1 of 4
Photo credit: Kacie Tomita
2 of 4
3 of 4
4 of 4
’Tis the season for radio-sponsored holiday concerts.
Thursday, Nov. 30
Nick Offerman @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
For most viewers, Nick Offerman is impossible to separate from his “Parks and Recreation” character Ron Swanson, an over-the-top embodiment of masculinity in its most stubborn, meat-devouring, wood-splitting form. Indeed, Offerman has quite a bit in common with his signature creation—like Swanson, he’s a genuinely talented furniture maker—but in recent years he’s broken from his man’s man persona to branch out with more dramatic roles in films like The Founder and the second series of FX’s “Fargo,” for which he received a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination. Offerman has swung through Milwaukee a few times over the years, each time behind a different batch of material (like his one-man show “American Ham” or as part of a joint tour with his actress wife Megan Mullally). For this appearance, he’ll perform a set of stand-up comedy called “Full Bush.”
Friday, Dec. 1
Phil Vassar and Kellie Pickler @ Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 8 p.m.
Country singer Phil Vassar built his singing career the old-fashioned way—by first paying his dues as a songwriter. He penned hits for bigger stars like Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson in the ’90s before issuing his self-titled debut album in ’00. He remains an oddity in the genre for his choice of instrument: In a field dominated by gruff guitar players, he’s a balladeering piano man. Like many of his peers, though, he has a soft spot for the holidays. In 2011, he released his first holiday album, Noel, and for his current tour with “American Idol” alum Kellie Pickler, the pair will perform some of their favorite Christmas songs. (Also Saturday, Dec. 2.)
FM 102.1 Big Snow Show: Paramore, Dashboard Confessional and The Wrecks @ The Rave, 7:30 p.m.
|
|
No act from the mid-’00s pop-punk boom has aged more gracefully, or in more unexpected ways, than Paramore. While navigating a series of lineup shifts, singer Hayley Williams has led the band through one reinvention after another—dabbling in a little bit of everything (including dance-punk, country and post-rock) on the group’s 2013 self-titled album and embracing the spirit of new wave on the group’s synth-heavy, incredibly fun new album, After Laughter. The group returns to Milwaukee to headline this installment of FM 102.1’s annual Big Snow Show, which will also feature the cultishly beloved emo group Dashboard Confessional.
The Big Wu w/ Chicken Wire Empire, Jason Fladager and STEEZ @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
Just how long have the Big Wu been at it? They were the very first group ever to take the stage at Bonnaroo, during the festival’s first year. Their storied set opening the Tennessee music festival in 2002 in front of tens of thousands of eager attendees helped make them rising stars in the jam scene and one of the Midwest’s most popular jam acts. These days, the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers-inspired group curates a music festival of its own, the Big Wu Family Reunion, which, while not as gigantic as Bonnaroo, has become one of the region’s most celebrated jam festivals. For their current round of shows, the band is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Adam Savage & Michael Stevens: Brain Candy Live! @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
Anybody who thought “MythBusters” star Adam Savage would quietly fade from the public eye after the end of his long-running Discovery Channel show seriously underestimated his love for science and mayhem. For his latest tour—shared with YouTube star Michael Stevens—Savage (2017 Humanist of the Year honoree of the American Humanist Association) continues to demonstrate all the ridiculous and uncanny spectacles that science makes possible, often with the help of some self-made toys and tools. If Savage’s past appearances in the city are anything to judge by, expect at least a few moments that make you ask yourself, “Is this safe?”
Saturday, Dec. 2
Santa Hustle Milwaukee 5k @ Veterans Park, 8 a.m. | Register (20% off w/ code SHEP20)
Milwaukee winters generally aren’t very accommodating for runners, but at least they have something to look forward to each December: the Santa Hustle, a popular 5k run with a holiday twist. In addition to a shirt, all participants receive a Santa hat and beard, as well as a pair of candy cane socks. There will be cookies and candy stations along the route. In addition to the 5k and one-mile races, there will also be a 100-yard race and a one-mile kids’ race (the Rudolph Run).
Sunday, Dec. 3
Legend of Zelda: The Symphony of the Goddesses @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
Over the last decade, a number of live symphony performances have popped up dedicated to the unlikely subject of video game music, but none have better material to work with than Symphony of The Goddesses—the touring tribute to the music of “The Legend of Zelda.” Composer Koji Kondo’s score for the original Zelda game, which he claims to have written in a day, is perhaps the best regarded in video game history, setting a high standard that has carried through most subsequent installments in the Zelda franchise. The symphony’s current tour includes material from the latest Zelda adventure, “Breath of the Wild,” one of the franchise’s best yet.
Vinnie Moore w/ Gus G @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
One of the great showboating guitarists of the ’80s and ’90s hard-rock and heavy-metal scenes, Vinnie Moore has spent his career bouncing from one gig to another, playing with the metal band Vicious Rumors and touring and recording with Alice Cooper in the early ’90s, while also releasing his own solo albums (and the occasional guitar instruction video). Since the early ’00s, he’s been the lead guitarist for the cult British hard-rock band UFO, which he helped reinvigorate and return to the charts with a series of studio albums. That group’s latest album, The Salentino Cuts, is a covers collection that came out in September, but for this show, Moore will perform with his own band—a set which is likely to include selections from his 2015 solo album, Ariel Visions.
Tuesday, Dec. 5
Cam’ron @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
Cam’ron’s commercial peak came more than a decade ago, when he scored a number one hit with his 2002 single, “Oh Boy,” and even flirted with an acting career. Since he broke from Roc-A-Fella Records in 2005, the hits have been few and far between, but unlike so many rappers from his era, he never lost his following; in some circles of rap fandom, he remains one of the most feverishly defended acts of his time, an artist who can do no wrong. This year he released a solid new album, The Program, which probably won’t do much to win him new fans but should ensure his existing fanbase stays loyal for years to come.
Wednesday, Dec. 6
Photo credit: Kacie Tomita
Khalid w/ Jessie Reyez and Lauv @ The Rave, 7:30 p.m.
The breakout R&B star of 2017, Khalid was still a teenager when he released his debut album, American Teen, this spring. The record received rave reviews from critics, who praised the singer’s tender take on alternative R&B, as well as from the radio, which has given his singles “Location” and “Young, Dumb & Broke” airplay all year. He’ll headline this year’s installment of Kiss-FM 103.7’s annual Kissmas Bash, supported on the bill by Canadian songwriter Jessie Reyez, who released her first EP, Kiddo, this spring, and the EDM-minded pop songwriter Lauv.
