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Photo credit: Sara Esparza
The Adicts
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Photo credit: CJ Cromwell
Shaun Boothe
Shaun Boothe comes to Milwaukee with his Unauthorized Biography series, and numerous local artists are playing this week in Milwaukee.
Thursday, Jan. 30
Barbara Stephan and Peter Mac @ The Packing House, 6 p.m.
Milwaukee vocalist Barbara Stephan’s release, Come on Over to Me, is a great Motown-inspired album backed by a 10-piece band. This gig with guitarist Peter Mac of Streetlife will likely showcase intimate arrangements.
Photo credit: CJ Cromwell
Shaun Boothe
Shaun Boothe: The Unauthorized Biography Series @ South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m.
Half TED Talk, half live concert, Shaun Boothe uses music, multimedia and motivation to deliver powerful and transformative messaging. His Unauthorized Biography Series is a celebration of greatness—it aims not just to entertain and inform but to awaken the greatness within us all. Boothe will perform a selection of his musical biographies then explore the life lessons to be learned from the great figures he represents.
Wesley Stace: A Tribute to John Wesley Harding w/ Robert Lloyd and Nineteen Thirteen @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
Singer-songwriter and novelist Wesley Stace pays tribute to the acclaimed songwriter John Wesley Harding. Throughout the ’90s and ’00s, which included his tenures at Sire, Rhino and Hollywood records, Harding regularly toured in a duo format with noted mandolin, accordion and keyboard player Robert Lloyd. Stace says he feels an extraordinary kinship with these songs, and fans of the witty Harding will certainly notice more than a passing resemblance between them. In fact, they have never been seen in the same place together. Lloyd’s stellar resume as a sideman includes Chris Cacavas & Junkyard Love, Green On Red, Steve Wynn, Thin White Rope and more.
Warhola Cats w/ Vanity Plates and Bandoleer Bacall @ Pabst Brewery & Taproom, 9 p.m.
Warhola Cats compose lyrical pop songs created with voice, cello, piano, flute, percussion and guitar that move between poignancy and the absurd; themes include longing, anticipation, existential dread and heartfelt anthems toasting the Milwaukee mundane. Vanity Plates are described as “post-butt-rock for fans of Jeopardy but not the college tournament.” Bandoleer Bacall simply play “Wisconsin pre-DADWAVE.”
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Friday, Jan. 31
Photo credit: Sara Esparza
The Adicts
The Adicts, Mystery Actions, Assault and Battery and Indonesian Junk @ X-Ray Arcade, 7 p.m.
This all-ages show features The Adicts, whose Clockwork Orange-influenced image, sensational live shows and catchy, anthemic songs date back to 1976. The Adicts are best known for their live performances, which some have described as part-childhood birthday party and part-carnival, complete with confetti, streamers, magic tricks and outlandish outfits. Almost 35 years into their career, The Adicts are still entertaining and awing crowds with their inimitable blend of high theatrics and good-time rock ’n’ roll.
Saturday, Feb. 1
Josh Trimble @ Var Gallery & Studios, 7:30 p.m.
Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in music at Columbia College in Chicago, Josh Trimble has studied under the private instruction of Scott Hlavenka, Peter Billman, Steve Peplin and Neil Davis, and he is currently studying with Columbia's musical director, Bill Boris. His style is an eclectic compilation of the music he surrounds himself with, from jazz, funk and soul to Latin music.
Mike Plaisted and Eric Blowtorch @ Brewed Café, 7 p.m.
Indefatigable troubadours Mike Plaisted and Eric Blowtorch are just as likely to sing you the news as croon pre-Valentine’s Day. This is a rare chance to catch these performers in an up-close setting. Blowtorch’s recent compilations shed some perspective on the ongoing life’s work of a restlessly omnivorous musician.
Alive at Eight: The Smart Shoppers w/ King Eye and The Squirts @ Circle A, 8 p.m.
Green Bay’s Smart Shoppers new wave-surf rock mix includes bassist Rev. Norb Rozek, a guy who knows a thing or three about starting a band, a fanzine or a music scene. Prepare to be the second smartest person in the room and entertained in the process. D.J. Edina Flo follows at 10 p.m.
The Watchbirds @ House of Guinness Irish Pub, 8 p.m.
The self-described “garage folk quintet,” The Watchbirds, blends influences ranging from Janis Joplin to the Violent Femmes to the Kinks, yet they keep their sound reined in to walk the folk side of the street.
Sam Belton Group @ The Jazz Estate, 8 p.m.
Drummer and mentor Sam Belton brings his band to the Jazz Estate ahead of the spring opening of his Harambee club, Sam’s Place.
Tuesday, Feb. 4
Alice Howe and Freebo @ Café Carpe, 7:30 p.m.
A rare Tuesday night booking opportunity opens up as these performers pass through between other gigs. Alice Howe grew up in Newton, Mass., just outside of Boston, in a home filled with music and art. Long outdoor walks were encouraged, and Howe would often disappear to wander through her grandmother’s garden next door or to journal and turn experiences into songs. “I can’t remember not singing,” she says with a laugh.
Bassist Freebo, who has played with Bonnie Raitt, John Mayall, Maria Muldaur, Ringo Starr, Neil Young and more, is well-regarded for his high level of musicality coupled with his thoughtful and powerful song lyrics.
Wednesday, Feb, 5
Sessa w/ Marielle Allschwang & The Visitations @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.
This mid-week, all-ages show offers a rare chance to see Sessa, the Brazil-born artist known for co-founding São Paulo’s psych-funk combo Garotas Suecas. His songs are sung in Portuguese, with visceral, sexual lyrics reminiscent of Caetano Veloso and melodic flourishes not unlike those of Tom Jobim, but the music gets a deliberate minimalist treatment rarely found in contemporary Brazilian music, more reminiscent of the bareness of Leonard Cohen.
