Should Mother Nature decide to cooperate, there will be plenty of music under the stars, on the water and in parks this week, And if you happen to catch some live music, make sure to give the drummer some. Rob McCuen would appreciate it.
Thursday, August 12
De La Buena @ Colectivo Lakefront, 6 p.m.
Música del Lago, Colectivo’s Latin Music Performance Series continues with the sprawling Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz sounds of one of Milwaukee’s musical treasures.
Dale Watson & His Lonestars w/Joseph Huber and Black Widows Dale Watson @ The Cooperage, 7 p.m.
Photo via Wikipedia
Honky-tonk torchbearer Dale Watson is no stranger to Milwaukee music fans. His shows at The Uptowner and Potawatomi are the stuff of legend. The openers, songwriter Joseph Huber and surf-centric Black Widows, guarantee a full night of top-notch music.
Bette Smith w/Meaghan Farrell @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
Rock and soul singer Bette Smith traces elements of her life-affirming new album The Good, The Bad and The Bette to her childhood in rough Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Musically, it connects to the gospel music she heard in church and the soul music on the corners. It includes contributions from Drive-By Truckers Matt Patton and Patterson Hood and North Mississippi Allstars guitarist Luther Dickinson. Any album that references Ike & Tina, Betty Wright and especially Betty Davis, is gonna get some serious attention.
Larry Carlton: 1978 Album/Steely Dan Concert @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts (3270 Mitchell Park Drive, Brookfield), 8 p.m. Also: Carlton will also lead a mini masterclass/Q&A session at 1p.m.
With four Grammy awards and 19 nominations, Larry Carlton (aka Mr. 335 – nicknamed for playing his Gibson 335 guitar) has set a standard for artistry that spans three decades. He also was part of the Steely Dan mafia, playing on the albums Katy Lied, The Royal Scam, Aja and Gaucho. In addition, Carlton worked with The Crusaders, Joni Mitchell and Michael Jackson, among a long list of others.
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Shonn Hinton & Shotgun @ Boerner Botanical Gardens (9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners), 6:30 p.m.
Shonn Hinton might be Milwaukee’s best-kept secret. The Milwaukee guitarist and bandleader has traveled the world as the guitarist for Grammy award winning musicians including Patti LaBelle, Jill Scott, John Legend and Mary J Blige, to name a few. He has played hundreds of arenas around the globe. Shotgun's 2016 debut album Long Live Shotgun landed the band accolades and Reloaded was produced during the pandemic.
Friday, August 13
Five Card Studs @ Bayshore Sounds of Summer, 6 p.m.
Photo via 5 Card Studs
What becomes a legend most? Certainly not a cover band. But this is no ordinary cover band. The 5 Card Studs take the music seriously, but not so much the schtick that began decades ago as a lark. If the personas get your attention, then the genuine affection for top 40 AM Gold hits and forgotten favorites will make you remember songs you thought you’d forgotten. Disco, Vegas, one-hit wonders are all fair game. Recently unveiling their newest member, front man Rex Caliber, seems to have reinvigorated The Studs.
Music Under The Stars Featuring Wise Jennings @ Paliafito Eco-Arts Park (315 W. Walker St.), 7 p.m.
Usually, husband and wife duo Wise Jennings, host concerts at their farm. So here is a chance to catch their collision of punk, psycho-billy and alt-Americana as they road trip for a change. Percussionist-vocalist Melissa Weishaar-Jennings spoke about making music during a pandemic here.
Sleepersound (Record Release) w/ Shamewave and Cassini Echoes @ X-Ray Arcade, 7:30 P.M.
Photo credit: SleeperSound
With the release of their new album, Idle Voices, Sleepersound adds another chapter in a discography that walks the tightrope between dream-jangle pop and heavy soundscapes. “We typically spend hours just playing and exploring sound, and if something sounds interesting, we’ll go back and work that,” Mike Campise (vocals/bass/synth) said in 2019. This show is a chance to hear the fruits of their labor.
August 13-14
Waukesha Bluesfest @ Naga-Waukee Park (651 Highway 83, Delafield), 12:30 p.m.
Photo via Flickr / Nando.UY
The 14th Annual Waukesha Rotary BluesFest features headliners Robben Ford on Friday and Albert Castiglia on Saturday. A world-class guitarist, Ford has played with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell and George Harrison. Castiglia cut his teeth backing legendary Chicago harmonica player Junior Wells. Five support acts play each day, offering a diverse lineup of music for blues fans.
Also Saturday
Saturday, August 14
Tommy Emmanuel @ South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center (901 15th Ave. South Milwaukee), 8 p.m.
Photo via Flickr / Rosana Prada
Guitarist Tommy Emmanuel began playing guitar at age four. Growing up in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia, his family band The Emmanuel Quartet won a talent show and hit the road for six years. Tommy would eventually return to the life of a travelling musician, ultimately being mentored by none other than Chet Atkins in Nashville, developing a percussive technique to go along with his fingerstyle virtuosity. He kicked off an ambitious tour on Thursday. This will be a good chance for Emmanuel to display his chops.
Tuesday, August 17
Stephen Hull @ The Ring, Livestream, 6 P.M.
Racine’s Stephen Hull is a self-taught blues artist who has been playing since the age of 14. He has been called “a young B.B. and Albert King.” Consider this livestream an introduction in advance of Hull’s upcoming concert at WMSE’s Backyard BBQ at Humboldt Park on August 28.
