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Jewel returns to Milwaukee to spread holiday cheer, and Kurtis Blow leads a hip-hop tribute to The Nutcracker.
Thursday, Dec. 7
Radio Milwaukee Music Awards @ Radio Milwaukee Studios, 6:30 p.m.
For 10 years running, Radio Milwaukee (FM 88.9) has invited listeners to vote for their favorite Milwaukee band, album, song and music video of the year. Thursday night, the station will announce the winners of those categories and others—including Milwaukee Music Ambassador, Critics Choice and Rising Star—at its annual Radio Milwaukee Music Awards, which will feature performances from Milwaukee acts Rose of the West, Abby Jeanne, Zed Kenzo and B~Free, as well as DJ sets from Luxi.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy @ South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m.
The California big band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy can claim as much credit as anybody for popularizing the swing revival in the 1990s, thanks to their star-making appearance in Swingers, where they performed their signature songs “Go Daddy-O” and “You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby).” While the masses lost interest in swing music once the novelty wore out, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has carried on as a popular touring act, and like their fellow swing revivalists in the Brian Setzer Orchestra, they’ve shown a particular interest in Christmas. In 2013 they released their third album of holiday music, It Feels Like Christmas Time, and they’ll share some of those yuletide-minded songs at this show, which they’ve billed as their “Wild & Swingin’ Holiday Party.”
Micah Olsan w/ The Belle Weather and Listening Party @ Anodyne Coffee, 8 p.m.
In the spirit of Nick Drake, Bob Dylan and so many figures from the ’60s and ’70s heyday of the singer-songwriter, Milwaukee’s Micah Olsan takes a no-gimmicks approach to songwriting. He’s accompanied by a few guest musicians on his latest EP, Open Space, but the main attractions are always Olsan’s soulful voice, elegant guitar and gentle, humane songs. He plays a release show behind the EP tonight, joined by a pair of folk-leaning Milwaukee bands, The Belle Weather and Listening Party.
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The Hip-Hop Nutcracker w/ Kurtis Blow @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Christmas classic, The Nutcracker, has been reinterpreted so many times that it shouldn’t surprise anybody there’s a touring hip-hop version of the piece. It features a remixed score, a live DJ, an electric violinist and a team of a dozen dancers blending classical and modern choreography. Perhaps most notable, though, is the appearance from one of hip-hop’s founding fathers, Kurtis Blow, who will perform a short opening set in addition to rapping the show’s introduction.
Friday, Dec. 8
Ice Fishing and Winter Sports Show @ Wisconsin State Fair Park
Not everybody is bummed out about this week’s major temperature drop. For outdoor types, the falling mercury signals the start of outdoor fishing season. To kick off the season, dozens of vendors will appear at the fourth annual Ice Fishing and Winter Sports Show at Wisconsin State Fair Park, showing off the latest rods, reeds, augers, digital fish finders and underwater cameras, as well as apparel and accessories. There will also be daily seminars on ice fishing and an appearance from Santa and Mrs. Claus on Saturday. (Through Sunday, Dec. 10.)
Saturday, Dec. 9
MSO Performs the Music of Led Zeppelin @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
In recent years the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has paid homage to plenty of rock institutions, including Pink Floyd, David Bowie and Queen, but in terms of sheer spectacle, it’s hard to top the sound of a roaring full orchestra performing the work of Led Zeppelin, a band that brought a grandiose, classical mindset to rock ’n’ roll. The orchestra will perform hits like “Black Dog,” “Kashmir” and “Stairway to Heaven,” accompanied by a rock band.
Zappafest @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
Few musicians have inspired a more devout following than form-breaking rocker Frank Zappa, who has inspired his share of disciples in the Milwaukee music scene. Since 1999, some of those Zappa enthusiasts have come together for the annual Zappafest. At this year’s event, Gozortenplatt and Dr. Chow's Love Medicine will cover some of their favorite Frank Zappa songs, while VV Sketchbook will perform a tribute to Captain Beefheart.
Tuesday, Dec. 12
Jewel’s Handmade Holiday Tour @ Potawatomi Bingo Casino, 8 p.m.
In spring 1995, the young and mostly unknown folk-pop singer-songwriter Jewel released her debut, Pieces of You, which went on to become one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, earning the singer three Grammy nominations and three hit singles (“You Were Meant for Me,” “Who Will Save Your Soul” and “Foolish Games”). In the two decades since, Jewel has thrown mostly curveballs, releasing a 2003 dance-pop album, 0304; a pair of mainstream country records, 2007’s Perfectly Clear and 2010’s Sweet and Wild and even a pair of children’s albums issued through Fisher-Price, Lullaby and The Merry Goes ’Round. Last time she performed in Milwaukee she played a cheeky song she wrote about the city; with a little prompting from the audience she may be willing to play it again. Her latest album, 2015’s Picking Up the Pieces, contained some of her strongest songs in years, but expect this holiday show to be heavy on material from her two Christmas albums, including 2013’s Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection.
Wednesday, Dec. 13
Logic w/ Dua Lipa @ The Rave, 7:30 p.m.
Like another white rapper in his general age group, Mac Miller, Maryland rapper Logic built his following on college campuses, paying tribute to ’90s greats like A Tribe Called Quest, Big L and Nas on a run of mixtapes and on his 2014 Def Jam debut, Under Pressure. And like Mac Miller, Logic has worked his way up from college campuses to pop radio, scoring his first number one album this year with Everybody, a solid hip-hop LP featuring cameos from Killer Mike, Black Thought, Chuck D, Juicy J and, memorably, Neil deGrasse Tyson. The record features the hit suicide-prevention song “1-800-273-8255.” Logic shares this 103.7 KISSmas Bash bill with Dua Lipa, a rising British pop singer who wowed critics on both sides of the ocean with her self-titled debut album. She may not be a big star in America yet, but that’s almost certain to change within the next year or two.
