This Week in MKE Music: June 27-July 3, 2024

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Summerfest continues, also Alan Sparhawk, Café Corazon’s Tiki Taco Music Night, the return of Voot Warnings, Barbara Stephan and more—This Week in Milwaukee Music! 

Thursday, June 27

Summerfest @ Henry Maier Festival Park, through Saturday

Summerfest continues with this year’s second three-day stretch. On Friday, the Milwaukee Remembers concert celebrates the lives and music of some dearly missed local folks: https://shepherdexpress.com/summerfest/milwaukee-remembers-celebrating-life-and-music-at-summerfest/. Elsewhere on the grounds the buffet of talent continues with Cedric Burnside, Robin Pluer and the R&B Coquettes, Sleater Kinney, Tyler Childers, The Thing, 7000Apart, Amos Lee, The Church, The Hold Steady and Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs.

See our picks and reviews here: https://shepherdexpress.com/summerfest 

Barbara Stephan Band @ Boerner Botanical Gardens, 6 p.m.

Barbara Stephan steps out with her big band for this concert at Boerner Botanical Gardens, Milwaukee’s an internationally renowned horticultural showplace.

Friday, June 28 

Alan Sparhawk / Tired Eyes @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.

In February of 2022, Minnesota trio Low played a mind-bending show at Cactus Club. That November vocalist-drummer Mimi Parker passed away. Her husband and bandmate Alan Sparhawk has ventured out for shows with Tired Eyes, a project whose moniker conjures serious hoodoo. These stalwarts of frayed future harmonics scour the Neil Young catalog and resuscitate all that is immense therein, in calling themselves Tired Eyes after a deep cut from 1975’s dark masterpiece album Tonight’s the Night.  

Sparhawk is joined by Rich Mattson (Ol’ Yeller/Northstars), Glen Mattson (Lazer Bear/IROB), and Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run/Jayhawks/Golden Smog). The newspapers say that Tired Eyes “isn’t just grabbing the AM gold hits from Harvest, but focusing on the genre-defying classic-era Crazy Horse lineup. They drive home this point by taking their name from one of Young’s darker songs. “Heart of Gold” this is not. 

Jazz Flux @ Vendetta Coffee Bar- Walkers Point, 8 p.m. 

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Saxophonist Jamil Shaw takes lead with a rotating group of Milwaukee jazz musicians for this free concert. 

Saturday, June 29

Friend w/ Raquel Gonzalez, Eli Smith & Rick Ollman and Ophelia Hix @ Urban Ecology Center, Noon

Here is an afternoon of experimental music and poetry performed outside and under the sky. Bring your imagination.  

Bristlehead w/ Paranormal @ Café Corazon (4103 W. Bradley Rd., Brown Deer), 6 p.m. 

Café Corazon’s newest location’s Tiki Taco Music Night brings live music to Brown Deer with a pair of bands to celebrate the weekend. 

Voot Warnings @ The Uptowner, 7 p.m. 

The calendar points to a holiday so it is time for another of Voot Warnings’ never-ending series of intimate candlelight concerts. Backed by stalwarts Vic Demichei and Jacob Muchin, expect to hear a program of standards including “Dance Motherfucker Dance,” “My Mother Still Likes Me,” “One Hundred Pennies” and “That’s How We Break Things.”  

Gully Boys w/ Sunday Cruise and Loveblaster @ X-Ray Arcade, 6:30 p.m. 

The Gully Boys origin story plays out like the perfect domino effect. While sorting vintage clothes in a Minneapolis-area Ragstock in 2016, Kathy Callahan shared her dream of becoming a vocalist with Nadirah McGill. Natalie Klemond joined on bass, Nadi picked up a pair of drumsticks and counted off a cover of Best Coast’s “Girlfriend.” From there, they had to master their instruments on the fly, growing as creatives while blossoming with their first material.  

A debut EP landed online a year later, and Gully Boys released their debut LP Not So Brave in 2018, earning Best New Band honors from their hometown City Pages and sharing the stage with everyone from The Hold Steady to Third Eye Blind. The band’s Phony EP arrived in late 2019; in December 2021, Mariah Mercedes joined the band. The band has just released their new single "See You See" ahead of their next album. 

Sunday, June 30 

Girls Rock MKE June Camp Showcase @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 11:30 a.m.

See what the youth campers of Girls Rock MKE have been working on. Here is your chance to see tomorrow’s stars today. You can bet that years from now plenty of “I saw her back then” stories will be part of the conversation. 

Fresh w/ Rat Bath, Fellow Kinsman and Lunar Moth @ Anodyne Coffee, 6:30 p.m.

London emo-punks Fresh are joined by Rat Bath’s post everything sound, Fellow Kinsman’s psych/surf/indie sounds and Lunar Moth’s spacesludgefuzz.

Ben Platt w/ Brandy Clark @ Riverside Theater, 7:30 p.m.

Ben Platt stops by with The Honeymind Tour. Whether crooning on his original songs, becoming an a cappella icon in Pitch Perfect or belting it out on Broadway, Platt is comfortable across many stages. His explosively emotional run of performances as the titular character in Dear Evan Hansen earned him Tony®, Grammy® and Daytime Emmy® Awards.

Monday, July 1 

Sound Waves Summer Concert Series: We 3 Ukes @ Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, 6:30 p.m. 

Steve Firman, Tom Stemper and Vinn Stemper play music for children of all ages, specializing in tunes for early childhood., including the likes of Raffi, Pete Seeger and Laurie Berkner. 

Tuesday, July 2 

Milwaukee American Legion Band @ Chill on the Hill, Humboldt Park, 6:30 p.m.

You already know the setlist. Chill on the Hill serves up a program of music as a warmup for July 4. Get your holiday started early with plenty of food trucks, cold beer and hill just waiting for your lawn chairs, blankets and good company. 

Wednesday, July 3 

Gene Simmons of Kiss @ Potawatomi Rock & Brews

Legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Rock & Brews Co-Founder, Gene Simmons celebrates the grand opening of Wisconsin’s second Rock & Brews restaurant location on Tuesday, July 2 at Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Carter.  

On Wednesday the Kiss bassist-vocalist performs at the Milwaukee casino with a rare appearance by his Gene Simmons Band. Menu items include Rock’n Hot Wings, the Alice Cooper Poison Burger and the Demon Chicken Sandwich.