Thursday, Jan. 28
Blue Öyster Cult w/ Jefferson Starship @ Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 8 p.m.
Some veteran rock bands keep recording new material; others are content to let their back catalogue speak for itself. Best known for producing the morbid love song “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” one of the single most enduring hits of the 1970s, Blue Öyster Cult has managed to stay relevant despite not recording any new music in 15 years. Partial credit for the band’s longevity is due to their distinctive, psychedelic stylings and psychologically deep lyrics that help to keep them from one-trick-pony status. Still, every group needs a go-to move, and “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” has proven to be one of the greatest signatures of all time. They share this bill with state-fair staples Jefferson Starship.
Gallagher w/ Artie Fletcher @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
Now we understand why Gallagher has been smashing all that produce for so long. It turns out the ’80s comedy star has some pretty serious anger issues, and in recent years he hasn’t been shy about hiding them. In interviews over the last decade, the one-time comedy superstar has chastised the public for no longer appreciating his comic genius, while his performances increasingly took on a hateful, homophobic tone. Multiple recent heart attacks have hit home the need for the guy to take it down a bit, so in 2012 he announced a farewell tour, though like a lot of farewell tours, it was one in name only. Four years later, he’s still smashing watermelons.
Whitey Morgan w/ Cody Jinks @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
Like a lot of contemporary outlaw country talent, Flint, Mich., native Whitey Morgan landed a deal with the Chicago alt-country clearinghouse Bloodshot Records, which released his 2010 album Whitey Morgan and the 78’s. He dropped the 78’s billing but kept the honkytonk for his latest album, 2015’s Sonic Ranch, which draws from his experiences growing up in one of the Midwest’s most economically depressed cities. The record features a heated cover of Waylon Jennings’ “Goin’ Down Rocking.”
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Friday, Jan. 29
Local H @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
Local H will always be associated with the ’90s, when their grungy hit “Bound for the Floor” was a staple of alternative-rock stations. Twenty years later, they’re still going, however, and singer/guitarist Scott Lucas still has some vital music in him. Following a run of concept albums that saw Lucas stretch his songwriting, the band’s eighth and latest album, 2015’s Hey, Killer, is their first with drummer Ryan Harding. The lineup may be new but Lucas’ songs are as snarled, heavy and hook-laden as ever.
Saturday, Jan. 30
Christopher Porterfield: How to Write a Popular Song @ Alverno College’s Pitman Theatre, 8 p.m.
In the late 1800s, Milwaukee songwriter Charles K. Harris penned the most popular ballad of its era, “After the Ball,” and he believed its success could be recreated. He explained his songwriting mindset in his 1906 book How to Write a Popular Song, arguing that a song must tell a great story to resonate. For Alverno Presents’ latest production, songwriter Christopher Porterfield of Field Report and guests will reinterpret some of the many selections from Harris’ vast songbook and perform some original songs they penned following the directions Harris spelled out in his tutorial.
Patton Oswalt @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
From unassuming beginnings as a writer for “MADtv” and a co-star on “The King of Queens,” hardly two of the most cherished modern comedy institutions, Patton Oswalt has emerged as one of the most respected comedians of his time. That has as much to do with his smart stand-up act—which is marked by deft commentary on both pop and geek culture as well as ruminations on big-picture topics—as much as it does Oswalt’s fantastic acting turns. Since winning over families as a lovable rodent in Ratatouille, Oswalt has upped his cachet with a string of well-chosen supporting roles in a series of cult comedy and sci-fi programs, and impressed critics with roles in movies like Big Fan and Young Adult. Later this year he’ll play a villain in the crowd-sourced revival of “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” but first he’ll perform at this fundraiser for Laugh It Up Milwaukee.
Billy Gibbons and The BFG’s w/ Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown @ The Pabst Theater, 7:30 p.m.
With his distinctive beard, there’s no mistaking Billy Gibbons as anything other than a member of ZZ Top, the vaulted blues-rock band he’s led for nearly a half century. That band released a strong back-to-basics album in 2012, La Futura, but Gibbons’ interests have always been wider than he’s been given credit for, and he explores some decidedly un-ZZ Top-like territory on Perfectamundo, his first album with his new band the BFGs. The record showcases Gibbons’ interests in Latin rhythms and Afro-Cuban jazz. It’s pretty daring, for what it is, though there’s still enough of Gibbons’ trademark blues in there to please ZZ Top fans.
Sunday, Jan. 31
Brewers On Deck @ Wisconsin Center, 10 a.m.
After a dismal 2015 season, the Milwaukee Brewers are in full-on rebuild mode, with new general manager David Stearns trading away veteran talent in hopes of putting together a team that can contend down the line. All forecasts call for a fairly gloomy 2016 season (just ask catcher Jonathan Lucroy), but there’s still a lot to look forward to, and fans can get a glimpse of some of the players projected to play a huge role in the team’s future, including likely stars Orlando Arcia and Brett Phillips, at the team’s annual Brewers on Deck fan event. Ryan Braun, Craig Counsell, Robin Yount, Rollie Fingers and Jim Ganter will be among the many players, coaches and veterans participating at autograph sessions, Q&A panels and media roundtables. There will also be a variety of interactive games, kids’ activities and baseball clinics.
Martin Sexton w/ Dan Hubbard @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
Martin Sexton’s pale appearance belies a surprisingly soulful voice, one that evokes Stevie Wonder’s spirited cheer and Marvin Gaye’s passionate conviction. This limitless voice has opened doors for Sexton that similar new-folk singer-songwriters never have access to, so Sexton has been able to broaden his style considerably since his 1990 debut, In the Journey, which he recorded in a friend’s attic. Like so many nostalgic boomers with a newfound recording budget, Sexton has gravitated toward studio-colored, Beatles-esque pop on his recent albums, including 2015’s Mixtape of the Open Road, but his freewheeling performances are more in keeping with the anything-goes hodgepodge of younger performers in the modern jam scene.
