GLADYS KNIGHT
Style: Classic soul from the woman dubbed the “Empress” of the form.
Backstory: Atlanta-born Knight formed a version of the Pips in 1952, when her age was in the single digits. By the early 1960s, they had a couple of hits, then went to Motown in 1966. But it wasn’t until the 1970s and a move to Buddah Records that Gladys Knight & the Pips became true hitmakers, their success epitomized by the 1973 signature “Midnight Train to Georgia.”
Why you should go: As a solo performer, Knight has worked with Ray Charles, Patti LaBelle and Brandy, and her shelf of Grammy Awards includes a pair of statues for her skill in gospel. Yet, at 74, she must be aware that much of her legacy remains tied to 1970s hits like the huge one listed above. She’s almost certain to couch those hits in the sweet spots of her set list.
Time and place: 8 p.m. Friday, Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St.
Price: $55 to $95 at the box office, the Riverside Theater box office, (414) 286-3663 and pabsttheater.org. — Jon M. Gilbertson, Special to the Journal Sentinel
WYNONNA & THE BIG NOISE
Style: Country and Western legend status lightly worn and rootsmusic bona fides fiercely sung.
Backstory: With her mother, Naomi Judd, Wynonna co-piloted the Judds toward 14 chart-topping country-music hits from 1983 to 1991. On her own, Wynonna has gone from being fairly prolific during the 1990s to putting out just four non-holiday, non-soundtrack studio albums from 2000 to the present.
Why you should go: She’s not just resting: “Wynonna & the Big Noise,” her 2016 LP, is a strong set of original material with a solid Big Noise band and guests like Jason Isbell. She’s a main attraction for this year’s (and 34th overall) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel a la Carte, which also includes food from 26 restaurants in the area and the fun of the zoo itself.
Time and place: 8 p.m. Friday, Milwaukee County Zoo, 10001 W. Blue Mound Road.
Price: $10.50 to $13.50 in advance at Tri City National Bank locations; $12.50 to $15.50 at the zoo. — Jon M. Gilbertson
ELVIN BISHOP’S BIG FUN TRIO
Style: Country-, folk- and rocktouched blues that aims to please.
Backstory: An Iowa boy who took his musical exposure as he could get it, Bishop moved to Chicago to attend college. There, he met harmonica player Paul Butterfield and was with his blues band from 1963 to 1968. In 1976, he experienced an unusual hit via the song “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” but mostly Bishop has dedicated himself to traditionalist blues.
Why you should go: With Willy Jordan on percussion and vocals and Bob Welsh on guitar and piano, Elvis Bishop’s Big Fun Trio has allowed Bishop to cut loose and stay tight, both on record with this year’s “Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here,” and onstage, where he can whip out plenty of slide-guitar solos and ragged vocal lines. The trio’s appearance is the centerpiece of the Wilson Center’s annual Guitar Competition and Festival.
Time and place: 7:30 p.m. Friday, the Harris Theater, Wilson Center for the Performing Arts, 19805 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield.
Price: $35 to $60 at the box office, (262) 781-9470 and wilson-center.com.
— Jon M. Gilbertson
JOAN OF ARC
Style: Music with almost confounding independent-mindedness.
Backstory: Tim Kinsella was part of Cap’n Jazz, an indie-rock band known for having helped spawn the Promise Ring. He formed Joan of Arc around 1995 and has since developed a reputation
for deliberately upending fan-base expectations. Kinsella has, perhaps as a result of this upending, been Joan of Arc’s sole consistent member.
Why you should go: On Joan of Arc’s latest LP, this year’s “1984,” Kinsella lets Melina Ausikaitis handle singing and songwriting duties. Because Ausikaitis is eloquent as a lyricist and magnetic as a singer, she smooths over her switch to the main spotlight. Her contributions are likely to be a highlight of a show that has 20 years of material from which to choose.
Opener: Tan, which features personnel from other local bands like Worrier and Collections of Colonies of Bees.
Time and place: 8 p.m. Saturday, the Back Room at Colectivo Coffee, 2211 N. Prospect Ave.
Price: $15 at the door and through the Pabst.