Interpol @ Pabst Theater, Nov. 15
Thursday, Nov. 13
Hunter Hayes w/ Dan + Shay and The Railers @ BMO Harris Bradley Center, 7 p.m.
One of Hunter Hayes’ first big breaks came in 2011, when the Louisiana native was selected as the opening act for Taylor Swift’s world tour, which seemed appropriate, given how similar Hayes’ pop-minded, teen-friendly approach to country music was to Swift’s. On his latest album, Storyline, the country star doesn’t do much to downplay those comparisons—he’s still singing big, chorus-heavy songs intended to have as much impact on pop radio as country radio—but unlike his former tour mate he isn’t likely to abandon his rural base in favor of New York City any time soon. The album opts for more of a live-band feel than his 2011 self-titled debut, frequently showcasing Hayes’ twangy electric guitar.
Friday, Nov, 14
Woodland Pattern Book Center 2014 Anniversary Gala @ Kenilworth Studios, 5:30 p.m.
One of the great countercultural instigators of the 1960s, Edward Sanders helped bridge the divide between the beat generation and the hippie generation, in addition to presaging the punk movement with his band The Fugs and popularizing the concept of Investigative Poetry with his 1976 work of the same name. Sanders will be the featured poet at Woodland Pattern Book Center’s 34th Anniversary Gala at Kenilworth Studios, performing with his Fugs bandmate Steven Taylor, who is, himself, an expert in beat poetry, having collaborated with Allen Ginsberg. The gala will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction, and will honor longtime Woodland Pattern supporters Martha Bergland and Maureen Magee. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m.; the program starts at 7 p.m.
Ben Sollee @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 8 p.m.
Cellist, singer-songwriter, composer and activist are just some of the titles Ben Sollee can carry. Sollee is one of those artists who wears his value system on his sleeve. He can often be spotted riding his own bike to his shows, which he prides for their intimacy. Mixing bluegrass, folk and jazz, his 2012 album Half-Made Man was his first to make use of a full band, but last year’s The Hollow Sessions was another true solo effort, a relaxed collection of covers from artists including Otis Redding, Paul Simon, Gillian Welch and Fiona Apple.
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Polish Vodka Tasting @ Polish Center of Wisconsin, 7-10 p.m.
Attendees can sample more than 25 imported Polish vodkas at the Polish Center of Wisconsin’s annual Polish Vodka Tasting event. Expect a mix of familiar brands, including Belvedere, Chopin, Stawski and Sobieski, as well as more obscure vodkas that can be nearly impossible to find in Milwaukee. To ensure guests don’t drink on an empty stomach there will be hearty snacks including pizza, poppers and Polish sausage. There will also be a raffle and a performance from the Syrena Polish Folk Dance Ensemble. Tickets are $30 in advance, $32 at the door or $20 for designated drivers. The Polish Center is located at 6941 S. 68th St., Franklin.
Saturday, Nov. 15
My Brightest Diamond @ Marcus Center, 8 p.m.
For years multi-instrumentalist Shara Worden was one of indie-rock’s great utility players, assisting artists like The Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens. Worden still moonlights from time to time—check out her captivating assist on David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s 2010 album Here Lies Love—but these days she dedicates most of her creative energy to her own project, My Brightest Diamond, a group that tows the line between art-pop and classical chamber music. Her fifth and latest album with the group, All Things Will Unwind, is some of her most visceral work yet, contrasting dignified brass and woodwinds with raw guitars and hard, tribal beats.
Rock the Rumble Guitars for Vets Fundraiser @ Harley-Davidson Museum, 6-11 p.m.
When treating post-traumatic stress disorder, even little things can make a big difference, including music. That’s why, since 2007, the Milwaukee non-profit organization Guitars for Vets has worked to provide veterans with guitars and guitar lessons as a form of therapy. At the latest installment of Rock the Rumble, the organization’s largest annual fundraiser, the group hopes to raise enough money to put 100 veterans through the program. The fundraiser will feature performances from the Black Saints, DoryDrive and FNG, a silent auction with guitars signed by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Albert Lee, and access to the Harley-Davidson Museum and its special military display.
Avi Buffalo w/ Twin Brother and Soul Low @ Mad Planet, 9 p.m.
Avi Buffalo made a bit of a splash with their 2010 self-titled debut, a lovelorn slab of indie-pop that drew generously from Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. Fans could be forgiven, though, for assuming that the young group quietly disbanded after that record, since they spent the last couple of years off the radar, but this year they returned with a belated follow-up album, At Best Cuckold, a slightly darker record that comes to the not very surprising conclusion that growing up isn’t as easy or romantic as it seems during one’s youth.
Interpol w/ Hundred Waters @ The Pabst Theater, 8 p.m.
Of the hundreds of bands that mined the chilly, angular sounds of British post punk around the turn of the century, Interpol were perhaps the very best, and their debut albums Turn on the Bright Lights and Antics remain some of the most evocative indie rock of their time, instantly summoning feelings of post-9/11 dread. But even the biggest fans of the band admit that the group overreached on its 2007 major-label debut Our Love to Admire, a jumbled album that made many question what they even saw in the band to begin with. The band promised a return to form on their 2010 self-titled album, a likable enough effort that failed to make much of a lasting impression, since this year’s El Pintor was also pitched as a return to form, as if its predecessor had never even happened.
Sunday, Nov. 16
Justin Hayward @ The Marcus Center, 7 p.m.
For nearly 50 years, singer/guitarist Justin Hayward has been the guiding voice behind the symphonic rock band The Moody Blues, writing many of the band’s most iconic songs, including “Nights in White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Your Wildest Dreams” and “The Voice.” Last year Hayward took a rare break from the band to release his first solo album in more than 15 years, Spirits of the Western Sky, which found him dabbling in sounds and styles he isn’t typically associated with, including country and bluegrass. Expect to hear a few of those tunes and plenty of Moody Blues favorites at this performance in the Marcus Center’s Vogel Hall.
W. Kamau Bell @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
For years, political comedy on television has been defined by Comedy Central’s mock news program “The Daily Show,” but San Francisco comedian W. Kamau Bell put a more youthful, stand-up-oriented spin on similar topics with his FX program “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell,” where he used PowerPoint presentations to skewer current events. Since the network pulled that show, Bell has continued to speak his mind on his podcast, “The Field Negro Guide to Arts & Culture.” Given the results of this month's midterm elections, Bell should have plenty of timely material to work with at this Shank Hall performance.
