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.
As a format, radio is not in the business of playing entire albums from artists. At Radio Milwaukee in particular, our stations spin singles to keep your ears perked up so you can discover a new favorite or rediscover an old one. But, as music lovers, our team is all about the album format, which is why we’re geeked about three shows happening in Milwaukee this week.
With the Summer Olympics in full swing, we’ll go to the judges and start with the artist demonstrating the highest degree of difficulty: Vampire Weekend. Their concert Thursday at BMO Pavilion is in support of Only God Was Above Us, which all fans and most critics agree is the fifth gold star in their five-album discography. The band’s last Milwaukee show back in 2019 earned similarly high marks, and we expect the same this week.
It feels like there are plenty of well-deserved words devoted to Vampire Weekend’s greatness floating around out there, so let’s move along to another show fueled by an excellent 2024 record: Katy Kirby at Cactus Club, also this Thursday.
It’s been a pretty great year for Kirby, both from an album-release perspective and a “frequent visits to Milwaukee” perspective. She put out the well-received Blue Raspberry in February and followed it quickly with a string of dates opening for The Mountain Goats, including an April gig at Turner Hall. This Thursday, she tops a bill that includes the wonderfully inventive Mei Semones and rising local talent Maximiano. If you didn’t snag a ticket to Vampire Weekend — or you can be in two places at the same time — this show is well worth your time.
Our last of the album-focused concerts is a slight departure from its predecessors because the album isn’t out yet. But let’s not get caught up in technicalities. For one, that means this final recommendation isn’t just a show; it’s an album-release show, which is always fun. For two, the record in question belongs to Micah Emrich, so you know it’s going to be a good’un.
You know that, in part, because we already shared some of the album with you — courtesy of a Milwaukee Music Premiere at the end of May. “Nowhere” was a single that showed off the sultry R&B side of an artist who does, as he puts it, “Alternative Everything.” This Friday at Anodyne on Bruce, you get to hear everything else from Emrich’s new album, PROMISES, plus opening sets from FTBK, Duwayne and Nzinga.
Best concerts in Milwaukee this week
- July 31: Vivarium in the Park — Max and The Fellow Travelers @ The Vine Humboldt, 6 p.m.
- Aug. 1: Katy Kirby w/Mei Semones, Maximiano, DJ Kelly Aiglon @ Cactus Club, 8 p.m.
- Aug. 1: Vampire Weekend w/Ra Ra Riot @ BMO Pavilion, 7:30 p.m.
- Aug. 2: Micah Emrich (album-release show) w/FTBK, Duwayne, Nzinga @ Anodyne on Bruce, 8 p.m.
- Aug. 2: J.E. Sunde w/Caley Conway @ Cactus Club, 6:30 p.m.
- Aug. 2: TLC w/Jordin Sparks @ Wisconsin State Fair, 7:30 p.m.
- Aug. 2: Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
- Aug. 5: Briscoe @ Cactus Club, 7 p.m.
