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Photo credit: Nela Koenig
John Fogerty
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Jess McIntosh (Joybird)
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Photo credit: Jamie Ault
Pay The Devil
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Twista
John Fogerty dusts off some CCR classics, while WMSE’s Rockabilly Chili returns for another epic cookoff.
Thursday, March 7
Photo credit: Nela Koenig
John Fogerty
John Fogerty @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
As the lead singer and primary songwriter for Southern-rock pioneers Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty had already created a rich musical legacy when he struck out on his own in 1973. Though his efforts since then, including the 1985 commercial smash Centerfield, have not done much to expand on that legacy, they haven’t done much to tarnish it either. Fogerty’s blend of early rock, country twang and pop hooks sounded as welcome as ever on 2009’s The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, the follow-up to his 2007 comeback album Revival, even though it’s doubtful that those discs will age as well as Creedence’s late-’60s-early-’70s output. Fogerty himself seems to know that people mostly want to hear the hits, which is why he recruited acts like Foo Fighters, Dawes, Kid Rock, Keith Urban and Jennifer Hudson to help him update some Creedence classics on his most recent disc, 2013’s Wrote A Song For Everyone.
A Folk House Kegger @ Burnhearts, 7 p.m.
Once a year Burnhearts celebrates the spirit of wild house parties with its Punk House Kegger concerts. This coffeehouse-style show puts a softer, more intimate twist on that format, with a lineup of folky musicians, poets, comedians and storytellers. It’ll feature music from Jeff Falk, King Courteen and Amanda Huff, as well as words from Leah Delaney, Steph Kilen and Kavon Cortez-Jones. Dana Ehrmann and Carter Deems will provide the stand-up, and human statue Alice Wilson will stand very, very still. Come for the art and stay for the beer: Solemn Oath Brewery will be doing a tap takeover, showcasing more than a dozen beers, including End All IPA, Grape Brandy BA 83 and Coconut Beverage of Champs.
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Friday, March 8
Milwaukee Gospel Jubilee @ Marcus Center, 7:30 p.m.
For decades, Milwaukee’s rich gospel scene was a secret to nearly all but the faithful who attended the churches where this music can be heard each Sunday. That’s been changing in recent years, thanks in part to the organization Milwaukee Gospel and its annual fundraiser for Progressive Community Health Centers, which for six years running has spotlighted a variety of vocal ensembles, many of which have roots that span generations. Hosted by Milwaukee gospel singer and community volunteer Julia Prescott, this year’s concert features six acts: Holy Hill Praise Dancers, Sounds of Faith, Arias Walker, Spiritual Tones, Queens of Harmony and Voices of Faith.
Photo credit: Jamie Ault
Pay The Devil
Pay The Devil w/ Steering Ships with Empty Bottles, Beaumong James and the Wild Claims and Eoin McCarthy @ Walker’s Point Music Hall, 8 p.m.
Milwaukee’s Pay The Devil specialize in an especially rough and rustic form of bluegrass, eschewing the gloss and gusto of many modern roots acts in favor of fiery performances and shanty singalongs. The group’s new sophomore album To Hell With Luck features more first-person tales about unlucky souls whose fates are sealed by the simple fact they’re in a Pay The Devil song. The band shares this release show behind the album with the hard-driving Milwaukee Americana outfit Steering Ships with Empty Bottles, country showmen Beaumont James and the Wild Claims and songwriter Eoin McCarthy, of Whiskey of the Damned.
Kasim Sulton’s Utopia @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
A true journeyman, bassist and singer Kasim Sulton has toured and recorded with acts including Blue Öyster Cult, Meat Loaf, Hall & Oates, Cheap Trick and The New Cars, but his most celebrated work was with Utopia, the progressive-rock band he shares with Todd Rundgren. Although they haven’t released a studio album since 1985’s P.O.V., that band still tours periodically with a lineup that includes Sulton, Rundgren and drummer John “Willie” Wilcox, but since 2017, Sulton has also toured with his own version of the band, called Kasim Sulton’s Utopia, which features a different supporting cast.
Jess McIntosh (Joybird)
Joybird w/ Nickel&Rose and Xalaat Music @ Anodyne Coffee, 8 p.m.
Expanding on the solo sound of her 2016 debut as Joybird, Long Time Exhaling, Chicago singer-songwriter-fiddler-banjoist Jess McIntosh took a more collaborative approach on Joybird’s new sophomore album Landing, an expansive folk LP shaded with electric guitar, doboro, clarinet and horns. McIntosh sings of hope, trust and healing, and gives voice to idealists feeling burned out by the weight of the world on the record’s poignant closer “My House.” Joybird shares this Milwaukee release show with the folk duo Nickel&Rose and Xalaat Music, an African folk project featuring Senegal native Yaya Kambaye and his brothers Abdou and Mamadou.
Jim Jefferies @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
Angry and brash, but with a genuine sense of humility, Australian stand-up Jim Jefferies made a name for himself in England, where he was dubbed “Britain’s most offensive stand-up comic” by Q Magazine. His sometimes vulgar routines can overshadow how thoughtful his comedy often is, however. Jefferies’ 2009 HBO special I Swear to God proved to be his breakout; he’s since followed it up with a series of comedy specials and the canceled-too-soon FX series “Legit,” a loosely autobiographical show that found the comedian living with his alcoholic roommate Steve and Steve’s younger brother Billy, who suffers from advanced muscular dystrophy. He can currently be seen on Comedy Central’s “The Jim Jefferies Show” and his third Netflix comedy special, “This is Me Now.”
Saturday, March 9
The Funny As Ish Comedy Tour Starring Mike Epps @ Miller High Life Theatre, 8 p.m.
If it weren’t for Chris Tucker declining to return to his role as Smokey for the sequel to the 1995 cult classic Friday, the world might not know Mike Epps the way it does today. Although he has been featured for his stand-up on Def Comedy Jam several times throughout his career, Epps is best known for his on-screen work opposite Ice Cube, which began with Next Friday and continued with Friday After Next and All About the Benjamins. At this comedy tour, Mike Epps is joined by fellow comedians Sommore, Lavell Crawford, DC Young Fly and Earthquake.
Twista
Twista w/ Do or Die, Crucial Conflict, Psychodrama and Shawnna @ The Rave, 9 p.m.
Chicago rapper Twista is among the fastest alive, having once held the Guinness World Record, clocking in at a dizzying 11.2 syllables per second. Though others have since wrestled that record from his hands, Twista is still among the best-known and most successful of the triple-speed rappers. Twista released his most recent album, Crook County, in 2017, but his current “Mush Music Class of ’96” tour promises a fair amount of nostalgia. He’ll share the bill with veteran rap acts Do or Die, Crucial Conflict, Psychodrama and Shawnna.
Thriftones w/ Sister Species and Caley Conway @ Pabst Milwaukee Brewery and Taproom, 9 p.m.
Longtime staples of Milwaukee’s Americana scene, folk-rock luminaries The Thriftones are joined by a pair of evocative folk and indie acts on this show at the Pabst Milwaukee Brewery and Taproom. Fronted by sisters Emily and Abby Kastrul, the eight-piece Minneapolis chamber-pop group Sister Species explores heartache and self-care on their vibrant new sophomore LP titled Heavy Things Do Move, an album driven by bold trumpet harmonies. And opening the night is Milwaukee songwriter Caley Conway, formerly of the alt-country project Lucy Cukes, who specializes in achingly personal songs about matters of the heart.
Sunday, March 10
WMSE’s Rockabilly Chili @ MSOE Kern Center, 11 a.m.
Milwaukee’s independent radio station 91.7 WMSE hosts plenty of fundraisers throughout the year, but none are more cultishly anticipated than its annual Rockabilly Chili content, now in its 17th year. Once again more than 50 Milwaukee-area restaurants and chefs will compete against each other for honors in five categories (including best meat chili, best vegetarian chili and most unique chili) at the city’s most prestigious chili cookoff. There will also be beer from Lakefront Brewery, Miller Park-style racing chili peppers, a children’s area and music from the Dick Satan Trio. Tickets are $15 (or $12 in advance) and include four chili samples (five if you buy in advance); additional sampling tickets are a buck each. Attendees who bring two or more non-perishable food items to donate to Hunger Task Force will receive a couple extra sampling tickets, too.
