Milwaukee’s concert scene has a lot going on, so we look at the shows coming up to find the ones you’ll look back on and be glad you went. Then we add them to our weekly Milwaukee Concert Picks.
Lindsey Jordan has packed a lot into her 26 years. Actually, let’s shorten that timeline to the last eight. In less than a decade, the Maryland native who perform as Snail Mail:
- Broke out in a big way with debut album Lush, one of the best of 2018.
- Underwent fairly significant vocal changes while releasing acclaimed follow-up Valentine in 2021.
- Had surgery to remove vocal polyps, which required total silence for a month and essentially relearning how to sing.
- Made her acting debut in the 2024 film I Saw the TV Glow.
- Released her third studio album, Ricochet, a few weeks ago.
After going through all of that, the least you could do is show up at Turner Hall for her show this Friday, right?
In all seriousness, we don’t do “pity tickets” around here. As you can see, Jordan has more than put in the work to go with her significant talent. Lush is a no-skips album that showed off some serious songwriting chops, Valentine proved there would be no sophomore slump, and the first two singles from Ricochet are a showcase for Jordan’s revamped voice and evolved sound.
The subject matter has taken a step forward as well, with Jordan tackling the big issues we all eventually encounter as we get older. Ricochet was motivated by one of the biggest of all: death. And yet the first two tracks off the new album are by no means dark. “My Maker” is borderline sprightly, while “Dead End” has a mid-’90s midtempo flavor.
It’s wonderful to see Jordan emerge stronger on the other side of a crazy few years, and you can see it in person at Turner Hall this Friday, with the equally awesome Sharp Pins opening the 8 p.m. show.
While we don’t love putting you in an impossible situation, Friday presents another irresistible option in the form of Men I Trust at the Rave. The Quebecian trio had a very ambitious 2026 that saw them release two albums just a couple months apart: Equus Asinus in March followed by Equus Caballus in May.
Relatively speaking, the former is the more understated of the pair, while the latter goes bigger by pairing an ’80s-indebted sound to the band’s thick bass lines and dreamy vocals from Emma Proulx. Throw the duo into the mix with Men I Trust’s preceding four studio efforts, and you’ve got more than enough material to fill a vibey night at the Rave that includes opener Abby Holliday.
Best concerts in Milwaukee this week
- April 8: Lala Lala, Mother Soki @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.
- April 9: Mint Field, Daydream Retrievers @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.
- April 9: Marissa Nadler, Anand Wilder @ X-Ray Arcade, 8 p.m.
- April 10: Snail Mail w/Sharp Pins @ Turner Hall, 8 p.m.
- April 10: Men I Trust w/Abby Holliday @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
- April 10: The Menzingers w/I Am The Avalanche @ The Rave, 7:30 p.m.
- April 10: Sludge Hawking, Mystical Zenith, Convoy @ X-Ray Arcade, 7:30 p.m.
- April 11: Little Blue Crunchy Things @ Turner Hall, 7:30 p.m.
- April 11: Lost Orange Cat w/Cozy Danger @ Linneman’s, 8 p.m.
- April 11: Throwing Muses @ Shank Hall, noon
- April 11: Goalkeeper, Capture This, Gold Steps, Minnesota Fatts, Hot Mess @ X-Ray Arcade, 6:30 p.m.
- April 12: Joseph w/The Man The Myth The Meatslab @ Turner Hall, 7:30 p.m.
- April 12: Erik Koskinen, Long Mama @ The Cooperage, 3 p.m.
- April 12: Josh Evert, Sleeping Trees, The Hallelujah Ward @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.
- April 12: Discern, Fake My Death, Crash House, 2g @ X-Ray Arcade, 7 p.m.
