The best and worst of Weekend 2, Day 2
Some Summerfest stages were jampacked Friday night; others, not so much. Here’s some of the best and worst of what we heard on the festival grounds — regardless the size of the crowd.
2 Chainz
It had to be an attendance record for the US cellular Connection Stage Friday night.
Atlanta’s 2 Chainz drew so many spectators that, once he began, there literally was no angle left to see him clearly from. The pit was even declared at capacity.
He immediately dove into his Drake-assisted hit “No Lie.” The insane crowd, of every age imaginable, sung along word for word, almost drowning out 2 Chainz’s vocals.
He continued to keep the crowd in awe with hit upon hit, and he did it all with no hype man and no backing vocals. Just him and the deejay, which is a bit of a rarity in hip-hop today. Bravo, Mr. Chainz.
— Damon Joy, Special to the Journal Sentinel
Jessie James Decker
If we’ve learned anything from Shania Twain, Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves, it’s this: The culture is always ready to embrace a country-pop crossover talent.
While Musgraves is still the diva du jour, there may be a new honky-tonk chanteuse waiting in the wings: Jessie James Decker.
Friday night, Decker performed in Milwaukee for the first time at the Uline Warehouse. She was greeted by a pretty small audience, but it was obvious that didn’t matter to Decker. She worked the crowd like she was headlining Fiserv Forum, and her fans were immediately receptive.
“This is one of those crowds … I wish I was in there with you.” Decker told onlookers. “You seem really fun I would totally party with you.”
Halfway through her set, Decker brought out a surprise guest: her husband, former NFL wide receiver Eric Decker. She proceeded to serenade her man with a sultry rendition of her track “All Filled Up.”
Friday night’s set proved Decker has the two things needed for success: natural musical talent and contagious onstage charisma. It’s unfortunate so many people missed out on her performance — but here’s hoping she brings her cowgirl boots back to Milwaukee.
— Lauren Keene, Special to the Journal Sentinel
Stone Temple Pilots
‘90s grunge rockers Stone Temple Pilots have dealt with their share of drama. Original frontman Scott Weiland, who suffered from drug and alcohol issues, was fired from the band in 2013. Replacement Chester Bennington, formerly of Linkin Park, left the band in 2015. (Both singers have since died.)
However, changes in lineup haven’t slowed down the band, who gave the audience a healthy dose of their heavyhitting hits Friday night at the BMO Harris Pavilion.
Frontman Jeff Gutt, ultra-cool in sunglasses and spikes and dressed in black, did Weiland a service with his gravelly vocals. At times, they were slightly drowned out by brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo’s guitar and bass, and Eric Kretz’s driving drums.
But this didn’t seem to bother the largely Generation X and millennial audience, who just wanted to rock.
“You’re a beautiful city,” Gutt proclaimed to the crowd, who threw up devil horns, held up their beers, and headbanged to early ‘90s opener “Wicked Garden,” followed by a mix of songs of 1994’s “Purple” album such as “Vaseline” the sludgy “Silvergun Superman,” 2018 single “Meadow,” and mournful bluesy tune “Big Empty.” The band sounded just as fresh and intense as it did 30 years ago.
— Catherine Jozwik, Special to the Journal Sentinel
Alessia Cara
Now that YouTube-sensation-turned-pop-star is a better bet as a career path than, say, touring performer, it may seem almost irrelevant to mention Alessia Cara’s origin story, but there it is.
Not that she was an overnight success; she spent most of her teenage years honing her craft before signing with EP Entertainment in 2014, after which she’s experienced a steady rise in acclaim. She’s now sitting on four Grammy nominations (and a 2018 win for best new artist) and five Juno Awards.
The Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard was nearly full Friday night for her headlining set, and fans were on their feet well before the house lights went down. “Here” immediately electrified the crowd; Cara altered the climactic lyrics to “standing in Milwaukee” for the kicker.
The long, influential reach of Amy Winehouse was undeniable in Cara’s delivery, although her attitude was less blues, more pure pop. Between the confessional tunes and Cara’s casual banter, it was a rather intimate atmosphere for a crowded festival set, and fans’ enthusiasm and participation suggested a rising star. Few people left during the set, and more were flocking in while she was already doing her “Stay” encore.
— Cal Roach, Special to the Journal Sentinel
For more reviews of Summerfest’s Friday shows, go to jsonline.com/summerfest.