Photo by Todd Rosenberg
The Second City’s Holidazed and Confused Revue @ Marcus Center, Dec. 16
Thursday, Dec. 10
Weezer w/ Glass Animals, X-Ambassadors and Borns @ The Rave, 7:30 p.m.
For a generation of fans, Weezer are a little bit like “The Simpsons,” a cherished, once-great institution that has had difficulty living up to its legacy. But for all of his stumbles (and he’s had plenty over the years), frontman Rivers Cuomo still has some seriously great music in him. The band’s latest album, 2014’s Everything Will Be Alright in the End, is their best in a decade, a triumphant alternative rock record that largely does away with the dopey humor that addled their late-’00s albums and features some of Cuomo’s most sincere songwriting since Pinkerton. Tonight the band headlines the first of three Big Snow Show X concerts at the Rave sponsored by local alternative station FM 102.1.
Friday, Dec. 11
Of Monsters and Men w/ Cold War Kids and Meg Myers @ The Rave, 7:30 p.m.
Few bands better embodied the chipper, foot-stomping sounds of alternative pop in the early 2010s than Of Monsters and Men, the Icelandic ensemble behind one of that era’s catchiest singles, “Little Talks,” a brassy hit with a tender heart. Of Monsters and Men have had trouble recreating that song’s success, and their latest album Beneath the Skin doesn’t offer anything nearly as irresistibly hooky, but it’s a sweet little album in its own right, and the band’s plucky spirit remains intact. Fittingly, the band shares the second of FM 102.1’s 2015 Big Snow Show X concerts with another band that hasn’t been able to repeat its early commercial success but has continued putting out some wonderful music: Cold War Kids, the Long Island ensemble whose moody, piano-heavy indie rock has only grown more sophisticated over the years.
Celtic Woman w/ the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
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Don’t let the singular name fool you; Celtic Woman is actually a quartet of women who have released nearly a dozen albums in just over a decade, which run the gamut from classic ballads (“You Raise Me Up”) to Celtic favorites (“Danny Boy”). The women have made Christmas a specialty, releasing five holiday albums, the latest being last year’s O Christmas Tree. They’ll play some of that material at this holiday concert which will feature the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
2015 Milwaukee Ice Fishing & Winter Sports Show @ Wisconsin State Fair Park
The mild start to winter hasn’t been welcome news to everyone: For outdoorsmen looking to get a jump on ice-fishing season, the deep freeze can’t come soon enough. In the meantime, though, they’ll have a chance to stock up on augers, reels, rods, tackles and other accessories at the second annual Milwaukee Ice Fishing & Winter Sports Show at the Wisconsin State Fair grounds. The three-day exhibition will feature a host of vendors and more than a dozen seminars. (Through Sunday, Dec. 13.)
Saturday, Dec. 12
Panic! At the Disco w/ Atlas Genius, Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls and JR JR @ The Rave, 7:30 p.m.
Panic! At the Disco have a complicated relationship with emo. They debuted with a decidedly Fall Out Boy-esque sound, but on their sophomore album, Pretty. Odd., they took a sharp turn toward Beatles-inspired baroque-pop, revealing themselves to be a much more creatively restless band than anybody could have guessed from their straightforward inaugural 2006 hit “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” Apparently not thrilled with the new direction, founding members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the band in 2009, but primary songwriter Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith carried on as a duo, continuing their baroque flirtations while drawing from modern indie-rock on their 2011’s Vices & Virtues and 2013’s Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!. The band’s upcoming fifth album Death of a Bachelor brings more change: Smith left the band, leaving Urie its only permanent member. Ahead of that album the band headlines the third and final night of FM 102.1’s Big Snow Show X concerts at the Rave.
The Music of Queen w/ The MSO @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
Berklee-trained arranger/conductor Brent Havens presents this program, which attempts to do justice to the theatrical, operatic rock of Queen, the iconic British band that recorded some of the most anthemic, grandiose rock songs of all time, including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.” He’ll be joined by a full band and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Monday, Dec. 14
The Sleighriders @ Shank Hall, 7 p.m.
Each holiday season Shank Hall hosts one of Wisconsin’s most epic jam sessions, opening its stage to an ensemble of dozens of Milwaukee-area musicians who go by the name The Sleighriders. Exactly who will show up to join his decades-old tradition on any given year isn’t clear, but the group is made up mostly of veteran players from the local rock and blues scene, and has in recent years included acts like Greg Koch, Steve Cohen, Eddie Butts and Sigmund Snopek and members of bands like The Boogiemen, Bad Boy, Blue Hand and Street Life. All proceeds from this year’s show will go to the disabled children’s charity Variety of Wisconsin.
Wednesday, Dec. 16
The Second City’s Holidazed and Confused Revue @ Marcus Center, 7:30 p.m.
For more than a half century, Second City has been one of America’s most formidable comedy institutions, training stars including Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler and Jason Sudeikis. The troupe’s current crop of touring comedians looks to Christmas, Hannukah and the new year for this holiday revue, offering an evening of sketches, music and improv—and probably at least a few jokes about pumpkin-spice flavoring and awkward family gatherings. (Through Dec. 20.)
