gospel roots, the Blind Boys waited for mainstream audiences to catch up with them. The wait resulted in new musical alliances, multiple Grammy Awards and a 2002 induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, among many other awards. The group visited the White House three times, performing for President Bill Clinton in 1994, President George Bush in 2002 and President Barack Obama in 2010.
For Carter and his fellow musicians, the wait was no doubt worth it. (Michael Muckian)
Punch Brothers
BMO Harris Pavilion, 9:45 p.m.
The always-adventurous bluegrass outfit Punch Brothers opens this year’s T Bone Burnett-produced The Phosphorescent Blues in grandiose fashion. “Familiarity” finds the classically trained Brooklynites constantly changing movements on the delicate, poignant 10-minute track that feels like Grizzly Bear’s hushed take on Kentucky traditions. It’s a bold statement to start an album with such a beast, but the song brilliantly sets the stage for the chameleon to come. The band never settles into one style for too long; for instance, the technical, skilled instrumentation on a rendition of French Impressionist Claude Debussy’s work is placed side by side with a throwback Beach Boys-esque ’60s pop song. The genre bending never feels forced—the effortless transitioning becomes a trick in itself—as songs glide easily into one another.
While the wide-ranging breadth seems possible thanks to the Internet age where ostensibly all music is accessible at the click of a button, the expansive album laments our current culture’s reliance on technology, particularly relationship-crippling smartphones, a feeling which was enlivened by escaping the bustling city for head-clearing writing retreats. “How long, oh Lord, can you keep the whole world / Spinning under our thumbs,” frontman Chris Thile bellows on “My Oh My.” When enraptured in Punch Brothers’ gritty Southern arrangements and pastoral harmonies, it’s hard to disagree with the singer’s harsh sentiments against iPhones. (Kevin Mueller)
Saturday, June 27
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Marcus Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
Even during his ’70s prime, Stevie Wonder was never much of a road warrior—he always seemed to prefer being in the studio to on stage. For the last decade, however, his priorities have been reversed. Though he hasn’t released an album since 2005’s A Time To Love, he’s toured at his leisure, and carved out time for a pair of memorably joyous concerts at the Marcus Amphitheater, including one in 2009 that culminated in a tearful tribute to Michael Jackson.
Wonder has been in the spotlight recently, following a televised all-star tribute this winter on CBS, but generally he resists carrying himself like a legend. The last few years have seen him contribute some guest harmonica to albums by artists like Drake and Paul McCartney, making it clear he hasn’t lost his passion for a wide array of music. At times he’s been rumored to be working on a new album, but even if he never releases another song he’ll still be remembered as one of the most accomplished, talented and influential musicians of all time, with a track record than includes dozens of hit singles and 25 Grammys. And more than 50 years after his first recordings for Motown—the label he continues to call home—his smile remains as wide and infectious as ever. (Evan Rytlewski)
The Flaming Lips
BMO Harris Pavilion, 9:45 p.m.
The Flaming Lips first found commercial success with their 1993 album Transmissions from the Satellite Heart and its novelty single “She Don’t Use Jelly.” But it wasn’t until a pair of oddly heartwarming albums about mortality, 1999’s The Soft Bulletin and its 2002 follow-up Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, that the band hit their critical stride. Each album offered a concentrated dose of warm-and-fuzzies, as singer Wayne Coyne reflected on his own mortality and concluded that ultimately everything will be alright.
Some of the band’s more recent albums have been a good deal darker—especially the group’s 2009 psych freak-out Embryonic, some of the gloomiest, most frightening music they’ve ever conjured—but on the road the band continues to offer their usual feel-good spectacle. A typical show involves countless costumes, tons of confetti and, more often than not, a human-sized hamster ball.
Meanwhile, the group continues to court new collaborators in the studio. Their latest album is With a Little Help From My Fwends, a track-for-track remake of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band recorded with guests including Miley Cyrus, Moby, My Morning Jacket, J Mascis, Tegan and Sara, Maynard James Keenan and many, many others. If there’s one thing this band does well, it’s bring people together. (Evan Rytlewski)
Third Eye Blind
Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard, 10 p.m.
“I think we’re a really great rock band, frankly, and I think that we’ve been pretty slammingly misunderstood,” Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins lamented in a 2009 interview with the Shepherd Express.
Third Eye Blind got a bum rap in the late ’90s, Jenkins contended, because they were a pop band at a time when it wasn’t cool to be pop, and their songs (including the hits “Semi-Charmed Life” and “Jumper”) were often dismissed for their superficial silliness while their subversive undertones or hidden meanings went unnoticed. “We believe that you could have something that was catchy but also conveyed some irony and some ambivalence,” Jenkins said. “We could not get that across, though, with the way we were marketed.”
The band no longer has that problem. After Elektra Records dropped them in 2004, they created their own label to release their 2009 album Ursa Major, and took on a greater role communicating directly with fans online. Since then, new music has come slowly. The band shared an Occupy Wall Street song in 2011 and continually hints that another album is on the way, though when that album might arrive is anybody’s guess. (Evan Rytlewski)
Sunday, June 28
Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band
Marcus Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
The band that became a country music sensation with down-home sing-alongs like “Chicken Fried” and porch-swing ditties like “Toes” call their current trek across America the Jekyll Hyde Tour. It’s a reference to the title of the Zac Brown Band’s fourth studio album, but it also reflects the change in musical direction that the group underwent between 2012’s Uncaged and now.
In addition to the signature good-time harmonies and country rock sensibilities that propelled more than a dozen songs onto Billboard’s country singles charts between 2008 and 2015, the new tunes embrace mainstream pop, old-time jazz, stoner rock and greasy grunge. Brown and his immensely talented seven-man band were forced to take some nights off in May after Brown lost his voice—maybe because performances on this tour have been pushing 30 songs. Covers played range from “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band and Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” With influences that broad, it’s no wonder the Zac Brown Band has outgrown the country tag. (Michael Popke)
The New Pornographers
Miller Lite Oasis, 10 p.m.
The infectious power pop guitars and cheerful harmonies of The New Pornographers shine like sun-drenched, slightly buzzed afternoons in the campus quad, except without the inevitable drawbacks of sunburnt necks and pounding hangovers. There’s certainly some collegiate camaraderie between the super group’s main songwriters. While Carl Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar (of Destroyer) all have established and successful careers by themselves, the three still set aside time to commingle and record together every few years.
The outfit has crafted some of indie-rock’s most unshakeable, charming tunes of the past 15 years, and yet its latest, 2014’s Brill Bruisers, doesn’t sound like a band simply going through the motions but rather one still futzing with the formula. It’s a glowing accomplishment that an album this late in a career holds up well against any effort in its stacked discography, one that includes 2000’s melodramatic, bursting pop Mass Romantic, 2003’s simmering, whirring follow-up Electric Version and 2005’s rollicking tour de force Twin Cinema. (Kevin Mueller)
Paris Hilton
Harley-Davidson Roadhouse, 10 p.m.
If you know one thing about Paris Hilton’s DJ gig at Summerfest, it’s probably that some people aren’t happy about it. This March some EDM fans made news by launching a petition to remove the celebrity heiress from Summerfest’s lineup, on the grounds that her booking “diminishes dance music.” “She is a disgrace to dance music and is a perfect example of what spoiled celebrities do when they’re bored,” the petitioner wrote. “She has no right to be paid good money to stand up there and clap her hands on a stage.”
Make no mistake about it: The former star of “The Simple Life” is not one of the most gifted DJs ever to take the booth. But that’s the great thing about dance music: You don’t have to be technically talented in order to move a crowd—all you have to do it play the right song at the right time, and Hilton is more than capable of doing that. Between Hilton’s star power and the dearth of electronic music on this year’s Summerfest lineup, her DJ set promises to be both one of the festival’s biggest spectacles, and one of its biggest parties. (Evan Rytlewski)
Tuesday, June 30
Linkin Park
Linkin Park w/ A Day to Remember
Marcus Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
Linkin Park were one of the biggest, most commercially successful rock bands of the early ’00s. They broke all kinds of records, but perhaps their most impressive feat is their mere survival. The last decade has been a rough one for rock in general, and it’s been especially rough on rap-rock, the sound with which Linkin Park will also be best associated. Yet somehow, Linkin Park is still here, headlining amphitheaters and arenas for an audience that remains as loyal as ever.
Credit the band’s versatility for their unexpected longevity. On a run of three highly conceptual Rick Rubin-produced albums starting with 2007’s Minutes to Midnight, the band downplayed their hip-hop tendencies, focusing instead on dense, electronic-tinged soundscapes that took as many cues from Radiohead and U2 and they did from nu-metal. And though the band has mostly phased the rap out of their sound, they never completely abandoned the rock. Their latest album, 2014’s The Hunting Party, is their heaviest since their MTV “Total Request Live” days, with a visceral, grinding sound that should please the large contingent of fans who complained their albums with Rubin were too cerebral. This band still has teeth. (Evan Rytlewski)
Gogol Bordello
BMO Harris Pavilion, 9:45 p.m.
Mention musical genres and American gypsy punk is probably not the first one that comes to mind unless you’ve already heard Gogol Bordello perform. Then you probably can’t wait to hear more. Formed on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 1999, Gogol Bordello blends traditional gypsy music with punk, dub and even a little klezmer now and then. Think guitars and percussion with plenty of raucous accordions, shrieking violins and a touch of saxophone.
The name, drawn from classical Russian writer Nikolai Gogol and the Italian word for “brothel,” gives one an idea of the band’s theatricality and irreverence. But Gogol, born in Ukraine, in his lifetime tried to smuggle a little Ukrainian culture into Russia, which reflects the band’s efforts in trying to smuggle Eastern European musical influences into the English-speaking world. The band was originally called Hütz and the Béla Bartóks, after the 20th-century Hungarian composer, but lead singer Eugene Hütz says that they changed the name because “nobody knows who the hell Béla Bartók is in the United States.”
The band tours the U.S. and Europe tirelessly and has performed with acts as diverse as Primus, Flogging Molly and Cake. Hütz cites Jimi Hendrix, Parliament-Funkadelic and The Clash among its major influences. Gogol Bordello is a hard act to follow and an even harder act to match. (Michael Muckian)
Lecrae
Harley-Davidson Roadhouse, 10 p.m.
Rapper Lecrae doubtless surprised some when his sixth album, Anomaly, topped the Billboard 200 chart. Followers of Christian hip-hop aware of the prominence of Houston native Lecrae Devaughn Moore within its fold weren’t so taken aback. Musical tracks and varied, nimble rhyme that flow in competition with what’s heard on R&B radio could alone give him a following. A willingness to collaborate with fellow believers such as praise and worship music star Chris Tomlin as well as urban artists not sharing his faith, such as Kendrick Lamar, has given him a unique, if sometimes controversial, ubiquity. His Harley-Davidson Roadhouse date follows up last October’s Riverside Theater performance for what should be an accessible, non-preachy show. This is music secular fans can get behind, too. (Jamie Lee Rake)
Wednesday, July 1
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar w/ ScHoolboy Q
Marcus Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
It was clear from his earliest verses that Kendrick Lamar was something special, but he proved just how special with his 2012 breakthrough album Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. Conceived loosely as a narrative story—“a short film,” as he described it—the album examined the compromises required by Lamar’s upbringing in Compton, Calif., a city laden with guns, drugs and gangs. In this world there were no heroes or villains—just a whole lot of people trying their best to reconcile their wants and needs, but often making bad decisions regardless. Even Lamar, the album’s titular good kid, was hardly a saint. With one masterful album, Lamar singlehandedly reinvented conscious rap for a conflicted new generation.
So how do you follow up one of the most important rap albums of a generation? With an arguably even better one. Lamar’s latest record, To Pimp a Butterfly, is even denser and more ambitious than its predecessor, a sumptuous pastiche of hip-hop, jazz, funk and soul that looks to the past as much as it does the future. It’s more conceptually ambitious, too, examining America’s modern civil rights struggles from all angles. Lamar has made good on his early promise and then some, proving that there’s no subject he won’t shy away from. (Evan Rytlewski)
Brand New
Miller Lite Oasis, 10 p.m.
Cut from similar tear-stained grey hoodies as fellow Long Island emo rivals Taking Back Sunday, the brash, angst-fueled Brand New accomplished what few contemporaries could by distinctly growing up with each passing record. While 2001’s debut Your Favorite Weapon sounded like high school rebels grasping onto stubborn grudges with white knuckles and sentimentalizing sappy teenage romance (“I’m gonna stay 18 forever / So we can stay like this forever” singer Jesse Lacey shouts on album closer “Soco Amaretto Lime”), 2003’s critically adored follow-up, Deja Entendu found the band taking big boy step towards adulthood.
That record, in particular, doesn’t come off like a master’s thesis, but nevertheless displayed unforeseen restraint, which made the loud moments sound even more massive and opened space for Lacey’s witty lyricism to take hold. The singer then dexterously tackled mental illness on 2006’s The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me and conjured edgy, aggressive ’80s hardcore on 2009’s Daisy. The maturation process continued on the snappy cow-punk single “Mene,” the band’s first song in six years, even though Brand New now appears numb from the wear (“We don’t feel anything,” Lacey repeats coldly on the track). Well, I guess this is growing up. (Kevin Mueller)
Aloe Blacc
BMO Harris Pavilion, 9:45 p.m.
LL Cool J and a rented trumpet seem an unlikely combination when it comes to musical inspiration, but the combination was enough to kickstart the career of Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III, better known by his stage name Aloe Blacc. The rap and soul singer, born in Laguna Hills, Calif., to Panamanian parents, eventually bought a trumpet, which he said signaled his financial commitment to a musical career. That and the “NCIS” star’s influence gave him a combined “rapper and musical moment.” The moment caused him to abandon an albeit brief career at audit firm Ernst & Young and take to the stage.
Blacc created a rap style he said deviated from the celebration of artists’ ego to more important themes, a move inspired by his own social consciousness. His music also evolved to create a funk-soul-rap fusion that gives him a unique sound among contemporary artists. Blacc’s popularity spiked when his song “I Need a Dollar” became the theme to the hit HBO series “How to Make It in America.” The song sold a million copies in 2013 and his career has been on the rise ever since, even without the trumpet. (Michael Muckian)
Thursday, July 2
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Marcus Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
This winter Fox announced that it would put an end to its long-running reality hit “American Idol” next year, after its 15th season. Some might say the network is putting the series out of its misery. The show had been dragging since founding judge Simon Cowell left in season 10 and hasn’t come remotely close to producing true stars since. In its prime, though, the show really did have the capacity to introduce real talent and few of its alums have accomplished more than country star Carrie Underwood.
Since establishing herself as one of country’s biggest names with her 2005 debut Some Hearts and its hits “Jesus, Take The Wheel” and “Before He Cheats,” Underwood has won seven Grammy awards, more than all the other “American Idol” alumni combined. And though Underwood plays the part of the conventional country starlet well, she never completely kowtowed to the genre’s red-state values. She’s a PETA-supporting vegan who has been outspoken about her support for marriage equality.
Last fall, Underwood released her first greatest-hits compilation that included her latest blockbuster single “Something in the Water,” a hit on both country and Christian radio. This Marcus Amphitheater concert will mark her first major performance since giving birth to her first child this February. (Evan Rytlewski)
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard, 9:30 p.m.
In 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, the 2007 documentary featuring blues guitarist and singer Kenny Wayne Shepherd traveling the deep South to meet and spotlight pioneers of the genre, B.B. King proclaims Shepherd a torch carrier for the blues. Such an accolade would have seemed premature when Shepherd (who turns 38 in June) and fellow hotshot blues-guitar slinger Jonny Lang appeared on the scene at the same time 20 years ago.
Since then, though, Shepherd has bridged the gap between classic blues and mainstream rock, thrilling fans on both sides of that musical aisle. He and Lang spent much of last June on the road together, with Shepherd promoting his latest album, Goin’ Home, which indeed carries the blues torch by featuring interpretations of songs made popular by the likes of the three Kings (B.B., Albert and Freddie), as well as Muddy Waters, Magic Sam, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Shepherd also is a member of The Rides, a blues trio with Stephen Stills and Barry Goldberg. As proof of Shepherd’s wide appeal, three days after his Summerfest gig, he and his band will join Van Halen for a three-month tour. (Michael Popke)
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
w/ PHOX
BMO Harris Pavilion, 8 and 9:45 p.m.
Alex Ebert would be the first person to tell you that there is no Edward Sharpe and that his band’s name Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros was the title of a book he had begun writing while in drug rehab about a messianic figure who came down to earth to help people but became distracted “by girls and falling in love.”
But then the Los Angeles singer/songwriter and former Ima Robot frontman also would be the first to confide that he has adopted Sharpe as his alter ego largely because he felt he had lost his identity. The Sharpe persona, he says, gave him an avenue to return to reality after his rehab ended. The unusual approach apparently worked for Ebert, whose 10-member Magnetic Zeros have made a name for themselves as a sort of roots rock/hippie music revival band. Their hit “Home” (not to be confused with the Phillip Phillips song of the same name) has done well on the U.S. and European pop charts, proving how successful you can be just by not being yourself.
Opening for the Magnetic Zeros at 8 p.m. will be Baraboo, Wisconsin’s own PHOX. The indie pop/alternative folk band recently recorded their latest album in the Eau Claire home studio of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, putting them in good company in the studio as well as on stage. (Michael Muckian)
Friday, July 3
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran w/ Rixton
Marcus Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
Perennially the happiest person to be watching other people perform at the Grammys, Taylor Swift has always been openly excited about sharing her favorite artists’ music. Perhaps no musician has benefited more from Swift’s endorsement, though, than Ed Sheeran. The twenty-something British songwriter scored his first major stateside break when he appeared on Swift’s 2012 album Red, then joined her as the opening act on her lengthy 2013 North American tour.
Beneath his puppy-dog exterior, Sheeran can be a surprisingly somber songwriter. His Grammy-nominated single “The A Team” is a somber guitar ballad about a drug-addicted prostitute, written after Sheeran played a gig at a homeless shelter. His latest album, X, traffics mainly in tender love songs, though he lightens the mood with sporadic forays into hip-hop, including a collaboration with Pharrell Williams, “Sing,” that aims to recapture some of the cheer of Williams’ hit “Happy.” Though there’s nothing especially new or groundbreaking about Sheeran’s act, he’s clearly struck a nerve with the masses. Last year X was Spotify’s most streamed album and this year Sheeran became the music streaming service’s second-most streamed artist of all time, behind only Eminem. (Evan Rytlewski)
The Doobie Brothers
Harley-Davidson Roadhouse, 9:45 p.m.
Of all the bands Summerfest fans of a certain age grew up listening to, The Doobie Brothers might be one of the groups that you would least expect to see headlining in 2015. After all, here is a band that counted members of the Hell’s Angels among its earliest and biggest fans, and the Doobies’ music always remained rooted in a California-in-the-’70s vibe that didn’t translate well to the late-’80s and ‘90s.
But here they are, cashing in on the ongoing nostalgia craze while seeking new fans on the country music circuit. Even original vocalist and guitarist Patrick Simmons says the band has “entered a territory that we never imagined for ourselves.” Last year, The Doobie Brothers released Southbound, a surprisingly effective collection of their re-recorded hits featuring vocals and guitars from some of today’s biggest country stars, including Blake Shelton, Sara Evans, Brad Paisley and the Zac Brown Band. Soulful singer Michael McDonald rejoined the band for Southbound, but hasn’t toured with the Doobies for years. Instead, Simmons, original singer and guitarist Tom Johnston and long-time multi-instrumentalist John McFee are joined onstage by five other veteran players. Together, they focus primarily on the band’s pre-McDonald ’70s output. (Michael Popke)
Lupe Fiasco
Miller Lite Oasis, 10 p.m.
If the predominant narrative of rap’s first 20 years was the genre’s rise to prominence and respectability, then the story of the last decade has been about how the genre has responded to that status. This is a story that plays out at the individual level, with each rapper coping differently. Some have embraced fame and all of its privileges; others have struggled to reconcile the tradeoffs of fame with their values. And few of them have struggled more than Lupe Fiasco, the Chicago rapper who emerged as a principled alternative to more conventional rap stars, a skateboarding Muslim kid with an interest in anime and a lot of thoughts about the issues of the day.
When his label pressured him to commercialize his sound on his third album, 2011’s Lasers, he resisted at first, insisting the disc would be his most political yet, but he eventually acquiesced, recording the Modest Mouse-sampling hit “The Show Goes On.” The resulting album was an odd compromise, divided between unabashed, crowd-pleasing pop songs and resentful political sermons. Thankfully, Lupe has sounded much more at home on his recent releases, including this year’s Tetsuo & Youth, which recaptures some of the spunky charm of his debut album, Food & Liquor. (Evan Rytlewski)
Saturday, July 4
The Avett Brothers
The Avett Brothers w/ Brandi Carlile and Warren Haynes
Marcus Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
It’s official: The clap-and-stomp folk revival is coming to an end. The movement had been running out of creative steam for a few years, but the turning point was this spring’s new album from Mumford & Sons, the most popular and arena-minded of all modern folk bands. Apparently Mumford and company decided that they weren’t into banjos anymore, so they’ve reinvented themselves as another leather-jacketed rock act.
That’ll probably never happen for The Avett Brothers, who for the last few years have served as Mumford & Sons’ less radio-minded counterpart. Led by brothers Scott and Seth Avett, the group never veered too far from the achy folk music of Townes Van Zandt and the homespun roots jams of The Band, even when there was tremendous commercial incentive for them to dress up their tunes with extra “heys!” and “hos!” That purist streak carries through the group’s latest albums, 2012’s The Carpenter and 2013’s Magpie and the Dandelion, each culled from the same sessions with producer Rick Rubin. Even when the songs rock out from time to time, the emphasis is less on volume than on creature comforts.
Returning to the Marcus Amphitheater after a 2013 show there, The Avett Brothers will be joined on the bill by singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile and Warren Haynes, the Gov’t Mule founder who remains one of the most respected players in the jam music scene. (Evan Rytlewski)
Sammy Hagar and the Circle
Miller Lite Oasis, 9:45 p.m.
Since singer Sammy Hagar left Van Halen for the second time after a troubled reunion tour a decade ago, the Red Rocker has reinvented himself every few years. First, there was the Sammy and the Waboritas era, which took the man’s already epic party reputation to new heights. Then came Chickenfoot, a loud and rowdy supergroup featuring former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, which never really found its, um, footing. Last year, Hagar formed another supergroup called The Circle with Anthony, Waboritas guitarist Vic Johnson and drummer Jason Bonham. That band went on tour to perform and record material spanning Hagar’s entire career—from Montrose and Van Halen to his solo work—as well as a few songs by Led Zeppelin, the band that made Bonham’s dad famous.
Expect to hear a good chunk of Sammy Hagar and The Circle’s debut double-live album, At Your Service, which was released in May and includes “Little White Lie,” “Why Can’t This Be Love,” “Dreams,” “Rock Candy” and “Whole Lotta Love.” Considering that Hagar ranks among rock’s most ebullient and personable front men, anticipate a hearty dose of personality and jokes, too. (Michael Popke)
Jane’s Addiction
Harley-Davidson Roadhouse, 10:15 p.m.
Credit both The Velvet Underground and Joy Division for serving as the impetus for the formation of Jane’s Addiction. The two bands were admired by both vocalist Perry Farrell and former bassist Eric Avery, who came together in 1985 to form the Los Angeles-based band. Since that time Jane’s Addiction has taken the two veteran group’s post-punk leanings to new levels.
In fact, Jane’s Addiction pioneered its own genre, alternative metal, and helped take the musical concept mainstream. Based on its violent blend of multiple music styles, it’s also been labeled “funk-punk” and “nu metal,” all of which fit during different periods of the band’s life.
Jane’s Addiction’s first farewell tour in 1991 resulted in the formation of Lollapalooza, the now seminal music festival that rocks Chicago’s Grant Park every summer. The group has been coming and going ever since. The musicians’ jarring style has been as influential as Nirvana, according to Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. Bands influenced by Jane’s Addiction include Tool, Korn, Limp Bizkit and a host of others.
And there even is a real Jane after whom the band is named. Farrell’s housemate Jane Bainter served as muse and inspiration for the band at the time of its formation. There’s no word on what she thinks about everything they’ve accomplished. (Michael Muckian)
Sunday, July 5
Neil Young
Neil Young & Promise of the Real
Marcus Amphitheater, 7:30 p.m.
Rare among the rock artists of the 1960s, Neil Young was never content to bask in nostalgia but continues to make music relevant to the grandchildren of the first generation that embraced his recordings. Young first enjoyed stardom with Buffalo Springfield, a band that straddled psychedelia, folk and country rock. Afterward, he became one quarter of one of rock’s most lucrative partnerships, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and also pursued a solo career embracing everything from garage rock to straight-ahead country with deliberately provocative tangents through rockabilly, techno and industrial noise. He is probably the one artist who has worked with both Linda Ronstadt and Pearl Jam.
During the present decade, Young has been busy in many media, working from multiple platforms. He authored an autobiography, Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream, and was the subject of Jonathan Demme’s documentary Neil Young Journeys. He popped up on Conan O’Brien’s show and charity telethons, performed at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and released a half-dozen albums while developing a high-resolution music downloading service. Young continued to tour extensively as a soloist and with longtime cohorts Crazy Horse. Backed by Los Angeles alt rock band Promise of the Real, Young launches this summer’s Rebel Content Tour at Summerfest in support of his new album, The Monsanto Years. (David Luhrssen)
Kansas
BMO Harris Pavilion, 9:45 p.m.
Unless you’ve taken the time to sit down and listen to Kansas’ body of work, it’s easy to categorize this 41-year-old band by a handful of smash hits: “Carry On Wayward Son,” “Dust in the Wind,” “Point of Know Return,” “Play the Game Tonight.” But one mark of a timeless act is when it confidently performs deep cuts from throughout its career, and recent set lists suggest Kansas is revisiting nearly every era of its distinct career, with songs that include 1974’s “Belexes,”1980’s “Hold On” and 1995’s “Under the Knife.”
In April, a new in-depth documentary, Miracles Out of Nowhere, and its accompanying soundtrack reintroduced the band to Billboard’s Top 200 chart for the first time in 20 years. A new album, Kansas’ first since 2000, is expected soon, too. A classic band doesn’t survive this long, though, without change. Original lead singer Steve Walsh retired in August 2014, but two other original members remain (drummer Phil Ehart and guitarist Richard Williams). Longtime bassist Billy Greer possesses a fantastic voice, and newcomer Ronnie Platt does a beyond-admirable job taking over for Walsh. (We’re also really hoping the band’s “Keep Calm & Carry On” T-shirts will be available at the merch booth.) (Michael Popke)
Smash Mouth
Miller Lite Oasis, 10 p.m.
For a brief time during the late ’90s, Smash Mouth ruled the world. The one-time ska outfit turned ubiquitous pop stars not only dominated mainstream radio and “Total Request Live”-era MTV with its unstoppable, quirky party hits (“All Star,” “Walkin’ on the Sun” and “Then the Morning Comes”) and a multitude of giddy covers (Question Mark & the Mysterians’ “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby,” War’s “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” and The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer”), but its dizzyingly up-beat songs also soundtracked multiple movies and countless television advertisements.
The oversaturation inevitably triggered a deserved backlash against the group for its overt (and later, desperate) commercialism, and for taking greater interest in the paycheck than the creative process. The next two largely forgettable albums bombed as a result. And as the decade progressed forward, fans deserted the Smash Mouth kingdom—not without leaving behind a sizable bank account, of course. After releasing 2012’s underappreciated comeback album Magic, a second life has emerged as a nostalgia act, culminating in a tour celebrating the band’s 20th anniversary. Expect a crowd-pleasing mix of well-known originals and covers and perhaps a reach back into its critically acclaimed debut Fush Yu Mang for some easy Milwaukee pandering on “Beer Goggles” or “The Fonz.” (Kevin Mueller)
