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Photo credit: Josh Cheuse
Field Report
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Photo credit: David James Swanson
Jack White
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John Prine
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Lord Huron
Milwaukee celebrates Record Store Day during a busy stretch of April that brings Jack White, John Prine and Lord Huron to the city.
Thursday, April 19
Blood, Sweat & Tears w/ Bo Bice @ Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 8 p.m.
If you haven’t seen Blood, Sweat & Tears for a while, you might not recognize them. Though he hasn’t played with the group in decades, founding drummer and producer Bobby Colomby still owns the rights to the band, and in recent years, he’s rebuilt the group’s lineup entirely from scratch. Current keyboardist Glenn McClelland might be notable to some fans for his years playing with the band Ween, but the most notable new addition is Bo Bice, the former “American Idol” contestant who helped usher in a wave of rock singers on that show. He’s been fronting the band since 2013.
Friday, April 20
Photo credit: Josh Cheuse
Field Report
Field Report w/ Caley Conway @ The Back Room at Colectivo, 8 p.m.
With his redemptive storytelling and earthy prose, singer-songwriter Chris Porterfield has always been the center of Field Report—the band’s name is literally an anagram of his last name. But more so than its predecessors, the group’s lovely third album, Summertime Songs, is a team effort, spotlighting a band lineup that now includes guitarist-keyboardist Thomas Wincek of All Tiny Creatures and Volcano Choir; bassist Barry Paul Clark of the adventurist classical outfit Tontine Ensemble; and prolific jazz drummer Devin Drobka. On his new songs, Porterfield ruminates on fatherhood and sobriety with an infectiously hopeful outlook. The band plays two release shows at The Back Room at Colectivo this weekend, one with Caley Conway Friday night and another with Buffalo Gospel on Sunday, April 22.
Marshall Crenshaw and The Bottle Rockets @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
Marshall Crenshaw earned more than a few comparisons to Elvis Costello after his 1982—not only for his knack for witty, good-humored rock ’n’ roll but also for his distinctive affinity for hats—but over the following decades, Crenshaw has escaped those Costello comparisons, maturing into a more reflective writer without ever fully abandoning the warm humor and nervous energy that made his ’82 self-titled debut record such a thrill. Crenshaw shares this show with his regular tourmates The Bottle Rockets, the long-running alt-country outfit led by former Uncle Tupelo player Brian Henneman. Unlike many of their alt-county peers, The Bottle Rockets were never afraid to embrace unabashed Southern rock, as they demonstrated on their 2015 album, South Broadway Athletic Club.
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Jack White w/ Mattiel @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
Retiring The White Stripes certainly hasn’t hurt Jack White’s brand any. With his many side projects and, more recently, his solo albums the singer-guitarist has continued to enjoy the kind of “rock legend in progress” cache otherwise reserved almost exclusively for Dave Grohl. On his latest album, though, White sets out to remind listeners he isn’t exclusively into rock and the blues. Boarding House Reach is colored with splashes of soul, funk and hip-hop, and while not all of it works beautifully, it’s clear that White is having a blast. It’s his most purely entertaining album since the White Stripes called it a day.
Saturday, April 21
Record Store Day @ multiple locations
Record Store Day began as an annual promotion designed to drive traffic back to brick-and-mortar music stores with special releases, but over the years cities have put their own local spin on the event. That’s especially true here in Milwaukee, where the April event has become something of a holiday for local music fans. Once again, local shops are going all-in this year. The Exclusive Company on Farwell Avenue will host music from WMSE DJs throughout the day, as well as performances from Abby Jeane (at 6 p.m.; she has a new 7-inch record out from WMSE) and Field Report’s Chris Porterfield (at 7 p.m.) Acme Records has lined up eight hours of music, including performances from Red Stuff and Nastos, both of whom have new albums for sale. Bullseye Records, Rush-Mor Records and Off The Beaten Path are hosting special sales. And over in Riverwest, the Riverwest Public House will be hosting a vinyl potluck, where guests are invited to bring records to spin and some food to share (the Public House is providing vegetarian chili).
Holi Milwaukee @ Zillman Park, noon-4 p.m.
The organizers behind Bay View’s IndiaFest celebration in Humboldt Park present this new event celebrating Holi, the traditional Indian festival of colors. If you’ve ever seen pictures or videos of a Holi celebration, you know it’s quite a spectacle, with attendees spraying, smearing and drenching each other in vibrant dyes. This event will also feature Bollywood music and dance performances. Tickets are on sale at spindleindia.org.
The Alt w/ Cathy Jordan @ The Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 7:30 p.m.
The acclaimed Irish trio The Alt brings together, round-robin style, three Celtic folk performers, each of some solo renown: John Doyle, Nuala Kennedy and Eamon O’Leary. Their concerts draw from a deep well of new songs, traditionals and ballads. The group is in the middle of what promises to be an interesting tour. Kennedy just gave birth, so she’s sitting out these shows, but in her place Doyle and O’Leary will be joined by Cathy Jordan from the County Sligo, Ireland, band Dervish, who should be familiar to Milwaukee Celtic music fans from her appearances at Irish Fest.
Riverwest Follies @ Falcon Bowl, 6:30 p.m.
Adrian Love and James Kasombo will emcee the 13 annual Riverwest Follies, a celebration of the neighborhood’s arts scene featuring live painting by Aisha Valentin and Alyssa Russo, live projections by Fluid Mosaics, belly dancing, music and singing. There will also be vegan-friendly food for sale from the Riverwest Co-Op. The night will end with an open jam lead by musicians Liam O'Brien and Caley Conway.
Monday, April 23
Lord Huron
Lord Huron w/ In Tall Buildings @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
Lord Huron are obsessed with the America of yore, and the certainly look the part. They shrouded their early press photos in old-timey, sepia tones and dressed themselves like John Steinbeck characters, coming across like a slightly artier Mumford & Sons. But the music isn’t completely a throwback. They gauzed their breakthrough 2012 album, Lonesome Dreams, in a dreamy sheen of synths, and their recent work has been even more modernist. Produced by Dave Fridmann, best known for his work with The Flaming Lips, their third and latest album Vide Noir has a more assertive rock edge than its predecessors, though the group’s cheerful folk spirit still carries through.
Tuesday, April 24
MC Chris w/ Bitforce @ Cactus Club, 9 p.m.
Adult Swim writer and voice-over artist MC Chris has regularly chastised critics who label his sci-fi-minded, novelty gangsta rap “nerdcore.” Given how dense his songs are with references to role-playing games, Star Wars and geek memes like robots and ninjas, however, it’s easy to see how Chris became synonymous with that subgenre. In 2011, the “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” contributor released his first children’s album, Marshmellow Playground, before returning to more grown-up topics on 2015’s Race Wars and 2016’s MC Chris is Dreaming.
Wednesday, April 25
John Prine
John Prine w/ Milk Carton Kids @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
One of the most influential songwriters of his era, John Prine gained national attention with his 1971 self-titled debut, which would eventually rank 458th on Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums of all time. The acclaimed singer-songwriter survived a battle with throat cancer in the late ’90s. It left him with a much hoarser growl, but he’s put that gravelly voice to good use on his recent run of poignant studio albums, including 2011’s bare-bones The Singing Mailman Delivers and 2016’s For Better, or Worse, which paired Prine with an all-star cast of all-female country singers like Susan Tedeschi, Alison Krauss, Lee Ann Womack, Kacey Musgraves and Miranda Lambert for renditions of some of Prine’s favorite classic country songs. Every ticket for this show will include a copy of Prine’s new album The Tree of Forgiveness.
