Rockabilly Chili Contest @ MSOE Kern Center, March 1
Thursday, Feb. 26
Datsik w/ Kennedy Jones and Fox Stevenson @ Miramar Theatre, 9 p.m.
Born in British Columbia, Canada, Troy Beetles derived his DJ name from his Xbox Live gamertag, which he created in honor of eminent Russian boxer Viacheslav Datsik. Datsik’s dark, robotic blend of dubstep arose from his beginnings producing hip-hop tracks for rap artists and packs a bass-heavy punch. Though his primary genre and musical focus have changed, his drop-heavy brand of “brostep”—yes, he’s one of the few artists to openly embrace that term—still draws heavily from the brute force of classic hip-hop. After assisting recent projects from Diplo, Korn and Linkin Park, in November he released his latest full-length, Down 4 My Ninjas.
Tripoli Shrine Circus @ UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, 7 p.m.
The Tripoli Shriners of Milwaukee have made a name for themselves through their community service and support of the Shriners Hospital for Children, but to many they’re best known for their annual circus. Attractions include Polish-trained tigers and lions, a Romanian acrobatic duo, a team of aerialists, a dance and rope-work troupe called the Georgettes Magic Extravaganza, and enough clowns to entertain even the most hyperactive children. And of course there will also be elephants, including the Mighty Bo, the largest performing elephant on the planet. He knows more than 60 tricks. (Multiple performances through Sunday, March 1.)
Devil Met Contention w/ Thriftones and Zach Pietrini and the Broken Bones @ Hotel Foster, 9 p.m.
Just by listening to him, you can almost smell the whiskey on Devil Met Contention singer Ehson Rad’s breath. His band’s take on traditional Americana is shadowy and lurid, fixated on the darker side of human nature, but Rad sings these songs with jovial intensity. At this show, the band will celebrate the release of their new EP American Times, recorded with Shane Hochstetler at his Howl Street Studios.
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Friday, Feb. 27
Audra McDonald @ Kohler Memorial Theatre, 8 p.m.
TV viewers may recognize Audra McDonald from her reoccurring role on “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” or her scene-stealing performance as Mother Abbess in NBC’s live The Sound of Music telecast with Carrie Underwood, but McDonald is best known for her work on Broadway, which has earned the celebrated soprano a shelf full of Tony Awards. Most recently she became the first actress to win Tonys in all four acting categories with her acclaimed portrayal as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. McDonald will perform at the Kohler Memorial Theater as part of its Distinguished Guest Series.
Arte Para Todos @ multiple locations
If the city’s clubs seem a little more hopping than usual this weekend, there’s a good reason for that. Seventy Milwaukee-area bands will be playing more than 15 venues in three neighborhoods this weekend as part of the “Arte Para Todos” (Art for Everyone). Each day of the festival focuses on a different neighborhood: Friday takes place in Bay View; Saturday spans Harambee and Riverwest; and Sunday is set on the East Side. And, as you might expect from a festival of this size, the lineup is totally stacked, featuring many of the most popular and most esteemed acts from the city's indie-rock, folk and hip-hop scenes, along with visual art displays and a music-themed film festival. The best part: All proceeds go directly to high school art programs at Bay View High School, Tamarack Waldorf High School and La Escuela Fratney. Every artist and performer involved is donating their time. A three-day festival pass is $20; a one-day pass is $12 and the single-admission cover at any event is $7 day of show. Visit arteparatodos.me for the complete festival lineup.
Static Eyes w/ Head On Electric @ Circle-A Café, 8 p.m.
Made up of past and present members of The Midwest Beat, Fox Face and The Gut Reactions, Milwaukee’s Static Eyes play confrontational, bar-brawl garage-punk with plenty of nods to The Stooges. This show promises to be a sentimental one: It’s the band’s last with founding bassist Jake Kornely (also known to Milwaukee comedy fans for his work with “The Goodnight Milwaukee Show” and other ongoing events). They’ll share the bill with fellow volume fiends Head On Electric, who cut their own garage-punk with shades of grunge and country music.
Clamnation @ Nomad World Pub, 9 p.m.
One of Milwaukee’s longest-serving jazz ensembles is calling it quits. After 25 years together, Clamnation will play its final show this weekend at the Nomad Pub as its founding drummer Tom Presser prepares to relocate to Minnesota. The band emerged in the early ’90s as an offshoot of the blues-rock group The Clams. Over the years the group’s interests shifted toward jazz, particularly classic Blue Note recordings and Latin jazz, and the group cemented themselves as a fixture in the local jazz scene, sharing lineups with some of Milwaukee's most respected players. The group released four albums, the most recent of which was 2008’s Cookin’ at the Fox Note.
Saturday, March 28
Ariana Grande w/ Rixton and Cashmere Cat @ BMO Harris Bradley Center, 7:30 p.m.
In case anybody was beginning to doubt Nickelodeon's celebrity-making power, former network regular Ariana Grande has broken out of the tween bubble over the last couple of years to emerge as a genuine pop star. Of course it helps that, unlike many Nickelodeon and Disney acts, she has a truly strong voice, a powerful wail and deceptively vast range that’s earned her comparisons to Mariah Carey and enabled her to tackle lofty soul and R&B ballads while many of her lesser-voiced peers are stuck with fluffy teen pop. Grande's latest album, last year’s dance-oriented My Everything, proved to be her true breakout moment, thanks to its Iggy Azalea-assisted smash “Problem” and the thumping ballad “Love Me Harder,” featuring The Weeknd.
Sunday, March 1
Rockabilly Chili Contest @ MSOE Kern Center, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
For its 13th year, WMSE's biggest fundraiser of the year is going a little bit less rockabilly, a little more bluegrass. In addition to the Rockabilly Chili Contest's usual rockabilly spin, this year's cook off will feature a performance from the Kansas trio Split Lip Rayfield, one of the speediest bluegrass bands in the country. They might be familiar to WMSE loyalists from last year’s Backyard BBQ concert. Admission to the event is $12 and includes four chili samples from the more than 50 Milwaukee restaurants and caterers participating. Additional samples can be purchased for $1 each. Bring a non-perishable food item for the Hunger Task Force and you’ll receive an additional two samples. As always, the event will feature an extensive selection of vegetarian chilis.
