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A.J. Croce@ South Milwaukee PAC, Thurs., Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m. Photo credit: Sebastian Smith
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Buddy Guy @ The Pabst Theater, Fri., Oct. 13, 8 p.m. Photo credit: Josh Cheuse
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Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
The Milwaukee Paranormal Conference goes hunting for bigfoot, as Bay View puts its own spin on the traditional harvest festival.
Thursday, Oct. 12
A.J. Croce @ South Milwaukee PAC, 7:30 p.m.
Given his pedigree, perhaps it was inevitable that A.J. Croce would make a career out of music. The Nashville musician is the son of two singer-songwriters, Ingrid Croce and the late Jim Croce (of “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and “Time in a Bottle” fame). Although his father died in a plane crash just two years after he was born, the elder Croce’s music has always loomed large over A.J.’s work, which is why he’ll pay homage to it at this show, which will include some of his father’s songs as well as songs that influenced both him and his father, in addition to the pianist’s own pensive tunes.
Friday, Oct. 13
Milwaukee Paranormal Conference @ multiple venues
We’ll spare you that “X-Files” quote, but mankind has always been fascinated by the unknown—some of us more than others. Each year, truth searchers, UFO believers and cryptozoologists of all stripes come together for the Milwaukee Paranormal Conference, a good-humored celebration of all things eerie and unexplained. The weekend kicks off Friday with paranormal investigations at the Milwaukee Theatre (now the Miller High Life Theatre), a midnight magic show at the Brumder Mansion and a night of music, comedy and burlesque at the Riverwest Public House. Saturday features a paranormal film fest at the Times Cinema, a variety of haunted tours (including a bigfoot hike and ghost tours of the Third Ward and Waukesha) and UFO presentations at the Shorewood Village Center, then ends with an event called The Jabberwocky’s Ball at the Local. Sunday is for the conference itself—a day of speakers, panels and workshops at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center. For the full schedule, visit milwaukeeparacon.com. (Through Sunday, Oct. 15.)
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Buddy Guy @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
Quite possibly the most famous surviving blues legend of his era, even in his 80s Buddy Guy remains a sought-after collaborator, celebrated for his blistering electric guitar playing. With all of the attention paid to his guitar, though, it can be very easy to overlook what a talented Guy is, something he’s demonstrated repeatedly in recent years. His 2010 album, Living Proof, was one of his most explicitly autobiographical works and became his highest-charting album ever. He followed it up in 2013 with the soulful, double-disc Rhythm & Blues and 2015’s Grammy-winning Born to Play Guitar.
Saturday, Oct. 14
Beet Street Harvest Festival @ Wentworth and Potter avenues, noon-6 p.m.
Last year, Bay View neighborhood staples Goodkind, Palomino and the Cactus Club came together to present their spin on a traditional harvest festival, with all the pies, pumpkins and seasonal trappings you’d expect—but with much more exciting music and a much more interesting beer selection. This weekend, the Beet Street Harvest Festival returns for its second year for a day of baking contests, craft cocktails and rare keg tappings, as well as music from WMSE and Radio Milwaukee DJs and headliners Milo (who released one of the year’s most provocative hip-hop albums, Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?!), Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas, Dogs in Ecstasy and Gas Station Sushi. After the festival ends at 6 p.m., there will be an after party at the Cactus Club featuring the Oozing Wound, Kia Rap Princess and Sex Scenes.
Hoodie Allen w/ Luke Christopher and Myles Parrish @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
You’ve probably already forgotten about The Internship, the dreadful 2013 Owen Wilson-Vince Vaughn comedy premised on the idea that Google is such a fantastic place to work that people will do anything they can to land a job there. For Steven Markowitz, though, there was more to life than a job at Google. Better known by his stage name, Hoodie Allen, Markowitz left the company to pursue a career in rap, working the college market hard with releases like Bagels and Beats and Making Waves, which gained him the 2009 MTVU’s Best Music on Campus Award. He’s come a long way from the scrappy indie-rock samples of his earliest mixtapes. His new album, The Hype, features lush, modern electronic production and features from guests including Scott Hoying of Pentatonix, Goody Grace and Wale.
Sunday, Oct. 15
Queens of the Stone Age w/ Royal Blood @ The Eagles Ballroom, 8 p.m.
The most successful offshoot of the pioneering ’90s stoner-rock group Kyruss, Queens of the Stone Age have always had something of an open-door policy for guest musicians. Leader Josh Homme filled the group’s 2013 album, …Like Clockwork, with guests, including Trent Reznor, Mark Lanegan, Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters, Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys and Dave Grohl—an early advocate of the group who drummed on about half the album. Elton John even appeared on the thing. Homme must have gotten it all out of his system on that album, though. For Villains, the group’s seventh and latest album, he kept the cameos to a minimum, making for one of the group’s most streamlined albums, but also one of its leanest and glammiest.
Los Sonidos Unidos: A Milwaukee Benefit Concert for Mexico and Puerto Rico @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 5 p.m.
While the president continues to cover for his slow response to the crisis and insist that Hurricane Maria wasn’t “a real catastrophe,” even as it claimed the lives of dozens and left almost the entire island of Puerto Rico without necessities like power and clean water, good Samaritans around the country are doing their part to help out. Milwaukee has responded with this benefit concert for Mexico and Puerto Rico, which will feature music from the Latino Arts Strings Program (a band with members from De La Buena), Bahia Bombazo with the Pandanza Dance Company and Cache, as well as good food from local restaurants Cubanitas, Café el Sol, Antigua Latin Café and WWBIC Coffee with a Conscience. Entry is a donation of $20.
Tuesday, Oct. 17
The Obsessed w/ Cobalt and Prezir @ Cactus Club, 8:30 p.m.
To say The Obsessed have had a turbulent history is an understatement. Since they formed in the late ’70s, the cult metal band has struggled to get their music released and to maintain a stable lineup. After a planned 1985 debut for Metal Blade was shelved, it took them until 1990 to release a full-length album. Following the commercial failure of their acclaimed third album, 1994’s The Church Within, the band broke up for a second time, but last year, singer-guitarist Scott “Wino” Wenrich resurrected the group, albeit with yet another new lineup that’s already seen some turnover. Next month, Relapse Records will reissue the group’s long out-of-print 1990 self-titled debut album as a two-CD set.
Martha Wainwright @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
The daughter of folk greats Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle and the sister of opera-pop savant Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright was born into a shockingly talented family, yet she rarely seems burdened by expectations. Her albums are free and confident, marked by acid-tongued songwriting and deviations from typical folk and rock tropes. She also has a gift for culling interesting collaborators. 2012’s Come Home to Mama featured collaborators that included Sean Lennon and Yuka Honda, as well as Wilco’s Nels Cline and Dirty Three drummer Jim White, while last year’s Goodnight City featured songwriting assists from Beth Orton, Glen Hansard, Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs and Rufus Wainwright, who penned the closer, “Francis.”
Wednesday, Oct. 18
Amos Lee @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
After working as an elementary school teacher for two years, Philly musician Amos Lee quit to devote himself to his soulful blues songwriting. His 2003 EP drew interest from fellow jazz composer Norah Jones and earned him an opening spot on her 2004 tour. Their rapport fostered future professional relations, particularly on his self-titled debut album, which was produced by Jones’ bassist and included her vocals and instrumentation. 2013’s Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song, which included guest vocals from Alison Krauss and Patty Griffin, widened his musical territory, featuring considerably more pep than its predecessors, while last year’s Spirit drew heavily from the spirit of ’70s soul and contemporary R&B.
