Best Coast @ Turner Hall Ballroom, Dec. 2
Friday, Nov. 27
Lupe Fiasco w/ Yo-Dot @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
Plenty of rappers have struggled to reconcile the obligations of fame with their core values, but few have struggled more than Lupe Fiasco, the Chicago rapper who emerged as a principled alternative to more conventional rap stars in the mid ’00s. When his label pressured him to commercialize his sound on his third album, 2011’s Lasers, he resisted at first, insisting the disc would be his most political yet, but he eventually acquiesced, recording the Modest Mouse-sampling hit “The Show Goes On.” The resulting album was an odd compromise, divided between unabashed, crowd-pleasing pop songs and resentful political sermons. Thankfully, Fiasco has demonstrated more creative control over his recent albums, including 2012’s Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1 and this year’s feisty Tetsuo & Youth, both of which set aside pop pandering in favor of elaborate critiques of American values and hip-hop culture.
Evergreen w/ Low Down Sound @ Miramar Theatre, 9 p.m.
Like most jam bands, Milwaukee’s Evergreen aren’t big fans of genre boundaries. Their fluid, heavily improvised sound blurs the lines between psychedelic rock, jazz, country, folk and blues, while retaining a footing in funk. The band will celebrate its five-year anniversary at this show, which will feature an opening set from bluesy local rockers Low Down Sound.
Tamarack Reunion @ Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co., 7:30 p.m.-12 a.m.
Milwaukee music fans of a certain age will remember the Tamarack, a Downtown hotspot that used to serve as a hub of the local blues scene. At this show, some of the venue’s most prominent regulars will reunite to pay tribute to their old stomping grounds. The lineup is headed by Leroy Airmaster and features Stokes, Billy Flynn, Jim Liban, Greg Koch, Ben Rickun and The Rocos.
|
|
Emerson Hart of Tonic and Goran of The Gufs w/ Bobby Flowers @ The Back Room, Colectivo, 8 p.m.
Songwriters Emerson Hart and Goran Kralj each tasted success during the heyday of the ’90s with their respective bands Tonic and The Gufs, penning sensitive yet brooding songs that were staples of modern-rock radio. Both of those bands have faded from the spotlight a bit, but the two have continued writing and recording new material. At this acoustic show, they’ll revisit some old favorites and share some new songs they’ve been working on.
Saturday, Nov. 28
Painted Caves @ Milwaukee Art Museum, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Ali Lubbad and Mike Kashou are the core members of Milwaukee’s Painted Caves, but the lineup expands and contracts according to the occasion. Their performances and their self-titled album mix and match the reverberant jangle of electric guitars with the eerie twang of the oud. Their music is often dreamy, rooted in Near Eastern folk traditions but delivered with a contemporary rock sensibility.
Sunday, Nov. 29
Louis Prima Jr. and the Witnesses w/ MYSO: Rhumba @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 4 p.m.
For years WMSE has dedicated its Sunday mornings to the sounds of yesteryear with DJ Dewey Gill, who unearths rarities from the big-band era. That music will take center stage at the station’s second annual Big Band Grandstand fundraiser, which this year features swing king Louis Prima Jr. and the Witnesses and an opening performance from the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Jazz Band, Rhumba. There will also be a silent auction featuring Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra tickets, an iron-works class from Milwaukee Blacksmith and a package from Bittercube and Twisted Path Distillery, among many others. Proceeds will go to helping WMSE digitize its collection of jazz vinyl.
Joseph Arthur @ Shank Hall, 7 p.m.
Ohio-born singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur has picked up his share of high-profile fans and collaborators over his long career, which has now spanned nearly two dozen albums and EPs. Peter Gabriel discovered the songwriter in the mid-’90s and signed him to his Real World label. Michael Stipe took a liking to Arthur as well, inviting him to tour with R.E.M. and later covering his song “In the Sun” with Coldplay’s Chris Martin. The song was also remixed by Justin Timberlake and will.i.am. Arthur also logged some time in the supergroup Fistful of Mercy with Ben Harper and Dhani Harrison, though his latest album, Days of Surrender, is a solo effort.
Wednesday, Dec. 2
Best Coast w/ Cloakroom @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
Best Coast make it readily apparent which state they’re from. The group’s sun-drenched indie-rock with surf overtones brings California immediately to mind, and the band’s name makes their allegiances clear. And even when they’re playing sad songs, the Los Angeles duo never manages to sound unhappy, as fuzzy guitars and reverb-heavy vocals soften the edges of the world while lyrics such as “You and me, we’re just crazy / so when I’m with you I have fun” are sung with cheerful simplicity. Their 2013 EP Fade Away found singer Bethany Cosentino grappling with themes of isolation and self-doubt, without sacrificing the breezy ambience of their early singles. The group’s latest album California Nights is their biggest, most bombastic work yet.
