Crank up the tunes
Piet Levy previews the 10 best Milwaukee concerts of the summer.
The summer concert season is a time for new beginnings, long-awaited returns, and a farewell to a warm-weather Milwaukee tradition. ❚ Even with Milwaukee between arenas for the season, there’ll be big shows outside of Summerfest at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, the historic East Troy amphitheater that’s back in business after being closed for 2018. ❚ At the theater level, beloved artists will be welcomed back after several years away. And next month marks the end of an annual event that’s been part of the summer concert season in the city for more than 20 years. ❚ Here are 10 top concerts happening in Milwaukee this June through August. A note: Summerfest and Wisconsin State Fair highlights will be previewed in forthcoming articles, and sold-out summer concerts (like Sylvan Esso at the Pabst this July) are excluded from this list.
1. Brandi Carlile: You may not hear a stronger voice this summer — Carlile can belt with massive power, and suck the air out of the room with subdued vulnerability. You may also not see another performer so elated to be on a stage. After impressive opening gigs at Summerfest’s amphitheater for the Avett Brothers and Paul Simon, Carlile returns to Milwaukee for the more intimate Riverside, with new songs and must-see opener Secret Sisters. 8 p.m. June 17, Riverside Theater. $40.82 to $76.32. Each online ticket order includes a digital copy of Carlile’s latest album “By The Way, I Forgive You.”
2. Dead & Company: What better band to reopen Alpine Valley than this spinoff of legendary jam band the Grateful Dead, which played 20 shows at the East Troy amphitheater, some of them quite infamous, during the ‘80s. Company includes the Dead’s Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, along with John Mayer. 7 p.m. June 22 and 23, Alpine Valley Music Theatre, W2699 County Road D, East Troy. $45 to $708 at the door and livenation.com.
3. Diplo: He’s indisputably one of the most accomplished DJs in the world, scoring hits with Major Lazer and Jack U, and producing tracks for Beyoncé and Madonna. And he’ll be the first artist to play Summerfest’s completely rebuilt U.S. Cellular Connection Stage, five days before the Big Gig begins. The cost of the show? Nothing. 7 p.m. June 22, U.S. Cellular Connection Stage, Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Drive. Free, entrants accepted at the midgate entrance on a first come, first served basis, until capacity is reached. The first 1,000 people in line will receive a free general admission ticket to Summerfest.
4. Brad Paisley: Not only is Alpine back in action, the amphitheater is even daring to compete with Summerfest, booking Brad Paisley, a country superstar who appeals to traditionalists and new Nashville sensibilities, opposite the Weeknd at Summerfest’s American Family Insurance Amphitheater that night. Hank Williams Jr. and Dan Tyminski open for Paisley. 7:15 p.m. July 7, Alpine Valley Music Theatre. $36.75 to $660.
5. The Pretenders: The Pretenders play a critical part in local music lore, when the band spotted a then-unknown Violent Femmes busking in front of the Oriental Theatre, and invited the group to open its set that night. So, no surprise, the return of Chrissie Hynde and company was bumped up from the Pabst Theater to the larger Riverside, although a string of unforgettable rock hits like “Back on the Chain Gang” is the main reason for the upgrade. 8 p.m. July 10, Riverside Theater. $45 to $75.
6. Ice Cube: From his pivotal role in seminal rap force N.W.A. alongside Dr. Dre and Eazy-E, along with a blockbuster solo career in the ‘90s, Ice Cube largely left his hip-hop career behind in favor of a highly successful movie career from the ‘90s through today, making this relatively rare live show, ahead of a new album, a must for old-school hiphop devotees. 8 p.m. July 14, Eagles Ballroom, the Rave, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave. $47.50.
7. The War on Drugs: On the strength of universally acclaimed albums “Slave Ambient, “Lost in the Dream” and last year’s “A Deeper Understanding” — and a distinct sound that blends hazy psychedelic washes with ‘80s Heartland rock elements — The War on Drugs went from playing the tiny Club Garibaldi in 2011 to become a large theater headliner and major festival powerhouse. 8 p.m. July 22, Riverside Theater. $29.50.
8. Vans Warped Tour: After an impressive 24-year run that placed Katy Perry, Fall Out Boy, Eminem, Paramore, Blink-182, No Doubt and other major acts in front of their first large audiences, the Vans Warped Tour is pulling the plug on its exhaustive annual crosscountry journey, with what may likely be the festival’s last time in Milwaukee. Asking Alexandria, Less Than Jake and Crown the Empire are among the 52 bands confirmed for the local stop. 11 a.m. July 23, Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Drive. $26 to $52 at the box office and through Ticketmaster.
9. The National: The National is one of the few bands Justin Vernon has more or less confirmed is playing his annual Eaux Claires festival (co-curated by the National’s Aaron Dessner), but the official lineup is being kept a secret until the festival itself. If you don’t want to make the trek for an uncertain roster (and skip Summerfest highlights like Janelle Monae that same weekend), you can wait to catch the National in late July, where it will likely perform a powerful set in the wake of last year’s excellent “Sleep Well Beast,” and with critical favorite Lucy Dacus on the bill to boot. 8 p.m. July 30, Riverside Theater. $45.50.
10. John Hiatt: Covered by the likes of Iggy Pop and Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt, singer-songwriter Hiatt hasn’t lost much of his soulfulness and wit across 44 years and 22 full-length albums, but this return will be especially cherished, with Hiatt playing arguably his two most beloved albums front to back, “Slow Turning” and “Bring the Family,” and with blues slide guitar great Sonny Landreth in his backing band the Goners. 8 p.m. Aug. 28, Pabst Theater. $39.50 to $59.50.
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Find out about the week’s must-see shows, concert tickets and more in the newsletter “Piet Levy’s Music Picks.” Subscribe at jsonline.com/newsletters.
Piet talks about concerts, local music and more on “TAP’d In” with Jordan Lee, 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9).