Thursday, March 17
Marvel Universe LIVE! @ UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, 7 p.m.
Marvel characters have never been confined to just the comic books, but with the recent success of their blockbuster films, these days they’re finding more and more mediums to infiltrate. Perhaps it was only a matter of time, then, until they landed their own family friendly stage show. Featuring a generous assortment of aerial displays, motorcycle stunts and pyrotechnics, Marvel Universe LIVE! brings together more than 25 Marvel super heroes and villains—Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, Wolverine and Hulk among them—in an original storyline. Can the good guys stop Red Skull, Doctor Octopus and Green Goblin from acquiring the Cosmic Cube and taking over the world? We’re guessing yes. (Multiple performances through Sunday, March 20.)
Gaelic Storm @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
Is it that time of the year already? For years, Gaelic Storm have returned to Milwaukee to pack The Pabst Theater around St. Patrick’s Day with their worldly brand of Celtic rock, and each year they bring some new songs with them. Their twelfth and latest album is called Matching Sweaters and features a mix of traditionals and originals, including one that might go over particularly well here in Wisconsin: “The Narwhaling Cheesehead.” The band’s discography bursts with narrative stories that are just as good to dance to as they are to drink to—and in concert, the band encourages crowds to do plenty of both.
Friday, March 18
A Conversation on ‘Making a Murderer’ with Dean Strang and Jerry Buting @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
Have you watched “Making a Murderer” yet? Even if you haven’t, you’re probably used to hearing that question. The provocative Netflix documentary series became the latest true-crime serial to dominate water-cooler conversation this winter, spurring a wave of renewed interest in the case of Steven Avery, the Manitowoc County native who was released from prison after serving 18 years for a crime he didn’t commit, only to return years later following the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. The documentary raised big issues about the criminal justice system, some of which Dean Strang and Jerry Buting, two attorneys featured prominently in the documentary, will address at this discussion moderated by WUWM’s Mitch Teich. Lest it seem like the two are cashing in on their “Making a Murderer” fame, a portion of the lawyers’ speaking fees will be donated to Wisconsin equal-justice charities.
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Excision w/ Figure and Bear Grillz @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
Few producers understand the importance of spectacle in contemporary EDM better than Canadian DJ Excision. Though he started in the mid-’00s with a fairly bare-bones take on contemporary dubstep and drum and bass, his sound has only grown bigger and brasher over the years, and so has his live show: He now tours with an eardrum-destroying 150,000 watt sound system, along with the requisite light display. His current Paradox Tour with fellow dubstep warriors Figure and Bear Grillz is proving to be his biggest yet; to accommodate the demand the Rave added a second night. (Also Saturday, March 19.)
Greensky Bluegrass w/ Shook Twins @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
Helping meet the demand of young audiences weaned on jam music and now hungry for bluegrass, Greensky Bluegrass, a five-member banjo-strumming, dobro- and mandolin-playing bluegrass group from Michigan, spends much of its time on the dusty tour trail. They’ve been known to play more than 170 shows in a year, but they do get into the studio from time to time, too. Their fifth and latest album, 2014’s If Sorrows Swim, features 12 original string-band compositions.
Saturday, March 19
José González w/ yMusic @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
Swedish musician José González played in a string of hardcore/punk bands that struggled for recognition before he made a name for himself as a solo artist with a stunning acoustic cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats.” The gifted guitarist has spent much of the last decade in collaboration with others, touring and recording with his band Junip and recording with a number of electronic acts, but he returned to the intimate folk format that earned him the most acclaim last year with Vestiges & Claws, his first new album of solo material in eight years. Expect to hear more fleshed-out versions of some of those songs at this show, at which González will perform with the chamber orchestra yMusic.
Melanie Martinez w/ Alvarez Kings @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
The longtime knock against NBC’s hit “American Idol” knockoff “The Voice” has been that, unlike “Idol,” the show hasn’t actually created any real stars. That’s become a tougher argument to make, however, since season three contestant Melanie Martinez released her hit debut album Cry Baby last year. A darker spin on Lorde’s electro-pop, the album spurred the singles “Carousel” and “Soap,” which won over both pop and alternative stations alike.
Sunday, March 20
Howard Levy w/ Chris Siebold @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 7:30 p.m.
When most people think of the harmonica, they understandably think of the blues, but that’s not the only genre the instrument lends itself to. As a co-founder of The Flecktones along with Béla Fleck, Howard Levy has spent decades demonstrating how versatile the harp can be, applying it to play jazz, Latin and world music, while debuting new playing techniques that have allowed for a fuller harmonic range. For this show, the two-time Grammy winner will share the stage with guitarist Chris Siebold.
Monday, March 21
The Who w/ Tal Wilkenfeld @ BMO Harris Bradley Center, 7:30 p.m.
After a health scare, The Who are coming to Milwaukee. The influential rock band was set to play here last October, until singer Roger Daltrey contracted viral meningitis and postponed all the remaining dates on the group’s “The Who Hits 50!” tour. For his part, Daltrey says he’s feeling better, but the scare was yet another sign that the legendary group may not be around for much longer—in the press Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend have been hinting that this could be the group’s final tour (“This is the beginning of the long goodbye,” Daltrey said.) The tour promises to include songs from the band's entire career, many of which were featured on a corresponding The Who Hits 50! compilation.
Tuesday, March 22
WMSE’s 35th Anniversary ‘Local/Live’ @ Club Garibaldi, 6 p.m.
As part of that stations ongoing celebration of its 35th anniversary, WMSE will host a special, expanded live edition of its weekly local music spotlight “Local/Live” at Bay View’s Club Garibaldi. Hosts Erin Wolf and Cal Roach will be joined by musical acts Sat. Nite Duets, Myles Coyne and the Tontine Ensemble, as well as members of the local urban arts organization True SKOOL. The audience will be invited to write down questions for the hosts to ask the bands between performances. Admission is free but patrons must be 21 years or older to attend.
Adam Lambert w/ Alex Newell @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m.
Subverting the typical God-fearing, family-thanking model for “American Idol” contestants, Adam Lambert brought an edgy, glam-rock theatricality to the top-rated televised singing contest, emerging as the breakout star of the show’s eighth season. You could argue he was the last truly exciting “American Idol” contestant, so it’s no surprise that he’s enjoyed a longer, more fruitful career than any artist the show has featured since. After touring with Queen as the band’s new lead singer, Lambert released his third solo album last year, The Original High, which features some slickly produced synth-pop from hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback and spawned the pop hit “Ghost Town.”
