Thursday, Nov. 9
Hillary Clinton @ The Riverside Theater, 7:30 p.m.
A year after her shocking electoral defeat, Hillary Clinton remains, as ever, an object of enormous fascination, especially among conservative media outlets that continue to conjure new conspiracy theories about her by the week, usually in hopes of distracting from the decidedly non-conspiratorial controversies surrounding Donald Trump. Amid all the chaos and conjecture, Clinton has attempted to control her own narrative, most prominently with her book, What Happened, an unexpectedly candid account of the election and the constant sexism she’s endured as a public figure. She’ll discuss some of those experiences at this live appearance.
Action Bronson w/ Trash Talk and Meyhem Lauren @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
Few rappers have more distinctive interests than New York eccentric Action Bronson, a gifted spitter who peppers his albums mixtapes with comical, wide-ranging references to action movies, pop culture, ’80s sports trivia and his true love: fine cuisine. Along with his outsized personality, his passion for food and background as a chef helped him land his own TV show, “Fuck, That’s Delicious,” a form-breaking series for the Viceland network that documents his unusual lifestyle and the food he eats on the road. Between seasons, Bronson released his latest album this summer, Blue Chips 7000, a typically funky, jocular affair featuring production from several of his go-to producers, including The Alchemist, Harry Fraud and Party Supplies.
SACRED w/ Peter DiStefano @ Alley Cat Lounge, 8 p.m.
Featuring seasoned players from local bands like Everybody, Chandelier, Brando’s Charm and Tweed Funk, Milwaukee alt-rockers SACRED look to the heavy spirit of ’90s modern rock. It’s fitting, then, that the band shares this bill at the Alley Cat Lounge (located in the Five O’Clock Steakhouse, 2416 W. State St.) with a veteran of that scene: former Porno for Pyros member Peter DiStefano. He’ll be performing acoustically behind a project he calls his “Punk Rock Story Book,” which will include music from his time with Porno for Pyros as well as the band Lance Herbstrong.
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Friday, Nov. 10
6lack w/ Sabrina Claudio and Sy Ari Da Kid @ The Rave, 8:30 p.m.
Few rappers have taken the minimalist sounds of Atlanta and the emotionally tormented spirit of R&B-laced rap in the Drake era to further extremes than the Atlanta rapper 6lack, whose songs often catalogue the ugly details of relationships in crisis—few of which have happy endings. His distinctively stark 2016 debut album, Free 6lack, was the work of a romantic fundamentally incapable of sustaining romance. Apparently a lot of listeners could relate to his heartbreak: Like many of his dates on the tour behind the album, this show is currently sold out.
Jessica Lea Mayfield w/ Blank Range @ The Back Room at Colectivo, 8 p.m.
Though her sweet voice and tuneful ear are the first qualities most listeners will notice about Ohio songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield, what lingers is her biting wit and fearless honesty. On her latest album, Sorry Is Gone, she balances her dry humor with some of her most personal, pained songs yet (she wrote it after the dissolution of her abusive marriage). Recorded with Dinosaur Jr. producer John Agnello and Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, it’s her heaviest record yet, both sonically and emotionally. “Soaked Through,” in particular, is one of the rawest accounts of abuse in recent memory. “My heart wants all the bad things I used to let it have,” she sings sorrowfully.
Jonathan Burks Band w/ Heidi Spencer & the Rare Birds and Lyric Advisory Board @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 9 p.m.
Milwaukee’s Jonathan Burks could be a convincing country singer if he could keep a straight face. Needless to say, he can’t. For years, the wisecracking songwriter has been releasing sly, funny records about his vices and musings. His latest, Getting High, is less alcohol-obsessed than some of its predecessors, but his wayward lyrics remain as sharp as ever, frequently recalling Beck during his ’90s slacker days. Throughout the record, Davis Cusma assists Burks on tuba, trumpet and trombone, further accentuating the album’s boozy, Dylan-on-a-bender vibe.
Maura O’Connell and Karan Casey @ Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 7:30 p.m.
Irish singers Maura O’Connell and Karan Casey have each enjoyed decades-long careers. O’Connell sang for the popular Celtic group De Dannan and has collaborated with acts like Van Morrison and The Chieftains, while Casey sang for the band Solas and has worked with The Dubliners and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Needless to say, they have a lot in common. For this show, the two likeminded singers will share a night of music and stories titled “A Celebration of Song and Life,” which will examine what it means to be a modern, independent Irish woman.
JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound w/ The Right Now @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
A lean, mean and highly unlikely cover of Wilco’s “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” helped put Chicago soul revivalists JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound on the map. The group also enjoys some of the finest TV placement that the Fox Network has to offer. For years, their poster has been on the wall of “New Girl” character Nick Miller’s bedroom (actor Jake Johnson is a fan of the band and appeared in the video for their track “Rouse Yourself,” alongside Aubrey Plaza). Fans of the band can expect to hear some new material from them at this show. Earlier this year, they released their latest album of foot-stomping Memphis soul, Neon Jungle.
Saturday, Nov. 11
Kneel to Neil @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 7 p.m.
Once again, musicians and songwriters from all corners of the Milwaukee music scene have come together for this tribute to Neil Young—also a fundraiser for two very worthy causes: community radio station WMSE and The Bridge School, a school for disabled children in California. Performers at this latest installment of the local tradition, now in its 13th year, include Joe Jucious, Chris Haise, Carolinas, Bella Brutto, Dramatic Lovers, Panalure, Redhawks, Lady Cannon, Plea Bag Whyte, Jay Anderson and Aram Feriants.
New Found Glory w/ Roam @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
Along with Blink-182, Florida’s New Found Glory helped usher in a new wave of punk in the late ’90s and early ’00s, inspiring a generation of young pop-punk bands. Punk purists, of course, absolutely reviled them at the time, but the band has shown surprising longevity, branching out and maturing on later records without losing the sense of brevity and silliness that made their music so appealing in the first place. For this show, the band will celebrate their 20th anniversary by playing two of their albums, 2002’s Sticks And Stones and 2004’s Catalyst, in their entirety, along with other favorites and new material from their ninth and latest album, Makes Me Sick.
Tuesday, Nov. 14
Melanie w/ Dana Erlandson @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
For better or worse, singer-songwriter Melanie Safka will always be remembered for her 1972 smash hit “Brand New Key,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts despite being banned from many radio stations because of implicit sexual innuendos. That song’s success sometimes overshadows Melanie’s other accomplishments—she delivered two more Top-40 hits that year alone—and the longevity of her career. Now 70-years-old and more than 30 albums deep, this Woodstock veteran continues to carry herself as an artist unwilling to conform to anybody else’s expectations.
