The return of Irish Fest, a farewell to The Tritonics and a thank you to frontline workers and first responders are on tap this week.
Friday, August 20
40th Annual Milwaukee Irish Fest @ Henry Maier Festival Park
Image via YouTube
It has been called the world’s largest Irish Festival. Historically over 130,000 people attended Milwaukee’s Irish Fest each year. This weekend the festival returns with three days of culture, food and music spread across 14 stages. We previewed the festival here.
Saturday’s headliner, award-winning guitarist Molly Tuttle possesses an old soul. From her days as a young teen at acoustic music festivals, she dived into Bluegrass and old-timey styles with her family band The Tuttles. With a healthy discography of solo and collaboration recordings, this may be a chance to catch a future legend. The socially conscious Tuttle is also aware of the music’s legacy, recently authoring a feature article on her mentor, the late Tony Rice.
Also, on Saturday, Irish Fest will honor its founder, the late Ed Ward, who passed away in 2019, with an Allstar Musical Tribute.
Irish Fest continues through Sunday
Irish Fest health and safety guidelines can be found here.
Metro Jam @ Washington Park, Manitowoc (4221 Calumet Ave., Manitowoc)
Road trip anyone? Manitowoc’s Metro Jam celebrates 42 years with two days featuring 10 acts including rock, roots, blues, bluegrass, indie, alternative, pop and jazz. The lineup for this free festival includes The Incorruptibles, Nettle Hill, Testa Rosa, Driveway Thriftdwellers and Saturday headliners Son Volt, whose tenth album Electro Melodier, was released last month.
Metro Jam Continues through Saturday
Saturday, August 21
Ayre in the Square @ Catalano Square, 4 p.m.
Photo via Caley Conway
Free and open to the public, the Third Ward neighborhood music festival finishes up with the mood-altering sounds of Yum Cult, the guitar-driven sound of Weird Storm, Caley Conway’s bliss-drenched pop, and the unpredictable, catchy tunes of Fellow Kinsman.
|
|
Catalano Square is located on the corner of Menomonee and Young Streets, across from Club Charlie’s and Bavette La Boucherie. Music runs until 8 p.m.
Sunday, August 22
Heroes Day Celebration @ Marcus Performing Arts Center, Noon
The Marcus Performing Arts Center (MPAC) will host a special event to celebrate veterans and local heroes, including frontline workers and first responders, who have played a role in serving the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The free, family-friendly event will be held on the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s newly renovated outdoor grounds.
All local frontline workers, first responders and veterans and their families are invited to attend. Local heroes in attendance will receive an official Heroes Day t-shirt and a commemorative challenge coin. The first 500 heroes in attendance will receive a limited-edition MPAC reusable cup. The event will include a brief program to recognize local frontline workers, first responders and veterans, followed by a performance by the Milwaukee Police Band. The event will conclude with an official Naturalization Ceremony where 60 individuals will be sworn in as U.S. citizens.
XPosed 4Heads w/ The Grovelers and Lack Of Reason @ Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, 2 p.m.
Allegedly formed in the ‘80s, Milwaukee’s XPosed 4Heads might actually have come from the future. Satirical and indebted to Devo, they are about to release a new album, Planet A Go-Go. The songs bubble over with exuberance, steady dance beats, chilly new wave synthesizers and sing-along lyrics whose giddy delivery conceals subversion.
The Grovelers are the musical equivalent of hitting a patch of gravel while speeding around a curve. Their take on garage and rockabilly is less than subtle. Which works out just fine. Likewise, Lack of Reason won’t be playing the cotillion any time soon. The Milwaukee trio’s 2019 EP Haven't Got A Clue jumps with energy.
The Tritonics @ Tonic Tavern, 4 p.m.
Photo Credit: Laurie Asch
The Tritonics are nearing the end of 12 year run as a band. The rock steady/ska/reggae group was fortunate enough to establish a Sunday afternoon residency at Bay View’s Tonic Tavern. The cozy confines allowed the band a laboratory to hone their music. With the passing of founder and drummer Dave Bolyard, this bittersweet sendoff will be a matinee of déjà vu.
