Parquet Courts, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Annie B on Summerfest’s Closing Night

by

Summerfest 2022 closed out on Saturday night. The three-weekend schedule and nice weather combined to reel the festival back to a pre-pandemic feeling.

At the Generac Power Stage, Brooklyn’s Parquet Courts brought their Sympathy For Life tour to an overflow crowd. The group’s kinetic energy hinted at deep record collections. A band is often the sum of its influences and Parquet Courts wore them on their collective sleeve, loudly and proudly.

On record, Parquet Courts attract a “Hey, what’s this? Sort of attention.” If their subtle quirk and weirdness get lost on a big stage setting at an outdoor festival, well then maybe that’s the price of success—playing to the back row.

Their sound encompassed German psychedelic rock, with hints of funk approximations that suggested Afrobeat. Percussion loops combined with analog synth blips and beeps recalled Talking Heads; twin percussion maybe even pointed back to The Feelies. Pushed by Sean Yeaton’s mammoth bassline grooves, that sound could have emerged from a recipe of dance music, Gospel or even Prog Rock.

Unfortunately, Yeaton’s milquetoast between song banter came off as an impression of a smartass. Not a world class smartass mind you, but more like an Ivy League frat boy. It won’t be the last time Milwaukee hears a touring band’s witty beer and Laverne & Shirley references.

At the UScelluar Connection Stage Black Rebel Motorcycle Club delivered a performance that was a tonic to an abundance of hyper-caffeinated acts. But it wasn’t all on-the-nod, as the trio certainly ramped up the energy as needed. BRMC’s 2005 album Howl set the standard with songs built on Stonesy open-tuned guitars. If Saturday wasn’t the exile at the lakefront longtime fans hoped for, they were treated to plenty of sonic madness.

The group’s narcotic buzz continues the lineage from ancient blues artists to garage and psychedelic rock. Fuzz bass guitar, distressed vocals and pounding strobe lights were arresting at this outdoor setting. Before leaving the stage to waves of feedback, they offered a message, “Take care of yourselves. Take care of each other.”

Annie B played two set to close out the inaugural season at the Guitars For Vets stage at the Water Street Brewery, her electrified folk rock capped a schedule of diverse talent that included young musicians from music schools, local and regional acts taken from the Fox Valley and Milwaukee area.