Katy to Khalid to Kelsea
10 top winter concerts in Milwaukee
New year, new concerts — and many of the best of them feature new talent. The hottest shows in Milwaukee this winter feature acts that broke big in 2017, with a potentially stronger year yet ahead, spanning from country to pop, rap to rock. And with some of the season’s major tours bypassing our bound-to-be-frigid city, it’s a good time to take stock of homegrown talent, from Milwaukee artists behind last year’s best local albums, to one of the biggest acts born in our state performing a one-of-a-kind concert. Here are 10 top concert choices through February, listed in order of occurrence.
1. Katy Perry: Sure the latest album “Witness” was a dud, but the cartoonish and colorful “Witness” tour seems to play to Perry’s strengths, with a set list full of some of this century’s biggest pop hits. 7 p.m. Dec. 4, BMO Harris Bradley Center, 1001 N. 4th St. $27.50 to $197.50 at the box office, (800) 745-3000 and ticketmaster.com.
2. Khalid: “This is our year,” El Paso,
Texas, native Khalid Robinson sings on the title track to this year’s platinum-selling “American Teen” album. It was more than a line: The 19-year-old pop singer won Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, became the 11th most-streamed artist in the world on Spotify, and come Wednesday, will have played the Rave four times in the past eight months. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, Eagles Ballroom, the Rave, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave. $35 to $45 at the box office, (414) 342-7283 and therave.com.
3. 21 Savage: Among the newly minted stars of Atlanta’s bursting trap scene, 21 Savage lived up to hyped expectations with his debut full-length “Issa Album” this summer, followed by his Billboard Hot 100-topping collaboration with Post Malone, “Rockstar.” 8 p.m. Dec. 7, Eagles Ballroom, the Rave.
$28.50 to $38.50.
4. Logic: You likely know Logic’s ubiquitous suicide prevention anthem “1-800-273-8255,” but the chart-topping album it came from, this May’s “Everybody,” is filled with unflinching tracks tackling race, politics and other thorny topics. Arrive on time for Dua Lipa, the rising star behind one of the year’s premier pop bangers, “New Rules.” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13, Eagles Ballroom, the Rave. $44.50.
5. Bands to Watch: Best of 2017: I’m naturally biased about this one: I curated the lineup, and the Journal Sentinel is sponsoring the show. That said, this is a one-of-a-kind bill bringing together five acts behind some of this year’s strongest local albums: singer-songwriters Vincent Kircher and Peter Mulvey, rock bands Fox Face and Telethon, and folk artist Mike Mangione’s new band the Kin. 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5, Radio Milwaukee Studios, 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave. Free.
6. Leslie Odom Jr.: Aaron Burr himself — or, really, the Tony-winning actor who originated him in Broadway’s blockbuster “Hamilton: An American Musical” — performs with the support of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. 8 p.m. Jan. 19, Uihlein Hall, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. $55 to $111 at the MSO ticket office (1101 N. Market St., Suite 100), (414) 2917605 and mso.org.
7. Bully: Steve Albini’s old apprentice Alicia Bognanno has made a name for herself with Bully, evoking Hole, but singing (and screaming) about relatable anxiety experienced in everyday life. 9 p.m. Jan. 20, Cactus Club, 2496 S. Wentworth Ave. $15 at the door and cactus clubmilwaukee.com.
8. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: The bill boasted Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Sheryl Crow, and yet it was comparative newcomer Isbell who delivered the most palpable set at the Outlaw Music Festival at Summerfest this year, led by the cathartic, topical songs featured on this summer’s outstanding “The Nashville Sound” album. 8 p.m. Jan. 24, Riverside Theater, 116 W. Wisconsin Ave. $32.50 to $60 at the box office, the Pabst Theater box office (144 E. Wells St.), (414) 286-3663 and pabsttheater.org.
9. Bon Iver: Between the scaled-back touring schedule and the birth of his Eaux Claires festival, it didn’t seem likely that Eau Claire native Justin Vernon would bring Bon Iver back to Milwaukee anytime soon. But Bon Iver is coming back, for a special concert in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of seminal breakthrough album “For Emma, Forever Ago.” 8 p.m. Feb. 17, BMO Harris Bradley Center. $46.50 to $99.50.
10. Kelsea Ballerini: If you miss the old Taylor (as in Swift), back when she wrote clever, heart-on-the-sleeve country-pop songs that were unforgettable on first listen, you’ll love Ballerini, who became the first female artist to top the country airplay charts with her first three singles. (Take that Taylor.) 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, Riverside Theater. $26.75 to $36.75.