1 of 6
Lupe Fiasco
2 of 6
St. Vincent
3 of 6
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood
4 of 6
The Steepwater Band
5 of 6
Charles Walker Band
6 of 6
Galantis
Thursday, Nov. 16
Lupe Fiasco @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
Even many of Lupe Fiasco’s biggest fans probably admit that the Chicago rapper hasn’t always lived up to his potential. He’s made some truly fantastic albums, including his animated 2006 debut, Food & Liquor, as well as some truly terrible ones, including 2011’s Lasers, a lifeless crossover grab that played like a parody of the pop hits on the radio at the time. Thankfully, Fiasco has demonstrated more creative control over his recent albums, including 2012’s Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1 and 2015’s feisty Tetsuo & Youth, both of which set aside pop pandering in favor of elaborate critiques of American values and hip-hop culture; but he hasn’t completely righted the ship. His latest album, Drogas Light, the first of a planned trilogy, picks up where Lasers left off—trying its hardest to appease the radio powers that be with often awkward results (the less said about the Imagine Dragons-esque “Pick Up the Phone,” the better).
Dave Coulier @ Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 8 p.m.
To most audiences, Canadian stand-up Dave Coulier is known for two things: playing the lovable Uncle Joey on the kitschy ABC sitcom “Full House” and being the alleged subject of Alanis Morissette’s scathing hit single, “You Oughta Know.” Unlike his famously profane “Full House” co-star Bob Saget, though, Coulier never shied away from his association with the family friendly sitcom. Instead, he’s spent decades touring behind mostly clean, PG-rated material, doing celebrity impressions and occasionally playing the harmonica. Since last year, he’s periodically been reprising his role as Joey on the Netflix sequel series “Fuller House.”
Friday, Nov. 17
St. Vincent @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
After beefing up her credentials through time on the road with The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens, two acts whose expansive arrangements she doubtlessly studied, Annie Clark went solo as St. Vincent in 2007, releasing Marry Me, an album coated with layers of baroque pop, classical flourishes and mannered quirk. Every album since has felt like an event, and her latest album, Masseducation, following her Grammy-winning 2014 self-titled effort, may be her most accomplished yet. Inspired by themes of power, addiction and loss, it features some hearty production assists from Jack Antonoff of the band Bleachers and guest spots from Jenny Lewis and Kamasi Washington. Clark has promoted the record with some of her boldest and most divisive concerts of her career, performing without a band and leaning heavily on backing tracks—a daring setup that puts her guitarwork front and center.
|
|
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
Along with his guitarist brother Rich, Jesus-maned singer-guitarist Chris Robinson has been the face of The Black Crowes since the late-’80s. When that band went on a three-year hiatus in 2002, Robinson stayed busy by recording a handful of solo albums, and now that the Crowes are again on hiatus, he’s thrown himself into his new project, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. The band doesn’t depart too much from the Crowes’ signature blues-rock (Crowes keyboardist Adam MacDougall is even one of the members), but fresh faces Neal Casal (the guitarist for Ryan Adams’ band, The Cardinals) and drummer Tony Leone bring a new energy to the sound. The band has been prolific, recording several live albums and six studio albums in as many years, including their new Barefoot in the Head.
Dr. Chow’s Love Medicine w/ Voot Warnings @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn 8:30 p.m.
For years, Dr. Chow’s Love Medicine have been one of the great oddities of Milwaukee’s music scene, a group that imagined what The Rolling Stones might have sounded like if, instead of evolving into one of the biggest rock bands of all time, they’d retreated from the spotlight and immersed themselves in the druggy, proto-punk sounds of San Francisco in the late ’60s. With lead singer, harmonica player and sometimes saxophonist Frank Chandek preparing to move to South America, though, the band’s long run will come to an end with this farewell show. Given their legacy, the group’s final night should be a weird and wild one.
The Steepwater Band w/ Them Vibes @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
Sometimes a few small tweaks to a band’s sound can make all the difference. Chicago’s Steepwater Band started out as a fairly traditional blues-rock band, building their fan base at regional blues festivals and with gigs opening for legends like Buddy Guy and Taj Mahal. But as their sound broadened, so did their audience. As the ’00s progressed, they began to draw more from the spirit of classic rock and shared shows with bands like Umphrey’s McGee and Gov’t Mule—earning them a home in the jam community. The group has stretched out on recent records, including their latest, 2016’s Shake Your Faith, which takes particular inspiration from The Rolling Stones’ bluesier efforts.
Saturday, Nov. 18
Charles Walker Band @ Anodyne Coffee Walker’s Point, 8 p.m.
Milwaukee’s Charles Walker Band began as a blues act, but only really came into their own as their sound shifted to the more soulful, funkier end of the R&B spectrum—dabbling in the same electric funk sounds that acts like Rick James and The Pointer Sisters embraced in the ’80s and playing off the interplay between Walker’s keyboards and saxophones and singer Porsche Carmon’s brassy voice. After opening for acts like The Commodores, Aaron Neville, Cameo and Mavis Staples, the group will release its latest album at this show, an ecstatically funky affair called Reckless n Young.
Galantis w/ The Him @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
For all the talk of the electronic music bubble bursting, the genre’s top acts are still doing perfectly well for themselves on the road. Like many of their peers, the Swedish EDM duo Galantis has been drawing huge crowds with their massive, big-room spin on dance-pop and their blinding stage show, which must seriously spike the electric bill of any venue they perform at. The group’s new sophomore album, The Aviary, features an even bigger mammoth club sound than its 2015 predecessor, Pharmacy.
Monday, Nov. 20
The Security Project @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
Unlike most cover bands, The Security Project have no interest in playing their material straight. Instead, they put a decidedly new and modern spin on the proggy early work of Peter Gabriel. The band features Jerry Marotta, who drummed on Gabriel’s first five records, as well as Trey Gunn from King Crimson and Michael Cozzi of Shriekback, along with New York keyboardist David Jameson. The group’s new live album, CONTACT, out Saturday, Nov. 18, showcases the latest addition to the band’s arsenal: singer Happy Rhodes, who flaunts an impressive four-octave range.
