Skatalites
Beer Me. Waukee hosts June at Juneau every Saturday of June, while Joe Richter, LovaNova and the Skatalites come to Milwaukee.
Friday, May 31
Joe Richter w/ Lisa Gatewood @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
While Joe Richter is the headliner, make it a point to arrive early and catch opener Lisa Gatewood. Her unflinching lyrics and clear melodies are the focus on her third release, the stark 4 song ER, When It’s the End, You Feel It in Your Bones. Joe Richter’s 2017 album, Revival, which follows up an earlier EP, features a solid band serving up a rootsy groove.
LovaNova CD Release w/ They GuanUs @ Pabst Brewery and Taproom, 8 p.m.
Milwaukee quartet LovaNova returns with their fourth album, Apachalypse. Songwriter Paul Kneevers delicately balances the warm analog sound of Hammond organ with digital keyboards—except when he is slamming those sounds together. LovaNova is not a shy band. Prog-rock tendencies and muscular rock coexist in a band that incudes drummer Dave Schoepke, guitarist Sean Williamson and bassist Joey Carini. Leadoff single “Da Crusher” takes issue with anyone who thinks pro wrestling is fake.
Saturday, June 1
June at Juneau (Juneau Park, 900 N. Prospect Ave.) 3–9 p.m. Saturdays in June
Milwaukee’s summer just got a little more crowded. Hosted by Beer Me, the opening event is a bags tournament at 4 p.m. and live music by Joe Wray at 5:30 p.m. Food vendors include Nimble Coffee Bar, Collinsville Sweet Wheels, Juniors BBQ, L&A Concessions, Kreative Fruitz and Timbers BBQ.
Saturday, June 2
Johnny Burgin and Quique Gomez @ Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall, 2 p.m.
Johnny Burgin and Quique Gomez’s new album, Dos Hombres Wanted, brings them to town for a matinee show. Burgin’s sound echoes Chicago West Side greats Otis Rush and Magic Sam. The distance from Madrid to the Windy City may seem like a long trek, but versatile harpist Gomez has also sung Frank Sinatra tunes with a Spanish big band.
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The Skatalites w/ The Invaders @ The Back Room at Colectivo, 8 p.m.
As one of the building blocks of Jamaican ska music, the original Skatalites served as the backing band for the likes of Bob Marley, Toots and The Maytals, Alton Ellis and Ken Boothe. In the late ’70s, British two-tone bands The Specials, Madness and The English Beat drew from the Skatalites music. While the 55-year-old band has juggled members over the years, the DNA remains the same high-energy, rock-steady sound.
