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.
Seattle-born and bred drummer, rapper and producer Kassa Overall wowed us back in June, when HYFIN welcomed him for a session at our Walker’s Point studios. Radio Milwaukee’s Brett Krzykowski remarked on Kassa’s performance with band members Ian Finkelstein on keys and Giulio Xavier Cetto on bass, “[The trio] created the type of seamless, seemingly effortless performance that’s only possible when both talent and chemistry are off the charts.”
So, to say we’re excited that HYFIN is officially presenting his return to Milwaukee tonight at The Cooperage is just the start. I’ll also add that when you see him play live, you won’t soon forget it. Kassa is one of those artists that hooks listeners with his records thanks in part to his production prowess, but it’s his live shows that truly cement him in your musical memory.
The 40-year-old music whiz first gained notoriety for 2020’s I THINK I’M GOOD. That sophomore album showed off his years of experience as a student at Oberlin Conservatory and then playing throughout Brooklyn for nearly 15 years alongside heavy hitters like Christian McBride and Jon Batiste, as well as collab-ing with artists like Francis and the Lights.
Pitchfork’s Piotr Orlov remarked of that particular album, “Some of the greatness of I Think I’m Good comes in the blending of its design and function.”
Fast-forward to Kassa’s most-recent release, ANIMALS, and you feel how that blend is still present. More than that, it also shows how Kassa is still evolving his musical voice by making music, art and storytelling collide in one exciting breath, full of life and expansion. That collision happens live tonight at his Cooperage show that starts at 7 p.m. with openers KASE and DJ Tarik.
More shows worth a go
- Sept. 27: Nick Cave @ The Riverside Theater, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 28: Tae & The Neighborly w/Moonglow @ The Back Room @ Colectivo, 8 p.m.
- Sept. 29: Riverwest Jazzfest @ Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, Company Brewing, 5:30 p.m.
- Sept. 29: Man Random (record-release show) w/Buena Cara, Rotundos, Courtesy @ Linneman’s, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 30: Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band @ Miller High Life Theatre, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 30: Macklemore @ The Rave/Eagles Club, 7:30 p.m.
